69novels Page 28
Page 28
[Most of these kings, upon arriving in Camelot, immediately went to attend the king-selection ceremony, hoping to seize a kingdom for free by drawing their swords. Naturally, these ambitious men all failed. Merlin's specially designed king-selection mechanism was intended solely for Artoria; anyone else would be rejected by that sword.]
[You used to look down on these rigged, pre-arranged rituals, but now you realize they're not entirely useless. At least they easily helped you discern the contestants' personalities. You used this opportunity to analyze the king, determining which individuals needed to be conquered by force and which could be coerced or bribed into submission.]
You compiled a small notebook, noting down the names of kings whose ambitions were written all over their faces and who needed to be conquered by force. Then, you were pleasantly surprised to find that almost none of the kings who could survive in Britain were easy to deal with; nearly 70% of the kingdoms needed to be subdued by force.
As the kings and nobles of all Britain gathered at Camelot, Merlin began his campaign. During this time, he continuously promoted the legitimacy of the Sword of the Chosen King, mythologizing the ceremony. In his description, the one who could draw the sword was the chosen king, the chosen one personally selected by God.
His promotional skills are indeed outstanding, making this sword-drawing ceremony resemble a huge prize pool. Every loser adds to its luster, attracting more participants. Of course, this doesn't affect your knights. When your knights swear not to participate, they are already out of the running for the prize.
When the last British king failed to draw the sword, the prize money for this grand lottery finally reached its peak. By this point, it was clear to everyone that the ceremony was indeed extraordinary; otherwise, none of the kings of Britain would have been unable to pull out the sword. And at this moment, whoever could draw the sword, regardless of whether they were fit to be king, would certainly be more powerful than any of the kings of Britain in terms of martial prowess.
The people of Camelot firmly believe that you are the one who can draw the sword, because until now, you have not participated in the ritual.
But, amidst the clamor of the crowd, it wasn't you who finally appeared before the Sword of the King, but Artoria. She stood before the many defeated ones, grasped the Sword of the King, and the next second, radiance and flowers descended from the sky—Merlin's illusion. In this fabricated miracle, the Sword of the King was pulled from the stone.
This result was unacceptable to everyone. The public and participants alike stared at Artoria in disbelief. They couldn't believe that the one who could pull out the sword wasn't you, but merely one of your knights. Many began to question the fairness of the royal selection ceremony, especially the kings themselves. They couldn't accept that you were stronger than them.
After all, losing to you isn't shameful, but Artoria is far less prestigious than you. In the eyes of the kings, she's nothing more than your sidekick, lacking both noble lineage and remarkable legendary achievements. They cannot accept that such a person could defeat them. Thus, these kings erupted on the spot, beginning to denigrate the fairness of the ceremony, voluntarily acting as your great scholars to defend you, and verbally attacking Artoria as a cheater.
[You still haven't stepped forward to address this; you've let it all go because you know someone will come forward to prove Artoria's legitimacy.]
Faced with questions from the kings of Britain, Merlin reappeared as the former court magician and revealed Artoria's entire background to prove that she was indeed the illegitimate son of the late King Uther, and the heir to Uther's power and bloodline.
Although Merlin was usually unreliable, he was actually quite influential in Britain. Many kings who had met King Uther once still remembered Merlin, the former court magician. Now that Merlin had staked his entire reputation on the game, the kings finally saw the true nature of this election ceremony.
[This is a staged performance orchestrated by King Uther and Merlin to pave the way for Artoria's rise to the throne, all so that their illegitimate son could become king. They themselves became the clowns in this charade, not only believing the drama to be real but also traveling a great distance to serve as stepping stones for others.]
At this moment, the kings are enraged. You know it's time for you to step forward.
Outside the Hall of the Knights of the Round Table, after Merlin revealed Artoria's true identity, all the kings and knights gathered there fell silent, and almost everyone stared at Merlin and Artoria with hostility and anger.
A tense atmosphere permeated the area, causing even the guards, who were originally only responsible for maintaining order, to grip their weapons tightly, ready to stop any potential brawl at any moment.
"Merlin, you and King Uther are treating us like fools..."
A prince spoke first, but before he could finish speaking, he felt a strong sense of crisis. He looked in astonishment toward the source of the feeling and saw a colossal creature staring at him—a crimson dragon.
The king blinked instinctively and realized that the giant beast from before was not there at all; standing in front of him was Artoria.
Do you have any doubts about my ability to inherit Camelot?
Artoria's calm tone dissipated much of the anger in everyone's hearts, especially the king who was facing her directly. Only now did the king realize that Artoria's eyes had an inhuman color, a cold and dangerous gold, exactly like the eyes of the illusory red dragon.
Cold sweat began to bead on the prince's forehead. He realized Artoria's identity and why Merlin had said that this illegitimate son of King Uther was far more suitable to inherit the throne than Morgan, the legitimate princess.
Many present were considering backing down. After all, they weren't Camelot citizens, and there was no need to make a big deal out of it. The rightful heir, Morgan, hadn't even spoken yet; why should they get involved in this messy affair that belonged only to the Camelot people? Until…
When Merlin saw Artoria suppress the aura of the kings all by herself, he instinctively chuckled, "Oh dear, everyone, don't be so impatient. In the end, if everyone just stayed quietly in their own territories and didn't get involved in this, wouldn't all the problems have been avoided?"
"Merlin! What nonsense are you spouting?"
Upon hearing this, Artoria's expression changed drastically. She wished she could beat Merlin into a pulp on the spot. However, the words had already been spoken, and the situation was irreversible. The Camelot guards around her also showed expressions of utter despair.
The entire selection site descended into chaos. The British princes who had initially intended to withdraw, along with their knights, drew their weapons. The anger of being humiliated ignited the atmosphere in the hall. Everyone cursed and vowed to chop Merlin and Artoria into mincemeat. Just as a British no-holds-barred fighting tournament was about to take place, the dull sound of horses' hooves grew louder as they approached.
Immediately afterwards, the outer gate of the castle was pushed open, and two knights and a black dog rushed into the hall, instantly cooling the atmosphere that had been like a powder keg, just like a bucket of ice water.
Those were Gawain, Lancelot, and the black dog Bagst, while outside the castle, there were armored paladins blocking the entire castle gate.
The princes and nobles felt a sudden chill in their hearts, thinking to themselves that they had probably fallen into a honey trap and were about to be wiped out by the Camelots.
However, just as the...
Chapter 60
In his panic, Wang saw Gawain pull out a parchment from his pocket and announce to the crowd, "By order of the Palace Minister, the late King's will has been fulfilled. All the duties and powers of the former court magician Merlin in Camelot are hereby revoked, and Merlin is hereby forbidden from ever setting foot on Camelot soil again."
After saying that, Gawain looked at Merlin and said, "From today onwards, you will no longer be Camelot's court magician."
"Great, Merlin, I'm off now." Merlin was about to leave with a smile when he saw Gawain slowly pull out another piece of paper.
"It's not over yet, Your Excellency Merlin. Here is also a formal order from the Chancellor."
Merlin immediately had a bad feeling and was about to run away when he heard Gawain speak.
"By order of the Palace Minister, effective immediately, Merlin is sentenced to life imprisonment for numerous serious crimes, including treason, plotting against the heir to the throne, and illegal interference in the internal affairs of Camelot. Whoever arrests Merlin shall be the true King of Camelot!"
Chapter 51 According to folklore, King Arthur once transformed into a woman (Second Update)
Merlin has been arrested.
When Quinn saw Merlin again, he was covered in bruises, and his clothes had changed from a white robe to gray beggar's clothes. His miserable appearance was far worse than before, but this time, it was not the result of his illusion, but real injuries. Every bruise on his body contained the heartfelt gratitude of the British nobles for Quinn.
When Gawain arrived at the election site with Quinn's edict, the election ceremony descended into complete chaos. The originally furious British kings immediately cheered and pounced on Merlin, venting their pent-up anger and turning the election site into a British no-holds-barred fighting tournament—a Merlin-themed version.
This new king selection mode, which simply tests who has the strongest fist, was well received by all the kings. Even though the final winner was still Artoria, who had the highest valor value, the kings had no objections, because Artoria was indeed very good at fighting, and at the same time, she was the one who attacked Merlin the most fiercely.
This was very much to the liking of the British kings, who were still living in a tribal society. They believed that the core reason why King Uther could represent Britain as the ruler of the island was because he was the most capable of fighting among the kings.
Now, thanks to this incident, Artoria's reputation among the kings has changed from "a cheating illegitimate child of unknown origin" to "having a similar style to her father," which can be considered as gaining the kings' approval.
However, acknowledging Artoria's identity did not mean they all thought this illegitimate child could smoothly become the King of Camelot. On the contrary, the kings had always believed that the next King of Camelot would inevitably be Morgan, for no other reason than that Morgan was Quinn's fiancée.
The moment those two imperial edicts appeared, these princes and nobles understood who the real power in Camelot was.
They have realized that Merlin's conspiracy with King Uther to elect a king, and the promise in the decree that "whoever arrests Merlin first will be the King of Camelot," were all just means for Quinn to demonstrate his power to the outside world. Now everyone can see the internal situation of the Kingdom of Camelot.
Whoever gains Quinn's support is the true king; without Quinn's support, the so-called king is nothing more than a puppet on the table.
Having realized this, the British kings, though dissatisfied, were no longer angry. Their stated reason for coming to Camelot was to attend the banquet hosted by Quinn, and the so-called election ceremony was merely an entertainment event. Since it was entertainment, being treated like a fool by Merlin would not damage their political prestige.
With no substantial losses incurred, the British kings' impression of Quinn improved considerably. At the same time, they went from being participants to being spectators, eagerly anticipating who Quinn would choose as the King of Camelot.
On one side is his fiancée, and on the other side are the knight who was originally loyal to him and the successor to the throne left by the late king. Such a shocking revelation is rare.
Quinn was in no hurry.
You imprisoned Merlin and decided to confine him in the dungeons beneath Camelot's palace, guarded by the black dog Bagst.
[Since the king-choosing ceremony has concluded, the Catholic God has decided to settle your oath with Merlin.]
[Throughout the process, although the king-selection ceremony was affected, you did not stop the ceremony from taking place, did not endanger Artoria's life, and did not reveal Artoria's background to others. Therefore, the Catholic God has judged that you kept your covenant and recognized your spirit of commitment.]
[As for Merlin, he did not contact or influence the development of your and Morgan's offspring. He kept his promise and informed you of the clues to the Holy Lance, which can be considered as assisting you in obtaining the Holy Lance. He kept his promise, but after the King Selection Ceremony, he did not leave Camelot but remained in the Camelot dungeon, which constitutes a breach of promise. The Catholic God has decided to punish Merlin.]
The Catholic God has decreed that you have the right to imprison Merlin for life. Unless you consent, Merlin will never be able to leave the prison you have set for him.
[You are satisfied with this verdict because Merlin's breach of contract was ultimately orchestrated by you. His defeat was already sealed when you made those three oaths with him. Your two decrees left him no choice but to voluntarily surrender to Artoria. Otherwise, you could have refused to allow Artoria to ascend the throne and gained the support of the British kings. In that case, Artoria would have truly had no chance of becoming queen.]
Now that Merlin has been brought to justice, your path ahead is unobstructed... or perhaps it won't be without obstacles, but you'll have to pay a price.
[You decided to abide by the ceremony's choice, acknowledging Artoria's right to the throne and supporting her as King of Camelot. Morgan had reservations about this, dissatisfied that you clearly held absolute power but were unwilling to use it to make her queen. However, she understood your difficulties, knew of your reputation, and was unwilling to force you to do anything that would damage your honor.]
The following day, you brought Artoria to the center of Camelot and, in front of the public, the kings of Britain and France, announced her as King of Camelot, son of King Uther. Since Artoria had no children, Morgan remained the heir to the throne of Camelot.
[The people of Camelot respected your decision, even though they all believed that Artoria, being a bastard, was far less suitable for the throne than Morgan. No one questioned the correctness of your order. On the contrary, you gained even more popularity because of the scandal exposed during the selection ceremony concerning the plans between King Uther and Merlin.]
Your legendary story has been elevated.
According to British historical accounts, King Arthur, being an illegitimate child, became King of Camelot entirely because of the support of the Mayor of the Palace. The Mayor of the Palace's support for King Arthur was likely influenced by some unknown witchcraft. There are rumors that Merlin cast a spell on King Arthur, making him resemble his sister Morgana, which made the Mayor of the Palace favor him. As a result, the Mayor of the Palace mistook King Arthur for Morgana when choosing a king.
Meanwhile, there are also folk tales that a princess from a certain region witnessed King Arthur repeatedly meeting secretly with his advisor, riding together on a horse. She feared that King Arthur, in his younger days, had disguised himself as a beautiful woman to seduce the advisor, thus gaining his advantage. She then used threats and inducements to coerce the virtuous advisor into supporting her as king, threatening to reveal her evidence to Morgana if he refused, hoping to ruin their relationship.
Ok?
No, where did this commoner princess come from that she could see through my outstanding stealth skills?
In front of everyone, Quinn placed the crown, symbolizing the Kingdom of Camelot, on Artoria's head, completing the entire coronation process. He then adopted a shrewd and cunning demeanor, quickly scanning the crowd and identifying the prime suspect among those who had witnessed the coronation ceremony.
Beside King Liao Dekuan
Chapter 61
Guinevere was covering her mouth, her eyes filled with a mixture of relief and shock, as if she had witnessed something amazing.
Girl, it turns out you're the real unofficial historian!
Chapter Fifty-Two: Why don't you put all your dogs in the cabinet?!
The coronation ceremony has ended. From the arrival of all the important personnel to the completion of the coronation, the entire process took only half an hour, which is far more efficient than the coronation ceremonies of some modern countries, and of course, much simpler.
With the coronation ceremony concluded, Artoria officially became the Queen of Camelot, the nominal ruler of the country.
At first, the people and knights were worried that their treatment and lives would change after the new king took the throne. But soon their worries disappeared because they found that even with a new king, the grassroots officials who went between the court and the people were still the same as before. Even every new policy and order was still stamped with the seal of the mayor of the palace, not the king's.
This tastes just right.
I knew it! The real ruler of this country is none other than the Prime Minister.
After Artoria became King of Camelot, the previously chaotic royal cabinet was finally reorganized and filled with suitable talents. Generally speaking, this situation is not a good thing for you. After all, the ascension of a new monarch is always accompanied by the power shift among factions among the dynasty's officials. Every new monarch will support some people he trusts to take on important positions in order to counterbalance the power of the old ministers left by the old monarch, but...
On the day Artoria ascended the throne, you placed a list of cabinet members on the King's desk, telling her that you had found all the suitable candidates to serve as ministers in the royal cabinet. Artoria believed you, so she picked up the list and saw your name at the very top, and the position you had recommended was—Kingdom Bishop.
Artoria was somewhat touched. She felt that you were too good to her. As the Palace Minister and her brother-in-law, you were willing to give up other more powerful positions and choose the position of Kingdom Bishop. Wasn't this clearly a political concession made to put yourself in power?
Artoria felt it was necessary for her, as the queen, to reward you, until her gaze swept downwards and she saw the recommendations for other positions.
[The Lord Keeper of the Seal: Your eldest son, Gawain]
Treasurer: Your fiancée Morgan
Military Commander: Your loyal knight Lancelot
Chief Spy: Your second son, Agruven
Royal spouse: None
Artoria is furious.
"Lord Quinn, don't you think you've gone too far?" The newly enthroned king slammed the list of recommendations on his desk, stood up abruptly, and stormed over to Quinn, glaring at the man he had once idolized. "How dare you present this list to me?!"
“Your Majesty, have I done something wrong?” Quinn ignored the angry little lion in front of him, his tone calm and gentle, showing no trace of a powerful minister. “The people on this list are all public servants. I dare say that there is no one in all of Camelot more worthy of your trust than them.”
Artoria laughed in exasperation. "I'm someone you've trained, not some country bumpkin! Lancelot's management of the military is perfectly reasonable, as his abilities are evident to all of Camelot. Your recommendation of the Queen to manage the national finances is also understandable. But what's with Gawain and Agravain?!"
The king's questioning ended there. Out of consideration for her reputation, she didn't finish her sentence, but she was certain that Quinn would understand what she wanted to express.
Gawain, though only a few years old, appears to be a normal adult. Considering his family background, appointing him as the Keeper of the Imperial Seal seems appropriate, but...
Almost everyone in Camelot knew that this son of the Palace Minister was a knight with exceptional martial prowess, blessed by a saint, whose fighting strength was enhanced for three hours from 9 a.m. to noon and three hours from 3 p.m. to sunset. He was nicknamed the Human Gorilla. He was completely unsuitable for clerical work. If he were to be appointed as the Lord Keeper of the Seals, it would be more appropriate to put his teacher, that black dog, in that position.
And Agguwen...
Like Gawain, he was growing rapidly, but the problem was that no matter how fast he grew, he was still not as tall as Artoria herself, and to anyone else he was just a child.