“Explain in detail.”
“Well, uh, that is….”
Gareth took a deep breath and carefully recounted everything he had experienced.
Not long after Yu-hyun, Seo Sumin, Kay, and Merlin left Camelot, suddenly, unknown attackers clad in black armor assaulted Camelot.
The attackers had prepared thoroughly, moving swiftly as they raided Camelot Castle, leaving the inner fortress half-destroyed.
“Camelot fell so easily? What were those guarding the place doing?”
“The enemies were incredibly strong. Too strong.”
The knights of Camelot had not been idle. Although many knights were away searching for the missing king, the knights residing in Camelot, combined with various defensive systems, made it a near-perfect fortress.
However, for some reason, the defense system meant to prevent the enemies’ entry into the castle malfunctioned, and, above all, the black-armored enemies were exceptionally powerful.
“Each of them was strong enough to surpass the strength of our knights of the Round Table. I fought hard, as did Sir Tristan and Sir Percival, but it was useless.”“What about Gawain and Bedivere?”
The knights of the Round Table were the strongest knights in Camelot, but even among the Round Table, there were differences in power.
Led by King Arthur, Kay, Bedivere, and Gawain were known as the top three knights of the Round Table.
Although Lancelot’s name was originally included here, after he was expelled as the Knight of Betrayal, no one mentioned him anymore.
“Th-that is… Sir Bedivere had left to search for the king, and Sir Gawain….”
“What about Gawain?”
“He fought fiercely against the enemies, but he couldn’t secure victory.”
“What?”
Kay and Merlin couldn’t help but feel puzzled by Gareth’s answer.
“Gawain couldn’t defeat the enemy? Just how many of them were there?”
“Their numbers weren’t that high. They moved in a small elite unit. At most, there were around ten of them….”
“Camelot fell to those ten? And Gawain couldn’t defeat even one of them?”
How could that be possible?
Who was Gawain? The Knight of the Sun. He grew stronger under the sunlight, undefeated as long as the sun hung in the sky.
Even King Arthur could not guarantee a victory against Gawain in daylight without using Excalibur.
During the day, Gawain was the strongest among the Round Table, wielding power nearly on par with the first-generation Divine Spirits.
“Did Gawain lose?”
“N-no, he didn’t lose per se… but there was a particularly dangerous enemy. He seemed to be the leader, and while Gawain fought him fiercely, he couldn’t bring the battle to a conclusion.”
Meanwhile, the other Black Knights had ravaged Camelot, Gareth said through gritted teeth.
“…Were there casualties?”
“Other than a few regular knights, there were hardly any casualties. But the number of injured is staggering. All of the Round Table knights, except for Gawain, were severely wounded and immediately went for treatment.”
Gareth clenched his fists, trembling with anger, seemingly unable to suppress his rage just by recalling it.
Even though they were ambushed, Camelot had fallen.
And to think, it was by only around ten enemies.
“Mysterious Black Knights….”
Yu-hyun pondered over Gareth’s words, realizing something significant had occurred.
Not long after King Arthur disappeared, the assailants appeared. This situation could not have been a mere coincidence. And for ten people to devastate Camelot like that… then each of them must have had powers close to a second-generation Divine Spirit, at the very least.
Perhaps the unknown enemies possessing the Fragment, who had attacked King Arthur, were related to these Black Knights.
“Then we must hurry to Camelot…!”
“Wait.”
Merlin stopped Kay, who was about to rush forward.
“Calm down, Sir Kay. Have you forgotten why we left?”
“Sir Merlin. Didn’t you hear? Camelot was attacked.”
“That’s exactly why we should be even more cautious. We don’t know the enemies’ objectives, but it’s certain that there is a force targeting Camelot. Or perhaps, it’s not only Camelot. Since the Shrine started moving, the movements of other Great Armies have also grown unusual.”
“Are you saying… you think one of the other Great Armies orchestrated this?”
“It’s highly likely. Recently, there were sightings of the dragon legion from the Great Army Draconica in nearby areas. During the Union’s civil war, Olympus and Asgard intervened. Even the Immortal Buddha joined the battle. The mixed world is in unprecedented chaos right now.”
That was why Merlin had emphasized finding Arthur first.
If their enemies were indeed the ones influenced by the Great Army, then having only four additional people here wouldn’t make much of a difference.
Their objective was to find the missing King Arthur.
“Though it’s unfortunate that Camelot was attacked, we must fulfill our mission precisely because of this.”
“But…”
“And have you forgotten where we belong? We may be from Camelot, but Camelot belongs to Mabinogion.”
Camelot was merely a part of the Great Army Mabinogion.
While this might hurt the pride of the knights of the Round Table, the true core of Mabinogion lay in the ‘Erin,’ the Tuatha dé Danann.
Like other Great Armies, they were composed of prominent figures from myths. Those who had taken the throne of each myth’s supreme deity were the pillars of Mabinogion, known as the first-generation Divine Spirits.
“There’s also the Faerie Paradise, Tír na nÓg, and the Red Branch, Ulster. No matter who the enemy is, they won’t only have to face our Camelot.”
All Great Armies were not composed of a single entity.
Eden was divided into the Celestial Paradise and the Millennial Kingdom, the Thirty-Six Heavens of the Celestial Realm, and the Olympians and the Asgardians likewise had their structures.
The Great Armies are massive forces formed by the merging of at least five different divine factions, collectively called Sacred Armies.
To declare war on a Great Army was equivalent to taking on all the branches and roots formed from ancient mythologies.
“Let’s focus on what we can do together.”
“…Understood.”
“Will you all help us as well?”
At Merlin’s request, Yu-hyun shrugged his shoulders in response.
“We agreed to be compensated, so we should do what we can.”
“Well, I’d feel uneasy if I backed out now, so I’ll help as well.”
“That’s reassuring. Good. Let’s hurry and find Arthur.”
“Do you have any other place in mind?”
Arthur wasn’t at Avalon as they had thought. He had left shortly after visiting Avalon, and according to Gareth, he hadn’t returned to Camelot. So, where could Arthur have gone?
“Arthur said he wanted to correct his past mistakes. That means there are places he’d likely go.”
“Places related to his past….”
“He went to see Morgan. Considering the view of her in Camelot, it gives us an idea of who he’ll likely meet next.”
“Agravain, Lancelot, and Mordred.”
“Mordred is likely the top candidate. He’s Arthur’s blood relative, and Arthur himself killed him. If anyone still holds lingering feelings for Arthur, it’s probably him.”
“What about Lancelot?”
“Lancelot….”
Merlin shook his head.
“No matter what, Arthur wouldn’t care about someone who coveted his wife. You don’t need to worry about Lancelot.”
“You sound certain Arthur would never meet him.”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“Is that so? Then, we know our next destination.”
“Yes. Where Mordred is…”
“No.”
Yu-hyun interrupted Merlin and declared their true destination.
“We’re going to the lake in the Forest of Magic in Bresiliane.”
“…You.”
Merlin looked at Yu-hyun with a questioning gaze.
Yu-hyun grinned. He had a wealth of mythical knowledge, so he had picked up some stories about King Arthur.
“Ahem. But there’s no guarantee that Lancelot is even there….”
“Lancelot, the Knight of Betrayal, grew up with the help of the Lady of the Lake, Viviane. He was also blessed by the lake. Given that Lancelot can’t stay in Camelot, the only place within Mabinogion that would accept him is likely there, isn’t it?”
“Well….”
Merlin rolled his eyes, trying to avoid Bresiliane Forest.
Kay and Seo Sumin, noticing Merlin’s awkward behavior, sensed something strange.
Usually calm and knowledgeable in any situation, he couldn’t hide his discomfort for the first time.
It was as if there was a reason he absolutely couldn’t go there.
“Unless, Sir Merlin, you have a better place in mind? Feel free to suggest it… but I can’t think of anywhere other than the lake, where King Arthur was gifted his sword.”
“…Why are you so fixated on Lancelot?”
“Am I? I just made a logical choice. Also, I heard Mordred is outside the Mabinogion territory… do you think Arthur can find him immediately?”
“Well…”
“You can’t answer. Then our next destination is set, isn’t it? Let’s move. We don’t know when the enemies might attack Camelot again.”
Yu-hyun’s reasoning was so solid that Merlin couldn’t argue.
Their destination was naturally set to the Forest of Magic in Bresiliane.
Gareth also joined the group. Rather than returning to Camelot, it was a better choice to assist in the journey to find the king.
“Yu-hyun.”
Seo Sumin approached Yu-hyun and
whispered softly to him.
“What’s going on all of a sudden?”
“What do you mean?”
“Merlin’s actions, and you suggesting we go to the forest with the lake. It all feels suspicious. Did you figure something out?”
“As expected, Ms. Sumin. You’re sharp.”
As Seo Sumin had noticed, Yu-hyun had begun to grasp some of the ongoing situations.
Originally, he had intended to move more slowly, but hearing about the mysterious Black Knights infiltrating Camelot left no room for further delay.
“Are you saying Arthur is there?”
“I’m not sure. Probably not. Still, it’s likely Arthur visited the lake, and we’ll get an important clue there.”
“A clue?”
“It’s just a hunch. We’ll see once we get there.”
With their preparations complete, the group set off for the Forest of Magic in Bresiliane.
Merlin, who had been leading the way to Avalon, now followed at the back of the group, unable to hide his discomfort.
By now, even Gareth and Kay had noticed something strange about Merlin.
Gareth, guiding the path, stopped at the edge of a forest.
“We’ve arrived. This is the Forest of Magic in Bresiliane.”
Tall trees stood densely, with fallen logs nourishing the flora blossoming atop them.
The Forest of Bresiliane.
Also known as Brocéliande, or Virsilia, among other names.
This forest was a place of magic and mystery, most closely associated with the legend of King Arthur.
Within its depths lay a lake, the very place where King Arthur received Excalibur.
“From here on, I will lead the way.”
Merlin, who had been silent, stepped forward.
“Is that necessary?”
“The Forest of Bresiliane is dense with magic, and sometimes that magic becomes so intense that the entire forest transforms into a vast maze. It’s a natural barrier. Anyone entering it for the first time is bound to lose their way.”
“You’ve been here multiple times, Sir Merlin, so you must know the path.”
Gareth nodded in understanding, but just as Merlin was about to answer, Yu-hyun interrupted him.
“Oh, there’s no need to worry about that.”
“What?”
“I can find the way myself.”
“You?”
Merlin looked at Yu-hyun, doubt filling his half-lidded eyes, as he didn’t know what Yu-hyun was planning.
“Isn’t this your first time here?”
“Yes, it is. But why should that matter?”
“The Forest of Bresiliane can’t be navigated just by having good vision. Its dense magical aura turns it into another world entirely, with dangers lurking everywhere. One wrong step, and you’ll experience hell.”
“I’m confident I won’t make that mistake.”
With that, Yu-hyun activated his Fire-Eyes Golden Gaze.
As Yu-hyun’s eyes turned golden, Gareth opened his eyes wide in surprise.
“W-what? Those eyes…?”
“Fire-Eyes Golden Gaze.”
“F-Fire-Eyes Golden Gaze? Isn’t that the ability used by the famous Great Sage?”
“Yes, the very eyes given to me personally by Sun Wukong.”
When Sun Wukong was trapped within the Great Eight Trigrams Furnace that could melt even gods, he had acquired the Fire-Eyes Golden Gaze.
In other words, the Fire-Eyes Golden Gaze was a remarkable power that even someone as great as Sun Wukong could only master when pushed to the brink of death.
With the Fire-Eyes Golden Gaze’s ability to pierce through the boundary of life and death and see through the essence of all things, Yu-hyun could easily detect the strange magical currents within the Forest of Bresiliane.
“So, you can leave the guidance to me. If anything dangerous happens, Ms. Sumin and I will handle it.”
“But…”
“Are you doubting me, Sir Merlin? Or do you have a reason why you must be the guide?”
“…”
Merlin clamped his mouth shut.
Of course, he had his reasons. That was precisely why he was so desperate to hide them.
Yu-hyun smirked inwardly at Merlin’s reaction.
“No, it’s not Merlin. Rather, it should be said… the one imitating Merlin.”
Because the Merlin in front of them was an imposter.
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