The next day—
Tap! Tap!
Having finished his training, Arthur sat in his study handling official matters. Suddenly, he paused, a hint of curiosity appearing in his eyes.
"Come in."
Creak—
The door slowly opened, and three figures stepped inside—
Agravain, Kay, and Mashi.
Arthur glanced at them thoughtfully.
These three were Britannia's key administrative officials—the core of its civil governance.
Agravain oversaw internal administration across Britannia
Kay handled external trade and diplomacy
Mashi, by comparison, was still learning—following along and gaining experience in all areas
For all three to appear together—
it could only mean one thing.
Something important had happened.
"Sire."
All three bowed respectfully.
Even Kay.
After that night, Kay had recognized Arthur's transformation. From then on, he only addressed Arthur by name in private. In all formal settings, he called him "Sire".
That was Kay's resolve.
If Arthur had chosen to become king by his own will—
then as his elder brother, Kay would stand beside him with equal determination.
Arthur nodded calmly.
"What is it?"
The three exchanged glances.
Agravain stepped forward, his tone serious.
"Sire, we've received intelligence. In the New World, there exists a special prison—constructed by the World Government—known as Prison Island."
Arthur frowned slightly.
He had some awareness of it—though only on the surface.
"I know of it. What about it?"
Agravain continued,
"Prison Island is highly unusual. It's used to detain individuals of special status—rare races, powerful monsters, unique figures… even modified humans."
There was no need to elaborate.
Over its 800-year history, the World Government had committed countless atrocities.
That much was obvious.
Arthur leaned back slightly, thinking.
Prison Island was deeply hidden.
The fact that it had remained undiscovered for so long was proof of how secretive—and important—it was.
And yet—
now they had information about it.
That alone was suspicious.
"Go on," Arthur said, rubbing his temples. "Explain in detail."
"Yes, Sire."
Agravain spoke clearly:
"We've learned that all remaining members of the Lunarian race are imprisoned there."
"…Lunarians."
Arthur exhaled slowly.
That was troublesome.
The Lunarians—
A race with ancient origins.
Long ago, beings from the moon had split into different branches.
One branch became the inhabitants of the Sky Islands—the so-called Skypieans (winged people with white wings).
The Lunarians, however, descended to the Red Line.
Over time, they developed:
Black wings
The ability to manipulate fire
And as long as their flames burned—
their power became terrifying.
They were, without question, one of the most formidable races in history.
In the distant past, they had lived atop the Red Line, revered as a race akin to gods.
But 800 years ago—
with the rise of the World Government—
they were hunted down.
Killed.
Driven out.
Captured.
Reduced to experimental subjects.
The fact that any Lunarians still remained after all this time—
was already a miracle.
Arthur narrowed his eyes.
"What exactly is the situation?"
Agravain replied,
"Three days ago, we confirmed this intelligence. A hidden Lunarian tribe—approximately one thousand individuals—has been captured and transported to Prison Island."
"They are scheduled to be 'processed' in about a month."
"Less than twenty days remain."
Arthur nodded slowly.
"Does anyone else know about this?"
Mashi shook his head.
"No, Sire. We've spent the past three days verifying the information. It's accurate. We've located Prison Island… and confirmed the Lunarians are indeed being held there."
"…I see."
Arthur's lips curved slightly.
"So the information was deliberately leaked to us."
A faint chuckle escaped him.
"How interesting."
"There's no doubt about it—this is the World Government helping the pirate alliance."
"A clever move."
"If I ignore this, my reputation among the non-human races will collapse."
"But if I act…"
"The risk will be enormous."
"A perfect double-edged strategy."
Arthur didn't need to think hard to understand it.
If he went to rescue them—
he would be drawn away from Britannia.
And at that moment—
his enemies would strike:
Britannia
Fish-Man Island
The Visma Region
He couldn't be everywhere at once.
And if Britannia fell—
even if the pirate alliance suffered losses, it wouldn't matter.
The one truly benefiting would be the one watching from above.
"Heh…"
Arthur smiled calmly.
"They stand above it all, watching us struggle like performers on a stage."
Yet—
there was no anger in his expression.
Kay chuckled lightly.
"Isn't that only natural, my king? We're weak—so we're forced to endure this."
"If we want to change that…"
"Then we must become stronger."
Arthur nodded.
"Exactly."
"The strong have their rules."
"The weak have theirs."
"That's how the world works."
His smile remained calm.
There was no denial.
No resentment.
Only acceptance.
Agravain asked quietly,
"Sire… what is your decision?"
Arthur did not answer immediately.
Instead, he looked at Mashi.
"Mashi. What do you think?"
"…!"
Mashi froze for a moment.
Then, hesitantly, he said,
"Sire… as one of the non-human races myself, I hope… you will save them."
Arthur interrupted gently:
"Then we'll save the Lunarians."
"…?!"
Mashi's eyes widened in shock.
"S-Sire! You don't have to—this will come at a great cost—!"
Arthur smiled faintly.
"A king must listen to his people."
"If I cannot even do that…"
"then I'm not fit to be king."
"And besides—"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Saving the Lunarians may be dangerous… but if we succeed, the gains for Britannia will be immense."
"Wouldn't you agree?"
Thud!
Mashi dropped to one knee immediately.
"Sire! I cannot speak for all races—but I swear this—every member of the Three-Eyed Tribe will willingly join Britannia!"
Arthur smiled.
"That's enough."
"Alright. Agravain, Mashi—you may leave. I need time to think."
"Yes, Sire."
The two withdrew.
...
Only Arthur and Kay remained.
Kay spoke seriously:
"Arthur, you understand what this means. Saving the Lunarians will come at a heavy cost."
"If we mishandle this…"
"Britannia could suffer a devastating blow."
Unlike before—
Kay was no longer indifferent.
This was Arthur's chosen path.
And as his brother—
he would support him completely.
Arthur nodded calmly.
"I know."
"But the Lunarians must be saved."
"Risk and reward go hand in hand."
"And this reward…"
"is worth it."
Kay nodded.
"Agreed."
Britannia had already built a strong reputation among non-human races.
The Fish-Men and Merfolk were already deeply loyal.
If they now saved the Lunarians—
then other races would follow:
The Three-Eyed Tribe
The Snakeneck Tribe
And countless others scattered across the world
Because once united—
these races would no longer be weak.
They would become a terrifying force.
Especially if Britannia gained the allegiance of the four great races:
Fish-Men
Longarm Tribe
Longleg Tribe
Giants
At that point—
Britannia would possess power capable of influencing the entire world.
And that—
was the true value of this decision.
--------------------------------///
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