In Britain, the Noble Phantasm: Divine Key

"Either they're bluffing, or they really have something to rely on," Yanan said calmly, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "There are only two possibilities."

"Then... Your Majesty, what are your plans...?"

"The arrow is on the string and must be released. Now that the challenge has been sent, going back on our word would only make us a laughing stock."

Anan's lips curled up slightly, and a look of great interest appeared in his eyes: "I want to see what kind of medicine Ghana is really up to."

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Gentlemen, follow me on the expedition!

A faint glimmer of dawn appeared on the distant horizon, and a thin morning mist filled the air. The wind that swept by carried the chill unique to autumn, like a bucket of cold water splashed on the face, instantly clearing the mind.

In the square, which could hold thousands of people, three hundred knights stood ramrod straight. Although no one spoke, their silent aura was all the more frightening, like the calm before a storm.

They were no longer the wretched people they once were. To show his sincerity, the Duke of Lukan reluctantly equipped them with the best armor and weapons. With this equipment alone, they could easily defeat enemies twice their size.

Tread-

Clear footsteps approached, and everyone turned to look behind them.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Yanan calmly stepped forward.

Unlike his previous appearance, he was now wearing azure silver armor, with a cloak embroidered with gold on his back, and a gleaming golden sword at his waist. He was full of vigor and his sharpness was on full display.

This outfit was also sponsored by the Duke of Lukan, and it is said to have been made by a group of magicians from the Age of Gods. Both the armor and the cloak are engraved with magical runes from the Age of Gods, making it exceptionally defensive. It is one of the most prized treasures in the Lukan family's collection.

However, for Yanan, this set of equipment is probably not as sturdy as his own body.

There's only one reason he'd be interested in this armor: it looks cool!

Having played many games in his past life, he deeply understood one principle:

Strength is only temporary; only being cool is the ultimate truth!

For this, he also endured a mocking remark from Nidhogg.

Artoria and Guinevere followed silently behind him.

Lancelot, Bedivere, Kay, and Merlin were left behind in Lucamont, mainly to guard against a potential beast tide. He had originally intended to leave Artoria there as well, but she insisted on going with him, arguing that "a trainee knight's primary duty is to protect the king's safety."

Guinevere didn't know what had gotten into her; she had been terrified when she saw the corpse of the demon boar before, but this time she insisted on going to the battlefield with him no matter what.

Unable to persuade the two sisters, he had no choice but to bring them along.

The clinking of the azure silver armor produced a crisp sound. Anan walked onto the stage, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the crowd, and said in a deep voice:

"Since the Roman army withdrew from Britain, the late King Euthydemus fought 182 battles, large and small, without ever suffering a defeat, thus creating the legend of Camelot as the invincible city."

Many knights had a look of reminiscence in their eyes. Although they had not experienced that period, they could clearly feel from the proud recounting of their elders that it was definitely a glorious era.

"Unfortunately, fifteen years ago, King Uther experienced his first and last defeat. His brother Vortigern betrayed Camelot and Britain, letting in the Anglo-Saxons. King Uther could not allow this land to be occupied by outsiders, so he resolutely led his army north to engage in a decisive battle with the King at Hadrian's Wall."

Yanan's voice lowered slightly: "But we lost that battle."

The knights lowered their heads, their hands clenched into fists that creaked open.

Artoria and Guinevere's expressions also darkened considerably.

"Since then, Camelot has never launched another war, and has held out for fifteen years."

"But now, I have pulled the sword from the stone and become the chosen king of Camelot. It is time for this lion, which has slumbered for fifteen years, to open its eyes and bare its fangs to its enemies!"

With a whoosh, Anahn drew the sword from the stone, pointed it at the sky, and his voice suddenly rose in pitch:

"You are my knights, and the hope for Camelot's future. You have crossed mountains and rivers, and fought your way through the lair of wyverns. You are the most fearless warriors and the closest of friends."

"I once said that as long as you can walk that path of trials, you can become true knights. Now you are infinitely close to that goal, and all you lack is one last thing - the glory of a knight."

"I know that many of you are willing to follow me for the honor that allows you to prove yourselves and for a chance to make a name for yourselves. So now, I will entrust all of this to you!"

"This is my first battle, and Camelot's first war in fifteen years. You carry not only my hopes, but also the expectations of millions of Camelot's people. This battle will determine whether Camelot can regain its former glory and reclaim the title of 'Invincible City'!"

"Therefore, in this battle, victory is the only option; defeat is not an option!"

"Only victory is allowed; defeat is not permitted!"

"Only victory is allowed; defeat is not permitted!"

The three hundred knights raised their weapons high, their eyes burning with fire, their voices as loud and passionate as thunder!

Yanan stepped down from the platform, mounted the mixed-breed horse that had been prepared for him, and glanced over the resolute faces of the riders.

He raised the sword in the stone high, its golden blade gleaming brilliantly in the morning sun.

"Gentlemen, follow me into battle!"

......

......

On the city wall, Kai, Lancelot, and Bedivere watched the cavalry gradually disappear into the distance, their eyes filled with envy.

"That's wonderful. Upholding ideals and pursuing justice—that must be what everyone desires most," Lancelot sighed.

"Ughhhhh!!! This is so annoying! Why would the teacher rather take Lily and Guinevere than me? They get permission to go if they beg the teacher, but when I beg, I only get a beating! It's so unfair!" Kai grabbed his hair and yelled in frustration.

“Knight Kai, the King has his reasons for doing this. Even if you are the King’s student, please do not speak ill of the King behind his back, or I will be angry.” Bedivere looked at Kai with his turquoise eyes and said seriously.

Kai pursed his lips, then his eyes suddenly lit up: "By the way, do you think if I pass that trial path, I can join the King's Knights and fight alongside them?"

“This…” Bedivere hesitated, unsure whether Kay’s plan was feasible.

"That's it! It must be because the teacher thinks I'm not mature enough that she won't take me!" Kai ignored Guinevere and Artoria's presence and said excitedly, "As long as I can pass the trial and prove my strength to the teacher, she will definitely agree!"

"You really are young, you have so much energy."

A familiar chuckle came from behind, and Merlin's figure emerged from the shower of petals: "But you should be glad you didn't come along this time."

"What do you mean by this?" Kai asked, displeased.

"It doesn't mean anything. Just take it as my ramblings."

Merlin stepped forward, watching the cavalry unit gradually disappear into the horizon, a meaningful smile slowly curving his lips.

Chapter 30: The Eve of the Great Battle 1/54

This is an incredibly luxurious hall, large enough to accommodate thousands of people without feeling crowded. The floor is covered with luxurious handmade wool carpets, the ceiling is engraved with lifelike murals, and the marble walls around it are adorned with numerous valuable paintings. However, anyone with a little artistic sense would notice that some of the paintings are actually not suitable for this place at all. It seems that the owner simply thought these paintings were very valuable, so he put them all up there.

However, in terms of being eye-catching, nothing here can compare to the throne at the very top.

It was a throne made entirely of gold, inlaid with rare gemstones such as agate, pearls, jade, and diamonds, exuding an undisguised air of nouveau riche.

"Actually, I've always been curious why small countries like yours tend to waste resources on such useless things?"

The speaker was a girl with exquisite features, like a doll. She wore a black dress, and her long, black hair cascaded down to her waist. Her eyes were bloodshot, as if she hadn't seen the sun in a long time, and her skin appeared sickly pale.

The man wearing a crown stood to the side, his face beaming with smiles. Despite being the ruler of a country, he was as humble as a dog in front of this black-haired girl.

“My Lord, if you wish, I can give you this throne, no, the entire palace,” the King of Ghana said with a fawning smile.

“I told you, I’m not some divine messenger. My name is Eltrucci Brunstad. If you continue to mistake me for that white dragon’s subordinate, I’ll kill you.” The black-haired girl turned her head, her scarlet eyes filled with icy indifference.

The King of Ghana fell silent, too terrified to utter another word.

He was now perfectly aware that, having come this far, his future was completely in the hands of the girl before him.

If he angered her, he would truly have no hope left.

Two months ago, his youngest son heard about the day of the king's election and went to Camelot with his men to try his luck and see if he could pull the sword out of the stone. In the end, only his youngest son's steward returned.

After learning what had happened, he was naturally both shocked and furious.

The shock came from learning that Camelot had declared war on Ghana, while the anger stemmed from resentment that the little bastard had caused such a huge problem.

I should have shot that little bastard into the wall back then!

He killed the little bastard's butler on the spot, and later exterminated his mother and all his relatives, intending to send their heads to Camelot in the hope of appeasing his anger.

However, at this moment, a girl named Eltrauge appeared. She displayed unparalleled power, and with just a wave of her hand, hundreds of soldiers were instantly drained of their blood and turned into dried corpses.

Fortunately, the other party did not come for slaughter. She brought the password of the distant northern king. As long as he obeyed her orders, he could not only gain great power and immortal life, but also a territory that was even more vast than he had now.

The King of Ghana readily agreed.

"Did your men bring back the message?" Altruchi asked calmly, sitting on the golden throne and stroking the jewels on it.

"They've already agreed. The war will begin in three days, on the Great Plains," the King of Ghana quickly replied.

"That's good." Eltrucci nodded slightly. "Alright, you can go now. After the war is over, I will fulfill all the promises I made to you."

"Yes! Thank you, Your Majesty!" The King of Ghana was overjoyed and left the palace.

Watching the other's departing figure, a mocking glint appeared in Eltrauge's crimson eyes; "See that, Rizowol? Humans are such short-sighted creatures. A little intimidation and temptation is all it takes to make them obediently submit. I can't believe that such creatures could sit on the throne of primates."

A deep male voice echoed from the void: "Your Highness, I still don't understand why Lady Zhu Yue chose to cooperate with that white dragon. It doesn't benefit us at all."

"Who knows? Anyway, we're just tools. Obeying orders is our only value."

Eltrauge propped her cheek up with her hand, a hint of coldness appearing in her scarlet eyes.

.......

.......

After a day and a night of continuous travel, Anaen finally led his knights to the agreed-upon battleground, the Great Plains.

As its name suggests, this is a plain that stretches almost to the horizon, with a vast, open landscape and no undulations whatsoever, large enough to accommodate a war involving more than 100,000 people.

"It seems the Kingdom of Ghana intends to confront me head-on; they seem quite confident."

With a slight, cold smile playing on his lips, Yanan turned to the knights behind him and ordered, "Rest and regroup!"

The trials they had endured had given these knights an abundance of experience in wilderness life. Without any instructions, they had already assigned their tasks: some pitched tents, some hunted, and some patrolled, all in an orderly and efficient manner, each fulfilling their duties.

Yanan found Lanmarok, who, under his appointment, is now the Grand Master of the Knights.

"Lanmarok, take a few men and walk around the Great Plains. If you find anything amiss, come back and report to me."

"Yes."

Lanmarok was also a man of action. He immediately pointed out a few sharp-eyed guys and led the team away from the camp.

Lanmarok finally returned that evening, and according to his description, there was nothing unusual or strange about the Great Plains.

Yanan frowned slightly.