Ian's simple sentence made both Mélusine and Artoria lean in closer.
"Ian, what... what do you mean?"
Artoria, who had moved closer, asked softly, her tone full of confusion about Ian's words.
"This child... has her own name?"
"Y-Yes."
Mélusine was also stunned.
"Didn't Artoria just give this child a name?"
"She's called Galahad."
Their consecutive questions seemed to make Ian a little doubtful himself.
But soon, he continued:
"I wasn't mistaken."
"This child has her own name."
"This..."
Mélusine wanted to ask more, but she stopped.
"Artoria, is this..."
"I don't know what's going on either."
Artoria shook her head.
"Perhaps we need to ask Sister."
"That's true."
"Then can you two go ask her for me?!"
Mélusine picked up her child again.
"I'll... try to see if I can find out that name?"
....
A dozen or so minutes later.
In the King's courtyard.
Morgan, Ian, and Artoria gathered together.
"This..."
Hearing the news they brought, a bit of surprise appeared in Morgan's eyes.
But more than that, it was delight.
"Ian, are you sure you heard her name?"
"No."
The dragon shook his head.
"I didn't hear it, I felt that she had another name, one different from 'Galahad'."
"But I don't know what it is."
"This..."
Sensing the astonishment in Morgan's voice, Artoria asked cautiously.
"Sister, is this a bad sign?"
"No."
Morgan shook her head.
"This is a good thing, little sister."
"When Baobhan Sith was born, she also told me her name herself."
"Now..."
"If she's the same, it means—"
Before Morgan could finish, Artoria reacted.
"Sister, do you mean it was a success?!"
"It's hard to say for sure, but if things continue in this direction, there shouldn't be a problem."
Morgan's breathing quickened noticeably.
Because she knew what this meant.
"Sister, does this count as the beginning of our plan?"
"Mhm."
"Then this child is very important!"
A sparkle appeared in Artoria's eyes.
"We must take good care of her!"
Artoria wasn't just saying it.
In the days that followed, as the King of Camelot, she gave Mélusine and her child the highest level of care.
Of course.
This was done in private.
Publicly, as a member of the Knights of the Round Table, no one besides the three involved in the plan knew that Mélusine had secretly given birth to a very powerful child for Ian.
....
"So you finally show up."
On the training grounds of Camelot, Barghest couldn't help but sigh with emotion upon seeing the returned Mélusine.
"I haven't seen you at all recently. I thought you'd gone back somewhere."
"..."
"You don't need to worry about me." Faced with Barghest's well-intentioned inquiry, Mélusine didn't retort as she usually would.
Or rather, she was in such a good mood that she didn't want to bicker with Barghest at all.
"I was sent by the King to do something quite special."
"Something quite special?"
At these words, Barghest's breathing became much more rapid.
The sturdy knight nudged Mélusine with her elbow.
"What was it?"
"Is it related to that thing from before?! Like the parts the King didn't announce publicly!"
"..."
"Ahem." Mélusine gave a mysterious cough. "When adults are working, children shouldn't ask so many questions."
"Even if you did, you wouldn't understand what's going on, would you?"
"Calling me a child again!"
Barghest clenched her fists.
"You say that as if you're so much older than me!"
"Hehe, things are indeed different now." Mélusine wagged her finger.
With her petite frame, this gesture didn't look annoying at all; on the contrary, it was inexpressibly cute.
"Me? I've already become a perfect adult."
"Eh, wh-what?"
Hearing this, Barghest couldn't help but frown.
She had a feeling that, in the time she knew nothing about, something she knew nothing about had happened.
...
On the other side.
After Mélusine "resumed" her knightly duties, the "responsibility" of caring for the child naturally fell to Morgan and Artoria.
Of course.
They also did these things in private.
When Artoria needed to attend to matters, Morgan would take care of the baby.
And when Morgan needed to deal with matters of magecraft, Artoria would pretend to leave, thereby getting time to care for the child.
However, neither Morgan nor Artoria had any complaints.
Although the child belonged to neither of them, she represented the future hope of Camelot.
Especially when that hope was accompanied by such happy moments.
For example:
"Do you think this little one is cute?" Morgan asked.
"Cute?" the dragon asked, not understanding.
"It's the feeling of being happy when you see her. Even a little bit of that can be called 'cute'."
"..."
"Why are you looking at me?"
Morgan became a little embarrassed.
She noticed that after she had explained what "cute" meant, he had been staring at her.
"It's nothing."
"I was just thinking that, by that definition, you also belong in the 'cute' category, Morgan."
"Eh?"
Morgan felt her heart beat a little faster.
....
Another example:
"This child really doesn't look like you."
When it was Artoria's 'turn on duty', she couldn't help but say this while looking at the child in the swaddling clothes.
"But, she's still very cute."
"..."
"Why aren't you saying anything, Ian?"
"I'm thinking about a problem."
"What problem?" Artoria couldn't help but ask, looking at him beside her.
"Will we have a child like this in the future?"
"..."
"What are you talking about..."
Artoria took Ian's hand.
"Isn't that a certainty? — Perhaps she'll be even cuter."
....
In this warm atmosphere of mutual care, the child who had received Morgan's "modifications" grew at an unimaginable speed. ((T/N: Ugh.. somehow this irks me. Author.. please just let a kid be a kid))
Finally—
The dragon's intuition was answered.
"Mash." The little girl, who had learned to speak, said with a smile.
"This is my name~"