Lost Sword

Part1.The Great Disorder

The Holy Sword Excalibur.

Forged by fairies,
its godlike powers could halve a mountain in a single swing.

This divine relic of the Fairy
at some point vanished without a trace,

but according to the prophecy,
it shall reappear to support the true king
when the blessing of the Red Dragon subsides.

This prophecy had only been taken as myth,
but recently grew in prominence,

after Uther Pendragon, who had the blessing of the Red Dragon,
was struck down by the False King Vortigern.

The war to determine the true king commenced,
and King Uther’s daughter, Elizabeth Pendragon,
left to find Excalibur, but went missing.
Thus began the Great Disorder.

Part2.Morgana

A pleasant breeze tickles my ears.

Refreshing air I’ve yet to encounter.
Soft sunlight I’ve yet to be warmed by.
A comfortable life in a place of abundance...

Morgana

“ Hm? I was wondering where this fat pig went.
Look at him, basking in the sun. ”

...is now a short-lived dream, thanks to...

this "young girl" looking down at me.
Despite her youthful appearance,
she is an ancient fairy.

As a fantasy fanatic,
I have been eager to create a fantasy game of my own,
and that makes her an invaluable acquaintance of mine.
However, once anything becomes reality,
you end up learning things you didn’t want to know.

Morgana may be beautiful, but...

Morgana

“ I know you’re listening. Get up, you lazy pig!
I am the great Fairy Queen,
and I have better things to do than take care of you! ”

Ethan

“ Fine, fine, I’m getting up! Oink, oink! ”

...is a reclusive loner with a bad mouth
and severe social anxiety.

Morgana

“ Hmph...If you have so much time,
you should at least keep watch.
I, the Fairy Queen, deign to do your petty tasks.
Really, if it wasn’t for Merlin’s contract,
I wouldn’t be wasting my time with you. ”

Ethan

“ You know...
don’t you think I feel the same way? ”

Morgana

“ What did you say?! ”

Ethan

“ Merlin requested both our help.
In other words, we're partners. ”

Morgana

“ Who's partners, with whom?
For a pig that's useless in battle without my power,
you sure have a lot to squeal about today. ”

Ha!

Ethan

“ Now that you mention it...
Who had a lot to squeal about when those goblins attacked
then keeled over after casting a single spell
until the battle was over, hm? ”

Morgana

“ ... I... ”

Ethan

“ And then there was that first battle.
Ah yes, with the grey wolves...
I was fully capable of handling the fight myself,
but you insisted you'd use your powers, and then- ”

Morgana

“ Th-That's enough... ”

Ethan

“ And then when the wolf captured you,
you set the forest on fire 'cause you couldn't control your power...
Made hell look like an oasis. ”

Ha! Gotcha!
I can't help but smile in victory seeing Morgana's lowered head.

Ethan

“ Just cut me some slack, is all I'm saying ”

Morgana

“ You may do as you please.
Just don't forget about the Princess of Britannia. ”

Part3.Ethan and Morgana

"Ramsbury Forest, Southern Britannia."

It was only yesterday we received information
the Princess would come through this way.

But if she somehow ends up outside of Britannia entirely
and boards a ship...
Even if I go to Avalon and say I'm looking for Excalibur,
no one will let me into the Council Chamber.

Ethan

“ Besides, this is a princess of a fantasy world
we're talkin' about... I got high hopes! ”

Morgana

“ If you're going to gawk like that,
the Princess will think you a degenerate. ”

Ethan

“ Oh, come on! No one's as gentlemanly as me! ”

Morgana

“ There are times you stare at me in a... peculiar way. ”

Ethan

“ ... That's 'cause I'm thinking of how to tell you off,
you vicious little fairy!
Come back to me when you look 10 years older. ”

Morgana

“ I'm the Fairy QUEEN!
I've lived 100 times longer than you, piggy!
Try giving a little respect to your elder!
My goodness... So terribly rude... ”

Says the pipsqueak who can't even see her own faults.
No wonder the legendary Fairy Kingdom fell!
I was miffed enough to think it, but not to say it aloud.
She may only be able to use her powers once at a time,
but without her power, this journey will be much more difficult.

Ethan

“ So, Morgana.
What does the Princess look like?
She must be a looker. She is, isn't she? ”

Morgana

“ I don't know, maybe? ”

Ethan

“ Princesses have plenty of money too,
so once we find her,
we can look forward to chowing on some steak
instead of the stale bread we've been stuck with, right? ”

Morgana

“ I don't know, maybe? ”

Ethan

“ How many people are in her party? ”

Morgana

“ ......... ”

..............
Uh-oh... Am I talking too much?
I was wondering why she was staring like that.
She was giving off this unusually nerve-racking aura.

Morgana

“ Time to get serious, Ethan. ”

Ethan

“ Why? Did you find the Princess?! ”

Morgana

“ No... ”

Ethan

“ Then what is it? ”

She's not exactly dependable, but she is my precious partner.
The Fairy Queen wouldn't be this tense over any little thing!

Morgana

“ Restroom... ”

Ethan

“ Go on, Morgana!
Wait... huh? ”

Morgana

“ I need to relieve myself. ”

Ethan

“ .....? ”

This has gotta be the worst fairy there ever was.

Ethan

“ Just pick somewhere hidden to pee. ”

Morgana

“ E-Excuse me?!
I am no animal like you!
How could you speak to me like that?! ”

Ethan

“ Then what?
You're the one who won't let us move from here
so we don't miss the Princess. ”

We were just about to explode into another argument
when I saw something moving through the forest trees.

Ethan

“ Oh! She's here! ”

Morgana

“ What? ”

Ethan

“ She's here, Morgana! Look there. Someone's passing by! ”

The celebration was short-lived.
The Princess's party was not traveling in peace.
I see figures dragging the princess's group away,
surrounding a rapidly rolling wagon.

Ethan

“ Are those... goblins?! ”

Morgana

“ Ah... so they are... Well then, Ethan,
while you fight, I'll just go relieve myself AAAAAH! ”

I snatched Morgana's hand and ran like the wind.

Ethan

“ No time! We gotta hurry! ”

Part4.Elizabeth

Elizabeth

“ Where... where are we? ”

Goblin

“ Hehe... Finally awake, are ye?
Some powerful stuff, that anesthesia.
You best sit there nice and quiet like.
That is, if ye don't wanna be handled roughly, hehe... ”

Elizabeth

“ Goblins?!
Then it was all a trap...! ”

Goblin

“ Hehe, witless humans, the lot of ye! ”

Bedivere

“ Sob, sob Princess, are we... going to die? ”

Elizabeth

“ I won't say we're in the best of situations...
But don't worry, Bedi. I have a plan. ”

Bedivere

“ You do? What plan? ”

Elizabeth

“ (Shhh! Be quiet. The goblins might hear.
Even though my armor and token were taken, I still had this left.
It's a sleeping potion! Drink this, and we'll enter a catatonic state.
They'll think we're corpses, so I'm told.) ”

Bedivere

“ (But what if it ends up getting buried in the ground?) ”

Elizabeth

“ (Goblins supposedly just leave the dead behind,
with no rites or anything, so we should be able to escape!) ”

Bedivere

“ (G-Goodness! That is brilliant!
Is there no end to Your Highness's wisdom?) ”

Elizabeth

“ (Heh, if we just wait for the right time to cut the rope
and drink the sleeping potion...) ”

Bedivere

“ Right. Then I shall check with the goblin real quick... ”

Elizabeth

“ Huh? Bedi! Wait! ”

Bedivere

“ Hey, Mr. Goblin! What happens if we die? ”

Goblin

“ Hehehe! What need do we have of a human corpse? ”

Bedivere

“ Ohhh... Of course!
Then you'd simply throw our bodies in the forest-- ”

Goblin

“ I'd burn yer bodies to ash,
which I'd throw into the bottom of a lake. Hehehe! ”

Bedivere

“ (P-P-Princess...!) ”

Elizabeth

“ (Easy now, Bedi. There must be another way.
That's it, another...) ”

Ethan

“ Almost gotcha!
Jeez, what happened?
How'd they get captured by a bunch of goblins?! ”

Morgana

“ Ethaaaaan! I can't... I'm at my limits!!! ”

Ethan

“ Ugh, then just cast your spell! I'll handle this in a jiff! ”

Morgana

“ There! It's done! Go on! ”

Ethan

“ Maaaan! How'd I get stuck with a helper like her?! ”

Moments later...

Elizabeth

“ Th-Thank you for saving us...! ”

Ethan

“ Save it. There is more to do at hand. ”

Goblin

“ Kaagh! This mutt's killing our folk!
Let's catch 'em all and roast 'em over a barbeque, brother! ”

Elizabeth

“ Eek! ”

Bedivere

“ Hic... ”

Ethan

“ There are quite a few goblins. Let's charge through! ”

After the battle...

Bedivere

“ Waaah!!! We didn't die! We're alive, Your Highness!!! ”

Elizabeth

“ Truly, we made it by the skin of our teeth, Bedi. ”

I got myself tangled up with a bunch of pretty girls...
What a sight to behold. No, that's not it!
It's a relief we're not too late.
To think they were captured by goblins...
It's terrifying to imagine what might have happened if we hadn't arrived.
Just imagining it is horrifying.

Part5.All I Have Left is Bedi

Elizabeth

“ Um, good Sir? ”

Oh, right.

Ethan

“ Hello? Haha, I'm... Ethan. ”

She's definitely got a defensive look when staring at me.
After what she went though, it's not entirely unreasonable.

Ethan

“ You don't need to be so wary, Princess.
I came for you on Merlin's request. ”

Elizabeth

“ Merlin?!
Then...! Then the Swordbringer of which Merlin spoke...
is you, Ethan? ”

So this is Princess Elizabeth...
Seeing her up close like this, she looks positively gorgeous.
Fantasy princesses are just on another level.
First impressions are important!
Flash her a warm smile, show her the refinement of a modern man.

Ethan

“ Ahem! Hmm! Yes, I am the Swordbringer. ”

Bedivere

“ Oh, god be praised...!
We're saved, aren't we, Your Highness? ”

Elizabeth

“ (We cannot say for certain, Bedi.
This is already the third man claiming to be the Swordbringer.
Just look at his cunning smile...
He could be trying to trick us as well.) ”

Ethan

“ Cunning?
Excuse me, Princess, you know I can hear you, right? ”

Bedivere

“ (But he did save us. We should be grateful...) ”

Elizabeth

“ (And how do we know
saving us isn't all part of his elaborate scheme?
Moreover, if he is the true Swordbringer,
Morgana should be with him.) ”

Bedivere

“ (That's right! I don't see Morgana anywhere!) ”

Elizabeth

“ Um... Ethan? If you are the true Swordbringer,
Merlin's good friend Morgana should be
accompanying you. Might I ask where Morgana is? ”

Ethan

“ She's with me. She's right... huh? Morgana? ”

Elizabeth

“ ........... ”

Where did she go?
Why, right when I need her, does she up and disappear?!

Ethan

“ Hahaha, she, uh, was right here... That wily fairy.
Where'd you go off to? Hahaha... ”

Elizabeth

“ I knew it! You're trying to deceive us! ”

Ethan

“ N-No no no. That's not- ”

Elizabeth

“ That's what they all said.
They approach us, feigning goodwill,
then try to swindle or lie, leaving us nothing but trouble... ”

Ethan

“ No, I swear, I really- ”

Elizabeth

" If that's your purpose, I'm sorry, but you should just leave.
There's nothing left to lose.
The royal armor, the pendant proving my identity...
It's already... all been taken!
Whatever your intentions,
there's nothing more you can gain from me... ”

Ethan

“ Okay, but I'm actually the Swordbringer- ”

Elizabeth

“ Nothing more... to gain... Sob... sniff... ”

Ethan

“ Please, listen to what I'm saying. ”

Bedivere

“ Your Highness... ”

Oh yeah! There was another person!
She seems level-headed.
This should get sorted if I calmly explain things to her.

Ethan

“ Pardon me, miss- “

Bedivere

“ Princeeeeess! ”

Are you in on this too...?

Bedivere

“ Princeeeeess!
But I’ll always stay by your side. ”

Elizabeth

“ My thanks, Bedi... You’re all I have left. ”

Part6.The Fate of the Absolute Armor

I awkwardly looked at the two girls hugging tightly.
What in the world happened to these girls?
It sounds like they've been through the wringer.
They can't even get through their story without bursting into tears.
It's not like I don't want to hear it, but...
There's one detail I need to iron out here.

Ethan

“ Just a moment, My Ladies. ”

Ethan

“ You're both penniless now, is that right? ”

Elizabeth

“ ......... ”

Bedivere

“ ......... ”

Ethan

“ It's okay, you can tell me.
I can't help you until I know what's going on. ”

Elizabeth

“ Yes... you are right, I am saddened to say. ”

Ethan

“ So, no money, and no royal armor, you said? ”

Elizabeth

“ Indeed... ”

Ethan

“ That's a royal heirloom, isn't it?
I remember Merlin saying something like that. ”

Elizabeth

“ ......... ”

Elizabeth

“ It is no mere heirloom...
It is the legendary battle armor
passed down through generations in the Kingdom of Britannia,
called the Absolute Armor. ”

Absolute Armor!
Even the name gives a sense of this ultimate defensive power.

Elizabeth

“ It had not even become discolored centuries later.
It is the pinnacle of armor, but now it's... ”

Ethan

“ It's all right, you can tell me.
It's the robbers who took your valuables...
Er, your legendary battle armor, that are bad, right? ”

Elizabeth's eyes widened in shock.

Bedivere

“ Well...
Her Highness had a once-in-a-lifetime fight
to secure funding of the army, but luck was not on her side... ”

Ethan

“ Hm? ”

Elizabeth

“ No, Bedi! It was all a scam!
A cowardly racket of false artifices! ”

Bedivere

“ What? Could it be...
someone tricked the innocent princess? ”

Listening to their exchange, a suspicion crossed my mind.

Ethan

“ Don't tell me, Princess, did you gamble or something? ”

Elizabeth

“ Never!!! It was a slime race, for your information...
that you bet money on... ”

Ethan

“ (I'm actually speechless...) ”

Elizabeth

“ Ungh...
I was only going to do it once! Just one time...
But I was on fire in the beginning, so I kept going,
and... before I knew it... ”

Bedivere

“ It's all right, Your Highness!
It's the tricksters who are the ones to blame! ”

Ethan

“ ......... ”

Haa... these two are hopeless.
The perfect image of the princess in my mind shattered as
I took a deep breath.

Ethan

“ So, even the proof of the princess's identity?
The pendant I mentioned earlier! ”

Elizabeth

“ ...That too was pawned. Ha... unfortunate.
But I didn't sell it! It's just collateral,
so we can get it back if we have the money! ”

Ethan

“ I thought you went missing!
What in the world have you been doing?
You blew everything you had! ”

Elizabeth

“ Th-That is uncalled for!
I was simply securing funds needed for the uprising! ”

Ethan

“ Then do it in a normal way! And you!
Why did you not try and stop her? ”

Bedivere

“ I offered my support, but once we met our match... Sob! ”

Ethan

“ You were in on it too?! ”

This is a disaster!
I have to rely on these people to find the legendary sword?!

Elizabeth

“ I don’t have to hear that from you! You’re an outsider! ”

Ethan

“ How many times do I have to tell you, I’m the Swordbringer.
I understand losing important things makes you cautious,
but I am without a doubt the Swordbringer sent by Merlin.
Instead of dwelling on losses,
how about thinking of the next steps?
You’ve lost everything that could prove your identity. ”

Elizabeth

“ It is piteous we lost,
but it is not as if we can’t get it back again!
If I just scrounge up enough money... I’m sure I can find it... ”

Ethan

“ And how will you get the money? You got a plan? ”

Elizabeth

“ Huh!? ”

Ethan

“ Was being kidnapped by the goblin part of the plan? ”

Elizabeth

“ W-Well...
Ngh... I know... I am a worthless princess...
Even if I hadn't been seduced by free drinks...
Oh, but it's no use to regret it now. ”

Bedivere

“ It's all right, Your Highness. You did no wrong.
We will make that money back in a wink if we work together! ”

Ethan

“ Haaa... ”

I was reeling from a deep sense of frustration
when Morgana suddenly stepped out from the trees.
She had a kind of soulless look in her eyes.

Ethan

“ Morgana, where on earth were you? ”

Morgana

“ Ethan... I feel... like I lost... something close to me... ”

She had used her powers, so she should be passed out about now.
But what is that reaction of hers?

Ethan

“ No way...! You don't mean you wet your pants...?! ”

Morgana

“ T-This is all your fault, Ethan! ”

Ethan

“ My fault?
What are you talking about, you pile of problems?! ”

Elizabeth

“ Waaaah, I'm a worthless princess... ”

Bedivere

“ Your Highness is the only princess for me! ”

Morgana

“ This is a day of disgrace! How can I go on...? ”

Forget a headache, I think I'm getting indigestion.
It took a bit of time for the scene to settle down.