Chapter 297: Proof

Kai's words were like cold water dropped into boiling oil, instantly provoking an even fiercer reaction.

A great noble clad in a splendid brocade robe, bearing an imposing demeanor, stepped forward from the crowd.

A whisper rose from the crowd: "It's Lord Ruirike!"

This lord's lands and reputation are pivotal within the kingdom.

Lord Ruirike's deep gaze examined Arthur for a moment, with scrutiny and doubt, then he spoke in a deep voice that rose above the clamor: "You say... he is the one who drew the Stone Sword?"

He paused, then asked the crucial question, "Which clan does he come from? Pandragong? Why have I never heard that King Yuse has a prince wandering abroad?"

Kai stepped forward immediately, standing in front of Arthur, his tone decisive and unwavering in defense:

"Of course he's from my family! I said it clearly just now—he's my brother Kai! He's of the Eckert Clan!"

However, someone familiar with the matter shouted a sharp rebuke: "Arthur? Who doesn't know he's merely an adopted child of your Eckert Clan! An orphan of unknown origin!"

"Such a mere adopted son—does he even have the right to wield the Royal Authority Sword?!"

Kai crossed his arms, and instead of panic his face showed a hint of mocking composure.

He had long anticipated people would argue over lineage, and he retorted loudly, his logic clear:

"The Duel requires noble status, I concede that point!"

"But this Stone Sword—Merlin the Archmage's prophecy states plainly: 'Whoever can draw this sword shall be the King of Britannia'! Has it ever stipulated that the bearer must be of noble blood? Has it ever said an adopted son cannot try?!"

His gaze swept over the doubters, his tone laced with unabashed contempt:

"If you truly have the skill, truly possess this Destiny, the sword would have already been drawn by you!"

"Why wait until today? The sword has already been drawn, yet you stand here questioning this and that? If you have such idle time, you'd be better off returning to practice your martial arts."

"Look at each of you, as skinny as monkeys that haven't eaten in three days, can't even hold the sword steady—how can you talk about qualifications?"

"You?! You coarse—" The noble mocked as "skinny as a monkey", his face flushed with anger, pointed at Kai and was about to unleash a tirade.

"Enough!" Lord Ruirike barked low, cutting off the impending quarrel.

His expression steadied, his gaze swept the room and finally settled on Arthur, presenting what seemed a fair solution:

"Since you all harbor doubts and don't believe this young man can draw the Stone Sword, the simplest method is to have him try again before all of us!"

He gestured grandly: "Go! To the Church Cemetery!"

The crowd, regardless of their thoughts, surged forward, eager to witness the scene that would decide the kingdom's fate.

Kai stayed close to Arthur's side, and in the lull of the moving crowd lowered his voice, with a hint of disbelief and final verification, he whispered:

"Arthur, tell me honestly, this sword... did you truly pull it out with your own hands?"

Arthur met Kai's gaze, his eyes clear and calm, without a flicker; he solemnly nodded: "Yes, big brother Kai. I would never lie to you."

Kai looked at Arthur's clear eyes, and the last doubt in his heart vanished; he clasped Arthur's shoulder firmly, his face breaking into a radiant smile mixing pride, excitement, and a touch of teasing, and said in a voice only the two could hear:

"Good kid! You've really got it! Hehe, Arthur, when you become king, don't forget your good brother!"

"Remember to grant me a Duke, or carve out a prosperous fief for me to be lord of—anything works, I don't mind! Hahaha!"

Arthur recalled the moment when the crowd doubted, and Kai stood unflinchingly before him, arguing logically even at the risk of offending the great noble, stirring warmth in his heart.

He nodded earnestly, promising: "Alright! big brother Kai, I will never forget."

The party marched grandly once more to the Church Cemetery.

Under everyone's gaze, Lord Ruirike reclaimed the Stone Sword from Arthur, personally re‑embedding it into the massive slab, the blade fitting the stone as if it had never been moved.

"Young man, please." Ruirike stepped back, indicating Arthur to step forward.

Arthur, amid countless eyes filled with expectation, doubt, or jealousy, calmly approached the Stone Sword.

He reached out, grasping the icy hilt once more—just as before, a sense of blood‑line resonance surged through him.

Then, with a gentle exertion,

Clang…

A bright metallic scrape rang again, and the Stone Sword slipped from the stone, drawn out effortlessly by him!

The crowd erupted in uncontrollable shouts!

Seemingly to dispel every doubt, Arthur, without waiting for anyone, thrust the sword back into the stone once more, then, under the stunned gazes, he repeatedly performed the draw—insert, pull; again insert, pull…

The movements were fluid and effortless, as if the Stone Sword—long a symbol of Destiny for countless heroes—had become merely an ordinary weapon at his disposal!

When others, dissatisfied, stepped forward to try—whether famed Knights or boastful warriors—no matter how flushed, veins bulging, straining with all their might, the Stone Sword remained rooted in the slab, unmoving!

Fact trumped rhetoric; the Destiny's ownership seemed unmistakably clear.

Yet, before great profit, some still refuse to accept reality.

Seeing that force and "Destiny" could not deny Arthur, someone began to argue about his lineage, a sharp voice rang out in the crowd:

"Even if he can draw it, so what? He's merely an adopted son! Unknown origin, lowly blood!"

"Who knows if his father was a farmer or a slave? Such lowly blood—how can he sit upon the Throne of Britannia, ruling our noble aristocracy?!"

These words, like a poisoned needle, struck not only at Arthur's dignity but also at the Eckert Clan and Kai with a grave insult!

"What did you say?! How dare you insult my brother?!!"

Kai flared instantly, his pent‑up fury erupting like a volcano!

His eyes reddened instantly, and without thought he snatched the long sword from a nearby guard, its tip aimed at the insulting noble, a Frenzy of murderous intent soaring, he roared:

"I will slay you!!!"

He surged like an enraged lion, brandishing the sword to charge at the group of slanderers!

The scene spiraled out of control, a blood‑soaked clash about to erupt!

At that moment.

A gentle light blossomed, instantly calming everyone present.

"Enough, everyone calm down."

Merlin's figure appeared on the platform, beside Arthur, and he proclaimed:

"He is King Yuse's child who was cast out abroad!"