Arthur immediately knew this situation was going south.
Morgana, however, completely ignored Arthur and announced to Merlin, "We're coming with you!"
This floored both Arthur and Merlin! If Kay and King Uther ever found out they had taken Morgana to such a dangerous place, they would absolutely be killed!
Just then, Gwen painstakingly dropped the sack she was carrying to the ground and rotated her arms, clearly exhausted.
The sack hit the floor with a metallic clatter. Arthur and Merlin immediately fixed their eyes on it. Seeing their reaction, Gwen looked even more surprised. "What? I figured we'd need them. I heard from Hunith that Ealdor doesn't have many weapons, so I thought we should bring some along. I secretly grabbed some chain mail and longswords from my father's smithy."
"Some?" Merlin's eyes were wide as he stared at the sack, suddenly realizing he might be the weakest one of the four. That sack looked massive—easily two or three hundred pounds—yet Gwen had carried it in here like it was nothing. Merlin quickly recalculated their team's combat strength and realized, sadly, that without using magic, he probably couldn't even beat Gwen, the maid...
That was embarrassing. The thought of it made Merlin resolve to get serious about physical training—maybe even learn some swordplay.
Arthur snapped back to attention. This wasn't the time to worry about that.
"Are you two crazy? We're not going on a picnic! What good are you going to be?"
Morgana didn't appreciate Arthur's seemingly dismissive remark. She never thought she was inferior to him.
"I know how to fight! At least when it comes to strategy, I'm a safer bet than you, you idiot."
"I... I can mend armor and sharpen swords. Oh, and I'm also really strong. Uh... at least stronger than Merlin," Gwen stammered out, throwing Merlin under the bus in the process.
It couldn't be helped. Merlin's frailty was famous throughout Camelot. To this day, our Merlin has never won a single fight. If he didn't have an Adam's apple, many people might actually assume he was a girl. Well, that also speaks to how handsome Merlin is—the delicate, refined kind of handsome...
"I..."
Merlin didn't know what Arthur was feeling, but he was suddenly speechless. Just looking at the sack on the floor—which weighed more than he did—he couldn't offer any rebuttal. If he argued, Gwen might hoist him up with one hand and dump him on the floor, which would be even more mortifying. So Merlin could only retreat silently to the side; he had clearly lost his right to vote.
"But... but how are we going to explain this to Kay? I don't want Kay chasing us down with a sword when we get back. He will seriously kill us!" Arthur was still struggling. He'd never been able to handle Morgana since childhood, so he had to bring Kay into the discussion.
"...I don't care what he thinks! I'm going, period!" Morgana was still mad at Kay because he hadn't apologized to her yet. She was still upset about his cold-blooded comments in the great hall.
Morgana has always presented herself as educated, polite, and understanding to others, but with Kay, she was completely a young woman—stubborn and demanding of attention.
Arthur wanted to cry. So, you're fine with me getting killed, then? Kay wasn't as reasonable with him as he was with Morgana; if he truly angered Kay, a beating was guaranteed.
Knock, knock. Before Arthur could come up with a better way to talk Morgana out of her crazy idea, a knock sounded on his door again.
Arthur immediately glared at Merlin, and Merlin, being the good servant, went to open it. He figured picking a fight with Arthur now would end badly, so he was extra compliant.
But the moment he opened the door, Merlin was so startled he nearly fell on his backside.
"What are you doing?" Kay was quick enough to grab Merlin's arm, stopping him from falling.
"Th-Thank you, Sir Kay," Merlin immediately straightened up and retreated to the side, lowering his head.
The people inside the room now saw Kay, who had three knights standing behind him. Unlike Kay, they weren't wearing the Camelot Knight uniform but were dressed in ordinary clothes, looking like common folk.
Kay's appearance immediately made Merlin and Gwen shrink into the corner, doing their best to be invisible. They regarded Kay with a mix of fear and respect. He was a decent man—honest, kind, and brave. He wasn't arrogant; he was courteous to everyone, even servants. Yet, he also wasn't easy to get close to, as his demeanor was consistent with everyone outside his immediate family.
That's why, even though Merlin and Gwen knew Kay well, they didn't dare be as casual with him as they were with Arthur and Morgana.
Kay paid no mind to the two startled kids. He was a former soldier and then a detective, both jobs that keep you on edge. Coupled with his traditional, serious personality, his natural affinity wasn't very high.
He gestured to the three knights behind him and said to Arthur, "Sir Perino and his men will be accompanying you this time. The three of them will travel as your retainers, and that will put my mind at ease. Sir Perino has a lot of experience, and you must listen to his advice when necessary."
Sir Perino was a bald, Black knight in his thirties. He was quite handsome, with a rigorous temperament. His swordsmanship was exceptional, one of the best in the Camelot Knight Guard, but he disliked being in the spotlight and was diligent in his work—a loyal and reliable choice.
Sir Perino and the two others immediately stepped forward and bowed to Arthur.
Arthur knew Sir Perino, so he had no objection to Kay's plan. Thanks to Kay's training, Arthur had matured and no longer harbored the ridiculous idea of having to defeat all the bandits by himself.
"Remember, don't stir up trouble, and whatever you do, avoid conflict with anyone from the Kingdom of Senedred. Deal with the bandits, and then come right back. Don't spend too much time in Ealdor, or it will be too difficult to handle Senedred's reaction. Got it?"
"Got it," Arthur replied obediently.
He understood this was Kay and Uther's boundary. They could help people, but they absolutely could not provoke a conflict between the two kingdoms. That was why Kay and King Uther had initially refused to help Ealdor in the Great Hall. The mission absolutely could not be officially linked to Camelot. Arthur's act of heroism was his personal endeavor. After all, besides being a prince, he was also a knight, and what's wrong with a knight going on an adventure?
As long as the mission wasn't officially connected to Camelot, it would just be seen as a knight's chivalrous deed. Even if the King of Senedred was upset, he wouldn't say anything. No kingdom would overreact to a knight from another realm passing through to perform an act of valor.
After giving Arthur his instructions, Kay turned to Morgana. Seeing that Morgana still had her back to him—the position she'd held since Kay entered the room—it was clear she wanted Kay to coax her. More likely, she was using this attitude to tell Kay she wouldn't listen to him and was definitely going to Ealdor.
This was her way of punishing Kay for his earlier behavior.
Kay shook his head and gave the others a signal to leave.