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IBHJ Chapter 197
🕑 Added 2023-04-08 21:45:08 +0000 UTCThe king has never had personal desires. His only concern has been how to guide his people through difficulties and improve their lives. Perhaps, what the king truly desires are the smiles on his subjects' faces. However, in pursuing this goal, he has neglected his own well-being.
More than a year ago, a catastrophic event shook the land: buildings crumbled, the sky seemed to collapse, and the earth itself was torn asunder. Amidst the chaos, the king stood tall, holding up the sky and supporting the ground with his own strength, without aid from anyone.
The weight of the world that the king bears is incomprehensible to others. His burdens are too great for anyone to comprehend. The king is alone in his struggle, and no one can lend him aid.
Despite bearing the weight of the sky, the king patiently imparted wisdom to his subjects and broadened their horizons. He enabled them to climb upon his back and reach for the limitless expanse above.
No one could fathom the immense pressure that the king endured, yet everyone was aware of his tireless efforts. He toiled ceaselessly, working day and night, and leading from the front lines.
Nonetheless, the king was attentive to the physical well-being of his people, frequently inquiring about their health and even mandating that they rest. However, he never took the time to rest himself.
The weight he bore was simply too immense.
Perhaps that is why the king developed a bad habit.
It remains unclear when the habit began, but by the time it came to light, the king had already become fully consumed by it.
He had developed a compulsive urge to pull on the long hair of young girls.
Within the palace, it was not uncommon to witness the king mistreating his apprentice knight, Artoria, by yanking on her ponytail while poring over paperwork. Despite Artoria's visible anger and shaking, those who witnessed this behavior were hesitant to speak out against the king, as his satisfaction was all too apparent in the pleased smile that graced his face. The sight of that grin alone was enough to send shivers down the spines of those who witnessed it.
For Gareth, who had suffered at the hands of the king, that smile was nothing short of terrifying. She felt compelled to take action, cutting off her long hair without hesitation and vowing never to let it grow again.
Artoria attempted to tie up her own hair, but the king forbade her from doing so and even went so far as to continue his malicious antics with her ponytail. As a result, Artoria was left with no choice but to endure the unwelcome attention from the king's sense of humor.
Perhaps the king's behavior could be attributed to the immense pressure he was under. Despite this, the people of Cornwall still indulged in his bad habits and even went so far as to spread them to others. Girls would eagerly grow out their hair, hoping for the day when the king would come to persecute their tresses. However, their hopes were ultimately destined to be dashed.
Merlin knew this all too well. While others may have remained oblivious, he had uncovered the truth through his close proximity to the king, spending every day and night with him and even delving into the king's dreamscape.
The king's habit of grabbing Artoria's ponytail was not simply due to the length of her hair, but rather a result of who she was. In fact, upon closer observation, it became apparent that the king had only ever targeted the hair of two individuals: Artoria and the kind and gentle Gareth.
Surprisingly, even Morgan le Fay, the king's older sister, whose long, beautiful hair was the envy of many, never incited the king's desire to grab her hair.
The reason behind the king's behavior may have been rooted in basic human nature. It's not uncommon for individuals to form closer relationships with those they feel comfortable with, engaging in play and lighthearted banter. Conversely, people tend to maintain a certain level of distance and respect with individuals who are more serious or difficult to get close to.
King Arthur had a close friendship with Artoria, who had always been indulgent towards him, as well as with the gentle Gareth. He enjoyed their company and often played around with them, but maintained a respectful distance from Morgan due to her serious and strong-willed nature.
Morgan took this as a sign of the king's respect for her and was pleased to maintain the dignified behavior expected of a king's sister. However, she failed to realize that the king's distance also implied that he found it difficult to connect with her.
Although the idea of grabbing Merlin's hair had crossed the king's mind, he ultimately decided against it, deeming it "disgusting for a man to grab another man's hair." Nonetheless, the fact that the king would consider such a juvenile act as a way to express his fondness was surprising.
It is indeed somewhat amusing, though it could also be seen as a display of the king's vulnerability. Nevertheless, nobody seemed to notice this behavior, and Merlin had no intention of bringing it up.
Currently, someone else was bearing the brunt of the king's bad habit.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow..." Scathach winced and bit her lip to keep from crying out as she endured the pain inflicted upon her.
As Scathach gritted her teeth and endured the pain, the king stood behind her, a delighted smile on his face as he gripped her hair and playfully tossed it around.
The scene was a pitiful one, and Artoria found it difficult to watch, overcome with a sense of sadness and déjà vu.
Gareth, on the other hand, grew pale and instinctively reached up to touch her own hair, relieved to find that it was still short and thus safe from the king's antics.
The reason for the current situation could be traced back to the King growing tired of Scathach's habit of challenging him to combat every time she visited. In frustration, the King had made a remark along the lines of, "This loser is always bothering me. If you lose to me again, I'll make your hair my plaything."
As expected, the Queen had once again fallen before the King's wisdom, and her hair had become the source of his amusement.
"This loser, your boring techniques are meaningless to me. Think carefully about the consequences before challenging me again!" With that, Shirou settled back onto his throne, feeling satisfied with his victory, and resumed reading the paperwork.
Scathach clenched her teeth, overwhelmed by a sense of shame and resentment. She pulled out her notebook and recorded yet another defeat at the hands of the king.
Following consultations with Merlin, Scathach had become more aware of the shortcomings in her spearmanship. In an effort to identify her weaknesses, she diligently recorded each of her failures and closely examined them to determine areas in need of improvement.
Despite her efforts, she had yet to uncover the underlying cause of her spearmanship issues.
As everyone left the palace, Artoria approached Scathach.
"Is there something troubling you, Artoria?" Scathach asked.
Having spent nearly half a year in Cornwall, Scathach had become quite familiar with Shirou's knights and had developed a close bond with them. Out of all of them, she was particularly close with Artoria.
"Lady Scathach, I would like to request your tutelage in spearmanship. Would you be willing to teach me?" Artoria asked with a determined expression.
Scathach looked at her with surprise. "But Arthur's spearmanship is even superior to mine. Why not ask him instead?"
"Well..." Artoria appeared troubled, unsure of how to respond.
Being one of the few people who knew Shirou's true abilities, she understood that his spearmanship skills were not as impressive as they seemed, even though he had been able to outmaneuver Scathach in a single move.
Artoria found herself in a difficult position. She couldn't lie, but neither could she reveal the truth. She hesitated, uncertain of how to proceed.
"Oh, I see. Arthur must be too busy," Scathach said knowingly.
"Y-yes, exactly," Artoria said, looking down.
"Well, if others are eager to learn, I would be delighted to share my skills. Perhaps, as Arthur mentioned, the teaching process may also reveal my own shortcomings..." Scathach's voice trailed off, the mention of Arthur bringing his irritating face to mind and causing annoyance to stir within her. As a result, an oppressive aura began to emanate from her, causing Artoria to feel slightly unnerved.
Scathach ran her fingers through her hair, gritted her teeth, and thought to herself, 'If he ever falls into my hands, he'll certainly pay for this!'
