Chapter Fourteen: A Fateful Encounter (Please Favorite and Recommend)

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Kay did not expose the boy, at least not in broad daylight. This was Camelot, where magic was forbidden, and anyone associated with it would be killed. Even Kay himself carefully concealed his own ability to perform magic. There was no need to bring trouble to this child.

There was no trace of ill intent in the boy; he was Arthur’s friend, Kay could tell. When Merlin was with Arthur, he resembled the kind of friend Kay imagined—unlike others who were obsequious and overly deferential toward Arthur. Arthur needed such a friend. Besides, his name was Merlin.

So Kay quickly changed the subject.

“Merlin, son of Hunis? That sounds like a woman’s name. What about your father?” In this era, when introducing oneself, especially in formal settings, it was customary to mention one’s father’s name. For example, Arthur would say, “Arthur, son of Uther.” This was not meant to boast but was a sign of honesty and solemnity. It assured the listener that the introducer would not behave disrespectfully, as that would dishonor his father’s reputation.

Of course, if one’s family had a long history or famous ancestors, the introduction might be extended to include great-great-grandfathers or the like, though that bordered on boasting.

Rarely did anyone give their mother’s name; gender equality was unheard of in those days.

Kay’s question was casual, a way of making conversation. But to his surprise, Merlin’s mood instantly darkened.

“I... I have no father. I don’t even know who he is. My mother never said. She raised me alone...”

Kay hadn’t meant to strike a nerve, so he quickly apologized.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. Please forgive me.”

Coming from a modern society, Kay was less concerned with class distinctions, but Merlin was different. Though his talent gave him some pride, he lived under the strict social rules of this world. His status was vastly lower than Kay’s—a commoner to Kay’s noble, foster son of King Uther. Merlin had never imagined someone as important as Kay would apologize over a single question.

Faced with such treatment, Merlin was momentarily at a loss.

“Sir Knight, I—I—I mean, there’s really no need to apologize. It’s nothing, really, truly...” Merlin’s face flushed; he felt utterly embarrassed to have behaved so poorly before such a noble lord.

Kay smiled at the anxious boy and dropped the subject. Continuing would only deepen the boy’s discomfort.

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“Your mother must be a remarkable woman. She has raised you well, Merlin. When you introduce yourself in the future, you can proudly mention your mother’s name. There’s no shame in it. On the contrary, you should be proud to have such a mother.”

Kay was sincere. Even in modern times, a single mother raising a child alone was no easy task, let alone in this ancient era—when the world was unenlightened, backward, and superstitious. A widow with a child from an unknown man surely faced many hardships. The saying “widows attract gossip” wasn’t just a Chinese proverb; such stigma existed everywhere throughout history.

Yet despite all this, Mrs. Hunis had raised Merlin well. That was truly admirable. Kay held deep respect for such a woman.

Merlin, who had just been awkward and flustered, now beamed like a child, shy yet proud. He truly was proud of his mother. She had worked hard to raise him and taught him how to be a good person. How could Merlin not be proud?

“Thank you, Sir Kay. If Hunis knew a noble lord like you praised her, she would be very happy.”

Kay smiled but said nothing further. Though he had never met the lady, he knew well that the greatest joy for a mother was not praise for herself, but recognition and praise for her child. That was every mother’s deepest wish and pride.

This was evident from the fact that Hunis had entrusted commoner Merlin to apprentice with Gaius, the royal apothecary. She was no narrow-minded woman.

After a few more words about his mother, Kay asked Merlin how he met Arthur and became friends.

“Oh! You want to know that...” Merlin began to recount their meeting with vivid detail.

Several months earlier, Merlin had arrived at the royal apothecary Gaius with a letter from his mother to begin his apprenticeship. It went smoothly at first; Gaius liked Merlin because of Hunis’s recommendation. Merlin was clever and kind, easily winning others’ approval—until one day, while delivering medicine, he encountered Arthur, who was causing mischief in town.

Arthur was not a well-behaved child. Like any energetic boy, he liked to cause trouble to vent his restless energy. Bullying was common for him, though Arthur was not a malicious rogue—he simply enjoyed excitement but kept things within limits. The townsfolk bore him little ill will.

Children’s pranks were just that—pranks. Nobody took them seriously.

But Merlin didn’t know this. When Arthur bullied someone, Merlin stood up to him. He was unafraid and even hurled sharp words at Arthur. Though he was quickly overpowered and locked in the town square, where people pelted him with rotten vegetables.

That was how their enmity began.

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They crossed paths twice more. Each time, Merlin’s sharp tongue won the verbal sparring, but Arthur’s strength prevailed physically. Finally, Arthur challenged Merlin to take up weapons and settle their feud.

In truth, Arthur was so irritated by Merlin’s barbs that he wanted a proper fight.

The duel was complicated. According to Merlin’s account, he outwitted Arthur repeatedly. Arthur, meanwhile, complained that bad luck befell him every time he tried to strike Merlin—his weapon got stuck or he tripped over something.

In the end, Merlin was once again defeated. But this time, Arthur did not punish him. Instead, he admired Merlin’s extraordinary courage, and the two developed a mutual fondness.

Later, a witch sought revenge for her son, who had been beheaded by King Uther. She plotted to infiltrate the palace and kill Arthur, hoping to make Uther suffer the loss of his heir. By sheer accident, Merlin foiled the witch’s plan and saved Arthur’s life.

As a reward, King Uther appointed Merlin as Arthur’s attendant, marking the beginning of their friendship.

“Oh?” Kay drew out the sound, squinting at Arthur, who was already drenched in sweat nearby. It wasn’t from fatigue, but fear!

Sometimes Kay marveled at the Arthur of this world—a king born through teleportation—whose talents were enviably extraordinary. Despite Kay’s rigorous and unconventional training methods, Arthur endured. Kay’s method was inspired by a film from his previous life, where the hero mastered peerless martial arts through impossible exercises and defeated the villainous boss.

Though chaotic, this training did not break Arthur. At first, Arthur struggled, but gradually he adapted. Now, under Kay’s gaze, Arthur felt utterly drained by life itself.