Chapter 112: Attack  

A few more days passed.

Gawain, leading 20,000 troops along with a full complement of supplies, weapons, and siege engines, set out for the northern front.

The responsibility of maintaining order in the royal capital was handed over to Kay.

For a time, things quieted down around Arthur.

And strangely enough... it made him feel uncomfortable.

After all, Kay was always around to interject—irritating, yes, but his presence broke the tension of work, lightened the mood, and filled the room with life.

Arthur hadn't expected that within just two hours of sending Gawain away, someone else would come scrambling to fill Kay's shoes.

A very unpleasant someone.

Merlin.

"Merlin, have you been getting more and more idle lately?" Arthur narrowed his eyes. "At least Merry is out there stabilizing the situation in Rome. You, on the other hand—you stay here doing absolutely nothing."

His voice was thick with disdain.

But Merlin, utterly unfazed, pulled out an apple and crunched into it as he sprawled across the couch.

"Oh, but I came bearing important information today. Truly vital. Not even Lord Agravain has discovered it. Only I know it~!" the magician said cheerily, clearly expecting Arthur to beg for details.

Unfortunately for him, Arthur wasn't buying it.

"Normally, Merry would have noticed anything you noticed. Shall I contact her now?" Arthur's tone was casual, but the threat was real. "I'm sure she'd be very enthusiastic to tell me."

The smile on Merlin's face stiffened immediately.

His dislike for Merry deepened.

Why do we need two flower magicians anyway?

Redundancy!

Someday, that woman's got to go.

Defeated, Merlin relented.

Better to spill the news now and salvage a little credibility, than be trampled under Merry's smug grin again.

"Originally, Rome was supposed to have three cavalry-class Servants," Merlin began. "But now, none remain."

"None?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"That's right. Archer has defected."

"Oh. That's not surprising." Arthur nodded calmly.

Though Servants are technically high-tier familiars, they're also complete individuals. They retain their will, their pride, and their pasts. As long as they receive enough magical energy, they are no mere tools.

When Archer was summoned, he'd witnessed Lucius ruthlessly slaughter Assassin. Anyone with a sane mind could tell—serving under Lucius would hinder, not help, the fulfillment of their mission.

If a Servant had a way to escape that contract, they would. Almost all of them would.

"Even if he's gone rogue," Arthur continued, "Archer's objective won't change. He's still here to destroy Britain. Without Lucius's chains, a Class like Archer can move more freely, strike more precisely. He'll come to me on his own eventually. I'm not worried."

"Indeed," Merlin agreed. "Another Servant, one leading a Roman fleet, is also approaching Britain as we speak."

"They're going after Skadi?" Arthur blinked in surprise.

He had full confidence in Skadi, especially in naval battles.

Britain's Ghost Shark Force had already sunk two Roman fleets. Their morale was high, their tactics sharpened. Even a Servant-class threat wouldn't easily turn the tide.

"What about their route and landing point?"

"No changes."

"Then we just wait for victory," Arthur said, waving it off. "Now, the third Servant—that's the key. Don't stall. Just say it."

"Yes, yes. The last is a Rider-class. I can't pinpoint his current location."

"Even your clairvoyance can't see him?" Arthur frowned.

"Ahaha... to be precise, trying to look at him means I'll be noticed by his master," Merlin said, scratching his head. "But I did see him heading from Rome toward the Humble King. I believe you know what that means."

"..."

Arthur went quiet.

How should he classify this intelligence? Good news? Bad news? Or something in between?

Probably both.

According to his deductions, the current Humble King had already been completely taken over by Gaia—he was no longer a man, but a puppet.

Gaia, as Merlin described, was a cold, calculating machine. It didn't hate Britain. It simply needed it gone. For Gaia, exterminating Britain was the most logical step toward correcting the planet's foundation.

If Rider had been sent by Rome as a diplomatic envoy, then whatever offer he brought, the Humble King would accept—as long as it aided in Britain's destruction.

That's how Gaia's mind worked.

The problem was: Lucius didn't know that.

This altered the playing field.

An alliance between Rome and the Humble King—no, cooperation—was already inevitable.

Cooperation, not unity.

There would be no bond between Lucius and Vortigern. No shared burden, no mutual strategy.

Lucius didn't care what the Humble King wanted. He'd send a Servant—one who served as both messenger and weapon—to inform the Humble King: Rome will attack Britain soon. If you're going to help, do it then. If not, too bad.

But the Humble King, with his own forces insufficient, had to agree.

That's why British intelligence, capable of tracking Lucius's every movement—including how many times he used the bathroom each day—had no way of detecting this particular plan.

Only Lucius and Rider knew.

"Tch. If the Sword Emperor knew the Humble King was Gaia's puppet, he wouldn't stop at a mere joint attack. He'd just absorb the entire Saxon force and use their territory as a landing zone," Arthur muttered.

"Exactly. If that happened, even you'd be in a bit of trouble, wouldn't you?" Merlin smirked.

"Thankfully, he doesn't know," Arthur said with a derisive laugh. "So that's good news for us."

Two coordinated invasions.

Once the Saxons were depleted, the Humble King would appear.

Once the Romans landed and secured their forward bases, Lucius himself would leave Rome.

Arthur's fingers tapped against the table as a glint sparked in his eyes.

"Well then—that is the moment I've been waiting for. Lucius. Vortigern. If you want to destroy my Britain... then come. Step onto the battlefield yourselves. And when you do... it'll be the beginning of Rome and Saxon's end."

Merlin smiled, folding his hands behind his back.

"Yes. And it's finally time for Merry to take the stage again."

-End Chapter-

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