Chapter 9: As Expected of the Divinely Chosen King!
The matter with Morgan was temporarily resolved after communication.
We'll have to wait until Morgan returns to discuss further.
Similarly, this period was also when Noah needed to handle some affairs in Camelot.
After all, he was the new king.
Although due to the sword-pulling ceremony, those knights originally under the jurisdiction of the King of Camelot had all sworn allegiance to him, in practice, decisions about whom to employ, whom to dismiss, whom to promote, and whom to sideline... all these required careful consideration.
Because after Noah took over Britain, he discovered that some aspects were different from what he had imagined before becoming king.
Based on the history he understood, if we look slightly further back, Rome was the first nation to establish professional military forces and consistently use national resources to maintain them.
To sustain this army, Rome continuously launched campaigns and plundered everywhere, ensuring the troops remained useful and profitable.
Other contemporary powers, including the mighty Han Dynasty, lacked such professional armies. They typically conscripted soldiers only when war was imminent, with recruits even having to bring their own armor and weapons.
This led to the emergence of many military families in the Han Dynasty, who passed down armor, weapons, and training through generations, all for the purpose of joining each military campaign and gaining substantial profits from warfare.
Noah didn't know whether other nations in this era had reformed their systems, but at least Camelot hadn't changed yet.
Aside from a small portion of Camelot's patrol troops that regularly operated as organized units, most knights spent their time either on their own territories or at home.
Their weapons and armor were their personal property.
When war approached, the royal banner would be raised high, messages would spread, and knights would gather beneath the king's standard.
This meant that although many knights from Camelot's territories had come due to the sword-pulling ceremony, after Noah became King Arthur, numerous knights still needed to return home.
Those who could remain in Camelot—whether for emergency defense, regular patrol duties, or being first to assemble under the royal banner—were typically the most trusted individuals.
This was the core reason why the Knights of the Round Table would eventually form.
Therefore, decisions about which knights to retain, whom to send home first, whom to win over, and whom to suppress... these matters remained quite complex.
However...
Noah had chosen to inherit memories and experiences during one simulation.
Thus, he knew everything about Camelot's knights: who was trustworthy and who wasn't, and why; who was truly powerful in combat and who merely appeared formidable...
He had already previewed the war against the Picts.
He had also interacted with these knights for considerable time in simulations, gaining thorough understanding of each one.
So early the next morning, he directly assigned these knights to appropriate positions.
Merlin, Kay, and Artoria, who witnessed all this, were utterly astonished.
"I had thought that while our King is admirable in strength and will, he might struggle with such matters. But I never expected His Majesty to possess such discerning judgment."
Kay, the knight recently appointed by Noah to oversee Camelot's Patrol Unit, had briefly familiarized himself with the knights' circumstances after receiving the assignment yesterday. He initially believed this preparation would prove useful when Noah made decisions regarding personnel, yet he hadn't anticipated Noah's eye for talent would render his efforts redundant.
Nearly all the knights Kay had favored were retained by Noah, while those not selected received clear explanations... The prideful knights received Noah's personal attention, the young but promising ones were properly placed—indeed, Kay felt Noah understood their strengths better than they did themselves. Even the older, experienced knights whose combat prowess had declined were assigned suitable positions...
Some of these insights even surpassed what Kay, despite his prior research, had managed to uncover.
This...
Even Kay, known for his sharp tongue, could find no fault with Noah's decisions.
If Kay felt this way, Merlin—who knew these knights even better—was naturally even more astonished.
As for Artoria, she wasn't particularly surprised, merely feeling pure admiration for Noah.
This wasn't the Artoria who had been misled by Merlin's words—"Once you draw this sword, you shall cease to be human"—after pulling the Sword from the Stone. Her current mindset was far more tranquil, and beneath her knightly exterior lay the heart of a young woman.
Thus, when she first witnessed Noah drawing the Sword from the Stone, she felt curiosity. Hearing his declaration stirred her blood. Learning that Merlin had recommended her to become Noah's knight brought nervousness. And now, seeing Noah perform so exceptionally that even Kay and Merlin were amazed, she felt genuine respect.
She was likely the most convinced and trusting among the three regarding Noah's status as the Chosen King.
Observing Noah's excellence, she thought, "As expected of the Chosen King," while also feeling anxious about her upcoming role as his personal guard, not due to any gender-related tension, but primarily from fear of underperforming.
After all, she was acutely aware that Noah had elevated her directly from Knight Attendant to knight, prioritizing her training despite her having no accomplishments to her name. The more Noah embodied the Chosen King, the more she feared her potential shortcomings might become his only flaw.
Such were the thoughts of Artoria—no longer a king, but a young knight. Nervous yet hopeful, that was all.
...
Noah efficiently allocated the knights of Camelot who had gathered for the sword-drawing ceremony. Those worthy remained; those dismissed were sent off with their dignity intact.
Then, Noah sought out Kay—he still needed to meet with Artoria later, and having not yet conducted his daily simulation, he intended to arrange some matters in advance.
"Your Majesty, you summoned me?"
After Kay arrived before Noah and paid his respects, he stared at Noah curiously with his eyes, while Noah smiled and gestured for him to sit first.
"Yes... Kay, you saw the knights I just sent off, didn't you? I deliberately arranged their departure time and provided them with food for the journey and some gifts... So now I need you to arrange trustworthy personnel to intercept them."
Huh?
Hearing Noah's words, Kay visibly froze.
What was this about?
Kay didn't quite understand, but before he could ask, Noah took out a map and began explaining.
"Secretly send people to deliver them a message—tell them not to make a big show of it, but to gather in this direction."
As he spoke, Noah pointed toward the direction of Camelot closest to the Picts.
"I might need them to stay there for about a month—I'm entrusting you with delivering this message to them."
After hearing Noah's explanation, Kay furrowed his brow.
He hesitated for a moment but still spoke up.
"My King... are you planning to wage war against the royal territory in this location?"
Kay had previously heard Noah's declaration, so if Noah intended to wage war against the Picts or Saxons, Kay probably wouldn't have said anything.
But launching a war against one of the other twelve British royal territories without reason...
Kay simply couldn't understand it!
Noah had anticipated Kay would react this way, so he shared the explanation he had prepared in advance.
"It's not about waging war against a royal territory. Think about it, Kay—if I really intended to eliminate one royal territory to intimidate the other eleven kings, why wouldn't I do it openly, swiftly conquer that territory, and widely publicize our achievements?"
"If we truly want the other eleven royal territories to fear us, sneak attacks are absolutely not the way."
"Instead, we should declare war early, give the enemy sufficient preparation time, and find at least a nominally acceptable reason..."
"And even without considering these factors, the royal territory bordering the Picts isn't particularly valuable land, is it?"
As he said this, Noah placed his hand over the Picts' territory.
"And what would require us to conduct operations covertly could only be against invaders, don't you agree?"
Hearing this, Kay nodded, but his brow furrowed even more deeply.
This time, however, it wasn't about Noah's actions, but about what Noah had pointed out...
If they were to counterattack the Picts, they could directly contact the royal territory bordering them. But Noah's current approach suggested this might not be a simple counterattack, but rather an ambush specifically targeting the Picts' invasion!
Perhaps they even intended to deal a heavy blow that would truly hurt those Picts!
And if all this succeeded, it meant... the Picts would attack Britain in the near future! And in considerable numbers!
At this realization, Kay couldn't help but become serious.
After giving Kay some time to think, Noah saw him stand up and nod. Noah then made a fist with one hand and gently tapped it against his heart.
"Go, Kay."
"For the greater good."
Hearing Noah utter these words, Kay responded with equal solemnity, repeating the same formal gesture.
"For the greater good!"