"Your Majesty, look—it's snowing."
In the blink of an eye, the King of Knights had led her troops into battle a week ago. This time, however, she sent word that the campaign might be prolonged.
In her war report, the King of Knights detailed the Northern Barbarians' tactics:
First, they had abandoned conventional warfare, refusing to concentrate their knight-level forces for decisive battles.
Second, when forced into unavoidable engagements, the Barbarian main force would scatter into smaller units, regrouping later. To delay the King of Knights' pursuit, they would deliberately leave behind the elderly, weak, and starving.
The King of Knights' prolonged struggle to achieve victory stemmed from her exceptionally high moral standards. Not only did she refuse to slaughter her way through the elderly, weak, and infirm, but she also insisted on providing aid and care to those left behind.
As a result, Camelot was forced to allocate a significant portion of its already scarce grain reserves to the northern prisoners, even amidst their own disaster.
"It's been a week since Arthur left, and Lancelot departed for Gaul three days ago."
As the northern war shifted tactics, the King of Knights was forced to adopt a strategy of gradual attrition, devouring the northern territories and populations bit by bit.
This required immense logistical support. The resulting food shortage became so critical that Lancelot had to depart immediately, unable to wait for Sir Ector to complete his assessment of the disaster-stricken areas within the kingdom or for Sir Agravain to finish his inventory of food stockpiles across the land.
"Alice, though the snowfall is beautiful, it's still early autumn. This isn't auspicious snow; it's a sign of impending disaster."
Historically, Great Britain rarely experienced heavy snowfall in the south, while the north typically saw blizzards only between December and February.
The snow had arrived more than two months early, blanketing even Camelot City in the south with enough snow to build snowmen.
One could only imagine the severity of the disaster plaguing the northern barbarian tribes.
If Lia were to abandon all caution and pursue the main force of the Northern Barbarians, slaughtering them relentlessly before withdrawing, by the time spring arrived next year, countless Northern Barbarians would have perished. A subsequent war of conquest would be far simpler, both in its execution and in the subsequent governance of the conquered territories.
Yet feeding the Barbarian elderly and infirm not only burdens our kingdom's resources but also risks nurturing a pack of insatiable wolves.
Standing by the window, Guinevere gazed at the gloomy sky and the snow-blanketed courtyard, sighing softly.
Yet she knew that if the King of Knights truly acted according to her thoughts, she would cease to be the King of Knights.
As the Queen of the King of Knights, Guinevere could only dedicate herself to providing her utmost support.
"Alice, bring me my cotton blanket. It's time for the Round Table meeting."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Alice replied.
In Alice's heart, she strongly objected to Guinevere calling her cloak a "cotton blanket." But who could argue with the Queen she served?
Suppressing her disapproval, Alice complied, secretly hoping Guinevere would dress warmly. With no one to warm her bed at night, she might sleep earlier and avoid catching a cold.
When Guinevere arrived at the Round Table, the knights in attendance had dwindled to just a dozen or so, including Agravain, Kay, and others primarily focused on domestic affairs.
"Queen, perhaps you should advise the King to stop concerning himself with those forsaken Northern Barbarians," Agravain suggested.
"Sir Agravain, do you truly believe the King would listen?" Guinevere countered.
"No."
"Then are you trying to undermine the bond between us? Do you want me to beat you to a pulp?"
"I wouldn't dare."
With the King absent, Guinevere's usual elegance was noticeably absent. Yet, having risen through the ranks on the battlefield, her uninhibited manner only endeared her more to the knights.
After silencing Agravain, Kay propped his feet up on the Round Table and burst into unrestrained laughter. With the King of Knights absent, he too indulged in unchecked informality.
"Agravain, I've been telling you to dedicate more time to martial training! See? You're even admitting you wouldn't dare!"
"Kay, my 'I wouldn't dare' refers to undermining the bond between the King and Queen. As a knight, even knowing I'm outmatched, I would never fear battle."
"Hah! So, you want me to spend more time on martial training? Are you volunteering to handle my backlog of administrative duties?"
With the King of Knights away, Agravain had been forced to shoulder her administrative responsibilities. He only sent matters requiring her personal attention to the Northern Camp, sleeping barely two hours a night. His haggard appearance spoke volumes of his ordeal.
"Ugh, I'll pass. I have my own matters to attend to. If I keep working overtime, I won't have time to train my martial skills. Unlike you, I still plan to return to the battlefield."
Such light banter was commonplace at the Round Table. With that said, Kay finally lowered his legs and turned his gaze toward Guinevere, who was lost in thought.
"Your Majesty, are you listening? What tasks do you intend for us to undertake today?"
The question brought Guinevere's focus back into sharp relief. She had been working tirelessly these past few days. While Kay still found time to train, every moment she once devoted to the Training Ground had been consumed by preparations for the Knight Academy's upcoming opening.
Over the past few days, massive crowds of commoners and knights had gathered at the academy's admissions office, overwhelming the available staff. Guinevere had already sent a letter to the Kingdom of Cameliard, requesting assistance from the Knight Academy in her own domain.
After all, since the Northern War erupted, all the knights Guinevere had intended to promote had been requisitioned by the King of Knights.
"Sir Kay, I wish to task you with leading a team to 'milk' the Vassal Kings across the land. This year, our strength is insufficient to launch a full-scale expedition into Gaul, so we must purchase their grain."
"Queen, the King will surely object to this. It might even incite some of the Vassal Kings to rebel..."
"That's why you mustn't let the King know. It's best if you act in your personal capacity, Sir Kay. Are you willing to bear this infamy? I'm sorry, I know your strength isn't sufficient, and there's a risk of being held hostage by the Vassal Kings, but..."
"Hey!"
"Pfft, hahahahaha..."
When Guinevere bluntly pointed out Kay's lack of strength, Kay slammed his fist on the table, interrupting her loudly. Agravain, whom Kay had just mocked, burst into hearty laughter, savoring this rare moment of good humor.
"Queen, don't underestimate your brother-in-law! I may not be as strong as the King, you, Lancelot, Gawain, or the others, but during the battle of Hamburgh, I personally slew two enemy kings in the final counterattack!
Leave the extortion to me. The Vassal Kings won't find it easy to hold me hostage!"
Even if it was a deliberate provocation, Kay would eagerly take the bait. This task genuinely needed someone to carry it out, and among Camelot's remaining knights, he was indeed the most suitable choice.
While other knights might be dismissed by the Vassal Kings, Kay possessed a dual identity: both a knight and the King of Knights' foster brother.
With that matter settled, the Round Table meeting turned to handling trivial matters. Guinevere rarely spoke up during these discussions, lacking expertise in such affairs. Even on topics she understood, her knowledge was superficial, gleaned mostly from her past-life memories.
While she could point out directions, the actual execution of tasks was left to the knights assigned to carry them out.
"Your Majesty," a servant announced, "Lady Morgan requests your presence. She says she has made progress on the matter you asked her to investigate."