radicalducati Page 13
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Seeing that Artoria was downcast, Quinn felt it was time, so he casually said, "Speaking of which, why are you still just a knight's squire? With your martial skills, you should have been able to serve Her Highness the Princess and be knighted long ago, right?"
"Because my father said that my training is not yet complete, and I need to see more of the world and learn from others. When I am qualified, I will naturally become a knight," Artoria answered honestly. "I came to the tournament with Brother Kai to broaden my horizons."
"Do you want to be a knight?"
"Yes!" Artoria replied without hesitation.
"So that I can fight Lancelot?"
"Not only that, as long as I can become a knight, I will be qualified to join the battlefield and fight against the rebels, so that Camelot can be restored to peace as soon as possible. I come from the countryside and know that peace and having enough to eat are the greatest wishes of the people. I want the people of Camelot to have their wishes fulfilled."
Artoria spoke with righteous indignation, her jade-like eyes sparkling with a simple and pure beauty.
Chapter 25
Her words came from the heart, and her wishes stemmed from the people. Without a doubt, if she were to become a king, she would be a ruler who would be loved and cheered by the people.
This is more like the Artoria I remember.
Quinn was satisfied, so he said, "I can grant your wish, kneel down."
Artoria stood frozen, staring at Quinn in astonishment. After a long while, she came to her senses, instinctively swallowed, and asked timidly, "You're not joking?"
Do you think I'm not qualified?
"No, no, of course not." Artoria quickly waved her hands. "But... I'm probably not qualified yet, am I?"
“No one understands knights better than me, Artorius. You are qualified to be a knight. Why do you think I made you my scribe instead of just having Kai assist the guards in maintaining order? Because I have no other strengths. I am neither good at martial arts nor know how to lead an army. My only strength is my ability to recognize people.”
Quinn said truthfully, "Now, I'm giving you a chance. If you're willing to become my knight, I'll make you my official scribe, lead my army to the battlefield to fight Vortigern, and help you participate in the tournament to duel Lancelot. Whether you accept or not is entirely up to you. You can refuse as well; you can continue to travel with Kay. But if you accept, then shut your mouth, kneel down, and from today onward, I will be your mentor and personally teach you how to be a good student."
To become Sir Quinn's knight?
Artoria was somewhat dizzy and disoriented. She felt as if she were dreaming. How could she, an unknown knight's squire, suddenly be noticed by such an important figure as Quinn and entrusted with such an important task? Perhaps she really was dreaming. Maybe this was another joke played on her by her teacher, Merlin.
Perhaps I should refuse, lest that nightmare laugh at me.
But her intuition told her to agree first, regardless of whether it was a dream or not. What if it was real? The events of this period of time were enough to prove that Quinn was a true model of knighthood. Gaining his approval was proof that she was qualified to become a qualified knight.
So, Artoria, half-believing and half-doubting, knelt down on one knee and bowed her head to Quinn.
Seeing this, Quinn was afraid that the other party would go back on her word, so he drew his sword with the fastest speed he had ever used and placed it on Artoria's shoulder. "I, Quinn Europa, by the grace of Princess Morgan and the authority of the Mayor of Camelot, grant you the rights of a knight. From this day forward, you will be my right-hand man, my scribe, and my military commander."
[You have used up your recruitment attempt and recruited the legendary knight—Artoria Pendragon]
Your scheme to win over Artoria Pendragon has succeeded.
On this night before the tournament, the future King Arthur pledged his loyalty to you and became your knight. In the annals of history, the Britons will record the lineage of their greatest king and the greatest knight of their time.
[Your legendary tale "Knight Mentor" has been elevated, and since Artoria Pendragon is your vassal, you have obtained the "Decision"—to form the Knights of the Round Table.]
Artoria Pendragon's favorability towards you: +100
[You have triggered the second phase of the legendary event]
[Please personally or appoint your knight to duel Lancelot and achieve victory, proving to the world that you are the true legend of Europe.]
A legendary magician has noticed you and is on his way to Camelot. He will arrive after the tournament concludes; be prepared.
Chapter Twenty-Six: He Gave Too Much
Quinn had just given Artoria a temporary promotion when he saw a new event notification.
Defeating Lancelot? As expected, it fits CK's usual style. He figured that after defeating him, he could recruit Lancelot as his subordinate, and the decision to "form the Knights of the Round Table" was no exception. After all, when talking about the Arthurian legend, the Knights of the Round Table are the most worthwhile to mention.
Whether in the official legends of British culture or in lunar history, the stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are remarkably consistent. It is simply that King Arthur found a large round table, had his most trusted knights sit there, and granted these legendary knights the freedom to speak freely at the round table. Only at the round table were there no differences in status or distinctions between king and subject, which is also the origin of King Arthur's nickname, the Knight King.
Quinn himself wasn't really interested in forming the Knights of the Round Table because he disliked the meaning the round table represented. In his view, the essence of the Knights of the Round Table was no different from "being granted nine bestowals and special honors." Any competent monarch knew that these things weren't given to people casually.
If you ever encounter a situation where you need to bestow such a gift upon someone, then you should make arrangements in advance to exterminate that person's entire family before bestowing it upon them. Otherwise, you can expect to be advised by your ministers to abdicate.
A qualified minister should also realize that if his lord wants to bestow such a favor upon him, it is best not to accept it. Instead, he should find an opportunity to resign and return home to farm. Otherwise, he should find a suitable reason to purge the court of corrupt officials as soon as possible. Otherwise, he will surely face the loss of his entire family.
Therefore, if Quinn himself were to become king, he certainly wouldn't implement anything like the Knights of the Round Table. However, since the simulator has given this decision, Quinn still intends to see its specific effects. If it really works well, then there's no harm in using it. After all, being the creator of the Knights of the Round Table is clearly a ticket to Valhalla.
[Forming the Knights of the Round Table]
[You have already brought the future Knight King under your command. While she is still a queen, take advantage of this time to form the Knights of the Round Table and build the upper power structure of the future Kingdom of Camelot. This will lay a solid foundation for you to become a king in the future.]
[This resolution can be initiated when the Kingdom of Camelot has several legendary knights, and you command half of them. After initiation, the Kingdom of Camelot will gain a special cabinet—the Round Table Council. The Camelot King's cabinet can only be composed of "Knights of the Round Table." When a Knight of the Round Table is a cabinet member, their work efficiency increases by 5%.]
When you initiate this resolution, you gain the power to "select cabinet members" and "veto power to declare war." You also gain the title "Creator of the Knights of the Round Table," and all Knights of the Round Table will have their favor towards you increased by 50. Each Knight of the Round Table you appoint to your cabinet will provide you with a corresponding ability bonus based on their position, with the bonus amount being 20% of that cabinet member's corresponding ability value.
I, Quinn, deeply love the Round Table. The Knights of the Round Table are simply the best organizational structure and reward and punishment system in the world; they are the representatives of justice.
After reading the resolution provided by the simulator, Quinn was filled with awe.
However, when he saw the simulator start prompting that a "legendary magician" was on his way to Camelot, he couldn't help but frown and curse under his breath, "Damn nightmare." He didn't even need to think to guess who this "legendary magician" the simulator was talking about was—it was definitely that shameless bastard Merlin.
This guy, who possesses the "clairvoyance" Grand Ticket and can see everything happening in the world right now, must have noticed the impact I've had on Artoria and realized that his damned "hero training plan" might fail, so he's trying to stop me.
Quinn's anger began to rise; how could he let that beast interfere with his plans?
No, we must complete the resolution to "form the Knights of the Round Table" before that bastard arrives in Camelot and exerts influence on Artoria. Otherwise, given that bastard's abilities, I will most likely have no chance once he arrives.
Thinking this, Quinn felt that time could not be delayed any longer. He looked at Artoria, who was still in a dreamlike state, and then at the brightly lit Camelot Palace. He apologized to Mor in his heart, and then sent someone to...
Chapter 26
After going to Camelot Palace and informing Morgan that he wouldn't be returning to the palace that night, he grabbed Artoria and started walking towards his tent.
Upon returning to his camp, he immediately assembled his armored paladins, went through the motions, and then placed Artoria in the position of army commander. These were soldiers whom Quinn had recruited through the simulator and were 100% loyal to Quinn, so they naturally didn't see anything wrong with Artoria being the army commander.
The only one in the entire camp who felt something was wrong was Kai.
When he saw his younger sister return to the camp with Quinn, he was puzzled. Quinn usually spent the night at the palace, so why was he suddenly back with his sister today? After Quinn announced his decision, Kai was completely stunned. He didn't return to his quarters until all the soldiers around him had returned to their tents, muttering to himself, "I must be dreaming."
After Kai began to doubt his mental state, Artoria suddenly realized she was dreaming. She looked at Quinn, who was still beside her, and then at the soldiers returning to their tents one after another. She couldn't help but pinch her arm hard. After the pain almost brought her to tears, she finally realized that she was not dreaming.
He had indeed gone from a knight's squire to a knight overnight, and had even been given the opportunity to lead this legendary army.
The stark contrast of that night made her feel extremely uneasy.
"So...it's all true? No, no, how can I lead your army?" Coming back to her senses, Artoria quickly spoke to Quinn, wanting to refuse the position of army commander. "I have never led an army on the battlefield. I only know a little about military administration. I am not qualified to be a commander at all."
"Then you are already better than me."
"what?"
“I don’t even know how to lead an army,” Quinn said truthfully. “What I said earlier about not being good at martial arts and not knowing how to lead an army was the truth. You don’t need to worry about not having experience leading troops. My armored paladins are very powerful. We’ll go find the Saxons and have a few matches, and you’ll naturally have experience.”
Artoria fell silent, somewhat moved. She didn't believe Quinn was telling the truth, but rather that he was being humble, that he thought highly of her, and that he wanted to give her a chance.
"How can I ever repay you? Your kindness is too great."
"How will you repay me?"
"Just don't get so angry that you hunt me down all over Britain after you've suffered the consequences and figured out what I did," Quinn thought to himself, but said aloud, "Come with me."
Artoria followed you out of the tent, and you began riding away from Camelot.
Half an hour later, feeling you were far enough away from Camelot, you and Artoria stopped by a clear lake.
This should be a place where we can avoid Morgan's surveillance, right?
Under the bright moonlight, Quinn scanned his surroundings and, after confirming that no one was around, called out to Artoria, "Come down, this is it."
Artoria looked around suspiciously. The surrounding trees were covered in frost and snow, the lake water shimmered with a cool light, and the moonlight was reflected in the lake. It looked like a perfect place for a late-night date for couples. She didn't understand why Quinn would bring her to such a place in the middle of the night. Just as she was about to ask him, she saw Quinn dismount and walk to the lakeside, where he began to remove his armor.
The young knight's breath hitched. She saw the figure outlined by the close-fitting clothes beneath the armor that the other person had removed. It was neither strong nor thin, but a well-proportioned and graceful beauty. She instinctively swallowed and felt her heart begin to pound. With each heartbeat, something within her quietly awakened.
At that moment, she felt that Quinn's exposed skin was no longer flesh and blood, but a work of art made of silver, which was so beautiful that it was hard to look away in the moonlight.
"Sir Quinn?"
Artoria spoke haltingly, her mind racing with thoughts of whether the other person had seen through her true situation. Otherwise, why would they bring her to a place like this in the middle of the night? Wait, if that were the case, did the other person appoint her as a knight because they thought she was qualified, or did they have other intentions?
While her mind was racing with thoughts, Quinn had already removed his armor. He used the alchemy he had learned from Director Ken to change the shape of the armor, which had been enchanted by Morgan.
The armor, originally in the style of pure Greek art, gradually transformed into the one worn by the Lion Goddess Rungomminiad in FGO, as Quinn remembered it. The helmet had pure white mane, and the armor was exceptionally luxurious. Then, he looked at Artoria's current physique and modified the size of the armor to match her. After completing his work, Quinn waved to Artoria with satisfaction.
"Come here, try them on."
Artoria, who had been lost in thought, looked up at the sound and was immediately drawn to the armor. "What is this?"
"I've made some minor modifications to my armor. Come and try it on to see if it fits."
"Your armor? This isn't appropriate, is it?" Upon hearing that it belonged to Quinn, Artoria immediately suppressed the greed that welled up within her. "Armor is a knight's life; how can I wear your armor?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to repay me? Here's another chance for you to do so. I want you to represent me in battle, put on my armor, take my weapon, participate in the martial arts tournament, and win the championship for me. After that, I will reward you."
award?
Artoria took a deep breath, looked at Quinn's face, and then glanced at the lion armor that she quite liked. Ninety percent of her previous wild thoughts disappeared, leaving only one.
A beauty deserves... no, I must win the game; I cannot let this expectation down.
Chapter Twenty-Seven: You gave away the gift I gave you?
[You lent the item Morgan made for you to Artoria and used your authority as Chancellor to send it into the tournament.]
The martial arts tournament was held as scheduled the following day.
You sit with Morgan in the spectator stands, watching adventurers and knights from all over Europe duel in the arena. The tournament is incredibly lively, and under your guidance, the competitions are no longer limited to martial arts but also include literary contests such as poetry recitation and religious debates. These contests will greatly increase your efficiency in selecting talent, allowing you to distinguish which participants are only good for fighting and which can be trained to become civil officials.
Morgan is extremely satisfied with your arrangements. She can see the purpose behind them at a glance, and therefore understands your thoughts and intentions. The knights participating in the assembly also have no objections. After all, most of those who can become knights in this era are nobles. Their basic literary skills may not be high, but they are still able to read and write. The only ones who feel slightly dissatisfied are basically the adventurers without land.
[Your arrangements quickly narrowed down the candidates among these landless adventurers who possessed basic literacy and quick thinking. You recorded each of these individuals and instructed the guard you had chosen to visit them one by one after the competition, persuading them to stay in Camelot so that you could train them in the future.]
With the literature project coming to an end, the martial arts tournament quickly moved into the combat phase, featuring common events such as archery, horseback riding, and wrestling.
[You've also noted down the talents who excelled in these projects, and you plan to recruit them directly into your own army after the competition. Morgan has no objection to this; in her view, your army is hers, and the stronger your army is, the better. Ideally, it should be able to crush Vortigern and dominate all of Camelot, so that even if she faces a succession crisis in the future, she can rely on you to become Queen of Camelot.]
These routine items
Chapter 27
The event lasted a full four days, during which you recruited quite a few valuable talents. Most of the outstanding adventurers from the landless were willing to work under your command when invited, with only a few individuals with greater ambitions declining. You didn't care about this, because these routine events were just appetizers; the real main event was yet to come.
After the battles of the adventurers with nowhere to go concluded, the tournament finally reached its climax—the Knights' Tournament.
[This is a competition you specially arranged, a competition only knights can participate in. You jokingly call it the Palace Trials. Morgan is clearly quite interested in the knightly tournament, which is not surprising to you, because in this era, only a few of the landless adventurers can produce elites. Most of the elites still have to be provided by the noble class. But you are not interested in this competition, because you already know who will be the top three.]