One Lord, One Nation (Eighth Update!)
Returning to Britannia and Camelot at the fastest possible speed was the first thing Artorius did after inheriting the throne.
Using magecraft, he spread news of his ascension across all of Britannia in the shortest time possible. He also ordered every "king" of Britannia's kingdoms to come to Camelot and pay homage as quickly as possible.
The news caused a minor stir among the nations of Britannia.
The Knight King, the ruler who had once weighed upon all the kingdoms, had actually abdicated just like that?
That Evil Dragon Prince had become the new King of Britannia?
For a time, the kings harbored all manner of thoughts and calculations. Yet none dared to disobey.
The Knight King had been ruthless enough already.
You were a king, and so was I. Yet this king had to obey Artoria, another king. I could only call myself king of some backwater corner, while Artoria could call herself King of Britannia and become the representative of all Britannia's people.
Was that fair?
At least, the other kings thought it was unfair.
But it did not matter what they thought. Camelot's two generations of rulers both thought it was excellent. They even wanted to take it further.
"I have had enough of Britannia's division and the petty schemes of its countless nobles."
In Camelot, in the Tower of White Chalk, Artorius said this to the knights:
"Your Majesty, you mean..."
"I need a unified, integrated Britannia," Arthur said. "The troops and supplies wasted because the kings guard against one another are utterly meaningless.
In modern Britannia, this loose, disorganized state of affairs, with its endless conflicts between nations, is one of the key reasons we fall into chaos and suffering.
I do not want to keep wasting effort on this.
"—In the name of the King of Britannia, I will order them to surrender all their armies, accept Camelot's laws, and provide Camelot with sufficient tribute on a regular basis.
"These tributes and armies will be invested in the conquest of the Continent of Europa.
"I will unite all of Britannia and leave behind a prosperous empire for us and for our descendants!"
The majestic Dragon King swept his gaze around the room, driving his will deep into the soul of every Knight of the Round Table.
This was Camelot's policy shift after the transfer of Britannia's royal power.
Unlike Artoria, Artorius would manipulate Britannia more actively and aggressively, seize Britannia's strength, and throw it into the war against the continent.
He would no longer rely on the principles of guidance and voluntary participation that he had used when he was still Prince. This would become national policy, enforced through sheer power.
Among the Knights of the Round Table, some felt excited while others were somewhat uneasy. Yet whether excited or uneasy, they all obeyed Arthur's orders.
"The King's majesty surpasses even that of the former king."
"We cannot refuse the King's orders. Ever since that day by the River Seine... when the King accepted the Holy Grail's power."
"The King is invincible. Whether in strength or breadth of spirit, the King surpasses everything!"
The Knights of the Round Table discussed it in private, holding cautious optimism toward Arthur's transformation.
"But, Your Majesty."
Afterward, Lancelot, who had rushed over from Gaul and continued to swear loyalty to the Pendragon family, asked, "What if those kings refuse?"
"..."
At that, Artorius's lips curved upward.
"That is simple."
He said:
"I have transferred a legion from the German Military District."
Arthur's tone was calm, but everyone could hear the thick stench of blood in it.
Some could not help glancing instinctively toward Arthur's side.
On one side stood Morgan le Fay, looking at him with fanatical eyes. Ever since Arthur ascended as King of Britannia three days ago, she had remained at his side. The way she looked at Arthur grew stranger by the day.
On Arthur's other side stood the former king, Artoria. After abdicating, she had not retired from public life. Instead, she chose to join Arthur's ranks as an ordinary knight.
That choice, and her very presence, also served as a stabilizer for the Knights of the Round Table. The reason some knights, whose loyalty to Arthur was not especially high and who did not entirely approve of his actions, could still obey his orders without condition was because of her.
Only...
"The former king's hair color seems to have changed a little..."
Quite a few people found it strange. Artoria's hair had previously been bright gold, but recently the color had faded, turning pale gold.
Well, the knights who noticed such things were an absolute minority. Ordinary knights were not that bored.
After Arthur mentioned "a legion," everyone looked toward the former king, Artoria. They saw that her expression was solemn, with no surprise, hesitation, or any other negative emotion whatsoever.
That proved she fully supported Arthur's plan, without the slightest hesitation or resistance.
"The King... the former king, has truly changed."
"Very well, gentlemen. Continue your preparations. In three days, I will hold a grand banquet for my ministers in White City.
"If any of those so-called kings fail to come, then you Knights of the Round Table will punish them!"
"Yes, my King!"
After Arthur waved his hand and issued his final command, the Knights of the Round Table, each harboring different thoughts, were swept up in an instant.
No matter what, they would offer their loyalty to Artorius Pendragon, their new king.
The meeting ended just like that.
Arthur turned calmly and left the throne that belonged to the King of Britannia, heading toward the study that had once belonged to Father King. At his side were not only Artoria, who followed him everywhere and seemed to have appointed herself his "royal guard," but also Morgan, who for some inexplicable reason did not want to leave Arthur's side, and Bedivere, Camelot's steward and civil administrator.
"Your Majesty."
The handsome knight spoke to him in a gentle, somewhat worried voice:
"Fifteen villages in Camelot are short on supplies. Three of them are in extreme shortage."
"Do not worry. Food will be continuously shipped in from the continent—but there is a condition. Those villages must send people to join my army," Arthur said calmly.
"But regarding manpower..."
"If there are no young and able-bodied men, then those slightly less capable will do. They can handle logistics, transport supplies, build roads, repair dikes. In short, they need work if they want to feed themselves."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Bedivere nodded. "Then, regarding the coronation ceremony three days from now..."
"Keep it simple," Arthur replied. "Spend as little money as possible."
"As for the matter of majesty..."
"Let the kings witness Camelot's elite troops and formidable generals. Majesty will take care of itself!"
"Yes, Your Majesty. And also..."
"What else? Say it all at once. Do not make me wait."
Arthur spoke with some impatience.
Bedivere's ability to get things done was indeed exceptional, but his indecisive nature meant he was suited only to being an aide, not a chief official.
"It is Lord Galahad's funeral, and the location of his burial site."
"..."
Upon hearing that, Artorius Pendragon fell silent for a moment. Then he said in an unquestionable tone:
"Bury him at Mainz Cathedral. There, I will build a cemetery for the Empire's soldiers."
Author's Note:
Eighth update! Aaaah! I have no chapters saved up! Time to grind myself to death, fuck!
Two more updates to go! I will definitely push myself to catch up!
The bounty continues! The bounty continues!
Arthur's Origins (Ninth Update)
Mom's Christmas.jpg
Military honors, the Medal System, military ranks, and military cemeteries—once everything in the German Military District under Arthur's control had been set on the right track, all of these began to spread.
Compared to being buried in family graveyards, soldiers truly preferred to be with their comrades, reunited even after death and continuing to fight on.
The vast, solemn military cemetery in the Outskirts of Mainz was an important part of Arthur's effort to build the army's sense of honor, even its Military Soul.
After giving all the administrative orders, Bedivere hurried away.
Though his decisiveness was lacking, his ability to handle affairs was trustworthy. In Camelot's study, Arthur sat in the chair that had originally belonged to Father King and slowly closed his eyes.
Let me rest. Just for a little while.
His body was not especially tired, but his mind felt unexpectedly exhausted.
As he thought this, someone reached out from behind him and began gently massaging Arthur's shoulders. The movements were skilled, easing the fatigue in his muscles and, more importantly, relaxing his mind as well.
"Thank you, Morgan."
Arthur said this as he opened his eyes, turned around, and offered his thanks.
What followed was an almost angry "Ka—" sound, followed by a surprised "Hm?"
Arthur turned to look and discovered that the one massaging him from behind was not Morgan le Fay as he had imagined, but Father King Artoria.
Morgan stood not far beside her, staring at Arthur and Artoria with a gaze full of envy, jealousy, resentment, surprise, and incomprehension, as though she could not believe such a thing was happening.
Father King, on the other hand, looked briefly surprised before her expression turned calm.
"You have worked hard, Arthur," she said calmly, completely ignoring her sister's envious, jealous, resentful stare.
Arthur did not know whether it was his imagination, but he felt there was a trace of smugness and a trace of delight in Father King's voice.
"It was nothing difficult."
Arthur said, "It was merely my duty."
"You say that, but back then, I was nowhere near as capable as you. I could not handle government affairs so effortlessly."
"..."
"Is that so?" Arthur closed his eyes again. "I thought Father King would not support my next plan."
"Why would I not?"
She said to Arthur, "The Holy Grail plan has already failed.
"There are no more miracles or fantasies to rely on.
"Just as you said, if we want to save Britannia now, we must keep our feet on the ground.
"If we want to save the world, we must work even harder. We may even have to... give up certain things."
At this point, she paused.
"Two days ago, after seeing Lord Galahad... and your actions, Arthur, I secretly made up my mind.
"I will support you. I will support your dream and your plan. I will help you without reservation, my child. I will devote all my strength to you and help you fulfill your grand ambition of saving humanity."
"..."
"Thank you, Father King." Hearing her say that brought Arthur a little comfort.
"There is nothing to thank me for." As Artoria spoke, she reached out again and began massaging Arthur's temples.
"I only regret that if I had acted sooner..."
"Do not say that." Arthur stopped her. "We are still together. We still have to keep moving forward, carrying Galahad's share with us."
"Yes. That is right."
Artoria nodded. "What I meant to say was, if it had been me..."
"I could have done it too," she said.
Before you continue