The journey from the island of Ireland to England was not particularly long.
Piloting the ship, Fujimaru Ritsuka, Gawain, Mash, Mordred, and Oberon set sail from the port of Ireland and arrived at the port of Manchester, England, after a few days.
As for Lancelot and Agravain, they remained on the island of Ireland to continue training soldiers and knights.
At the port of Manchester, the docks were bustling with activity, with ships coming and going—some departing, others arriving from distant lands.
Even before reaching the shore, Fujimaru Ritsuka could hear the shouts of sailors hard at work.
It was clear that the port was thriving.
As a modern person from China, Ritsuka's political awareness was undoubtedly sharp. She understood perfectly the role economics played in society and had always been a strong supporter of commerce.
Morgan's political acumen was indeed far inferior to Lot's, but she had one advantage—she was a thorough pragmatist. By abolishing or reducing tariffs in favor of value-added taxes on goods and actively encouraging merchant activity, she ensured that even after Lot and Morgan had ruthlessly swindled the French, Camelot's economy did not decline in the slightest. Commerce remained exceptionally prosperous.
After all, Camelot was now a major power.
When a small country cheats people, it's called a loss of credibility. When a major power does it, it's called trade policy.
"Indeed, this is completely different from the Camelot I remember. This… doesn't seem like something she could have come up with."
Gawain remarked to Mash and Fujimaru Ritsuka as he observed the surroundings.
"So, in this situation, either Morgan has changed, or Lot has changed."
Fujimaru Ritsuka replied.
"Regardless of which one it is, all we need to do is defeat both of them."
Da Vinci chimed in.
"Just defeating them will be enough."
Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded.
With that, the group disembarked.
Mash and Fujimaru Ritsuka pulled up their hoods to disguise themselves, ensuring they wouldn't be recognized. The other three, however, had no need for such precautions.
In this world, Gawain was a woman, so he had no fear of being associated with his male counterpart. The same went for Agravain—currently just a baby, making any connection impossible.
As for Oberon, no one would even think of him.
After a quick disguise, Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others entered the port of Manchester.
Gazing at the prosperous city, Gawain stretched and said, "Whew—finally left that godforsaken island of Ireland. How about we find a decent bar and grab a few drinks?"
"Sir Gawain, Senpai and I aren't of legal age yet."
Mash immediately protested.
Underage girls going to a bar? That sounded like the setup for a dubious story.
Gawain patted his head and said to Fujimaru Ritsuka, "Ah, I forgot. Well, looks like we'll have to settle for finding an inn to rest at. Though I have to say, the idea of Oberon and me just sitting around in a hotel in the city sounds downright boring."
"Mmm."
Hearing this, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash sighed in relief.
Thank goodness. Bars were still far too early for two young girls.
Better to just rest at the inn.
Mordred smirked and teased Gawain, "I think you just want to do something shady."
"Hey, I'm your brother. How could you slander me like that?"
Gawain whined indignantly.
"It's not slander. I'm just stating facts."
Mordred shot back without hesitation.
"Also, I'm not your sister. Keep talking like that, and I'll cut you down. The sun's long gone—I don't care how strong you are."
"Enough arguing. People are starting to notice."
Oberon interjected, stopping the siblings before their bickering could escalate.
With that, they finally stopped.
Mordred couldn't help but think of her "older sister" in this world.
"Just as unreliable."
She thought to herself.
Then, the group headed toward the inn.
Upon arriving at the inn, the owner was just about to close up for the night. However, upon seeing Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others enter, he quickly came to greet them.
Thanks to Gawain and Mordred's presence, the check-in process went smoothly.
After completing the formalities, they noticed a group of adventurers eating and drinking beer at the tables on the first floor. The group exchanged glances and approached.
"Gawain, we'll leave this to you."
Fujimaru Ritsuka gave him a meaningful look.
Gawain responded with a reassuring nod.
Then, he joined the chatting locals, ordering a large mug of beer from the owner and blending right in.
"...You're from Ireland?"
A farmer from the countryside near Manchester asked Gawain.
"Yeah, though my mother's from England."
Gawain replied with a smile, casually slinging an arm around the farmer's shoulder.
"Is that so? What a coincidence."
The farmer laughed heartily before adding with a hint of pity,
"Too bad, though. I hear life in Ireland's pretty rough. You'd be better off coming back to England. Even a farmer here lives better than your knights over there."
Hearing this, Gawain had to admit—England's population and economic prosperity were indeed far ahead of Ireland's.
But claiming a farmer lived better than a knight? That was pure nonsense.
Seeing the disbelief on Gawain's face, the farmer grew agitated.
"You don't believe me, do you?"
"Of course I do."
Gawain replied, barely suppressing a laugh at the man's drunkenness.
But despite his words, his expression made his skepticism obvious.
He wasn't trying to mock the man—he was fishing for information.
Direct questions could raise suspicion. He needed them to volunteer it themselves.
"Here, I'll show you proof..."
Provoked by Gawain's expression, the farmer stood up and rolled up his pant leg.
At first, Gawain was confused.
But then he saw the bandaged wound.
"This is..."
Gawain's eyes widened.
He recognized it instantly—in fact, he knew it all too well.
But this kind of technology shouldn't exist in this era!
"This? Our village's barefoot doctor treated it."
Mistaking Gawain's shock for awe, the farmer boasted proudly.
"And that's why I said even a farmer here lives better than your knights. Even in the most remote villages, we get proper medical care when we're hurt. Not like you Irish—all you get is bloodletting, bloodletting, and more bloodletting."
The farmer smirked triumphantly.
"Barefoot doctor?"
Gawain seized on the term, pressing for details.
"You've never heard of them, have you?"
The farmer eagerly explained how, in recent times, many barefoot doctors had appeared across the land, providing medical care to the people.
After listening, Gawain asked, "Are these barefoot doctors only in your village, or are they everywhere?"
"Of course they're everywhere!"
The farmer declared.
Others nearby chimed in, all eager to prove how much better life in England was compared to Ireland.
Noticing Gawain's waning interest, the farmer quickly added,
"But don't worry. Soon enough, we'll all be one country. There's an army camp near our village—I've snuck a peek, and they're strong. Really strong."
Gawain brushed off the latter part.
Judging military strength was beyond the average person. The farmer probably just saw neat formations and assumed they were powerful.
Still, he now knew the camp's location. They'd have to scout it out later.
He'd gathered enough intel for now.
Time to withdraw.
After a few more casual exchanges, Gawain returned to Fujimaru Ritsuka's group and relayed everything he'd learned.
"Universal healthcare for the masses?"
Mash's eyes widened in shock.
"How could they train so many doctors in such a short time?"
"Yeah, that doesn't seem possible."
Fujimaru Ritsuka wasn't an expert, but she knew medical students had to attend university, study extensively, and gain practical experience before becoming doctors.
England didn't even have universities yet.
Where did all these doctors come from?
She was deeply skeptical.
"Actually, it might be possible."
Da Vinci interjected.
"There's one book that could make this happen."
Fujimaru Ritsuka immediately perked up.
"What book? If it works for them, can't we use it too?"
If the enemy's methods were effective, they should adopt them.
For the sake of victory, any advantage was worth pursuing.
"It's a book from China—a sacred text for rapidly establishing grassroots healthcare in an agrarian society with no prior infrastructure."
Da Vinci shrugged.
"But I don't have a copy. Remember, China's practically a no-go zone for mages. I've got no way to obtain materials from there. That said, now that these village doctors are everywhere, stealing a few copies shouldn't be too hard."
"It's that powerful?"
"Yes. If anything, I'm understating it."
Da Vinci nodded.
While the content itself wasn't advanced for her, making it accessible nationwide was no small feat.
She stroked her chin thoughtfully.
"Still, if Lot or Morgan brought out this book, it means they have a way to access the modern world. How? Retrieving items from the future violates temporal paradoxes."
She felt she was onto something.
And the implications terrified her.
"How do you know it's technology? Couldn't they have memorized it?"
Gawain asked.
"Memorized? Do you have any idea how much content there is? The word count isn't high, but the breadth of knowledge is staggering. We've met Lot and Morgan—they're smart, but they don't have eidetic memory. Even I'd struggle to recall every detail perfectly without significant effort."
Da Vinci rolled her eyes.
"Feels like you're just praising yourself."
Gawain teased.
"I'm a genius. Geniuses don't need to boast."
Da Vinci shot back before continuing.
"We should investigate Camelot's military camps. If barefoot doctors have spread this quickly, and if they've also trained soldiers using that other book… the pressure on us just multiplied. I thought our numerical advantage would outweigh any future knowledge, but now? Our so-called edge might actually be a liability."
"Really?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others grew solemn.
With these thoughts weighing on them, they barely slept that night.
The next morning,
they set out for the military camp the farmer had mentioned.
The moment they laid eyes on it, Da Vinci turned to Fujimaru Ritsuka.
"Looks like our worst fears have come true."