Guinevere

"Follow me, Sir Agravain." King Arthur smiled slightly, walking ahead to lead the way.

"Yes, my King." After acknowledging, Agravain followed silently behind his uncle.

"Sir Anno mentioned you to me, and explicitly stated that when it comes to strategy and troop deployment on the battlefield, he might not be your equal." King Arthur spoke with his back to Agravain.

Agravain remained silent, though he felt a sense of surprise.

That Knight Commander Anno, who was always taciturn except when teaching or fighting—to think he would actually recommend him before the King?

And was he truly that outstanding?

He had always believed that among the few who stood out during this recent campaign, he was the most unremarkable.

Even that disabled, one-armed knight Bedivere had performed better than him on the battlefield.

Especially after receiving the prosthetic arm gifted by the mage Merlin, he had become even more valiant.

As for himself, he spent most of his time behind the army, responsible for logistics and devising strategies.

"So, according to Sir Anno's thoughts, you are better suited to be a knight within the Royal Court rather than stepping directly onto the battlefield." King Arthur led Agravain to another room inside the Royal Court and stood at the doorway.

"Now, I wish to seek your opinion, Sir Agravain, my nephew." King Arthur's golden hair swayed slightly. "Within the Royal Court, you can better utilize your talents."

Agravain was stunned; before he could answer, he merely nodded slightly, and an attendant knight on the other side pulled open the room's door.

To Agravain's surprise, there were quite a few people in the room, and basically, they were all big names he could recognize, gathered in twos and threes, either sitting or standing, filling the entire space.

The court mage Merlin, the honorary Earl Anno, the Deputy Commander of the Expeditionary Knights Lamorak, Anno's foster son Lancelot—whose martial arts were second only to Anno himself—as well as the current King of Britain's foster brother Kay, the veteran member of the former Britain Chalk Knights Pindo, and his comrades from this expedition, Bors and Bedivere.

What was this about?

"Come in, Sir Agravain." Anno spoke with a rare trace of a smile, being one of the higher-ranking individuals present.

"Ah, understood." Agravain nodded, found an empty chair to sit in, and looked around.

Merlin was resting with his eyes closed; Lancelot, Lamorak, and Kay were huddled together whispering about something; Pindo was sitting alone by the balcony looking at the scenery; and his two comrades were just as restless as he was, casting friendly glances his way.

King Arthur sat on a single sofa and coughed twice. "Everyone, let us begin today's discussion."

Hearing this, the group straightened their postures.

"This morning, the Kingdom of Liaodekuan, a Saxon nation that has submitted to our Kingdom of Britain, was invaded by another nation called the Kingdom of Ryence. Due to their lack of strength, they have sought aid from us, their suzerain. Therefore—" King Arthur said solemnly, "Sir Anno, I would like to trouble you once more."

"Wherever the King's sword points, that is where our hearts shall follow." Anno nodded, indicating he understood.

"What compensation are they offering us?" Kay asked, his eyes playful. "I know of this Kingdom of Liaodekuan; it's pitifully small. Can they even afford a reward?"

"Their reward is a collection piece of the King of Liaodekuan—a shield claimed to be indestructible, along with some supplies, and also..." Merlin opened his eyes and said with a smile, "They wish to marry their princess to our King."

"Their princess, Guinevere."