34. Aftermath

She was here in her home, biting her nails in anger.

"How did this happen?" the question eating her mind, from morning till night.

The place she was in, stood as a hidden ground away from prying eyes. The atmosphere here was calming, portraying a beautiful scenery of tranquillity given by nature. However, this was a tactic of deception. Morgana surrounded herself by nature hiding from others. The place was no ordinary one but a section with highly concentrated magic.

"How? How did Arturia tame that monster" That question haunted her again and again? Leaving her with sleepless nights.

She herself had hunted down many monsters along with merlin coming out of the reverse side. Not one of them decided to aid humans in their plight.

Those monster who shed fear upon the hearts of mortals. Sang with fear by mothers to calm the hearts of their crying children. Those monsters who burned villages upon villages without any reason but to drown themselves on blood or to kill for the sake of it. She tamed it.

"Not only that vile thing exists with her but merlin and that flying dragon? What did I just miss, while being away from Camelot..." Again silence prelude this sanctuary of hers.

She wished to be a king, not for moral reasons but something entirely selfish. Her father had two children, both girls, however, because of a prophecy she was sacked away like used goods, in order to make a place for her little sister.

She was loved and adored to such extent that knowing the king of his demise, sent her away first leaving her behind to play a second fickle.

Again she accepted her fate.

'It cannot be helped' those words aiding the fragility of her mind as it stood to provide a sense of happiness to her bleak heart.

Morgana never wished to be a king. She just wished if anyone could ever sympathize with her plight. Instead of looking at her sister all the time, someone would look at her.

Once was a woman famed to create a benchmark of what a noble lady should be. Now left in the dirt by her hideous sister.

"I have to do something..." Her mind screamed. Before she would string Arturia to her own death through manipulation of his close aides then sealing the wizard keeping her out of the world but that plan went to the gutter at the moment a new anomaly presented itself.

Ainz Own Gown, Head of the Church of the God of Death.

Momon, the dark Knight.

The fabled ice Princess and the dragon looming on the horizons.

Again a question rose on her mind, 'Why did merlin not suppress these creatures?' Surely these beings who could kill a massive amount of soldier and even have a possibility of overthrowing Arturia reign would make them a target for the wizard's ire.

Nevertheless, this did not happen. Why?

"Momon never existed before in this kingdom. A foreigner from outside also her first knight then there was her relationship with that heretic church and Momon's dubious worship towards it. The Archibishop always looked smitten with that knight. That means favour from the Archibishop caused this?"

The evaluation of Sakura was a strong individual but if this hypothesis is true then she might be the conniving bitch moving the kingdom from shadows.

She herself had not many supporters or even friends to aid her quest but...

"Send this missive to Vortigern." Giving her first order, she spoke. An order she wished to not make however her hand was forced. The portal towards the reverse side had to be opened. If Arturia herself could court death and tame an amalgamation of evil then she too as her sister would commit the same.

"This would be done." spoke her aid silently. She never showed her true self to anyone except the one in front of her. The knight she reared as a sword against Arthur.

"Do so Agravain." the man stood silently as a doll heeding her command.

France:

News of Camelot winning against a force far greater than their own reached far ending kingdoms. Many hoped this battle between Romans and Camelot would erupt ending one side for the vultures to devour their remain. Again they expected it, for Camelot to fall.

As a nation its resources rich. Holding on a traditional method to not taint their land. The nation stood forefront portraying a great power structure between its royals as it held an optimal position in a center of war and a great Competitor to others in the conquest for the world.

Its small size gives a deceptive appearance to its weakness but no nation even Rome still managed to conquer it.

Rome stood strong, it stood powerful. Going against that nation for others would be suicide. Still, king Arthur with her island nation made sure, to show this miracle to the world.

Cherise de Troas thinks one more. Wearing a fashionable robe, a crown in his head and a sceptre to show his might, the king sat regally in his throne. France itself suffered a lot because of its competitor in great Briton. Ships after ships going there never made it back and when questioned they played the fool to their plight.

Gritting his teeth the king reigned in his anger and spoke with a soothing voice in his last visit.

"Is that so. My, how kind of you, to accept my people with such a warm welcome"

"It seems you too have an eye for the small things"

It was meant as a mockery towards Arthur but again the oblivious king took those words with a small smile making him red with anger.

He was insulted. Its magnitude increased further when Arthur strayed from the light of God.

Cherise was a catholic. The teachings in those scriptures etched in his heart. Now seeing an enemy closer to him condoning those teaching and spreading heretical messages in Camelot burned his fury.

He bathed himself in blood after the latest debacle. France was not going through good times. Losing in profit and losing in trades cost them a lot and because of a shift in temperature the crops as well refused to grow. Over half dying before the seasons come apart.

While they suffered, Camelot thrived. Their new god magically procured food for them in this plight. It was as if an ill omen spread with the coming of that evil god.

"Supporting Camelot would provide good trades. However, aiding a once enemy would result in a backlash from other nobles.huh...Sherre, what do you think I should do?"

A female knight standing beside the king with silvery full body armour and a cross accessory, emitting holy energy. With fiery red eyes and calm manner in her approach, the knight stood stalwart beside its king. But again she was no ordinary knight for ashen sword sheathed in her hand glowed with a faint light giving this veteran an ephemeral look.

"Your majesty is very wise" Again the statement without any change of beat in her tone released from her mouth.

He wished for once this knight of his would aid this king in such conflict. France was crossed from both sides. Shortage of food stood as a problem and its solution its long-standing enemy but the solution itself is a poison in the greater picture of the world.

Accepting their aid will make France a target for other nation. With its dwindling economy and corruption in its court, the state of the nation was by no means good. It showed a bleak picture of its weakness as France was not a fully military-oriented nation like Rome nevertheless a trade based one.

"Again, I ask, What do you think of this situation, Sherre?"

"...Your majesty should accept a temporary truce with Camelot. Yes, it has a lot of downsides but it will let us know the true might of that nation and we can always sell that information to others for more money and even aid them in conquering it."

"A splendid idea"

The plan outright evil and never should be spoken from those adhering to god was being made here.

"Then in this royal gathering, we would make our move."

Military Grounds, Outside Alexandria's Palace, Persia :

He stood shell shocked reading the last message from his hidden collaborator.

"Justinus is dead..." The news moved him. As a king, his eyes could see through those who remain competent and has an ability to stand against him. As such he acknowledged that man. No matter what might Camelot possessed, in his mind the king itself was weak and his adherence to saving the weak as his one-sided devotion led him to a conclusion that Arthur could never defeat Justinus.

But destroying his perception reality slapped him in his face.

'No way that girly king would ever hope to destroy that man...' His hate for Arthur grew once more. No, it was best to say it remained ever-growing since the time Arthur mocked his way of ruling as well to claim that he, Alexandria's never deserves the crown. A tyrant he was and his vice the crime.

Spewing those poisonous words, in front of others as well almost turning his own people against him. Led him to not only fear that man but to abhor him with a passion. How he wishes to lay Arthur beneath him just to watch him beg mercy for even inciting such words to him.

Again he despised him, for he always felt himself being looked down upon by that expressionless man-whore.

"It seems with his end, there is no reason to join with Rome. Only that guy incited my interest, now with his disappearance, there is little profit in going with Rome's charades. However, this does not mean our forces would stop. Call in our supporters and backers from the Indus valley. Ask them to stop all trades with that nation"

His advisors shocked at his words, "My king, doing so would damage our reputation as would cripple our finances."

"Why? Is my words not enough to persuade you."

"...No, my king. But the merchant bank in Rome stands neutral to all sides. They take little commission from all nations yearly to protect their trades. If, we, for diplomatic reason stop trading goods with nations they would interfere. In a worst-case scenario, they would freeze all of our transactions"

"Then what about the mysterious god and spreading of free good in Camelot. They are not paying any taxes on that? So shouldn't the merchant bank interfere?"

"That should happen but the food procurement from Camelot is cheap and a part may have been given to them as a bribe as such they are overlooking these scenarios. But on our part, we barely scrape through the provisions and our army is too large causing our resources to dip at an exceeding rate. In no way could we match Briton with our large populace."

It seems that Camelot had taken a large monopoly from the world. Soon the nations would unite to devour him wholly. Even though this news about his enemy nations actions should bring him remorse but opposite to it he smiled.

Too many enemies on all sides, the king really has boxed himself and he, Alexandria would have the first seat in this upcoming banquet watching her demise.

The world moved in the absence and the acknowledgement of Arturia, placing traps all around.

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Place your bets, everyone, on who do you think will last against Camelot?