Chapter 129: Let Manaka Sajyou Deal With King Arthur, And Our Rome Is As Good As Gold!
After Noah declared war, the assassins, realizing the surrounding knights showed no reaction, immediately began pointing at the Roman insignias on their attire, ranting about Rome this and Britain that, like cats whose tails had been stepped on.
Then Noah had Morgan burn all the insignias on their bodies and ordered them sent back to the ship they had arrived in Britain on, telling them to deliver the message quickly!
This was Morgan's suggestion to Noah.
She advised Noah to display such impatience through his attitude, then let these assassins return and report the matter to the Romans.
If the Romans believed they would launch an immediate attack and began making preparations, that would be perfect.
Because Rome would be in no position to attack Britain next, and Britain had no intention of attacking Rome either.
The reason was... the weather was already turning cold.
Though it wasn't very noticeable yet, by the time Rome gathered its provisions and troops, it would likely be winter.
Britain could probably wage war in winter, after all, these were people from the Age of Gods, who wouldn't easily freeze to death in winter even without cotton clothing.
So if they had to fight, it wouldn't be a problem.
With some alchemy equipment added, maintaining strong combat effectiveness in winter wouldn't be an issue either.
But Noah had no intention of fighting in winter.
As for Rome, it was already impossible.
The Romans were no longer people of the Age of Gods; they were ordinary humans.
They simply lacked the ability to wage war against Britain in winter.
So this battle would have to wait until next year, specifically around late spring, nearing summer.
Because Noah had Vivian check—this year's cold period would last longer.
In truth, Noah wasn't in a hurry at all.
And before going to war with Rome and pushing the frontlines all the way to the Great King of the Huns, there were still some matters Britain needed to handle.
First was White's White Dragon incarnation—it could be dispelled after one final use.
It would also be a good opportunity to boost morale before the war by capitalizing on the feat of slaying the White Dragon Vortigern.
Then...
"Kay, Sir Ector, both of you, come with me."
After declaring war on Rome and sending the assassins away, Noah arranged for preparations to be made, as the formal clash with Rome wouldn't occur until late spring next year.
Then the Twelve Kings of Britain and the other knights each returned to their duties.
They hadn't done much upon arriving in Camelot, but declaring war on Rome was a significant matter, which was why Noah had summoned them all.
Now that Noah had declared war in their presence and given out the arrangements, there was nothing left for them to do here.
As for Kay and Ector...
"Your Majesty, do you have any arrangements for us?"
Kay and Ector were led by Noah to the courtyard of Camelot Castle, looking at him somewhat puzzled.
Under the moonlight, Noah thrust a sword and a spear directly into the ground.
This sword and spear were what Noah and Scáthach had retrieved from the temple in Hy-Brasail during the days after emerging from the Lady of the Lake's magical realm.
They were the Demonic Sword and the Demonic Spear.
These two weapons were no longer of much use to Noah. If anything, they were decent as collectibles. In actual combat, Noah had Excalibur and the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad, so he had no need for them anymore.
Instead, they would be more useful to Kay and Ector.
"I do have plans for you both, but before that, try these two weapons."
Noah wanted to entrust these weapons to Kay and Ector, whom he trusted.
However, these weapons couldn't just be handed out casually.
In Noah's hands, the Demonic Sword and Demonic Lance behaved as obediently as ordinary weapons, but for anyone other than Noah, they remained the Demonic Sword and Demonic Lance.
Hearing Noah's words, Kay and Ector stepped forward.
At first, Kay tried to draw the Demonic Sword, while Ector attempted to pull out the Demonic Lance.
Although both were highly skilled in swordsmanship and spearmanship, the younger Kay naturally leaned more toward the sword, while the older Sir Ector preferred the lance.
But this first attempt failed.
Kay couldn't draw the Demonic Sword, and Ector couldn't pull out the Demonic Lance.
Then they exchanged glances and swapped weapons.
This time, it went smoothly.
Ector drew the Demonic Sword, and Kay pulled out the Demonic Lance.
Seeing them acquire the weapons this way, Noah nodded.
This matched the best outcome he had anticipated, so he spoke directly.
"Sir Ector, the sword in your hand can be called the Answering Sword. It will fly out automatically to slay enemies according to your will, and wounds inflicted by it cannot heal."
"But beyond these two abilities, anyone whose throat is pointed at by this sword cannot lie. From now on, I entrust the patrols to you. Any internal issues in Camelot will be handled by you. This sword will be your aid."
Hearing Noah's arrangement and introduction, Ector immediately performed a knight's salute toward Noah.
"I understand!"
Clearly, obtaining the Answering Sword had made him very happy.
After arranging matters for Sir Ector, Noah turned to Kay.
"Kay, the lance in your hand can be called the Piercing Demonic Lance, or you can call it—Brionac."
"This lance can also fly out automatically to slay enemies according to your will. When you hold it, no matter how distant the enemy, you can pierce them with this lance—so I entrust the Knights, the unit responsible for expeditions against external enemies, to you."
As he spoke, Noah took out a detailed map of Hibernia, created by Mary using Clairvoyance.
"Before winter arrives, I want to see Hibernia incorporated into Britain's territory. Is that acceptable?"
"No problem!"
Although Kay usually used a sword, he was also highly skilled in spearmanship. He nodded, took the map, and agreed directly.
Noah had given them the items and assigned them their tasks, so he now dismissed them.
As for the Demonic Sword and Demonic Lance, Noah had imbued them with some Alchemy formulas. After all, the sword was manageable, but the lance truly possessed a demonic and bloodthirsty nature. Without something to restrain it...
Western suppression, so it might have some effect on Kay.
Noah only wanted the spear's ability, not its side effects, so he used alchemy to suppress them.
As for the Demonic Sword, wounds it inflicts do not heal.
Noah inscribed an alchemical formula on it, binding it to Ector when he received the sword, ensuring the effect would not apply to him.
This way, the Answering Sword could compel people to speak the truth, making it a perfect match for Ector when leading patrol teams similar to constables.
The Piercing Demonic Spear could reach enemies no matter how far away, which was Noah's best interpretation of the Enforcement Knights, an elite force dedicated to subduing external threats.
In fact, apart from these two weapons, Noah possessed many treasures from the Lady of the Lake.
Even his own alchemy could produce some fine items.
However, he did not give them to the Twelve Kings or the other knights.
After all, compared to them, Kay and Ector were people he could trust. As for the other knights, although Noah was confident they would not betray him, it was hard to say how much he truly trusted them.
Their abilities were only so-so, and even if they wouldn't betray him, some were not worth relying on heavily.
On the other hand, Artoria's weapon had long been due for a replacement.
It was just that the Demonic Sword and Demonic Spear were not suitable for her.
Among the Lady of the Lake's treasures, there was a sword that suited her, but its abilities were still insufficient—Noah had been spending his free time lately modifying that sword.
Once he succeeded in the modifications, he would give the sword to Artoria.
He had even chosen a name for it.
It would be called—the Sword of Certain Victory!
Well, the name wasn't his own idea… but there was no helping it. If Caliburn didn't hold special significance and Artoria wouldn't accept it, Noah might have given her Caliburn instead.
Since Caliburn was out of the question… he would just modify a sword for her himself.
Noah thought about this as he planned to return and continue working on the sword.
At this time, Morgan was not in Camelot.
Morgan was in the Great Magical Realm of Rhongomyniad, having been sent there by Noah.
She had already begun using the World Tree to nurture newborn fairies. The first batch consisted of three, named by Morgan as Melusine, Barghest, and Baobhan Sith.
During this period, Morgan would focus on cultivating fairies. Once they were ready, she reportedly needed some additional materials to create Fairy Knights and would need to conduct further research.
Her plan was to create at least one named Fairy Knight before the war with Rome began.
So, Morgan would remain by the World Tree for the time being.
After returning to Camelot Castle, Noah made some progress on the Sword of Certain Victory and then went to sleep holding Artoria.
For now, that was all he had to do.
And when Morgan returned…
With Morgan in Camelot, he would take some elites and make a trip to Rome.
This was something he had long planned.
After Morgan mentioned establishing contact with the Maiden of the Battlefield and having acquaintances in Rome, Noah became even more eager to go.
First, there was Manaka Sajyou and the Star Holy Sword in her possession, then the blessings of the Pantheon, and finally, if there was any information about Altera, he would seek it out. If not, he would wait until next year to launch an attack.
By then, the Simulation System will also be updated, and at that location, we can properly investigate why the White Giant has appeared once again—I can only say, hopefully it has nothing to do with the Predator Star.
However, Noah felt he might be overthinking this. After all, the Predator Star generally operates on a cycle of fourteen thousand years. At this point in time, it shouldn't be related... probably.
As for the final matter... Noah himself didn't know why, but he somewhat wanted to see that Sword Emperor Lucius.
Ever since learning that he himself was Romulus, Noah had harbored this thought.
This trip would be the perfect opportunity to bring Vivian along. With her Spiritual Sense and prophetic abilities, finding an opportunity wouldn't be difficult for her. Moreover, she could observe Sword Emperor Lucius in her prophecies to help identify him.
Then, he could meet this Sword Emperor in person.
Noah planned to visit Rome in a few days, once Morgan returned.
Meanwhile, in Rome, after the assassins returned and delivered the news that Britain had declared war on Rome, many in Rome wore unpleasant expressions.
Firstly, they looked down on Britain entirely. Secondly, Rome was currently resisting the invasion of the Hun King. Opening a second front would place immense pressure on them.
In contrast, Lucius burst into laughter upon hearing the news.
Her focus was entirely different from everyone else's.
"You're saying that person, who was granted the name Romulus by the Pantheon, has now become Britain's King Arthur, and Britain has become his sole domain? Hahaha, how truly fascinating~"
Even though they were discussing someone who had once nearly threatened her imperial throne, Lucius showed not a trace of malice or hostility on her face—only keen interest.
"As expected, this is Rome! No matter where he goes, Rome is Rome!"
Lucius nodded repeatedly while uttering words that left those around her utterly bewildered.
Seeing her like this, the First Seat of the Senate turned pale with anger.
He had known Lucius for many years.
He was the one who had exiled Noah's family and sent assassins to intercept Noah.
One could say he had watched Lucius grow up.
Thus, he knew all too well what this red-haired monkey looked like right before she was about to go on a rampage...
But just as he was about to step forward and speak, Lucius beat him to it.
"I'm going to Britain!"
"Your Majesty!"
Although he had sensed Lucius was about to act recklessly, he never imagined her ambition would be this grand!
That's Britain—the very Britain ruled by that Romulus, which just declared war on Rome!
Isn't that the most dangerous place for you?!
He had a mountain of things to say, but... it was useless!
He had never once managed to persuade Lucius.
As for the reason... it wasn't that Lucius was particularly eloquent or stubborn. Rather, this monkey had a direct approach only a monkey would use in such situations.
That was... after declaring, "I'm going to Britain!" she simply ran off!
She leaped out the window, climbed a tree, and vanished without a trace!
Seeing Lucius vanish in the blink of an eye, the first seat of the Senate could only let out a deep sigh.
"Ah, there's no helping it... This isn't the first time His Majesty has... well, gone missing. So, until someone finds the Sword Emperor, I should go inform the adjutant for now."
This wasn't the first time for Lucius.
In the past, whenever Lucius disappeared, Rome would fall under his management... At first, he was quite pleased, until one time when Lucius went missing for three months. The emperor's chaotic workload, combined with the runaway Lucius himself causing a massive amount of trouble under the guise of a mercenary... All of it had to be handled by him, nearly exhausting him to death in the role of acting emperor!
If he didn't know full well that Lucius was just a red-haired monkey, he would have suspected this was Lucius's assassination plot, fearing he might seize power!
But now it was fine—now there was that adjutant.
Since becoming the adjutant, she had never made a mistake in handling any issue. With her help in managing these tasks, things would be much easier.
Coincidentally, this wave of assassins was also dispatched by her. He should inform her that King Arthur is Romulus. Since she thought to eliminate the root of the problem, she might also have other plans for dealing with the situation of Romulus still being alive.
Let that monster-like Manaka Sajyou deal with King Arthur. Well, Rome surely has a bright future ahead!