章節 164: Victory of Camelot
After securing Kent, Arkhan allowed his forces a day of rest before immediately starting the construction of defensive lines.
Conquering didn't mark the end of the war; the crucial task ahead was holding onto the newly acquired territory.
If Kent hadn't been razed, Camelot's army could have used it as a stronghold against future enemies. However, circumstances forced them to fend for themselves.
But for Arkhan, this wasn't much of a challenge. With the aid of Primordial Rune and Star of Eden, he crafted a defensive line over 200 meters long in just two days.
The reinforcements from Mercia were dumbfounded at the sight and attempted an attack, but realizing it was futile, retreated dejectedly.
In the following days, the other sides reported success. Bedivere and Artoria led their forces to conquer Sussex and Wessex.
Vortigern couldn't just watch these three nations fall into Camelot's hands, so he immediately rallied the remaining four Northern Kingdoms and launched a frenzied counterattack.
But when it came to trench warfare, who could outmatch Camelot?
Moreover, with Camelot having Nidhogg in Sussex and Artoria in Wessex, who would dare challenge them?
Not to mention, Arkhan, with his formidable mobility, continuously maneuvered between the three sides, repelling the armies of the Northern Kingdoms and putting immense pressure on them.
The war lasted for a whole six months, and not even a step was taken within Camelot's defenses.
Finally, with no other choice, Vortigern reluctantly ordered a full retreat.
This meant he had abandoned the three major kingdoms.
Henceforth, of the Seven Northern Kingdoms, only four remained.
However, Arkhan didn't let his guard down. After the remaining four Northern Kingdoms withdrew, he gathered all of Camelot's mages, spending half a year connecting the defensive lines of the three conquered kingdoms into a more magnificent military front than Hadrian's Wall.
He named it the 'Great Wall of the North'.
The existence of this formidable military structure signified Camelot's solid foothold in the North.
Arkhan could finally breathe easy. Leaving behind twenty thousand soldiers led by Kay and Bedivere, he returned to Camelot with the remaining army.
Thus, the nearly two-year counterattack against the North ended with Camelot's victory.
News reached the South, causing a seismic reaction.
No one had expected the seemingly insane three-front war plan to succeed!
Camelot had indeed conquered the three major Northern Kingdoms!
The King of Gwent couldn't help but feel genuinely fortunate. Thankfully, the King of Deheubarth had rejected him; otherwise, Gwent might have turned to dust like Ganna.
After this battle, everyone was acutely aware that Camelot's rise couldn't be stopped.
Some small nations acted decisively, immediately submitting petitions to become Camelot's vassal states.
Arkhan, without hesitation, accepted them all.
As those small nations joyfully thought they had attached themselves to Camelot's power, little did they know that he was coldly smirking at them.
"Vassal states? I don't give a damn about that. What I want are territory and loyalty!"
Arkhan, well-versed in history, knew very well that these vassal relationships were the most unreliable. Despite these fellows acting all respectful on normal days when push came to shove, they ran faster than rabbits.
In the end, their show of submission was merely because Camelot was too powerful, and they wanted to enjoy the shade of this big tree.
If Camelot faced any trouble in the future, these people would turn their backs at a speed faster than anyone could imagine.
To avoid such a situation, Arkhan needed to seize back the military, financial, and political power from them.
However, right after Camelot had just experienced a major war, with their current strength, they couldn't pull off such a move. It might even trigger a strong backlash from allied nations.
So, Arkhan accepted their plea and recognized them as vassal states of Camelot.
On one hand, he could use this opportunity to extend his influence into these nations for future preparations. On the other hand, it was to conceal his true motives and lower their guard.
Shortly after returning to Camelot, Arkhan held a grand banquet, inviting all the nobles to celebrate the victory of the war.
During the banquet, with cups clinking and everyone in high spirits, it seemed like a lively celebration.
Gradually, the nobles sensed that something was amiss.
The king had yet to mention anything about their 'borrowed' army. Normally, after a war, the king should dismiss the army, letting them return to their respective lords. But the king hadn't said anything about that, as if he had forgotten.
Watching the king sitting high on the throne, enjoying his wine, the nobles exchanged uneasy glances, hesitant to approach.
At this point, with the king's influence at its peak, who dared to bring up such a sensitive issue?
That would be suicidal! They had a premonition that they might not get their armies back.
Arkhan's gaze swept over them, a subtle smirk playing on his lips.
Before the war, he had already stated that not a single soldier among them would return.
He had long prepared to reclaim all the military, financial, and political power from them, consolidating all authority in the center.
But he knew he couldn't rush this. Besides, Vortigern was not entirely dealt with yet, and he still needed the support of these nobles.
Standing up, Arkhan declared on the spot that any noble who had aided him in this campaign could qualify to select territories in the North.
Finally, the tension eased among the nobles. Exchanging armies for territories seemed like a fantastic deal to them.
Territories might be static, but people were dynamic. Territories represented population and wealth—with those, who needed armies?
They were delighted, and Arkhan even more so.
The combined area of Kent, Wessex, and Sussex was just too vast for him to manage with the current human resources at his disposal.
So, he shifted his approach, planning to let these nobles invest their own money and effort into managing these lands.
Ultimately, when he took back all of their power, what could these nobles do with all those territories?
Without an army, they posed no threat to him.
No matter how hard they worked, in the end, they would just be working for him.
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