Entering the City

Crack!

A crisp sound rang out.

Half of a sword blade slid from Leon's waist and fell onto the reddish-brown earth. Leon lowered his head and glanced at the silver blade gleaming in the light.

He drew the Sword in the Stone from his waist, then looked at the broken half, its jagged edge smooth and sharp. Confusion filled Leon's mind. The Sword in the Stone had actually broken! When had that happened? He hadn't noticed it at all.

He didn't feel as if he'd been hit by any particularly fierce attacks, either.

Leon picked up the broken half, wrapped it together with the other piece, and handed them to Kay to keep for now.

After all, it was the Sword in the Stone. He'd find a chance to have it reforged later.

Leon had made quite a name for himself in this battle. Before the people of Camelot's royal city, he had overcome the odds and crushed the rebels inside the city, successfully cowing its inhabitants and greatly consolidating his authority.

Now, he no longer needed this sword to proclaim his legitimate claim to the throne.

"Father, how did we fare in the battle?"

"Haha! My king, we killed six hundred and captured over a thousand. We seized more than two thousand horses, along with weapons and armor beyond counting. It was a great victory!"

More than three hundred of the enemy had died in the single strike Leon unleashed before the battle began.

That one sword strike had directly destroyed the enemy's chain of command. Nearly half their armored knights had been killed or wounded, and their morale had collapsed.

After that, Leon led his men in a charge like a tiger among sheep. It was easier than cutting grass. The enemy either died or fled, and when they realized they couldn't escape, they surrendered in organized units.

After the battlefield had been cleared and Luther had tallied the spoils, he couldn't stop grinning.

They'd made a fortune this time. The wealth seized after the battle was several times greater than the combined possessions of all their men.

"What were our casualties?"

"Just over ten dead, more than fifty seriously wounded, and a little over a hundred with minor injuries."

"Mm. Not bad." Their losses were far lower than Leon had expected.

"Father, can we bring the prisoners over to our side?"

Luther replied, "They're all able-bodied men, and some have even received formal military training. They've already been won over by your might. With a little reorganization, they can be sent into battle."

Leon thought it over, then said, "We're short on men right now. Reorganize as many of the prisoners as we can. We should be able to put together two thousand-man units, then raise another thousand-man cavalry unit... The soldiers are to be rewarded for merit regardless of their status. Those who distinguish themselves can be promoted beyond their rank and placed in these three units as centurions or squad leaders."

The royal city didn't have a large population. The three units would have a total of just over 1,900 combat troops, more than enough to keep the city in line.

As for whether these men would rebel again?

Leon didn't think they would.

When facing Leon, they had trembled so badly they could barely speak. He'd left them with a psychological scar. On top of that, they would soon be broken up and reorganized. Luther and several of Leon's uncles were old campaigners; they had plenty of ways to keep the prisoners in line.

Even if they did rebel or mutiny, Leon wasn't worried. He could suppress them single-handedly.

After Luther had noted everything down, Leon asked, "How many noble houses were there among the enemy? You know, don't you, Father?"

"We can tell from the banners and armor we seized. We can also question the prisoners."

"Good. Make a full list, Father. Once we enter the city, we'll confiscate their estates." Leon nodded. "Also, tell the soldiers not to get impatient. Speed up the reorganization and do what you can to calm them. We'll wait three days. Once we enter the city, we'll hand out the rewards. Land, gold, silver, women, glory—we'll have it all."

Luther understood that Leon had given them just three days to reorganize the troops.

For the next three days, Leon oversaw the reorganization while sending people to negotiate with the inhabitants of Camelot.

The people inside the city had witnessed Leon's strength firsthand. His display of force while reorganizing his army had put enormous pressure on them.

Even those defending the city knew, after seeing Leon's sword strike, that they had no chance of holding it.

So they simply surrendered and offered up the city. After all, Leon had a legitimate claim to the throne.

Leon was still outside the city when, on the first night, shouts of battle rang out from within and fires blazed in all directions.

By the second day, he received more than fifty heads sent from inside the city, along with over ten chests of gold and silver.

After Leon formally granted them amnesty, the city gates were opened on the morning of the third day, and the people invited him to take possession of his loyal Camelot.

Armored and standing in a specially built war chariot, Leon passed slowly through the city gates.

The roads inside and outside the city were packed with people. Men and women, young and old, noble and commoner, knelt by the roadside. They didn't dare raise their heads to look at him. They waited until the chariot had passed before cautiously glancing up, then quickly bowed their heads again.

Luther had entered the city ahead of him with two thousand-man units. They took control of the city's armed forces, secured the main roads, and seized the armories, granaries, and inner palace.

"You've shown good sense this time. Well done."

Apart from Luther and his guards, four people were kneeling in his carriage. They were representatives of the city's noble families, there to welcome Leon.

Hearing Leon's praise, the four men shuffled forward on their knees until they were almost clinging to his legs. The leader's eyes glistened with hot tears.

"My king, Heaven's mandate and divine favor have chosen you to rule. You are destined to be Britain's lord. We can only regret that we were too insignificant and weak to stop the villains who defied Heaven's will. That was our failing. Thankfully, our lord protected you, my king, and you broke the enemy lines and brought peace to the realm with a single battle. We weep with joy!"

Now that was a man who knew how to talk.

Leon liked people like these. They knew when to yield and could read the situation.

Leon drew them in with a mixture of reassurance and intimidation. They all swore their loyalty, and Leon demanded that they hand over their children, nephews, and other descendants to join the army.

By the time they finished talking, Leon's carriage had reached the palace gates.

Luther and his troops had already taken control of the palace and its gates. A white-robed figure stood before the soldiers, lightly touching the ground with a wooden staff. When Leon approached, he bowed slightly and smiled.

"My king, seeing you as magnificent and imposing as ever is truly reassuring."

"Merlin, it's been a long time." Leon saw Merlin there to welcome him, but not Artoria. "You're here alone. Where's Arthur?"

Merlin had known that would be Leon's first question when they met.

"She's still training. I hid her away somewhere even I don't know."

Leon was taken aback. Merlin's candor was unexpected.

"You really don't trust me, do you?" Leon chided with a laugh. "You Incubus are so suspicious. Don't worry. Even for Kay's sake, I wouldn't do anything to her."

After spending the last few days with Kay, Leon was very pleased with his abilities. Whether it was his bravery on the battlefield or his competence in handling administrative affairs, Kay had impressed him. Leon was glad he hadn't misjudged him.

Kay had especially distinguished himself in the battle earlier. He had charged alongside Leon, showing courage and decisiveness. His tally of kills was second only to Leon's, making him the top soldier in the army by merit. Leon had appointed him a thousand-man commander, and Kay was now leading troops to secure the royal city.

"Merlin, I'm glad you were honest with me, but I don't like how little you trust me."

Leon understood Merlin's caution, but understanding it didn't excuse Merlin's underhanded tricks.

Leon had agreed to the three-way deal between himself, Kay, and Merlin. He wouldn't harm Artoria. Yet Merlin had still secretly hidden her away. What did he mean by that?

Did he not trust Leon?

Merlin knew how much Leon valued Artoria. Leon had even said he would be Merlin's friend, and Merlin had still dared to do this—and then openly admitted it to him. What was that supposed to mean?

Did Merlin look down on him?

That was unforgivable!

That was unforgivable!

"What if I insisted on having Arthur? What would you do?"

Since you, Merlin, dared to defy me, I'll make you come around.

Faced with Leon's pressure, Merlin shrugged and spread his hands, looking helpless.

"My king, please calm down. I truly don't know where Arthur is, so there really is nothing I can do."

"In that case, forget it." Leon smiled, then turned to Luther. "Father, how are things in the royal city and the palace?"

Merlin wasn't the only one there to welcome him. After successfully taking control of the palace, Luther had also brought his troops to the entrance. The soldiers remained outside, subtly surrounding Merlin.

"It's all been secured."

"Good. Today, pick two or three noble families in the city and wipe them out. Pick another two or three tomorrow, and keep going the day after. Once the nobles are gone, move on to the wealthy. Don't stop without my orders."

"Yes, sir." Luther accepted the order.

Leon smiled at Merlin, his tone as casual as ever.

"By the way, Merlin, what was it you just said?"