The Next King

After marching for several days, King Uther and his army arrived in the north of Britain, a region already occupied by the Saxons, and commenced the war.

Wielding a blade against his own kind was simpler than Anno had imagined; a quick swipe of a longsword across the throat was all it took, and the Saxons were no different from goblins or orcs. The only nuisance was that Anno was required to sever the left ears of the enemies he killed as proof of his merit (this has no historical basis, treat it as a secondary creation).

The army of knights under King Uther was formidable, reclaiming three cities in less than a week. Yet, Anno, a powerhouse already revered by the men in the ranks, felt an ever-growing sense of unease in his heart.

The mastermind behind this war had yet to appear.

Anno's expression was terrifyingly grim, and the king to whom he swore fealty, King Uther, wore the same look.

He knew better than anyone the horror of his own brother; he was not an opponent that knights could handle, not even the likes of Sir Anno.

Perhaps only he, as the King of Britain, was qualified to cross swords with him.

Uther's heart gradually sank.

However, the other knights remained oblivious, laughing as they slaughtered the Saxons who had invaded their country and gleefully carving off the enemies' ears.

Finally, the unstoppable army of Britain cleared out nearly all the Saxons, leaving only one final city.

On the night before the siege, King Uther summoned Merlin, Anno, and a knight named Ector.

Merlin was the court wizard and King Uther's absolute confidant. Anno was a rising star in the army, his powerful martial arts earning him high prestige among the troops, and he was also an acquaintance of Merlin. As for Sir Ector, he was a veteran knight whose strength was not to be underestimated, and he was also one of King Uther's trusted men.

The sense of unease in Anno's heart had fermented to its peak upon arriving at this city.

Inside King Uther's tent, the expressions of the four men varied.

King Uther looked sorrowful, Merlin remained as calm as an ancient well with a faint smile, Sir Ector looked puzzled, and Anno's brows were tightly locked.

The atmosphere was stifling.

Finally, King Uther spoke first: "Merlin, after this battle, I may either die outright, or my days will be numbered."

Merlin did not respond, but Sir Ector, a man of about forty, grew anxious: "My King, why do you say such things?" In his view, this war to expel the Saxons had been quite successful, so why would the King utter such disheartening words?

Merlin sighed: "My King, what do you need me to do for you?"

Uther stood up and paced, looking slightly agitated: "My daughter, Morgan le Fay, is too jealous; she cannot become king."

Upon hearing this, Anno's eyes grew strange, and a sharp pain involuntarily pierced his mind.

"I want you, Merlin, to help me create a king who is born superior, a natural-born king who carries my bloodline!" King Uther's eyes were bloodshot. He did not pin his hopes on being able to slay Vortigern himself, but for the sake of Britain, he had to devise a way to kill him.

The method he conceived was to trade his life for a wound, buying time for Britain, and during that time, to cultivate a monarch capable of battling that monster.

"That monster can only be killed by the King of Britain. I am too incompetent and can only pin my hopes on the next generation," King Uther said to himself. "After the next king is born, I will have him raised in your home, Ector."

"As for you, Sir Anno," Uther turned to Anno, "you may be the only one qualified to participate in this battle."

"How about you enter the city with me the day after tomorrow?"