Once I finished my dinner, I stood up and continued exploring Merlin's Workshop. I walked right next to the wall because I was secretly hoping to discover another hidden room. Alas, the "ding" sound I wanted to hear did not occur. In the end, I walked around a remarkably clean but sparsely furnished floor.

Rijana, Bjoukia, and Bjoukin were not around. I assumed that the trio had returned to Rijana's mage tower for the night.

Bila was sound asleep on the couch, and I had to resist the temptation to pet her or scratch her chin. My urge was so intense that I wouldn't be surprised if I had to make a saving throw. But somehow, a crisis was averted as my feet carried me away from the sofa.

Finally, I approached Van. I saw that the paladin had removed his armor. It was on the table, and he scrutinized each piece with a trained eye for damage.

Van looked up when he felt my presence. "Ah, you're finally done copying the spell! Were you successful?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Good to hear," he said with a smile. "Would you like to get some exercise, milord?" Van asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh? You're ready for round two?" I joked while tapping the end of my staff on the floor.

"Well, I need to have my revenge for that humiliating loss in the courtyard," Van said ruefully. The first time we sparred while I used my staff, I jabbed the weapon into his chin and then took out his knees. It was a humiliating takedown witnessed by many commoners back in Tregome.

The paladin rose from his seat. He wrapped the strap on the underside of his shield to his left forearm, and then he pulled out his mace.

The two of us walked toward the center of the room, which had sufficient space for a spar.

Van banged his mace against his shield to signal his readiness.

"I'm ready," I replied with a nod.

My opponent suddenly ran toward me! Van crouched under his shield while aiming for my body.

I recognized his intention to attack me with a shield bash. I waited calmly for his arrival, and I timed a perfect sidestep to dodge the attack. However, before I could plant my feet on the ground and deliver a counterattack, my opponent had already turned around to face me again. "You're moving a lot faster than usual," I observed aloud.

"That's because I'm not wearing my armor," Van reminded me with a smirk.

I activated Sprint to close the distance between us. I aimed the butt of my staff toward his chin.

My opponent quickly raised his shield to protect his head.

I took advantage of his momentary blindness to lower my hips. I kicked out with my right leg and swept his legs. When Van dropped on his back, I planted my left foot on his chest and held the end of my staff to his face.

The paladin sighed as he released his mace. He readily accepted my hand and returned to his feet. "You have excellent fighting instincts," Van admitted with admiration. "Many fighters focus only on exercising their bodies and building up their muscles; they forget that the human mind is the greatest muscle of all. All the sparring you've done the past few weeks have helped you accumulate your fighting experience and honed your instincts."

"Thank you," I replied with a nod in acknowledgment of Van's praise.

Van turned around and looked at something on the wall.

I turned my head toward what my companion was looking at. It was a grandfather clock! It was a traditional looking clock with the two dials on top and a long, swinging pendulum underneath to mark the passage of each second. I saw that it was almost midnight.

"You should get some rest, milord," Van said.

"Yes," I agreed. I walked across the floor, climbed on the bed, and promptly fell asleep.

***

I found myself inside the Dream World again. The hazy mist swirled all around me, obscuring my vision. But I wasn't fooled because I had visited this place enough times to know that a God was seeking an audience with me.

Finally, the mists cleared and a figure slowly approached. To my surprise, the person was not a God; it was Arthur William de Vere! He was dressed in black armor and wore a blood red mantle. A nauseating, violent aura emanated from his body. "How did you come here? Why did you summon me?" I asked.

My frenemy smiled as he looked me up and down. He saw a man in much better shape than before. Arthur would love to fight me right this instant, but the Dream World was not the proper venue for our epic battle. "It's been a while since we last talked. And you should have said hello when you flew over me," Arthur replied with a small shake of his head.

"You knew?" I asked in shock. When I left Carmarthen after retrieving Merlin's Staff, my Patron Deities placed me inside a bubble and accompanied me back to London. Along the way, we flew over Arthur and his ten-thousand-strong army.

Arthur's brows rose. "I can feel you whenever you're nearby. You have a distinct soul which calls out to me. We are fated to be rivals," he explained.

"But that doesn't explain why you and I are inside the Dream World right now," I persisted. "There's no way for you to summon me here. So who did?" I questioned him.

Arthur smirked at me. The dark knight drew his sword from his back and pointed the red blade at the sky. A pulse of dark energy shot out of the edge of his sword and attacked the clouds above our heads!

I watched with fascination and horror as the clouds were melted away, revealing the presence of the Gods floating high in the sky.

Arthur sheathed his sword with another smirk. "The Gods have brought us here. They are anxious for us to meet on the battlefield and provide entertainment to their Overlord. I have done my part as I have become the Champion of Chaos. Now, it's your turn. How many more towns and cities must I raze to the ground before you try to stop me?" he challenged me.

My fists clenched at the appalling callousness that the man had shown toward the suffering of the people of Britannia. I saw the crazy look in his eyes, and I realized that Arthur had gone too far over the edge. Nothing mattered anymore except to defeat him on the battlefield and end his reign of terror. However, I was still waiting for The Twelve leaders of the Church to summon me. Until I receive recognition as the Champion of Order, I could not confront Arthur.

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The dark knight studied my face, and he understood my predicament. "You should return to London tomorrow," he advised me.

"Why?" I asked with suspicion.

Arthur grinned. "I have a feeling you will be summoned by The Twelve shortly," he said.

"How do you know that?" I challenged him.

My frenemy shook his head. "Just go there tomorrow."

"Fine. I'll see you soon," I promised. The mists thickened again and obscured my vision. I left the Dream World. After an indeterminate amount of time, I awoke to the sound of a rooster crowing in the distance.

I sat up on my bed and stretched my arms. Somehow, I remembered the conversation I had with Arthur inside the Dream World, and I decided to take his advice. I had been away from London for a few days, and it was time for me to return.

I got off the bed. I decided to check the walk-in closet and see if Merlin had any clothing that I wish to borrow. I walked over and entered the small room. I tried on some of the robes, but I soon discovered that they did not fit me. My shoulders were too wide, and I was too short compared to Merlin.

However, I noticed a strap hanging on the rack. I took it to examine more closely. It was made of leather and seem to be worn across the chest like a backpack. I noticed there was a hole and I pondered what the hole was used to hold. It couldn't be a sword.

Suddenly, I remembered Merlin's Staff, which was leaning on the wall next to the bed. I returned to the bed and retrieved the artifact. I wore the strap and then I slid the staff over my right shoulder. I discovered that the strap held my staff in place across my back at an angle. I was delighted to find the strap because now, I could walk around without holding the staff in my hand all the time.

"Looks good on you," someone called out.

I turned and noticed that it was Van. "Good morning!"

"A blessed morning to you, Brother Mulligan," the paladin replied with a deep bow. "Where are we headed today?"

"London," I replied.

Van nodded in agreement. He pointed at Bila, who was still sleeping on the couch. "Do you want to wake her up?"

"Sure," I said with a smile. I walked over to the sofa, and I started poking the cat girl's cheeks. When she wouldn't stir, I finger-flicked her ears until they began to twitch.

HISS! Bila opened her eyes and stared at me. "I hope you're taking us to eat breakfast at The Trade Wind," she groused.

"That's fine," I agreed readily. I knew that I had bribe Bila with good food to convince her to get up so early.

"Excellent!" Van said. "Rijana and the siblings will be eating there, too. She was planning to meet you at either The Trade Wind or near the Westminster Abbey in London," he explained.

"Okay, I need you guys to leave Merlin's Workshop. I will lock the door and then teleport us to the tavern," I said.

My bodyguards hurried out of the workshop, and they patiently waited while I locked the door.

When I heard the familiar sound of "ding," I turned away from Merlin's Workshop. I closed my eyes and slowly recalled the instructions to cast the Gate spell. It required an elaborate choreography of hand gestures and weird sounding words. Since this was my first attempt to cast the spell, I had to do it slowly. After a minute, I named the designation for the spell: "London!"

I immediately opened my eyes, and I watched anxiously as a golden dot slowly grew into a shimmering portal in front of me. The opening seemed to mock me by taking its time to form a fully-functional portal. It took a minute for the Gate to complete its formation.

My bodyguards turned to each other and said simultaneously, "Go ahead" and "You go first." They glared at each other for a moment. Neither person wanted to be my guinea pig.

"Rock-paper-scissors!" Bila suggested.

"On three," Van agreed.

The two counted down in unison. Bila threw a rock while Van threw scissors.

"I win!" the cat girl whooped while hopping up and down.

I rolled my eyes at their silly antics. "You know we could just head to London directly," I suggested in a cold tone of voice.

"No, we're going to The Trade Wind first!" Bila said. She put her paws on Van's back, and roughly shoved the paladin through the gate!

"Whoa!" Van blurted out. A moment later, he held out his hand through the portal and motioned for us to enter.

Bila hopped over the gate, and I followed her and then closed the portal behind me.

Once we entered The Trade Wind, and Bernetta greeted us at the front lobby. "Welcome back, Protector!"

I nodded politely and followed the tavernkeeper as she led my party through the common room and into the VIP room.

As Van had promised, Rijana, Bjoukia, and Bjoukin were already inside, and they were eating breakfast.

"Good morning, Lord Mulligan!" Bjoukia said in a cheerful voice. She gave me a bright smile.

"Good morning," her two companions echoed.

"Good morning everyone," I said before I took my customary seat at the head of the table.

Van took the seat to my left while Bila claimed the chair to my right.

"What are you guys having?" Bila asked.

"Rice porridge," Bjoukin replied.

The cat girl frowned and turned toward me. "Can I get fish soup for breakfast?" Bila pleaded.

"Sure," I smiled. I knew how much Bila enjoyed eating fish. I turned toward Bernetta. "I'll have the same."

"Me too," Van added.

The tavernkeeper offered a deep bow and then left the VIP room.

"What's on the agenda for today?" Rijana asked politely. Everyone turned toward me.

"London," I answered succinctly.

My companions nodded. They all expected me to return to London shortly. My stay in Southampton was a nice respite before I had to fulfill many responsibilities to the Church and the kingdom.

A young waitress soon entered our room while carrying a tray with three bowls of fish soup and three cups of hot tea. Once the worker distributed a bowl and cup to Van, Bila, and I, the girl bowed to me and left the room.

I peered into my bowl and discovered that the soup was chowder style--excessively creamy. However, when I took a small taste of my soup, I found that the chef had added salt and spices to liven up the flavor. I devoured my soup like a hungry hippo, and I even managed to finish my meal before Bila!

The cat girl lifted her head from her bowl of fish chowder soup. Her eyes met mine as Bila asked, "Can I get a second bowl?"

I thought for a moment. I wasn't sure that The Twelve were ready to meet me. Thus, there was no rush for me to arrive in London so early in the morning. "Sure," I answered.

When a waitress returned to refill our tea, Bila ordered a second serving of soup. Once she finished her breakfast some ten minutes later, I rose from my seat and placed a gold coin on the table.

Van opened the door and led our party out of the VIP room.

As we passed through the common room, the patrons noticed me and they started lowering their heads in my direction.

I waved at them and continued walking.

Bernetta accosted me when I reached the lobby. "Are you returning to London?" she inquired politely.

"Yes," I nodded.

The middle-aged woman surprised me with a quick kiss on my cheek and a hug. "For good luck," Bernetta said with a smile as she released me. "The people of Southampton support your bid for kingship." She bowed her head respectfully.

"Thank you," I replied.

"Should I cast Gate?" Rijana offered.

"No, I can do it," I answered with a big grin.

Bila muttered, "Showoff!" under her breath.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on the proper movements and wording of the spell. I was able to cast Gate faster than before. The golden portal appeared before me.

Van stuck his head through the gate to check the other side. He motioned with his hand for us to walk through and then did the same.

We arrived in the Public Square in front of Westminster Abbey.

A group of knights immediately approached us. The patrol leader quickly read the captions above our heads. He turned to face me directly. "Lord Mulligan, you have been summoned by The Twelve. Please permit us to escort you into the abbey," he requested.

The other knights surrounded my party. Apparently, this was an order from The Twelve.

I raised my hand. "Please give me a moment." I turned toward Rijana. "I will go with Van. Please visit the convent and retrieve Sister Waverly. I'll meet you here again," I instructed.

My companions nodded and left.

I turned back toward the patrol leader. "Let's go."

The knight saluted me. He turned toward the direction of the abbey and started marching.

As we marched across the Public Square, the commoners parted to create a path before us. They stared at me in awe. Some people made signs of the cross while others lowered their heads. "That's the next king!" a child blurted out while pointing at me.

I straightened my back and tried my best to look calm and collected.

Soon, we arrived on the steps before the cross-shaped building known as Westminster Abbey, where my destiny awaited.