boyutpedia Page 30
Page 30
The princes breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't a one-time need for such a large sum, they could collect more taxes and gradually raise the money.
Seeing the attitude of his allies, Quinn was embarrassed to say that the 5 gold was just for the cost of expanding his army. Yes, he planned to expand his army significantly, directly borrowing the wealth accumulated by other kings over the years to fill his private army. After all, with the Round Table in his hands, the maximum number of troops he could control was 14. After calculating the expansion scale of each troop, the total number of soldiers would be 140.
With a scale of 140, if all of them were armored paladins, Quinn could field 7000 heavy cavalry in this era. This would be a truly powerful army capable of sweeping across Europe. However, the cost of armored paladins is too high. Relying solely on the Camelot family's financial support, Quinn has only managed to amass 600 heavy cavalry so far.
If he doesn't extract money from other countries, he might spend all of Camelot's budget and still not be able to fill all the positions. Moreover, if he really spends all of the budget, the country will truly perish.
"In short, let's discuss this and see if we can come up with the first sum of money." Seeing that his allies didn't seem to have much of an objection to the installment payment plan, Quinn immediately started asking for money. Anyway, once the money was all converted into an army, these kings would have no way to back out and would only be able to come up with more money.
[You have received the promises of the kings. They have agreed to provide you with 12,000 gold coins by the end of this month as their initial investment. As for the second investment, they will deliver 8,000 coins to you after the unification of Wales. The remaining 30,000 coins will be delivered to you in installments after you conquer England and begin your advance into Scotland.]
You felt a familiar sense of familiarity, like when you were soliciting investment for a company in your past life. Therefore, you accepted their investment method, but at the same time, you demanded that these powerful figures provide you with some soldiers.
As long as money isn't discussed, the kings and nobles are exceptionally straightforward. Without any hesitation, they promise that if you go to war, they will conscript able-bodied men from their territories to form a levy to support you. Among them, the most generous is the Dharma King, who assures you that you will receive support from a legion of up to ten thousand men.
When you declare war with the claim of unifying Britain, you will receive a conscripted army of 18,000 men, which will be at your command.
That night, you completed your negotiations, signed a contract, and agreed that if anyone violated the contract, the other allies would jointly punish the breaching party.
With the conclusion of this private meeting, the entire banquet of kings came to a complete end. The kings who had attended the banquet left Camelot in the following days, especially those who had not become your allies. They were somewhat aware that Camelot was about to make a big move, so they hurriedly returned to their respective territories to prepare for war.
Those who had become your allies stayed a few more days before departing, but before they left, they all left their children in Camelot as diplomats and hostages to reassure you that they would abide by the alliance. You had no objection to this, or rather, not entirely no objection, because the hostage left by King Rhodes was Guinevere.
You suspect this guy might want to become in-laws with you because before he left he expressed his wish for someone to support him in his old age and for you to allow Guinevere to be the godmother of your future children. You laughed it off and brushed it off.
However, in any case, you have already prepared the necessary conditions, and you feel exceptionally pleased. Consequently, you have loosened your control over Artoria considerably, and you have begun to deliberately delegate authority to her, encouraging her to have more contact with the military.
Artoria was somewhat surprised by your delegation of power, but she gladly accepted your arrangement. This new ruler believes that you still care about her, and that your previous centralization of power was mostly to deal with the other kings. As time goes by, you will definitely gradually hand over power to her.
That same month, Morgan became pregnant again. Then, you hear from Lancelot that Artoria has become unusually strict with the army and seems to be in a very bad mood.
[You don't care, because the gifts promised to you by the kings have arrived. Twelve thousand gold coins were delivered to you in batches, and the glittering gold went into your personal pocket. Immediately afterwards, the size of your camp outside Camelot grew larger and larger.]
You invested 2080 gold coins to expand your Ironclad Paladin army. Now you have two fully-equipped legions, totaling 1000 Ironclad Paladins. With the remaining assets, you chose to go all in on further expansion – the Purification Knights.
[This is a special cultural unit originating from the "Pendragon" family. It is also the artificial weapon mass-produced by the Lion King, who transformed into a god in FGO, using the power of the Holy Lance and the Holy Grail to imitate the performance of the Knights of the Round Table. According to some unreliable or reliable sources, these soldiers may also be Morgan's magical creations, but now these information are no longer important, because they will only be loyal soldiers who serve you.]
[At the cost of emptying your wallet, you recruited three full-strength units, totaling 1500 Purification Knights. This expense makes your heart bleed.]
These Cavalry Knights know no fear, obey orders completely, need no food or rest, and bring their own horses. They can be heavy cavalry or dismounted heavy infantry, making them versatile and outstanding elites. Their only shortcoming is their lack of independent judgment, but that's not important. What's important is that you sense the energy surrounding these soldiers.
[You've determined that these powers share the same origin as the Holy Lance. Your Ironclad Paladins, as a secular army, are still at their peak. But clearly, the Calibration Knights have transcended the secular realm. Do you think this money was well spent?]
Now, you are all ready.
So you declared war on Wales, on the grounds of "unifying Britain," and ordered these kings to surrender at Camelot and offer up their titles and fiefs.
Your declaration of war naturally caused an uproar, but the kings, who had already heard your advice, were prepared. They naturally refused to surrender to you and began to raise soldiers to defend their respective territories in preparation for your army's invasion. They believed that as long as they held onto their own small territory, the war would end once you suffered a setback.
You weren't surprised by their choice, so you began to assemble your army.
Five days later, all your allies, along with the army supporting Morgan's vassal faction, gathered at Camelot. A total of 23400 conscripted soldiers assembled outside Camelot. This massive army immediately made the kings of Wales tremble, and you need to choose a commander for this army.
[You choose, Artoria Pendragon]
Chapter 56 This Chaotic Family Relationship (Second Update)
“Lord Quinn, I am glad that you trust my abilities and have appointed me as the commander of the army, but I am very dissatisfied that you treat me like a toy and give me orders.”
Outside the King's office, Kai squatted outside the door with a worried expression, wishing he could plug his ears so he couldn't hear the sounds inside. Beside him, Gawain also looked distressed, listening to his father's argument with the King inside.
Inside the room, Artoria looked at Quinn with mixed feelings. She had the urge to kill him on the spot, but also felt a sense of excitement that her self-worth was finally about to be demonstrated. Just as she herself had said, when Quinn approached her and asked her to be the commander of the allied forces, Artoria was very happy.
Ever since she became queen, she had been constantly hampered by Quinn, her policies unable to be implemented, making her a puppet. Now that Quinn was finally willing to relinquish power to her and allow her to do what a queen should do, it was hard for her not to be happy, but...
"Why didn't you come with me to the expedition? Instead, you made Gawain my second-in-command?"
Chapter 65
Artoria was quite dissatisfied. She had thought that Quinn would personally participate in this war to unify the Welsh region, or at least accompany the army.
“Morgan is pregnant, and I have to stay in Camelot to take care of her.” Quinn said without hesitation. “Besides, it’s not just Gawain who will be your second-in-command; Kay will also be going with you. They are both candidates for Knights of the Round Table that I have reserved. That means you will be accompanied by two Knights of the Round Table on this expedition. Don’t you think that’s secure enough?”
“That’s exactly what I’m unhappy about, Lord Quinn. This isn’t the first time Morgan has been pregnant. We’re going to war with other countries, not play games. You’re not coming with me to the front lines, and you’re staying behind alone. What will the others think? Are you really so comfortable letting me command the army on my own?”
Artoria looked particularly displeased and pointed at something.
"Then shall I add Lancelot to your list? Agravan is definitely out of the question; he has to help me with government affairs."
"Can't you come with me yourself?"
Sigh, what a cheesy couple... Luckily they're not my parents, otherwise they would really be ugly.
Kai sighed, looking with pity at Gawain beside him, whose expression was growing increasingly strange. He knew Artoria's true gender, but Gawain did not. At this moment, Gawain felt a chill run down his spine, unable to discern the relationship between his father and the new ruler. If they had a good relationship, they were arguing as if they were about to draw knives at any moment. If they didn't have a good relationship... he couldn't understand why the new ruler insisted on dragging his father to war.
He couldn't help but think of the little tasks his mother had assigned him, such as... observing whether the new emperor and his father had any close interactions. Originally, he didn't understand why his mother wanted him to pay attention to these things, but now, he had a better idea.
It seems that the new king may have sexual orientation issues.
It turns out my dad isn't just popular with women; I'm afraid men can't resist his charm either... Fortunately, my dad's orientation is normal.
“Sigh, you’re so hard to please. How about this, once Wales is unified, I’ll go horseback riding and hunting with you, okay? But don’t tell Morgan.”
"Just us?" a joyful voice rang out.
"Yes, just the two of us."
Gawain: ...pupil tremor.JPG
No, Father, you can't do this! You're practically delivering goods to our door! How can you face Mother? He's her brother!
Gao Wen began to feel particularly worried about his complicated family relationships. Kai looked at his worried face and felt more and more pity. "Gao Wenqing, don't think too much. They just have a good relationship. After all, the king is your father's student."
“But this… doesn’t seem like the kind of conversation that should exist between a student and a teacher, does it?” Gao Wen’s voice trembled.
"Think of Lancelot."
Oh no, that Frenchman has his eye on my dad too.
Gawain grew increasingly worried, and just as he was struggling to articulate his inner thoughts, Artoria finally emerged from the government office with satisfaction. She glanced at the two people blocking the doorway, and a slight blush immediately appeared on her face. With so much noise coming from inside the room, these two must have overheard her conversation with Quinn.
"Kay, Gawain, what did you two hear?" Artoria coughed and asked seriously.
The two knights, each with their own thoughts, immediately shook their heads to indicate that they hadn't heard anything. Seeing this, Artoria nodded in satisfaction. "Make your own preparations. We'll be leaving Camelot tomorrow."
After saying that, Artoria turned and left. Seeing this, Kai nodded to Gawain and followed his sister, leaving Gawain standing there awkwardly. Fortunately, Quinn had already noticed the situation at the door and called Gawain in.
You look at your eldest son and notice that he seems somewhat absent-minded. Clearly, he is troubled by his dysfunctional family relationships. You feel a pang of guilt, because since Artoria became queen, you have indeed neglected the psychological guidance you should have given your two children.
During this time, neither Gawain nor Agravain knew how to face Artoria, their suddenly appearing uncle. They could sense the discord between the royal sisters, but they were also aware of their close relationship with him, which put them in a dilemma.
[Agraven is alright. Under your tutelage, this second son's thinking is somewhat biased towards the Paradox Interactive player's mindset. He only cares about whose orders are more efficient and can make the Kingdom of Camelot stronger. He will follow the orders of whoever is the most capable monarch. And now, you are the de facto ruler of Camelot. Therefore, he only needs to act according to your arrangements.]
But Gawain is different. His way of thinking is extremely simple and more in line with the chivalrous mindset of this era. This puts him in a dilemma because Morgan has ordered him to monitor Artoria to prevent her from posing any threat to you.
Originally, Gawain thought that as the Minister of the Palace, your relationship with the King would definitely deteriorate, but now... he thinks Morgan might be underestimating the situation; you'll be in danger no matter where you are.
"What nonsense are you thinking?" Quinn looked at the absent-minded Gawain with a terrible expression. "You didn't eavesdrop outside the door for a while and now you think there's some strange relationship between me and the king, did you?"
Gawain immediately shook his head and quickly denied it, "No, I was just thinking about how to treat the king. He seems to have a very good relationship with you."
"Just treat it as a normal family relationship, don't overthink it. Besides, I specifically sent you to follow the king, not just to give you a gilded reputation, I have a mission for you."
"A mission?" Gawain was taken aback.
“Yes, during the time the King leads his army to conquer Wales, you must collect all the account books in the King’s palace and have me send them to you. Also, if you encounter a guy named ‘Perinore’ in Wales who wants to duel the King, you must secretly take away the sword beforehand, so that it doesn’t break during the duel and cause Camelot to lose face. Of course, don’t lose the sword and bring it to me on your return journey; I have other uses for that sword.”
"Father, why...why do you think the Sword of Kings will break?" Gawain asked in astonishment.
Why did it break? It's because that thing was a mass-produced product that Merlin made by hand.
Quinn curled his lip. "I knew he would break, so when you leave Camelot, take the Holy Lance with you. When the time comes, have the King use the spear."
"Huh? I took the Holy Lance with me? Won't Mother be angry?"
"Don't worry about that. I'll explain the situation to your mother."
So, on the very day Artoria led her army into battle, Morgan cornered you at the entrance of the government office. Her face was as cold as ice, sending chills down your spine. This enraged woman said only one sentence to you.
“Quinn Europa, do you never take my words to heart? How dare you give the things I prepared for you to other people?!”
Quinn shrank back, not daring to reply, and now he had only one thought in his mind.
Little idiot, I've thought of everything for you in advance. If you fail to subdue the entire Wales within two months, when you come back, I'll make you pay double and give birth to Mordred!
Chapter 57 Zeus Expresses Approval (Third Update)
Morgan is furious. During the tournament, she warned you not to give away anything she had prepared for you, especially not to Artoria. But you disobeyed her warning, which makes Morgan feel slighted by you.
But you're helpless, because you can't allow this campaign against Wales to go wrong.
In Arthurian legend, King Arthur's sword of choice would be used by King Arthur in a battle with a man named "Perinore".
Chapter 66
The sword broke during the duel. According to the original legend, the reason the Sword of the King broke was because the duel violated the code of chivalry. However, in the Type-Moon universe, it's not that complicated. The core reason the Sword of the King broke is that it was a defective product made by Merlin, and naturally, it wasn't something that could be used for long.
If the Sword of the Chosen were to break during the campaign against Wales, it would undoubtedly have a huge impact on the morale of the entire army. You must avoid such a situation. Logically, the best option would be to find Artoria her destined sword in the lake beforehand, the Star Sword forged by the fairies of Avalon, but...
[Do you think that if Morgan finds out you went to find the Holy Sword specifically for Artoria's use, she'll be more than just angry? Rather than that, it's better to put up with her anger and let Artoria use the Holy Lance for a while. After all, it's the lesser of two evils.]
[If you clearly explain your concerns and worries, Morgan will definitely understand you; at least, that's what you think, and that's the reality.]
"You really think I'm that easy to fool? Worried about morale? Then why don't you send your own troops? I know your own troops didn't join this expedition, did they?"
Morgan sat sideways on Quinn's lap, her pert buttocks pressing firmly between her legs against the man she both loved and hated. Her sweet smile and the arms wrapped around Quinn's neck and shoulders made the scene look like a painting of sweet lovers embracing, if you ignored her icy tone.
To be honest, even so, Quinn was quite enjoying it.
No one dislikes having a lovely woman sitting on their lap. If only her arms around their neck were a little lighter, otherwise Quinn always felt like his neck was about to be snapped.
“Wasn’t that to protect you?” Quinn grinned. “What if I had the king take all the troops with him, and then someone launched a surprise attack on Camelot?”
“I don’t understand military strategy very well, but I’m not stupid. In the whole of Wales now, what kingdom can bypass the expeditionary force to attack Camelot? An army of more than 20,000 men, even if you put a dog in command, could unify Wales.” Morgan laughed, and began to exert force with his arms. “In this kind of crushing war, even if the morale of the army is damaged, it will not affect that bastard’s ability to win the war.”
"Stop, stop, stop! I'll tell the truth, I'll tell the truth!" Feeling a bit short of breath, Quinn immediately channeled his French heritage and raised his hands in surrender. "I'm avoiding the future."
"...What did Merlin say to you?"
Upon hearing the words 'avoid the future,' Morgan loosened her grip slightly to give Quinn some breathing room; she didn't believe Quinn could foresee the future.
Because Morgan knew Quinn's body and talents inside and out, she had already determined when she was teaching him magic that Quinn did not possess precognitive abilities like clairvoyance. Therefore, he must have learned something from that damned dream demon Merlin, that must be it.
However, Quinn denied her speculation.