The Birth of Mordred

As a baby's cry echoed from within the hall, the ministers' faces lit up with excitement, while Leon watched the activity inside.

When Artoria stepped out and announced that both mother and child were safe, the composure on Leon's face shattered.

"Congratulations to my King!"

"Congratulations to my King!"

Amidst the ministers' well-wishes, Leon hurried into the hall. He found Morgan looking pale, her gaze fixed tenderly on the infant in her arms, her expression radiating maternal warmth.

"Leon, our child, Mordred... it is truly a blessing that she has come into this world."

"Focus on your recovery; don't overthink things."

Leon looked at his wrinkled daughter, a sense of fulfillment surging within him. The bond of blood made him instinctively reach out to touch the infant's cheek. Feeling how incredibly soft and delicate her skin was, he dared not apply any pressure, terrified of hurting her.

"This is my child, Mordred."

In that instant, Leon wanted to give his daughter everything he possessed, but a sliver of reason forced him to pull himself together and suppress the thought.

"Brother, congratulations."

Standing to the side, Artoria watched the scene with a warm smile. In truth, it wasn't just Leon; she, too, felt a sense of unreality at the birth of this new life.

Because Leon had seized the throne, Artoria's relationship with her sister Morgan had actually improved significantly. During Morgan's pregnancy, she had frequently visited the palace to keep her company.

Now, she lived a peaceful and happy life, bearing the title of princess while studying magecraft under Merlin.

"Artoria, please look after Morgan. I am going to make an announcement outside."

After giving his instructions, Leon walked outside to face his trusted subordinates and immediately declared his decree.

"The Princess Mordred is born, and my heart is filled with joy. Everyone here shall be rewarded today. Furthermore, I hereby name Princess Mordred as the Crown Prince. I decree a seven-day celebration across the nation and a general amnesty for all, save for those guilty of treason or rebellion..."

Following Leon's command, the crowd—who had already guessed as much upon seeing the decorations in the royal city—felt a sense of relief. Seeing their King name a successor on the spot, they quickly offered their congratulations in unison.

"The Crown Prince is decided. Congratulations to my King."

"The Crown Prince is decided. Congratulations to my King."

As the cheering subsided, Lancelot, though happy that his liege had an heir, felt that his own upright and incorruptible nature would not allow him to accept a reward without merit, as it would violate the laws the Lion King had established long ago.

"Ever since my King established the law of rewarding merit, it has been strictly enforced. Yet, I have no achievements to speak of; I cannot bear to accept this reward and undermine the laws you have promulgated."

As soon as Lancelot spoke, the other ministers turned their murderous gazes toward him.

Leon was pleased by Lancelot's adherence to the rules, yet he felt quite helpless. He chuckled and said, "How could such a matter require merit? This reward is a gesture of my own heart, coming from my private treasury. It is meant for us to share in this joy together; there is no need to refuse."

"As you command."

Seeing the usually stern Lion King cracking a joke, everyone knew he was truly happy.

Leon turned his gaze toward the white-haired nightmare: "Merlin, I want you to teach this child."

Merlin's talent for education was formidable. Under his tutelage, Artoria had developed excellently in both character and ability, even possessing a Hero Creation skill when summoned as a Servant.

Merlin patted his chest in assurance: "Leave it to me. I will mold her into the most perfect monarch; I will never let you down."

Hearing Merlin's confident tone, Leon felt even more uneasy. He looked toward the purple-clad figure.

"Teacher, I must trouble you as well. Would you be willing?"

Scathach pondered this. Given Mordred's bloodline, her aptitude should be exceptional. If Leon could not master the Runes to unleash the Holy Sword, Mordred could serve as a backup.

Besides, teaching one or two made little difference.

"Very well."

Seeing Scathach agree, Leon felt much more at ease. With her present, Merlin wouldn't be able to lead his daughter astray, and the two could keep each other in check. Combined with his own guidance, Mordred would not end up like the original version, rebelling with a cursed sword.

Finally, Leon looked at his father, Luther.

"Father, how are the preparations for the investiture ceremony?"

"They are nearly complete."

"Good. Then we shall hold the ceremony in one month."

As news of the birth of Leon's daughter and her appointment as Crown Prince spread, it quickly reached the entire nation.

"What? The Lion King has a daughter? And she's already been named Crown Prince?"

"What of it? It's better than that period when we had no King at all. The Lion King must have considered that, which is why he decided so quickly."

"I just hope the Crown Prince isn't as ruthless as the King. Of course, if she has the King's martial prowess, that would be even better."

The common folk didn't have any particular opinion on the matter. Truth be told, the entire Britain had been conquered by the Lion King; it was all his property, and he could give it to whomever he pleased.

Moreover, he had conquered the Saxon barbarians in the east, the Scottish Highlands in the north, and the island of Ireland in the west. Who could deny such achievements?

With every victory, Leon's prestige in Britain grew to terrifying heights. No one dared to question his legitimacy, and the majority of the populace chose to support his rule.

A leader who was always victorious and brought dignity to his people was far more beloved than a peaceful but weak one.

Time flew by, and the day of Mordred's investiture ceremony arrived.

The ministers presented gifts and blessings to the newborn Crown Prince.

With Mordred's investiture complete, Leon felt he had no more worries. Bolstered by the great victory in the conquest of Ireland, he began his latest reforms across all of Britain.

To ensure sufficient military and national strength for the future, Leon brought out most of the reform decrees he knew and adapted them to local conditions.

The start was somewhat unfavorable, but once Leon personally stepped into the fray (physically), the voices of opposition within the country vanished in an instant.

To standardize the hearts of the people, Leon proposed the Eight Virtues, which he had heavily modified with [Chivalry] at the core; the first was loyalty, the second...

Leon also promoted the most noble Lancelot as a role model, molding him into an idol in an attempt to transform chivalry into a spiritual shackle, much like the Bushido of the Japanese or the Confucianism of China.

He permitted land sales, implemented a commandery-county system, strengthened centralized power, and abolished the privileges of most old nobles in the country, with some even having their noble status revoked entirely.

Regarding titles, they began with Knight, followed by Baronet, Baron, Viscount, Earl, Marquess, Duke, and King; for instance, Leon's father Luther was a Duke, and Joe was a Marquess.

If descendants failed to perform meritorious deeds, their titles would be demoted level by level.

The scope of the reforms covered politics, land, economy, military, and titles.

At the beginning, Leon felt somewhat busy, but the administrative affairs of a mere Britain could not crush him.

Under Leon's military might, which was even greater than the entirety of Britain, the reforms were very successful; although there were minor setbacks along the way, there were no major issues.

Half a year passed, and Britain eventually adapted to him, becoming molded into his shape.

During these six months, Leon also took advantage of his spare time to hand-craft a steam engine, a spinning jenny, and a carrack ship suitable for the early Age of Discovery.

Unfortunately, there were no saltpeter mines in Britain, so he could not produce gunpowder.

Leon did know some primitive methods for producing saltpeter, but there were too few corpses in Britain to mass-produce it.

That night, after Leon finished his studies with Scathach, he was approached by Merlin, who wore a mysterious expression.

"Merlin, just say what you have to say."

Having not yet mastered runes after such a long time, Leon was in a very bad mood; when he saw Merlin, he was at the point of wanting to slap a passing dog.

"Oh King, I have found a mount that can match you."

Upon hearing this, Leon's previously listless mood instantly brightened, and he hurriedly asked, "Really? Where?"

It was no wonder Leon lost his composure; he truly wanted a mount, dreaming of charging into battle on horseback.

Given his physique and strength, ordinary horses would not do; Leon could crush a horse just by squeezing his legs, so anything capable of bearing his strength had to be at least a Phantasmal Species.

Merlin leaned into Leon's ear and lowered his voice.

"It is right here in Britain, at the fortress of Londinium along the banks of the Thames River."

"Londinium?"

Leon estimated the location based on the map of Britain in his mind, which was roughly near the London of later generations.

A Phantasmal Species near London?

Leon thought of a possibility, his expression instantly turning blank as he stared at Merlin with dead, silent eyes.

"Merlin, the mount you speak of—it wouldn't happen to be underground, would it?"

"That's right."

"..."