Chapter 170: If I Am the King of Knights, Then My Way is the Way of the Knight!
After the meeting concluded, Noah gave Artoria further instructions regarding the White Dragon.
Of course, he did not mention the issue of the White Dragon's Incarnation; he only told Artoria to keep a close watch on the White Dragon during the time he was away from Britain.
Artoria nodded with great solemnity.
Noah could see that since he had put it that way, she would certainly take it to heart. And telling her this much was enough.
Although Artoria was indeed more like a young girl when she wasn't acting as a King, she was still Artoria—she still carried that unique radiance belonging to a knight.
Once Artoria had departed with Scáthach, Morgan slowly walked to Noah's side.
"What are your arrangements for Britain? Artoria... though her strength has indeed improved significantly, and she is the Red Dragon chosen by that old fraud and Uther to deal with the White Dragon—surely she isn't enough to face Vortigern yet?"
Morgan knew Noah wouldn't harm Artoria, but she was still curious.
Noah looked at Morgan with a smile.
"Rest easy. I'll have White go to Britain to help her during this time. With White there, the White Dragon won't be able to cause any major trouble."
"The White Knight..."
Morgan had never known the origins of this White Knight, but she had seen White in action and had some understanding of her strength.
"If it's her, then perhaps nothing will go wrong... but will Vortigern really be that easy to deal with?"
As Morgan pondered, Noah casually wrapped his arm around her. While her face flushed, Noah leaned close to her ear and spoke softly.
"Vortigern naturally won't be that easy to deal with, but the White Dragon is the White Dragon, and Vortigern is Vortigern—the one who will cause problems in Britain is the White Dragon, but White, the White Knight in your eyes... she is Vortigern."
"Eh!?"
Noah had never told Morgan about this, and Morgan had never asked. Hearing this now, her eyes widened in shock.
Though she had long felt that she wouldn't be surprised by anything Noah did, she was still quite stunned by this revelation.
Seeing her expression, Noah continued with a smile.
"I actually resolved the problem of Vortigern long ago. Otherwise, think about it: if the White Dragon were still around, would the Saxons be so easy to handle?"
"And how could Vortigern completely vanish just because he was repelled once... It's just that I secretly solved the Vortigern problem long ago and kept it hidden for a situation like this."
"If slaying the White Dragon were a high-risk endeavor, then of course we would have to carefully arrange the timing, striving to find a moment when we are strongest and the enemy is weakest—a time when it wouldn't matter even if we took losses. But if slaying the White Dragon is a zero-risk task that can be completed at any time—then naturally, it shouldn't be done when it has no utility value, right?"
Hearing Noah's explanation, Morgan first nodded, then leaned into his embrace, glancing at him sideways.
"...It is indeed as you say, but hearing such things from the mouth of someone like you—who is still called the King of Knights and the King of Radiance—is still quite a shock. Aren't you afraid that if your current side is discovered, people will gossip?"
Hearing Morgan's soft huff, Noah laughed.
"Setting aside the fact that those titles were imposed on me by others, what if I did claim them myself? Since I am the King of Knights, then what I do is by definition what a knight should do. My path is the Way of the Knight, my spirit is the Knight's Spirit, my purpose is the King's Will, and my logic is the true logic."
"I will understand the plight of the people and listen to the suggestions of my subjects, but beyond that, what right do outsiders have to negate my actions and goals?"
Seeing Noah like this, Morgan smiled.
When Noah was with her, he could basically listen to all her suggestions, and he usually didn't persist too much in matters of political maneuvering or strategy; he knew he wasn't particularly skilled in those areas.
But outside of that, this man was indeed a King possessing a majesty that could scatter the very clouds in the sky.
Forging a Grand Crown belonging to the King of the World...
Morgan had heard Noah speak of this goal before. Thinking carefully, it seemed true; besides him, who else was qualified to do such a thing? Who else was qualified to hold that Crown?
Throughout history, there had been countless individuals who had arbitrarily claimed land and called themselves kings in this masterless world.
But that true Great Throne at the very peak had always been vacant.
And if one were to find a master for it today, it could only be the man beside her.
He was currently the most suited to sit in that position, and he was the only one who had ever conceived the idea of taking it.
Morgan also believed that the seat belonged to him.
Whether it was ambition or conceit.
But no one could deny that the man closest to that position had already begun running toward his goal, hadn't he?
As Morgan thought this, Noah picked her up and headed toward the bedchamber.
They were seen by many attendants along the way, making Morgan's ears turn red. she could only hide her face in Noah's chest, yet she said nothing—she didn't resist; in fact, there was even a hint of anticipation.
Time slipped away after Noah returned to the bedchamber.
It wasn't until the end of the day, in the early hours of the next morning, that Noah leaned against the headboard, holding the sleeping Morgan, and opened the simulation interface.
Yesterday's three simulations had been conducted in the early morning, and he intended to do the same today.
He hadn't made a move against Velber in reality yet, but in the simulation, he intended to strike hard—he also planned to see what kind of pledge of loyalty Manaka Sajyou could bring him this time.
Or, will the final chapter of Manaka Sajyou's story trigger before I even see a pledge of loyalty?
With such thoughts, Noah began the first simulation of the day.
[Please select a Trait (Choose 1 of 4)]
[(Rare) Old Expert: Though it won't increase your knowledge, you will give people unfamiliar with a field the impression of being a professional in various aspects.]
[(Rare) Paladin: Holy Light will appear to cover places on your body that need to be censored (Quick, kick the Paladins and Shadow Priests out!).]
[(Common) Music Apprentice: Grants you a basic, introductory level of musical knowledge.]
[(Epic) Random Communication Link: Randomly establish a communication link with a target from your current era (One-time use; the target connected in the simulation will also be connected to you in reality after selecting this trait).]