C193

Barton Fortress

"How has the situation been lately?"

"A cold wave is sweeping through the land, and kingdoms both large and small are suffering from famine. As a result, they have neither the resources nor the time to mount any attacks on our forces."

Vortigern asked, "What about King Arthur? I recall that he built a defensive line specifically to fend off my magical beasts."

"According to the news spread by the bards, they are struggling to cope with the cold wave. They have fewer than 500 soldiers, and they are barely managing to survive our attacks by the magical beasts."

"Heh, naturally. Cornwall has always been a desolate land with only a few usable minerals. Aside from that, it's just a decrepit place. I fear that it will fall apart on its own before I even have a chance to conquer Camelot," Vortigern laughed.

"My lord, the walls of Camelot are too formidable. Might I suggest that we attack other locations first?" Meksis couldn't help but offer his advice.

Vortigern shook his head and replied, "That would be a tremendous waste of time. Once we take Camelot, Wales will be mine. With over 60% of the land under my control, I can further unleash the power of Rhongomyniad. The defensive barriers of other cities will be powerless against me. If we attack other cities first, we will waste a significant amount of time dealing with their barriers. Additionally, even if I control other cities, conquering Camelot will still take nearly the same amount of time due to its toughness. Therefore, attacking Camelot is the most time-saving plan. You should understand that my time is limited."

"I understand, my lord. Your wisdom far surpasses mine."

"No need to belittle yourself to flatter me," Vortigern replied, "However, Ywain and Baldwin are quite capable. They can persuade the nobles to resist me together, and they've managed to hold out until now!"

"Nevertheless, I'm curious to see how long they can continue to hold on," Vortigern sneered.

...

"Um... noble warrior, we have arrived in Cornwall."

"We have... Thank you."

"Don't mention it. You helped me fend off the attacking sea monsters. I haven't properly thanked you yet. If it weren't for you, not only would this cargo have been lost, but we would also have been devoured by the sea monsters. By the way, if I may ask, what brings you to Cornwall?"

"To kill a wicked man."

"Kill a wicked man? You seem to be a mighty hero. Why not pay a visit to our king? He will surely appreciate your talents."

"Are you referring to King Arthur?" the warrior asked.

"Yes... Huh? Um... You seem a bit unsteady. Is everything alright? If you're feeling unwell, you can go to the medical center in the city. There are physicians and magi there who can help you for a small fee."

"No... thanks."

Scathach almost gritted her teeth as she left the cargo ship.

Ever since leaving the Land of Shadows, she had been bombarded with the name King Arthur from all corners. Traveling merchants mentioned him, and even the kings across the sea from Cornwall seemed to be fixated on him. The constant mentions of his name were starting to grate on her nerves.

To make matters worse, Scathach had unknowingly boarded a Cornwall cargo ship. The crew had welcomed her aboard because she had slain the sea monsters that threatened their family and in gratitude, they ferried her to Cornwall.

During the journey, the crew constantly spoke of King Arthur, and even the young daughter on board eagerly shared stories about him. She couldn't escape the name no matter where she turned.

Scathach gritted her teeth, forcing a subtle smile as she communicated with them. To her, the so-called King Arthur was nothing more than an extremely wicked man and a despicable scumbag.

Having guarded the Land of Shadows for centuries and having vanquished numerous ghosts and humans who tried to escape beyond its borders, she considered herself to have a good temper. Yet, when confronted with that heinous man, her emotions stirred to a level of anger and murderous intent she had not felt in a long time. It was as if her human emotions, long twisted and dulled, suddenly sprang back to life.

She had encountered all sorts of people in her long life, but never had she encountered someone as despicable as him.

She could tolerate fighting tactics such as ambushes, kidney shots, and even spitting, but what she couldn't tolerate was him fabricating a scandal about her, portraying her as a wanton slut and spreading these lies around. It was beyond intolerable!

The opponent's despicable tactics had pushed Scathach beyond her limits of tolerance.

And so, she emerged to confront him.

Scathach was highly confident in her skills. Her mastery of spear technique had reached the level of the divine, such that not even the gods could withstand her lethal attacks.

Even that despicable King Arthur knew better than to confront Scathach directly within the Land of Shadows. Instead, he resorted to all sorts of sneaky attacks against her.

Undeterred, Scathach set her sights on his palace and headed straight for it. This was her usual approach, driven by her unwavering confidence in her own strength.

Upon arriving at the palace, Scathach couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. There were only two guards stationed outside!

This was simply unbelievable to her. In her vast experience spanning hundreds of years, she had never encountered a kingdom whose palace had so few guards.

And yet here she was, standing before King Arthur's palace, which had only two guards to defend it.

What did this mean? Had King Arthur become so despised that even his own guards refused to serve him?

Hmph.

To Scathach, it seemed like a fitting outcome for such a despicable man.

As she stepped inside the palace, the two guards stationed there stopped her and asked, "What is your business here?"

"I have come to see your king," Scathach replied calmly.

The palace guards suddenly glared at her with fury as they clutched their weapons tightly, almost gnashing their teeth as they said, "Please follow us."

Scathach couldn't help feeling a bit perplexed. She hadn't revealed her true intentions yet, so why were these guards treating her with such hostility?

Moreover, when she said this sentence, she noticed that people who had been busy selling their wares had stopped in their tracks to stare at her with anger in their eyes. Some children even picked up stones to throw at her, but were stopped by the adults. It was all very strange.

The king had warned them that whoever set foot in the palace first that day would be the one to assassinate him. Abiding by the king's policy to exercise restraint, the guards refrained from taking any rash actions, even if they suspected the person to be an assassin.

As Scathach entered the palace, an unusual expression crossed her face. Something about the situation felt off. Although she had not yet disclosed her intentions, upon her arrival, she sensed an overwhelming hostility from everyone present. Their piercing gazes bore down on her, almost suffocating.

"Are they all aware that I am here to assassinate King Arthur?" thought Scathach, but she dismissed the notion, paying it little heed. Her mastery of combat had reached divine proportions, and in the past, she had vanquished a king and his ten-thousand-strong army.

Her immense confidence left no room for fear.

...

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