Davidian's Holy Grail War

So, it doesn't seem like I'm feeling unwell...

Only then did she begin to appreciate the sword, and the hilt was surprisingly comfortable to hold.

Something that was difficult to deal with so far, churning inside her body, as if it were about to burst from the inside, was being sucked into the sword, and she felt her body becoming lighter and lighter.

She was certain that all she had to do was raise her hand and the sword would be drawn, and that was exactly what she intended to do.

Just before she raised her hand, an armored hand reached out from the darkness and grabbed her wrist.

She turned her head in surprise to look at the dark space, from which people wearing armor she couldn't understand emerged.

The dark magic dissipated, and she recognized the person beneath the armor; they had met in her dreams for three years.

However, this was their first time meeting in person. Artoria admired his previous achievements, but unfortunately, after Merlin told him he would choose this side, Artoria had never heard a word from him again.

And yet he still came. At the very last moment before she drew her sword, he barely made it, even resorting to the Dark Space technique, which he hadn't fully mastered, to arrive at the last minute.

"Don't draw your sword yet. I ask you, have you thought about your fate, your end, what kind of ending you will face?"

David asked, his lips trembling, as he tried his best to control his emotions and body.

However, he was too emotional and physically exhausted at the time, so he still couldn't make himself look any better.

Artorius looked at David, who looked travel-worn and haggard, clearly indicating that his life hadn't been going well lately.

But after learning about the Sword of Kings yesterday, he immediately rushed here and barely caught up with it, using all his strength.

"Do you know that once you pull out this sword, you will never be happy again? You will die a more miserable death than anyone else, and you will die hated by everyone."

I know your own experiences won't change your mind, and you don't care about them.

But have you ever thought about it? The ending wasn't as peaceful as you imagined; it was violent, and the destruction of Britain was far more dramatic than you thought!

"All of Britain will end in war, Artorius, you will howl at the end of Britain amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood."

The further he spoke, the heavier and more intense his tone became. Artorius knew he was not lying, and Davidian would not test him with trivial lies at this moment.

He genuinely wanted to try and see if he could stop her from drawing the sword at this moment and prevent her from following her destiny.

At this moment, Artorius understood David's mindset very well. He must have been conflicted as well, but he still tried to defy fate.

He did not want his few close friends to go down such a path of destruction, a path that would not end in peaceful slumber, but in painful annihilation.

But Artorias simply placed his hand on David's face, examining his features more carefully and attentively, before saying:

“My dearest friend, my dearest Davidian, it seems that choosing between her and me is truly agonizing for you.”

And since you've already lost her, you're even more unwilling to lose me.

You saw that ending; you could have chosen to sit idly by and watch me head towards my destruction.

But you didn't. You still came to me on this day with all your might, trying to pull me out of my doomed fate.

“I…I can’t just watch you head towards that kind of destruction.”

Artorius, my dearest friend. I chose to accept that devastating fate for your sake.

I...at this moment, I only feel deep shame.

David choked up a little. Even after this period of lonely training, his emotions had not been released. Instead, they had accumulated deeper and deeper.

Now, facing Altoris, he naturally couldn't help but let his emotions show.

He lowered his head, tears streaming down his face. His guilt and friendship towards Altoris now outweighed any feelings of liking or love for Morgan.

So he came here at this moment to do everything he could to stop Artorius from drawing his sword.

But Artoria smiled, and with her free hand she cupped Davidian's face before saying:

"Actually, I was afraid every day before today arrived. I was afraid of today's arrival, afraid of many, many things."

But after you came today, I suddenly stopped being afraid.

Because no matter how many people I alienate, fear, or even betray, I know there is one person who will definitely help me, who will definitely stand by my side.

Because even in his most painful moment because of his feelings, he still did everything in his power to come to my side, wanting to pull me out of my doomed fate.

With that, a powerful surge of magic erupted from her body, pushing Davidian two steps away.

Then, without hesitation, Artoria drew the Sword of the King and raised it high, her expression solemn and sublime.

In David's eyes, Artoris was incredibly beautiful at that moment, regardless of gender or appearance. The way she held up the sword captivated David.

He used to say that he would serve whoever pulled out the Sword of the King, because of his three-year friendship with Artorius.

Now he would not hesitate to give his all for Artorius, because at this moment he was deeply moved by Artorius.

Then Artorius extended his hand to Davidian and said:

"Come, David. Join me in living for people, in living with people, in leaving a future for people."

Whatever fate we ultimately face, until the outcome arrives, and throughout the process, many people are smiling, and I believe that's for sure.

Under this solemn vow, Davidian felt a little flustered. He wiped his hands, trying to make them as clean as possible, before taking Altoris's hand and saying:

"If this is your choice, then even if it means mountains of corpses and seas of blood, I will stay with you to the very end."

Even if they betray you and fear you, I will stand by your side and fight for you to the very end.

I swear, Artorius.

“Yes, I have truly received your vow.” Artoria smiled, then her expression became playful. “Also, just call me Artoria. Artoria is a pseudonym I adopted to conceal myself.”

Davidian nodded and hummed in agreement. At that moment, he swore in his heart that he would dedicate all of Britain to the king he recognized. To the man before him—he vowed, and he would do it!

Chapter 52 The First Trial

Merlin actually felt that he should go out and give Artoria some prophecy so that she could make her own decision.

But since Davidian came out, he didn't do anything.

On the contrary, he found the scene where Davian held her hand and pledged his allegiance to her after Artoria drew her sword to be truly beautiful.

He lives for these precious moments and these interesting stories.

But for some reason, he felt uneasy. He felt like something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

In the end, he could only conclude that he was probably overthinking things. The boy in front of him had become a renowned knight, and Artoria was about to embark on the path to becoming a king.

At this point, where could things possibly go wrong?

He suppressed this small question in his heart, and then accompanied Artoria and Kai on their journey through various countries.

As for David, he left after the ceremony of choosing the sword that day.

Before leaving, he said to Artoria, "This is only a temporary separation. The moment you raise your banner and begin your conquest in the name of the king, I will return immediately."

He then left, and afterwards Merlin and the other two often heard about the dragon knight's exploits.

Whether it was defeating a dragon, crushing a giant, or vanquishing some monster, he began to use these achievements to build a team and slowly expand his manpower.

Artoria understood perfectly well that Davidon's achievements were not only for himself, but also for her great cause.

In Karien, the starting point, they drove out the local tribes and established a stronghold.

Artoria raised her banner high here, proclaiming the name of King Arthur, and from here began her legend.

Shortly after she raised her banner and began to expand, King Loth, far away in Orkney in the North, received the intelligence. He chuckled and teased Morgan beside him, "That's your brother. Do you think I should give him a sword or a crown?"

"If you ask for my advice, I suggest you give him half a sword, and then give him a crown," Morgan offered the most suitable suggestion.

King Lothar understood her advice. He would test the boy's abilities; if he proved capable, he would promote him and send him as the vanguard against Vortigern. Such was the proper use of a tool.

In the Gore region, when King Ullens saw this intelligence, he threw the letter directly into the fireplace. It was a letter from Merlin, and the contents of which would be unbearable even for the most mild-mannered king.

"He's just a magician, a greenhorn, the adopted son of a down-on-his-luck knight, and a bunch of rabble."

He actually dared to call himself king, and even demand our submission? He doesn't have a single elite knight under his command; his soldiers were just farmers before. How dare he?

King Ullens was so angry that his face turned red. If he could, he would cut that brat down with a single sword stroke right now, so that he would follow in King Uther's footsteps and join his dead father in death.

"Your Majesty, these are letters from the King of the Hundred and the King of Scotland. They have also decided to teach this so-called King of Knights a lesson."

His attendant immediately handed him two more letters, which King Ullens read and nodded in agreement. These two seemed to share his idea this time; they might as well send troops together and teach that newcomer a lesson.

“Reply to them and tell them to prepare themselves and bring their knights and soldiers! Let’s teach that brat a lesson and let that shameful bastard know that he’s decades too early to think he can ride roughshod over us.”

King Ullens sat back in his comfortable chair. He didn't even bother to watch the battle, which was so unequal in strength; he was certain he would win.

Meanwhile, in Garrod, King Nantes opened Merlin's letter, frowning as he read. What was that bastard Merlin up to? Was he trying to make things worse by making him add fuel to the fire? How could that young boy withstand such a test?

The letter actually suggested he ally with King Calades, forming an alliance between them. Two men leading troops together to defeat Arthur? Had Merlin gone mad?

From what I've heard so far, there are over a dozen kings planning to teach King Arthur a lesson. I was already struggling with how to help Arthur, and now I'm being asked to lead an army to attack this son of King Uther?

"What is Merlin thinking? They simply don't have enough troops to fight so many people. Have they gone mad?"

As King Nantes was still pondering this, a dark space opened up before him. The knight of the evil dragon emerged from it, and King Nantes recognized him by the sword at his waist.

"Just do it this way, but don't bring too many people. After all, it will weaken your strength. You just need to take the lead and get King Calades here."

I roughly understand Merlin's plan. She currently lacks both prestige and power, so she needs some methods to accelerate her growth.

Davidian admitted that the plan involved a gamble, but if the gamble paid off, King Arthur's prestige and power would likely experience a surge.

King Nantes nodded and said calmly, "I see, I understand what you mean. Judging from your expression, you've made a choice between the two of them, haven't you? It must have been difficult for you."