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IBHJ Chapter 208
🕑 Added 2023-04-14 21:58:36 +0000 UTCShirou was at a loss as to how things had turned out this way. All he knew was that his stomach was beginning to ache with increasing intensity.
Initially, Morgan had her sights set on Scathach's womb, which had struck him as comical and worth a good laugh. However, right now he was in no position to laugh since she had now turned her attention to his body.
"Sigh..."
He let out a deep sigh as he set the documents aside, his face betraying a worrisome expression.
Merlin chimed in, "Why the long face, my king? This seems like a win-win to me. Not only does it put an end to your conflict with Morgan, but it also gives you a chance to enjoy some quality time with a lovely lady. And besides, she doesn't seem to object. Trust me, once you've savored the sweet nectar of a beauty, you'll be hooked."
He cast a brief glance in Merlin's direction and said, "Don't make it sound so repulsive; just do your job."
"Alright, alright," Merlin pouted and lowered his head in response.
Shirou picked up the daily documents once more and resumed reading. He was keenly aware of his own predicament and had a deep understanding of his own character. A beautiful young woman had proposed that she bear his child, and he had known her for quite some time and was familiar with her. It was only natural for such an offer to be tempting for any man, and he was no exception.
However, he also knew himself well enough to acknowledge that if he were to father a child during this era, he might lack the courage to leave when the time came.
Being a responsible person was a defining trait of his character. It was this sense of duty that had driven him to insist on returning home, and he had willingly donned the crown without ever voicing any complaints about the hardships it entailed.
For Shirou, his sense of responsibility was everything. If he couldn't take proper care of a woman, he would decline any advances from her and would refuse to father any children, no matter what the circumstances.
He was a man of unwavering determination and clear goals, and he refused to be swayed by his lower body. Once he had made up his mind, no one could change it.
However, someone had taken a keen interest in him and was willing to resort to any means to achieve her goals.
For example, right now -
Morgan had prepared a mouth-watering spread of food, which she brought in and set before him.
As Shirou perused the dishes, he noticed a fish and asked, "What is this?"
"It's fish soup," she responded.
He turned to Merlin for an explanation.
Merlin threw up his hands in resignation and admitted, "It's an aphrodisiac."
Shirou gestured towards another dish and asked, "And what's this?"
She replied, "It's chicken soup."
Merlin let out a sigh and confessed, "It's a love potion."
Shirou pointed to another dish and asked, "What about this one?"
She clenched her teeth and responded through gritted teeth, "It's just plain bread!"
After speaking, she shot Merlin a menacing look.
Merlin hesitated for a moment, glanced at Shirou, only to find that he was staring at him with expressionless face.
Feeling a shiver run down his spine, he quickly threw Morgan under the bus and admitted, "It's a mind-altering drug."
Shirou remained expressionless as he uttered, "Take them away."
Morgan ground her teeth in frustration as she proceeded to clear away the food, shooting Merlin a venomous look with a snarling mouth. She cursed him under her breath.
Once the food had been removed, Morgan stormed out of the palace, kicking the gate forcefully on her way out.
Merlin watched her departure with a sense of helplessness. 'It's not my fault,' he thought to himself. 'Who said your intimidation skills weren't as formidable as the king's?'
"Fuu~" Fou, perched on Merlin's shoulder, emitted a strange noise, leaving everyone perplexed about its meaning. However, Shirou knew all too well what it signified - his troubles had just begun.
With a jam-packed schedule already in place, Shirou now had to add yet another task to his list: guarding against Morgan's schemes.
He cloaked himself in a veil of malice, ensuring that he was impervious to any attempts by Morgan to drug him.
The power of [Evil] was such that it could eradicate any negative effects such as charm or other similar conditions. And even while he slept, he would envelop himself in [Evil] to prevent any potential attacks.
As fate would have it, Morgan attempted to launch a sneak attack that very night. However, he had anticipated her move and ordered [Evil], which had already begun to operate independently, to extend its wicked hands and forcefully eject her from the room.
"Dammit! Dammit!" Morgan seethed with anger.
From her perspective, Shirou's reluctance to relinquish the throne was a result of his greed and unwillingness to cede power to the Pendragon family.
If he was truly willing to step down and return the kingship to the Pendragon family, then why wouldn't he even consider fathering a child with her?
She had even put aside her pride and made an effort to be proactive!
Morgan gnashed her teeth in frustration as she plotted a devious plan to save the kingdom.
Since she couldn't directly bear a child with the king, she contemplated an alternative strategy. Morgan planned to use the king's hair, along with her own bloodline, to create a child through unconventional means.
With her plan in mind, she secretly crept into the king's sleeping quarters while he was away, rummaging through his bed in search of even a single strand of his hair.
However...
"Why is there nothing? Absolutely nothing?" she exclaimed in despair.
She scoured every possible location where the king's hair could have been left behind, but to her dismay, she couldn't find a single strand.
It was clear that the king had foreseen her scheme and taken appropriate precautions. Given her reputation for being cunning and manipulative, how could he not have been on his guard?
The saying "guard against fire, theft, and Morgan" was not to be taken lightly.
The king had grown increasingly cautious, even going to the extent of avoiding any contact with Morgan that could result in the exchange of his genetic material. During conversations, he made sure to maintain a distance of at least ten meters from her to prevent any attempts to obtain his DNA.
He remained highly vigilant and wary of her every move.
Her frustration continued to mount, as she had never before encountered such resistance in her life. For the first time, she had humbled herself and expressed her desire to bear a child, yet the king not only refused but also went to great lengths to guard against her.
She found it hard to accept. Was there anything in this world that she couldn't obtain? And most importantly, if she couldn't bear a child, wouldn't it imply that the Pendragon family's reign was in danger of being usurped by others?
Yes, that was it!
It was all for the sake of reclaiming the throne!
And so, Morgan redoubled her efforts, working tirelessly day and night to achieve her goal.
Shirou was plagued with a tremendous headache as a result of the many individuals in Cornwall who caused him great distress.
There was Agravain, who was content to reside in the darkness and operate in secrecy; Merlin, who was always looking to cut corners and avoid work; and Tristan, who would flee at the sight of Shirou whenever he was playing the harp.
There were countless issues that were causing Shirou great anxiety. And when it came to the women, they were even more formidable and terrifying.
There was Scáthach, who was becoming increasingly difficult to deceive; Artoria, who was plagued with self-doubt; Gareth, who would cover her hair and flee upon seeing him; and Guinevere, who always wanted to play the fool. And now, to add to the list, there was Morgan, who lusted after his body.
If these women were to confront him one at a time, he was confident he could manage them. But when they all came together, it was like a pot about to explode at any moment!
Just like now...
"Fight me one-on-one! Fight me, King Arthur!" Scáthach exclaimed.
Artoria chimed in, "My King, I believe you should give that some further consideration..."
Guinevere hesitantly added, "My King... I... I'm just a fool. I'm not sure what to do..."
"Give me a child! Give me your bloodline!" Morgan shouted. Her outburst caught the attention of the others, who turned to face her.
Morgan, feeling humiliated by their gaze, glared back at them and snapped, "What are you staring at?"
Guinevere and Scáthach appeared unfazed by Morgan's outburst, but Artoria's reaction was quite different. She instinctively covered her heart, her expression one of confusion and bewilderment.
She found it odd that upon hearing Morgan's words, she experienced an indescribable emotion in her heart, as if something precious was in danger of being taken away from her.
"One-on-one! One-on-one!"
"Give me your bloodline! Give me your bloodline!"
"My King... I'm truly just a fool... I... I'll excuse myself now..."
The clamor of voices was like the raucous squawking of a flock of hundreds of ducks around him.
Shirou was at his wits' end, longing for the future where such chaotic situations wouldn't exist. However, for the time being, he had to do his best to keep everything under control.
"Everyone, be quiet!" He commanded, his expression stern as he set aside his paperwork.
Morgan and the others immediately fell silent, instinctively heeding his authoritative tone.
Despite their reluctance to admit it, even the indomitable Morgan couldn't help but feel intimidated when the king adopted such a stern demeanor.
Perhaps this was due to a deep-seated psychological vulnerability resulting from their profound recognition and submission to the authority of the king.
As for Scáthach, she was a warrior who firmly believed that the victor was entitled to rule over all. Having been defeated by him on numerous occasions, she had come to the unconscious realization that she was the weaker combatant and, as a result, had gradually submitted to his dominance. While she may not have admitted it outright, her heart had already placed her in the position of the defeated party, quietly yielding to his superior strength.
With a stern expression, Shirou fixed his gaze upon Morgan and asked, "Morgan, have you completed the task I assigned to you today?"
She hesitated for a moment before responding, "Um..."
"Go and complete it immediately," He ordered firmly.
Morgan turned around and departed with a disgruntled expression, muttering under her breath, "I'll be back."
He turned his attention to Scáthach and held up a single finger, challenging her, "You want a one-on-one fight? Very well, if you get it right, I'll spend some of my time to entertain you. Tell me, how many fingers am I holding up?"
Scáthach responded with a contemptuous expression, having been tricked by this ploy before. She was determined not to fall for it again!
According to Article 143 of the Book of Wisdom, the answer was—
"Two!"
However, Shirou maintained his stoic expression and responded, "Can the rest of you tell her how many fingers I'm holding up?"
Artoria hesitated briefly before offering, "It's one."
Scáthach's expression was one of disbelief as she uttered, "How... how is that possible..."
"You foolish woman, can you not even count? Leave my palace at once!" He rebuked her.
Feeling dazed, Scáthach made her exit from the palace, her mind reeling with confusion.
"Is it one... or two..." she murmured to herself in confusion.
Having reviewed the Book of Wisdom countless times, how could she still make such a mistake? Once again, she was forced to confront the realization that her intelligence was not enough since arriving in Cornwall.
Shirou's gaze shifted to Artoria, as he asked, "Artie, do you also want to cause trouble for me?"
She swiftly knelt on one knee, responding, "No... I would never dare. As your loyal knight, I seek to share your burdens and overcome difficulties with you, not to bring you trouble."
"Go run around Cornwall until evening," He commanded.
"Yes, my king!" she acknowledged with a nod, before departing from the palace.
He grabbed Guinevere by her hair, pulling her close as he asked, "Are you still playing the fool?"
"N-no, I'm not! I'm not! I'll start writing now, I promise!" she replied, visibly frightened as she quickly bowed down at the table, beginning to write diligently.
Shirou held onto Guinevere's hair with one hand, while placing the documents on top of his head with the other. "I'm tired. I'm going to take a nap. If I wake up and you haven't finished, I'll cut off your head."
Guinevere's eyes welled up with tears as she wrote even faster, determined to finish the task before her.
It seemed that the king knew how to handle these women with ease.
