Knight of the Lake, You Are the Challenger

"Morgan, when do you think we should hold our wedding?"

Outside the city of Camelot, the stream babbled, birds sang, flowers bloomed, and the sun shone brightly over the beautiful scenery.

Leon sat on the grass, holding Morgan in his arms. He rested his chin gently on her head, eyes narrowed, enjoying the beautiful tranquility of the moment.

Morgan curled into Leon's chest, as if trying to melt into his very being.

"The sooner the better, of course! Looking at how much you've been spending lately, is there even any money left in the treasury?"

To ensure Leon's coronation ceremony was perfect and to his satisfaction, they had spent money like water, incurring massive costs.

Even Morgan, who spent most of her time deep within the palace, had heard of it.

"Don't worry, I have plenty of money."

Leon hadn't won his previous campaigns for nothing; he had led his armies to plunder the North and the East, seizing countless gold and treasures.

Forget one ceremony—even holding three more would be more than enough.

Feeling the hardness of his waist, Morgan shifted to a more comfortable position, feeling reassured by Leon's words.

Although this wasn't her first marriage, and this union with Leon was a political one based on mutual utility, she still didn't want her wedding to look shabby due to a lack of funds.

"Let's go, let's head into the city and see the festivities."

Leon took her hand and walked toward the city of Camelot.

For the past few days, Leon had been busy handling state affairs, rewarding soldiers with gold and land, and meeting with foreign envoys to discuss the details of the ceremony.

Having finally finished his work, Leon immediately took Morgan out of the palace during his free time to enjoy himself—or, as it is commonly called, a date.

Approaching the city gate, Morgan cast a concealment spell on Leon.

"Your frame is too large and too conspicuous. I've cast an illusion on you; it will wear off in three hours, or if you get injured."

Leon's body was enveloped in dreamy water vapor, with iridescent light flowing over him, creating a shimmering, ethereal effect. When the colors faded, his body appeared to have shrunk to two-thirds of its size, standing at about two meters tall.

"Not bad. This way I look like a normal person and won't be so eye-catching."

Since it was a date, it was naturally better not to be too conspicuous. Hiding his identity made it more romantic.

Besides, Leon was the King; if he were recognized and his rare date was interrupted, that would be a disaster.

"You're quite clever~"

Leon immediately scooped Morgan up and dashed into the city in one stride, leaving the guards behind.

Only Joe remained, leading a group of retainers, watching as Leon disappeared into the crowd.

"Commander, should we pursue?"

A centurion leaned in, only to be berated by Joe.

"You idiot, of course we pursue!"

Although Leon's martial prowess meant that nothing in Camelot could threaten him, protecting the King was their profession. How could they abandon their duty just because the King was powerful?

It's over, I'm going to be scolded by my father when we get back... Damn it, it's all that witch's fault!

Because of the celebrations over the last few days, Camelot was exceptionally lively.

The streets were packed with people, shoulder to shoulder, filled with the cacophony of laughter, hawking, and cheers, creating a deafening roar.

Small vendors on both sides peddled flashy trinkets from all over, performing talents, taming tigers and monkeys, or running ring-toss games—everything one could imagine.

Leon held Morgan's hand tightly, afraid she might get lost.

"Look, Morgan, there's even an elephant!"

Leon pointed at an elephant surrounded by onlookers and exclaimed in surprise. The elephant was playing with a ball using its trunk, drawing cheers from the crowd. He truly hadn't expected to see such a thing in Britain.

Morgan, led by him, looked here and there, taking in the bustling life of the commoners. She seemed to be touched by the warmth of the mortal world, and the twisted, teeth-gritting expression between her brows dissipated, replaced by a hint of serenity.

Seeing Morgan's delicate face looking much brighter, Leon felt infected by her mood, feeling an indescribable lightness.

This date was an eye-opener for Leon as well; he was stunned by the local customs and atmosphere of this Moon-world medieval Britain.

"Look, there's a tournament over there too."

From a distance, Leon saw a massive crowd gathered around a makeshift arena, their emotions running high as they turned red in the face, cheering thunderously and shouting insults.

"Well done! Go, Knight of the Lake!"

"He's about to hit a ten-game winning streak, give him the final blow!"

"Damn it, you can't even beat a tired soldier who's fought several rounds? What use are you?"

"Don't you dare lose! I bet my food money for the month on you!"

Leon shielded Morgan and squeezed into the front row, just in time to see two knights dueling in the arena. Amidst the cheers of the crowd, a knight in purple armor wielding an iron sword used a brilliant feint to defeat his opponent.

Just by seeing this one move, Leon could tell that this person's martial arts were honed to a powerful, refined state.

At a single glance, he could say without exaggeration that this person's martial skill was four or five times greater than his own.

"The winner, Knight of the Lake!"

The referee announced the victor of the duel with great fervor.

The purple-clad knight raised his iron sword high amidst the crowd's cheers, basking in the glory of his victory.

"Ten bouts, ten wins! This knight from a foreign land has defeated ten opponents in one breath—his strength is beyond question!"

"Unstoppable! Unbelievable! The knight's power is immense! Is he truly invincible? Is there no one who can defeat this man?"

"I ask one last time: is there no one left to challenge him? The winner shall receive fifty gold coins; if no one steps forward, the prize goes to the Knight of the Lake!"

The referee, serving as both master of ceremonies and judge, delivered his speech with such fervor that the arena's atmosphere reached a fever pitch. Having witnessed the knight effortlessly dismantle opponent after opponent, the crowd was already captivated by his valor, chanting his name in a frenzy.

"Knight of the Lake!"

"Knight of the Lake!"

Seeing that no one dared to step up, the referee prepared to hand the bag of gold to the knight, but the knight refused the coins.

"The prize can wait. I have spotted an opponent I am eager to challenge; I must cross blades with him."

Hearing this, the referee grew instantly animated and pressed him:

"Who is it? Which of the strong men present is it?"

Amidst the anticipation of the crowd, the purple knight pointed his sword toward the stands, at a tall, lion-faced man accompanied by a tall, mature woman.

"Me?"

Leon pointed at himself in confusion. He had been caught up in the atmosphere and felt an itch to test his own skills, especially after seeing such a talented warrior.

Patting Morgan's hand, Leon flashed her a confident smile.

With the woman he loved watching, he wanted to show off, display the dominance of a king, and shock everyone present.

Seeing Leon rubbing his palms in anticipation, Morgan, who had long since figured out her fiancé's personality, gave him a direct boost: "Go for it, Leon, I believe you'll win! If you do, I have a very special reward waiting for you."

"Heh, don't worry, I won't lose." Carrying the blessing of his beloved, Leon stepped onto the arena.

The Knight of the Lake held his longsword, his young face full of confidence and bravado.

As a precaution, the Knight of the Lake upheld his code of chivalry and asked, "Challenger, you agree to this duel, correct?"

"That's right."

He was already on the stage; what else could it be?

"It seems you are quite confident in your abilities. Hmph, I knew coming here was the right choice. My purpose is to fight the strong and spread word of my valor." The knight signaled for the referee to step back and continued to his opponent, "You are indeed strong! I can tell from your confident face that you are powerful!"

Leon wore a savage grin, his sharp canines glinting white.

"Knight, in consideration of the ten bouts you've already fought, I can let you rest and wait until you've recovered your energy."

The Knight of the Lake refused: "No need. This level of exertion does not affect my combat prowess, and since you are the challenger, this is your privilege."

Seeing Leon empty-handed, he added, "Where is your weapon? I will not fight an unarmed man; it violates my chivalry."

Heh, chivalry... Leon muttered to himself.

As the Knight of the Lake finished speaking, the crowd also noticed that Leon was unarmed.

Just then, a crisp voice rang out from the crowd, and a sword was tossed onto the stage.

"Catch."

Leon snatched the iron sword and looked toward the person who had helped him.

The person was young, petite, and dressed in coarse linen, appearing to be from a poor family.

Yet, contrary to the humble attire, the person's features were exquisite, with clear, deep-blue eyes that looked pure and beautiful, and a single cowlick standing straight up from a head of brilliant blonde hair.

The person was holding a wooden bucket full of mashed potatoes in one arm, while the other hand remained extended from the throwing motion.

Leon glanced once and looked away, focusing his gaze on the iron sword in his hand.

The metal was soft and the craftsmanship crude; it was clearly a training sword.

Leon pointed the blade at the knight opposite him, looking down with an expression of arrogance and defiance.

"Knight, you've got one thing wrong."

"You are the one being challenged!"