Chapter 194: Chapter 35: A Global Announcement!?
Lancelot and Maria didn't know that their little achievement was known to every lord born on their planet.
Currently in the Academy.
Merlin and Sebastian were sitting in his office drinking tea. What was interesting to note was that Sebastian didn't stand but comfortably sat without treating Merlin with great respect, and Merlin didn't mind!
"I envy that boy having such a valiant and loyal knight like you, Sebastian." Merlin chuckled before his summon. Mordred served them extra tea.
"He is worth serving even while young his determination and aura are just like his mother."
Since the day they separated, Sebastian began to brag about Lancelot.
Although strict with the lad, he found the boy's progress beyond his imagination and was now listening to his world achievement...
"The father of that Lovell girl will be seriously angry at this announcement... Becoming a King and Queen in Avalon might not have legal or official status in the empire for now, but it means they have shared body and mind before gaining the territory."
"Ohoho, he chose Evaine for his tutor. Here I thought he was asking me... what a shame."
"Old man, don't complain. Those two are already lovers; if you offered to teach him, she would accept and not trouble you."
Sebastian sipped his tea and chuckled at the troubled Merlin.
They were both worried before the announcement as the repairs were still unfinished. It was difficult for many students to enter Avalon because the portal system was offline while they repaired the sigils.
"You think he would accept? I will guide that young star on the correct path." Merlin looked sad as he remembered one student who rejected his teachings and was already on a path of no return.
"Worried about Arthur again, old friend?"
"That kid is suffering greatly, but those idiots already swore allegiance to a demon king who ordered me not to approach him again... I wonder why Uther is so fixated on causing trouble with the empire." Merlin felt disheartened knowing Arthur would suffer and eventually change for the worse if he chose that path.
Sebastian shrugged, "I serve the Du Lac heir, and since he is already enemies with that Pendragon idiot, I will fight Uther even if we were once brothers in arms against the demons."
"The future is hard to see right now." Merlin's gentle face seemed to have aged since the welcoming ceremony.
"Then focus on the present. Many kids do not know the truth, nor do those smart tutors realise that soon we will face a great crisis because your barrier was broken, and they found a way into this world... It may only be temporary, but they could launch an assault that crippled our empire."
"Merlin, we must prepare the real world like the promising lords."
As their conversation took a serious tone, the Academy began to rattle, and a glowing symbol, an announcement, shone across the wall opposite them.
A crystal orb floated between the two with a woman; her hair and wings were soft and glorious as she made the academy announcements.
"Sir Merlin, Sir Sebastian, something odd has happened, and the Empire Elders were confused about how to solve the predicament; I'm sure you have guessed the source, right?
"I guess we couldn't keep it from spreading..."
"True, my old friend, now the entire world will know who Lancelot Du Lac and Maria Lovell are..."
"They will become the focus and target of all in this world; we must protect them." Merlin looked thoughtful. His fingertips snapped, creating two small spells that formed a bracelet and ear piercing with silver and red ruby gemstones.
Sebastian felt the items suddenly put in his hands and looked at Merlin in confusion.
"These will hide their identity from most people... They are useless in the academy, but outside, maybe they can still spend the last days as normal students..."
"Please pass them over and send my blessings, Sebastian."
"Of course, old friend, I will wait for them to return."
****
Shortly after the announcement, in a small city on the border of the human kingdoms, a beautiful woman in leather armour and a grey tunic stood on a silver stone wall overlooking a raging sea while looking to her left, seeing a formerly crumbling tower was now completely restored.
"You managed to make a kingdom already, and with another woman... Oh, it hurts to hear this." The cute woman's ginger hair flowed in the wind as she wore an eyepatch over her left eye.
"I told you that fool had many women. Why devote yourself to him?" Lucifer stood in silence, watching the north as she felt a strange bloodline presence that made her want to kneel, which caused her to feel annoyed and angry.
"Lancelot has always been popular with women. Why would I turn on him now?" Miri responded to the fallen angel with a flat voice; there was no anger or worry.
"Seems you've had time to cool down after fleeing here?" Lucifer sat on the wall beside Miri. Her eyes scanned the young woman; her build and magical ether flow were above the norm, probably surpassing Lancelot in the past, but no more. He had reached a height that Miri couldn't; however, she would never be jealous.
"Unlike Morgana, I don't want to lose my temper or be unreasonable..."
"Says the girl who calls out his name every night like a cat in heat."
"Tsk, shut your mouth... damn bird!" Miri harrumphed and turned her head, not wishing to glance at Lucifer, whose playful laugh was annoying.
"You were saying Lancelot is popular before. Is Maria the new queen? Wasn't she that lovely girl who wouldn't speak to boys?"
"It was a surprise for me that Maria has slept with Lancelot... They must have been facing a horrible situation..."
Miri gripped the stone wall slightly before releasing her grip as she had sharp, long fingernails; unlike the elegant Maria, her nails were a bit pointy.
"Do you regret chasing him away?" Lucifer watched Miri carefully; she had known Miri far longer than Lancelot, and apart from their fighting and hot-tempered nature, the ginger-haired girl pushed herself to the limits alone like this.
"Nnnn... I've decided to chase after him, honestly." Miri gazed at Lucifer, making her smile.
"Hahahaha...."
"What is so funny?"
Lucifer lifted a small brown bottle and pushed it over towards Miri, who clicked her tongue upon looking at it, but her fingers stroked the glass cork of her Elven alcohol before she swallowed the fire liquid with ease, unlike any human.
"Finally realised the path you wanted but were too insecure to take, huh?"
"Shut it!"
****
Lancelot and Maria were oblivious as they began to organise the kingdom together; Lancelot wanted to focus on defences, while Maria wanted food and hygiene for the people.
"We should ensure the cities are defended well. Otherwise, monsters will take them back."
"But if they have no food and live horrible lives... won't it be sad?"
The pair had been debating for a while, with Maria sitting on his lap as they went through the Ruler's system, which was like an upgrade of a Lord's system.
The two spent time selecting and organising the kingdom under Avalon's system. Lancelot selected to reinforce the capital city and border cities with walls much like his black citadel, while Maria added more fertile land and sewage works for all houses, even the poorest people with no income.
"If we build walls quickly, others won't attack easily, and the town will be protected."
"Don't those places have living things? Won't the population struggle to sustain themselves or catch livestock and find food?"
Their arguments kept going while ignoring the Ruler panel, which included a monster registry allowing the purchase of sentient creatures or tamed ones for villages and city walls.
At one point, Maria got flustered and refused Lancelot's suggestions as she pressed several options...
"You little...."
"Meanie!!!"
"Come back, let's choose something else."
"Like what?"
'Well, Lancelot used several layers of walls and a thick black plate, which made our main city a bit unique but how about we make the palace more lively and match the ice nature of its lovely queen instead of black?"
"Hmm? Ok." Lancelot seemed reluctant and somewhat sulking as the selected Black Wall fortress was switched with a royal castle that appeared very Ice-themed, but Maria added the same walls and defences but in a lovely cream, white and blue... making them look cute despite their high defensive value.
This change was more attractive for the Frost hares, fairies and elves, resulting in the morale and happiness factor growing.
As for their animals and wildlife, the ecosystem changed rapidly within one hour, bringing about deer, wolf packs, and many others as Maria tapped them all, ensuring they would not overkill or hunt each other.
'Look at her cute face...' Lancelot thought when he watched her cry as a wolf hunted a small rabbit.
She was about to kill the wolf but saw it drag the dead rabbit to some small baby wolves and instead stopped and put more rabbits in a safer place.
While they argued a lot, it wasn't the stubborn fights of the past... It began to sound like flirting in the ears of others... and it annoyed Maria, yet Lancelot just enjoyed it and secretly teased her more until, after an hour of changing his plans... they agreed.
After implementing the defence and infrastructure, the two finally collapsed in the lord's bedroom, filled with cute ice furniture. Maria tapped Lancelot's cheeks, staring into his sleepy eyes as her legs gripped him tight, squeezing her against his as they rolled on the soft but humongous bed.
"We did a good job, didn't we?" She asked, noticing how sleepy he was; she hugged his chest instead of being needy, and the pair fell asleep.