Coronation Ceremony (III)

"The evidence is right here."

A stranger's voice suddenly came from outside, and four figures entered the hall.

Two middle-aged men were dressed in luxurious clothing, exuding an air of authority and dominance.

The third figure was shrouded in a black cloak, making it impossible to see their face, giving off an air of mystery.

The last figure was an elderly man in clerical attire. Despite his advanced age, he stood tall and had a kind and approachable appearance.

"The King of Gwent, the King of Deheubarth, and... Archbishop Canterbury?

Everyone exchanged puzzled glances. The direction of today's events seemed to be getting increasingly bizarre.

"You must all know that King Uther rests in the church. So, I asked His Excellency Canterbury to obtain a strand of hair from King Uther. With these, we can prove whether he is indeed King Uther's child." Hubert said.

"Hubert, you bastard!"

Morgan's eyes flashed with uncontrollable rage as she pointed her finger, and a magecraft spell instantly formed, unleashing a terrifying surge of magical energy.

*Buzz—*

The air suddenly quivered slightly, and the powerful magical beam quickly dissipated.

Morgan was taken aback, then turned to Ferguson, roaring like a lioness, "Ferguson! What do you mean by this?! That bastard had laid his hands on my father's corpse, and you're still protecting him! Is this how you swear loyalty to my father?!"

"Please understand, Your Highness..." Ferguson replied calmly. "We're just seeking the right answer for the future of this kingdom."

"Ahh... Now I understand..." Morgan seethed. "I finally get it... You think the House of Pendragon is an easy target because it lacks anyone to defend it, right? Let me see if you're up to the challenge!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she activated the Power of the Island and countless particles of light converged into her body from all directions, causing her aura to skyrocket like a rocket, making the ground tremble slightly.

*Rumble—*

Fear and panic filled everyone's eyes. It suddenly occurred to them that this woman was a bona fide madwoman!

If they provoked her, who knew what she might do!

However, at this moment, a calm voice interrupted her.

"Enough. Stand down."

Morgan's aura faltered, and then she turned to Arkhan, who was on the throne above, with furrowed eyebrows.

"But..."

"Today is my coronation day, and you wouldn't want to embarrass me in front of all these people, would you?" Arkhan said calmly, reassuring her. "Rest assured, once this matter is settled, I will explain everything to you."

Morgan clenched her fists tightly. After a while, she sighed and returned to her position.

"I didn't expect you to remain so composed at a time like this." Hubert sneered toward Arkhan who sat on the throne.

"You've put in so much effort preparing for this grand performance. It would be a waste to end it prematurely, wouldn't it?" Arkhan looked down at Hubert. "Continue, the show is far from over."

Hubert clenched his fists tightly, his expression darkening.

'A show? Is everything I've meticulously prepared just a show in your eyes?'

Unspeakable shame filled Hubert's heart, anger burning in his eyes like a flame. He couldn't help but want to rush up, grab the boy by the collar, and say something like 'Do you think I'm a clown performing in a circus!?' while slapping the boy's face.

But he took a deep breath, suppressing his impulses, and soon, a sly smile played on his lips.

'It doesn't matter; let him laugh for now since I will be one who will have the last laugh. Soon, I'll watch you tumble off the throne, and from that moment, you'll have no place left in this kingdom!'

Hubert turned his head towards the King of Gwent and the King of Deheubarth, nodding slightly.

"Respected Kings, please, proceed."

The King of Deheubarth nodded, looking up at Arkhan, and chuckled, "Sir Arthur, please don't mind. After all, in a way, we can be considered King Uther's sons-in-law. As allies, we don't want to witness such internal strife in Camelot."

"That's right, it's better to reveal the truth sooner for all of us." The King of Gwent chimed in.

"Let's just end this clumsy charade here." Arkhan propped his elbow on the armrest, resting his head on his fist and waved his other hand lazily. "If we drag this on, it'll be dark soon, and don't forget tomorrow is the Samhain festival. The royal palace won't be lit tonight."

The faces of the two kings instantly darkened; no one had dared to show such arrogance in their presence before.

"It seems you are rather impatient..." The King of Gwent sneered, then turned to the mage shrouded in a black cloak beside him. "Bring it out."

The mage nodded, retrieving a glass vial containing an unidentified blue liquid from his robes.

"This is a Mystic Code, used to identify blood relations." The King of Gwent explained, then turned to Canterbury. "Your Excellency, please bring out King Uther's hair."

Canterbury calmly nodded and took out a golden strand of hair from his robes.

Morgan clenched her fists again, her pale golden eyes filled with intense hostility.

The mage took the hair, about to place it into the vial when the King of Deheubarth suddenly intervened.

"Wait."

"What's the matter?" The King of Gwent looked puzzled.

"Before that, we should first prove that this is indeed King Uther's hair." The King of Deheubarth said calmly.

"Are you doubting me?" Canterbury asked with a furrowed brow toward the King of Deheubarth.

"Please forgive me, Your Excellency. Your noble reputation has spread throughout Britain; there's no one here who doubts your integrity. However, I still believe that at such times, a little caution would be better."

The King of Deheubarth's demeanor was gentle, but his words carried an unmistakable implication.

Canterbury frowned but remained silent.

The King of Deheubarth took out another golden strand of hair, displaying it to everyone.

"This is my wife's hair, which can be used for this experiment."

The king put the hair into the vial while the mage divided King Uther's hair in two and put one half into the vial.

After a moment, the blue liquid in the vial visibly turned green.

"There is indeed a blood relation between the two." The mage stated and nodded.

Morgan gritted her teeth and a hint of anxiety appeared in her pale golden eyes.

The King of Deheubarth nodded in satisfaction and turned to Arkhan.

"Now, it's your turn."

The mage shook the vial slightly, and the liquid inside the vial reverted to its original color. Then, he placed the remaining half of the hair into the vial and slowly approached Arkhan on the throne, under everyone's scrutiny.

Morgan's anxiety in her eyes intensified. If this continued, Arkhan's origin would be exposed!

Artoria and the others couldn't help but become increasingly tense, their expressions growing more solemn.

The mage handed the vial to Arkhan and stepped back.

"Please." Hubert said with a sneer.

Arkhan shook the vial, and the blue liquid inside swirled like mercury.

"I have one thing I can tell you in advance..." Arkhan said calmly, looking around at the people present. "Hubert was not wrong in one thing. Originally, it wasn't me that Merlin took; it was my squire, Artoria Pendragon."

""What?!!!""

It was like an explosion, and the whole hall instantly erupted!

Morgan and the nobles from the new king faction turned incredibly pale, while Hugenberg's eyes lit up with uncontrollable excitement.

Ferguson had a hint of complexity in his gray-brown eyes as he gazed at Arkhan.

"What? Realized you can't keep pretending, so you decided to come clean?" Hubert sneered.

Hubert suddenly felt a sense of relief and a triumphant feeling. But he knew he wanted more than this. He wanted to return every bit of humiliation he had just endured.

Just as he was about to continue speaking, a powerful force suddenly locked onto him, as if the God of Death had grasped his throat, causing his face to turn incredibly pale.

"A clown should be aware of his place. When this king speaks, it's not your turn to interrupt." Arkhan glared coldly at Hubert, then turned to everyone. "But who said King Uther only prepared one heir?"

He bit his finger, and a drop of red blood flowed into the vial, giving the blue liquid a tinge of eerie green.

Then, in the gaze of a thousand pairs of eyes, the entire blue liquid slowly transformed into—

Green!

""!!!""

Everyone was in an uproar!

Morgan, Artoria, Kay, Bedivere, and Lamorak stood dumbfounded, while Hugenberg and the nobles who had been taunting Arkhan earlier turned as pale as paper.

"This can't be happening!"

Hubert raged like a demon, his expression twisted and manic; his once clear eyes were now clouded and lost in madness.

"It must be you! You used some kind of illusion, that's why that damn thing turned green! The color definitely hasn't changed at all! Yes, that's it, it must be, it's absolutely..."

After yelling angrily at Arkhan, Hubert suddenly turned and pointed at the King of Deheubarth and the King of Gwent.

"And you two! You must have colluded with that boy long ago to frame me, right?! I've seen through you all that you're all a bunch of freeloaders! A pack of ungrateful scoundrels! Nothing but trash to the core!"

The two kings were livid and wished to slay this madman on the spot!

Everyone could see that Hubert had lost his mind.

Ferguson stood up and said sternly, "Guards, take him away."

Two guards immediately approached, escorting the laughing Hubert out of the hall.

"Hahahaha! I didn't lose, I would never lose, you tricked me, you bunch of bastards tricked me! Hahahaha!"