My Mother, King Arthur

Chapter Eighty-One: One Ruler, One Nation (Eighth Update!)

Returning to Britannia, returning to Camelot, as quickly as possible. This was the very first thing Artorius did after inheriting the throne.

Using magic, he spread the news of his succession throughout all of Britannia in the shortest possible time. He also demanded that all the "kings" of the various kingdoms of Britannia come to Camelot to pay homage with the utmost haste.

This news caused a ripple of unrest among the kingdoms of Britannia.

The Knight King, the king who had once loomed over all the kingdoms, had abdicated just like that?

And that Evil Dragon Prince had become the new King of Britannia?

For a time, the various kings harbored a hundred different thoughts and a thousand considerations, yet none dared to defy the order.

The Knight King was already ruthless enough.

Clearly, you were a king, and so was I. Yet, this king had to obey Artoria, this king. I could only call myself the king of this obscure corner, while Artoria could call herself the King of Britannia. She could be the representative of the will of all of Britannia.

Was this fair?

At least, the other kings felt it was unfair.

But their feelings were useless. Both generations of rulers of Camelot felt it was perfectly fine. They even wanted to take it a step further.

"I've had enough of Britannia's division and the petty schemes of the various nobles."

In Camelot, at the Tower of White Chalk, Artorius said to the knights:

"Your Majesty, you mean..."

"I need a unified, integrated Britannia," Arthur said. "The soldiers and supplies consumed by the mutual vigilance of the kings are meaningless.

In modern Britannia, such a loosely organized, uncoordinated situation with inter-kingdom strife is one of the main reasons why we fall into chaos and suffering.

I don't want to waste any more effort on this.

—In the name of the King of Britannia, I will order them to hand over all their armies, accept the laws of Camelot, and regularly provide sufficient tribute to Camelot.

This tribute and these armies will be invested in the conquest of the Continent of Europa.

I will unify all of Britannia, leaving behind a prosperous empire for ourselves and for our descendants!"

The King of Dragons, filled with majesty, surveyed his surroundings, projecting his will deep into the souls of every Knight of the Round Table.

This was Camelot, and also the policy shift after the succession of Britannia's royal power.

Unlike Artoria, Artorius would more actively and proactively manipulate Britannia, seize its strength, and commit it to war on the continent.

This would no longer be the principle of induction and voluntary participation he adopted when he was still a prince. This would become national policy, pushed forward by sheer power.

In response, among the Knights of the Round Table, some felt excited, while others felt a slight unease. However, whether excited or uneasy, they all expressed obedience to Arthur's command.

"The King's majesty even surpasses that of the previous king."

"We cannot refuse the King's command, ever since that day, by the River Seine... the King accepted the power of the Holy Grail."

"The King is invincible, his strength and his magnanimity surpass all!"

The Knights of the Round Table whispered amongst themselves privately, holding a cautiously optimistic view of Arthur's transformation.

"However, my King."

Afterward, Lancelot, who had come from Gaul and continued to swear allegiance to the Pendragon family, asked, "What if those monarchs do not agree?"

"..."

Speaking of that, Artorius's lips curved upwards:

"That's very simple."

He said:

"I have mobilized a legion from the German Military District."

Arthur's tone was calm, but everyone could hear a strong scent of blood in his words.

Some couldn't help but subconsciously glance towards Arthur's side.

On one side of him was Morgan le Fay, looking at him with fervent eyes. Ever since Arthur became the King of Britannia three days ago, she had been by his side, her gaze towards him changing day by day.

On Arthur's other side was the former king, Artoria. Having abdicated, she had not retired. Instead, she chose to join Arthur's ranks as an ordinary knight.

This action, along with her presence, also served as a stabilizer for the Knights of the Round Table. The reason some knights, whose loyalty to Arthur was not very high, and who did not entirely agree with Arthur's actions, could still obey his orders unconditionally, was because of her.

However...

"The former king's hair color seems to have changed subtly..."

Many felt it was a bit strange. Artoria's hair color used to be bright golden, but recently it had faded, becoming a pale gold.

Well, the knights who noticed such things were a tiny minority. Ordinary knights weren't that bored.

After Arthur said "a legion," everyone looked towards the former king, Artoria. They saw her with a serious expression, completely devoid of surprise, hesitation, or any other negative emotion.

This proved that she fully supported Arthur's plan, without any hesitation or resistance.

"The King... the former King has indeed changed."

"Very well, everyone, continue your preparations. In three days, I will hold a grand banquet for my ministers at the White City.

As for those so-called kings, if any refuse to attend, the Knights of the Round Table shall bring them to heel!"

"Yes! My King!"

As Arthur waved his hand, issuing his final command, the Knights of the Round Table, each with their own thoughts, were instantly inspired.

No matter what, they would pledge their loyalty to Artorius Pendragon, their new King.

The meeting thus concluded.

Arthur turned calmly, leaving the throne that belonged to the King of Britannia, and headed towards the study that once belonged to his Father King. Beside him, in addition to Artoria, who followed him closely, seemingly positioning herself as his "personal guard," was Morgan, who inexplicably didn't want to leave Arthur's side, and Bedivere, the Steward and Administrator of Camelot.

"Your Majesty."

The handsome knight spoke in a gentle, yet somewhat worried tone:

"Camelot has fifteen villages facing material shortages, with three in extreme need."

"Rest assured, food will be continuously imported from the continent—but under a condition: those villages must send people to join my army," Arthur said calmly.

"But, regarding manpower..."

"If there aren't enough young adults, even those who are a bit older will do. They can work in logistics, transport supplies, build roads, and repair dikes. In short, they need to work to support themselves."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Bedivere nodded. "Then, regarding the coronation ceremony in three days..."

"Keep it simple," Arthur replied. "Spend as little as possible."

"And the majesty..."

"Let the kings witness the elite soldiers and strong generals under Camelot's banner, and the majesty will naturally be evident!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, and also..."

"What else? Say it all at once, don't make me wait."

Arthur said with some impatience.

Bedivere's ability to handle tasks was indeed excellent, but his indecisive nature meant he was only suited to be a deputy, not a chief administrator.

"It's Lord Galahad's funeral, and the selection of the burial site."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Artorius Pendragon was silent for a moment. Then, he spoke in an unquestionable tone:

"Bury him in Mainz Cathedral. I will build a military cemetery for imperial soldiers there."

***

Author's Notes:

This is the eighth update! Ahhh! No more drafts! Time to burn myself out, fuck!

Only 2 more updates left! I'll definitely rush to catch up!

The bounty is still on! The bounty continues!

Chapter Eighty-Two: Arthur's Origins (Nine Updates)

Mom's Christmas.jpg

Military honor, the medal system, the rank system, and military cemeteries—all of these began to be promoted after Arthur brought the German Military District under his control onto the right track.

Compared to being buried in family plots, soldiers truly preferred to be reunited with their comrades, continuing to fight even after death.

The vast and solemn military cemetery outside Mainz was a crucial part of Arthur's efforts to build a sense of military honor, and even a military soul.

After assigning all administrative tasks, Bedivere quickly departed.

Although his decision-making skills were not high, his ability to carry out tasks was trustworthy. In Camelot's study, sitting on the chair that once belonged to his Father King, Arthur slowly closed his eyes.

Just a little, just a little rest.

The physical fatigue wasn't too much, but the mental exhaustion was unexpectedly difficult.

As he was thinking this, someone behind him reached out and began to gently massage Arthur's shoulders. The technique was skilled, relieving Arthur's muscle fatigue and, more importantly, soothing his mind:

"Thank you very much, Morgan."

Arthur said this as he opened his eyes, turned, and expressed his thanks.

What followed was a sound like an angry "Kha—" and a surprised "Hmm?"

Arthur turned his head and saw that the one massaging him from behind was not Morgan le Fay, as he had imagined, but his Father King, Artoria.

Morgan stood not far beside her, looking at Arthur and Artoria with a gaze filled with envy, jealousy, hatred, and bewildered surprise, seemingly unable to believe such a thing could happen.

However, his Father King, after a moment of slight surprise, became very calm:

"You've worked hard, Arthur," she said to him calmly, completely ignoring the envious and jealous gaze of her sister beside her.

Arthur wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he felt his Father King's tone carried a hint of pride and a touch of joy.

"It wasn't that hard."

So Arthur replied, "It's just part of my duty."

"That's what you say, but back then, I wasn't as capable as you are now. Handling state affairs was a breeze for you."

"..."

"Is that so?" Arthur closed his eyes again. "I thought Father King wouldn't support my next plan."

"Why wouldn't he?"

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, to save Britannia now, we must be practical.

If we want to save the world, we must try even harder. We might even have to... give some things up."

She paused here:

"Two days ago, after I saw Lord Galahad... and your actions, Arthur, I secretly made up my mind.

I will support you, support your dreams, support your plans, and help you without reservation, my child. I will contribute all my strength to you and help you fulfill your grand ambition of saving humanity."

"..."

"Thank you, Father King," Arthur felt a little comforted hearing her say that.

"There's nothing to thank me for," Artoria said, reaching out again to massage Arthur's temples. "I just regret that if only I had... sooner..."

"Don't say that," Arthur stopped her. "We're still together, and we need to keep moving forward, carrying Galahad's burden with us."

"Mm, yes."

Artoria nodded. "What I wanted to say is, if it were me..."

"I can do it too," she said.