How could Leon possibly allow his opponents to even have the slightest chance of turning the tables?
Although he often claimed that he hoped someone would challenge his script, overturn the destiny he had prepared, overcome the carefully designed trials, and surpass even his own expectations...
If someone truly managed to accomplish that, Leon would not hesitate to applaud them.
He would even praise them sincerely.
But before that moment arrived...
He still prepared flawless and merciless plans.
And within Leon's script, that solemn duel meant to decide the future sovereign of Britain had never been anything more than a façade.
It was merely a small piece within a much greater scheme.
In truth, he still had several alternative routes prepared.
Unfortunately for Artoria, however, her strength had not been enough to force him to use even a single backup plan.
Everything was unfolding exactly as Leon had predicted.
"Has the footage already been recorded? Send it to Morgan immediately. That way, the resistance in Camelot can be suppressed easily. After all... people will not continue believing in a defeated king."
Leon spoke calmly while observing the battlefield from atop the wall.
Beside him, Alpha nodded silently.
The duel between Artoria and Mordred had been recorded from beginning to end through a magical artifact developed by the Kingdom of Paretia.
And at that very moment, the recording was already being sent directly to Camelot.
Once the people of the capital saw with their own eyes the defeat of the legendary King of Knights...
Their will to resist would collapse dramatically.
Under those circumstances, Morgan's methods would become practically infallible.
"So... how does it feel to have your final escape route severed, Artoria Pendragon?"
Leon picked up a golden goblet while Noelle poured wine with exceptional skill.
He lightly swirled the drink before calmly taking a sip.
This could already be considered an early celebration.
"Camelot... truly fell..."
Artoria heard the report in disbelief.
While she had been dueling Mordred, the enemy had directly attacked her capital.
It was a devastating blow against the already fragile morale of her army.
Now she did not even have a home to return to.
"What was Agravain doing...? No... if those were Morgan's methods, Camelot in such an empty state truly wouldn't have been able to resist... but it still fell far too quickly..."
Artoria was also confused.
She had brought more than eighty percent of her troops into that battle.
Practically all of the Knights of the Round Table had been mobilized.
Even so, Camelot still possessed remaining defensive forces.
Furthermore, Agravain had remained in the capital.
She understood Morgan's capabilities.
She knew Camelot would not be able to resist forever in that state.
But with Agravain present, they should at least have been able to buy time until her return.
"My king... Morgan brought several extremely powerful subordinates with her. Sir Agravain simply could not stand against them."
"What?!"
"Sir Agravain was captured. The only reason I managed to leave the city... was because the enemy deliberately allowed it."
The knight lowered his head in shame.
He felt humiliated for having been treated with such contempt by the enemy.
But it was not because he was incompetent.
The problem was that the opposing side was simply too powerful.
Leon had lent several girls from the Garden of Night to Morgan.
And the level of those girls...
Almost all of them possessed combat power above the Knights of the Round Table.
Camelot, already weakened and nearly empty, simply had no means of resisting.
And that was precisely the true core of Leon's plan.
To seize the capital of the King of Knights.
That way, even if Mordred lost the duel...
Leon would still emerge victorious in the end.
So what if you won an individual battle?
If you lost the entire war, then you still lost everything.
And besides...
The three fronts of the plan had all been completed successfully.
Artoria's defeat.
Camelot's fall.
And the destruction of the people's faith in the King of Knights.
Everything had already been decided.
"Now you understand the situation, don't you? So then, King of Knights... do you still intend to resist?"
Mordred asked proudly while holding her sword.
The corners of her mouth were nearly reaching her ears.
At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to run across the battlefield screaming in joy.
She won.
She truly won.
She defeated the King of Knights.
Face-to-face.
In front of everyone.
Mordred, who had been born merely as a copy of Artoria, had finally surpassed her.
To her, that moment was almost a form of sublimation.
The happiness was overwhelming.
Her entire body trembled.
"Yes... the most rational thing would be to admit defeat now."
Artoria spoke calmly.
"But unfortunately, Mordred... I still believe you do not possess the qualifications necessary to become king."
"Even if others call me power-hungry or arrogant... I will not accept your victory."
She spoke without the slightest hesitation.
As always...
The King of Knights still did not understand the hearts of people.
She truly did not know how to speak diplomatically.
She could have softened her words.
She could have chosen another approach.
But Artoria simply said what she genuinely believed.
And deep within her heart, she truly believed it.
Mordred was an excellent knight.
Without question, a first-class knight.
But...
She was absolutely unsuited to becoming king.
If that rebellious child took the throne, it would become an absolute disaster.
The same applied to Morgan.
Although Morgan was extraordinarily talented as a mage...
When it came to ruling a nation, she simply lacked sufficient experience.
Of course, that was still far inferior to Artoria, who had been educated since childhood to become the "ideal king."
Being king was not the same as being a knight or a mage.
It was something entirely different.
To rule meant carrying far greater responsibilities.
Artoria did not even consider herself a good king.
She believed she had only managed to keep Britain alive.
She had not even managed to make it prosper.
But even so...
That was still better than allowing Morgan and Mordred to take control of the kingdom.
Just imagining those two ruling together...
Artoria could already envision a national tragedy.
[For now... I need to retreat.]
Even if Camelot was lost...
There were still other territories.
There was still the possibility of rebuilding her forces.
Although now she only had a few hundred soldiers remaining...
And many would probably desert in the future.
Perhaps only two or three hundred men would remain.
But that was still enough.
She could occupy a smaller territory and slowly rebuild everything.
No matter what...
She would not hand Britain over to Morgan and Mordred.
Not out of pride.
Nor greed.
But because she sincerely believed those two would destroy the country.
"Hmph... you really are exactly the same, King of Knights."
Mordred snorted.
If this had happened in the past, she probably would have exploded in rage at that moment.
But now...
Perhaps she had matured a little.
Probably.
Besides, she was far too happy at that moment to get angry.
Mordred thought to herself:
[It doesn't matter what she says... I already won! Hahaha!]
"Father... did you forget that I can order the massacre of your army at any moment?"
"Guh...!"
"But relax. I'm not going to do that."
Mordred placed her hands on her hips.
"Besides, I'm no longer interested in the throne. Though my mother probably still hasn't completely given up on it."
She then slammed her sword into the ground with force.
CLANG!
Holding the hilt of her sword, Mordred declared loudly:
"I, Mordred... and my mother, Morgan Le Fay, swear loyalty to His Highness Leon!"
"Therefore, this land known as Britain shall be offered as a gift to our sovereign!"
"If anyone is dissatisfied..."
Mordred's fierce gaze swept across the battlefield.
"...then I'll cut off that person's head immediately."
The moment those words echoed...
The entire audience fell into absolute shock.
---
(End of Chapter)