Chapter 20: As a Personal Guard, One Must Always Accompany the King
Artoria had always been an excellent knight.
Though she had been entrusted to Sir Ector by Merlin at a very young age, Merlin actually instructed Sir Ector to train her as a knight, while also teaching her how to become a king through dreams while she slept at night.
In the original story, Artoria became King Arthur, and rumors spread that "King Arthur does not understand human hearts." While part of this was likely due to the fading of the Age of Gods, the remaining reason probably lies with Merlin.
After all, Merlin is not human—he is an incubus.
He possesses no human emotions. The joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness he displays, including his claims of feeling happiness, sadness, or being moved... all of these are simulated based on human reactions. They are all false.
He does not grieve over anyone's death, nor does he feel joy over any achievement, and he is never genuinely moved by anyone.
The fact that he can simulate human behavior to such an extent, even mimicking psychological activities, shows that he has truly studied human reactions extensively.
But if you were to say he doesn't understand human hearts, that would also be correct—because he simply does not possess a heart like a human's.
So, it seems only natural that the King Arthur he personally trained also fails to understand human hearts...
Especially in the original story, when Artoria pulled the Sword in the Stone, Merlin even remarked—"Once you draw this sword, you will no longer be human."
Without these two factors, Artoria probably would not have become the person she later turned out to be.
This was true for Artoria as a king, but as a knight, there were no issues whatsoever.
She was fair, diligent, powerful, loyal, and self-disciplined... Even her somewhat rigid traits posed no problem for a knight.
However, this very model of a knight, this paragon of knighthood, today faced the greatest challenge of her knightly career.
"Hah... This is only my first day as a knight. If I can't even handle a task like this, how can I possibly face the king's kindness with any dignity?"
Standing at Noah's door, Artoria muttered these words to herself.
She already felt pressure from being directly chosen by Noah, but if she had been asked to prove herself by defeating powerful enemies or completing tasks beyond ordinary capabilities, she might not have been as tense as she was now.
However...
After becoming a knight, she was immediately promoted by Noah to be his personal guard.
Merlin had been dispatched by Noah to the Southern Six Territories. Before Merlin left, he told her:
"Today is your first day acting as a knight, and your first and most important task as a personal guard is to ensure the king's safety. The king has just ascended the throne, and during this period, some nobles might attempt to assassinate him. So, you must guarantee the king's security."
"Whether it's day or night, you must never let your guard down. Even during nighttime... ahem, I mean, when everyone is asleep at night, you must remain vigilant."
With these words, Merlin left.
If Artoria had already become the King Arthur she was destined to be, she might not have been shaken by Merlin's words.
For not to mention gender, ever since becoming king, she had internalized Merlin's words—"Once you draw this sword, you shall no longer be human"—and thus Artoria prioritized the definition of a king over that of a person.
She had once declared, "Before I am human, I am first and foremost a king."
With such resolve, how could she ever waver?
But now things were different.
The current Artoria no longer carried that curse-like burden upon her. She was far more normal than the version of her that became King Arthur.
The memories of Artoria that Noah obtained from the simulations left him with the impression of a serious, solemn, efficient, and highly reliable female knight.
So while a king would not feel shaken, Artoria still could.
After a long internal struggle, she finally steeled herself and pushed open Noah's door.
Huh!?
Noah had been about to sleep.
But the door was pushed open, and his drowsiness vanished instantly as he became fully alert.
His hand immediately went to the hilt of an ordinary longsword hidden beneath his blankets.
In the memories he acquired from the simulations, he had experienced numerous assassination attempts.
Even this habit was something he had refined based on those simulated memories.
Let the assassin approach. Since his current reputation wasn't as prominent as the Sword in the Stone's, the attacker would notice the sword first. Seeing it far from him, they would let their guard down slightly, only to be impaled by his blade.
Although Noah could kill an assassin empty-handed, he instinctively made such preparations.
He even planned to create some corresponding alchemical devices later.
This demonstrated his extensive experience in dealing with assassinations.
But...
Even someone as experienced as Noah was encountering such a brazen assassin for the first time!
Using the main entrance, and pushing the door open so noisily!
If you didn't know better, you'd think they'd mistaken it for their own home!
How absurd!
As Noah mentally complained about this, he sensed the other's approach.
But just as he opened his eyes to launch an attack, he saw Artoria... and before he could process it, he realized she had actually lain down right beside him!
Her delicate, elegant scent wafted directly into Noah's nostrils, leaving him utterly bewildered.
"Arthur, is this your first night staying in Camelot castle, so you entered the wrong room?"
That was Noah's first thought.
But Artoria, blushing, shook her head slightly.
Though visibly shy, she tried her best to maintain a composed facade.
"No, Merlin told me that as the king's personal guard, I must ensure your safety at all times, especially at night when others are asleep and defenses are lowered."
"My apologies for disturbing your rest, but please sleep now. I will protect you."
Ah, this...
Having someone suddenly beside him felt utterly unnatural to Noah.
But at this moment, he didn't drive Artoria away, because this incident triggered his memory—it seemed similar events had occurred in the memories he obtained from simulations... However, when absorbing those memories, he had been focused solely on advantageous conditions, so daily life details like these were hastily skimmed over and largely ignored.
After all, since they weren't his personal experiences, some minor details naturally slipped through.
Moreover, this reminded him of something else.
Artoria initially maintained this appearance, but in a few years, her identity as a woman would be exposed.
Since she wouldn't remain fixed at this age, she would eventually develop, even growing into a figure resembling the Lion King. By then, claiming to be a man would be pointless—people aren't blind!
He recalled that even at that stage, Artoria still persisted with this habit.
Precisely because of this, in the several memories he inherited, if there was a queen consort, it was always Artoria.
Remembering this, Noah didn't send Artoria away. After fully organizing these memories, he realized Artoria had likely fallen asleep due to her own excessive tension...
Yes.
The one being guarded was still awake, while the guard herself had dozed off.
At this thought, Noah let out a soft sigh. Having sorted through his memories, he wasn't surprised by this scene anymore. Out of habit, he covered Artoria with a blanket and closed his own eyes.
Similarly, guided by habit, Noah gradually embraced the large body pillow beside him while sleeping, and only by breathing in its familiar scent did he truly settle into peaceful slumber.