Ch. 160 When King Braden still thought Artoria was male

When King Braden still thought Artoria was male, this was not a matter worth noting.

But if Artoria is female, and is King Uther’s second child?

Then, her right of inheritance should be second, after her sister Morgan Pendragon.

The problem now is, if Artoria and Morgan are both women, then to whom should one pledge allegiance?

The struggle for the heir to the throne has, since ancient times, been accompanied by bloodshed.

“But Morgan is only a stepdaughter,” Merlin said.

Braidin’s opinion of Merlin was not high, and hearing Merlin speak again, Braidin glared in that direction.

Merlin had a point.

If it comes to bloodline, Artoria is undoubtedly more legitimate than Morgan.

“Moreover, Artoria pulled out the sword in the stone; she is the king from the prophecy,” Merlin said again.

“But your prophecy has already failed once, hasn’t it?” The king mocked.

He then thought about it with a gloomy face.

He was not familiar with Morgan; apart from a few meetings in King Uther’s court years ago, he had not mentioned that name for many years.

Morgan was married off by Uther to a king further north, adjacent to the wild northern highlands and the Picts living on the highlands; beyond Hadrian’s Wall, that place was almost no longer the land of the Britons.

Although the Picts were Celts like the Britons, they were unwilling to accept civilization and were as terrifying as beasts; before the Romans arrived, they were already feared by the various tribes in the south.

Uther marrying his stepdaughter to the border of Britain had quite a flavor of exile in it.

“Artoria Pendragon, Your Highness.” Braidin looked at the young girl: “Do you know what kind of king the Britons want?”

Artoria nodded seriously: “One who can drive the Anglo-Saxons off this island and recover our lost lands.”

“If you were such a king, what do you think is most important?” Braidin asked again.

Artoria thought for a moment and replied: “My… people?”

“Yes, and no,” Braidin shook his head: “Your Highness, let me ask you, what do you think of my city?”

“The market is bustling, the streets are orderly, the buildings are intact, and the people live in peace and contentment; it is the best city I have ever seen.” Artoria answered sincerely.

“Can this allow us to defeat the Anglo-Saxons?” Braidin asked persistently.

The answer was obvious.

Braidin said: “We are like a kingdom on sand, Your Highness. No matter how magnificent or beautiful we build our cities, it is only a matter of a giant’s stomp.”

“We need power, power capable of contending with Vortigern.”

“Of course, I do not mean that ensuring the people can live and work in peace is an unimportant matter. Even if we are little people on a sandcastle, we must at least build the sandcastle high enough so that those who possess power can slap the giant in the face. Can you understand, Your Highness?”

“I understand.” Artoria nodded earnestly.

Braidin leaned forward and asked, “I am not one of those people who blindly pursue prophecies, Your Highness. I know you pulled out the sword in the stone, but if you were to place this sword on your saddle, would your horse then be considered a wielder of the sword in the stone?”

“Where does your power lie?”

“You wish to witness my power?” Artoria gripped her scabbard and responded with composure, “I will not shy away from any knight’s challenge.”

“No,” Braidin shook his head, “it is not my knights who will challenge you.”

“Then?”

The King paused for a moment, then spoke, “Your Highness, I believe you should know what the imminent challenge facing my country is?”

“I certainly do.”

Vortigern’s army is coming.

“That is it,” Braidin said, “I must support the castle where my knight Adlan is stationed. It is the only road from the south leading to Lancaster, and we must hold it.”

“I will dispatch my military commander to lead my army to reinforce Adlan’s castle. If possible, Your Highness, you can demonstrate your chosen power on the battlefield.”

Braidin was old, but he had a clear understanding of his own capabilities; it was not his first time facing Vortigern’s army.

The messenger requesting aid departed for the north two hours after the messenger from Sir Egde arrived.

If two of the three small kingdoms of Upper Britain could unite, then stopping Vortigern’s army of 1,500 soldiers at the gates of Lancaster would not be a problem.

Vortigern’s power was immense; he was like a deity, the White Dragon destined to destroy Britain.

But this White Dragon was not diligent. Most of the time, he would not intervene personally until the army he led was defeated.

Before that, Braidin had to use the terrain to weaken Vortigern’s army.

He would send his military commander and request that Artoria and the others accompany them.

She, at least, shouldn’t hold them back, right?

If the military commander completed the original mission without encountering any unexpected situations, or if the mission failed due to unforeseen circumstances, it would prove that Artoria was nothing special.

Conversely, if the mission was completed excellently, it would prove that Artoria at least possessed some ability.

He had to test the lord he would serve in the future.

“Your Highness, I hope you will accompany my army.”

Braidin nodded politely and said to Artoria.

“Very well.” Artoria looked up at Braidin, who was sitting on the throne.

She accepted this challenge.

The King nodded with satisfaction, “There is no rush for this matter. My scouts are monitoring the movements of the Anglo-Saxons at all times; their attack requires time, and it also takes time for me to assemble my soldiers.”

“Everyone, please stay in the palace tonight. I will arrange a sumptuous dinner to welcome you.”

“You are very generous, King Braden.” Artoria bowed slightly.

“For a future High King, this is the most basic etiquette.”

With that, he shouted with a resonant voice, “Attendant!”

This Latin word would have another translation in the future.

‘Count’

After a few breaths, a man dressed in a short jacket, wearing a hat with a green feather, and dressed quite elegantly appeared.

“Did you summon me, Your Majesty?”

“Take these guests to the guest rooms,” Braidin said.

“Yes, my lord.”

As the six of them left under the guidance of the attendant, Braidin watched their backs for a long time.

Aside from Artoria, Kay, and Merlin.

There were also those three slightly mysterious but hard-to-ignore people.

The King was somewhat curious about the origins of those who had not spoken much during this audience.