Chapter 411:

Chapter 411:

The moment Yu-hyun realized the Merlin before him wasn't the real Merlin wasn't too long ago.

At first, when he met Merlin, although disappointed by his lack of nobility, he never doubted Merlin's authenticity.

‘Normally, I wouldn’t have even bothered with this.’

He wasn’t the suspicious type, constantly trying to distinguish whether his companion was genuine or not by sneaking peeks into other people’s books whenever he could.

Yu-hyun initially dismissed Merlin's lack of nobility as nothing more than exaggerated rumors and didn’t think much of the books he possessed being subpar compared to his fame.

Though Merlin’s books were comparatively lackluster to others, they still emitted a radiant golden glow.

The first doubts began when he met Morgan in Avalon.

Merlin and Morgan had known each other for a long time, and if one compared their relationship from mythology, they should have been equals or Merlin even stronger.

History and reputation supported this.

The Morgan Yu-hyun encountered was undeniably powerful; her strength, fitting of one of the top witches in the *Mabinogion*, was equivalent to a second-generation Divine Spirit.

Her book floating above her head shone brilliantly, inevitably prompting Yu-hyun to compare it with Merlin’s.

Though they were esteemed as equals, there was a stark difference in the level of their books, an inconsistency that couldn't be ignored.

That was the spark that set Yu-hyun into motion.

And, as expected.

Through the Golden Eye of Truth, he discovered that this was, indeed, not Merlin.

“Nimue.”

“......!”

Hearing her true name from Yu-hyun’s lips, “Merlin” flinched.

“Isn’t that your real name?”

In the enchanted forest of Broceliande, there were several beings that dwelled near the lake.

They were all women and were referred to in myth as the Ladies of the Lake or, sometimes, the women of the lake.

Among them, the most famous was Vivian, known for raising Lancelot.

And, Merlin’s disciple, Nimue.

“Nimue? Then you mean... this person isn’t actually Sir Merlin?”

“Yu-hyun, is this really true?”

Kay and Gareth looked at Merlin in disbelief, while Seo Sumin stood by Yu-hyun as though she had expected this outcome.

“You didn’t want us to approach the lake—not just to prevent us from meeting Lancelot but perhaps fearing that your true identity might be revealed.”

Merlin—or rather, Nimue—seemed to realize that further concealment was impossible and revealed her true form.

The image of the old, wizened wizard blurred like smoke, transforming into a beautiful woman with long, lush green hair.

Nimue knew that, with Yu-hyun possessing the true Golden Eye, hiding her identity any longer was futile.

Kay and Gareth were shocked to discover that the Merlin before them had been an imposter all along.

“......Since when?”

“Somewhere along the way. But I wasn’t inclined to point it out. I assumed that you had a reason for hiding your identity. However... with Camelot under invasion, King Arthur missing, and your reluctance to approach the lake, I couldn’t help but suspect something was amiss.”

“Is that true?”

Kay glared at Nimue with a murderous intent. Just knowing that the real Merlin wasn’t present and that he had been deceived by her was enough to antagonize him.

From Yu-hyun’s words, it also seemed that Nimue had subtly tried to hinder their efforts to find Arthur.

At a time when Camelot was in peril, realizing that they had been caught up in such deception only fueled Kay’s fury.

“Where is the real Sir Merlin? No, more importantly... how long have you been impersonating him?”

“......”

“Answer me!”

As Nimue pressed her lips together in silence, Kay drew his sword, threatening her.

Nimue decided she could no longer avoid action and cast a spell.

“Oh, no, you don’t.”

Yu-hyun immediately activated Quick Fire, dispersing her magic. If he could easily nullify Morgan’s magic, which was far stronger, dealing with Nimue was effortless.

As her gathered magical power scattered, Nimue bit her lip, glaring at Yu-hyun with murderous intent.

Yu-hyun scoffed at her.

“Why so indignant? You’re the one who deceived us.”

“If only you weren’t here...”

“Oh, and what would you have achieved? Did you plan to overthrow Camelot? Answer me. Are you in league with those Black Knights?”

“I...”

Just then, a gentle breeze blew from the depths of the forest.

What started as a soft wind tickling their skin quickly transformed into a biting gale, sharp enough to rend rocks.

Despite the sudden ambush, Yu-hyun remained calm, trusting more than anyone in the strength of the one beside him.

“How pathetic.”

Seo Sumin stepped forward. She dropped her crossed arms and assumed a stance. Her garment flapped fiercely in the wind as she clenched her bandaged right hand tightly into a fist.

Kay frowned, glaring at the Black Knight, and the atmosphere turned tense. Seo Sumin began focusing her inner energy in preparation for the impending battle, while Gareth was brimming with an uncontainable fighting spirit, ready to unleash his rage.

Then, the Black Knight raised his hand, signaling them to stop.

“No need to be so aggressive. I have no intention of fighting. Our objective is already accomplished.”

“What? What are you... No, wait.”

Kay felt an eerie familiarity in the Black Knight’s voice and tone.

Though it seemed foolish even to consider, he found himself compelled to ask.

“Are you... Arthur?”

“Correct.”

The Black Knight immediately removed the helm that concealed his face.

Underneath appeared a handsome man with radiant golden hair. He smiled cheerfully, yet his noble demeanor and charisma unmistakably marked him as a king.

Kay and Gareth couldn’t hide their shock upon seeing Arthur.

“My king?! Why... Why are you here... and why are you dressed like that...?”

“Haha, sorry. I must’ve surprised you.”

Contrary to the tales, King Arthur was quite the jovial character. He was similar to Kay in that regard—perhaps less brash, but equally free from pretense.

“My king, you’ve taken things too far.”

The knight in blue armor, Lancelot, chided Arthur. Seeing Lancelot, Kay scowled, and Gareth wore a conflicted expression.

“Lancelot. So you’re here too. And that woman who just fled... All of this was your scheme?”

“I’m afraid not. I wasn’t involved in this matter. Frankly, I only just found out about it myself.”

“That’s right. Lancelot had no part in this. I was the one who devised all of this.”

“What?”

“Haha. I suppose I owe you all an explanation.”

Awkwardly scratching his head, King Arthur began explaining why he was dressed in such armor.

“In truth, it was I who attacked Camelot.”

“Are you... insane?”

Kay couldn’t help but mutter such words, and even Gareth, who would normally reprimand such disrespect, did not intervene, sharing in Kay’s shock.

Arthur did not refute Kay’s remark.

“Well, it’s not wrong to say I’m mad. Perhaps I’ve already gone insane.”

“Arthur...”

“Please, just listen. I... can’t live like this any longer.”

“Can’t live like this? What does that mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. I can’t keep being shackled to the past as Camelot’s king. All those duties and responsibilities... they mean nothing to me now.”

“So what are you saying?!”

Rather than answering Kay’s outburst, Arthur looked at Lancelot with a gaze filled with longing.

“Lancelot, somewhere along the way, we began walking different paths.”

“...Yes. But that’s all my fault, for daring to covet my lord’s beloved...”

“No. The fault was my own ambition, only caring about making this nation strong. If I’d realized you truly loved Guinevere, I would’ve supported the two of you. But... I overlooked the seeds of discord, tied by a political marriage. That was my failing, and that goes for everything else, too.”

It was then that Yu-hyun, who had been quietly listening, spoke up.

“So... you’re saying you did this to set right all those wrongs?”

“Partly. But to say I aimed to fix everything is wrong. We’ve come too far for that.”

“Then...?”

“We can’t just bury the past, but nor can we be bound to it forever. Yet is that even possible? We still live within the past. I wasn’t content with that.”

As if even recalling it pained him, Arthur wore a bitter smile.

“The Divine Spirits... They’re those who’ve reached the endpoint of their stories, beings who’ve become stars. The beings of the lower realm envy us for reaching our destination. But the truth is different. We, who’ve reached our goal, are stopped by a wall beyond which we cannot proceed. It’s no different from a dead soul. Could that possibly be right? Can that even be called living?”

“...If you want change, can’t you do as you wish?”

“That’s what I thought at first, and it’s a logical answer. But... after learning the truth, I realized I couldn’t.”

“The truth?”

“I discovered the true curse that binds us.”

A true curse?

As everyone stood shocked, Arthur revealed the truth.

“The seal of Logos. We’re trapped by the curse of the roles he’s imposed upon us, unable to accept change itself.”

Logos.

The moment that name was spoken, Yu-hyun’s eyes widened.

Arthur immediately held up a fragment of golden light in his hand.

“I... we... The stars in the heavens were no more than illusions created by him.”