After Kay chastised him, Arthur immediately deflated. Compared to the stern and rigid King Uther, Arthur was actually more afraid of his older brother, who was so good to him. Arthur never really had a leg to stand on in Kay's presence. This might be because, no matter how angry King Uther got, he would never truly hurt Arthur. Uther had only one son, and while he acted tough, it was mostly for show.
Kay, however, was different—he wasn't afraid to use force! If Arthur messed up, Kay would go all-out. Since King Uther couldn't bring himself to punish his own son, he trusted Kay completely, believing he knew where to draw the line. Because of this, growing up, Arthur held a mixture of deep respect and fear for Kay.
Only after Arthur was too timid to speak did Kay pay attention to the others. A number of young knights had arrived by this time. Everyone had been watching Kay's intense training sessions with Arthur lately, and seeing Arthur's progress, those young knights felt compelled to try it themselves. Kay wasn't stingy with them; if they were willing to learn, why wouldn't he teach them? It's always good for young people to strive for improvement, and Kay had no reason to stop them. (Of course, Kay had no intention of teaching them the true essence of martial arts; he was genuinely afraid that if martial arts became the national sport of England, he'd be doing a disservice to the country.)
With a quick look, Kay saw they were all familiar faces, except for one. He had never seen this kid before, and it certainly wasn't a case of having seen him and forgotten. Not only did Kay have an excellent memory, but given the kid's looks and the aura about him, it would be impossible for Kay to forget him after a meeting.
The kid was standing behind Merlin, yet his presence completely overshadowed Merlin's. That told Kay just how striking this young man was.
"Who are you? A new knight? Why have I never seen you before?"
Seeing the boy look a little awkward standing there, Kay took the initiative to start a conversation.
The boy seemed nervous facing Kay's question. He gripped his fists a bit anxiously, bowed, and replied, "Lancelot! My name is Lancelot! It is a great honor to meet you, Sir Kay!"
Kay frowned, partly because the introduction felt a little awkward, and partly because the name felt strangely familiar.
Merlin, noticing Kay's frown, immediately stepped forward to provide more details for Lancelot: "Lancelot is the fifth son of the Duke of Northumbria and arrived in Camelot a month ago. He wanted to join the Knights, but... Arthur felt he wasn't qualified enough, so he assigned him to help out in the stables. It's his first time meeting you, so he's a little nervous."
"Duke of Northumbria?" Kay was still trying to place the vague sense of familiarity when he heard "Duke of Northumbria's fifth son" and immediately turned back to Lancelot. "The Duke of Northumbria's fifth son?"
When Lancelot heard Kay's question, his face stiffened. He looked at Kay's sharp gaze, wanting to speak, but unsure how. Merlin, however, saw the situation and instantly shoved Arthur.
Arthur, who had been standing idly by, was completely unprepared for Merlin's sudden push. He stumbled, landing right between Lancelot and Kay, effectively blocking Kay's view. This jolt made Arthur realize why he was there—Merlin had dragged him along to put in a good word for Lancelot!
Arthur had previously thought Lancelot was a promising prospect, so he put him in the stable to observe and let him gain some experience. But Kay's return had interrupted Arthur's plans. Arthur had been working so hard every day that he was practically dead on his feet, leaving him no time to worry about Lancelot. As a result, Lancelot had diligently served as a stable hand for a month. If things had continued that way, Lancelot might have been forgotten for much longer. But he had a good friend.
Merlin was his good friend.
As the Prince's personal aide, Merlin had plenty of chances to speak to Arthur on Lancelot's behalf. However, Arthur had been so exhausted lately that anything Merlin said was pointless. Moreover, ever since Kay returned, King Uther had transferred the affairs of the Knights to Kay, meaning Arthur had lost his say on the matter.
Just a few days ago, because of the incident with Edwin, Merlin and Gwen had been held under house arrest. Arthur felt bad about it and decided to grant Merlin one request, no matter what. Merlin, naturally, wouldn't forget his lifesaver, and so he asked Arthur to recommend Lancelot to Kay.
Arthur wouldn't refuse something like that; he thought highly of Lancelot himself.
And that's how they ended up here.
"Kay, I think Lancelot is excellent. I had him working in the stables after he failed his assessment, but he didn't get discouraged at all. He was incredibly dedicated, and everyone in the stable praises him. He's an honest and diligent guy who is absolutely qualified to be a Knight of Camelot!"
Honest?
Kay looked at his goofy younger brother, slightly astonished. He couldn't figure out where Arthur got the idea that this Lancelot was honest. While the Duke of Northumbria wasn't known by many in Camelot, Kay happened to know him.
The Duke of Northumbria's family land was on the border of the Celtic kingdoms, right next to the barbarian territory, so no one really paid attention to it. But just as Kay was leaving the Celtic kingdoms, he passed through the Duke's land and even helped him fend off a barbarian attack. He knew the Duke well. He had even stopped at the Duke's estate on his way back this time, and the Duke had graciously hosted him. Unless the Duke had a secret love child, where did this Lancelot come from?
Besides, a bastard son would have no right to his family name, and he certainly couldn't claim to be a nobleman's son while traveling. So, Lancelot's claim of being the "Duke of Northumbria's fifth son" was false, even if it were true. No one would accept that story.
Seeing Kay look at him with a surprised expression, Arthur thought Kay was shocked that he had made a nobleman work as a stable hand. So, he had to explain: "When I competed against him, he actually won, but he used a questionable trick. So, I wanted him to get some real-world experience. It was meant as a penalty, not a deliberate insult. Now, his performance has surpassed my expectations, and I think he deserves to be a knight."
Merlin chimed in right away: "Exactly! Lancelot is the most chivalrous person I've ever met! If he can't become a knight, it would be a real loss for Camelot!"
Kay looked at Arthur, then at Merlin. He mostly figured out what was going on. It was just Merlin, being a good friend, trying to help Lancelot. As for Arthur... knowing his brother, Kay didn't think he would knowingly help Lancelot if he knew he was lying. The dummy probably had no idea what was really going on and just genuinely admired Lancelot.
"Is that right? Then I'll give him a chance," Kay said, without exposing Merlin's and Lancelot's lie.
Their lives depended on it. If Kay exposed them now, they would surely face execution. Impersonating a noble was a crime punishable by death in any kingdom!
However, that didn't mean Kay would tolerate the deception!
So, Lancelot's outcome was... terrible!
Within a minute, Kay used a wooden sword to break one of his ribs and dislocate his sword-holding right hand.
"Well, he doesn't seem as good as you two made him out to be," Kay said to Lancelot with a knowing glance, dropping the wooden sword that had snapped from the force of the blow.
Lancelot's face, which had been twisted in pain, instantly turned ghostly white. He had sensed Kay's hostility during their brief fight, and now, with this meaningful remark, he understood immediately that Kay knew the truth.
"Everyone, get back to training!" Kay announced, then went off to run on his own, completely ignoring the hesitant Merlin and Arthur.