บท 155: C155
Shirou marched at the head of his troops towards Caerleon. To his left marched Gawain, Gaheris, Aggravain, and Morgan while on his right were Artoria, Bedivere, and Tristan. Behind him, a vast ocean of more than two thousand people followed in his wake.
Just half a month ago, he had departed from Caerleon to Camelot without any soldiers by his side. However, upon his return, he was accompanied by over two thousand people.
At that moment, Caerleon was only guarded by 300 of its own guards and 500 soldiers from Lamorak's forces. Shirou's return with over 2,000 people made him the ruler of Caerleon in one swift leap!
Vortigern and his army of 80,000 people had attacked Orkney with the power of thunder. Fortunately, Brastias made a timely decision, and the knight who reported the news arrived just in time. As a result, when Shirou's army poured into Caerleon, it had not yet been attacked.
Upon entering Caerleon, Shirou and his troops immediately seized control of the city, with Shirou assuming the position of commander.
Of all the people Shirou knew, Kay was the most skilled in defensive warfare, and he had previously collaborated with him in the Dream King game. Upon arriving in Caerleon, Shirou's first plan was to find Kay. However, to his surprise, Kay and Merlin were already waiting for him in the castle.
Upon seeing Shirou, Merlin smiled and began to speak. However, before he could utter a word, Shirou swiftly grabbed his sleeve and delivered a punch to his gut.
Merlin clutched his stomach, doubling over in pain and emitting a groan.
"I don't have time for you now," Shirou said sternly. "Let me get everything in order first, and then I'll deal with you slowly."
He called Lamorak over and explained the situation to everyone, outlining his plan for the defense of Caerleon. He then handed over command of the garrison to Kay, with Lamorak as his deputy to assist him.
Although Lamorak had not sworn allegiance to Shirou, he still nodded in agreement with the arrangement.
Kay was hesitant and expressed his doubts, "Is it really wise to entrust such a significant matter to me, my king?"
"I have faith in you and your abilities because you are my knight," Shirou replied confidently. "Go ahead and do it!"
Kay was deeply moved by Shirou's trust in him, and his voice became resolute as he replied, "Yes, your majesty! I will do my best to protect Caerleon and its people!"
Shirou borrowed Aggravain from Morgan and had him replace the original steward of Caerleon Castle.
Although Morgan was puzzled by the request as Aggrevain was her shadow and had never dealt with internal affairs, she still granted her dear brother's request and lent Aggravain to him.
Aggrevain remained expressionless, neither refusing nor accepting the position of steward. The original steward of Caerleon Castle was dissatisfied with the decision, but with Shirou's large following and Vortigern's looming attack, he reluctantly suppressed his discontent.
Shirou appointed Bedivere as his deputy and assigned Aggrevain as the new steward of Caerleon Castle.
As Bedivere looked at the gloomy Aggravain, he willingly accepted the task at hand. Unlike Artoria and Aggravain, who were introverted, Bedivere had an outgoing personality and sincere emotions. He was able to express his inner feelings freely.
Shirou divided his army into three groups, assigning specific tasks to each. He placed Artoria in charge of the cavalry, Gawain in charge of the infantry, and Tristan in charge of the archers.
Tristan was taken aback by Shirou's trust in him and couldn't help but ask, "My king, don't you have any suspicions about me? Despite pledging my loyalty to you, I am still King Mark's nephew and could potentially conspire with him to betray you."
He replied firmly, "If I suspected you, I wouldn't have chosen you. If I have chosen you, I won't suspect you. Tristan, let me witness the beautiful melody of the battlefield through your skills."
Tristan was moved by Shirou's trust in him, and even the others were inspired by the king's boldness. What is more inspiring for a knight than the trust of their monarch?
With positions and personnel quickly arranged, Shirou allowed his army to disperse and focus on their respective tasks.
Artoria cast a hesitant glance towards Kay, but before she could say anything, Shirou placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and said, "Let's talk about Ector's matter after everything is over."
She nodded in agreement.
Out of all the people present, only Morgan and Merlin were not assigned any specific tasks.
Morgan was his sister and a magus, making it difficult to assign her a specific role. As for Merlin, he preferred to observe rather than actively participate.
Despite not being assigned a task, Morgan approached Shirou and asked, "Arthur, is there anything I can help you with?"
He had not considered how to utilize Morgan's skills, but Merlin interjected with a suggestion. "Why not have Princess Morgan reinforce the wall's barrier?"
Morgan glared fiercely at Merlin and snapped, "Shut up, you perverted waste in women's clothing! As the court mage, it's fine for you to be absent from Camelot most of the time. But with your clairvoyance and wisdom, you must have foreseen the chaos that would occur at Arthur's coronation ceremony, yet you did nothing. How can you face my father, who entrusted Arthur to you? I really want to tear you apart right now!"
Merlin weakly replied, "But you can't beat me..."
Morgan's anger exploded, causing her breathing to become rapid.
Shirou, concerned that the situation might escalate, quickly intervened. He coughed a few times and grabbed her arm, "Sister, could you please reinforce the defense of the castle walls?"
Morgan's gaze remained sharp as a knife, and she continued to glare at Merlin before turning to him and saying, "Okay! I will help you! I am not like some white-haired waste!"
With that, she lifted her dress and left the castle
Thud thud thud
As she walked away, Morgan's footsteps were heavy, indicating her intense anger towards Merlin. It was evident that she was trying to hold in her frustration towards him.
He watched Morgan leave before turning to Merlin and pondering for a moment. "You knew about Sir Ector's situation, didn't you?"
Merlin's fluffy white hair drooped slightly at the mention of Ector's name, and he replied in a somewhat indifferent tone, "He chose his own path."
Shirou pressed on, "I am asking you, did he really commit suicide, or was he forced to do so?"
Merlin shook his head. "No one could force him. Despite his age and inability to wield his old greatsword, he remained one of Britain's finest knights. He had no weaknesses, except for Britain itself."
"If Artoria was the current 'Arthur', would things have escalated to this point?"
"No, they wouldn't have."
"Why?" Shirou furrowed his brows.
Merlin explained, "Because Lily doesn't know how to deceive, manipulate hearts, or present herself as flawless. Instead, she brings people comfort and puts them at ease, unlike you, who often instills fear in them."
Shirou smiled wryly and remarked, "Being a king is already difficult, but being a king of a country that has been without one for ten years is even more so... A wise king can make free people afraid, but a foolish king can make hopeful people angry."
He understood what Merlin meant. Nearly ten years had passed since Uther's death, and the kingdom had been without a king for that entire time. The northern kings had also withstood Vortigern's attacks for ten years without Uther's leadership. They had enjoyed their freedom for a decade and had managed to survive without any major issues caused by the Red Dragon. Naturally, they thought they could do without a king.
However, at this moment, "Arthur" had pulled the sword from the stone and emerged. To the people, he was just a bumpkin who had come out of nowhere, wanting to climb to the top and look down on them. They resented the fact that they had to be subservient to someone they deemed unworthy. How could they endure it?
If "Arthur" was a puppet that they could control, then they might have supported him. But he wasn't a puppet - he was a lion with sharp claws, intent on devouring their rights. How could they not resist?
"I made a mistake... I exposed myself too early!" Shirou sighed inwardly.
The speeches delivered in various places had stirred up the sensitive nerves of the powerful forces in Camelot and even across Britain!
Shirou had revealed his hand too early!
He had intended to win people's hearts, but it had caused a backlash. However, if it were Artoria, it wouldn't be like this. She never became a king out of selfishness, but rather viewed it as a duty and wouldn't have stirred up the sensitive nerves of any faction.
No faction would have truly treated her as a king, but rather as a necessary tool for defeating Vortigern and foreign enemies. After the war, these factions would have waited for her to make a mistake and then pull her down.
This is why Mordred would quickly gain the support of the kings when Artoria embarked on her expedition to Rome.
Mitigating conflicts is a science, and as a leader, it's an even bigger science!
Shirou let out a sigh before asking, "What are the chances of us winning a direct confrontation against Vortigern?"
"Less than ten percent."
Shirou's frown deepened, "That low? Are you sure you're not lying to me?"
"There's no deception here," Merlin replied, shaking his head. "As the court mage, it is my duty to provide you with the wisdom of the gods for your final journey as the successor to the throne. I have no reason to lie to you."
Merlin explained, "Vortigern has already retrieved the holy lance Rhongomyniad and now possesses the power of the White Dragon. He has taken Uther's place as the Island's Lord and has become the embodiment of this land, akin to a god of this era. His power is directly linked to the amount of land he controls, and currently, he has gained control over almost sixty percent of it. Given these circumstances, whether it's you, me, Princess Morgan, or all of Britain, we can only rely on two individuals to face him in a direct confrontation and emerge victorious."
"Who are these two individuals?"
"One of them is Cath Palug, who has absorbed 'Evil' and transformed into the Beast."
Shirou furrowed his brow and spoke, "You mentioned that my capacity for Evil is nearly at its limit. If Cath Palug were to transform back into the Beast, I wouldn't be able to absorb any more of its Evil. The catastrophe brought on by the 'Beast' could very well surpass the terror of Vortigern, and in the end, we might not survive. So, who is this second person?"
Merlin grinned and replied, "The second one is the very person you've been concerned about – the Dead Apostle, 'King of the Moon.'"
"Crimson Moon?" Shirou's eyes narrowed in shock as he exclaimed with disbelief, "Does it... does it truly exist? And it's still in Britain?"
Merlin reassured him, "Please, don't worry. Based on my observations, its true form remains on the mainland, and what has arrived on the island is merely a vessel possessed by its will."
"What is it doing in Britain?"
"It's hard to say."
"So, how can we defeat Vortigern?"
"By transforming into nature, he has ascended to the status of a 'god.' The more land he controls, the more powerful he becomes. To defeat him, we must, of course, reclaim all the territory he has seized!"
"In the end... it's still a battle of kings..." he sighed before posing another question, "What would happen if Vortigern were to take over Britain?"
"The Age of Gods would be restored and rejected by the Throne of Heroes. This historical node would also become a Lostbelt... Have you heard of the concept of Lostbelts? If not, just imagine that if Vortigern were to occupy all of Britain, we would all disappear. Even you, who come from the future, would be unable to escape this fate."
Merlin paused and then flashed a smile, "But don't worry, I will definitely hide in Avalon if that day comes."
Shirou: "..."
...
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