CK Simulation, Creating the Style of Tsukino Fumi

Page 7

"That's all I'm good at."

"Sir Quinn, you are too modest. My brother and I have long heard of your great name. In Camelot, who does not know that you are the knight most likely to defeat Vortigern? The bards are singing your legendary tales, and all the knights regard you as their role model."

Kai stood aside, watching his sister who kept praising other men. He felt a mix of emotions. On one hand, there was his beloved sister, and on the other hand, there was his idol. Logically, it should be a good thing that the two of them could get along well, but why was he so unhappy?

Who exactly is your brother?

Kai's displeasure finally caught the attention of the two who were talking. Artoria keenly noticed that something was wrong with her brother and subconsciously turned to look at Kai, whose face was full of complicated emotions. "Brother, what's wrong?"

"No, it's nothing. I just think it's not appropriate for us to keep chatting while standing at the city gate." Kai made up an excuse on the spot. At this moment, he just wanted to get his sister away from Quinn as soon as possible.

But Quinn immediately saw through the young knight's intentions, who wasn't good at hiding his thoughts, and he took the opportunity to speak up, "It's indeed not appropriate. Do you two have a place to stay in Camelot City?"

Both Kai and Artoria shook their heads.

Looking at the two young men, who exuded a rustic charm, Quinn's face was full of smiles. How could he not know their situation? In this turbulent era, most knights had to rely on farming to make a living. According to Type-Moon's setting, Artoria was the same before she became a queen.

If Quinn hadn't clung to Morgan's coattails, with Morgan covering all his expenses, he would probably still be living this kind of life now.

Given this historical context, how could two people who were essentially country bumpkins possibly have a place to stay in Camelot, a city that was essentially the capital of the kingdom? If nothing unexpected happened, these two would probably end up staying in the stables of the cheapest tavern in Camelot.

After all, after he hosted the tournament, many adventurers and wandering knights came to Camelot City, which indirectly boosted the city's economy and trade and greatly increased the average income of the taverns in the city.

“Since you don’t have a place to stay, why don’t you stay temporarily at my camp outside the city? I have plenty of tents I can provide for you. Finding a place to stay in Camelot City right now is a bit of a hassle,” Quinn suggested.

“No need, Sir.” Without the slightest hesitation, Kay immediately declined, his instincts as an older brother were calling out to him, “Thank you for your kindness, but we can still manage the accommodation issue.”

Faced with Kai's rejection, you simply nodded and said nothing more. You knew very well that if you were too eager, it would make your target lose trust in you. After all, there's no smoke without fire when it comes to favors. You let the future King Arthur and her courtiers walk away from your sight.

Before leaving, Artoria bid you farewell, having made a very good first impression on you, a legendary figure known for your fame and kindness.

【阿尔托莉雅·潘德拉贡对您的好感度：+50（倾国倾城30+白龙之敌20+完美的骑士20-你们具有相同的王国宣称20）】

After seeing the two off, you continued to maintain your hospitable persona at the city gate until dusk, when no more travelers came from afar. Only then did you leisurely ride back to your tent. As soon as you returned, you immediately had all the tents hidden to create the impression that there were no extra places to stay in the camp. Then, you quietly returned to your quarters, patiently waiting for your prey to come to you.

[After darkness fell completely, facing merchants who were demanding exorbitant prices, and having searched the entire city of Camelot, Kai and Artoria, whose funds were only enough to stay in the stables, arrived at your camp.]

When I saw Kai again, this time there was no longer any wariness on his face.

The main gate of Quinn's cavalry camp.

"Sir Quinn, I must thank you for your helping hand."

Having witnessed the harsh realities of society, Kai spoke with great respect this time. Having personally witnessed the spending power of the capital, he had to admit that he was still too naive and had not seen much of the world.

Now, they fully realize just how famous Quinn really is.

During their tour of Camelot, Kai and Artoria encountered contestants from all over Britain and even the European continent. These people had come to the city hoping to see Quinn in person and fight him. Their presence drove up prices in Camelot, making the local taverns very rich.

Although they had a lot of money with them, if they used it to pay for accommodation, Kai and Artoria would probably go hungry for the next few days.

Kai was still hesitant about whether to turn back and ask Quinn for help. After all, when they parted, Kai had emphasized that he was capable of taking Artoria to Camelot City to solve her accommodation problem. Now, asking him to turn back would make Kai feel somewhat embarrassed.

It wasn't until Artoria looked at her hesitant brother and belatedly realized that the two of them probably didn't have enough money, and then offered to eat less for a while, that Kai broke down.

These words became the final straw that broke the camel's back, making the elder brother determined to make up his mind.

I can suffer for anyone, but I can't let my sister suffer. Even if it means losing face, I can't let Artoria go hungry.

So, despite the psychological pressure, he took Artoria and went to Quinn's camp. Seeing the two who had finally come to his door, Quinn showed a tolerant smile, as if he had been there before.

He had been just as miserable when he first transmigrated to Type-Moon. It wasn't until he latched onto the El-Melloi family that he was able to live a normal life. Having experienced hardship himself, he naturally understood Kai's mindset. Therefore, he didn't say much, but simply said casually, "No need to thank me. I invited you long ago. You can stay here in peace. I will have someone prepare a tent for you."

As he spoke, Quinn pretended to direct the soldiers in the camp, telling them to find a tent.

Quinn's generosity made Kai feel guilty, and he began to question whether he had been judging Quinn by his own petty standards. Meanwhile, Artoria, standing to the side, showed a hint of admiration in her eyes. Quinn's behavior was just too much like the qualities of a knight she had imagined.

And a moment later...

"Report, sir, it seems we don't have any extra tents in our camp. We've used them all to help refugees."

"Ah, this..." Kai gave a wry smile, and Artoria's ahoge (cowlick) drooped down.

Faced with this situation, what could they do? It wasn't that they were unwilling to help; they simply gave the supplies to those who needed help more. They weren't going to fight with the refugees for tents.

"This... is really beyond my expectations."

Quinn pretended to be in a difficult position, and the brother and sister beside him knew that they were probably really going to live in the stables. They didn't want to make things difficult for this kind man any longer, and were about to take their leave when they saw Quinn seem to have thought of a good idea. His troubled expression vanished, and he revealed a pure smile.

"How about this, if you two don't mind, you can stay with me in my tent."

Kai stood frozen in place, while Artoria stared at Quinn, who had uttered those words, her eyes gleaming.

At that moment, although neither brother nor sister spoke, they both had the same thought.

I wish I could serve this person faithfully for the rest of my life.

Chapter Fifteen: The smile won't disappear, it will only shift.

With just a few words, I won the loyalty of the future King of Knights and the Royal Steward, simply because I am a born shadow.

Chapter 14

[Strategist]

[You have successfully gained the trust of the future King of Camelot. Both Artoria and Kay believe that your character is far more noble than the legends suggest. After all, in this era, there are few nobles as courteous to scholars and caring for the people as you are, especially after you offered to give up your own tent for the two of you to stay in.]

Although they have no idea that this was all a carefully laid trap to win their favor.

As for you, you don't even realize how despicable your actions are. It's a perfectly legitimate scheme. You know they won't question the truthfulness of your words, and you know they'll accept your goodwill. Once Artoria stays in your tent, you've already accomplished half your goal. The rest is about how to further enhance the future King of Knights' favor towards you, so as to achieve your ulterior motives.

However, as a modern person, it's clear you completely misunderstand what your actions mean to people of this era.

“Sir Quinn, please have a seat. I have cleaned all your furniture in the tent.”

Quinn looked at the neatly arranged tables, chairs, and benches in his tent, which were as clean and tidy as those in a furniture store, and nodded in satisfaction.

“Sir Quinn, please see, I have cleaned and oiled your weapons and armor.”

Looking at the polished armor and weapons, which gleamed as if they were newly forged, Quinn hesitated for a moment before offering his praise.

"Sir Quinn, I've made your bed."

The neatly laid-out fur sheets and the quilt placed at the foot of the bed, though not comparable to the hotels and inns of later generations, were remarkably similar to military barracks, sending chills down Quinn's spine.

"Sir Quinn, the foot bath water is just the right temperature. I need to serve you..."

When Quinn saw Artoria walking into the tent carrying a wooden basin full of water, seemingly completely embracing her role as a servant, he finally couldn't take it anymore.

At first, he enjoyed it. After all, the other party was King Arthur, whose status in Britain was like that of Liu Laosan, Li Laoer, or Zhu Baba in China. Having such a person as his servant was worth it even if his entire family was wiped out. However, as Artoria did more and more work and her service became more and more perfect, Quinn began to feel a little creeped out.

Do you really think of yourself as a servant? How come you work so efficiently?

As a modern person, Quinn was really not used to it, especially in this tent, with Artoria's adoptive brother Kai sitting next to him. He always felt that Kai was looking at him very strangely.

If the other person looked at him with hostility, Quinn would feel much better and might even enjoy Artoria's service. But the problem was that Kai just watched without stopping Artoria's behavior and even seemed a little envious.

Dude, what are you envious of? Do you want to bring me water to wash my feet too?

Just as Quinn was internally complaining, Kai suddenly stood up and stopped Artoria, who was carrying a basin of water to wash her feet, and said, "Artoria, you've been working for so long, take a break."

Ah, that's more like it.

Quinn instantly felt that everything was normal.

“Let me do it. I used to be a servant, so I’m good at this!” Kai rolled up his sleeves, his face filled with a kind of determination, as if washing Quinn’s feet was an extremely honorable thing.

Quinn stared wide-eyed in surprise.

Artoria was going to wash her feet, and Quinn could still pretend he was getting a foot massage. After all, she was a girl, and what was Kai, a rough guy, doing getting involved?

So he quickly spoke up to stop them, "Wait, you don't have to do this."

“No, you don’t need to be so polite. It’s what I should do.” Artoria’s attitude was extremely serious. “Since you have provided us with accommodation, it is my duty to serve you. Please rest assured, although I am from the countryside, I can do everything a servant should do.”

Having said that, the future knight king held the foot basin tightly, as if afraid that Kai would snatch it from her hands, and looked at her brother with a serious gaze, "Brother, I am the servant."

“Today I can be a servant too, Artorius. You’re not suited for this kind of thing.” Kay placed his hand on the foot basin and began to exert force.

“What do you mean by ‘I’m not suited to do this kind of thing’?” Artoria retorted defiantly.

“Your father wouldn’t want you to do something like this. You know how he raised you.” Kai gritted his teeth and increased his strength. “He taught you swordsmanship and etiquette so that you could become a qualified knight!”

“I am fulfilling my duty as a knight’s squire. On the contrary, you, brother, don’t you usually only treat those noble ladies like this?” A hint of gold even shone in Artoria’s jade-like eyes.

Seeing this, Kai's eyes widened. "This time is different. Give in quickly, or you'll regret it, Artorius."

"No, I am the servant!"

Quinn, drenched in sweat, watched as the two men, both with a combat rating of 30 or higher—equivalent to humanoid Gundams on the battlefield—began to wrestle in his small tent. Staring at the constantly swaying hot water in the foot basin and listening to the creaking of the wooden tub, he felt only terror. He couldn't understand why these two were arguing over something so trivial.

Fortunately, just as Kai and Artoria were arguing, a voice came from outside the tent.

"My lord, Her Highness the Princess is looking for you."

"Okay, I'll go right away." Quinn breathed a sigh of relief and quickly got up and crawled out of the tent, leaving the two siblings looking at the foot basin in their hands with regret.

You don't understand why Artoria and Kay are fighting over a chance to wash your feet. You instinctively feel that this is abnormal, but even if you want to refuse, you can't resist their enthusiasm. Your personality has become your shackles, preventing you from showing strong resistance. Fortunately, Morgan's summons saved you.

Without any hesitation, you left the camp and headed to Camelot Palace, where you met the princess in Morgan's bedroom.

[Upon meeting you, Morgan noticed something was wrong and asked if you were facing any difficulties.]

You recounted what had just happened and felt much better, but soon you noticed a strange look on Morgan's face.

"You mean, two knights are vying to wash your feet?" Princess Camelot looked at Quinn with a strange expression on her face, as if she were seeing him for the first time.

Quinn nodded.

"Do you... know under what circumstances a knight would offer to wash another person's feet?" Morgan's words were full of probing.

Quinn shook his head blankly.

Seeing Quinn's college-student-like gaze, Morgan breathed a sigh of relief; her behavior completely baffled Quinn.

"Don't tease me, Your Highness. I am a foreigner and do not understand British customs. I have never encountered such a thing before. If you know anything, please tell me quickly."

"...Generally speaking, when a knight wants to pursue a noblewoman of higher status than himself, he will often offer to wash her feet to express his feelings. If those two knights are, as you said, marginal knights with no family background, then they might even drink the water you used to wash your feet to show their loyalty to you."

Morgan watched with a mocking chuckle as Quinn's expression gradually stiffened, feeling immense joy in her heart. This was the first time she had ever seen Quinn put up a bad show.

Quinn was completely dumbfounded. When he thought about the meaning behind this action, and then thought that he was in Britain, England, the image of Kay's big and burly figure involuntarily appeared in his mind. Suddenly, he felt a tightness in his back. For the first time, he felt that it was not a good thing to have pointed out "Alluring Beauty".

Oh dear! How could I have forgotten myself?