V.V. Serious Merlin Poll

As befits the day, this is a serious poll of seriousness. One of the many mysteries of the BBC's Merlin is this: considering Arthur (as far as we know) still has no idea Merlin is a powerful magician, and Merlin's non-magical fighting abilities are really not that great, why does he drag him along on various military enterprises, rescue operations and the like? (I'll handwave the hunting expeditions, since we can say Merlin's official job there is to carry the equipment.) Even more interestingly, why do the knights think he does it? In order to get other opinions on these very important questions, I offer a poll which the valiant Sir Leon, knight of Camelot, by last report not dead yet despite being a a red cloak wearer, wants you to answer.

Poll #2596 Knight's Take

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 28

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The knights think Arthur takes Merlin along because...

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sooner or later, Merlin will surely die; Arthur wants a new servant
6 (21.4%)

his sword needs immediate polishing after action (what? get your minds out of the gutter, metal can rust!)
9 (32.1%)

Merlin is actually Uther's spy to make sure his son does as he's told, and Arthur has turned him into a double agent
7 (25.0%)

Merlin makes excellent bait - that's MONSTER bait, nothing else, tsk
7 (25.0%)

living with Gaius, Merlin surely has picked up some medical skills if someone gets wounded
12 (42.9%)

that boy just needs some sunshine and exercise, being all bones and white skin
9 (32.1%)

if you leave Merlin in Camelot unsupervised, it might not all be standing when Arthur returns
17 (60.7%)

he doesn't want to show favouritism among the knights, so his manservant comes in handy (stop that line of thought)
8 (28.6%)

Merlin is really a powerful sorceror, and the knights have noticed, even if Arthur hasn't
8 (28.6%)

of a reason I will tell you in the comments
1 (3.6%)