EPISODE 9

>click here to access the webtoon episode<


??

Good day, sirs! Did you sleep well?

I brought you supplies and⎯


DINADAN

Oh, perfect!

You can set all of that down here, and thanks for everything! 


??

Have a nice trip! ~


DINADAN

Thank you! ~


PERCIVAL

Looks like there’s ham!


DINADAN

Don’t you dare touch it, we’re saving it for the road.


PERCIVAL

I didn’t say I was going to eat it right away!


DINADAN

I can see you drooling over it.

What, you want to shave too?

You haven’t got a single hair on that chin.


PERCIVAL : 

Hey!


DINADAN

What? It’s not a diss, Aglovale hasn’t got any either. 


MORDRED

But…

Why are you dressed like that?!


DINADAN

Ah, Momo, you’re up!

We got ourselves some hot water this morning, so c’mere! (Well, it’s closer to lukewarm now.)


MORDRED

No thanks.

And don’t call me Momo.

Ah!

No!

Don’t come any closer!


DINADAN

Last chance.

If you don’t come to the water, the water will come to you, Momo.


MORDRED

Ugh, fine.

But I’m not going to get used to “Momo”.


DINADAN

It’s cute, isn’t it?


MORDRED

It’s not.


PERCIVAL

( Two weeks of travel went by in a blink.

( Mordred : “And you⎯you’re not decent, cover up.” / Percival : “Okay.” )

Dinadan gets on well with everyone.

He even asked us to be less formal with him. )


DINADAN

It’s not “sir”, it’s Dinadan, period, got it? 


PERCIVAL

( He always looks cheerful,

whereas Mordred is still acting cold towards me,

especially when we’re training. )


MORDRED

You’re holding your sword wrong, and your posture is atrocious.

It’s hard to believe you belong to the same family as Lamorak.


PERCIVAL

( He gets on my nerves like no one else. 

Maybe because he’s not wrong. )


DINADAN

C’mon, Momo, you’re being pretty harsh on Percy.

Your posture isn’t perfect either,

and Lamorak’s even less so, to be honest.


MORDRED

What?

Wanna come here and show me, then? 


DINADAN

Ugh, no, can’t be assed.

( Fifi, don’t eat my hair. ) 

But the best knights’ fighting styles would surprise you.


PERCIVAL

( Dinadan’s attitude really is strange.

( Mordred : “Pff, obviously.” )

I haven’t seen him hold his sword once.

He refuses every duel that comes our way, 

and gets called cowardly and unworthy of his rank every time.

When I asked him why he didn’t fight… )


DINADAN

… Tell me, why do you want to be a knight, Percy?


PERCIVAL

I…

It’s my duty as a member of Listenoise’s royal family, isn’t it?


DINADAN

I see. 

What about you, Mordred?


MORDRED

I want to become a knight to honor our oath of fealty to my uncle.

Knights of Orkney serve Arthur, no matter the cost.


DINADAN

Alright, so…

I didn’t ask you why your family told you to become knights.

( Percival : “But⎯?” / Mordred : “Excuse me?” )

No, because

I could’ve sworn I just heard a parody of Aglovale and Gawain.

( Aglovale : “Duty! Duty!” / Gawain : “Arthur! Arthur!” )

If you follow your family’s principles without understanding them or having your own,

you’ll disappoint everyone, yourselves first and foremost.


MORDRED

… You seem quite familiar with it.


DINADAN

Yup. (hehe)


PERCIVAL

So, you don’t fight because it goes against your principles?


DINADAN

Let’s just say…

… that I don’t see the point of fighting without a valid reason to do so.

And the glory-seeking fools that cross my path rarely give me one. 


MORDRED

But,

if they drag your name through the mud, it’ll have repercussions on your family.

( Percival : ?! )

Do you not care about dishonor?

About the effect your actions will have on your family’s reputation?


DINADAN

Dishonor can be a rough patch to go through, yes,

but a stab through the gut is worse! 


PERCIVAL

( Why become a knight…

( Mordred : “That’s only if you’re not good enough to avoid it.” / Dinadan : “Oh, you’d be surprised to learn how easy it is to get stabbed.” )

… and risk the dishonor that it may cause…

Did I really follow Aglovale to become a knight?

Or was it because… )


MERLIN

You have an important role to play in all of this, Percival.


PERCIVAL

… Mordred?


MORDRED

What?


PERCIVAL

Do you know Merlin?


MORDRED

Of course, why would you even ask?


PERCIVAL

Has he ever predicted anything for you?


MORDRED

… Once, yes.

He told me I was destined to be everything my father was not. 

… Given Loth’s reputation,

it did comfort me a little.


PERCIVAL

What reputation?


MORDRED

That of a traitor, who rebelled against Arthur. 

… You know, 

it’s hard to admit, but I think Dinadan’s right.

I didn’t know Loth.

I just know he rose up against Arthur, so Pellinore only did his duty.

… I don’t have anything against him, or your brothers, or you.

But I’m afraid for Gawain.

I don’t want anything bad to happen to her, do you understand?


PERCIVAL

… Yes.

I don’t want anything bad to happen either.

Can we try and start over?


MORDRED

… Yes.


PERCIVAL

You haven’t called me by my name once, you know?


MORDRED

… Yeah, Percival.


PERCIVAL

Very good, Momo!


MORDRED

For starters, no.

This, I refuse.


PERCIVAL

Haha!

( Can a simple effort on our part truly change anything at all? )


DINADAN

Alright, we’re sleeping out in the open tonight, guys.

Can’t find a single peasant nearby.

We’ll have to save the luxury of staying in a barn for later.


PERCIVAL

Oh, do we have anything to hide our supplies?

If predators smell our food, we’ll be in trouble, won’t we?


MORDRED

Predators?!


DINADAN

Good thinking, Percy.

Usually, I would’ve called it a great idea, but…

I don’t think we’ll need to resort to that.

Did you notice it?


PERCIVAL

Yeah…


MORDRED

What?


PERCIVAL

We’ve hardly seen any animals since we arrived in Corbenic. The wildlife’s really making itself scarce.


DINADAN

Yeah, I don’t know what’s happening here.

Farms are sitting empty, there are no animals around.

It’s odd.


MORDRED

In any case, we just have to reach the castle, right?

It can’t be that far.

We’ve only got to ride for a while longer and meet up with Sir Tristan.


DINADAN

Aw, but my Fifi isn’t gonna want to get up again.

She’s not in her prime anymore, you know.

( They get difficult in their old age. )

Don’t be scared, Momo, I’ll keep watch!


MORDRED

Ugh, fine.

( Percival  : “Aww, Fifi is so affectionate!” )

I don’t think they’re expecting us anyway, if Sir Tristan’s already there.

Not for a simple castle watch. 


DINADAN

Oh, right.

About that… I⎯

We haven’t run into a lot of people these last few days.

It’d be kind of you to show yourself,

and state your intentions.

Hello, handsome*.

Can we do anything for you?


??

Yes.

I only want to go up against you, knight of the Round Table,

here, and now.

Accept, and you may all leave unharmed.

Else…


DINADAN

Percival, Mordred,

stay close to me.

Very well, there will be a fight here.

Go on, you two.

I’ll be watching you⎯


MORDRED

Excuse me?


DINADAN

⎯and do your best! 



BONUS ILLUSTRATION :  

A long time ago, in Listenoise…


*din calls the knight "brave one", but it's got a lowkey flirt-mock tone to it LOL


AUTHOR’S NOTES

Thank you so much for following Percival's adventures! There’s already over 10.000 of you! At the next milestone there will be another illustration, and a FAQ!

Don’t forget to like the episode and rate the series!



previous episode | next episode.