IBHJ 1101

"Amitabha. Brother Shirou, may we meet again." With those parting words, Xuanzang turned back to the mooring rope. She pulled at it frantically, trying to free the boat, but her nervous hands made her movements clumsy. The rope swayed wildly, knocking into a pigeon nest that had been built atop the mooring post.

The nest tumbled down with a soft thud, spilling onto the ground. Inside, several white pigeons had been sleeping peacefully until their home came crashing down. One of them turned its small, round eyes on Xuanzang, who stood frozen in place. The bird stared at her with surprising anger, as if blaming the monk who had just destroyed its home. Without warning, it spread its wings and flew straight at her.

"Ah! Stop! Please stop hitting me! This poor monk didn't mean to do it! It was an accident!" Xuanzang tried to wave her hands to protect herself, but this only made the bird angrier. "Wukong, Wukong, where are you? Help me!"

"Coo coo coo coo coo coo coo!" The loud calls brought more pigeons to join the attack, diving at her from every direction.

The birds swarmed around the hapless boat thief, pecking at her head and shoulders. Xuanzang spun in circles, trying to escape, but the pigeons followed her every move. Soon her head was covered in small bumps, and white feathers floated around her. The quiet port had turned into a mess of angry birds with Xuanzang trapped in the middle.

The noise drew soldiers who rushed to the port with weapons ready. When they saw it was Shirou and Xuanzang—who they knew as King Leodegrance's guest—they lowered their weapons. If they hadn't recognized the pair, things might have turned ugly.

"Lord Shirou? Master Xuanzang? We thought someone was trying to steal a boat." The officer looked between them. "What brings you to the port at this hour? It gets bitter cold at night—the King and Princess would worry if they knew you were out here."

Shirou had to hold back a laugh. If only they knew their guest had been planning to steal one of their boats.

The officer ordered his men to help chase away the angry pigeons, then walked with Shirou and Xuanzang back to the palace.

As they walked, Xuanzang kept glancing back at the fishing boat she'd almost taken. She had been so close to leaving, until those pigeons ruined everything.

"Master Xuanzang, why try to leave now?" Shirou asked quietly. "Guinevere said you could go after saying goodbye to King Leodegrance when he returns."

Xuanzang's shoulders slumped. "That's precisely why. If I wait until the King returns..." She shook her head. "That's when this foolish monk will truly be trapped here."

Their nighttime adventure didn't cause much trouble in the palace. The next morning, after Shirou finished the breakfast the maids brought, Guinevere appeared in a white dress to give him a proper tour of Camlann.

He couldn't say no to such a kind offer, though he first stopped at the church to return the priest's cloak from yesterday.

As Guinevere showed him around that morning, he got another taste of life in the ancient era. Camlann was beautiful, from its scenery to its people—the priest had shown him that much. But something felt off. This wasn't his Britain, and he felt the difference in a way he couldn't quite explain.

Despite usually being good at understanding things, he couldn't put this feeling into words. Something was just... missing.

They walked along the seaside when Guinevere turned to him, her bright blue eyes and warm smile bright in the morning light. "What do you think of Camlann, Shirou?"

"It's beautiful," he said. "Really beautiful."

"Have you found any inspiration for your poetry?" Her eyes lit up with the question.

"Ah... well..." Shirou didn't know what to say. The truth was, he was a musician, not a traveling poet. Both were artists, sure, but they were completely different.

He wanted to tell her he hadn't found inspiration yet, but seeing her eager look, he hesitated. Saying he had no ideas might make him seem like a poor poet.

"Well, I do have a few lines..." He turned toward the sea and cleared his throat. "Oh sea, your waves crash and churn, reflecting the sky's azure burn... Oh person before me, your eyes hold that same hue, a sparkling, captivating view..."

Guinevere's cheeks turned pink and she looked down. "Shirou... if you keep saying things like that, I won't talk to you anymore."

"But these are honest words without a single lie. Is the poem not good, even if it's not finished?"

"J-just take out that last line and it would be fine." Guinevere spoke so quietly he could barely hear her, her face still turned away in embarrassment.

"I can't change it. This is my inspired work," he said with a smile.

"Sorry, I was being rude. Poetry is a poet's life, and Shirou must have worked hard on it. I shouldn't have said that."

Worked hard? Shirou held back a laugh. He'd just strung together a few simple lines. Was the young Guinevere really this easy to convince?

Her cheeks still pink, she looked up at him. "Shirou is as brave as an Apostle and writes such beautiful poetry. You're just like a Holy Sword Hero from the book."

"I'm no hero," he said with a gentle shake of his head.

Just then, the military officer from the port rushed up with his soldiers.

"Princess—"

"Uncle Camund, what's wrong?" Guinevere asked.

"A carrier pigeon just brought news from the King. He's coming back today."

Guinevere's eyes lit up at the mention of her father. "Father is returning?"

"Yes." The officer shifted uncomfortably before continuing. "And Princess... there's something else. The King already knows about your trip outside the city. You should prepare yourself."

The smile vanished from Guinevere's face. Her shoulders dropped as the news sank in. "Who told him? Who would betray me like this?"

The news of King Leodegrance's return brought their morning tour to an early end. For Shirou, this change of plans wasn't much of a problem—he'd seen enough of Camlann already. But Guinevere was taking it hard. She trembled slightly as they walked back, her earlier cheerfulness replaced by dread.

She'd planned her trip carefully, making all the guards and councilors promise to keep quiet. Yet they'd told her father anyway.

It showed how naive and innocent this Guinevere was. She hadn't even thought about who really held power here, or where her own status came from.

As someone staying in Camlann at Guinevere's invitation, Shirou knew he'd have to meet King Leodegrance. This was still the King's land, after all. He only knew Leodegrance as the old king who'd given him the Round Table and Guinevere, but this version of him seemed different. This probably wasn't the same mild-mannered old ruler he remembered.

And Guinevere wasn't the only one worried about the King's return.

"King Leodegrance is back... This poor monk will never leave now..." Xuanzang's shoulders slumped. The usually lively pilgrim now looked like she'd lost all hope.

Shirou had wondered why she was so afraid of Leodegrance stopping her journey west. Was the King some kind of old lecher who wanted to keep her here?

Guinevere had changed for her father's arrival. She wore a pure white dress with gold jewelry, looking as bright as a pearl. But she couldn't stop shaking. Instead of a princess waiting for her father, she looked more like someone about to face punishment, without any trace of a princess's dignity.

The sound of cheers filled the air outside the palace. A middle-aged man wearing a crown strode in, followed by several young men in fine clothes. He moved with purpose and authority.

"Your Majesty." The councilors bowed low to him. The man—King Leodegrance—just nodded at them without much interest.

His eyes scanned the palace until they found Guinevere. His stern face softened into a smile as he held out his arms. "My beloved daughter."

Guinevere forced out a smile, "Father..."

Shirou noticed the young men in fine clothes staring at him. He understood why—they were Leodegrance's princes, and anyone could see how much he looked like Guinevere.

King Leodegrance turned to look at Shirou, and for a moment, his face showed the same shock as someone seeing a ghost. Then his stern expression melted into a smile. "You must be Shirou, the traveler? Camund mentioned in his messages that you look exactly like my daughter. I thought he was exaggerating until I saw you with my own eyes. And I must thank you for protecting Camlann from those foreign enemies while I was away."

Ah! So it was Uncle Camund who betrayed me!

Guinevere's face changed as she realized who had told her father about her secret.

"Your Majesty is too kind," Shirou said with a smile, shaking his head. "Camlann would have beaten those enemies even without my help. The soldiers here are brave and well-trained. I just happened to lend a hand at the right moment."

King Leodegrance let out a warm laugh at his modesty. It seemed to lighten the mood in the room for a moment.

But the moment didn't last long. One of the councilors approached, clutching a thick stack of papers in his hands. His face was serious as he bowed to the king. "My King, I've prepared detailed reports of everything that happened in Camlann during your absence."

"These small matters—can't you handle them yourselves? Why does the king need to look at them?"

"My King..."

"Enough." King Leodegrance waved his hand with irritation. "I know you can manage these things. Besides, I carry the Emperor's divine decree now. I'll only be in the palace for a short time before leaving the country again. I don't have time for these minor problems."

The councilors' faces fell. They looked lost.

Same old careless ruling, Shirou thought to himself.

But Guinevere had caught something important in her father's words. "Father, the Emperor gave you a divine decree?"

"Yes, that's why I came back so quickly." King Leodegrance nodded and let out a heavy sigh. "I won't be able to stay with you long, Guinevere."

"Is that so..." Guinevere tried to sound sad, but inside she was celebrating. With her father busy with a divine decree, he wouldn't have time to scold her about sneaking out of the city.

Crisis averted! She could hardly contain her relief.

The palace threw a grand feast to welcome King Leodegrance home. During the banquet, Guinevere kept telling her father about Shirou's deeds, praising his courage. The councilors joined in, describing how he had fought off their enemies.

"He's just like a Holy Sword Hero from the stories," Guinevere said, practically glowing with admiration.

"A Holy Sword Hero?" King Leodegrance's eyes crinkled with amusement at his daughter's enthusiasm. He turned to study Shirou. "Camund tells me that, like Master Xuanzang, you come from beyond our empire's borders?"

Shirou set down his wine cup and nodded. "Yes."

"Master Xuanzang comes from the Great Tang in the East. Where do you call home, Lord Shirou?" King Leodegrance asked, his eyes showing genuine interest in his guest.

"Just a small island in the Western Regions," Shirou smiled, keeping his answer simple. "Nothing worth mentioning."

"I see..." King Leodegrance nodded thoughtfully. "You must travel through our lands then. Perhaps our customs and culture will find their way into your verses," he added warmly.

Shirou nodded with a smile.

"Father, listen!" Guinevere leaned forward eagerly, her eyes bright with excitement. "Sir Shirou doesn't know much about our empire yet. He even thought those enemies had a leader called 'Vortigern.' That's why I want to show him around Camlann properly. He should learn about our history."

"How thoughtful of you, my dear," King Leodegrance said, looking pleased with his daughter's thoughtfulness.

The feast had been going well, with the sound of pleasant conversation filling the hall and everyone enjoying the fine food and wine.

Then someone spoke up. "Vortigern?"

A young man in his late twenties rose from his seat. He had the same noble bearing as the king, his fine clothes marking him as one of the princes. He turned to look at Guinevere, who sat beside their father on the throne, his face showing confusion. "Sister, did you just say Vortigern?"

"Yes," Guinevere nodded, looking confused. "What's wrong?"

The prince turned to Shirou, his face growing stern. "You know that name... Lord Shirou, are you really a traveler from outside the empire?"

Shirou raised an eyebrow at his tone but nodded calmly. "Yes. Is something bothering the prince?"

"Well..." The prince seemed unsure what to say next.

"My son," King Leodegrance broke in with a gentle smile. "Perhaps it's just someone who shares the name, or maybe such legends still travel beyond our borders. Don't worry too much about it."

"You're right, Father." The prince's face relaxed, and he smiled as he took his seat again.

Shirou looked from King Leodegrance to the prince, his brow furrowing. Something about their reaction to Vortigern's name wasn't quite right.