40 [40] Disturbed Fate
The autumn light caressed, and colorful flags fluttered.
It was still a softly lit morning.
The border town in Essex County was already bustling.
Or rather, it had never been so lively before.
The news of the great sage Merlin conducting the King's selection ceremony here had spread, and the large square in front of the town's temple was already crowded with people.
Some even climbed onto the roofs of surrounding houses for a broader view, just to catch a glimpse of the extraordinary demeanor of the future king.
Countless renowned knights from all over Britannia gathered, their armor reflecting dazzling light under the sunlight, almost blinding the eyes of the residents.
People chatted animatedly about the King's selection ceremony.
No one worried about a sudden attack from Vortigern in such a gathering.
Because all the talented individuals from the entire island were now gathered here, and the numerous knights provided people with a sense of security.
Before them stood an impenetrable wall of Britannia.
Even the Vile King's armies would undoubtedly be defeated!
The pupils of the people shone with the light of anticipation, but also, out of fear that this expectation might be shattered, they held their breath deeply.
Suddenly, without any warning.
A myriad of petals fell from the sky.
The figure of the magus emerged from the shower of flowers.
"Merlin!"
An unexpected call echoed, and instantly, the crowd became noisy.
"It's Merlin! The great sage Merlin has really appeared!"
"Finally, is today the day we choose the King?"
The magus, walking out from the cluster of flowers, smiled gently, his violet eyes shining like exquisite gemstones.
And the incredibly handsome face brought by the mixed blood of incubus made the faces of the women around the square flush.
However, if one were observant.
They would notice a faint, almost imperceptible scar on the magician's right cheek.
Though not significant, it slightly marred his otherwise flawless beauty.
"Hello, everyone~ That's right, I am the magus of flowers everyone likes, Merlin!"
"The conditions for today's King selection ceremony are very simple, and any knight can participate! Even apprentice knights are treated equally!"
Standing in the square.
Merlin smiled while loudly announcing, once again stirring the crowd into fervent discussion.
Then, as if materializing from thin air, he produced a luxurious sword engraved with Celtic inscriptions from his hands. With both hands exerting force, he forcefully inserted it into the massive rock in front of the square.
"Whoever pulls out this sword shall be the King of Britannia!"
His words echoed and lingered.
The magus's figure then dispersed into the wind along with the fluttering petals.
Countless eager knights surged forward, hoping that they might be the chosen savior.
The square instantly became chaotic, and people wanted to rush to pull out the sword, even starting to shove and fight.
However, countless hands touched and pulled, but the sword in the stone remained unmoved.
As time passed, more and more people failed.
Witnessing those who failed with hands and feet, gritting their teeth, and flushed faces while pulling the sword.
It did not budge even a bit.
Disheartened faces appeared one after another.
"I know you're anxious, but don't be hasty, pulling the sword from the stone is not that easy."
The remaining knights seemed to finally realize this truth, willing to follow basic order and form a long queue on the town's streets.
However...
Until the soft morning sunlight gradually became intense, turning into the dazzling and scorching rays of noon.
The sweating knights still had no success.
Although the queue remained vast and mighty.
Seeing the failure of countless people, the knights began to feel a bit exhausted, and their initially fervent hearts cooled down slightly.
After all, becoming the King was just their wishful thinking, right?
At this moment.
Cheers from the crowd suddenly resounded.
"It's Lady Artoria! The Knights of the Round Table has arrived!"
"It's Pure and Undefiled Knight Princess! Lady Artoria!"
"If it's Lady Artoria, she can definitely pull out the Sword of Selection!"
In waves of cheers.
The queue of knights began to disperse spontaneously.
Artoria.
They had all heard of her illustrious reputation.
Whether they liked it or not, they had to admit that if Britannia had to choose one savior now, it could only be her.
People gazed as, at the end of the town street, a group of knights bathed in sunlight began to slowly approach the square.
The leading golden-haired girl rode a magnificent white horse, and her delicate face showed no expression.
Her eyelids were lowered, and her deep green eyes seemed to be permeated with indifference to everything in the world.
She was draped in a luxurious azure cape, complemented by a pure white shoulder wrap. The conspicuous golden hair strand fluttered in the wind.
Behind her head, the high-hanging sun burst into a holy and brilliant glow, highlighting her majestic presence, as if she were the descent of a savior.
"Artoria!"
People cheered for this name.
Now, she was the well-known Knight Princess of Britannia.
Engulfed in cheers, the golden-haired girl lowered her indifferent eyelids.
Since the beginning of her journey, she never concealed her gender, even letting Merlin dispel all illusions about her.
"If I have to disguise myself for recognition, then I'd rather not be a false king."
"To rally behind me as a king but reject my gender, a ruler born from such deception will ultimately collapse in the midst of lies."
Looking at the resounding girl before him.
Merlin, with a bitter smile, respected her request.
Yes, she was a woman, but so what?
If not acknowledged, then prove it with facts, achievements, and virtues to gain recognition.
It just meant putting in more effort.
What she lacked the least was precisely that.
Compared to indulging in lies.
Artoria chose to respect the truth.
For some reason, she strongly resisted falsehoods.
The journey had indeed been arduous and difficult, but so what?
In this world, nothing was more cruel than someone leaving without a word...
Having experienced hell.
Afterward, all the narrow-minded, prejudiced emotions couldn't touch her heart.
Relying on this female body, she eventually gained the followers and admiration of the Knights of the Round Table. Even those who once scorned her gender eventually submitted to her sword and noble conduct.
Victory, then dominance.
This was the journey of the Knight Princess named Artoria.
Whether knights or residents, people spontaneously moved aside to create a wide path on both sides, immediately making way for the girl on the white horse.
The golden-haired girl rode smoothly to the center of the square, followed by the knights behind her, each with a name that sparked waves of cheers from the crowd.
"The Holy Knight, Lord Percival! Rumor has it that his long spear can pierce through a city wall in one blow!"
"The Giant Slayer, Lord Kay! Heard he killed a giant with just his words, and he's even Lady Artoria's older brother!"
"The Wolf Watcher, Lady Gareth! Transformed into a magical beast, she tore apart an entire army of invaders..."
"The Knight of the Sun, Gawain! Said to be invincible when standing under sunlight..."
"Agravain, who feels no pain..."
"The lamenting Tristan..."
The procession of the Knights of the Round Table caused waves of admiration each time a knight's face was seen.
These knights, renowned throughout Britannia, each had extraordinary abilities, unique skills, and their willpower and endurance amazed everyone. In these days, they provided the unexpected surprises to the invading forces of the Vortigern!
However, at this moment.
These legendary knights, each known far and wide, all followed behind Artoria.
Concealed by illusions on the rooftop, the Incubus gazed at the dazzling golden-haired girl, feeling deeply emotional for a moment.
Lily has really... grown up.
And she had grown up somewhat too fast, far beyond his expectations.
...That's right.
These Knights of the Round Table were not supposed to appear here originally.
However, the fate of destiny had already been disturbed.
Such things were truly interesting.
Merlin thought with great pleasure.
His clairvoyance could still observe everything in this world, but now he couldn't accurately predict the future.
Because he couldn't see Alvin Pendragon.
Britannia had gained such a variable.
The birth of the son of the White Dragon.
It eventually led to a series of subsequent chain reactions.
Merlin had already predicted the future many times.
According to the past historical trajectory, these knights were supposed to gradually emerge and join the Round Table after Lily pulled out the sword, several years later. However, at this moment, before Lily had even pulled the sword, they had already gathered under her command.
Knights like Gawain, Agravain, and Gareth were originally the children of that insane woman.
Now they had become the children of the Duke and Duchess of Orkney, but their exceptional talents remained unchanged.
During their travels in Orkney, they admired Lily's virtues and chose to follow her.
Morgan was absent.
Yet, knights like Gawain still appeared.
Not only that, their strength had even become stronger compared to the historical trajectory.
This was the correction from the world's will, Gaia.
Merlin sighed.
He did not allow the birth of a variable like the son of the White Dragon.
Such a person, intruding like a virus, and the Round Table now gathered was the antivirus program of the world.
Lily, too.
Compared to the original historical trajectory, she had become even more powerful and would achieve greater feats in the future.
The power gathered by these people would quietly drown out the inconspicuous son of the White Dragon.
It seemed that his initial choice was correct.
Merlin sighed and looked forward to the exciting scene when the girl pulled out the sword.
The golden-haired girl rode on the steed.
Facing the cheers of the people, her indifferent eyelids slightly lowered as she looked towards the sword embedded in the stone.
