Chapter 29: Diamonds Are Forever (Please bookmark, please recommend)

Kilgharrah stared at Kai, wide-eyed, never expecting that the man once hailed as the Knight of Virtue could be so unreasonable.

Indeed, Kai had once held such a title. But as for the origin of that title—well, to put it plainly, it was pure public relations. In this era, a knight's reputation was paramount; a renowned knight was welcomed by all social classes wherever he went.

Yet, this reputation was not something Kai had cultivated himself. In his past life, he had been a soldier, and even his later promotion to deputy detachment commander in the police force was earned through seniority and merit. He was not adept at such flashy displays, nor did he care for them. However, he could not withstand King Uther’s overzealous desire to elevate his ward.

As Uther’s adopted son, with the birth of Arthur, the line of succession was never going to fall to Kai. To ensure a bright future for his ward, Uther had begun "packaging" Kai early on, crafting him into a symbol of knightly virtue. Only by doing so could Uther justify conferring a knighthood upon an eighteen-year-old youth without facing public outcry.

Kai himself was indifferent to the title and paid it no mind. He was a quintessential pragmatist. As Deng Xiaoping once said, "It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice." Whether as a soldier or a policeman, his work involved battling vicious criminals. When dealing with such cunning foes, one could not succeed by strictly adhering to the rulebook; when necessary, Kai was not above using unconventional means.

Kilgharrah realized that Kai was not joking; he truly intended to kill him!

The two fell into a heavy silence.

After a while, Kai broke the silence.

"Well? Have you decided? Will you stay here waiting for that ethereal fate to arrive, or will you be finished off by me now and find release?" As he spoke, he thrust the Holy Spear Rhongomyniad forward. The light on the spear grew increasingly brilliant, as if it were about to pierce the dragon the very next moment.

Kai’s threat worked; Kilgharrah had no choice. He firmly believed that fate would eventually arrive, so he had to live until the day of destiny. No matter how humiliating, he had to survive.

...

About an hour later, Kilgharrah retracted his dragon fire. As the flames dissipated, an exquisitely gorgeous diamond ring shimmered, suspended in the air.

"This magic ring can suppress and conceal Morgana’s gifts. I have also masked the magical fluctuations on the ring as you requested. Unless someone holds it directly, it is impossible for others to detect the magic within."

Kilgharrah’s spirits were low, perhaps due to Kai’s threat or simply exhaustion.

"There, you have what you wanted. Now get out! I never want to see you again!" Kilgharrah’s anger flared as he watched Kai carefully tuck the ring away. He had once thought that Kai might be his only human friend, even if their only interaction had been combat; that had not prevented a mutual respect between them.

There was no personal enmity between them. Twenty years ago, during that magnificent magical war, Kai was just a small child; how could he harbor deep hatred for Kilgharrah?

Yet now, Kilgharrah felt a subtle, stinging sense of betrayal.

Kai, however, remained nonchalant. He took what he wanted and turned to leave, unafraid of any treachery from the dragon. He knew that if Kilgharrah tried anything, death would be his only reward. Of course, Kai did not intend to give nothing in return.

When he reached the entrance of the passage, Kai paused and spoke over his shoulder: "As a reward, I will tell you something. You have always believed that dragons are extinct in this world, haven't you? I can tell you clearly: you are wrong. In more distant lands, many dragons still live. Your race is not extinct."

With that, Kai walked into the darkness, leaving Kilgharrah stunned in the silence.

It was not that he didn't believe Kai; on the contrary, he felt Kai was telling the truth. Kai had no reason to lie. If he had feared the dragon, he could have killed him just moments ago. Would King Uther really blame Kai for slaying a dragon?

"So... there are kin out there... that’s good... it’s truly wonderful. I am not alone... not anymore..."

********

Holding the magic ring crafted by the dragon, Kai walked toward Morgana’s chambers with a light heart. Truth be told, the princess had been having a streak of bad luck. She had just recovered from two days of unconsciousness following a wizard’s curse, and now she was being plagued by nightmares, which had kept her confined to her room for days. Fortunately, everyone assumed it was simply the lingering effects of her recent illness, and no one grew suspicious.

Because Morgana had been staying in her room, Kai had been taking most of his meals there. He was currently heading over to share dinner and, incidentally, to spend the night.

When he entered, however, he found the room quite lively. Since he and Morgana were essentially living together, people rarely intruded in the evenings—not even Arthur or King Uther, and certainly not Guinevere, Morgana’s handmaiden.

But tonight, not only was Gwen still there, but Arthur and Merlin had arrived as well.

Seeing Merlin, Kai could roughly guess why they were there.

Ignoring the trio’s hesitant expressions, Kai walked straight to Morgana’s side.

"My dear, how are you today? Are you feeling better?" Kai asked softly, taking her hand with a look of tender concern. The scene was enough to force a mouthful of "dog food" upon the three single souls standing nearby.

This was the price for lacking tact; when a couple is trying to enjoy their private time, barging in is a recipe for trouble. They were lucky Kai was in a good mood and didn't throw them out.

Morgana had actually suffered another nightmare during her nap that afternoon, but to avoid worrying Kai—and because she wanted to help the poor Lancelot—she had hidden the truth. She smiled and said, "Gaius’s medicine is working. I feel much better."

"Really? That’s wonderful." Who was Kai? As a former police officer with seven years of criminal investigation experience, Morgana’s slight deception might have fooled a naive lad like Arthur, but it could never escape Kai’s eyes. However, he chose not to expose her.

He flipped his hand, producing the diamond ring, and presented it to her. This kind of gemstone did not exist in the Celtic lands; Kai had obtained a few as spoils of war while defending against an invasion by the Faiyum people in Asia Minor alongside the Sumerians.

It was by chance that Kai had discovered these diamonds, later commissioning master craftsmen to create a collection of jewelry. This ring was one of them.

"So beautiful! What kind of gemstone is this?" Women, much like dragons, could not resist the allure of precious stones. Moreover, the gem in this ring was not only large but clear, more brilliant than any stone Morgana had ever seen.

"This is called a diamond. It is a rare gemstone and the hardest in the world. It symbolizes protection and covenants. I obtained it from the Faiyum people. In their culture, this stone not only protects people from harm but also symbolizes an unbreakable love."

In his past life, Kai had heard the saying that diamonds were originally worthless—used at most for industrial purposes—until a cunning salesman linked them to marriage, claiming they were the symbol of eternal love, which sent their value skyrocketing.

Because women fell for that narrative, it was clear that women in the B.C. era were no different. Morgana wasn't particularly interested in the "protection" part, but she was deeply moved by the idea of an "unbreakable love," as it meant Kai was professing his love for her.

Kai had changed since his transmigration. At the very least, those three words—"I love you"—which he had been too shy to utter in his previous life, now came easily to him. After all, people here did not find it shameful; they viewed it as natural.

Kai had adapted to the local customs. He often said those words to Morgana. But after all, what woman would complain about her man showing her more love?