My Mother King Arthur

"Just watch, Agravain." Arthur replied calmly. "I guarantee you, our future will be glorious."

"Yes, Your Highness." He bowed to Arthur. The knight forged of black iron served Arthur today as mechanically as ever, methodical and flawless.

To Arthur, there was no problem as long as Agravain remained like this. Even if he only offered his complete loyalty when facing Arthur's Father King.

Author's Note:

Being first on the Book Guest rankings really is cursed.

I need to be more careful too.

Reckless driving leaves the author in tears.

The protagonist is about to go from fourteen to sixteen years old.

Can Rome Be an Ally?

As though he had completely forgotten the unpleasantness at yesterday's banquet, Lucius Tiberius happily rose to greet Arthur and his knights when Arthur entered his tent and bowed to him:

"Lord Artorius, there's no need to be so formal."

He seemed quite pleased. After exchanging greetings with Arthur, he began discussing arrangements for Arthur and his Britannian knights:

"You didn't enjoy yourselves yesterday, did you? Those children simply can't understand the pleasures of adults, hahaha."

It seemed he had learned of Arthur's relationship with Mordred through other channels:

"But that's all right. Once we reach Rome, I guarantee that you'll have every chance to enjoy Rome's luxuries!"

His eyes openly gleamed with greed. He desired Arthur and the Britannian knights under his command. Lucius wanted to seize this powerful armed force. So he had decided to bring Arthur to Rome.

That great, radiant Eternal City still stood upon the Apennine Peninsula.

In some timelines, after a series of upheavals and chaos, the Western Roman Empire had moved its capital north to Ravenna. But in Arthur's timeline, despite suffering two devastations at the hands of the Huns and Goths, Lucius had stubbornly rebuilt the city and gathered every kind of worldly splendor and extravagance within it.

Arthur and his knights were another expensive collection coveted by the Roman Emperor.

According to his plan, Arthur and his knights would become part of the Eternal City. Like those Roman nobles, they would immerse themselves in Rome's prosperity and decadence as quickly as possible, serve him, and never again become a threat to the Empire.

Unfortunately, Arthur refused without hesitation. His reason was:

"My subordinates and I do not wish to stray too far from our homeland. Please permit us to operate in the north of the continent."

"Then what exactly do you mean...?"

The Emperor's gaze gradually turned dangerous. He secretly decided that if Arthur asked for land in Gaul like those barbarian allies did, he would list Arthur among the most dangerous enemies—

After the Empire had occupied Gaul for centuries, Gaul had become its most important and wealthiest territory. There was not even a close second.

This land was not as mountainous as Hispania or Italy, nor as cold as Germania. It was flat, warm, bordered by the sea on three sides, easy to defend and hard to attack. In an agrarian age, it was the finest land blessed by God, the greatest foundation for hegemony on the Continent of Europa.

For the Western Roman Empire, losing Hispania, North Africa, Britannia, or Germania would be tolerable. Gaul was different. It was the most important territory after Italy.

There should not have been too many powerful "barbarians" in this vital land.

Yet that was not the case.

Arthur's proposal left Lucius Tiberius stunned for quite a while before he recovered.

What Arthur wanted was not a foothold in vast, wealthy Gaul. He wanted land in Upper Germania Province.

It was colder there, and it lay on the front line against the German barbarians. It was a place where Rome exiled criminals and those who had lost political struggles.

More importantly, like the neighboring Lower Germania Province, Greater Germania Province, Raetia Province, and part of Belgica Gaul Province, it had already fallen to harsh weather and the frenzied attacks of barbarians.

In other words, if Arthur wanted this land, he would have to seize it himself.

"Are you sure you wish to do this, Lord Artorius?"

The Emperor looked at him in surprise. "That is no pleasant place."

"Yes. I am a knight, and a knight's destiny is the battlefield! Rather than spend the rest of my life amid Rome's splendor, I would rather enjoy war in the frozen lands of the north!"

"..."

"Very well."

Lucius considered it for a few seconds before making his decision. "Then I leave it to you. I can appoint you Governor of Upper Germania Province and provide you with part of the military funds and provisions.

Continue serving Rome faithfully from now on."

By this point, Lucius had made up his mind.

Since Arthur had chosen this path himself, Lucius would treat him as Rome's watchdog. Arthur and his followers could die alongside the barbarians of those frigid lands.

However.

What Artorius said next completely changed Lucius's decision:

"Of course I will."

Arthur spoke earnestly. "After all, Rome and the Celts share the same affliction."

"What did you say?!"

After several seconds of shock, Lucius demanded, "Insolence! My great Rome—"

"—The era, the Mandate of Heaven, and the fading of mystery."

Artorius's three words choked the Sword Emperor's words back down his throat.

As the Roman Emperor, bearing a role similar to King Arthur's as a "savior" and burdened with the mission of saving Rome, Lucius Tiberius could not possibly be unaware of the Decline of the Age of Gods and the fact that the Counter Force guided all of this.

And the people of the Age of Gods whom the Counter Force sought to kill were not merely the Celtic people of Britannia.

In terms of both the Age of Gods and their taint of mystery, Rome's arrogant people were far more deeply involved than the Britannian Celts.

Even though they had abandoned their ancient traditional beliefs and chosen God and the Lord, Rome's connection to mystery had not been completely erased.

The "savior of Rome" before him was proof enough.

Lucius Tiberius was clearly human. Yet his combat power did not fall short of Artorius, a Dragon Kind.

Divine Blessing, the Demon Sword, a Giant's Arm Strength, and the "power" granted by Rome's Divine Ancestor Romulus. All of it gave this Emperor of Swords strength comparable to that of a god.

Rome possessed tens of thousands of magi, the strongest magical power in all of Europe, and had even tamed powerful Phantasmal Beasts such as Giants.

At the end of this Age of Gods, in an era where Ether was constantly dissipating and only remnants remained, that was naturally a tremendous miracle.

Unlike their eastern relatives, who had simply chosen to abandon mystery entirely and change their race, faith, and way of life, leaving only Rome's shell behind, the Emperor of the Western Roman Empire still held fast to the final position of the Age of Gods.

From the perspective of national strategy, Britannia and Western Rome were enemies.

But from the perspective of survivors of the Age of Gods resisting the Counter Force, the two sides were unquestionable allies.

"It seems I can trust you a little more, Lord Artorius."

The Roman Emperor gave Arthur a deep look. "Go, my Governor. For me, and for yourself, fight against this age, against this world, against everything that seeks to destroy us.

I will provide you in Rome with all the support you desire."

"Your will is my mission, Your Majesty."

Arthur bowed to him. As he did, he lowered his head deeply to keep the other man from seeing the desire and ambition in his eyes.

Author's Note:

Today's second update, la la la.

Pax Romana

The barbarian invasion of Britannia had paused.

The barbarian invasion of Rome had also paused.

An astonishing sight appeared across the Continent of Europa. Peace had briefly descended upon this war-ravaged land.

People left their castles in surprise, opened the gates, and looked around. They discovered that they had somehow become "safe."

After the shock came wild joy.

The people of the Western Roman Empire fell into frenzied celebration.

It was the final revelry before destruction, a drunken chaos of living in dreams. During this brief period of "safety," the Romans chose to drown themselves in wine. Meanwhile, Lucius Tiberius, Rome's Sword Emperor, chose conquest and making himself even greater.

"There is only one Rome in this world, and that is my Rome!"

With such feelings in his heart, Lucius launched an attack against the Eastern Roman Empire—either surrender and acknowledge him as the sole Roman Emperor, or die!

Thus began a meaningless war meant solely to satisfy the Emperor's vanity.

At the same time in Britannia, King Arthur's little court was desperately searching for the Holy Grail and dispatching her Knights of the Round Table to "mediate conflicts"—or rather, to plant bombs beneath her own rule.

As the land grew increasingly barren, Britannia's various conflicts naturally became more acute.

Commoners and nobles, Minor Nobility and great nobles, those kings and great nobles.

There were too many mouths and too little food. The pie was only so large, and no division could satisfy everyone. The Knights of the Round Table running around everywhere merely caused these resentments to accumulate continuously, all upon Artoria herself.

Artoria's response to this situation was to search for the Holy Grail even more desperately, without sparing any effort.

"As long as I obtain the Holy Grail, everything will be all right."

For Artoria, this was almost no longer a solution, but an obsession.

In contrast stood Artorius Pendragon.

In just half a year, he had become one of the Roman Empire's most important generals, Warlords, and powerful candidates for the throne.

After all, Augustus belonged to those with strong armies. Succession through coups and succession through the Imperial Guard were Roman traditions as well.

This was the combined result of his policies, ambition, ability, and geographical position.

Arthur's advanced agricultural techniques allowed him to reclaim land and maintain a certain supply of agricultural food even in harsh climates. The Western Roman Empire, the British Isles, and even the German Black Forest became Arthur's sources of talent and soldiers.

"All who desire wealth and glory, come follow me."

"All who possess exceptional martial skill yet remain unrecognized, come follow me."

"All who wish to realize their worth on the battlefield, come follow me."

"I do not care about your past, your race, your age, your gender, or anything else. As long as you can wield a weapon, as long as you earn merit on the battlefield, you can obtain everything you desire!"

With one legendary victory after another, Artorius's words spread ever farther.

Great numbers of dissatisfied knights and warriors gathered under his banner: Germans from the Black Forest, Vikings from the northern peninsula, Romans from the continent, and Britannian Celts from the isles.

This made Arthur one of the most powerful leaders in Gaul and Germania.

"Artorius, that Britannian country bumpkin, is growing stronger and stronger."

This was who knew how many times Lucius Tiberius, the great Roman Emperor, had heard people speak ill of Arthur.

Sigrius, the Governor of Gaul and practically Arthur's neighbor, complained to the Emperor nearly three times a day: "That barbarian is about to rebel!"

"That barbarian is going to lead a million German barbarians over the Alps and burn Rome to the ground."

"That barbarian wants to become Roman Emperor!"

"Your Majesty, you must think of something!"

"Before the barbarian army destroys the entire Empire!"

Ah, of course, Arthur's letters claiming that Sigrius was about to rebel arrived just as frequently as Sigrius's complaints.

This left Lucius frustrated and uneasy. But he always had reasons to reassure himself.

Arthur displayed absolute loyalty to the Empire. At the same time, because both of them understood the concept of the "end of the Age of Gods," Lucius believed Arthur would not betray him. They stood on the same side.

Moreover, victory in the war against the Germans was the only thing that gave Lucius any comfort. For aside from that, the Empire's problems were always dire:

The war against Eastern Rome was never going well. Even the battles to suppress the barbarians within the Empire were the same.

Although his power was unmatched, he always failed due to inexplicable external factors.

Either the fleet was struck by storms.

Or plague began spreading through the army.

Several offensives against Eastern Rome ended without result. This caused the Western Roman Empire's national strength to decline with every passing day.