Chapter 50: Savage Knight

Dongdong~

The wooden door was knocked again. After a brief silence, a voice called from inside.

"It's done. It's settled. Come in."

As the door opened, a dozen villagers rushed inside.

They all fixed their eyes on the lone figure standing in the room.

A young man wearing a hood, the lower half of his face hidden, clutching a knife in his hand.

"Are you... Jon?"

"Don't talk nonsense. How could I be Jon?" Arthur interrupted impatiently. "Alright, move faster. The full moon has passed. The magic can't be used again. That's it for today. If you keep wasting time, dawn will come soon."

Hearing this, the villagers sighed in relief.

"What? Now that it's done, why not take off your hood? Why be so mysterious?"

"This body is under my control now. I have the right to use it however I want."

"Yes, you're right, but we still need to check. Yoya, wait here a moment."

"Got it, hurry up." Arthur frowned and silently stepped aside.

Only then did he learn that the little boy was called Yoya.

No, calling him a little boy wasn't quite right. The ruby-inlaid knife was a magical artifact: if it pierced a person's body under the full moon's light, their souls would switch. Who knew how many times Joa's soul had been transferred, or whether the soul inside was a child or an old man?

After a while, the villagers stripped Joah's clothes off and only nodded to Arthur after confirming no new wounds were visible.

Arthur approached, complaining unhappily, "This inspection is totally unnecessary. You're being too timid."

Deep down, though, he was afraid.

Watching the villagers' practiced movements, it was clear they had done this many times before. With such caution, it made sense they'd remained hidden in Camelot, undetected.

Who exactly were these people?

At the same time, Arthur was glad his previous spirit hadn't stabbed the knife in any visible place when it called the second time.

"Shut up, Yoya! Obey orders—have you forgotten your duties?" a 'little boy' stepped out.

He seemed to have a high status.

The tone of his voice immediately put Arthur on alert.

A soldier?

"Yes, sir! I'm just a little annoyed because you questioned my abilities," Arthur said quickly, standing at attention.

"Good. And you even used British perfectly, no mistakes. You still remember our mission." The 'little boy' nodded approvingly. "Joa, I understand your feelings, but this is all for Rome. Remember that. Be patient—we will return home soon."

Those words stirred a storm in Arthur's heart.

Rome!

Having traveled to this era and become King Arthur, Arthur knew what awaited him. It was only a matter of time before he would face Rome.

But never had he imagined that Rome had already set its eyes on Britain.

No, we can't kill these people yet.

At least we have to learn how they communicate and how deep their infiltration runs.

Maybe I can turn this identity around and use it to my advantage.

With that in mind, Arthur pretended to hesitate, looking eager, and picked up a longsword covered in cloth from the corner.

"Sir, this time we caught a big one," he said, unveiling the Sword of the Chosen.

"This... This is the Sword of the Chosen One?! Joa, which King Arthur is this body of yours?" The 'little boy' suddenly trembled with excitement.

King Arthur!

They were spies sent by Rome, and leaving their homeland was already miserable enough. Later, their superiors told them Britain was the last age of gods, full of mysteries and powerful knights. To stay undercover and rise fast, they had to sacrifice their bodies.

Abandon their bodies.

Our bodies and hair are gifts from our parents—how dare we damage them?

Though they tried to convince their boss, he was a ruthless spy. At sunrise, they'd lose their memories like amnesiacs.

Faced with the choice between abandoning their bodies or death, they reluctantly chose the former.

But tonight, it all ends.

King Arthur, they have seized King Arthur's body!

From now on, who the hell will listen to that lousy boss? Through Arthur, they can all assume powerful noble identities. Life might not be as good as in Rome, but it's free!

The Roman spies smiled at each other.

"Joa, you see? Being a spy isn't all it's cracked up to be. Haven't you ever wanted the life of an aristocrat who has everything? Besides, you're King Arthur now. I remember your childhood sweetheart was taken by a nobleman. Don't you want to try noble life?" The 'little boy' lowered his voice and hooked his arm around Arthur's neck. "I can be loyal to you."

Arthur immediately rejected their fantasy and scolded them.

But some things always interrupted Arthur's plans.

Like a certain gorilla.

Before Arthur could finish, a golden figure smashed through the wall, swiftly killing all the spies in an instant. Finally, he pointed his sword at Arthur.

"You cunning villain! Return my king's body at once!"

"…Gawain."

Arthur clutched his chest, stunned.

You damn fool, you're nowhere to be found when I need you, and now you show up uninvited.

Arthur was so mad he was speechless.

In the end, they just cursed each other:

"You damn fool! You damn fool, are you an uncivilized ape? No, apes are smarter than you!"

Arthur perfectly embodied the spirit of Zaun.

"Ah… that tone! That frustrated and disappointed look—there's no doubt this is our King Arthur!" Gawain was shocked.

The only one who could scold Gawain like that and leave him powerless was Arthur!

That proved his identity as king better than anything else.

Seeing this, Arthur's anger grew, but noticing Gawain's smirk, he realized that if he kept scolding, he'd be the one to suffer.

So he grabbed a still-intact wooden chair nearby and started beating Merlin, who was lying down.

"Puwu~ I didn't say anything! Help, help! I'm innocent, Gawain, save me!"

At that moment, a silver figure suddenly dashed out, swept Arthur into his arms, and comforted him in a gentle, unfamiliar British accent:

"You can't… do rough things. You'll hurt… yourself. Take care of your body. It's very precious. I will do the work."

Miss Skadi had never seen a more adorable human.

Arthur's aura was hundreds, maybe thousands, of times more charming than any human she'd ever encountered.

That night, Miss Skadi worked hard, and Merlin's screams were particularly… beautiful.