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

She laughed too.

……

P.S.: Please recommend, vote, and tip!

Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Man Who Blocked the Way

Nothing more was said that night. The next morning, before the night had completely ended, the three of them had packed their luggage and left the town. Although it was called luggage, most of their belongings, including the daily necessities they had bought in town, were still in Guinevere's "treasure bag." To avoid arousing suspicion, they took out some clothes, dry food, and tents and carried them separately in a small bag.

Because the Star Sword had become a bridge between reality and nightmares, Merlin said that the connection could only be severed and the sword retrieved once the curse on her was completely lifted. Having spent nearly ten years with the sword, its sudden loss left Guinevere feeling quite awkward. Furthermore, it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go back. Having become accustomed to more refined tastes, she tried using ordinary longswords. They seemed no different, but wielding them always felt restrictive and uncomfortable. But she had no other choice but to slowly get used to it.

In any case, weapons are indiscriminate, and a small oversight or mistake could change the outcome of a battle or even life or death. When you change your weapon, you also have to change your habits accordingly. Even with Lily practicing with you, she decided to temporarily restrain her meddlesome nature before she could truly adapt, and try not to cause any disputes or trouble for her companions.

Of course, the idea was nice, but reality rarely goes as planned. They didn't actively seek trouble, but soon enough, trouble came knocking on their door...

……

Let's start by saying a few words about this "Fisherman King".

Cornwall is located at the southwesternmost corner of the British Isles, with a vast ocean to the west and south. The territory ruled by the Fisherman King lies to its northeast, encompassing a small part of Devonshire and the coastal area further east.

Legend has it that decades ago, the sea between Britain and France was not as calm as it is today. It was perpetually raging with storms and waves, never ceasing for a moment. No matter how skilled the fisherman or how sturdy the ship, none could survive the wrath of that ocean. Until young Pelles—then a prince—received a revelation from a fairy, learning that the storms were caused by a ferocious beast lurking in the depths, constantly stirring up havoc. He then embarked on a long journey to vanquish the beast, and the stories of that journey are still sung by bards today.

Finally, with the help of his companions, Pelles obtained the trident held by the sea god and successfully defeated the monster in the depths of the ocean.

The sea calmed down, and the fishermen were finally able to go out to sea again. But Pelles avoided everyone and lived in seclusion, often not seeing anyone for years. Some say he was seriously wounded in the battle, while others say that the king had actually been stripped of his power by his subordinates and children and was imprisoned, waiting for death in loneliness and despair.

Regardless of whether these rumors are true or false, the people who had suffered greatly from the storms at sea all felt grateful for Pelles's contributions. Even now, more than thirty years later, that azure trident still holds considerable weight in the hearts of the lords of the Southern Territory. "Wherever there are ocean currents, they fall under Pelles's jurisdiction—" This widely circulated saying in the Southern Territory of Britain, while exaggerated, is to some extent true.

But the Fisherman King seemed to lack ambition, or perhaps, as rumored, he had suffered an incurable wound in that fierce battle. For thirty years, whether it was Uther rallying the kings to form an alliance against the Picts, or the Empire withdrawing its troops, or the Low King bringing in the Saxons, the island was repeatedly engulfed in turmoil, yet Pelles remained quietly within his territory, making no move. Others dared not easily provoke this special king. Even the cunning Marco, over the years, had shown great restraint in territorial disputes, even making concessions on many occasions. Even when the conflict escalated to its most intense point several years ago due to Terena's intervention, a formal war was not waged; instead, the outcome was decided through a knightly duel.

Cornwall emerged victorious in the duel, and the Fisherman King, as agreed, moved the border back a short distance, with Plymouth serving as the dividing line, and peace was temporarily maintained. Plymouth thus became popular with travelers and merchants from both sides, and within a few years, it had grown into a bustling and prosperous town. Guinevere and her companions' target was precisely this newly established town.

……

Several days had passed since the three left Truro. Coincidentally, on the evening of the second day, as they were about to rest, they encountered the merchants they had met before. Earlier, they and Royal had been traveling to a deserted village when they stumbled upon a caravan being attacked by wild beasts. The group had helped them, and afterwards, they had used this favor to buy three horses from the caravan at a low price. They thought their connection had ended there, but it turned out the merchants were also headed for Plymouth. Because they had rested in Truro for a while, and their goods slowed their pace, they had been stopping frequently, allowing Guinevere and her companions to catch up.

The merchants quickly recognized Guinevere, who had once saved their lives, but treated Lily as if they were meeting for the first time. This further confirmed the girl's suspicions: Merlin must have secretly done something. Otherwise, it wasn't just a change of clothes, not plastic surgery; surely these people weren't blind? At the same time, because of Guinevere's natural bearing, even without revealing her identity, the merchants already regarded her as the daughter of some noble family. They had initially thought the boy named Artorius and the injured man were her attendants, but now it seemed that Lily was the real bodyguard.

Of course, given the cautious nature of those nobles, it's possible that Fina is just a smokescreen, and Lily is actually the real noblewoman. However, curiosity only leads to trouble, and whatever the truth, it's none of their business. Upon learning that the three were also heading to Plymouth, the leading merchant immediately urged them to travel with him. Guinevere understood that this wasn't out of lust or simply to repay a debt of gratitude—though those two reasons might play a part—but most importantly, it was because they had witnessed Royal and Artoria's abilities last time. Even though she hadn't intervened and it was their "first meeting" with Lily, the fact that she stayed by her side meant that while Lily's strength might not be as great as the two from before, it wasn't far behind.

Who wouldn't want a powerful and reliable bodyguard?

As for this side, having a ride, even if it's just a bumpy horse-drawn carriage covered in straw, is much more comfortable than walking. So both sides hit it off and reached an agreement: on the condition that they would take Guinevere and the other two to Plymouth, they would also help resolve any dangers encountered along the way.

That being said, nothing unexpected happened until Plymouth was right in front of them.

Seeing the town's outline in the distance, the merchants could finally breathe a sigh of relief. But ever since the king-choosing ceremony, Guinevere had encountered all sorts of trouble wherever she went. This rare period of smooth sailing, with several days passing without incident, actually made her feel somewhat uneasy. She wondered if it was because she had finally cleared most of the side quests on this map…

In my similar wild thoughts, there are actually some events that make me blush and my heart race. It's just that, for various reasons, I don't want to recall them.

It's dusk again.

Although they could already see the general outline of Plymouth, as the saying goes, "looking at a mountain makes a horse run itself to death," and at the caravan's current speed, it might not even reach the town overnight. The caravan members were all experienced travelers, and they had already chosen a place with a wide view to set up their tents and prepare dinner.

Guinevere and her two companions were also busy. They had originally been in two separate tents, but after joining the caravan, they were now in one. It's always better to be cautious; even the smallest chance could lead to someone losing their temper and launching a surprise attack. Being close together allowed them to respond quickly to any unexpected situation. Furthermore, the tent had been magically treated, making it waterproof and fireproof, and even able to withstand arrows or weapon strikes of relatively low force. In a crisis, the tent itself was practically a small fortress.

After the tent was set up, Guinevere told Nimiao not to run around and to return to the tent immediately if she encountered any danger. Once the girl obediently nodded, Guinevere let her go out to play with the other children. The little girl was innocent and adorable, with a sweet tongue. In just a few days, she had become the caravan's source of joy. Even the hot-tempered guards would try their best to put on a less menacing smile in front of Nimiao, as if they were going to rummage through their pockets to find something to give her.

Nimiao was quite sensible. If she was offered something to eat or a fun little trinket, she would accept it with a smile and a hug. However, if it was money or something truly valuable, she would refuse it no matter what. If she encountered someone with a bad temper who got angry, she could use a few words to make them laugh and turn their anger into joy.

“When I was Nimiao’s age, I was much more mischievous than her…”

Inside the tent, the setting sun cast a warm red glow on everyone. Guinevere casually remarked as she rummaged through her treasure bag, preparing ingredients for dinner.

“Yes.” Lily nodded and walked over from the side.

"Which do you think tastes better, this piece of jerky or this one?"

"The one on the left."

After tilting her head and thinking seriously for a long time, the girl in the white dress finally raised her index finger and pointed at the jerky Guinevere was holding in her left hand, while taking another step closer.

"Then let's eat this one today..."

"Fina, lift your head."

Hearing the call, she swallowed the rest of her sentence, sat there, slumped her shoulders, and sighed softly.

“Your wings are almost growing again. Look, your back—here—” Her fingertips traced her back, and even through a piece of clothing, she shuddered violently. Yet, she spoke with an air of nonchalance: “…They’re swelling up.”

"oh oh."

"Merlin said that this method of breaking the curse has a relatively short duration and must be done once a day. Although I don't know why you seem to be so resistant... you don't feel uncomfortable at all."

The voice drew closer, and Lily leaned down, placing her hand on her shoulder, her breath gradually closing in: "Listen to me, lift your head." It was a gentle tone, like coaxing a child to take medicine.

Is this a matter of being obedient or not?

Guinevere was on the verge of tears.

Although she could feel that her magical power had almost fully recovered, and that her wings and horns would grow back in about half an hour without any intervention, she knew this, but she still couldn't overcome this mental hurdle in the short term…

Just as he was about to look up.

Suddenly, she watched as a small, snow-white hand reached out and placed on her forehead. As if afraid of causing her pain, Lily didn't use much force, simply gently tilting her head back. The top of the tent gradually came into view, followed by a few strands of golden hair hanging down, her brows slightly furrowed, and a somewhat helpless expression on her face.

"Be good and obey."

Guinevere blushed, hesitated for a moment, and then decisively and resolutely... closed her eyes tightly.

Darkness enveloped her, but her other senses sharpened. She realized something was happening outside; a commotion had erupted, and she could vaguely hear someone shouting. With her eyes still closed, she thought, "Something seems to have happened..."

"First, break the curse."

"……it is good."

……

"Do you have medicine?! Quickly, bring me the medicine! My friend is about to die!"

"He's too badly injured to be saved—"

"Shut up!"

"What happened? What happened? What happened?"

"Quickly call Miss Fina and Miss Lily over; they might have a solution!"

"That damned barbarian!"

Not far away, chaos and turmoil reigned.

Several wagons loaded with goods surrounded the tent, forming a simple defensive line. Horses were tied to trees nearby, grazing with their heads down. The caravan members, however, were gathered in the open space in the middle of the tent, staring at something and arguing incessantly.

Suddenly, a small head peeked out from the crowd. It was Nimiao. Her long purple hair was stuck to her face with sweat and dust, but she didn't seem to care at all, just looking ahead with curiosity.

"what?"

It was a man covered in blood. A sword had pierced his abdomen, and he could only lie on his side on a makeshift stretcher, blood flowing continuously, staining even the stretcher beneath him red. Nimiao blinked; she remembered… this man was probably a guard hired by the caravan. Guards were supposed to be very skilled, but… he looked so weak… The little girl bit her finger, her bright red eyes fixed on the man on the ground groaning in pain.

In the chaos, the others hadn't yet noticed the girl's abnormality. The two men standing beside the stretcher were also covered in blood. One was frantically shouting for medicine, while the other, more composed, explained to the others, "We were checking the area for any signs of wild animals... and then we encountered a madman..."

"He asked us if we were going north, and I said yes... Then he forced us to duel. Henwas couldn't stand the man's provocation and drew his sword... The man snatched the sword and plunged it into Henwas's stomach... Then he told his son to bring us this stretcher, saying he didn't want to kill such a weak fellow, and that we should take him back to heal him and find a truly capable man to duel with him... He also said that unless we duel him and win... no one could ever enter Plymouth again."

At this point, the man seemed to remember something and suddenly shuddered: "Around that madman's tent, there were piles of corpses, at least a dozen or twenty people, who were probably... probably all killed by him!"

P.S.: I've been working on this chapter since 6 PM, it was a really tough process, and I almost gave up several times, but I persevered... Don't forget to vote for Qingbai for his hard work!

Chapter Seventy-Eight: King or Madman?

After hearing the gist of the story, Nimiao realized the seriousness of the matter and hurriedly went back to call the two people who had just finished their "routine ceremony" over.

Although Lily had no other choice, Guinevere carried a healing ointment made by a druid master. Seeing the serious injuries on the stretcher, she immediately took it out without hesitation. Since there was no professional doctor in the caravan, she personally took care of everything from removing the sword and stopping the bleeding to cleaning the wound, changing the dressing, and bandaging it. Although the King of Scotland usually doted on this daughter, he was extremely strict when teaching her swordsmanship. In the beginning, she had bruises and wounds all over her body almost every moment, so she was quite adept at doing this now.

After a busy day, Guinevere straightened up, covered in sweat, and handed the ointment to the anxiously waiting merchants: "...Although the sword went in very deep, fortunately it didn't damage any internal organs, so there shouldn't be any danger to their lives. Here's the ointment for you. Remember to apply it to the wound three times a day."

"Th-thank you so much, thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, it was nothing." Lily waved her hand and handed over a wrung-out damp towel. Guinevere took it, wiped her face and hands, and smiled as she returned the towel to Lily: "Thanks... Uncle Elim, Humberts, what's going on here?"

The Elim she was asking about was the initiator and organizer of this caravan. He seemed to be in his fifties, and in this era, fifty or sixty years old was considered a highly respected elder. Indeed, his appearance resembled that of an old man with one foot in the grave: his hair was gray, his face was full of wrinkles, only his deep-set eyes were still bright and sparkling with a brilliance that was no less than that of a young man.

Elim was the eldest son of a Roman merchant. Following in his father's footsteps, he frequently traveled between the Empire and Britain from a young age, trading and buying and selling goods for over thirty years. During their journey with the caravan, Guinevere knew that the injured Henvas, and the other two who had accompanied him to scout for wild animals, Humberts and Stout, were all sons of this old merchant. In addition, there were two older sons who traded in the French region.

The three brothers were agile and usually made a living by hunting. Occasionally, they were hired by the lord as scouts, but their expertise lay in stealth and movement through the mountains, not in direct combat. Among them, Henvas had the most fiery temper. Perhaps unable to bear the provocation, he drew his sword and challenged the enemy without thinking, only to end up severely wounded and near death. Having already heard a rough account from Nimiao, Guinevere and Lily exchanged a glance after hearing the whole story from the other two brothers. Both saw deep confusion and bewilderment in each other's eyes.

"You mean, there's a man blocking the road to Plymouth, preventing anyone from passing unless they can defeat him in a duel..."

"That's it."

Seeing Humberts nod vigorously, Guinevere thought for a moment: "He didn't ask you to leave your valuables behind?"

"No."

"This is strange..."

“If he’s a robber, so be it. We can just give him the goods and money; at least we’ll be safe.” The old merchant sighed. “The problem is, we can’t figure out what his purpose is. Henwas is so badly injured; he can’t just stay out here in the middle of nowhere, exposed to the wind and rain… Of everyone here, no one is stronger than my three good-for-nothing children. But the gap between them and you two is far greater than that between a duck and an eagle. Beautiful ladies, I know this request is a bit much, but…”

Seemingly hesitant about what to say next, he was still carefully choosing his words, but the two on the other side already understood what this so-called request was. Guinevere shook her head and interrupted, "We have urgent business to attend to in the north. It's a matter of life and death, so we don't have much time to waste here."

“That’s right. Although I don’t know who the other person is, I think there must be a reason why he would do something like this to block the way… In any case, this will only cause more trouble for more people. Let me and Fina go and take a look first.”

That was perfectly timed. Guinevere thought to herself that she knew why Elim had hesitated to speak—it was simply because he was concerned about their identities and didn't yet know Lily's true strength. With Henvas seriously injured, it was obvious that the person blocking their way was no gentle soul; a misstep could easily lead to their deaths. Making a request rashly might result in a refusal—that was a minor matter; angering them would be the real problem.

However, their destination was the territory of the Fisherman King in the north, and she and Lily naturally couldn't stay here indefinitely. Who was this man, and why was he blocking the road? These were questions they needed to understand and resolve. Since it concerned their own interests, it couldn't be considered meddling—recalling her recent decision not to interfere, Guinevere added a slightly guilty patch to her statement. Thinking of Elim's son's recent serious injury and how heavy his heart must be, she couldn't bear to see him looking so troubled, so before the old merchant could even voice his request, she spoke first.

Whether it was a tacit understanding or simply her natural personality, Lily immediately chimed in, taking on the task herself. Elim, startled, quickly grasped their thoughts. His lips trembled slightly, but he ultimately only said:

"Thank you... I'll leave it to you then. Please be careful..."

"Leave it to us."

So that's how it was settled.

After instructing Nemia to stay in the tent and not wander off, Humberts led the way, leaving the open area where the caravan was encamped. Anticipating a likely battle, both Lily and Guinevere picked up swords and carried them, just in case. She followed behind Humberts, discussing with Lily the origins of the person blocking their path, while also recalling the Arthurian legends she had read in her past life, trying to recall if any characters matched up…

Before I could come up with a solution, a magnificent tent appeared in the distance, blocking the road. The surrounding view was unobstructed, so it seemed that as long as someone was in the tent, they would be spotted no matter which way others tried to go around.

On the other side of the tent, under a curtain, there was a saddled and reined horse, and a colorful shield was hanging on a tree next to it. Under the tree was a giant bow that was two meters long, with more than a dozen arrows stuck in front of it, each arrow being more than a meter long. Next to it was a spear.

"This is where that man lived. That's where Henwas was injured... Look, there's still blood on the ground..."

The young man leading the way pointed to the bloodstains in the open space in front of the tent and said.

At this time, although Britain had nominally become independent from the rule of the Roman Empire, it had not yet shaken off the empire's influence in many ways. For example, when abroad, what kind of class could use what kind of tent, all of which were clearly stipulated by the empire. Therefore, Humberts did not find anything wrong with this glance, but the two girls were both stunned.

“This tent…” Guinevere frowned slightly, glancing at Lily. The latter nodded. “Only the king is entitled to use this type of tent, but…”

She hesitated.

Even though the island was divided among numerous warlords, with dozens of kings of varying ranks, even the weakest king had two or three knight lords under his command, capable of mustering an army of several hundred to a thousand men. As for the more powerful ones, such as King Lot of Orkney, he was said to be able to muster more than five thousand brave and skilled soldiers. In any case, those who could become the rulers of a nation were no ordinary people, at least...

They shouldn't be so destitute as to resort to highway robbery.

Moreover, this fellow doesn't seem to want money; he's simply blocking the road and preventing people from passing.

"But if it's not a king using this kind of tent, it means the person is a madman who disregards worldly rules and is arrogant and conceited. Such a person is actually more troublesome..."

Frowning, Guinevere touched her lips with her fingertip, pondering her next move. The tent seemed empty; no one was there, and she had no idea where the person had gone. If it were just her and Lily, they could take this opportunity to leave, but the caravan was too large to leave silently. She needed to persuade or subdue them first… Just as she thought this, suddenly, her sleeve was tugged.

It's Lily.

"what happened?"

Look over there—

Looking in the direction the girl in the white dress indicated, they saw a boy of about twelve or thirteen years old running towards them with an excited expression. Before the boy could spot the three of them, Guinevere had already reacted. She made a gesture, and she, Lily, and Humberts hid separately, quietly watching the boy run to the tree next to the tent, seemingly with great effort, lift the longbow, draw three arrows, and then stagger away.

They exchanged a glance and the three of them quietly followed behind the boy.

……

at the same time.

"Did I hear you wrong? Sir, are you saying that I can choose any weapon first, and then you will use the same weapon to fight me?"

"That's it."

"Ha...haha, if that's the case, then I won't stand on ceremony."

As the last rays of sunlight spread across the sky and the evening glow filled the air, a young man dressed as a knight took down his longbow from his shoulder on the hillside, looked around, and after a moment pointed to several birds flying in the distance toward them: "I'll take them as my targets."

“Oh, a bird? That’s much harder than shooting at something stationary.” The other person paused, then asked, “Which one are you targeting?”