Mordred's Birth

When a baby's cry rang out from within the hall, the ministers' faces lit up with excitement. Leon watched the commotion inside.

Artoria emerged from the room and announced, "Mother and daughter are safe." The words shattered the calm on Leon's face.

"Congratulations, my King!"

"Congratulations, my King!"

Amid the ministers' congratulations, Leon hurried into the room. Morgan lay there, pale, her gaze gentle as she looked at the baby in her arms, her face aglow with maternal warmth.

"Leon, our child, Mordred... She's come into the world. I'm so glad..."

"Rest and take care of yourself. Don't worry about anything else."

Leon looked at his scrunched-up daughter, and a deep sense of fulfillment welled up inside him. Their blood bond moved him to reach out and gently touch the baby's cheek. Her skin felt incredibly soft and smooth. He barely dared to press his finger against it, afraid he might hurt her.

"This is my child, Mordred."

In that moment, Leon wanted to give his daughter everything he had. But a sliver of reason deep inside kept him on his feet and forced him to suppress the thought.

"Congratulations, brother."

Artoria watched the scene with a warm smile. In truth, it wasn't just Leon; the arrival of a new life felt unreal to her, too.

After Leon took the throne from her, Artoria's relationship with her elder sister Morgan had actually improved. While Morgan was pregnant, Artoria often visited the palace to keep her company.

Now, with the title of princess, she followed Merlin in studying Magecraft, living a peaceful and happy life.

"Artoria, look after Morgan. I'll go tell everyone outside."

After reminding her, Leon went outside and faced his trusted followers, immediately announcing his decree.

"Princess Mordred has been born, and my heart is glad. Everyone present today shall receive a reward. In addition, I hereby name Princess Mordred my heir. Let the whole kingdom celebrate for seven days, and grant a general amnesty for all crimes except rebellion and treason..."

At Leon's command, the ministers had already suspected as much when they saw the preparations in the royal city. Now, seeing that their king had named his heir on the spot, their worries vanished, and they hurriedly offered their congratulations in unison.

"The heir has been named. Congratulations, my King!"

"The heir has been named. Congratulations, my King!"

As the cheers gradually died down, Lancelot was glad that his lord had an heir. But his upright, incorruptible nature wouldn't let him accept a reward without earning it and violate the rules and laws the Lion King had established long ago.

"Ever since Your Majesty decreed that merit should be rewarded generously, the law has always been strictly enforced. But I have rendered no service, and have no face to accept a reward and undermine the law Your Majesty has proclaimed."

At Lancelot's words, the ministers fixed him with murderous glares.

Leon was pleased by Lancelot's strict adherence to the rules, yet also felt rather helpless. He smiled and said, "How could this be your doing? This reward comes from my own heart and my private treasury. I'm sharing my joy with all of you, so there's no need to refuse."

"Understood."

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

Leon turned to the white-haired incubus nearby. "Merlin, I want you to teach this child."

Merlin was quite capable when it came to educating others. Artoria had turned out well under his tutelage, both in character and ability. She had even gained the Hero Creation skill when summoned as a Servant.

Merlin thumped his chest and promised, "Leave her to me. I'll teach her to become the most perfect ruler. I won't let you down."

The more confidently Merlin said it, the less reassured Leon felt. He looked toward the purple figure.

"Teacher, could I ask you to help as well?"

Scathach pondered. With Mordred's lineage, her talent should be no worse than average. If Leon failed to master Rune and couldn't release the Holy Sword, Mordred could serve as a backup.

Teaching two students was no different from teaching one, anyway.

"Of course."

Only after Scathach agreed did Leon feel somewhat at ease. With her around, Merlin wouldn't be able to lead their daughter astray, and the two could keep an eye on each other. Add in Leon's own example, and even if Mordred turned out poorly, she wouldn't rebel with a father-killing sword like in the original story.

At last, Leon turned to his father, Luther.

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

"They're nearly complete."

"Good. Then we'll hold it in a month."

As news spread that Leon's daughter had been born and named heir, it soon reached every corner of the kingdom.

"What? The Lion King has a daughter? And she's been named his heir?"

"So what? It's still better than the time when we had no king at all. The Lion King must have considered that when he named her so quickly."

"I just hope the heir won't be as harsh as the king. Though it'd be even better if she had his courage."

The common folk didn't think much of it. To be frank, Leon had conquered all of Britain, so the whole country could be considered his property. He could give it to whomever he wished.

Besides, he had conquered the Saxon barbarians to the east, the Scottish Highlands to the north, and Ireland to the west. Who could deny such achievements?

With every victory, Leon's prestige in Britain rose to a terrifying height. No one dared question his legitimacy anymore, and most people chose to support his rule.

A leader who was undefeated and gave the people a sense of pride was far more beloved than a peaceful but weak one.

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

The ministers presented gifts and blessings to the newborn heir.

Once Mordred's investiture was complete, Leon saw that he had no more worries at home. Riding high on his conquest of Ireland, he began his latest reforms across Britain.

To ensure sufficient military strength and national power in the future, Leon introduced most of the reform laws he knew and adapted them to local conditions.

At first, his efforts got off to a rocky start. But once Leon personally stepped in—with physical force—the opposition within the kingdom vanished in an instant.

To regulate people's conduct, Leon put forward eight virtues centered on [chivalry], modified to his own design. The first was loyalty, the second...

Leon also held up the most noble Lancelot as a role model, turning him into an idol. He aimed to transform chivalry into a spiritual shackle like the samurai code of Japan or Confucianism in China.

He permitted the buying and selling of land, implemented the commandery-county system, strengthened central authority, and abolished most of the old nobles' privileges. Some even lost their noble status altogether.

The ranks of nobility began with knight, followed by viscount, baron, count, marquess, duke, and king. For example, Leon's father, Luther, was a duke, while Joe was a marquess.

In subsequent generations, titles would be downgraded one rank at a time if no merit was earned.

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

At first, Leon felt a little busy, but the affairs of a mere Britain couldn't overwhelm him.

With military might greater than that of all Britain combined, Leon's reforms succeeded. There were a few small setbacks along the way, but nothing serious.

Half a year passed, and Britain had finally adapted to him, taking on his shape.

During those six months, Leon had also taken advantage of his free time to handcraft a Steam Engine, a Spinning Jenny, and a carrack from the early Age of Exploration.

Unfortunately, Britain had no native saltpeter deposits, so he couldn't make gunpowder.

Leon did know a few traditional methods of producing saltpeter, but there weren't enough corpses in Britain to produce it on an industrial scale.

That evening, Leon finished the day's lessons with Scathach, only for Merlin to come looking for him with a mysterious expression.

"Merlin, whatever it is, just say it."

He still hadn't learned Rune after all this time, and Leon was in a foul mood. By then, he was angry enough to slap any dog that crossed his path.

"My King, I've found a mount worthy of you."

At those words, Leon's dejected mood immediately brightened. He pressed Merlin for details. "Really? Where?"

It was no wonder Leon had lost his composure. He desperately wanted a mount—he dreamed of charging into battle on horseback.

With his size and strength, an ordinary horse wouldn't do. Leon could crush one between his thighs just by squeezing. Anything that could withstand his strength had to be at least a Phantasmal Beast.

Merlin leaned close to Leon's ear and lowered his voice.

"Right here in Britain, at the fortress of Londinium, along the banks of the Thames River."

"Londinium?"

Leon pictured the map of Britain in his mind and roughly located it near where London would be in later times.

A Phantasmal Beast near London?

Leon thought of a possibility. His face went blank, and he stared at Merlin with a lifeless gaze.

"Merlin, the mount you're talking about... it's underground, isn't it?"

"Yep."

"..."