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Almost immediately after Sir Ector's words fell, many nobles looked at Asher with increased fervor.
Although Britain was still in a "divided" state and King Arthur's power wasn't absolute, Britain—no matter how weak—was still incomparable to the tribes. Otherwise, King Arthur's call wouldn't have rallied all the tribes.
Even if they were unwilling to fully hand over their tribal power to King Arthur, they would still respect him publicly and follow his arrangements.
Moreover, according to rumors, Sir Scott had already completely handed over his tribal power to King Arthur before his death, and Sir Milo had also completely pledged allegiance to King Arthur.
Britain, already stronger than other tribes, was now even more formidable.
If they could marry their daughters to King Arthur as queen, then even if the outsiders were driven out in the future, their tribes would hold more weight because of the queen.
Most importantly, this King was still young and presumably inexperienced. If the queen could share joy and sorrow with King Arthur at this time, their feelings would certainly be more genuine.
"Sir Ector, King Arthur is not yet of age. Is it not too inappropriate to decide on the Queen's position so quickly?" Morgan le Fay looked at the elderly knight, her tone a little colder.
She hadn't expected someone to bring this up so quickly.
Although she had initially thought someone would want King Arthur to decide on the Queen's position, she never imagined it would be brought up on the day of the ball.
"Queen, huh…" Uathach looked at Asher, remarkably calmer than usual.
She had no interest in being a queen. She was engaged to Asher, but she didn't want to marry in Britain. Even if they married in the future, she wanted to be with her mother and Asher.
It would be meaningless if it was just her and Ash.
Milo stared in Ector's direction, a hint of annoyance on her face.
This old man is too much of a busybody, isn't he? Bringing up the Queen's position so early completely excludes me.
Although she had indeed helped Asher quite a bit recently, it wasn't enough to make him dependent on her. Rather, Asher knew she had other motives, but he simply turned a blind eye. After all, having an extra capable assistant certainly meant the people of Britain would live better lives.
"Actually, I don't think age matters that much," Duke Bell cleared his throat. "My daughter is exactly eighteen now. While I wouldn't say she's a master of all arts, she's somewhat proficient and can usually help Arthur govern Britain and offer advice."
"Duke Bell is joking. While age may not be important, I believe King Arthur should find a queen closer to his age. Coincidentally, my daughter is less than half a year different in age from Arthur this year, perhaps she could be considered," a noble beside him said with a smile.
"In that case, I also have a daughter, who just turned sixteen, very well-behaved and obedient…"
"You're really popular, Ash," Uathach said with a hint of sourness in her voice, looking at Asher as the nobles began to chatter.
Asher glanced at Uathach with a slightly guilty conscience, then at Scathach beside him.
He found his Shishou also looking at him, her eyes still calm, but for some reason, he felt immense pressure.
When he looked up again, Morgan le Fay's eyes were also filled with coldness, but not directed at him, but at Ector.
What on earth is Sir Ector up to? He's usually so serious and proper, why would he suddenly bring up the "Queen" issue?
Asher also looked at Ector, noticing his gaze was currently fixed somewhere.
Asher followed Ector's line of sight.
Ector's eyes held affection as he gazed in Artoria's direction.
He specifically brought up the Queen's position—could it be that he wants Lily...?
Feeling the gazes of the group, Asher felt an inexplicable pressure.
He could understand Ector's intentions. This ball indeed gathered many dignitaries, and having so many people as witnesses was indeed a good idea.
But Sir Ector usually lived like a hermit, so he naturally didn't know that this wasn't just a simple ball, but had another purpose.
Not good… If this continues, the ball will turn into a Queen selection assembly.
Asher felt secretly anxious.
Now was not the time to discuss such matters.
The ball must proceed normally, otherwise the plan would be completely ruined.
Only by finding the traitors could they continue to drive out the outsiders.
Otherwise, if information was leaked every time they acted, any plan would be severely hampered.
Asher's mind raced. He scanned the group of nobles who were still discussing the "Queen," then suddenly sighed heavily.
"You disappoint me greatly!"
The voices that had been discussing the "Queen's position" suddenly fell silent.
All eyes focused on Asher, and even Scathach beside him showed a look of surprise.
"The outsiders are not yet defeated, Britain is still in turmoil. At such a critical juncture, how can there be time for romance?
I hope that in the future, I can have time to care for the Queen, rather than marrying a Queen and then leaving her in the palace unattended! That would be disrespectful to the Queen!" Asher's voice rose slightly.
"Moreover, ladies and gentlemen, I have a question to ask you."
Asher surveyed the crowd, whose attention was now entirely focused on him, and slowly spoke:
"Do you truly believe this is merely a ball?!"
Asher scanned the nobles.
"Answer me, does no one know the true purpose of this ball?!"
Some foreign guests gathered at the side, watching Asher, eager to witness a good show.
Clearly, King Arthur was angry.
As for the reason for his anger, even a casual thought would reveal it was definitely related to the Queen's position that had just been brought up.
"We truly do not know. May we ask, King Arthur, what is the purpose of this ball?" a noble dared to ask from the crowd.
No, he was not a noble, but Gawain, who had specifically spoken up to cooperate with Asher.
"Now that our nation is strong and the outsiders are retreating, defeating them is only a matter of time," Asher said slowly. "But have you ever considered, after the outsiders are driven away, how will those ravaged and battered territories be rebuilt? How long will it take for the fields and crops to once again be used by the people?"
"If we just build slowly, it will probably take a very long time," Asher said, then suddenly smiled. "So what we need to do is cooperate for mutual benefit."
Looking at the group of confused nobles and foreign guests, Asher was secretly pleased, but his expression remained serious.
"To all the foreign envoys and nobles who have accepted our invitation, I thank you for your presence and sincerely hope you enjoy the ball.
If there is an opportunity in the future, I believe we can engage in exchanges of goods."
This was something Asher had just thought of.
He hadn't expected so many foreign guests at a ball, and their presence reminded him of something.
Even if the outsiders were driven out of Britain in the future, those territories, ravaged by war, probably wouldn't be habitable very quickly.
But if they could find a way to trade goods with foreign countries, they could accelerate the reconstruction of the territories.
"King Arthur, what kind of goods are you referring to when you mention the exchange of items?" a foreign visitor couldn't help but ask.
Unbeknownst to them, they had completely forgotten about the previously mentioned "Queen's position."
Originally, they were just there for the excitement, but now that their own national interests might be involved, they naturally became more concerned.
"Demonic beasts," Asher said.
"There are many powerful demonic beasts within Britain's borders.
Some of these demonic beasts, if consumed, can significantly enhance one's physique.
Of course, I know that the environments you are from probably also have such demonic beasts, but I imagine that even if you could capture a demonic beast alive or use it as food, it would probably come at a considerable cost, wouldn't it?"
The other foreign people all nodded in agreement.
Indeed, although many demonic beasts lived in this world, people almost always avoided them when they saw them, let alone tried to capture them.
Perhaps only King Arthur could speak with such confidence.
Because, on the day the new King was born, the nearby small nations could see countless light pillars shining from a certain direction.
This was the strength that Britain displayed, and they could also see the confidence in Asher's tone when he spoke these words.
"However, some of our countries are separated from Britain by a sea.
If it's just one or two demonic beasts, it's fine, but if the quantity is large, how will we conduct the trade?" someone asked hesitantly after a moment.
"We can build ports and ships.
While it might be a bit troublesome at first, once established, it will be a beneficial development for both of us in the future," Asher said.
"It's not just demonic beasts; it can also be clothing or other items.
All can be traded through cooperation."
Seeing the interested expressions on their faces, Asher smiled and said,
"Let's discuss this in detail later.
If you are interested after this ball, you can send envoys here.
I welcome all of you."
As Asher finished speaking, people suddenly realized.
So the ball King Arthur hosted wasn't just for celebration, but to discuss future cooperation?
Morgan le Fay was startled at first, then quickly smiled.
To use demonic beasts as leverage for cooperation with other countries, no one probably thought of that, did they?
Even she herself hadn't thought of it.
Originally, it was just to draw out the outsiders, but who knew this person would bring up cooperation with other countries at this time.
Ships on the sea, huh…
If they are to transport a large number of demonic beasts, they would need very large ships, wouldn't they?
It seemed like it would be a huge project.
But as Asher said, once established, cooperation with other countries would become much easier in the future.
Sir Ector's mouth was slightly agape.
He no longer brought up the matter of the Queen.
His gaze towards Asher suddenly held a hint of admiration.
So the so-called ball was merely a prelude to future cooperation with foreign countries?
This King seems young, but now it appears he is very far-sighted.
Initially, he had always believed that King Arthur should be Artoria, after all, he had watched Artoria grow up and knew how diligently she trained.
But now, it seemed Asher was also very suitable for the position of King Arthur.
"To be able to train such an intelligent King Arthur, it seems the woman behind him is also extraordinary," a noble whispered, looking at the woman behind Asher, his eyes filled with fervor.
She was truly a very beautiful woman, still looking very young, and she was King Arthur's teacher…
If one could establish a connection with her, there would be no downside no matter how one thought about it.
"I advise you to give up that idea," the person beside him warned in a low voice. "Have you never heard of Scathach?"
"Scathach?"
"The Queen of the Land of Shadows. My country has several nobles whose children are still undergoing training in the Land of Shadows.
It can be said that there are many noble children from various countries in the Land of Shadows.
Almost everyone who leaves the Land of Shadows has formidable skills.
However, even after becoming so powerful, when they mention Scathach, they still show respect and fear..."
"So I advise you not to pursue this woman."
Upon hearing this, the noble looked up again.
Scathach's expression remained as calm as ever, seemingly unconcerned with her surroundings.
As if sensing his gaze, Scathach casually glanced at him.
The noble's heart trembled, and he quickly averted his gaze, hastily shaking off some of his previous thoughts.
He knew his place when it came to who he could approach and who he couldn't.
Such a woman, let alone a noble, perhaps even a tribal leader or King Arthur himself, probably couldn't conquer her.
"Arthur, I'm very interested in the demonic beasts you just mentioned," a foreign envoy suddenly spoke. "And since you are Scathach's disciple, we are also willing to trust you."
The Queen of the Land of Shadows, Scathach. Although not everyone knew her name, some dignitaries they knew had children currently training in the Land of Shadows. And while not every disciple she taught was famous, they were at least highly skilled individuals.
No wonder King Arthur possessed such strength at a young age. If he was also a disciple from the Land of Shadows, then it made sense.
She truly was an incredibly remarkable woman...
For a moment, many people's gazes turned to Scathach, filled with respect.
Asher inadvertently frowned. Even standing nearby, he could feel their gazes. Didn't they know it was rude to stare at a woman like that?
Scathach apparently noticed the emotional change in the young man beside her. Her previously maintained aloofness receded slightly. She glanced sideways at Asher, and then a faint smile quickly appeared on her face.
"Then, I wish you all a pleasant ball," Asher said, not noticing Scathach's gaze. He looked at the people in front, interrupting their attention, and then, at the end, looked at Morgan le Fay not far away.
"Finally, allow me to introduce to you all, this is the daughter of Britain's former King, and one of the foremost mages. She has contributed greatly to conquering the outsiders."
After the introduction, Asher said, "Princess Morgan."
Morgan le Fay nodded, a look of satisfaction in her eyes as she looked at Asher.
Originally, it was just to lure out the outsiders, but unexpectedly, it's now killing two birds with one stone.
To be honest, she hadn't thought so much at first.
No, rather, Asher probably didn't think that much at first either, did he?
Morgan le Fay looked at Asher, who seemed relieved, her eyes subtly glinting.
It seems this fellow isn't incapable of governing the country; he's just simply too lazy.
Just like today, if Sir Ector hadn't suddenly brought up the matter of the Queen, Asher probably wouldn't have thought so far ahead or said those words to try and divert people's attention.
Someone still needs to push him from behind...
Thinking this, Morgan le Fay snapped her fingers.
A certain magic in the hall covered the entire area from all directions. Almost everyone's appearance changed in an instant.
Or rather, everyone's appearance was altered by magic.
"Please don't be surprised, this is a masquerade ball, a special masquerade ball," Morgan le Fay said with a smile. "Instead of masks, special magic has altered your appearances. So, I wish you all a pleasant ball experience."
Everyone in the hall could no longer recognize each other. The only one who could be easily recognized was the young man beside Scathach.
—King Arthur, wearing his crown.
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