That protagonist is trash; I could do better!

The Lion King calmly asked, "Do you want to know the answer?"

Da Vinci gently stopped Fujimaru Ritsuka from asking further questions: "Wait, Ritsuka, this is not a question we can ask right now. Leave this to me to handle."

"what?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka was puzzled.

Mashu, noticing Leonardo da Vinci's unusually solemn attitude, said to Fujimaru Ritsuka, "Senpai, I agree with Leonardo da Vinci's opinion."

"Ok."

Fujimaru Ritsuka wasn't one to be tactless, so she obediently shut her mouth and agreed.

"嘁~"

Mordred, who was observing from the sidelines, clicked his tongue. If the Lion King were to reveal the answer, everyone's stance would be decided in that instant. Fujimaru Ritsuka would become an enemy of the Round Table and an object that must be eliminated.

Leonardo da Vinci calmly replied, "We have the honor of witnessing the glory of the Lion King. What do you hope to gain from us?"

The Lion King slowly spoke: "The answer is there, but it's too late. You don't meet the criteria, nor do you possess the wisdom to answer my questions."

Da Vinci chuckled: "That's why you're giving us one last chance. I understand. Please forgive my abruptness, but could you answer the last question that remains in my mind?"

"Go ahead."

Leonardo da Vinci deliberately drew out his words: "The Magician Hall."

The moment Hall's name was uttered, the atmosphere in the hall changed noticeably.

The Knights of the Round Table all paled at this, and even the most composed and calm Agravivan's face turned ashen.

Gareth was astonished, and hearing Hall's name stirred up a complex mix of emotions within him.

Gao Wen sighed softly.

Murderous intent, hatred, respect, and remembrance.

Each Knight of the Round Table had a subtly different expression on their face.

The only one who remained calm was the Lion King on his throne.

Having suffered countless defeats at Hall's hands, Mordred flew into a rage at the mere mention of Hall's name. Her rampaging magic overflowed from her armor, transforming into crimson lightning that enveloped her body as she roared like an enraged beast: "Are you all that bastard's accomplices?!"

呲味味~

The rampaging magic transformed into the King's Sword, unleashing a torrent of lightning that shattered the bricks and stones of the hall.

boom!

Mordred's body vanished from its original spot, teleporting to Fujimaru Ritsuka's front. The demonic sword slashed down, its almost materialized berserk magic transforming into red flames that covered the blade.

"senior!"

Mash reacted the instant she sensed Mordred's rampaging magic, raising her shield to block Fujimaru Ritsuka.

Just as the rampaging magic was about to bombard the shield, a golden light flashed by in an instant.

boom!

Mash, who was pouring her magic into her body and defending with all her might, waited in vain for the slash to come, and moved the shield away in confusion.

Mordred's body had vanished from the hall. A large hole had been blasted open in the several-meter-thick pure white wall. Looking out from this hole, one could see a straight line of buildings that had all collapsed, stretching all the way to the end of the Pure White City. The Hundred Wall, tens of meters high, was covered with spiderweb-like cracks.

The Lion Queen calmly lowered her right hand, the shimmering golden light emanating from her fingers, as if she had done something insignificant. She then instructed Agravan beside her, "From now on, do not let the guerrilla knight Mordred set foot in the Holy City. Her mission is complete."

Agguiwen bowed slightly: "Understood."

"..."

Fujimaru Ritsuka's face tightened and lost all color. From her angle, she could clearly see what had happened. It was just a casual attack, but its power was even more terrifying than the Excalibur she had ever seen before.

Da Vinci remained serious, not backing down an inch: "It seems you all know him."

The Lion King said calmly, "He left here six months ago."

Da Vinci tactfully said, "Although I am very curious about his relationship with you, it seems that this is the only way I can ask. Now, can we leave here and head west to find the Holy Grail of the Magician King?"

The Lion King nodded calmly.

"and many more."

Before Fujimaru Ritsuka and her group turned to leave, the voice of the young female knight echoed through the hall.

After much hesitation, Gareth stepped out from the ranks of the Knights of the Round Table, knelt before the Lion King, and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, please allow me to travel with them."

Fujimaru Ritsuka was surprised, wondering what this was all about.

!! ?

Tristan's melancholy deepened: "As expected... How tragic... Lord Gareth, it is truly tragic that your choice has forced me to kill you."

Gawain had expected this, but Gareth's brother remained unmoved.

Lancelot sighed. The young knight who admired him had ultimately chosen a path opposite to his own, and perhaps he would repeat the tragedy of his life, forced to kill her with his own hands.

Six months ago, when the Lion King summoned the Knights of the Round Table, she asked them to decide whether to follow her. Some chose to follow the Queen, some left silently, and many more raised their swords against the Queen to punish the great evil.

Gareth alone followed the Lion King with a heavy heart, unwilling to betray the king, yet lacking the courage to sever all ties.

She witnessed the Lion King's actions and saw firsthand whether her choices were right.

If that's all there is to it, she will probably one day be unable to bear the inner conflict and destroy herself.

She had one chance; Hall gave her the opportunity to choose again.

Gareth didn't know if her choice was right, but Fujimaru Ritsuka was the only alternative path she could choose.

There isn't much time left.

“You have the opportunity to choose again, Lord Gareth.”

The Lion King nodded calmly. "Today's round table meeting is hereby adjourned. From this moment on, Knight Gareth is no longer a member of the Lion King's round table."

Gareth's body trembled slightly, and his voice was low: "Thank you for your mercy, my eternal king."

Gareth stood up and followed Fujimaru Ritsuka as they left the Holy City.

After the Lion King left, the Round Table meeting resumed, but only four seats remained.

Tristan sighed softly, "I will go after them and bring back the heads of all of them, including the knight Gareth."

Lancelot frowned: "It's too risky for you to go alone. Gareth is there, and they're not easy opponents."

"I am confident."

Lancelot shook his head: "Don't you understand? Gareth is just an immature trainee knight. The one we really need to be wary of is that woman with true wisdom."

"..."

Tristan spoke up: "Lancelot, you've fallen into your womanizing habit again?"

Lancelot's lips twitched, unable to refute, and he said unhappily, "After Gareth is removed from his position, the defense of the Holy City will inevitably be weakened again, and the most important thing now is to find someone to replace Gareth in the Holy Eradication affairs."

Gawain nodded and said, "I second that. I'll take care of Gareth's work."

Tristan scoffed, "Gao Wenqing, it is sad that Gareth has been removed from the Round Table by the King. What lingering affection do you still have for her?"

Gawain shook his head: "After I made my decision, my only purpose in this world was to be loyal to the King, make up for my mistakes, and take over Gareth's work not out of guilt or knightly honor, but simply to realize the King's ideals as soon as possible."

Agguiwen said coldly, "Don't be arrogant. The king did not order us to pursue them. Just do your job and complete your tasks."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The round table fell silent, acknowledging Agravan's claim as the Lion King's lieutenant.

······

In the wilderness outside the Holy Capital, Fujimaru Ritsuka and his two companions, along with Gareth, traveled further and further away from the Holy Capital.

The young female knight Gareth's face was full of hesitation and shyness: "From now on, I am a wandering knight. If you need me, I am happy to be your sword to protect you."

Fujimaru Ritsuka smiled brightly and gave Gareth a warm hug: "Of course! Although I don't know what happened, the more people the better right now."

Mashu asked curiously, "But Miss Gareth, why did you choose to leave your companions and act with us?"

Gareth gave a wry smile: "There are all sorts of reasons, and you'll understand when you know the truth about this world, but..."

Gareth thought for a moment and said seriously, "There is one thing I need to make clear before we conclude the contract. Although I am no longer a member of the Round Table, my loyalty to the King will not change. I do not know if you are my answer, so I will not reveal any information that is detrimental to the King."

"I can understand."

Fujimaru Ritsuka was already used to the sense of honor that Servants possessed, and nodded with pleasure.

Da Vinci glanced at Gareth and suggested, "Ritsuka, let's find a place to summarize the intelligence we've gathered."

Da Vinci didn't need Gareth to answer; he only needed to observe her reaction to get the answer.

The four found a shady spot with their backs to a hill to discuss their findings from their trip to the Holy City.

Da Vinci spoke first: "Mash, Ritsuka, have you noticed something very strange about that pure white holy city?"

Mashu shook her head: "Really? In my eyes, it's a very simple and beautiful city, just like the buildings in a fairy tale."

Fujimaru Ritsuka shook her head and gave a completely different conclusion: "What kind of city is that? It is indeed very beautiful on the outside, but it only gives people a feeling of horror and oppression. You can't even see an ordinary person."

Da Vinci nodded: "Ritsuka has already noticed. Don't forget what we heard from the refugees before we entered that pure white holy city. At least four holy exodus have been held so far. Judging from the scale of the holy exodus, the city should have had more than four thousand residents."

Dr. Roman's projection unfolded, and he exclaimed, "Wait! You mean all those humans were killed?"

Da Vinci sighed softly: "If we can't see people, we can't be sure. But after knowing the true face of that pure white holy city, I can roughly guess what kind of ritual the so-called Holy Emancipation is. However, since I haven't seen it with my own eyes, I can't make a conclusion directly."

Gareth, who was listening in, showed a hint of pain and sorrow on his face.

Da Vinci turned to Gareth and smiled, "Lord Gareth, you should know Hall, right? The reason you joined us is because of him."

"How did you know?" Gareth asked, his eyes wide.

Da Vinci smiled and said, "Because when you heard the name Hall, you were the only one whose behavior was different from the other Knights of the Round Table; you showed almost no negative emotions."

"Hall is a very special person to me."

Mashu's eyes widened, a blush rising to her cheeks: "Could it be that Miss Gareth likes...?"

Gareth shook his head decisively: "No, if I had to say, Hall is someone I deeply respect. I'm not qualified to like him or anything like that. He's a king... Ah, I can't say any more."