54 [54] Alvin Pendragon

King Vortigern.

His sturdy figure with silver hair, had his eyes closed. His expression, calm and indifferent, exuded a silent but imposing aura as he sat on the throne in the castle's grand hall.

A thick mist, as crimson as blood, crystallized and extended from the ground, enveloping almost half of his body.

Vortigern's spirit penetrated into the inner sea of the planet, and what remained in Londinium was now his physical form.

Beside this throne.

A silver-haired youth, draped in dark armor, stood quietly by his father's side.

Despite it being noon, sunlight streamed in from the dome's sides, illuminating him. However, it failed to reflect any bright colors from his body.

He seemed like a black hole.

Whether sunlight or gazes, he crazily absorbed every bit of light in the world.

Oppression...

An intense feeling of oppression covered the hearts of everyone present.

Standing in front of him.

It felt as if they were tightly gripped by some deep, invisible hand, making it difficult to breathe.

His iron-gray eyes were slightly lowered.

The silver-haired youth coldly looked down.

Looking down on the generals under the steps who dared not to breathe.

Interesting.

Alvin expected there would be few people, but he didn't expect it to be this few.

The Saxon people and Vortigern were not on the same page. Sitting together on a boat was merely a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Vortigern treated them as tools, and they were happy to be treated that way, benefiting each other.

However, that was in the past.

For more than twenty years, the saxon people had branched out on this island, and internal stratification had begun among them.

If you wanted people to sacrifice their lives, you had to reward them based on their merits.

So, similar to the feudal system of ennoblement and land grants, Vortigern began ennobling and granting lands to stabilize military morale, establishing the current Saxon kingdom.

With a structure in place, it was easier to govern and continuously absorb the various foreign tribes that came overseas.

Although Vortigern's vision was limited to the current era, Alvin understood that his father was already extremely outstanding as a tool user.

However...

If the former King was still here, he could suppress these barbarians.

Now that he was gone, the hearts of the foreign tribes seemed to be getting a bit restless.

The surging blood light filled the sky and could not be concealed.

The Celts had already heard rumors... Vortigern had gone to extract the Anchor of the Planet, and it was unknown how long it would take... or if he could return.

So.

Most of the nobles, abruptly learning about Alvin becoming the king, chose to stay and watch, using the excuse of the intense situation on the front line to avoid returning.

Now rushing back to Londinium, only a small number of generals seemed to be more active in their thinking... most of them had not yet received their own territories.

Facing these generals who hurried back to meet him, just a few dozen people, the number seemed a bit pitiful.

However, in this situation.

There was no anger, no blame.

Alvin's voice was calm.

"Everyone already knows. His Highness is in hibernation and has gone to retrieve the Anchor of the Planet..."

"...So, from today onwards, Londinium is under me, Alvin Pendragon, who will act as regent king."

"Do you have any objections?"

The silver-haired youth's gaze swept across the audience with a faint look.

A shiver of trepidation and heart palpitations floated among the Saxon generals in the audience.

They were well aware of the military achievements of the son of the Vile King.

Or rather, in the entire Britannia, Alvin Pendragon's name was now known to all, and everyone was familiar with it. Single-handedly killing two thousand knights in one battle, severing an arm of the Knights of the Round Table, this cruel and bloodthirsty figure was simply ten times, no, even a hundred times more terrifying than the king himself...

At this moment, seeing the real person in front of them, they felt fortunate that they had made the right choice to hurry back and meet him!

This young man's prowess surpassed that of his father, Vortigern!

So, was there even a need to consider the answer to this question?

Crack~

The generals simultaneously snapped their swords in half, it was the foreign tribes' way of expressing unwavering loyalty.

"Your Highness, we swear allegiance to you!"

"Good."

The purity of this allegiance was quite high.

Alvin nodded in satisfaction, and as he was always fair in rewards and punishments, he extended his hand, lifting up all the shattered sword blades held by the generals.

Shadows burned and surged, melting more than a dozen broken swords into an equal number of dark, lightless regal swords, shimmering with a profound and intimidating aura.

Clang~

The refined sword blades fell in front of the generals.

"As a gift for you, I've forged a set of royal swords. Let's consider it a welcoming present. I won't say much more, I know why you all came here..."

"...If you want food, I'll give you food! If you want territory, I'll give you territory! If you want treasures, I'll give you treasures! I've never been stingy with my rewards!"

"On the battlefield, swords have no eyes, and warriors die gloriously. I don't care how fierce the fighting is."

"But remember this... if anyone dares to go and plunder and slaughter the people..."

The silver-haired youth smiled.

His mouth opened slightly, revealing a dark abyss-like crack, sending a shiver down everyone's spine.

"I'll need four strong and vigorous men first, unleash their full strength to serve him!"

"Then, take the red-hot iron tongs from him and forcefully stuff it into his mouth!"

"Next, hang him on Londinium's flagpole, exposed to the wind and sun, for everyone to see!"

"Finally, have someone heal him, and then repeat this ultimate insult process!"

"Gruesome..."

The generals below turned pale.

Thinking about such an ultimate insult, just imagining that scene would make their legs unconsciously tremble.

This son of the white dragon was not just a hundred times more terrifying than Vortigern, he was clearly a thousand times! Ten thousand times!

"Spread my words, I, Alvin Pendragon, always speak and act decisively."

Bathed in the shadow of the white dragon's son.

All the trembling generals retreated.

[Your father, Vortigern, burst out piles of gold coins and handed over the throne of Londinium to you.]

[You took over all the military power and the warning of the ultimate insult quickly spread throughout the kingdom, causing countless people to tremble with fear.]

[What a ruthless little devil, what a malicious punishment!]

[The Vile King abruptly retreated to the background, and you, arriving for the first time, took over all the authority so openly, even threatening the entire army. This has made the nobles extremely dissatisfied.]

[Is this meant to kill two birds with one stone?]

[Killing two thousand knights means nothing!]

[They acknowledge your bravery in battle, but how can a mere youth understand commanding an army?]

[The kingdom's army now numbers over several hundred thousand, and you'll have to rely on them to conquer and expand!]

[For this sudden emergence of a Regent King like you, the front-line foreign tribal leaders have some words of discontent. The solidified factions of the nobles, more than a dozen of them, show disdain towards you.]

[With the Vile King no longer present, and Britannia showing signs of a resurgence, as the son of the white dragon, do you want to cut off your foundation?]

[There are rumors circulating that the Vile King is old and bedridden, already senile. Londinium is empty and powerless, forced to be governed by the ten-year-old, and inexperienced!]

[Worse news has come...]

[After a long disappearance, Artoria's figure suddenly appeared in Orkney County, instantly suppressing the entire scene.]

[Rumors say she has obtained the Excalibur, whose edge is unparalleled. On that day, she subdued the proud-hearted knight, Lancelot, making him bow his head willingly and swear allegiance.]

[King Lot abdicated, making way for her. Artoria officially took control of the kingdom.]

[As the final defense of Orkney County, it is now a gathering place for the last resistance forces of the Britannia camp.]

[While you lack Vortigern's presence, this piece of news that couldn't be concealed has long been known to the Britannia side. Under Artoria's leadership, they launched a fierce counterattack.]

[With no leader, none of the Saxon army is willing to march forward into the Excalibur radiant. The thoughts of the front-line leaders are diverse, and the previously advancing front lines have begun to retreat continuously, losing territories they had gained.]

[The situation in Britannia has once again become like a pot of boiling porridge. Both sides are deadlocked, and the situation has even subtly balanced itself.]

[In the face of such an excellent opportunity,]

[You initiated The Grand Purge.]

"This batch of you is considered my personal army, and I have always been clear in rewards and punishments, rewarding based on merits. You are well aware of this."

The castle's shadowy darkness loomed.

The initial dozens of Saxon generals who came to meet him quietly half-knelt in the darkness, facing the dark and shadowy Regent King. They deeply bowed their heads.

"In my eyes, I tolerate minor indiscretions. As long as you don't cross my bottom line, I won't bother."

Since this batch was relatively loyal, Alvin transferred them from the front lines to be his personal guards.

"This shadow is the magic I infused into you. When necessary, it can assist you. In three days, I want to see your sincerity. Dismissed."

Under the night sky of Britannia, the courtyard bloomed with roses, silently displaying a crimson color as if soaked in blood.

Three days later, holding a stack of investigation reports, Alvin revealed an interested smile.

"The Minister of Supplies embezzled rations for several years, causing frontline soldiers to suffer from cold and hunger? Arrest him, skin him, and plant grass! Cut off the head of this insubordinate and display it on the city wall for everyone to see!"

"Hmm? No evidence? You can't hide mismanagement of food. Do you want me to issue a search warrant? Now, immediately search their homes. Kill if you find evidence, continue to the next house if not."

"Worried that such actions will disperse military morale?"

"I am the military morale!"

"You don't dare to search? Then, let me do it for you."

"...Get lost!"

The next day, the terrified head of a fat Saxon man, a duke, hung lifelessly from the Londinium city wall.

Nationwide shock.

...

"Duke surprised? Surprise, my ass! If Vortigern could grant him a ducal title, I, Alvin Pendragon, can take it back! Coming across the sea, posing as bandits, thinking highly of themselves? Oh, not you guys, you're loyal, and I like that."

"Slandering the Regent King must be the work of spies! Investigate! I don't believe he reached this position without corruption! Do I have to teach you how to list the charges one by one?"

"Arrest them! Don't spare a single friend or family member... not mass extermination, that's too wasteful. Assign them to the front lines, useless trash!"

...

"I've contributed to the kingdom! I've shed blood for His Highness! You can't treat me like this! I want to see the Regent King!"

Dragged out, the duke, a robust Saxon man, in elegant attire stained with blood, struggled and roared. Though he had only been a duke for a few years, he exuded the arrogance of the nobility. In the grip of the shadow guards, he was then slapped to the ground, leaving him in a sorry state.

The once magnificent castle, built in just three days, became eerily empty, quiet as a haunted mansion in the vast night.

...

"Army commanders secretly forming factions, calling for 'resistance against the draconic tyranny, the kingdom belongs to everyone'?"

"Hehe... this kingdom belongs to only one person, and his name is Vortigern Pendragon."

"Old man is old, can't stand the bloodshed. His heart is too soft, too kind to these people."

"Assembled over a thousand elite soldiers, wanting to attack Londinium? I haven't even installed the city defense cannons yet. Well, I'll personally stretch my muscles..."

No traces of any conflict.

The rebel army gathered in the camp, and after one night, everyone died silently.

Fearful expressions adorned their faces, as if their souls were burning.

The scene, tranquil yet carrying an eerie hellish atmosphere, cast a chilling shadow over the entire kingdom.

"...Now understand how to listen? Just listen. Organize the list of anti-regime noble names, you handle it. Associating with these vermin, how can you govern the kingdom well?

"Tomorrow morning, I want to see their heads hanging on the city wall, publicize it widely, let the entire kingdom know their miserable fate!"

"Tyrannical, bloodthirsty, wickedness to the extreme?"

"No, can't they be a bit more creative? I'm tired of these terms. I really need to rectify these matters, they are pure framing, fake news, stereotypical impressions."

Looking at the shadow guards before him, the silver-haired youth smiled gently and warmly, as if enjoying a pleasant breeze.

"Though I am full of rationality, sincerity, and reputation..."

"...Kill when needed, no mercy."

"I am also very passionate about love and peace."

"...Wipe out vermin, enslave idiots, cleanse heretics, control population, I haven't embraced any of these policies yet."

"I even like discussing philosophy with people, like..."

"...Loyalty is not absolute, absolute loyalty is not loyalty."

"...Have you understood and comprehended?"

Watching the shadow guards shrinking back in fear, trembling, Alvin continued.

Behind him, the witch seemed to have stars twinkling in her eyes and gently began to massage his shoulders.

Alvin sure knows a lot!

In these days, she has been truly enlightened!

He efficiently handled each report, almost instantly discerning the key conflicts. If there were fabrications or lies, he could expose them in an instant.

His dark agents spread across the island, known as the 'Judgment Court' shadow guards. Now, every noble regarded them as an indelible terror, as nobles were frequently thrown into prison, publicly tried in the square.

Following what he described as the principles of 'gathering a group, cultivating a group, suppressing a group.'

Regardless of how arrogant and unruly the original Saxon factions were, after Alvin's governance for over two months, they had become incredibly loyal, without secrets.

The old man Vortigern, spent twenty years accumulating a glorious name and reputation.

In two months, Alvin instantly overturned it all.

Of course.

In these two months, the number of Saxon people killed exceeded even Vortigern's twenty years of rule.

Now on the island, what was being celebrated was the brutal reputation of the White Dragon's son, and the old king Vortigern seemed to have become a distant historical figure.

In any case, Alvin was the best~!

The massage continues.

Just like that.

Both body and mind seemed to be filled once again.

Filled to the point... that it seemed about to overflow.

As he continued to infuse over the past year.

The spiral patterns on the witch's lower abdomen began to shimmer with an even brighter and more vivid azure glow.