I, Guinevere, am going to crush you, you curry stick, today!

"...Seeing you so energetic makes me feel relieved." After a moment of silence, Guinevere ruffled the girl's fluffy head and chuckled softly.

"What a lively little girl."

The sudden sound immediately attracted the attention of the people around. Gareth was the closest, but it was Gareth who was the first to notice the semi-transparent pigeon gradually emerging from the girl's shoulder: "Huh, what's this?"

“You can call us Neof Gu. Of course, any other name you feel comfortable calling us Gu is also fine.”

“Things are a bit complicated.” Guinevere thought for a moment. “I’ll explain it to you after I see Uncle Lott.” If she were to reveal the other party’s true identity here, it would probably cause a commotion, and she didn’t want to lie to the two siblings, so this excuse would be perfect.

"Alright. Anyway, I don't understand anything too complicated, and Gahoris is too stupid to help you, Fenna. And then, can I play with this strange little pigeon for a bit?"

"You have to ask her yourself."

"Okay... Hey, where did it go all of a sudden! Don't go—"

Nioph herself is a fusion of many souls, thus she can separate a portion of her consciousness to act independently. Originally, she used this method to investigate the situation in the Great Forest, but it was later discovered by "Her," who almost tracked her down to Tirnano. After that, she switched to sending out several small teams to scout. Now, it serves as a communication channel, with a small clone following the girl.

As for why it was a pigeon, perhaps it can only be attributed to Niove's hobby.

After a chase, the group emerged from the forest and could already see the outline of the Orkney border watchtower in the distance. Neof then freed herself from Gareth and landed back on Guinevere's shoulder, whispering, "Miss Musashi already knows what happened earlier. In about half a day, she will lead the others to search for his whereabouts in this area."

"Please tell her to be very careful."

"Okay, I understand."

"that……"

"What 'gu'?"

"Do you have to add a 'gu' sound to the end of every sentence?" Guinevere finally couldn't help but ask after agonizing over this question for a long time.

The little pigeon declared righteously, "This is a speech habit, and we absolutely cannot compromise on it!"

P.S.: Saturdays only come four times a month. Qingbai got caught in a thunderstorm this morning, and then sat in front of the computer from 2:30 pm onwards, grinding away at it until finally managing to produce a chapter... Kind people passing by, please give me some recommendation votes so poor Qingbai can sleep peacefully (wiping away tears).

Chapter 199 South and North, Two Beginnings

"turn up……"

Hearing familiar footsteps approaching from the corridor, the blond "boy," who was buried in a large stack of documents at his desk, immediately looked up and asked expectantly. But the next moment, upon seeing Merlin's expression, that expectation turned into disappointment.

"Your intuition remains as sharp as ever."

The female magician shrugged, gently closing the study door behind her. A soundproof barrier instantly activated, blocking any sound transmission between the room and the outside world. "Artoria, this is the seventh time you've asked me this question today. If Hector saw you like this, he might be disappointed." She shook her head, her smile fading. "Of course, this was my mistake, so I'll turn a blind eye. As for the question you're concerned about, Nemia has made some progress. Although she can't yet restart the village's teleportation portal, at least she knows where Guinevere and 'Goddess' went..."

"Where are they?"

"Across that door should be the northernmost part of this island, that is, within Scotland, or at least nearby, which is the home ground of our princess. I think this news may put your mind at ease a little."

Artoria's brow remained furrowed. "But we don't know what's happening in Scotland. That strange letter from last time, the messenger from who-knows-where, and the fact that there's still no news from Scotland and Orkney..."

Merlin smiled at her worried expression: "Nieman's decision to open the portal to that side is naturally based on his own plans. But there's nothing we can do about it now. And even without the Sword of Light and the Dragon Armor, that Scottish princess isn't someone anyone can just take a bite out of. Her return to her homeland at this time might be a sign of destiny."

“Merlin, tell me the truth—” Artoria placed her hands on the table, staring at her with a serious look.

Before she could even ask, the female magician spread her hands with a wry smile: "Only this time, I can guarantee that this matter really has nothing to do with me. If there is any fault, it can only be that I underestimated a deity who has not yet fully recovered, thinking that I could control everything... In fact, long ago, the things that happened on this island were already somewhat out of my control."

She stepped forward and placed the scroll she was carrying on top of a rickety pile of documents on the table, maintaining the precarious balance of the mountain of books: "I understand your concerns, but don't forget, you also have things to do—today is your coronation ceremony, and we should go over the arrangements for the various matters that follow, so as not to make any mistakes."

“…I understand.” After a moment of silence, her ahoge (cowlick) drooped listlessly, and Artoria sat back down in her chair, reached for the scroll, and began to read: “This is…” Her expression suddenly became a little strange: “Merlin, don’t joke around at a time like this. Please give me the real one.”

“Unfortunately, every word and every drop of ink on this document was written by Archbishop Canterbury himself. I did not alter anything.”

“How is this possible…” Artoria looked down at the few lines written on it, her face full of doubt.

England at this time—as people still call it, this land once ruled by King Uther and now divided among warlords—has two most important archdioceses: York in the north and Canterbury in the south, and the archbishops lead these two archdioceses.

As Catholicism replaced the native religion and became the dominant faith on the island, the two archbishops held extremely high positions. Each king's coronation was typically presided over by one of the archbishops; otherwise, the king was considered "not recognized by God" and, in the eyes of most, practically a usurper.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is now an old man with a full head of white hair, but the story of how he was appointed by the Pope and crossed the raging sea unscathed, single-handedly with only a staff, is still talked about today. Artoria had heard many of these tales from Hector when she was young, and she always held a deep respect and admiration for the old man. Especially after she personally fought the ferocious wave beast, she gained a new understanding of the Archbishop of Canterbury's strength.

To have such a heroic figure preside over one's coronation ceremony is undoubtedly an exciting thing. If only Fina were here too... Unexpectedly, she thought of her missing good friend again. Artoria felt a dull ache in her heart. The feeling of being powerless to help when her friend was in danger, only able to wait for news in the castle, was really not a good feeling.

However, just as Merlin said, she had her own responsibilities, and Fina was not weak either. All she could do was believe and hope for her safe return... While comforting herself, she refocused her attention on the paper in her hand.

"So, this is what the archbishop is going to announce in front of everyone later?"

“In theory, that’s how it is. He will acknowledge your identity. You have Uther’s blood in you and are fully qualified to inherit everything that belongs to Uther, including his followers, his territory, and his enemies.”

“I know. But…” Artoria hesitated, then read the words aloud: “We must elect Arthur as our king, and not delay any longer, for we have seen the will of God that he will be our king; whoever opposes us, we will… kill him?” She read the last few words with great difficulty.

If it weren't for Merlin's confident assurances, she would have almost thought this was the content of negotiations between two groups of bandits and mountain brigands.

The female magician smiled and said, "Isn't it great? It's simple, easy to understand, and very convincing."

“Indeed… that’s true.” Artoria hesitated for a long time, but then she thought that the important thing was that the archbishop himself was presiding over the ceremony, and as for what he said and did… it seemed that no one would dare to object. Besides, she had already seen another king who was completely unlike someone in a high position before, and compared to that island king who was more like a bandit leader, the words and actions of this archbishop did not seem so surprising.

"That concludes the presentation. There's about an hour before the ceremony begins, but you only have ten minutes to change your clothes before you have to attend to the guests that Kai is currently holding back. A qualified king not only needs to be good at fighting, but also needs to know how to be polite in social situations, or at least not so polite..." As he spoke, Merlin casually conjured up a heavy cloak and tossed it out.

Artoria took it somewhat clumsily, and frowned as she felt its solid texture: "The weather's so stuffy..."

"No complaining. The cloak will enhance your majesty, especially since our new king is a short man. Come on, let's try on this crown to see if it fits. It would be embarrassing if it didn't fit in front of others later... Ouch, wait, stop! It's my fault, don't poke my hand with your ahoge! It's bleeding!"

About ten minutes later, the invited lords and nobles finally met the king to whom they were about to swear allegiance.

And the key figure who made the whole thing happen—Merlin the magician, whose fingers were inexplicably bandaged.

……

Many people attended.

Some came in person, some sent envoys to express goodwill, some declined the invitation outright for various reasons, and even some were minor powers unqualified to participate in the ceremony. Regardless of their stance, today, the vast majority of British eyes were fixed on Carlyon, the small town in Wales. They understood that true war was about to break out…

……

But even now, few have noticed the malice spreading across the north. Those facing this malice are still struggling, trying to find a solution, a way to survive…

Facing the first line of defense against the great forest, the Anthony Wall, which has a history of hundreds of years, the Scottish lords still continue their seemingly endless debate over whether to fight or retreat.

They had not yet realized that Pat, the one in the main seat, was merely a poorly made puppet, while the real Scottish prince had received a satisfactory promise from a certain "hermit" and, filled with ambition for the future, embarked on his journey home with his most trusted friend.

This will be the beginning of another legend.

Pat thought to himself.

……

Further north, within the dark and eerie forest, a wandering swordsman pulls his beloved blade from the heart of a corpse shrouded in black smoke. The victim had once been a pitiful possessed being; long before that, the victim must have been a Scottish soldier, perhaps with a wife, children, and kind parents.

Musashi merely glanced at him silently, uttered a silent "Amitabha" in her heart, and then turned and left. She had long been accustomed to the feeling of taking another's life, and had grown used to bearing the weight of life itself; she would no longer be moved by it.

The bird that Neof had transformed into perched on the branch above her head, watching that figure from behind, and let out a soft sigh.

……

Orkney, the royal city.

The rain fell and stopped, then fell again, blurring the view inside and outside the castle. A heavily damaged army slowly came into view of Lotte and Morgan le Fay...

Perhaps when everything is over and the dust has settled—maybe ten or twenty years from now, or even further into the future—people will begin to tell a story that took place in the north of Britain.

This story features ferocious monsters, brave warriors, beautiful maidens, and ancient swords, but what is most impressive is the sky-covering, sun-obscuring wings of an evil dragon.

And almost every version of the story begins with this scene:

"On the same day King Arthur ascended the throne, in Orkney in the north, two defeated knights returned to the king and queen with a mysterious maiden and a cooing dove..."

That was the beginning of everything.

Chapter 200 A Brief Respite (Part 1)

In the morning, a light drizzle fell. The muddy ground was not very suitable for marching, especially when wearing a full set of leather or iron armor. The smell of water seeping into the lining was enough to make anyone who had experienced it feel excruciating, and it was difficult to perform at the original level when facing the enemy.

Therefore, once the troops left the area of ​​the great forest and were certain that they would no longer encounter those strange hands and shadow spirits, Gahoris ordered most of the soldiers to switch to light armor, leaving only a few squad leaders to remain fully armed and patrol around the area.

Their armor had undergone simple enchantments. Although it couldn't compare to Gareth's previous set, it at least had good waterproof properties, so it wouldn't hinder their movement in the rain, and they could put up a fight if enemies appeared.

The boy himself walked at the front of the group with his sister and Guinevere, whom he had met in the early morning.

Their mission was to investigate the unusual phenomena within the great forest, so they carried no horses, only essential camping equipment and some unpalatable dry rations—the majority of which were torches. Now that they had left the forest and no longer needed to keep the fire burning brightly, they felt somewhat out of sorts.

"What a nostalgic view. The last time I was in Orkney was probably two or three years ago..."

“Three years ago!”

"I see, it's been three years... But speaking of which, you have a really good memory."

"hey-hey."

Gareth smiled happily at the praise and leaned her head closer. Guinevere chuckled and ruffled her hair twice, causing the invisible tail behind the girl to wag even more merrily.

"Don't be fooled by her. She only remembers things that involve you, Fina, very well. She forgets everything she's told to do as soon as she's asked..." Gahoris mercilessly exposed his sister's secrets, only to be glared at fiercely by her.

“I know you’re envious.” But Gareth’s eyes darted around, and he suddenly said with a grin.

"Who...who's envious!"

The boy stammered in rebuttal. He was already a remarkable man, how could he let anyone pat his head like he did when he was a child? Thinking this to himself, by the time Guinevere looked over, he had already recalled his father's usual demeanor, tried his best to keep a straight face, and ignored Gareth who was chuckling beside him.

Although young, the two were different from Guinevere; they had already participated in several battles, large and small, and seen blood. As a result, their attitude towards life and death had become more open-minded. Although they felt sad when more than half of the people they brought out were lost in the great forest, they knew how to let go appropriately after mourning and not let these emotions affect them anymore.

This may be because, in the minds of the British at this time, death was not the end; those unfortunate dead had simply returned to the stream of souls and would soon return to this world in another form and with another identity. Since life itself still existed, there was no need to wallow in sorrow.

Of course, only a few people can be so open-minded. For most people, it's just an excuse to comfort themselves. But at this moment, the attitude shown by the two siblings did make Guinevere's depressed mood a little better.

Watching the two siblings start arguing back and forth again, "You're shy!" "I'm not shy!" "I am shy!" she couldn't help but smile slightly, and her somewhat suppressed mood brightened up.

The other soldiers were clearly used to the two commanders' "argument," and they all kept their eyes straight ahead, as if they hadn't heard or seen anything, and continued on their way.

A moment later, the group climbed a hillside and could already see the outline of the royal city in the distance. The two siblings stopped their childish bickering, and then the pigeon Niouf, who was perched on their shoulders, exclaimed in surprise: "What is that—coo!"

Unable to bear Gareth's harassment, it had long since reverted to its spirit form. At this moment, only Guinevere could hear its exclamation. The girl tilted her head, unsure whether she should criticize the other party for insisting on that so-called verbal tic, but then decided against it.

As for why Neof exclaimed, she naturally knew perfectly well: "That barrier, wasn't it spectacular? I was startled when I first saw it too..."

Whenever something new is born, it is always immediately thrown into places related to war. She couldn't remember where she had seen this sentence in her previous life, but even in a different world, this principle still applies. Although according to the timeline, it is only around 500 AD, but due to magic and various supernatural phenomena, some aspects are incredibly advanced.

For example, the fortified city of Lentinium, the castle of various lords, which is the later London, was built by the Roman Empire at a great cost of time and money. Legend has it that the governor of Britannia at the time used some kind of secret method to connect the city to the earth's veins, making it incredibly strong and unbreakable. However, the fact that it was destroyed in a fire ten years ago seems to suggest that this rumor is not so true.

However, people still habitually regard it as a symbol of British monarchy, as if whoever can reside in Lentinium is the true king of Britain.

The Scottish royal city, with the help of many druids, merged with the mountains to form a massive fortress beyond human imagination. The exposed castle is only a small part of it; almost the entire mountain was hollowed out, and its space is large enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people without feeling cramped. The network of secret passages also makes it almost impossible to completely surround.

This is an invincible city—that's what the then-King of Scotland proudly declared 130 years ago.

Compared to these two, King Orkney's castle seems less "impressive." It was neither built by a vast empire nor created by a group of druids. In fact, during the time of the previous King of Orkney, it didn't even have any supernatural protection; it was just an ordinary mortal's castle.

Everything changed after Loth ascended the throne and married Morgan le Fay, Uther's daughter.

As is well known, Morgan le Fay was sent to a convent by Uther when she was very young, and only after she grew up did she leave the life of a nun and get married.

However, this long and monotonous life did not turn Morgan into a devout clergyman. Instead, she learned various magical arts from a reclusive old nun—something that was not allowed in the first place.

If Morgan were still a nun, she would inevitably have been punished for secretly learning magic, but she hid it well. By the time people discovered this, Morgan le Fay was already the Queen of Orkney, no longer bound by the rules of the convent. Under the protection of King Lothar, even the authoritative papacy could no longer pursue the matter.

But because of this, the relationship between Orkney and the Archdiocese of York has never been good. Although they haven't publicly broken ties, they have almost completely cut off communication in private.

There are gains and losses.

Morgan's creation over the years, which single-handedly enveloped the royal city and its surrounding area, was enough to make people overlook the "minor troubles" she caused Orkney.

Anyone who has seen this barrier in person will praise it:

—This is a miracle.

or.

It is named after a miracle.

It not only keeps out all malice, but also has incredible healing effects.

Anyone suffering from illness or tormented by pain who enters the barrier will be cured immediately, and others will experience varying degrees of improvement. In the thirteen years since the barrier was completed, at least a thousand people have been saved as a result. Morgan le Fay's reputation for benevolence has spread far and wide, and in the last ten years, he has even surpassed Merlin to become the greatest wizard in Britain.

It may sound exaggerated, but Guinevere has personally experienced the effects of this barrier more than once and knows that it does indeed have incredible power.

Although she hadn't suffered any serious illnesses in the past ten years, since she was learning swordsmanship, she was bound to bump into things and get injured and bleed. As long as she was inside the barrier, her injuries healed much faster than normal. A wound from the morning would be almost completely invisible by dinner time. Minor illnesses like colds and fevers would heal instantly upon entering the barrier.

Most surprisingly, neither Morgan le Fay nor King Lotte chose to keep this incredible barrier to themselves. Instead, they generously shared it with everyone. Anyone in need, even a penniless beggar, could come and receive the barrier's "treatment" without paying any price. Although some people sourly said that this was an attempt to win people's hearts, there was no doubt that most people were grateful for this generosity.

On the other hand, considering the barrier's incredible healing power and its often overlooked yet equally powerful defensive capabilities, neither side wanted to easily antagonize Orkney. They didn't want to be frustrated by an insurmountable obstacle while simultaneously facing the hostility and anger of those who benefited from it.

Even for Vortigern, this was probably a losing proposition.

Therefore, he delayed sending any messengers to Orkney, as if he were completely ignoring the land.