"The deed is done, my King," he said, bowing his head while ignoring the way Morded fumed at him on the side due to preventing her from redeeming herself in her earlier blunder.
It mattered not to him, only the satisfaction of completing his King's will did.
"You've done well, Gawain," Arturia spoke with a smile. "My thanks."
Gawain shook his head in refusal.
"No, my King. It is only proper that I vanquish those who dare hinder your path. Therefore, it's not something worth thanking me over. But in that regard," Gawain turned to face Shirou with a raised brow. "Were all of us really necessary for this?"
Shirou maintained a poker face.
"I suppose not," he said, unwilling to admit that he had been too heated at the time to think properly.
"Yet precautions are always necessary when faced with an unfamiliar land," he reasoned his way out.
Gawain laughed in admiration.
"As expected of our Lord. Strong yet wise."
He only nodded while forcing down the embarrassment of it all.
Thereafter he turned to Arturia and watched as her eyes glanced away from his in uncertainty. After all, she had acted on her own without at least informing him. The thing was however, he wasn't mad at her. Far from it, he was proud.
Thus, he nodded towards her when she glanced at him with her teal coloured eyes. Whatever she decided on was what he would do, and supposedly that meant addressing Vincent Berferd.
"Vincent Berferd," she called out to Vincent who was still in a daze from Gawain's earlier demonstration. "You're path home should be safe now," she said smiling.
Vincent had been in awe from the moment Lancelot had first made his move, and then dumbfounded when Gawain intervened. The power and skill displayed before him was such that he thought himself inadequate. With all his years of training, it was disheartening to realize that the most his skill could amount to was to catch his opponent off-guard with his inability to fight back.
"Ugh, Ah yes," He muttered in response to Arturia, shaking his head to clear his mind yet growing flustered under the gazes of the others around.
Yet, he was an honourable man.
"Thank you for all of the help," he bowed his head low. "The Berferd family will not forget this favour."
With his piece said, he turned to depart but hesitated moments away from leaving, inevitably turning around to stare apprehensively at Arturia.
She was his savior and without her, Vincent held no notion that he would have had been able to escape Dillan's encirclement. Which was why he found it difficult to question her on a rising suspicion from within him. In the end however, his need to know won out over his shame.
"R-Rude of me as this may be, but might I ask of you a question?" He stammered.
Arturia furrowed her brows for a moment, but her expression softened afterwards, giving Vincent a welcoming nod. In the time she had spent with him, she approved of his character and felt that he was a local worth getting along with.
"You are more than welcome to," she said, greatly relieving Vincent.
"Earlier, that sword," Vincent swallowed nervously as he inquired. "M-Might it be the Sacred Sword?"
Gawain and the others shared startled glances with one another upon hearing Vincent's question, surprised that he was able to notice such a detail regarding their King. For the sword Excalibur, granted by Lady Vivian of the lake was indeed a Sacred Sword and King Arthur's most defining feature.
The subtle changes Vincent noticed from the Knights reactions helped to solidify the assumption that had already formed in his mind; all but verified with Arturia's admission.
"Yes," she said without pause, her calm yet dignified voice striking him like a bolt of lightning that disorientated him.
He froze, expression vacant.
However, what he was experiencing inside was far different from what he was experiencing outside.
The Holy Maiden!
She was the Valkyrie Knight of the Roble Holy Empire, or more likely a descendant.
Regardless, there were no doubts in Vincent's mind that Arturia was somehow related to the Roble Holy Kingdom's National Hero. It made too much sense for him to think of any other alternative. Otherwise, how could he explain the fact that there was a certain charisma about her that even had Knights such as Gawain and others under her service?
His breath hitched with the realization, his eyes closing to calm the rapid beating of his heart before he decisively turned around and began walking; certain that he wouldn't be able to maintain his composure if he stared at Arturia any longer.
Forget about returning to his family's duchy, he had the impulse to prostrate himself and declare allegiance on the spot instead.
It was through his will power and familial piety alone that prevented him from taking such actions for it would be a slight against Arturia's own words,
Believe in Honour, Duty, and in Integrity.
To never lose one's way.
He had an obligation towards his people that he couldn't ignore for his own selfish reasons. Therefore, he would go back.
As the sound of Vincent's steps receded from the forest, Arturia and the others stared quietly at Shirou, waiting for instructions.
"Nero's told me that you've already secured the area?" He spoke after a moment.
"Indeed," Tristan was the first to respond.
As an NPC with an Archer-Class designation, Tristan too possessed the ability of Far Sight, making it easier for Tristan to scout and secure wide areas. As such, Tristan's admission was all Shirou needed to know to verify Nero's words.
"Good work," he said earnestly.
"It's only proper," Lancelot said curtly, tilting his head down.
The amount of effort he had put into making all of his NPC's were known by them all. Therefore, rather than thinking of doing something for his benefit as a chore, most of his NPC's would hardly complain aside from perhaps the arrogant ones.