Kapitel 189: Inferiority Complex
Due to the tight schedule, Artoria opted for the nearest road to the royal capital of Mercia. To increase marching speed, she even directly invoked the Invisible Air, and the army of over ten thousand advanced like a gust of wind.
Under the unstoppable iron hooves of the Godslayer Knights, the defenses set up along the way by Mercia were as fragile as paper, easily shattered.
After capturing each city, Artoria left a thousand soldiers to guard it, preventing their retreat from being cut off and avoiding being flanked by the enemy.
Relying on the terrifying efficiency of the Godslayer Knights, they captured five cities in just one day and night. On the second morning, they saw Mercia's royal capital standing tall on the plain.
The commander of Mercia clearly had no intention of facing them head-on. He activated the magic formations at full power, enveloping the massive city in a thick bounded field, impregnable like a towering peak.
"Sorry, but with the strength of the knights, it's unlikely we can break through that bounded field in a short time." Lamorak said to Artoria.
This might be considered the only flaw of the Godslayer Knights. While their group combat abilities and individual strength were powerful, they lacked decisive burst power, making them often less effective in siege warfare.
"No problem, just leave it to me."
Artoria, riding the horse Scathach gave her, approached about fifty meters from the front of the royal capital. She dismounted, looking at the magnificent city.
Her palm tightened slightly as Excalibur appeared in her hand. The dragon's heartbeat and endless magical energy flowed into the holy sword. Countless dazzling golden light particles converged on the sword from all directions, as if forged by radiance.
"Sheathed in the breath of the planet, a torrent of shining life. Feel its wrath—Excalibur!"
*BOOM—!!!*
A ten-meter-long golden pillar of light extended from the sword toward the sky. Without delay, Artoria swung down forcefully, and the pillar of light hit the bounded field. After a brief pause, the vast magical fluctuations gathered into a visible storm, echoing like a thunderous roar.
They remained locked for a full minute. Even with the support of the Ley Lines, the bounded field couldn't withstand the tremendous power of the holy sword of the planet. With creaking sounds, the surface of the bounded field revealed a dense network of cracks, followed by a booming explosion.
"KNIGHTS, CHARGEEE—!!!"
Lamorak raised his spear and charged at the forefront. The knights followed closely behind, and the remaining five thousand soldiers followed them, storming into the royal capital of Mercia.
Artoria tried to mount her horse, but her legs suddenly went weak, almost causing her to fall.
Morgan supported her from behind, looking at her pale face and rapidly rising and falling chest.
"You're exhausted, Lily..." Morgan said with a sigh.
The Invisible Air covering over ten thousand people, released continuously for twenty-four hours, was too much for even the dragon heart to bear.
The last strike she just made was Artoria's final effort. At this moment, she had been drained completely.
"Sorry, Elder Sister, I have no other choice..." Artoria said with her head lowered, both palms clenched tightly. "I don't possess the profound wisdom and formidable strength like Teacher. I can't handle every situation effortlessly like him. I have to push myself constantly, squeezing out every ounce of my strength, fighting desperately for the only hope. This is the only thing I can do..."
Since Arkhan handed over Rhongomyniad to her, Artoria had been anxious. She feared that she might not live up to his expectations and disappoint him.
Her teacher had always been her role model, but the closer she got to the sun, the more she felt her own insignificance. The longer she stayed by his side, the more she realized her weaknesses.
She struggled to keep pace with her teacher, but the gap was too vast. It was like trying to reconcile the clouds in the sky with the mud on the ground—no matter what method she used, she couldn't bridge the difference.
So, she had to push herself to the limit and exhaust every bit of her strength. Only then could she barely keep up with that man.
Morgan's eyes revealed a hint of complexity as she gently embraced her younger sister.
"Lily, I understand how you feel. But why compare yourself to him in the first place? He has his strengths, and you have yours. If he decided to pass the throne to you, it means he trusts your abilities. You don't need to burden yourself with so much pressure and unnecessary thought. Just do what you can do."
"Give yourself some leeway, Lily. Don't always shoulder everything alone. Even Arkhan has things he can't do, let alone you. Learn to trust others; it's an essential lesson for a ruler."
Artoria remained silent for a while before finally exhaling.
"Maybe you're right, Elder Sister. I've been too impatient..."
"As long as you understand..." Morgan said with relief with a slight smile on her face.
Artoria gazed at the city in front of her. In the end, she abandoned the idea of entering, took off her luggage, and prepared to replenish her strength with some provisions.
Her magical energy came from her stamina, and if she lacked stamina, her magical energy recovery would be slow.
She opened her luggage and took out a few brick-like objects. These were compressed rations specially made for her by Merlin at Arkhan's request. Although they tasted average, they were very filling. A normal person could eat one and go without food for a whole day.
Artoria quickly finished these compressed rations, touched her stomach, and furrowed her brows slightly.
"What's wrong? Not full yet?" Morgan asked curiously.
"No..." Artoria chuckled. "I squeezed my magical energy too hard before. Even if I fill my stomach now, I won't be able to replenish it in the short term. I'm afraid there might be problems when we attack Northumbria."
"Running low on magical energy, huh..." Morgan pondered for a moment before an idea suddenly came to her mind. "I have a method to replenish magical energy quickly. Want to give it a try?"
"What method?" Artoria asked curiously.
Morgan leaned in close to Artoria's ear and whispered a few words. At first, Artoria looked puzzled, then her face suddenly turned red.
"Th-This... But we're both women... H-How can we do such a thing?" Artoria's gaze wandered as she stuttered.
Morgan shrugged nonchalantly.
"What's the big deal? It's just a mere physical contact, body to body. It's the fastest way, believe me."
"Is there really no other way?" Artoria hesitated.
"This is the quickest method. Other ways probably won't replenish your magical energy as fast."
Artoria bit her lip and hesitated for a moment. After a while, she made up her mind and nodded.
"Alright, let's do it your way! But you have to promise absolutely not to leak this out, especially not to Teacher!"
"Don't worry, I don't want him to know about this either." Morgan nodded and reassured her younger sister.
With a wave of her hand, Morgan created a bounded field, isolating the space within three meters from the outside world.
Soon, a rustling sound echoed in the small space.
"Wa-Wait, isn't it enough to use the mouth? Why do we have to take off our clothes?!"
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