Shadow Warrior Gawain

Stories, deeds, glory.

Gawain pondered Merlin's words, analyzing the relationship between the three.

After carefully examining Merlin's words, Gawain reached the following conclusion: magic could not create something from nothing. To create ice, water first had to exist.

Water could turn into ice under the right conditions. Magic merely simulated those conditions, which was why Merlin claimed that the essence of his magic was actually illusion.

Like father, like son!

English had a proverb like this, translated as "like father, like son," though a more accurate meaning would be that fathers and sons were always alike.

A father's glory was his son's glory, and a son's glory was also his father's glory.

That was why Gawain could rely on this bloodline to borrow Arthur's glory and use magic.

Arthur was cloaked in glory, surrounded by the Knights of the Round Table, who possessed great glory themselves. Like concentric circles, they encircled Arthur, forming the Knights of the Round Table and a court at Camelot that resembled something from myth.

Arthur and Queen Guinevere, drinking freely at the banquet, were like Jupiter, king of the gods, and Juno, queen of heaven, while the Knights of the Round Table were like the gods themselves.

Gawain recalled the instant he had met Arthur and Guinevere. He truly had seen them in a scene that seemed divine. He had initially thought his former self simply worshipped Arthur too deeply, but now that he thought about it, his eyes had actually seen through part of the truth.

"It seems you've already figured out many of the key questions. As expected of Uther's grandson."

Merlin applauded as he looked at Gawain's thoughtful, enlightened expression, then continued, "Just as you imagined, it was precisely because of the heroic stories of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table that their glory restored peace to the entire land. You don't think the Saxons' military invasion alone could have left your uncle in such a state of distress, do you?

"More than elves, giants, dragons, monsters, fairies, and all kinds of natural creatures roam this land. There are also countless gods. These gods acted recklessly, relying on their power and immortal lives to cause your ancestors endless headaches. Even Rome could only turn the British Isles into north and south."

"Shouldn't there be only one God? Our one and only Lord."

Gawain swallowed. Never before had he felt that this world hid such unfathomable depths. Even Arthur, the leader of the Knights of the Round Table, did not truly possess power like that of a god. The only thing Gawain could sense was the frailty of human aging.

"You say that before a Druid—at least, a former Druid. Do you consider yourself devout? Do you firmly believe that this world was created by God, and that everything the priests say is correct?"

Merlin smiled faintly as he questioned him, his eyes carrying an amused look that seemed to see through everything. Gawain said nothing, tacitly setting the subject aside.

Devotion was one of the virtues of chivalry, but Gawain was hardly devout. Even the prayers before meals, despite his mother's supervision, were always perfunctory. On Christmas Eve, he had not gone to church to pray or attend any ceremony. Instead, he had run off to a tavern to drink with others.

His identity as a "devout" believer had merely been assigned to him by churchmen for political purposes, and he had no intention of denying it.

"Listen. In this tiny land of Britain, there are quite a few beings—for example, Lugh, god of light; Nuada, god of war; Brigid; Morgana; and so on." Merlin rattled off names that were utterly unfamiliar to Gawain.

"Why have I never heard of these gods being active among mortals?"

Gawain frowned. If he had been a commoner, it would have been understandable for him to know nothing of this world's secrets. But he was a prince, Arthur's nephew, and a noble. Yet the education he had received contained no knowledge whatsoever of the gods. It was simply incredible.

"Because you were born in Northern Europe, Odin's territory. In modern times, aside from the older generation and people in Ireland, young people no longer know the stories of these ancient old gods. The so-called old faith has already become nothing more than the Druids' own sect."

"Why is that? The gods possess such tremendous power and such long lives. Why have they disappeared now?"

"That is a good question. The answer is simple: Arthur ended the era of the Celtic gods. Gods and men began to part ways. As for how he did it, you've actually already guessed. Through the glory they established, Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table successfully replaced the gods in people's hearts."

Merlin spoke slowly. "To the people, Arthur, as their ruling king, was sacred and majestic, an image akin to a god. This meant that the images of gods and kings became entangled and indistinct.

"For example, Alexander the Great was called the son of Zeus, or Jupiter. Gods and men shared the same form, and humans were descendants of gods. When Heracles, under the coercion of Queen Hera, completed twelve impossible trials and gained glory equal to that of the gods, he transformed from a mortal into a god. Aeneas, who escaped from Troy and founded a new city-state, became the god Indiges after his death. Romulus, founder of the Roman city-state, likewise became a god. It all stems from this."

"You mean Arthur is a god!" Gawain followed Merlin's reasoning.

"Not exactly." Merlin coughed awkwardly. "There can only be one sun in the sky, and a king can only have one queen. Once Arthur and his court took the place of the gods, the old gods were naturally forced to withdraw from the mortal world."

"I get it. One radish, one hole."

Gawain nodded. In the Eastern Roman Empire, Constantinople was usually regarded as heaven's reflection on earth. The one God in heaven corresponded to the one emperor on earth. Arthur and his court could likewise be regarded as a divine court in the mortal world.

In later ages, England's King Edward III perfectly replicated Arthur's Round Table and founded the first secular order of chivalry in history to defend the kingdom's interests: the Order of the Garter. Every action he took proclaimed that he was the Arthur of his age, that his court was a projection of Arthur's court. This provided the theoretical basis for the later unification of Britain and greatly strengthened royal authority.

The heroic deeds of knights would become stories. Those stories would spread, and through their spread, the people involved would gain glory.

Glory was the magical power that belonged to knights.

In Ancient Greece, if a mortal won multiple championships at the Olympic games, he would be regarded as a hero who had inherited divinity. His statue would stand alongside those of the gods, and running for office would be virtually effortless.

The greatest among them were often regarded as sons of Jupiter, or Zeus, and in later ages, even as gods themselves, such as Aeneas and Romulus.

Humans could earn the treatment of heroes through their own deeds and achievements. If they anchored themselves to a particular god, they could borrow that god's power.

"I will become Arthur's shadow warrior. I will imitate Arthur and become his incarnation!"

Light shone in Gawain's eyes. If there were no deeds, he would create deeds. If there were no stories, he would create stories—and gain glory through them.

The smile on Merlin's face vanished instantly. Gawain still preferred crooked paths and shortcuts. Just as Merlin was about to rebuke him, a deafening dragon's roar suddenly rang out.

"Dala Bengba, get your ass out here!"