159 Counterattack

"Your Majesty, are you really planning to go through with this?"

Bedivere looked at the map on the table, with three red lines marked on it, and his mouth twitched slightly. Even from his perspective, he had to admit that this plan was too risky and crazy!

"Simultaneously attacking Wessex, Sussex, and Kent..." Bedivere sighed. "This is the craziest plan I've ever seen..."

The Seven Northern Kingdoms were built by the Anglo-Saxons and brought into Britain by Vortigern. Under his leadership, almost every kingdom had powerful strength comparable to Gwent and Deheubarth.

Without this strength, they wouldn't have been able to keep the South in check.

And now, his king was planning to take on all three of these kingdoms at once! Apart from madness, Bedivere couldn't find another word to describe it.

"Isn't it just attacking three kingdoms at the same time? What's there to be nervous about? Besides, didn't we just wipe out their fifty thousand soldiers?" Kay said nonchalantly.

Like Artoria, he had been with Arkhan the longest, so he always trusted his teacher implicitly.

Not to mention just attacking the Seven Northern Kingdoms, even if Arkhan wanted to charge straight into Vortigern, Kay would readily grab his weapons and armor, leading the charge.

However, Bedivere explained his reason.

"This is not just a matter of attacking three kingdoms at once. First, the previous war occurred because the North initiated the attack on us first, and being the defenders, we naturally held the advantage."

"Second, the enemy didn't know that we received information about their attack in advance, let alone that we've been prepared for it. Thanks to this information gap, we were able to hit them hard from the start."

"And third, the reason we could win so easily in the previous war was largely due to His Majesty's knights and Miss Nidhogg. Without them, the cost we would have paid in this war would have been much greater."

"But we just need to annihilate some uncivilized monkeys, yeah? For me, it's an easy task." Nidhogg crossed her arms, snorting disdainfully.

"If you could smile a little more subtly, maybe I would believe what you're saying." Arkhan quipped casually.

Nidhogg quickly closed her mouth, looking embarrassed, as if she had been caught in the act.

Bedivere picked up the feather pen on the table, circled the names of Wessex, Sussex, and Kent, then wrote Camelot in front of them, with two crossed swords in between.

"However, as the attacker, the role of His Majesty's knights will be greatly weakened. Perhaps only Miss Nidhogg won't be affected, but all the royal capitals of these three kingdoms are covered by powerful defensive bounded fields, not to mention various Mystic Codes. If we don't have enough manpower, it will be difficult for us to take them down quickly."

"And once we are dragged into a protracted battle, it will give the other four kingdoms time to react. By then, they will definitely send reinforcements. If they are ruthless enough, they can even use these three kingdoms as bait to solve us once and for all."

Bedivere circled the names of the remaining four Northern Kingdoms and pointed an arrow towards Camelot.

"And, in my opinion, this might not even be the worst-case scenario." Bedivere continued as his pen suddenly went down, circling the 'Southern Kingdoms'. "This is the worst-case scenario."

"Are you saying our allies might turn against us?!" Kay's eyes widened instantly. "They must be crazy to do such a thing!"

Even the alliance of three Northern Kingdoms that attacked Hadrian's Wall had been wiped out by them. What gave these people the audacity to come after Camelot?

"Normally, they wouldn't have the courage for this." Arkhan said casually while leaning back in his high-backed chair, fingers intertwined on his abdomen. "But if they took a moment to investigate, they'd find that all of Camelot's forces are now in the North. We are at our weakest ever internally. If we lose this war, those seemingly docile folks will turn into hungry wolves and devour Camelot without mercy. Never underestimate the greed of humanity, Kay. It's the greatest sin in the world."

"But even if they defeat us, won't they still be doomed when Vortigern comes to the South?" Kay questioned.

"If they could think that far ahead, King Uther wouldn't have fought alone against Vortigern in the first place." Arkhan sighed.

"With our current strength, it's safest to take down one kingdom first, maybe two at most. But if we fight on three fronts simultaneously, the risks are too great. Your Majesty, please reconsider." Bedivere earnestly advised.

Arkhan looked at Bedivere with interest. If this was the Bedivere from his memories, he wouldn't have spoken boldly like this.

The Bedivere he remembered from the original work was internally strong but seemed somewhat fragile. Even in the face of mockery, he never argued, just smiled it off.

The present Bedivere, with the same inner strength but now with a gaze less gentle and more resilient, reminded Arkhan that perhaps this version of Bedivere could return the Excalibur in one go if he were to replace the original Bedivere in the Sixth Singularity.

Thinking like that, Arkhan couldn't help but smile.

However, there was something Bedivere didn't quite understand yet.

A king's will is unchangeable.

Arkhan stood up and surveyed the people present with calm eyes that carried immense pressure.

"Vortigern suffered a heavy blow in the Norse Realms and won't be able to spare resources for external affairs anytime soon. Kent, Sussex, and Wessex lost fifty thousand soldiers, and their current morale is low. Now is the perfect time for us to clip Vortigern's wings. In such a rare opportunity, how could I, as the king, easily give up?"

Though Arkhan's tone was calm, it carried an unmistakable sense of conviction.

Bedivere felt an inexplicable fear rising within and quickly bowed.

"Forgive me for overstepping my boundaries, Your Majesty!"

"No need to apologize, Sir Bedivere. I know you are thinking for the good of Camelot. Your noble intention is commendable." Arkhan chuckled calmly. "But there's one thing I hope you understand—since the first day I arrived in this world, I've never failed!"

It was an incredibly arrogant statement, but coming from him, it sounded entirely justified.

Because he was a king. Besides being wise, just, and benevolent to their subjects, a king should be confident, proud, and aloof! Without such determination, one didn't deserve the title of a king!

Artoria's eyes gleamed with admiration. This was the majestic demeanor she had always longed for!

Morgan stared at Arkhan, filled with pride. This was her brother, the King of Camelot!

Nidhogg slightly averted her gaze, for some reason finding it hard to meet Arkhan's eyes.

"Indeed, it's worthy of you, Arkhan..." Merlin, drinking in a certain tavern and simultaneously using his 'clairvoyance' to observe, smirked. "That majestic posture is quite dazzling."

Arkhan picked up a map from the table, pointing at three red lines above, and calmly continued.

"This operation is divided into three routes. Artoria, with Kay and Lancelot as aides, will lead forty thousand soldiers to attack Wessex."

"Sir Bedivere, with Nidhogg as the helper, will lead ten thousand soldiers to attack Sussex."

"Meanwhile, I will personally lead my knights and five thousand soldiers to attack Kent."

"Morgan will command the remaining ten thousand soldiers to guard Hadrian's Wall, preventing any enemy surprise attacks."

"Our goal is to completely conquer these three kingdoms. However, time is tight. We must achieve our goals within two months, or face nothing but failure. Camelot cannot accept failure, and I, as the king, cannot accept failure because the word 'failure' does not exist in my dictionary!"

"My compatriots, muster your courage and strength, and present to me a perfect victory!"

""Your will is my mission!""

Everyone immediately kneeled and proclaimed in unison.

===

Three days later, the first glimmer of dawn pierced through the dense cloud cover, casting its light upon the ancient and formidable Hadrian's Wall, resembling a mountain range.

*Rumble—!!!*

Accompanied by a deep rumble, a massive gate slowly swung open, and tens of thousands of soldiers, clad in sturdy armor and armed to the teeth, surged out like a mighty river dividing into three different directions.

The seasoned veterans standing on Hadrian's Wall couldn't help but moisten their eyes as they witnessed the scene.

Fifteen years ago, they had experienced a similar sight, and some of them even had been part of it.

One old soldier extended his shaky hand, retrieving an ancient yet well-maintained horn from his waist. He took a deep breath and placed it against his lips.

*HUMMMMM—!!!*

After a fifteen-year break, the resounding horn of Camelot's counterattack against the North echoed once more!