VALRRR
patreon
[FTMWDK] Chapter 132: Another War
🕑 Added 2023-11-24 05:30:21 +0000 UTCIn the council chamber, Artoria, Bedivere, Kay, Morgan, Ferguson, and the others sat around the round table, the atmosphere slightly tense.
This was mainly because Arkhan's serious expression made everyone feel a bit uneasy, especially when they saw Merlin, who was usually laid-back, sitting obediently next to him.
The sense of unease grew stronger.
Everyone had a vague intuition that this impromptu meeting might be something significant.
"Is everyone present?" Arkhan glanced around, nodding slightly. "Alright, let's get straight to the point."
"Your Majesty, why the urgency in summoning us? Has something major happened?" Bedivere inquired.
"It is indeed something major..." Arkhan said solemnly. "I won't beat around the bush. I've recently received precise intelligence that in a month, Wessex, Sussex, and Kent, will gather an army of fifty thousand and march south towards Hadrian's Wall."
"..."
As if a bomb had exploded, the council chamber fell into stunned silence.
After fifteen years of dormancy, the North was finally planning to launch an attack on the South.
While the news was explosively shocking at first, the people present only instinctively gasped, gradually regaining their composure.
"Is it because of the War of the Great Plains?" Artoria asked, puzzled.
She thought it might be due to the overwhelming victory in the War of the Great Plains, making Vortigern feel pressured, prompting an attack on the South.
"I think it might be because Vortigern feels the time is right." Kay speculated. "Didn't our teacher mention before that Vortigern is getting close to achieving his goal? It's understandable that he would choose to start a war at this point."
"I have another theory..." Bedivere, the only one present who had truly experienced war, chimed in. "The Northern Kingdoms have been silent for a whole fifteen years, and now it's winter. If Vortigern chooses to strike at this time, there's a significant chance he can catch us off guard."
"Regardless of Vortigern's reasons for starting the war, the fact is now laid before us." Arkhan tapped the table with his finger while surveying the people present. "Our only concern now is figuring out how to deal with this army!"
Yes, Arkhan was not just contemplating repelling this attack; he aimed to completely annihilate this fifty-thousand-strong army!
Vortigern wanted to go to war, but why shouldn't Arkhan want it too?
All signs indicated that the path of that White Dragon towards restoring the Age of Gods had been getting closer and closer. If they allowed it to continue, Britain's doomsday might truly arrive.
Initially, Arkhan planned to develop Camelot's strength for a year or two and then crush the North when Camelot was at its peak. But who would have expected Vortigern to act first?
Moreover, he didn't involve all Seven Northern Kingdoms; he only chose three kingdoms to mobilize.
This indicated that he wasn't planning for a full-scale war. However, if it was a probing move, the scale seemed too large.
Although Arkhan didn't understand Vortigern's motives, he had made up his mind to seize this opportunity and completely wipe out these three kingdoms alliance!
If Camelot could eliminate this fifty-thousand-strong army, Vortigern would undoubtedly suffer a severe blow. This would significantly increase their chances of victory in the future decisive battle!
Arkhan looked at Ferguson.
"How many soldiers does Camelot currently have?"
Ferguson hesitated for a moment.
"In total, thirty thousand. Ten thousand guard the borders, ten thousand guard the royal capital, and another ten thousand guard the national borders."
"So few?" Arkhan raised an eyebrow. Even with Camelot's decline over the past fifteen years, it shouldn't have such few soldiers.
"In reality, Camelot isn't lacking in soldiers..." Ferguson sighed. "The issue is that they don't belong to the royal family."
Arkhan suddenly understood. Anyone familiar with history knew that Europe never truly had a concept of centralized authority. The royal family, rather than being the rulers of the country, was essentially the largest noble family, crowned as kings due to their vast lands and the most powerful power.
The other nobles had their own territories and significant power within them—tax collection, conscription, rule-making, army formation, and even the initiation of wars. Except for the title of king, they were nearly indistinguishable from the kings themselves.
This system made the situation in most European countries extremely unstable, akin to describing it as a pile of loose sand.
The defeat in the battle fifteen years ago dealt a severe blow to the House of Pendragon. With Morgan being the only one left in Camelot who couldn't handle every affair alone, the prestige of the royal family suffered, leading to a decline in strength.
That was why, Ferguson and the others urgently hoped for a new king to appear soon; otherwise, internal chaos in Camelot would arise before any external threats.
"If we include the forces under those nobles, how many soldiers can we gather?" Arkhan asked after a moment of contemplation.
"At least a hundred thousand." Ferguson replied without hesitation.
Arkhan looked surprised. Following the historical pattern of Europe, when a king controlled less than a fifth of the country's military, it was already dangerous.
It seemed that Ferguson and the others had been going through tough times these years.
"In that case, Lord Ferguson, you go and gather those nobles. Within a month, make sure they assemble at least seventy thousand soldiers at the northern border." Arkhan instructed.
Ferguson hesitated, his face showing concern.
"But what if they refuse?"
Traditionally, a king had no right to command the armies of the nobles. Even a king couldn't force them if they adamantly refused to send soldiers.
"If they refuse?" Arkhan smirked. "I'd like to see how many dare to refuse."
As a legitimate reincarnator from a communist nation, he couldn't allow any noble to challenge his authority.
From now on, all the authorities in Camelot must be consolidated into his hands. Anyone who dares to oppose him will have their rebellion crushed without mercy.
