In Britain, the Noble Phantasm: Divine Key

Yanan's reply was also very simple:

"Let them say what they want, we just need to do what we're supposed to do."

Anan had actually anticipated this situation, as the folk legends about Vortigern clearly showed how much the people of Camelot feared the white dragon.

This is also the main reason why he chose to temporarily keep this news from the upper class.

Although he had won an incredible victory against Ghana, which greatly boosted Camelot's morale, Vortigern's strength was still undeniable. As long as he lived, he would always be an insurmountable obstacle in everyone's hearts.

So this time, he must win this war and completely dispel the dark cloud hanging over Camelot's head!

To achieve this goal, Yanan has taken on several times more work than before, mobilizing food supplies, preparing materials, and recruiting soldiers... He personally oversees almost everything to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

Of all these things, what concerned him most was naturally the matter of the Knights.

After confirming the successful development of the second-generation pseudo-circuit, he immediately applied the technology to the Knights. However, since only Morgan currently possesses this technology, the progress is very slow. Even with continuous operation around the clock, he can only guarantee the modification of a maximum of six knights per day.

Based on this calculation, at most only two-thirds of the knights would be able to complete the modification before the war began.

In order not to delay the process, Yanan had no choice but to bring Merlin along.

It wasn't that he didn't want those court sorcerers to do it, but firstly, this technology was too crucial, and he really didn't trust outsiders to master it; secondly, the simulated circuit itself was extremely precise and complex, and ordinary magicians would spend a lot of time just understanding it, let alone operating it themselves.

In this situation, only he and Merlin could step in.

Not only them, but almost everyone was fully mobilized to prepare for the impending war. Even Artoria, Kai, and Lancelot, who had never had any experience in this area, were doing their part.

As time went on, the atmosphere in Camelot became increasingly tense, and even ordinary people who were unaware of the inside story began to notice the change.

Time flies like an arrow, and before we knew it, the day of departure was fast approaching.

The day before departure, Yanan summoned everyone again in the council chamber to inquire about the preparations.

"The first batch of provisions has been fully loaded and will accompany us north. I have also informed Mr. Karl of the follow-up arrangements, which should ensure a normal supply of food," Bedwell said.

"The recovery of funds is going quite well so far. All the land has been sold, and half of the luxury goods have also been sold. With this income, it is enough to sustain us in this war," Artoria said. Because Morgan has been in charge of the pseudo-circuit project recently, the financial tasks have been handed over to her.

Although it was her first time dealing with something like this, she was, after all, the ideal king who had been given high expectations since childhood, so this kind of thing was not difficult for Artoria.

“Currently, nearly two-thirds of the nobles in Camelot have responded to this war, and about 30,000 soldiers have been mobilized. Another 50,000 soldiers will be sent to the North,” Felius said, his eyes filled with obvious confusion.

To be honest, he didn't understand why this was happening at all. Everyone was doubtful about whether the war could be won, but when he went to ask for troops, they all agreed very readily.

This is nothing like the behavior of those profit-driven guys!

Could it be that the previous purge really left such a deep shadow on these guys?

—Actually, this is mainly thanks to the [Seed of Corruption] that Anaen left in the spiritual world of these nobles at Morgan's banquet, using Feather Dust and Jizo Soul.

It is precisely because of the existence of the Seed of Corruption that these nobles, even if they are not optimistic about this war, will still serve Anan willingly.

This is also one of the reasons why those territories and luxury goods can be sold so quickly.

So when the rumors started spreading, Yanan didn't care at all. He just thought, no matter what you say, as long as you obediently give me money and soldiers, that's all that matters.

Lanmarok, who was the last to stand up, only said one sentence: "The Knights are ready and can depart at any time!"

Yanan nodded in satisfaction.

Thanks to the hard work of him, Merlin, and Morgan, they finally managed to equip all the members of the Knights with simulated circuits before their departure.

Once everyone understood how to use magic, he distributed the Key of Domination to them.

—Incidentally, although the Key of Domination has the characteristic of infinite splitting, Anan still holds supreme control over all Keys of Domination. Without his permission, even if one obtains the recognition of the Key of Domination, it cannot be used.

The power of the Key of Domination is directly related to the host's will. The Knights of Anan had endured so many hardships and dangers that their will had been tempered to be quite firm. Therefore, after obtaining the Key of Domination, everyone was immediately recognized.

In particular, Lanmarok unleashed the power of the Key of Domination to its maximum extent.

With over three hundred more B+ rank Noble Phantasms, the Knights' strength has undergone a dramatic transformation, bringing them closer to the scenario Anaen envisioned.

This battlefield is the best stage for them to prove themselves!

Yanan's gaze slowly swept over the crowd, a slight smile appearing in his eyes. He stood up and said, "Since everyone is ready, I won't say anything more. Go back and get some rest for the day. Tomorrow morning, we—"

"Head north, to meet the enemy!"

Chapter Fifteen: The War Begins! (4000 words)

This is Hadrian's Wall, a military fortress built during the Roman occupation of Britain. Today, the Romans have almost disappeared from this land, but this magnificent structure still stands here, serving as a solid barrier for the British people to resist foreign enemies.

Everyone believed that as long as Hadrian's Wall stood, Vortigern would be absolutely unable to pose a threat to the southern border.

Anan stood on Hadrian's Wall, the biting wind making his white cloak flutter behind him. He gently ran his hand over the weathered, solid stones, as if feeling the weight of time etched upon them.

“Your Majesty, General Bowers has arrived,” said Yulina, who was dressed in a black robe, as she stepped forward.

—Since her return, Yurina has served as Anaen's personal maid, and she volunteered to come along on this trip north.

Yanan turned around and saw an old man gradually approaching him.

The old man was nearly 1.9 meters tall. Although his hair and beard were already white, he was very strong. He wore heavy iron armor, and his iron-gray eyes were filled with the sharpness of swords. His face was as cold as frost and snow, and he exuded an aura of authority without anger.

This man was Bowers, the commander of Hadrian's Wall.

Bowles was a contemporary of Feuerius. During the era in which he was active, King Euther and Vortigern had not yet broken ties. In the most chaotic period in Britain, he followed Euther and made numerous illustrious military achievements.

With his merits, he could have easily obtained a large territory, or at least a dukedom, and lived a carefree and happy life.

But later, with the break between Vortigern and King Uther and the crushing defeat in the Battle of the North, Bowles resolutely abandoned everything and took on the heavy responsibility of guarding Hadrian's Wall, a post he held for fifteen years.

If it weren't for his existence, this defensive line might have collapsed long ago.

Bowers stepped forward, but instead of kneeling to pay homage to Anahn, he stared at him with his hawk-like, sharp eyes: "You are King Uther's son?"

Seeing Bowers' aggressive stance, Yurina couldn't help but feel a hint of dissatisfaction. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Yanan raising his hand.

“I am indeed King Uther’s son, Arthur.” Anahn smiled at Bowles, showing no sign of annoyance.

"Where did you get the news that Vortigern had sent troops south?" Bowers asked.

“It was my maid who overheard it from the Kent palace,” Yanan said.

Yulina immediately straightened her back proudly, making her ample bosom appear even more imposing.

Bowers glanced at her coldly, then looked at Yanan, his expression unchanged: "It seems your maid is quite capable."

Yanan laughed, "He's just a bounty hunter with a bit of cleverness."

"A bounty hunter?" Powers raised a slight brow. "You actually have a bounty hunter as your maid?"

In the general perception of the nobility, bounty hunters are a group of greedy and despicable hyenas who hide in the sewers and cannot bear the sunlight; even looking at them is considered a desecration of one's eyes.

And this king actually kept a bounty hunter by his side?

"Hey! What do you mean by that?! What's wrong with being a bounty hunter? I didn't steal or rob, I earn my living with my skills. And if it weren't for me this time, Vortigern's army would probably be at the city walls by then and you wouldn't even be wearing pants!" Yulina said angrily.

Bowers paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: "What a sharp-tongued little girl! But you're right, it really was your doing this time. I apologize for my earlier offense."

After saying that, he actually bowed to Yulina.

Yulina was stunned, completely unexpected that the commander-in-chief who had guarded Hadrian's Wall for fifteen years would actually salute her.

“When I choose people, I only look at their abilities. As long as they can bring me value, I don’t care whether they are bounty hunters or beggars on the street,” Yanan said with a smile.

“You are indeed a monarch unlike any other.” Bowers sighed softly, then his expression turned serious. “I have heard all about your deeds. To be honest, your grasp of the situation and your control over people’s hearts are terrifying to the point that I am a little scared. I even have a feeling that letting you ascend the throne will be the biggest mistake those guys have ever made.”

A hint of surprise appeared in Yanan's eyes. He had only revealed a few thoughts, yet Bowers had seen through them?

This conclusion was reached based solely on some records and materials without ever meeting him in person.

As expected of a general who once followed King Uther, his insight is truly remarkable.

"But this has nothing to do with me. I have neither a title nor land; I'm just a soldier," Bowers said calmly.

Yanan said, "If you want it, I can give you all of this."

This pillar of the state, who had rendered great service to Camelot and guarded Hadrian's Wall for fifteen years, was one of the few people that Anahn truly respected. Based on these merits alone, no request from Bowers would be excessive.

“If I were interested in these things, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.” Bowers chuckled, then his expression immediately returned to its previous seriousness. “I am a soldier, and only a soldier. My only mission is to protect my country and drive out foreign enemies.”

"I don't care what you do to those nobles, I just need you to answer one question—"

Bowers suddenly stepped forward, his iron-grey eyes fixed on Yanan, emanating a menacing aura:

"For you, which is more important, the country or the people?"

Seeing Bowers' extremely serious expression, Yanan smiled and said, "In my opinion, there is no difference between the two."

Bowers frowned slightly.

Yanan said calmly, "People make a country, and a family cannot exist without a country. These two are inherently complementary and interdependent. There is no such thing as one being more important than the other."

“With people comes a country, and without a country comes no family…” Bowers murmured softly, a hint of relief appearing in his eyes.

He looked at Anahn and said, “You know what? I once asked King Uther the same question, and he told me that he believed the people were more important than the country.”

"Do you think he's wrong?" Yulina asked curiously.

“If he’s right, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.” A complex emotion flickered in Bowers’s iron-grey eyes as he let out a soft sigh.

He then knelt on one knee and bowed his head toward Anan:

"General Powers of Hadrian's Wall greets Your Majesty!"

......

......

As time went by, the atmosphere at Hadrian's Wall grew increasingly somber, with everyone busily preparing for the impending war.

As the most prestigious general present, Powers naturally took on the mantle of commander-in-chief. In addition to making tactical arrangements, he also excelled in the allocation of supplies and the deployment of personnel, fully demonstrating his superb military skills.

Historical experience taught Anaen that one should never interfere in areas one does not understand, so he did not meddle in Bowers' work at all and handed over all authority to him.

On this day, the court sorcerers that Anan had brought told him that their familiars had discovered an army of Anglo-Saxons, numbering around three thousand, twenty kilometers away.

He immediately found Bowers and told him the information.

“This should be the enemy’s advance force, which means the main force isn’t far from here.” Bowers pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned to Yanan, “Your Majesty, what is your purpose in this war?”

Yanan paused slightly, completely unexpected that Bowers would suddenly bring up this issue, and asked in confusion, "What does this have to do with anything?"

“War is a game of pursuing interests. Different objectives will determine what means we take,” Bowers said calmly. “For example, if your objective is to drive this army out, then I will choose a relatively safe approach. If you want to keep them all here, or even take this opportunity to launch a counterattack on the North, then I will choose a more aggressive approach.”

After a moment's thought, Yanan suddenly smiled and said, "Actually, I'm quite curious too. General Bowers, what are your thoughts on this war? How about this: we each write a word on our palms to represent our respective attitudes?"