boyutpedia Page 33
Page 33
Alright, alright, I don't need you to remind me anymore.
Although your first intimate encounter with Artoria wasn't the best experience, the voluptuous and sensual touch still left you wanting more. You felt that with a little nurturing, Artoria would definitely become your best bed partner. However, unfortunately, after your passionate lovemaking, the dragon girl seemed to have lost all her courage and hurriedly left your side, as if she had done something wrong.
Clearly, she still had some reservations about cheating on her sister. Of course, she might also have felt that her behavior was too rough and was afraid of leaving a bad impression on you. In any case, this queen, who was invincible on the battlefield, fled in panic like a deserter in front of you, and you ultimately won this victory.
Commander, please, shut up. I don't need battle reports or recollections.
However, your victory is only temporary, because you know very well that Artoria is no match for you; only Morgan can defeat you. Now, you need to find a way to quell Morgan's anger. Your fiancée has discovered Artoria's secret, and even if she didn't expose it on the spot, she will definitely not let you off easily.
Quinn wore a sour face, the simulator's prompts incessantly reminding him of the reality he was about to face, but what could he do about it?
Men always have to pay the price for their actions. Fortunately, he at least got what Morgan wanted.
You straightened your disheveled clothes, concealing the marks Artoria had left on you, and returned to Morgan's bedroom with the blood of the red dragon on your body. As you opened the door, you saw Morgan's sullen and grumpy face, staring at you with extreme displeasure.
“I thought you wouldn’t be back until tomorrow morning, Your Excellency,” Morgan said through gritted teeth. “How are things going with my sister? I should have known that all men in this world prefer young women.”
Since he was still willing to talk to her, it seems that Morgan wasn't as angry as expected.
Quinn raised an eyebrow. His long-standing relationship with Morgan had made him realize that his fiancée didn't seem angry enough to want to kill him about his relationship with Artoria, which was rather subtle. He couldn't help but ask, "You're not angry?"
"Why should I be angry with you? Isn't all of this my despicable sister's fault?"
Morgan snorted coldly, stood up from the bed, and walked to Quinn. She reached out and pulled open Quinn's clothes, revealing intimate, red, and slightly bleeding bite marks. Morgan's eyes filled with intense displeasure. She immediately used her sleeve to wipe away the slight drops of blood from Quinn's body. "She really is a beast. Has her mind been corrupted by dragon blood?"
Quinn dared not reply; Morgan's reaction was too strange.
"You slept with her, didn't you?" Morgan said, looking up at Quinn with a cruel smile. "How did it feel?"
Sister, please, don't ask anymore, I'm scared.
"That's right, just a beast like Vortigern. It's laughable that Merlin and Father created such a thing. You wouldn't like a beast, would you, my husband?"
Faced with Morgan's self-answering question, Quinn broke out in a cold sweat and quickly shook his head.
“That’s good. I’m not Hera, and you’re not Zeus. I can allow you to have ambiguous relationships with some women, but you’d better keep your heart with me, or else…” Morgan said, placing his hand on Quinn’s chest, “I’ll rip your heart out and turn you into a puppet, understand?”
Morgan noticed your relationship with Artoria, but instead of pursuing the matter, she showed a level of tolerance you didn't expect. You knew you were doomed, because you knew Morgan wasn't that forgiving. Since she didn't intend to blame you, she meant she was planning to cause trouble for Artoria.
[You don't want this situation to happen, but what can you do? Because this time, the reason for the rift between the sisters is no longer their father's differential treatment, but your infidelity. As the root cause of the sisters' infighting, you know that every word you say in defense of Artoria will only fuel Morgan's murderous intent.]
You can only tacitly condone Morgan's actions and then try to secretly stop them to prevent the sisters' quarrel from causing problems for the country. In your opinion, the best way to prevent this is to separate the family.
[Accelerate the unification of Britain, then move out of Camelot with Morgan, ensuring the sisters never see each other again. That way, all that's needed is time to calm Morgan's anger. As for making the sisters reconcile, you don't think you have that ability.]
So, you decided to accelerate your plan; you gave the red dragon's blood to Morgan, so that she...
Chapter 72
The original plan proceeded as scheduled, but Morgan's expression worsened upon seeing the object that held the red dragon's hemostatic power. She practically held her nose as she accepted the item she had sent to retrieve, and then plunged headlong into her magic workshop.
[And you, as if nothing had ever happened, continued to reside permanently in the King's Office, performing your royal duties as always, while preparing for the declaration of war against the kings of England. During this time, Artoria came to the office several times, but whenever she saw you, she immediately turned and left, her departing figure looking quite disheveled.]
You know she's avoiding you.
Artoria was clearly ashamed of her bold actions and found it difficult to face her relationship with you. You didn't intend to comfort her or tell her not to take it to heart. You knew that your relationship would definitely undergo a qualitative change, but you decided to let her decide how that change would ultimately turn out.
Anyway, your relationship with her is now official. Even in the worst-case scenario, all she can do is suddenly realize how powerful she is and then imprison you in the Camelot dungeons to be her personal Starfury.
[You can accept this ending, in fact, it suits your taste. After all, in the eyes of unofficial historians, this is practically irrefutable evidence to prove the legend of King Arthur selling his hook.]
Therefore, you didn't intend to deliberately hide the relationship between the two of you.
Without your cover, people in Camelot's court quickly noticed the subtle relationship between you and Artoria, and rumors about the new king's homosexuality and his improper feelings for the palace minister spread like wildfire.
Ultimately, these rumors reached the ears of your descendants.
Gawain was the first to become restless. He didn't dare to directly question the veracity of your affair with Morgan, so he chose to use his power and force to silence those who were gossiping about it. But as everyone knows, only what the authorities deny is true.
[Gawain's actions confirmed the rumors in the eyes of the public, who became increasingly convinced that the new king had improper feelings for him. In no time, rumors about Camelot spread like wildfire, and everyone was talking about this royal scandal.]
In contrast, Agravan was much smarter. He approached you directly and explained his thoughts. He felt that the spread of such rumors would affect the royal family's reputation, but not the stability of the country. Normally, he wouldn't waste his energy on such rumors, but as your son, he felt obligated to mitigate the impact of these rumors on you and Morgan.
[You became interested in Agraven's rare self-recommendation and wanted to see how he planned to handle the situation.]
So you condoned his actions, and then you heard a new rumor.
[You, Minister of Camelot, are a heartthrob. It's perfectly normal that both men and women adore you, because it's not just the new king who is infatuated with you; even Guinevere is trying to woo you. Long before she came to Camelot, she wanted to become your wife and replace Morgan. Now, she has come to Camelot with the same goal.]
Thanks to Agguvin's efforts, the impact of this riot was mitigated, and you...
Your legendary story has been elevated.
According to British historical accounts, after King Arthur ascended the throne, he finally realized his feelings for the Mayor of the Palace. The young king's love life was as chaotic as his birth. He longed to defeat his sister and take his brother-in-law as his own. To this end, he even disguised himself as a woman to win the Mayor of the Palace's favor. As a result, King Arthur also became completely hostile to his sister Morgana, sowing the seeds of disaster for the Kingdom of Camelot.
However, some historians believe that King Arthur's affair with the Mayor of the Palace was not the core reason for the demise of the Camelot dynasty.
According to some folk tales, King Leod's daughter also had a history of pursuing the Mayor of Camelot. Upon meeting the Mayor, she fell for his extraordinary charm and longed to break off his engagement to Morgan. To this end, she entered Camelot's court as King Leod's representative. Therefore, these historians believe that the rumors about King Arthur's love affair with the Mayor of Camelot reflect the early understanding of Romanticism at the time and are a classic symbol of European Romantic literature.
At the end of the month, a gift from your allies arrived: eight thousand gleaming gold coins appeared before you as a blessing for your unification of Wales, but you were not very happy.
[Because along with the gold coins came a letter from King Liao Dekuan]
He demands that you address the rumors surrounding his daughter, Guinevere. He wants you to take responsibility as a man and prevent Guinevere from becoming the subject of gossip and damaging his family's reputation.
Chapter Sixty-Three: Lancelot: This man is so damn charming
"Father, I was wrong."
Inside the administrative office, Agguwen bowed his head obediently and apologized to Quinn, "Please remove me from my post. If it weren't for my impulsive actions, you wouldn't be in this trouble."
Quinn did not reply, nor did he look at his son who had come to offer his self-criticism.
He stared at the letter in front of him with a grim expression, wondering if his recent inactivity had led others to mistakenly believe that he was really dying and on his deathbed, thus daring to coerce him.
Has this old man forgotten what he did in the past?
[You are angry, but not at Guinevere. Guinevere is a beauty and knows her place. Although she came to Camelot with the intention of becoming your wife, she has never done anything out of line. Your anger is directed at King Rhodes. You don't understand how this old man dared to send you a letter that tries to force you to marry Guinevere.]
[To be honest, if King Liao Dekuan hadn't interfered in Camelot's internal affairs and had simply hinted that his daughter had feelings for you, you might actually have had something happen with Guinevere. After all, you're a normal man, and it's hard not to be moved by a beautiful woman who has feelings for you and is willing to pursue you. But now...]
[There's no room for negotiation on this matter. You know very well that if you compromise even slightly, people like Liao Dekuan will seize the opportunity to climb the social ladder and try to gain more benefits from you.]
[Perhaps it is indeed because you did not personally lead the troops to conquer Wales that people like King Rhodes, who cannot distinguish the situation, mistakenly believe that you are really dying as Merlin said, and have lost the vitality to be active on the battlefield.]
You've decided to give King Liao Dekuan a big blow, to make him realize his true place.
"Alright, take this with you. Just pretend you were never here today."
Quinn withdrew his gaze from King Lyudmour's letter and casually tossed it to Agravivan.
"Father?" Agraven caught the letter Quinn tossed to him instinctively, a rare look of surprise appearing on his usually serious face. "What do you mean by this?"
"It means exactly what it says. Just pretend you never came today and never received this letter. King Liao Dekuan's messenger never went to Camelot either. Give this to your mother. She knows how to handle this matter. If you really want to do your job well, next time you encounter something similar, you shouldn't show me the original. Instead, you should have the messenger send this letter back the way it came and just let King Liao Dekuan know that you understand and that he will let me know."
"I don't know."
“What’s so hard to understand? As long as you don’t accept this letter, this matter is just a family conflict. If you accept it, it becomes a diplomatic issue,” Quinn said patiently. “Remember, things that are documented in writing are two different things from things that aren’t.”
"What about...Guinevere?"
Chapter 73
“Don’t meddle in things that aren’t your business. Your mother hasn’t said anything, so why are you worrying about it?” Quinn glanced helplessly at Agraven, who was still trying to get to the bottom of things. “You don’t think your mother doesn’t know what she’s after, do you? Don’t think of everything as a matter of state. This little thing isn’t enough to put Camelot in a crisis.”
Agravan was somewhat bewildered. In his eyes, King Rhodes' letter would obviously affect Camelot's future. He didn't understand why his father thought it was a trivial matter, as it concerned the Rhodes family. Throughout European history, how many wars were caused by the discord between two powerful families?
But... there are many things he doesn't understand. For example, he doesn't understand why the new king has managed to avoid any conflict with his father, which is the most illogical thing in his eyes.
How many kings have ever been able to get along so well with their powerful prime ministers after ascending to the throne?
“I understand, I will do as you say.” Agravan decided that he should follow Camelot’s excellent server mechanism. Clearly, under his father’s guidance, Britain’s political ecology was gradually deviating from the European circle and developing in some indescribable direction.
"There's one more thing. Go and prepare the declaration of war, and then call Lancelot here."
[Agrave left your office, and soon after, Lancelot came before you. Without much preamble, you confronted this most capable knight you could find besides Artoria, revealing your intention to personally lead an expedition against England and accomplish something that would be enough to intimidate all of Britain.]
You plan to raze the entire England in 20 days.
Whether your decision shocked the whole of Britain is hard to say, but Lancelot was certainly taken aback. England and Wales are different. Because Wales was still a relatively underdeveloped region at that time, most of the royal fiefdoms in Wales lacked strong fortifications. Artoria's rapid conquest of Wales was due to this. England, however…
Since England was Vortigern's primary target, the kings throughout England had built fortified castles, allowing them to easily hold their positions and wage a protracted war.
[But your attitude was resolute. Lancelot believed you weren't the type to do things without certainty. Therefore, after a brief moment of shock, he felt a surge of excitement. He was deeply moved. He thought that if he were a woman, he would definitely pursue such a charming man as you. If this were to succeed, he and you would become the most famous "conquerors" of this era. What man could resist such temptation?]
After aligning your goals with Lancelot's, you began eliminating those who might affect your plans. First, you disbanded the conscripted army, creating the illusion of a temporary truce. Then, you retrieved the Holy Lance you lent to Artoria, telling her that Avalonne possessed a Holy Sword in addition to the Holy Lance, and that you hoped she would seek it out, implying that this Holy Sword was perfectly matched with your Holy Lance and had an inseparable connection.
[At your suggestion, Artoria became interested. She did indeed need a good weapon, especially one that could be associated with your Holy Lance. After diverting Artoria's attention, you arranged for Gawain to become her attendant and encouraged your eldest son to retrace your steps on your adventure to Avalon. You told him that he would also obtain his own weapon on this adventure.]
Gawain, of course, could not refuse this honor. He had long admired your past adventures and was deeply interested in everything you experienced during them.
[Thus, Artoria and Gawain quickly made preparations and began to retrace your adventure.]
With the departure of the King and the Lord Keeper of the Seal, you began your operation. Under your arrangement, Agravan temporarily assumed Gawain's position and began sending declarations of war to the kings of England.
This time, your declaration of war is not about forcing these people to surrender, but rather an invitation to a major battle in the Chalk Plateau of southern England in three days. If you lose, you will release Wales; if you win, they can still choose to continue resisting, but you hope they will be smart enough to surrender as soon as possible.
This is a particularly favorable engagement for the English kings, because you have already disbanded your army. Artoria and Gawain, who once distinguished themselves on the Welsh battlefield, have both left Camelot. You lack sufficient time to regroup your army and lack capable generals to lead it. As for your own private army... in their eyes, it is still a mere 600 cavalrymen. They may be very useful in local skirmishes, but in the case of a large-scale battle, the role of 600 men is negligible.
[And they, in preparation for your attack, have already amassed an army. Now, they only need to unite in one place to form a force no less powerful than the conscripted army commanded by Artoria. By all accounts, this is a war in which I have the advantage, especially since defeating you would directly shatter your previous achievements.]
They have agreed to your campaign and have begun to assemble their troops.
[In response, you calmly raised the Holy Lance and took out the gold coins that had just arrived in your account.]
Commander, mass produce troops!
It's time to show these self-proclaimed kings and tribal natives what it means to be a noble Martian soldier from out of town!
Chapter Sixty-Four: Let's play it safe. Holy Lance, set anchor!
The Chalk Plateau, one of the most spectacular landscapes in Britain, has witnessed countless wars throughout history. Ancient gods and fairies once roamed this land, creating a unique and mysterious legacy for the island. It is said that the foundation stones of Camelot, the Chalk City, were taken from a special mineral found here—chalk.
Of course, you prefer to call it limestone.
[When you were learning alchemy from your teacher, Director Ken, you came into contact with this mineral quite a bit. In the Type-Moon universe, this mineral has extremely rare and special properties, containing extraordinary magic. Some magicians believe that chalk is the skeleton of a planet. You don't agree with this statement, but you know one thing: the chalk plateau is a rare and famous place in Britain.]
Therefore, you chose this place as the battlefield, so that future generations would associate this land with your deeds. You hoped that when future generations spoke of this land, they would think of the war we are fighting today.
[In fact, your idea will indeed come true, because the kings of England have almost emptied their coffers to defeat you. Each prince has brought their most elite knights and all the troops they can mobilize. Tens of thousands of troops have gathered here, and a total of more than 45,000 troops are stationed on this plateau. The banners of more than a dozen families fly in the same encampment.]
An army of this size would be a considerable force even in your homeland, and in Britain it would be astonishing. But you remain unperturbed, because you know very well that the more troops your opponents bring out, the worse their quality will be.
[In fact, just as you predicted, when you led your army to the Cretaceous Plateau, you did not immediately declare war. Instead, you sent Bagst to gather intelligence on the enemy. The black hound readily agreed to your request, and when your hound returned to your side, it brought you the news you wanted.]