Chapter 303: A Victory

Today, the citizens of the royal capital spontaneously flooded the streets to see off their king.

Amid the thunderous blessings and expectations, Arthur took only a few elite warriors, traveled light, left Camelot, and rushed toward the Raisenor Kingdom.

However, shortly after leaving the royal capital and not yet far away, they saw a familiar figure standing still by the roadside.

Arthur's green eyes widened instantly, a flash of surprise and respect crossing them.

He immediately tightened the reins, his fine horse neighed once, and came to a steady stop.

He swiftly dismounted, walked briskly to that person, and respectfully saluted:

Merlin Grandpa.

Merlin wore his usual gentle smile, looking at the young king who already held sway over the land yet still showed him respect, and asked softly:

"Arthur, where are you headed?"

Arthur hid nothing, clearly stating his decision to personally go challenge Perinor and break the stalemate.

Merlin listened silently, his face showing no surprise, merely giving a slight nod:

"Hmm, since you've decided, I'll go with you."

Upon hearing that, Arthur's eyes flashed with joy and relief, and he immediately replied, "Yes!"

After all, Merlin could be called one of his spiritual pillars; with Merlin present, his confidence could be said to reach its peak!

Without hesitation, he stepped aside, led his divine steed, the white warhorse, before Merlin, and said, "Please ride my horse."

Merlin smiled, did not decline, and mounted again.

Arthur then turned and walked toward the tall knight among his retinue, saying:

"Ge Li Fulei Te, I will share a horse with you."

The knight called Ge Li Fulei Te was flattered and startled, hastily bowing on horseback: "Your Majesty, how could this be?! I can just follow on foot!"

Arthur, without further ado, nimbly vaulted onto Ge Li Fulei Te's warhorse, then grabbed him and steadied him on the saddle, saying cheerfully:

"Cut the talk, hold on, let's go!"

The party set off again; with Merlin's company, even the hoofbeats seemed to grow stronger.

They hurried all the way, finally reaching the front line; on this bank of the turbulent river, the army's encampment came into view.

But Arthur did not rush into the camp to hear reports; his gaze first swept across the wide river and locked firmly onto the ancient stone bridge in the distance.

In the middle of the stone bridge, a figure sat upon an extraordinarily sturdy warhorse whose coat was as red as blazing flames, standing still there.

His stature was not bulky, giving an impression of mountain-like steadiness and heft.

He was covered head to toe in dark metal armor, scarred and dented from battle.

At his waist hung a sword, its sheath simple and unadorned.

More striking was the long spear he held, nearly as tall as he, its butt touching the ground, tip pointing to the sky, flashing a cold light in the sunlight, as if condensed with endless killing intent.

Even from afar, an intangible, heart‑pounding pressure spread like a tangible force, as if he alone were ten thousand troops.

Merely standing there, he seemed to merge with the stone bridge beneath him and the kingdom behind him, becoming an indivisible, unsurpassable whole!

Perinor, king of Raisenor, the strongest warrior before the Round Table era!

As if sensing fate, the moment Arthur's gaze locked onto him, Perinor on the stone bridge suddenly lifted his head.

Across the whole river, two gazes met—one young and sharp, like a drawn king's sword; the other steady and deep, like a battle‑scarred boulder weathered by storms, colliding suddenly in midair!

No words, no provocation.

But at the instant their gazes collided, the air seemed to freeze, even the roaring of the rushing river appearing to lower.

All right, all right.

Merlin suddenly stepped forward a few paces, blocking their view, then walked toward a crude wooden hut.

Let's go discuss this.

The party followed Merlin toward the wooden hut.

However, as Arthur and Ge Li Fulei Te closely followed Merlin into the hut, the people behind them were gently barred from entering by an invisible, soft magical barrier.

They looked at each other, puzzled, yet dared not intrude, so they could only wait outside.

Inside the wooden hut, the light was dim, only a few strands of sunlight seeping through the gaps in the planks.

Arthur and Ge Li Fulei Te looked at Merlin, both faces full of puzzlement, not understanding why he was being so mysterious.

Merlin turned, his gaze first falling on Arthur, his tone becoming unprecedentedly grave: "Arthur, if you wish to successfully subjugate Raisenor and truly incorporate this land into Camelot's domain, then you cannot fail."

Arthur straightened his back, his youthful face full of confidence: "I know, Merlin Grandpa. I will never fail!"

The word "failure" seemed long since erased from his dictionary.

Merlin, however, slowly shook his head: "Perinor, he had already been a renowned strongman twenty years ago."

"His spear has drunk the blood of countless challengers and defeated innumerable foes."

"His experience and strength have been forged through countless life‑and‑death battles."

"Arthur, you possess unmatched talent and potential, but you are still too young; facing an opponent like him, the outcome is uncertain—you may not be able to defeat him."

Arthur's brows furrowed slightly; he instinctively wanted to retort, his past record of unbroken victories being the foundation of his confidence.

But Merlin gave him no chance to speak, his tone grew heavier, and he continued:

"Remember, this is no longer about subduing monsters or quelling bandits; it is a duel between two kingdom monarchs! If either side fails, especially you—the king of Camelot—should you be defeated before all eyes, have you considered the consequences?"

"Your prestige will suffer, the army's morale will be hit, the recently stabilized kingdom may again erupt in turmoil, and even those forces already submitted may develop second thoughts."

Merlin's words struck Arthur's heart like a heavy hammer: "So you need not just a victory, but a flawless, absolutely sure victory that can awe everyone!"

Arthur opened his mouth, intending to say that his sword alone could win everything, but Merlin's depiction of the consequences of failure left him feeling a strange heaviness.

"'Failure'? He hadn't heard that word associated with himself in many years."

Since he drew the Stone Sword, everything around him has been praise, affection, unconditional adoration, and one victory after another.

He cannot lose, and he never even imagined himself losing.

That confidence, which had almost become instinct, first produced a subtle wavering.

He raised his head, looking toward Merlin, seeking definite guidance:

"Merlin Grandpa, then… what should I do?"

Merlin saw his attitude loosen, his expression unchanged, yet a hint of profound meaning flashed imperceptibly in his eyes,

"Let Ge Li Fulei Te go up first and fight him."

Arthur and Ge Li Fulei Te beside him both froze at the same time.

Merlin continued, "Ge Li Fulei Te is also a top-notch fighter; his going first could consume a large amount of Perinor's stamina and energy, and might even probe out some of his killing moves."

"Wait until Perinor's condition declines, then you step forward openly and defeat him in one blow! Only then can we ensure absolute safety."

Arthur, hearing this, fell into silence.

Struggle showed on his face; after a moment, he difficultly uttered a few words:

"This… this is unjust."

His nature made him instinctively reject such a strategy.

Merlin's voice, however, carried a seductive tone: "Arthur, the game between war and kingdom has never been about pure justice, but about interests, about ultimate victory!"

He leaned forward slightly, his words as if carrying magic, depicting a grand blueprint:

"Don't you want to truly unite all of Britain under the KaMeiLuo Kingdom, ending this fragmented situation? Don't you want to lead our people to triumph over those Romans who have enslaved this land for centuries and might do so again?"

"To achieve such a great goal, sometimes we must make the most pragmatic and effective choice."

"A temporary 'injustice' is for the sake of the kingdom's long-term stability and strength!"

Romans… unifying Britain… these weighty words struck Arthur's heart.

Before the enormous present benefits and long-term goals, that adherence to pure noble morality seemed to begin to waver.

He gripped the hilt of the Stone Sword tightly, his inner self undergoing a fierce clash.

In the end, the desire for victory and the sense of responsibility for the kingdom's future overwhelmed that hint of moral unease.

He took a deep breath, as if making a certain decision:

"………. good."

Inside the Wooden House, a moment of silence fell.