Interlude "Grandpa and Granddaughter"

Arturia

"What may I do," I spoke respectfully while kneeling and bowing my head. "My god–" Something hit my head. "Ow…"

"Do you not love your grandfather!?" shouted a very obviously faked, angry man. "Why must I remind you that you only have to act that way when in public!"

"Sorry, grandpa…" I grumbled as I nursed the bruise formed from the soft ball of solidified mana hitting my forehead. "It's a habit that's hard to break."

"You should have broken that habit a long time ago!" My grandfather laughed as he got up from his throne and grabbed my hands.

"Grandpa, please stop! I'm not the young girl that liked being flung around anymore!" I shouted as my body soared around grandpa.

If anyone else was in the room, save for the Knights of the Round Table and the Pendragon Guards, they might be wondering if what they were witnessing was real. Well, I would have to tell them it was true, but they would likely dismiss any evidence I produced given how unlikely it was for the calm and stoic King (well it was either God or Emperor these days) Arthur to be acting like a very passionate grandfather.

The term "grandfather" was also a loose term that couldn't be used to explain my connection to grandpa. If we were to talk about our precise relationship, it would be that of ancestor and descendant. I would have to say "grand" 123 times before I could utter the word, "pa."

That's right! I was the 125th generation descendant of the legendary King Arthur known throughout the world for drawing the Sword in the Stone, Caliburn, and the founder of Camelot and the Round Table, along with many other achievements that fill an entire bookshelf.

"Grandpa, please stop! I'm starting to feel lightheaded!" I shouted and my body started to slow down until my feet landed on the ground. I smiled to my ancestor and chirped, "I might no longer be a little girl, but I still enjoyed it, grandpa."

"Hahaha! That's my granddaughter!" Arthur laughed loudly as he ruffled my hair.

My eyes closed in annoyance as I mentally noted that I needed to redo my hair before I met anyone else. There was a certain standard I needed to maintain if I wished to keep my reputation as the Knight Princess.

A certain somebody seemed to agree as I heard a loud cough from nearby.

"Kay, there is nothing wrong with how I am behaving. I'm just an over-doting grandfather!" Arthur protested to his adoptive brother.

"The reverse of what you said to Arturia is true," said Sir Kay of the Round Table as he stepped into the light from the darkness that he had been hiding in. "You might accidentally destroy the centuries of hard work in creating a certain reputation of God Pendragon."

I couldn't help but giggle if that was to happen, even if such an event unfolding would be disastrous for the superpower known as the British Empire.

"Kay, we can talk about this when Arturia isn't around," Arthur grumbled. His sword on his left hip started to vibrate and he patted it like he would a beloved pet. "Now, now… I haven't forgotten what you have asked me about, Excalibur." He turned his gaze and asked in a serious tone, "How is the investigation going, Kay?"

"The disappearance of Excalibur's partner-in-arms, Avalon, is MI5's and MI6's topmost priority. They are working around the clock to locate your beloved scabbard, Arthur," Kay replied calmly.

"Where do you think Avalon has gone?"

Kay frowned. "My instincts tell me the unconfirmed report that a new demigod has appeared in the Far-East, in the Japanese Empire, might have something to do with Avalon's disappearance."

"How is a potential demigod's debut related to Avalon?"

"Grandpa," I spoke up despite how this was a conversation that I was normally not worthy of joining. "My friend, Kong, a descendant of Wukong, told me about the latest gossip in the Far-East. Supposedly the God Jiang and Goddess Ye gained another perfect copy of their creations, Kanshou and Bakuya. The most popular rumor is that they met a blessed mortal with a Reality Marble in Fuyuki, the same city where the demigod Sir Kay mentioned appeared."

"Fuyuki…" Arthur frowned deeply. "I recall this is one of the lesser Anchor Points."

"Yes, you're right, Arthur," Kay nodded. "A lesser Anchor Point that, if destroyed, wouldn't result in a crippling blow to humanity that we couldn't recover from. It's a Class 3 Anchor Point that we could rebuild in eight years."

"Grandpa, why don't you allow me to help with the investigation? I was coincidentally going to transfer over to the Master Academy in that area," I couldn't help but ask innocently.

"Do you think this is the Counter Force at work?" asked Arthur while lifting a brow.

"No one but a Counter Guardian knows if a certain 'coincidence' is a result of the Counter Force," Kay sighed. "Whether or not it's Alaya's invisible hand, it wouldn't hurt for Arturia to help out. She can protect herself given her ability to rival Core Creation level Pendragon Guards. She also has Caliburn by her side. Arturia is more than capable of helping in the investigation."

"Finally, I get a chance to stretch my legs!" I shouted happily. "You will not regret it, grandpa! Just wait for the good news." Before my grandpa and Sir Kay had time to respond, I shouted, "Caliburn, it's time to get to work!" My trusty sword that had chosen me over grandpa's many descendants flew over from the wall mounting it had been resting on. "If things get too dicey then I will call for reinforcements."

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