Chapter Thirty-Nine: A Song That Breaks the Heart?!

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An hour later, in the D+-rank dungeon, Ele slowly faded away, while Artoria’s figure gradually became distinct.

Indeed, within that hour, Ele not only cleared the Naruto Catacombs but also swept through the first and second layers of the Exhausted Fire Marsh. Only on the third floor did she dissipate due to the time limit.

“It seems she’s done much better than I expected.” Artoria surveyed the scene before her, then glanced with a smile at Zhao Tianhe. “Are you surprised by Ele’s strength? She’s much stronger than I was at the same stage, isn’t she?”

“Yes... she is.” Zhao Tianhe’s mind raced, but in the end, he chose honesty.

“That’s only natural—after all, she’s a goddess,” Artoria replied with a smile. “Still, I’m not at my peak either. If I could use Avalon and Rhongomyniad, I might edge her out a bit. But she no longer has the aid of the Underworld, so there’s not much to compare.”

Though she seemed generous, Artoria’s competitive spirit was obvious. She was, by nature, fiercely determined—a woman who, despite her upright character and adherence to the code of knighthood, had once been abandoned by Excalibur’s stone for her obsession with victory and defeat.

But that same event made her even more disciplined and committed to justice, ultimately turning her into a solitary, perfect king, misunderstood by all.

Now, however, it was clear she’d left those old tenets behind, and her competitive nature was blazing anew.

As a result, the monsters on the third floor suffered a cruel fate, slaughtered to the last by the fully unleashed King of Knights in under ten minutes...

“Whew, not bad, though it’s a shame there was no boss. Hard to get serious without one.” Artoria emphasized again, with a note of regret, that she was someone who could take on bosses—something Ele couldn’t do!

“Anyway, let’s keep practicing archery. It just reminded me of something I once learned from Tristan. His style suits you, so I can teach you.” Smiling, Artoria took the snacks Zhao Tianhe handed her, showing off one of her best traits.

Unlike the reclusive goddess Ele, the King herself had always had loyal followers and a wealth of skills and experience. How could Ele ever compare?

As he munched on his snacks, Zhao Tianhe watched Artoria speak with such enthusiasm that he couldn’t help but find it amusing.

‘The change is striking; she’s talking ten times more than usual...’ he thought, watching the golden-haired girl’s affected airs. Suddenly, a strange impulse welled up within him—he wanted to protect this pure-hearted girl.

Not in a romantic way, but simply to hold her and pat her head, for she really did seem like a child...

‘A heart full of dreams, pure and innocent—so this is the true face of the cold and aloof King?’ Zhao Tianhe suddenly found himself wanting to string up the Knights of the Round Table and Merlin—especially Lancelot and Mordred—and give them a thorough thrashing.

To think that such an adorable girl was thrust onto a cruel throne, only to be plagued with endless trouble: one day a crown, the next a new father, and then a rebellion—who on earth could stand that?

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‘Come to think of it, despite Mordred’s popularity, I’ve always thought she’s a total idiot, and the main reason is...’ Zhao Tianhe’s forehead twitched as the scene of Mordred removing her mask and acknowledging Artoria as her father flashed through his mind.

A maiden, untouched by the world, full of dreams and burdened daily by the weight of the throne, suddenly confronted by another girl—apparently her own age—calling her “Dad”... and with utter seriousness, too! The sort who immediately wants a fatherly hug! Couldn’t that brat Mordred just look in the mirror and see what she looks like?!

Honestly, Zhao Tianhe felt that the fact Artoria didn’t stab Mordred on the spot was testament enough to her composure and sense of the bigger picture. As for treating her kindly?

Ha...

“What are you thinking about?” Artoria, seeing Zhao Tianhe standing there lost in thought, walked over curiously and waved a hand in front of his face.

Zhao Tianhe was a full head taller than her.

“Uh, well... nothing, really...” Zhao Tianhe managed an awkward smile and shook his head, looking at the girl before him.

Despite his high favorability with her, there were still things he neither dared nor wished to ask—such as anything about her days as King Arthur. He had never uttered a word about it.

Though he’d speculated and gossiped in his mind countless times, he’d never once asked her to confirm anything—for those were her wounds.

“So, today we’ll work hard at practice! Yes, practice!” Zhao Tianhe said, feigning enthusiasm.

“Right. Sonic attacks require a great deal of magical power and talent. Without effort, you won’t even manage the basics,” Artoria replied, completely catching him off guard.

“Sonic attacks?!” Zhao Tianhe was stunned.

He knew that among the Knights of the Round Table was Tristan—known as Tristan the Sorrowful, famed for killing with music, his melody said to break the heart and leave one searching the world for a kindred soul.

Much of that was exaggerated, but Tristan truly was a bit like the blind musician from Kung Fu—able to kill with the sound of his harp, summoning razor-sharp wind blades, swift and invisible, all but impossible to defend against.

Apparently, Artoria wanted Zhao Tianhe to learn this technique as well, but the problem was, Tristan’s skill looked a lot like magic, and Zhao Tianhe’s affinity for elemental magic was abysmally low; he couldn’t even reliably cast basic cantrips!

When he explained this to Artoria, she, too, was troubled.

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“How do you know if you don’t try? There’s wind magic even among basic cantrips, isn’t there? Start with the fundamentals!” Artoria gazed at Zhao Tianhe with deep encouragement. “The first step is always the hardest, but trust me—your perception will make it possible!”

“Uh, alright...” Zhao Tianhe nodded. He did remember that his perception stat could be used in place of magical affinity to increase his success rate. ‘But if that’s so, isn’t this just plain magic training? My mana pool isn’t exactly impressive...’

Nevertheless, under Artoria’s supervision, Zhao Tianhe began practicing sonic attacks. But until the moment she vanished, he never once managed to grasp the basics.

For the next half month, Zhao Tianhe continued to clear dungeons solo with Ele and Artoria, and even managed to upgrade some of his equipment.

Previously, because the others had let him have that boss drop, Zhao Tianhe hadn’t claimed any gear for a whole month. Now, running dungeons solo, he could finally keep what he found with a clear conscience.

Honestly, though, his drop rate was almost laughable—most of what he got were materials for Ele or Artoria: dragon teeth, silver chess pieces for swordsmen, strange things like fierce bones.

Even though Artoria’s talent system had yet to be unlocked, her class skills leveled up after consuming three dragon teeth and a fierce bone.

Excalibur Master, Level 2

Master of the Sacred Sword—Lady of the Lake. Resonates with this divinely forged weapon, source of the stars, unleashing its power and enhancing herself.

All stats +2.

Barrier of the Wind King can now be released, adding (skill level × Spirit) as light-type damage when attacking.

Excalibur can cleave through and negate spell damage, though at the cost of mana.

This greatly increased Artoria’s strength—the destructive power of Excalibur alone now made her eligible to enter C-rank dungeons.