Chapter 37: Kay

Li Xiang took a few steps forward, glancing back at the Sword in the Stone.

Under the sunlight, the sword looked utterly ordinary, yet it was surrounded by knights, each unwilling to give up. These men had long since forgotten the chivalric code, their eyes fixed solely on the sword that promised unparalleled power.

Some were even trying to move the stone itself.

Looking around again, he didn't spot Artoria in her usual male disguise. He averted his gaze and followed Kay away from the hillside.

As they walked, they passed several dejected knights who had failed to pull the sword. Many of them were heading in the same direction, likely to participate in the upcoming knight's battle.

"You're not a proper knight, are you?"

Kay had noticed Li Xiang's attire from the moment they met—a rough woolen robe.

In Britain, becoming a knight meant entering the noble class. Even at the lowest rank, knights were worlds apart from commoners. Kings and lords were more than willing to provide for their knights. At the very least, a knight in service would receive a set of armor—maybe not magical armor, but certainly chainmail or a gambeson.

Li Xiang's clothes were more typical of a commoner or a knight's squire.

The knight's battle, also known as the *Knight's Selection*, involved two primary events. One was a series of trials for commoners or squires to become official knights. The other was a knightly tournament, originally conceived as a way for knights to settle feuds but had since become a grand spectacle for all knights.

In times of peace, the knight's battle was the best way to earn a promotion.

But with King Uther gone and King Vortigern bringing foreign invaders to seize every inch of Britain, it had been ages since a knight's battle was held. The current battle had been hastily organized by the knights who failed to draw the sword. Since none had succeeded, they proposed using the ancient and sacred tradition of the knight's battle to determine a leader.

The winner would be crowned king.

Kay's expression remained cold as his hand brushed against the hilt of his sword.

How ridiculous.

It was nothing but the desperate lies of failures. These men might secretly rejoice that no one had pulled the sword yet, thinking it meant they still had a chance at the throne.

But Kay was ready to shatter those delusions.

"No, I'm not," Li Xiang replied, shaking his head. He glanced down at his period-appropriate clothing. This was clearly Scáthach's doing.

She'd thought of everything.

'If only she'd be a little kinder to me, she'd be even more adorable,' he mused.

"In that case, you should participate in the selection," Kay said, stopping in front of a farm.

The farm had once grown wheat, with traces of it still visible on the edges. The middle had been cleared, leaving a large open area.

Before Li Xiang and Kay arrived, a crowd had already gathered in the open field. Several knights were at the forefront, discussing something among themselves.

"This small town doesn't have many facilities, so this field will serve as the temporary arena for the knight's battle. But the battle itself doesn't concern lowly squires like you. You'll be participating in the selection over there."

Kay pointed to a distant area.

Li Xiang followed his gaze and saw a group of people far beyond the field. From this distance, they looked like a colorful mass of clouds—a group clearly composed of lower-ranking participants.

"When does it start?" Li Xiang asked.

"Many still cling to the hope that they're special enough to pull the sword. They don't realize that every favor from fate comes with a hidden price," Kay said, his voice disdainful. "Once those fools give up and gather here, the knight's battle will begin."

Li Xiang shot Kay a glance.

That last line sounded familiar. It was a famous quote from *Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman*, written by Stefan Zweig. The book detailed the life of Marie Antoinette, from her childhood to her time in the royal court and her eventual fate at the guillotine.

But how would Kay know that phrase? Was it just a coincidence?

"Look at that guy," Kay said, pointing at a man speaking loudly, as if volume alone would make him the leader.

Li Xiang stepped forward slightly to get a better look.

The man wore golden armor, gleaming in the sunlight, radiating wealth. His helmet was tucked under his arm, revealing a head of long, wine-red hair. With his free hand raised high, he spoke with commanding authority, giving orders to those around him.

"That red hair is a mark of the Celtic people from Ireland. But Ireland is now under Vortigern's control. For him to be here, it means he's either working for Vortigern or has some kind of arrangement with him."

It was the second time Li Xiang had heard about Vortigern's Black Armored Knights and Zodiac Division. It seemed the books in the Clock Tower's library had been altered—Arthurian legends twisted. 

Why had the Clock Tower done that?

"Tch, all sorts of scum have crawled out of the woodwork," Kay said with a chilling smile. "The guy standing respectfully to his left is from Wales—one of the local lords' men. He claims to be an ally of the late King Uther, and he's recruited quite a few people under that banner. The man on his right is even more dangerous. He's from Camelot, and that stench of evil magic clings to him from a mile away. Vortigern made deals with demons, and this black magic from the Abyss is the result."

"Why would he dare show up here alone?" Li Xiang asked, puzzled. Even if Vortigern's forces were powerful, there were still plenty of knights here who believed in justice, not to mention Kay and Merlin.

"Because he's confident in his abilities. That's Alanbert, the top knight of Vortigern's Black Armored Knights. He's a master of disguise, and aside from me, no one else has recognized his true identity. He's a real handful."

Hearing this, Li Xiang quickly averted his gaze to avoid drawing Alanbert's attention. He asked in a low voice, "Are we really going to let him walk around so openly?"

"It's Merlin's doing. He insisted on setting this up and didn't control the information, which is why so many opportunists have shown up," Kay said, glancing down at the sword at his waist, a chilling smile spreading across his face. "But now that he's here, leaving won't be so easy."

Li Xiang gave an internal nod of approval.

'As expected of the future third seat of the Round Table.'

Kay's personality really resonated with him.

"It's about time," Kay remarked as more and more people gathered. "The selection and the knight's battle will begin at the same time. The local lord is overseeing the event, and all battles will follow the traditional rules. The winner of each round will advance, and those who reach the end will be granted knighthood. No matter which kingdom or lord you serve afterward, you'll enjoy the privileges of nobility. And if you choose to pledge your loyalty, you'll have the chance to rise through the ranks, potentially becoming a baron or even replacing those above you."

Li Xiang nodded. Though he was inside a memory, meaning he wouldn't be pledging loyalty to anyone, it seemed that winning the knight's battle was the key to completing Scáthach's trial.

"Go on," Kay waved him off and, without waiting for a response, walked toward the center of the field.

Li Xiang stood there, watching him leave, another question lingering in his mind. Why was Kay being so helpful to him, a stranger? Was this memory something Scáthach had fabricated, or was it based on real history?

The more he experienced, the more it felt like everything around him was a dense fog, concealing layer upon layer of secrets.