Chapter Sixteen: Gaius (Please Subscribe, Please Recommend)

Today, the reason Kay gave Arthur half a day off was not without cause. Morgana’s wishes were certainly part of it, but a greater reason was that someone had returned to the palace.

That someone was Gaius, the royal apothecary.

As the royal apothecary, Gaius held a very high position. This eccentric old man with slightly uneven eyes had served two generations of kings—King Uther and Uther’s father—thanks to his superb medical skills and extensive knowledge of potions. He was also King Uther’s close friend; perhaps no one in this world knew Uther better than Gaius. Every secret of Uther’s was known to Gaius, and Uther willingly shared these secrets with him.

Because Gaius neither disclosed these secrets to others nor withheld sound advice from Uther, he was not only a good friend but also a top advisor. For many matters concerning the kingdom, Uther was accustomed to consulting Gaius.

Some time ago, a neighboring king fell gravely ill and came to King Uther, hoping Gaius could help. Gaius’s reputation was well-known across the lands. Uther, a proud king, naturally would not refuse such a request from a neighbor, so he agreed without hesitation.

Thus, Gaius had been abroad for over a month, perfectly missing Kay’s return.

Though Gaius’s status was high, there was no grand welcome feast prepared for his return—after all, it had only been a month. Such formality seemed unnecessary. But Morgana, concerned for her brother, insisted on giving Gaius a warm welcome feast to give her brother some rest. Her enthusiasm won over the court.

King Uther, seeing her earnestness and valuing his old friend, gladly consented.

And so Arthur was granted a day of freedom.

At the banquet, Arthur drank fine wine, nearly moved to tears. Since Kay had begun his special training, Arthur had given up alcohol. Kay did not forbid drinking, but was displeased with Arthur’s drinking—nothing more than the fact that Arthur was simply too young.

At nineteen, in Kay’s previous life, a boy that age would either be a senior in high school or a freshman in college—hardly an age for drinking. His body was still developing, and alcohol was unsuitable. Besides, children at that age lacked the self-control one might expect, making it easy to form bad habits.

Kay knew his views were old-fashioned, even rigid, but he was not good at educating children, so he simply imposed the education he had received onto Arthur. After all, he saw no fault in his own upbringing: he had grown up well, and turned out to be a useful member of society. Moreover, he looked quite decent. Kay believed there was no reason to discard this successful experience.

Because of Kay’s strictness, Arthur had gone nearly a month without drinking. Now, encountering wine was like meeting a long-lost relative. This emotional intensity made Arthur’s heartfelt and fervent speeches while assisting Gaius so genuine that it took Gaius by surprise. He had never imagined he would be so fondly regarded by Arthur.

Arthur was not a model student, and his temperament clashed with that of a scholar like Gaius, so while their relationship was good, it was far from intimate. Morgana, however, was more favored by Gaius.

Kay was the same—Gaius had been Kay’s mentor. Kay’s previous life had instilled deep respect for teachers, so he held Gaius in high esteem, which in turn made Gaius very fond of Kay.

The two had not seen each other in ten years. Now that they were reunited, they naturally took the opportunity to have a proper chat. They retreated to a quiet corner of the banquet hall, sipping wine and conversing.

As mentioned, Gaius was a peculiar man who disliked noisy gatherings. If given a choice, he preferred to find a tranquil place with Kay to hear about his travels. He was deeply interested in Kay’s experiences abroad.

It’s worth noting that Gaius was also a mage—perhaps the only one in all of Camelot whom King Uther accepted. Kay had once discovered an ancient magic tome in Gaius’s possession. Yet, despite this, Gaius had not practiced magic for over a decade. His magical energy had weakened to a point where it was only a matter of time before he would lose the favor of magic entirely.

What had caused this decline was unclear even to Kay, though it seemed tied to an oath Gaius had sworn.

Tonight, everyone was pleased. Though Gaius disliked such social settings, he appreciated everyone’s goodwill. Arthur was even more moved; he wanted to embrace Gaius and pour out his heart, hoping Gaius would stand up to stop his father and brother from tormenting him. Morgana was pleased as well, for this banquet was her initiative and handiwork. King Uther seemed to be deliberately cultivating her abilities in this area, grooming her as the temporary lady of the palace.

The reasons for this were obvious. Though a little shy, Morgana had taken her responsibilities seriously.

Hosting banquets was a skill every noblewoman must master.

Merlin was in a similar position. Though his suffering was not as severe as Arthur’s, as Arthur’s attendant, his life was no easier.

Now that Gaius had returned, he could spend less time by Arthur’s side—after all, Arthur was Gaius’s apprentice, learning the arts of potion-making and medicine from him. As for Arthur? He would be fine.

King Uther was also happy. His adopted son had returned, bringing honor and wealth. His biological son was improving day by day, and the adopted daughter, practically his own, could now be entrusted to a reliable man. She was even learning the skills of a noblewoman, waiting for the right moment to marry well and live happily ever after.

Uther felt that soon, he would want for nothing else in life.

Yet, just then, danger began to loom over Camelot. The wheels of fate had started turning, and no one could escape destiny’s design.

…

That morning, Kay awoke promptly at 5:40. This was a habit from his previous life: barring special circumstances, he always rose early and went to bed early—5:40 wake-up, twenty minutes for personal hygiene, training beginning at 6:00, breakfast at 8:00. This routine came from his military days, when as an officer he was always the first to rise. Even after becoming a police officer, he never abandoned it. And now, in this world, the habit remained, unchanged for decades.

But just as he was about to wake Arthur, he saw Morgana’s maid, Gwen, running frantically down the corridor as if on fire, panic written all over her face.

Naturally, Kay stopped her and demanded to know what had happened.

Gwen delivered the terrible news: Morgana was gravely ill and unconscious!