Artoria's Maturity

Artoria gathered Nidhogg, Scathach, and Morgan, and shared Arkhan's situation with them, unsurprisingly sparking a mix of shock and anger.

"So, the only way now is to defeat Vortigern, seize the Holy Grail, and then rescue Arkhan, right?" Scathach said sharply.

"Yes." Artoria nodded.

"Alright then." A crimson spear materialized in Scathach's hand. "I'll go and take care of that dragon right now."

"Wait, Lady Scathach." Artoria intercepted Scathach. "I understand your feelings right now, but it's too dangerous for you to go alone."

"That's right. Vortigern currently has the Holy Grail, a powerful ally, and tens of thousands of soldiers. Going in alone is like walking into the lion's den. Even with all of us, it might not be enough. I know you want to rescue Arkhan quickly, but the more critical the situation, the more we need to stay calm." Morgan advised calmly.

Scathach fell silent for a moment, then turned to Artoria.

"What's your plan?"

"I plan to change our previous strategy. We will split our army and focus on conquering Mercia and Essex. Then, merge our army back and launch a joint attack on Northumbria. This way, we can quickly launch an attack on Vortigern." Artoria explained.

"But what about East Anglia?" Nidhogg asked, puzzled.

"Of course, we're not leaving them alone. I've already asked Merlin to contact the allied nations. As for East Anglia, we'll leave it to them to handle." Artoria replied.

"But they refused to send their armies to help before. How can you be sure they'll listen to you now?" Scathach frowned.

"Because I made it clear that if they send their armies, this incident will be forgiven. But if they choose to remain idle, I'll immediately lead our armies back to the south and deal with them first." Artoria's voice turned cold.

The reason Arkhan fell into the trap was not only due to Vortigern's thorough preparation but also because the allied nations turned a blind eye and refused to send reinforcements.

If they had been willing to assist, Arkhan wouldn't have needed to return personally, and he wouldn't have fallen into the trap, ending up banished to another dimension.

Twenty-two years ago, when Uther marched north to resist Vortigern, these people also chose to look the other way. In the end, Uther fell in battle. Now, with Vortigern sending armies to ambush Camelot, they once again chose to stand idle, causing Arkhan to be caught off guard.

Artoria understood their mindset—all because Camelot had become too powerful, making them uneasy. So, they saw this as an opportunity to weaken Camelot.

Arkhan had informed them of Vortigern's intentions a long time ago, but not a single one believed him. They even thought it was a lie he made up.

Throughout, Camelot was the only force truly resisting Vortigern. The so-called allied nations merely paid lip service to friendship. When it truly mattered, not a single one stepped forward to help, and some even schemed against Camelot in secret.

Artoria was already fed up and had enough of these hypocritical and selfish people!

"Not bad, Lily. Why should we be at the forefront, risking it all, while those cowards enjoy the spoils from behind? We should have done this a long time ago!" Morgan smirked, clearly fed up with the allied nations.

"When will they respond?" Scathach asked.

"I gave them until tomorrow noon. If by then less than two-thirds of the kingdoms have sent armies, I'll dispatch the Godslayer Knights to wipe them out." Artoria said.

Scathach nodded, turning to leave.

"Lady Scathach, where are you going?" Artoria asked with confusion.

"I have something to do. I'll be back soon." Scathach answered without looking back.

Artoria was about to say something when Morgan grabbed her hand and shook her head slightly.

"Let her blow off some steam."

Artoria sighed lightly, watching Scathach's figure as she walked away.

"Elder Sister, could you please gather Sir Bedivere and the rest? I need to discuss the new strategy with them."

Morgan hesitated for a moment, unaccustomed to being ordered by anyone other than Arkhan, but in the end, she nodded.

"Got it."

Morgan walked to the tent's exit, casting one more glance at Artoria who was talking with Nidhogg as if seeing someone's shadow in the latter.

'So, this is your reason for choosing Nidhogg...' Morgan sighed inwardly and turned to leave.

Artoria postponed the day's deployment and assembled the Knights of the Round Table overnight to create new marching routes and plans.

Thus, the decision was made.

Artoria would lead the Godslayer Knights and Morgan with ten thousand soldiers to attack Mercia, while Bedivere would lead the Knights of the Round Table, Scathach, Nidhogg, and the remaining forty thousand soldiers to attack Essex. The deadline was two days to capture both.

Although some didn't fully understand why Artoria suddenly rushed into the attack, they accepted the plan and organized their armies accordingly.

Early the next morning, Scathach finally returned, exuding a cold aura, covered in blood as if she walked out of hell.

She carried two heads, those of Earl Mark and the King of Gwent.

No one knew how she managed to kill these two prominent figures in just one night, but it was undoubtedly a brutal fight.

"Don't worry, this blood isn't mine, just got a little careless." Scathach said indifferently while tossing the two heads to the ground. The distorted faces of the two men still held deep fear in their bulging eyes, leaving one to wonder what they had experienced in their final moments.

Nidhogg walked forward, stomping on the two heads like crushing watermelons, the splattering blood and brain matter creating a gruesome scene.

Artoria chose to turn a blind eye. After so many years, she was no longer the naive girl she once was. Now, her tolerance and mercy were reserved for those she cherished.

By noon, Merlin finally brought good news. Camelot's unexpected aggressiveness had indeed pressured the allied nations. Except for a few hesitant kingdoms, over three-quarters had already sent their armies, launching an attack on East Anglia.

Upon receiving the news, Artoria immediately summoned the entire army, splitting into two forces heading for Mercia and Essex.