Fate: My Wife is Morgan Le Fay (Patreon)

Chapter 19: The Stratagem

Now this— this was flattery.

Lot had finally seen what true flattery looked like.

Morgan’s soft little fists landed gently on his shoulders, the strength just right—not too heavy, not too light—making him feel an incredible sense of comfort.

Especially psychologically.

[Ah, this… this is my rightful place in this household.]

Lot thought to himself with no small amount of satisfaction.

Hearing this, Morgan’s fists clenched slightly.

Pervy dog!

You’re actually thinking about household status at a time like this?!

Just wait until I become the ruler of all Britannia—I’ll have you massaging my back every day!

…Well, fine.

He wasn’t her servant, after all.

So, she’d just reclaim today’s debt in full.

Thinking this, Morgan delivered two more "heavy" punches.

Of course, that was only her perspective.

Lot, despite his refined looks, was a highly skilled knight. His physique was far beyond that of an ordinary person, and in a one-on-one fight, he wouldn’t be much weaker than Kay.

Morgan’s little fists? They might as well be giving him a friendly pat.

Forget fists—her nails from last night hadn’t even left much of a mark on his back.

Still, these "heavy" blows told Lot one thing—Morgan was not in a good mood.

Alright, alright, enough teasing.

He hadn’t even spoken a word before, and she had already guessed he was rejecting her idea. And instead of getting angry, she had humbly asked for his opinion.

That deserved some respect.

"Listen, Morgan," Lot finally said. "The key to defeating an enemy is to attack their weaknesses with our strengths. In a direct confrontation, the forces of Orkney are no match for Vortigern. I myself am no match for Vortigern. So, we must identify our strengths and use them against his weaknesses."

Morgan’s eyes lit up.

Ooh, that makes sense. I need to remember this one.

This will be the first of many famous quotes by Queen Morgan in the future.

Seeing her reaction, Lot knew she had completely accepted his reasoning.

So, he continued, "Now tell me, what does Orkney have in abundance?"

Morgan thought for a moment before replying, "Fish?"

Lot nodded approvingly.

"Yes, the fish here are abundant. And I do love catching them…"

Morgan shot him a glare, and Lot quickly got back on track.

"But that’s not the key point. The most important thing is that Orkney is surrounded by the sea. The people here are used to fighting on water."

Due to the region’s many islands, most people here knew at least some level of seamanship.

"But so what?" Morgan asked, puzzled. "It’s not like we can just move the water to Vortigern’s land."

That wasn’t just impossible—if it were possible, it would spell disaster for all of Britannia.

Lot rolled his eyes. "What are you even thinking?"

"What I mean is, our people are excellent sailors. If we take advantage of this and launch a surprise naval raid on Vortigern, won’t that be far more effective?"

At this stage in history, ships weren’t yet capable of deep-sea voyages, but coastal navigation was no problem.

Sailing along the coastline and striking at Vortigern’s vulnerable points would be a far better option than marching through the mountains.

"You're suggesting attacking their army? No, that’s not right. Attacking their army wouldn’t be much different from fighting in the mountains. What you mean is—we should attack somewhere else."

Although Morgan didn’t grasp it at first, she quickly understood.

Still, in her heart, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for Lot’s idea.

This kind of strategy… truly worthy of this pervy dog.

She couldn’t resist reaching out and massaging Lot’s shoulders.

This was his reward.

"Yes, exactly. Our army is weaker than Vortigern’s. So, we must strike where it hurts the most."

Lot stretched out his hand and, with the confidence of a Go player placing a stone at the center of the board, slammed his finger onto a specific spot on the map.

Morgan glanced at it.

It was Vortigern’s heartland.

This was Lot’s plan.

No one could afford to let their own territory be invaded. Even Vortigern wouldn’t be able to ignore his homeland being torn apart while trying to defeat King Uther.

And the key advantage—Lot’s long-range coastal assault.

Vortigern would undoubtedly have defenses on land.

But at sea? That was a different story.

There was also another major advantage in Lot’s favor—

Uther had never attempted such a strategy before.

Vortigern wouldn’t instinctively account for this possibility.

From every angle, Lot’s plan held a huge advantage.

It was far more reliable than Morgan’s initial idea.

Hearing his proposal, Morgan's eyes grew even brighter.

"Hmm~~ as expected of you, my pervy— husband."

Morgan spoke, nearly slipping up and saying what she usually called him in her head.

But she quickly corrected herself.

[Husband is fine… but why 'pervy'? Am I pervy? I'm obviously an upstanding and righteous person.]

Lot thought to himself in frustration.

Morgan, however, had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

You came up with all those weird outfits and insist I wear them…

And you somehow figured out all those techniques without a teacher…

If you aren’t a pervy dog, then what are you?!

Those outfits—Morgan had never seen anything like them before, so she naturally assumed Lot had invented them himself.

So lewd…

But fine—she had gotten what she wanted.

Maybe she could indulge him a little.

Morgan’s thoughts wavered between nervousness and anticipation.

As they continued discussing the finer details of the plan, Morgan eventually found herself seated on Lot’s lap, practically leaning into his embrace.

Lot’s hand had already started slipping beneath her clothes—

And at that exact moment, there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?"

Interrupted, Morgan immediately stood up, her voice carrying a trace of irritation as she called out.

Who dares to disturb us at a time like this? Do they have a death wish?!

"Your Majesty Lot, Lady Morgan, Squire Kay and Knight-Aspirant Artoria seek an audience."

Kay’s voice came from outside.

"Hmm, alright."

Morgan quickly recalled that she had been the one to recruit them, so she hurriedly adjusted her clothes before allowing them in.

Kay and Artoria stepped into the room.

Noticing Morgan’s slightly annoyed expression and Lot’s unusual demeanor, they had no idea what mistake they had made.

So, without hesitation, they knelt on one knee.

"Kay / Artoria pledges loyalty to King Lot. Please grant us your permission, Your Majesty Lot and Lady Morgan."