Led by Samael, the group noticed as they walked that among the passing crowds were many unfamiliar faces who spent lavishly, dressed magnificently, and carried themselves with haughty arrogance.
Moreover, every one of their attendants was tall and powerfully built. Beneath their robes and cloaks, their bodies looked stuffed but not bloated; their strides moved in subtle rhythm, and they radiated a fierce, murderous air. Their knuckles were thick, and their hands were covered in calluses.
Every sign indicated that these were professional retainer knights, armed with blades and even wearing armor beneath their clothes.
Judging by the accents and manners of those being protected, they were naturally lords from various regions.
The reason for this was that tomorrow would be a grand Crowning Ceremony.
Although Artoria had already been crowned after drawing the Sword of King Selection,
now that Vortigern had been executed and the northern and southern territories had been unified, Britain could finally be considered truly whole.
A ceremony proclaiming legitimacy and extolling royal authority was naturally indispensable.
For that very reason, lords great and small from across the country had eagerly flocked to Camelot to attend tomorrow's Crowning Ceremony.
Of course, the lords arriving from all corners had very different purposes.
Some were staunch supporters of the King of Knights who had chosen their side early on. Most of these were southern lords, and most had countless ties to the Knights of the Round Table. They had mainly come to divide the spoils and receive titles.
Others were rebels who had been cozy with Vortigern. Mostly from the north, they had come to Camelot to pledge allegiance to the King of Knights at the height of his power, lest they be purged after the war.
Then there were the fence-sitters, who had come in advance to