stonecrandall Page 14
Page 14
As the participating knights entered one after another, cheers erupted from the stands. The Camelots applauded their favorites, and amidst the cheers, the fully armed knights, carried by sturdy warhorses, entered one by one to draw lots to determine their opponents. But in truth, their fate was in your hands.
[Under your arrangement, Lancelot, Kai, and Artoria's schedules have been separated. They need to face knights from all over Europe and fight their way into the semifinals. You are sure that the top three will be these three.]
[The facts are pretty much as you predicted. Once these three entered the competition, the other knights became their stepping stones. This doesn't mean the other participants were weak; on the contrary, those who could hold their own against these three were already highly skilled fighters.]
As contestants fell one after another, people realized that the three future Knights of the Round Table were on a completely different level from the other contestants. The crowd erupted in celebration, eager to witness the birth of a champion. Even Morgan, who wasn't particularly interested in martial arts, was caught up in the fervent atmosphere of martial fervor. However, as the competition intensified, she began to realize that something was amiss.
In the midst of continuous battles, the knights' weapons and equipment began to wear out, but Lancelot and Artoria's weapons remained as sharp as ever. Morgan recognized that Lancelot's sword was a gift from the Lady of the Lake, but Artoria's lance puzzled her. She couldn't identify the origin of the lance from its design, yet she felt she had seen it somewhere before.
[Until the quarterfinals began, when Kai's weapon broke during the match and he had to replace it with a new one, Morgan finally recognized where Artoria's spear came from. Without hesitation, she immediately pulled you away from the public eye and backstage.]
Inside a room in the backstage area of the martial arts tournament, Morgan dragged Quinn inside, locked the door, and before Quinn could ask any questions, shoved him to the ground, pinned him down, and pressed his knee hard against Quinn's groin, snarling viciously.
"Where did Artoris get that spear from?"
"W-what spear?" Quinn tensed up, only to find that Morgan was using unusual force, firmly fixing his range of motion, and he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
"You're still pretending? I'm asking you, where's the lance I prepared for you? Did you give it to that Artorius? You gave away the gift I made for you?!" Morgan's anger grew with each word. "You think I didn't know you favored him and knighted him?"
"I didn't give it to you, I just borrowed it temporarily."
"A loan? The kind you don't have to pay back, right?"
“Not really.” Quinn shrank back, unusually honest. “I gave him a task: to defeat Lancelot. Artorius is a grateful man; once he wins, he won’t challenge me to a duel again. That way, our initial goal is achieved, isn’t it? I’m doing this all for your and my own good.”
"You mean, the thing I made for you is inferior to that Lancelot?!" Morgan glared at Quinn, his knee slamming into her.
Feeling the pressure coming from his lower body, Quinn took a deep breath, but this time, he didn't beg for mercy. Instead, he raised his head and said frankly, "It's hard to say."
Upon hearing this, Morgan froze on the spot. She was both angry and annoyed, but she couldn't bring herself to castrate Quinn. After all, pressing down with her knee might not necessarily quell her anger, but she would definitely regret it. In the end, she simply pressed her whole body against Quinn and bit him hard on the shoulder.
hiss!
Quinn groaned in pain, and hearing this, Morgan's anger finally subsided, and reason regained its footing. "You can't beat Lancelot with the weapon I gave you, so why do you think that Attorney can?"
Why do I think Artoria can win?
Because her base valor stat is 36, plus the 20 from those two items, and the fact that she is now a vassal and enjoys the "Knight Mentor" trait bonus, her valor stat has reached 61. In CK3, even with a cheat engine, the maximum valor stat is only 120.
This means that, according to the simulator system's assessment, 120 is the combat limit that an individual character can reach. If judged using the lunar setting, an individual with 120 points of bravery is a UO, which is the "strongest life form" on a planet.
Now, Artoria's 61 points of Valor represent more than just half of the numerical limit; she has become a watershed moment for individual characters' combat power on the Moon, as FGO players would say.
Now, Artoria has reached the level of a goalkeeper. The last person to achieve this honor was Hercules. Of course, the current Artoria is obviously no match for the great Greek hero, but she is by no means an opponent that Lancelot can easily defeat. Sending her to fight Lancelot is a sure thing.
"Because, in my opinion, he is the strongest fighter in Camelot besides Lancelot. If he can't win even with the weapons you made, then I can't either."
Quinn stated the facts, and Morgan was speechless in the face of such arguments. After thinking it over, she could only angrily bite Quinn's other shoulder again. Looking at the two symmetrical bite marks on Quinn's body, Morgan stood up from the man indignantly. "When you pass the test, but after this competition, you must immediately start training in martial arts. I don't want my husband to be a mediocre fighter."
Quinn nodded repeatedly. He had planned to use this time to train himself after getting through this ordeal, so this was not a big request. He added, "Yes, ma'am. I will get my gift back after the tournament."
"No!" Morgan suddenly snapped. "Consider those pieces of trash as dog food. You're not allowed to take them back."
"Huh? What will I use from now on?"
“You’re my husband, stop clinging to those rubbish things. Your weapons also need to match my status. Luckily, I know something about a gun. Go look for it when you have some free time.”
"What gun?"
Quinn became interested; a gun that Morgan was interested in must be something extraordinary.
“Rongomminiad, that is the weapon worthy of my husband, the future King Camelot. I command you to find this gun.”
Quinn stood there dumbfounded, sweat pouring down his face.
Ah, I'm looking for the Holy Lance?
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Did you receive this as a gift from him?
After issuing the new order and seeing Quinn obediently accept it, Morgan's anger finally dissipated. He then led Quinn back to the audience seats to watch the knights' duels in the tournament arena. However, Quinn, sitting next to Morgan, had lost all interest in watching the show.
His mind was completely occupied with how to complete the task Morgan had assigned him.
As a time traveler, he knew many of the settings in Type-Moon's history and was confident that he could rely on his knowledge...
Chapter 28
He uses his understanding of this world to seek his own benefit. If Morgan asked him to find the holy sword guarded by the Lady of the Lake, he wouldn't dare say he could get it 100%, but he would have a 50% chance.
After all, the Lady of the Lake in the Moon lore has intricate connections with Morgan himself and can be seen as a side of Morgan.
Isn't it easy to get the sword from my own wife?
But Rungomminiad is different. It's not because the Holy Lance is harder to obtain than the Holy Sword, but because Quinn has no idea where it is. That damned mushroom never said who kept it before Artoria got it. Even in the Fairy Lostbelt, the fully-formed Morgan only replicated the Holy Lance through magic, rather than obtaining it personally.
Quinn knew that Rungomminiad was a good thing. It was the Star Anchor used to connect the two worlds of Earth. In the setting, once its power was released, it could overturn the laws of physics and bring back the rules of fantasy. It could easily destroy Vortigern, who had transformed into a dragon, with just a simple use. If there was anything in Britain that attracted Quinn the most right now, it would be Morgan's fairy magic and the Holy Lance Rungomminiad.
Unfortunately, he genuinely didn't know where to find this thing.
And the only person who described it, knew where to get it, was none other than the damned Merlin.
He couldn't very well just run up to Merlin and ask him where the Holy Lance was, could he? Merlin would just tell him...
After thinking it over, Quinn blinked and suddenly realized that it wasn't impossible to pry the location of this thing out of Merlin.
His gaze fell upon the arena of the martial arts tournament. At this moment, the knightly competition had reached the semi-final stage. Thanks to his deliberate arrangement, the semi-final matches were all rigged, with no element of luck involved. Lancelot was to face Kai, while Artoria only needed to fight another unknown random knight.
Who will win in this semi-final is carefully calculated.
That unlucky random knight who was just there to make up the numbers couldn't possibly fight against Artoria, and Kai couldn't defeat Lancelot either. But after fighting Kai, Lancelot, even if he wasn't injured, would definitely have suffered some basic stamina depletion. And this extra stamina depletion would become the foundation for Artoria to defeat Lancelot.
[Under your deliberate arrangement, the semi-finals became the longest and most anticipated event in the knightly tournament. As expected, Artoria knocked her opponent off her horse with a single blow, securing her place in the finals. Then, Kai and Lancelot stepped onto the field.]
The two future Knights of the Round Table have begun their duel.
[Kai's Martial Valor Value: 30]
Lancelot's bravery rating is 49.
The vast difference in their martial prowess had already demonstrated who had a greater chance of winning, but the actual outcome of the battle was still influenced by many factors. The two first competed in mounted spearmanship, then both fell from their horses, and switched to archery, before finally engaging in sword fighting.
[You have witnessed the clash of skills between the most skilled and proficient warriors of this era. In this age when the mystery of the Age of Gods has not yet completely dissipated, these most outstanding knights still retain the elegance of humanity from that era. Every swing of their swords stirs up the true ether floating in the atmosphere, a precious object that magicians of later generations have dreamed of replicating. But at this moment, it is merely the aftershock of their battle.]
The duel between these two outstanding warriors brought the atmosphere in the arena to a climax. Anyone could see that Lancelot's skills were clearly superior. However, Kai's opponents were Artoria, who possessed the blood of the red dragon, which made him far more resilient than others. For a time, he managed to fight Lancelot, who still had some strength left, to a draw despite his best efforts.
Now, even Morgan, who isn't skilled in martial arts, has to admit that your decision was absolutely correct. Against Lancelot, even with the items she gave you, you simply couldn't win. She has to admit that you are better at judging people than she is, but when she thinks about how she brought you into her fold, she feels like she's gotten a great deal.
You paid no attention to Morgan's situation, nor could the cheers of the surrounding crowd disturb your thoughts, because you only felt the pressure mounting. Watching the duel between Kai and Lancelot, you realized that you had underestimated Lancelot's actual level. Although his bravery value was only 49, which was far lower than Artoria's in terms of numerical value, you noticed that he held back during his duel with Kai, or more accurately, he held back.
[Kay had exerted all his strength to fight Lancelot, and sweat was pouring down his body. In contrast, Lancelot was able to deflect Kay's attacks with his years of combat experience and the simplest techniques. His breathing was steady, and he was only emitting a little heat. Clearly, Lancelot's fight with Kay was just a warm-up.]
As Kai began to pant and his attacks slowed with exhaustion, Lancelot struck. The holy sword he wielded—the Unbreakable Lake—blossomed with azure light, and in the next instant, Kai's weapon snapped in two.
Lancelot has won. Amidst the cheers and adoration of the crowd, he looks at you with a fervent fighting spirit in his eyes. Now you know why he held back when he fought Kai; he intended to face you at his best.
You feel extremely uncomfortable and begin to regret that your moral standards were too high; you only used a war of attrition to wear down the opponent's stamina instead of secretly sending someone to put laxatives in Lancelot's drinking water.
But thankfully, you still have Artoria.
[Amidst much anticipation, the highlight of this martial arts tournament finally begins: Artoria and Lancelot engage in a duel.]
In normal history, Artoria's martial arts skills are far inferior to Lancelot's. She is exceptionally talented, the crown prince carefully prepared by Merlin and King Uther, and the incarnation of the red dragon in British legend. Even though she is petite, fighting against her is like fighting against a dragon. Lancelot, on the other hand, is a true dragon slayer and the pinnacle of martial arts in the world.
As the saying goes, restraint is paramount, and special attack is superior to divine intervention. Not to mention Artoria, who has not yet become king, even King Arthur in his complete form would not dare to say that he could defeat Lancelot.
Lancelot made his judgment the moment Artoria launched her first attack.
[His opponent's martial arts skills weren't particularly outstanding; in terms of technique alone, he wasn't as refined as Kai. Determined to end the battle quickly, he went all out to defeat his opponent in one strike, so he could engage in a duel with you. He seized the opportunity, dodging Artoria's thrusting spear. His holy sword shimmered with azure light as he raised his hand to slash at his opponent's armor, intending to destroy it in one blow and end the fight.]
clang!
"How can it be?!"
The crisp sound was drowned out by the cheers of the audience, but it made Lancelot shout out in surprise. He looked at the holy sword in his hand, which was given to him by the lake spirit, and it was steadily resting on the armor of his opponent. The lake light emitted by the holy sword, which he had infused with magic, stimulated Lancelot's eyes and shattered his understanding.
Taking advantage of Lancelot's shock, Artoria seized the opportunity and delivered a powerful kick to his abdomen. The attack, like being struck by a dragon, sent Lancelot staggering back more than ten steps. The excruciating pain spread throughout his body, leaving the legendary knight unable to stand up for a moment.
But more than the pain in his body, he was surprised by the failure of his attack.
Lancelot stared in astonishment at his opponent, who was clad in lion armor, only to realize that his attack had merely left a gap of less than two centimeters in the armor. He couldn't help but ask, "Is your armor a gift from the elves?"
Artoria remained silent, seemingly calm and collected, but in reality, cold sweat was streaming down her face hidden beneath her helmet.
Only she, as Lancelot's opponent, knew how powerful that attack was.
Chapter 29
Danger. Before being hit, she thought it was just an ordinary attack. After all, her intuition told her that a better option than dodging was to retaliate immediately after taking the hit. So she did so. But when she was hit by the sword, a huge amount of magic power immediately burst out from the blade with an astonishing destructive force that could destroy most of the armor in the world.
If she had been wearing ordinary armor, that attack would have severely injured her. Fortunately, the armor Quinn lent her was sturdy enough to withstand it.
"Why don't you answer my question?" Seeing that his opponent did not reply, Lancelot couldn't help but press on, "You've come this far, you can't be an unknown person, why don't you show your true face?"
Upon hearing this, Artoria removed the visor from her helmet, revealing a remarkably youthful face. The surrounding audience erupted in uproar. During her time as Quinn's scribe, the Camelots had come to recognize her face and knew that a young knight squire was learning from Quinn.
Lancelot also looked surprised. He had a particularly deep impression of Artoria. After all, it was Artoria who had advocated for his exile in court not long ago. Now, she had appeared on the field as his opponent, which made him feel a sense of destiny.
"So it was you. I never expected you to have come this far. I heard you were Sir Quinn's scribe, Artorius?"
"Yes, what's wrong?" Artoria frowned slightly, not understanding why Lancelot would ask this.
“Let’s make a bet, Artorius. If I lose, I’ll serve you as your horseman and spearman. If I win, you’ll resign and let me be your scribe,” Lancelot said, adjusting his breathing and regaining his composure. “Your skills are not bad, but they’re not outstanding. How can you serve as a scribe for Sir Quinn with such skills? Just look at the armor you’re wearing.”
Artoria's eyes widened, and then a surge of anger rose within her, feeling that she had been insulted.
What kind of Frenchman are you, a mere outsider? Do you even deserve to be Sir Quinn's clerk?!
Just as she was about to raise her gun and shoot Lancelot again, to let this Frenchman know that not everyone is qualified to follow Quinn, her intuition suddenly kicked in, warning her that this was a provocation. Lancelot was waiting for her to make the first move so he could seize her weakness and counterattack.
Trust your intuition.
Quinn's words resurfaced in Artoria's mind, calming the anger rising within her. She realized that Lancelot was right; her skills were indeed not outstanding, even inferior to her brother's. She had won more often than lost against her brother thanks to her superior physical abilities, but against an opponent like Lancelot, physical abilities could no longer compensate for her lack of skill.
Artoria took a few deep breaths, recalling Quinn's teachings to her during that time in just two seconds.
"You're too rigid. You can't become a good knight that way. You need to use your brain more and handle different situations flexibly."
The words from the past echoed in her mind, and Artoria hatched a plan. Her anger turned into a smile as she looked at Lancelot, her tone becoming playful. "Oh, so you're jealous of me? Isn't that funny? Someone as inexperienced as me can be Sir Quinn's scribe? Weren't you curious about how I got my armor?"
Lancelot frowned slightly, but before he could speak, he saw the other person lower his mask again, and provocative words came through the helmet.
"This was given to me by Sir Quinn, and so is the spear I'm holding. Do you have one?"
Lancelot's eyes widened in anger.