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[FTMWDK] Chapter 120: Long Live the King!
🕑 Added 2023-11-17 07:45:39 +0000 UTCHubert was taken away, but the atmosphere at the scene suddenly became strange and awkward.
Morgan and Artoria, along with the others, appeared dazed, seemingly still not fully recovered from what had just happened.
The nobles who had been shouting and following Hubert moments earlier were now sweating profusely, their faces ashen, and filled with despair.
The rest of the nobles were also at a loss, not knowing what to say.
Who could have imagined that today's coronation ceremony would end up like this?
Consecutive plot twists and unexpected developments had culminated in an outcome that no one had anticipated.
However, the most important thing was what the new king had just stated—King Uther had prepared not just one heir!
The ministers who were now aware of the truth were baffled. They had never heard of such a thing before!
Originally, King Uther had declared Artoria as his heir, and now, out of nowhere, there was another heir.
"Lord Ferguson, do you know what's going on?" One of the ministers asked the most trusted minister of the late king.
Ferguson's expression was complex, and he was about to say something when a light laugh interrupted him.
"Iyahaha~ this matter, only Uther and I know about it~"
Countless pink petals fell from the void, and a handsome young man with long white hair emerged, wearing a calm and gentle smile.
"Great Mage Merlin!"
Everyone exclaimed the name of this Great Mage.
At the start of the coronation ceremony, people wondered why this figure, who had close ties with Camelot and held the position of court mage, hadn't appeared at all. They never expected him to show up at a time like this.
"Lord Merlin, please explain to us what all of this is about." One of the ministers couldn't help but ask.
All eyes were now fixed on Merlin. It seemed that only this Great Mage could provide the answers they sought.
"Ahh~ it seems even when the truth is right in front of you, you still can't believe it huh..." Merlin shrugged. "Well then, let this Great Mage of Britain and the friendly Big Brother Merlin reveal the complete truth for you."
"First and foremost..." He pointed his staff at Arkhan above. "Arthur is indeed Uther's biological son."
Upon hearing this, Morgan trembled imperceptibly.
Everyone's hearts were shaken. Merlin's words left no doubt about the authenticity of the new king's lineage.
Hugenberg's face turned as white as paper, and the nobles who had been around him quickly distanced themselves as if they were trying to prove they had no connection with him.
"But King Uther had told us back then that there was only one heir..." A minister hesitated.
"Even rabbits know to prepare three burrows when they are escaping." Merlin replied casually. "With the profound wisdom of Uther, how could he not make multiple preparations for such a critical matter? What if there were traitors among you? That would be quite troublesome, right~?"
Upon hearing Merlin's reason, the ministers were immediately filled with anger, but soon, as they thought of Hubert, their anger transformed into frustration.
A single rat dropping had spoiled the entire pot of soup; all because of one Hubert, they, the ministers, were now caught in a predicament.
And now, with Hubert gone mad, even if they wanted to prove their innocence, there was no way.
However, they suddenly remembered. Didn't several people just now join in with Hubert in causing the ruckus?
The gazes of the ministers suddenly focused on those who were against the new king before.
The people from the anti-king faction turned pale. With their experience, they couldn't miss the meaning in those old foxes' eyes.
Hugenberg's face turned even paler. He now realized that he might not make it out of Camelot alive.
"Then, why do His Highness Arthur's hair and eyes black when the late king had golden hair and eyes?" Another noble inquired.
"Well, that's a good question, and if you must know..." Merlin's eyes darted around as he continued. "It's all because of his mother!"
"Mother?"
Confusion filled the eyes of those present. Wasn't Arthur's mother Queen Igraine?
"Everyone knows Igraine was the only wife of Uther, but Arthur's mother is not her." Merlin shrugged. "If it's still unclear, maybe you should recall the story of the Sun God, Lugh."
As Merlin spoke, a spark of realization appeared in the eyes of many.
The legendary leader of the Fomorians, Balor of the Evil Eye, had been foretold by a druid to die at the hands of his own offspring. In an attempt to avert this fate, Balor imprisoned his daughter, Ethniu, in a crystal tower.
However, with the help of a female druid, a god of the Tuatha De Danann named Cian entered the crystal tower and slept with Ethniu, bearing three children.
Balor, discovering the truth, was furious and threw the three children into the sea to drown them.
However, one of them slipped through his notice and was rescued by Birog. This child later became the leader of the Tuatha De Danann after Nuada, the Sun God Lugh.
Merlin's implication was clear—Arthur's mother, like Ethniu, was merely a tool chosen by fate to bring Arthur into the world.
"Then... where is she now? On such an important day, she should have been invited too..." A minister inquired.
"Alas, I wish I could, but Arthur's mother departed this world a long time ago, and even Arthur himself has never laid eyes on her..." Merlin sighed mournfully. "Perhaps that's the fate of a Chosen King; rulers are destined to be lonely. But I believe her soul will always be with her son, offering him protection."
Everyone nodded in agreement, their faces filled with solemnity.
The atmosphere at the scene became considerably heavier.
Morgan's eyes filled with profound sadness. Although her mother had passed away early, she at least retained some memories of her. However, Arkhan had never seen his mother from the moment he was born.
As she thought about that, her heart ached.
Artoria's expression was complicated. Although she had never met her mother either, she had Kay, Merlin, Ector, and the residents of Tintagel by her side for all these years. On the other hand, her teacher had been alone since birth.
As she thought about that, her mood became even heavier.
In their own emotional reveries, the group of people failed to notice that Arkhan, who had earned their pity, now had a face as dark as the bottom of a pot.
"I swear, once I'm free, I'll burn all of this incubus's hair..." Nidhogg whispered in Arkhan's mind.
"I'll help you." Arkhan didn't hesitate to reply.
"Ahem, anyway, the situation is roughly like this." Merlin, catching Arkhan's gaze, shivered and quickly changed the subject. "Now that the troublemaker has been cleared out, it's time to continue with the coronation ceremony, shall we~?"
Everyone awoke from their reverie, realizing that the coronation ceremony was still ongoing.
"Ahem!" Arkhan cleared his throat and, with a nonchalant tone, addressed the King of Deheubarth and the King of Gwent, who were in the center. "Thanks to both kings for this generous gift to Camelot today. If you intend to stay and watch, we've saved your seats for you."
Although his words seemed polite, they dripped with sarcasm.
—We invited you here in good faith, even saved you prime seats, and you were thinking of betraying us? How ungrateful.
Noticing the expressions of the people present, the King of Deheubarth and the King of Gwent blushed slightly.
"We appreciate your kindness, but it's getting late now. Tomorrow is the Samhain festival, and many affairs are waiting for us back in our kingdoms. We won't disturb you further." The King of Deheubarth spoke, trying to be calm.
Without delay, the two kings turned and started to leave. However, just as they reached the exit, two knights crossed their spears, blocking their path.
The faces of the two kings darkened as they turned to Arkhan.
"What do you mean by this? Are you suggesting war between our kingdoms?" The King of Deheubarth asked while gritting his teeth.
"Why would I want that? Camelot is a kingdom that values peace. But do you two not feel like you've gained something extra today?" Arkhan replied casually with a faint smile.
The King of Deheubarth shivered and stared wide-eyed at Arkhan.
"You...!"
"As allies, I hope we can coexist peacefully. After all, we share common enemies. If we were to quarrel over trivial matters, it would be quite unsightly, don't you think?" Arkhan said nonchalantly.
The King of Deheubarth's face grew gloomy.
"This is the reward I deserve!"
"All I know is, if it belongs to Camelot, even a blade of grass, no one else can take it." Arkhan retorted coolly.
The King of Deheubarth was about to say more when the King of Gwent stopped him and whispered, "Don't be impulsive. Look outside."
The King of Deheubarth turned to gaze outside the hall, where more than three hundred knights had gathered and were fixated on him.
He took a step back, his face paling.
"This is not our home ground, and the situation is not in our favor. If there's something to discuss, we can do so after we return." The King of Gwent whispered calmly.
Reluctantly, the King of Deheubarth nodded.
The King of Gwent let out a sigh, then turned to Arkhan with a sneer.
"You truly are the Chosen King. Your methods are truly admirable. I hope our future relations will be peaceful."
With that, he took out a piece of paper from his pocket and threw it on the ground before walking away.
This time, the guards did not stop him.
"Today's event, I will remember it." The King of Deheubarth also tossed a piece of paper on the ground before leaving.
Everyone watched curiously as the two pieces of paper lay on the floor, wondering what they contained that could cause such tension among these three kings.
A servant picked up the papers and handed them to Arkhan. However, he didn't take them but instead said, "Show them to Lord Ferguson."
"Me?" Ferguson was surprised but accepted the papers.
Hugenberg's eyes were filled with despair as he watched this.
Ferguson glanced at the contents of the two papers. His hand started to tremble while his face turning pale.
The papers contained an agreement between the House of Montague, the King of Gwent, and the King of Deheubarth.
The agreement stated that if the two kings promised to support Hubert in opposing the new king during the coronation ceremony, the House of Montague would willingly merge their territory into the Kingdom of Gwent and provide a substantial amount of wealth to the Kingdom of Deheubarth.
This was outright treason!
Ferguson hadn't expected that Hugenberg would go to such lengths, making such a blatantly treacherous move to win over the King of Gwent and the King of Deheubarth.
Moreover, the amount of money mentioned in the agreement was impossible to come up with based on his knowledge of the House of Montague. However, he suddenly remembered that Hubert, who was the younger brother of Hugenberg was the Minister of Finance.
In an instant, Ferguson finally understood why Hubert had gone to such great lengths to prevent the new king's coronation.
"I believe you now understand how to proceed..." Arkhan said with a faint smile as he gazed at Ferguson.
Ferguson took a deep breath and solemnly placed the two agreements into his pocket and nodded.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I won't let you down."
In fact, when he saw how insane Hubert had acted earlier, he had felt some sympathy for the House of Montague, even considering whether to plead with the new king to spare them some dignity. However, after seeing these agreements, he immediately dismissed that idea.
There was no need for a noble house as corrupt as them to remain in this land any longer.
Arkhan smiled and looked at the Minister of Ceremonies.
"Continue."
"Very well."
The Minister of Ceremonies nodded and stepped forward. He was about to speak but suddenly closed his mouth and glanced around warily. When he saw no one interrupting, he nodded satisfactorily and solemnly declared:
"Coronation!"
A servant brought a tray to the front, knelt down before the throne, and held the tray high.
Artoria, Kay, Bedivere, Lamorak, Ferguson, Morgan, Mark, and all Camelotians in the hall knelt on one knee, while the representatives from various nations stood up solemnly and bowed with respect.
Merlin stood by Arkhan's side and declared:
"From this day forth, this hallowed land shall embrace a sovereign anew—one who traverses the realms of life and death, adorned with the mantle of the chosen, and bearing the weight of hopes and ideals—Behold! His Majesty the King, Arthur Pendragon!"
Arkhan took the crown from the tray and placed it on his head, the gemstones adorning it shimmering like the stars.
""Long live the King!""
Everyone gazed toward the throne where the king sat regally and shouted with reverence.
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Author's Note:
End of the second volume.
Next volume—"Beyond Mythology"
