Morgan's Rebellion

Today was the day Britain's army swore its oath.

At the sprawling military camp more than twenty miles from the capital, all of Britain's mobile forces had gathered. On a newly built platform, Leon was presenting rewards and urging the soldiers to fight bravely.

Once the ceremony was over, the army would cross the channel, land in Europa, and fight Rome in a great battle.

Below and to one side of the platform, Merlin stared intently at the continent across the sea. Beside him, Scathach suddenly raised her head and looked up at the sky, her brows knitting as if she had sensed something.

"Something's happening. Rome has already begun mobilizing troops. They're planning to attack first." Merlin spoke before anyone else, his gaze still fixed on the coast. His expression was grave.

A question surfaced in his mind. Why had Rome chosen to send its troops today?

After all, today was the day Britain's forces had gathered in one place, their morale at its peak. They were like a clenched fist, ready to strike. Why would Rome rush headlong into the blade without a care?

He had already taken in the enemy's troop deployments across the sea.

"Wasn't the Mystery of the continent supposed to have declined? Where did those Giants and Fairies come from? Never mind that—activating the remains of a god and bringing out an airship? Isn't that a bit much?"

Scathach seemed not to have heard Merlin. She remained unmoved, still staring at the empty sky. "It doesn't matter what Rome is doing right now. What matters is up there. Something is building in the sky..."

Seeing Scathach's strange behavior, Merlin realized he had been so focused on Rome's movements that he had failed to notice what was happening around him. Now he, too, looked up. At first glance, there was nothing unusual in the sky.

But as he focused his sight, he saw surging magical energy churning above the clouds, blending into the blue backdrop. Yet the immense pressure filling the air was unmistakable. It was so oppressive it left people struggling to breathe.

The Magecraft was so skillfully concealed that no one would notice it without looking closely.

Unfathomably vast magical energy surged and flowed, soon spreading across the sky above Britain. Layer upon layer of magic piled up like a tornado, forming something like a mirror that covered the entire island.

"This is... Morgan's doing."

Merlin knew a little about Morgan's abilities and spells, though not much. But now that he examined it closely, the spell taking shape in the sky felt almost exactly like Morgan.

It was Morgan's Water Mirror... What was she up to now?

Thinking of Morgan's argument with the Lion King a few days earlier, Merlin couldn't bring himself to view her actions in a favorable light. She was definitely planning to do something harmful to Britain.

And she had chosen this particular day.

Rome's forces across the sea were already assembled and ready to march. The great battle between the two sides had, in effect, already begun. Morgan had deliberately chosen this moment to cause trouble, making an already dire situation for Britain even worse.

"Your Majesty, we have a problem. Rome has already sent out its troops, and the sky..."

Leon had just stepped down from the platform. Merlin and Scathach immediately approached him and quickly explained what they had seen and what they suspected.

Leon listened, his brows furrowing as his expression darkened.

"Morgan... Why would she do this?"

They had argued a little a few days ago, but after Morgan had calmed down, hadn't she believed in their agreement? Once Leon conquered Europa, he would hand Britain over to her.

Why would Morgan suddenly change her mind today?

"Rome's legions ahead of us, Morgan's rebellion behind us!"

No wonder Rome dared to attack today and face Britain's full might head-on. Lucius must have known Morgan would rebel today.

Leon's thoughts turned over as he recalled Morgan's strange behavior that day. He had figured it all out.

Morgan had never believed in their agreement. After their argument, she had been preparing for this rebellion all along, choosing the day Britain's forces swore their oath to launch a pincer attack alongside Rome and destroy his Britain.

What Leon found hardest to believe was how good Morgan's acting had been. She had even fooled him, the man who shared her bed!

He had really underestimated her!

"Teacher Scathach, return to the palace and stop Morgan."

Leon made his decision at once. With Scathach's level of Magecraft, she should be able to hold Morgan back. Add her spear skills and martial arts, and she should have no trouble handling Morgan.

He would assume the worst. Even if Scathach couldn't defeat her, she only needed to keep Morgan occupied.

Once he had wiped out Rome's legions, he could turn back and deal with Morgan.

"And do your best to protect Mordred and Artorius. Don't let Morgan take the children hostage."

No matter how mad Morgan might be, she probably wouldn't hurt her own children. Still, to be safe, Leon made sure to remind Scathach.

Scathach nodded, and her purple figure vanished from the spot.

Leon turned to Merlin. "Merlin, keep watching Rome's movements. Report to me immediately if anything unusual happens."

"Leave it to me."

Even in such a dire situation, Merlin didn't fall into his usual carefree, joking manner. He did his best to keep a serious expression, matching the mood.

"My king, please be careful of the sky. Morgan's magical energy is gathering up there. It's probably her Water Mirror Magic, which can launch a large-scale attack against the ground. Be extremely cautious."

Leon nodded solemnly, taking Merlin's advice to heart. Then he turned to the assembled generals, who still had no idea what was happening, and issued his orders.

"Have your troops spread out and break into smaller units. Don't gather together. The more dispersed you are, the better."

"Understood!"

Though the officers didn't know what was happening, they carried out Leon's orders without hesitation.

As soon as the command was given, the army moved. They were still as statues one moment and swift as hares the next.

Watching the more than ten thousand soldiers leave camp in an orderly fashion and disperse in every direction, Leon nodded in quiet satisfaction. It seemed his reforms and training over the past two years had borne some fruit. Their discipline was almost on par with the Yue Family Army's.

Morgan's attack could come at any moment. He didn't want the army he had worked so hard to build wiped out in one fell swoop by her map-wide attack.

He was also fortunate that Morgan's spell had such a long windup. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been time to evacuate the troops.

"Neltharion!"

At Leon's shout, bubbles suddenly surfaced on the gently rippling river. A dark shadow appeared beneath the water.

As the bubbles grew denser, the shadow became more distinct and immense.

Splash!

The water abruptly parted, revealing the full form of a towering figure.

Black-gray scales, sharp horns, and a massive body spread its wings wide, blotting out the sky. Each breath produced vast quantities of magical energy; even a slight flap stirred up a gale. It soared into the air, its powerful tail trailing behind.

It was unmistakably a dragon!

And not an ordinary wyvern, either. It was a true dragon, with a rich bloodline, an exceptionally pure heritage, and an ancient Mystery.

"Roar~"

Holding his lance, Leon sprang onto the dragon's head and stamped his foot against its scales.

"Let's go!"

At Leon's command, the dragon beat its wings. A fierce gale erupted, churning the air as it broke through layer after layer of the sound barrier and soared high into the sky.

This was the dragon Leon had discovered in the Spirit Tomb while wiping out the Mages. Though still young, its immense Mystery and bloodline had placed it at the pinnacle of the world from the moment it was born.

After adapting to the weakness caused by the decline of Mystery, the dragon had grown strong. With Merlin's help, Leon had formed a contract with it and named it [Neltharion].

The name was meant as a tribute, but he also hoped Neltharion would be as mighty as the Iron Jaw in a promotional PV he had once seen—so fearsome that merely passing overhead could turn the world into a living hell.

Neltharion usually stayed in the Spirit Tomb, absorbing its Mystery to grow. Today, Leon had brought him out for his first appearance.

He still wasn't used to the loss of Ethereal on the planet's surface, but a brief appearance wouldn't do him much harm. It was like a human holding their breath for a short time in an oxygen-free environment. When Neltharion couldn't hold his breath any longer, he would return to the depths of the Spirit Tomb, catch his breath, and recover his strength.

Leon had originally planned to use him as a trump card to crush Rome's morale. But faced with this crisis, he couldn't stick to the original plan.

To turn the situation around, Leon had no choice but to enter the battle himself as a dragon rider and stop Rome's surprise attack.

But before Leon could get there, he saw a speck of yellow-white light flare in the distance across the sea. Even in broad daylight, the distant glow was dazzling.

Whoosh!

The light flashed, then shot toward them, breaking through the air and skimming across the calm sea. The waves surged backward, and in the blink of an eye, it was upon them.

Leon saw it clearly and immediately understood. It wasn't light. It was a mass of surging magical energy concentrated at a single point and fired like a cannonball.

"Why does everyone keep using lasers?!"

The beam carried an aura of utter destruction as it struck the ground directly beneath the dragon.

Rumble!

A tremendous boom resounded across the world. Blinding flames erupted, sending wave after wave of shockwaves outward. Wherever the beam passed, seawater evaporated and the earth melted, leaving behind a charred wasteland of molten rock. The scorching waves rolled like a scene from hell.

Even Leon, up above, could feel the searing heat rising from the ground.

Thank goodness he had evacuated the army beforehand.

Before he could dwell on it, Merlin's voice reached his ears.

"My king, be careful. They're reloading over there."

Leon looked ahead. A yellow-white glow had appeared in the distant sky once more.

They could fire again that quickly? Wouldn't the cannon overheat and break?

There was no time to think. Leon gauged the distance and guided the dragon into the beam's path.

He didn't want the enemy's cannon to destroy his home. That left him no choice but to take the hit himself.

The lance in his hand radiated a rich golden-red glow. Its white outer shell crumbled bit by bit as magical energy surged and roared. The power spun rapidly along the spiral grooves of the shaft, like a drill in motion.

"Holy Spear! Unmoor!"

Leon unleashed its full power. Golden magical energy surged forth, gathering in his grip before he hurled it at the oncoming beam.

Boom!

The Holy Spear's radiance collided with the enemy's beam. It not only blocked the attack but also sent the beam flying. The magical energy exploded, spreading into an enormous orb of light that whipped up towering waves and a hurricane.

When the light of their clash faded, Leon could even see the exposed seabed below.

He recalled the Holy Spear and glanced at its remaining blue bar, now one notch lower. It could still be unleashed three more times, but he had no idea how many beams the enemy could fire.

Judging by how quickly they were reloading, they must have plenty of energy in reserve. Leon couldn't afford to remain passive. If he wanted to break the stalemate, he had to take the initiative.

He looked down at Britain and turned the idea over in his mind. In the end, he decided to abandon the island and let the enemy's beams bombard it. He would use the opportunity to fly across the channel and slaughter the enemy.

He refused to believe they could erase the entire island of Britain from the planet in such a short time.

"Neltharion, kill everyone over there! Leave no one alive!"

At Leon's shout, the dragon beneath him let out a mighty roar. With one beat of its wings, it broke through several layers of the sound barrier and left the island behind in an instant.

The wind howled past his ears. Standing atop the dragon's head, Leon watched another glow flare ahead. He quickly calculated the trajectory and realized he was directly in the enemy's line of fire.

But he had already changed course.

Leon understood at once. He had been the enemy's target from the very beginning!

They wanted to behead him before the battle began. With him gone, the island would be left leaderless and thrown into chaos, and Rome could take advantage of the confusion to invade and seize Britain.

As for the first beam hitting the ground, it had probably been a test shot.

Once he understood, Leon's expression darkened.

What should he do? Unleash the Holy Spear or take the hit?

If he unleashed the Holy Spear, he wasn't sure whether he would need it later in the war. If he wasted it on this attack only to need it later, he would regret it to death.

But if he took the hit, he could probably handle it with his tough hide. Neltharion, though, had only just been born and was still tender-skinned. If he got hurt, Leon would be heartbroken.

"Roar!"

As if sensing Leon's indecision, Neltharion gave a low growl.

Though Neltharion was still young and couldn't speak, he was intelligent enough to understand human speech and assess the situation.

Leon understood what he meant and immediately agreed. "All right! We'll do it your way!"

With Leon's approval, Neltharion changed course and flew straight upward.

They narrowly dodged the attack. Once they passed through the clouds, not another beam struck them. It seemed the enemy's cannon couldn't fire at a vertical angle.

Leon felt relieved. As Neltharion climbed rapidly, the air grew colder and thinner. His limbs stiffened, though he could still move.

The dragon beneath him slowed as well, its movements growing sluggish. Flames that burned with magical energy rose in Neltharion's mouth. Its throat worked, and it swallowed the scalding breath into its belly.

Neltharion immediately began to feel warm again.

At this altitude, Leon could make out the distant curve of the horizon. The beautiful blue planet lay beneath them.

There was no time to admire the view. Leon faced downward and released the magic in his Holy Spear.

"Holy Spear, unmoor!"

That was Neltharion's battle plan: fly above the heavens and launch an orbital strike at the enemy!

Leon fully approved. Neltharion truly was his precious treasure—simply outstanding. Far better than the little sword in Leonardo Lily's arms.

"Merlin, tell me the exact coordinates of the enemy cannon."

The air at this altitude had to be thin, yet Leon felt little discomfort from the lack of oxygen. Merlin's voice came through almost immediately.

"Enemy warship's cannon coordinates: 51.02, 2.35. Confirmed. Repeating—whoa~"

After hearing the coordinates, Leon decided to ignore Merlin's final exclamation for the moment.

The Holy Spear in his hand had been completely unleashed. The enemy cannon couldn't fire straight up, which worked in his favor: the enemy would have no effective way to defend itself.

Even if the enemy cannon could fire vertically, it still wouldn't stop his Holy Spear!

Since airships were rare, Leon deliberately reduced the area of destruction to preserve the specimen as much as possible, focusing instead on the Holy Spear's penetrating power.

Now, with the Holy Spear unleashed, it no longer had its previous breadth and grandeur. Under his control, its spiral light narrowed and stretched until it was long and thin, like the Pseudo-Caladbolg Red Archer had fired as an arrow.

"Go!"

The Holy Spear shot away. Leon looked down and saw its golden trail quickly pierce the clouds before disappearing into the sea of clouds below.

"Merlin, how did it go?"

"My king, the target was successfully shot down, and the warship sustained very little damage."

Merlin's answer made Leon nod to himself. It seemed his aim had been pretty good.

Like someone solving a difficult math problem on their own, he felt a rare surge of satisfaction. But he didn't let himself get carried away. Remembering Merlin's earlier exclamation, he immediately asked, "What happened just now?"

"My king, I'm afraid you won't believe me..." Merlin paused to prepare Leon for the news, then continued. "Just seconds ago, Morgan's Water Mirror Magic erupted and fired dozens of Holy Spears in one go, destroying every one of Britain's ironclads, trains, and factories."

"What? Holy Spears?"

At the news, Leon's mind rang as if he'd taken a heavy blow. The smug satisfaction he had felt moments earlier vanished completely.

His face turned ashen. He gritted his teeth and roared.

"Morgan! Give me back my navy!"