I Became a Mythical Knight King

Chapter 86: Victory (3)

After the fierce battle, there was no time for a leisurely rest.

Although they had defeated the main force of Rat Lords and Ratmen, more than half of Count Artois’ territory was still occupied by Ratmen.

In particular, retaking the central region of the Count’s domain, Legion, was something that could not be delayed even for a moment.

“Leave the rest to me!”

Baron Robert said with a determined face as he saw off the Western Lords Alliance troops leaving for battle.

Baron Robert’s mission was to provide rear support and, alongside that, to bring the Barony of Rodel, another domain not yet taken by the Ratmen, into the alliance of lords.

“Please, Baron Robert. I’m counting on you.”

“Hah…I, Philip, will surely complete this mission.”

Placing his trembling fist over his chest, Baron Robert spoke as though making an oath, similar to a knight’s vow.

Although it was no longer a conversation between barons, but more like one between master and servant, the other barons, like Baron Anjou and Baron Laval, did not comment on it, seeing it as the natural course of things.

Even the two who were not particularly political could faintly feel that Yoo Seong would soon become a count—and perhaps even gain control of the entire Artois County.

Immediately after their great victory, and after the battle to liberate people from monsters, the morale of the soldiers was extremely high.

Of course, this was partly due to Baron Robert’s personal efforts of using his own funds to provide drinks and meat, and even offering rewards to those who contributed greatly.

Normally, Yoo Seong would have taken the lead on horseback, but this time, he was riding in a carriage, not a warhorse or a chariot.

The reason was simple: he was exhausted.

The effect of the Round Table Oath was significant, but the cost was also high.

Although it felt less taxing than the King’s Time, Yoo Seong, who had used a lot of his physical and mental energy, felt even more fatigued after waking up from sleep.

That’s why he had decided to ride in a carriage.

Typically, when a military commander moves in a carriage instead of a warhorse, soldiers or front-line officers tend to look down on them. However, this time, no one minded.

Everyone had witnessed Yoo Seong’s battle.

The incarnation of the evil god who stained the sky purple and shook the world, and the Black Knight of Lothian, who shone with golden light, standing against him.

It was truly a battle that shocked the heavens.

Having seen such a magnificent battle, the soldiers and officers all firmly supported Yoo Seong with one mind.

The Black Knight of Lothian.

The Savior of Volano.

The Liberator of Lushen.

The Victor of Robert.

In the Western Lords Alliance, there were soldiers from Lothian led by Ruan and Robin, as well as soldiers from Lushen led by Count Carian’s subordinates.

There were even soldiers who had once been refugees from the Volano Barony, and they all told their tales of Yoo Seong’s exploits, further spreading the legend of the Black Knight.

“Do you know how the Black Knight defeated the kobold prince? He swung his sword, and from it, a light as dazzling as the morning sun erupted, and the entire castle wall shook with an immense force!”

“It was a giant troll, but once the sword struck its head, the light from the sword—what was it, the sun? Yeah, like the sun—flared up and burned the troll’s head to a crisp!”

“You guys haven’t seen the Black Knight deal with the evil sorcerer hiding among tens of thousands of zombies, have you?”

“Haha, when the Black Knight charged in Lushen, it wasn’t like he just got bigger or anything. He grew larger than even the gates of Baron Robert’s castle.”

These were stories that seemed almost impossible, but since everyone had seen the battle just yesterday, no one doubted them.

In fact, those who seemed less knowledgeable were simply struggling to explain it properly, and no one minded.

Anyway, Yoo Seong’s popularity among the soldiers soared, so traveling by carriage was not considered a flaw.

And inside the carriage.

Sitting next to Rene, Yoo Seong was stretching out, feeling comfortable.

It was a magical carriage, as the ride was incredibly smooth.

It didn’t shake, nor did it bounce up and down.

It was the carriage brought by the supply unit of the Baltois Cavalry, who had arrived a bit late, and it was undoubtedly the carriage of the powerful Baltois family, who were the most influential in the West.

“So, Rene, did you have a good talk with your sister yesterday?”

“Yes, we caught up and it was really nice.”

Though her bold sister had kept dodging or saying strange things, making it difficult to get a proper apology or reflection on past days, Rene still had a very enjoyable night, thanks to the long-awaited conversation.

“Do you get along well?”

“With my sister?”

“Mm.”

Nodding, Yoo Seong thought about Juliet’s image from yesterday, a calm and composed elite female knight.

Since Rene looked up to her so much, Juliet must usually be strict but kind and gentle… Maybe that’s what she was like.

And looking at Yoo Seong, Rene thought to herself.

‘I feel like you might be misunderstanding something seriously right now…’

Juliet, who swore a lot, was good at fighting, spoke lewdly without hesitation, and then pretended to be modest in front of others—so much so that sometimes Rene suspected she had a split personality.

But it was just a feeling, and since Rene couldn’t possibly know exactly what Yoo Seong was thinking, she shrugged and said, “It’s… not bad.”

“That means it’s good.”

They must have stayed up all night talking and sleeping together because it was good.

Meanwhile, sitting opposite Yoo Seong and Rene, Jillian had a satisfied smile on her face, ignoring whatever the two were talking about.

[Jillian looks so happy, right?]

At the message that appeared in his mind, Yoo Seong nodded in response.

It was understandable that Jillian, who was always thirsty for praise and recognition, was smiling so widely, having been called out and praised by thousands.

[But usually, she tries not to smile much in front of me and the successor, but today, she’s not even pretending.]

‘That means she’s really happy.’

Yoo Seong conveyed his thoughts to Rene with finger writing on her palm, and Rene, feeling ticklish, wriggled her hand before nodding.

[If things keep going like this, won’t the Omphalos Church soon recognize my sister as a saint?]

‘Probably.’

Jillian had performed outstandingly in this battle too.

She had blocked the powerful destruction beam fired by Rat Lord with the Omphalos Church’s barrier, so soon her name would spread throughout the West.

[Then she’ll receive the full support of the Omphalos Church.]

If Jillian was recognized as a saint, her prophecy would also naturally be acknowledged.

The prophecy of Omphalos that Yoo Seong was the successor to the Holy King.

And if the Omphalos Church officially recognized that prophecy?

The entire situation would change.

There would be no need to hide his identity anymore.

Imagining the Holy King’s army marching with the Camelot flag high, Rene smiled brightly. Yoo Seong smiled back, as if knowing what she was thinking, and then wrote on her palm again.

‘Do you want to see the Castle?’

[Yes, successor. I want to see it.]

In response to her immediate reply, Yoo Seong opened the status window.

Although it had only been a day since he had seen the Yoo Seong Castle, many parts of it had already changed.

A hospital and a fencing hall were taking shape.

And griffins were flying in the sky.

“Wow!”

The pegasi were cool, but the griffins looked even cooler.

Though their three-body design made them appear more cute than majestic, Rene had no trouble adjusting her perception due to her mental filter.

“The elite infantry have become the royal guard. Their armor looks great!”

The soldiers, now wearing silver armor more refined and stylish than the ones they wore during their time as elite infantry, had feathered helmets, and crucially, they all wore red capes.

Rene burst out laughing at Jimmy, who was trying to look impressive in front of Bianca, a tavern girl.

“Still, Bianca seems to be reacting somewhat positively.”

“She looks like she’s judging him as pathetic, though.”

“But she’s still paying attention to him, right? That’s a huge improvement.”

Is that so?

Rene nodded, unsure, but she went along with it.

Yoo Seong nodded as well and checked the details of the royal guard’s stats.

They were definitely stronger than they had been during their time as elite infantry.

Moreover, while the number of soldiers he could summon had drastically reduced after every promotion until now, this time, the highest level still maintained the full 60 soldiers.

‘Could we reach 100 now?’

With the battlefield expanding, they were starting to struggle with numbers in the tens, so this was a welcome change.

“By the way, successor, do you know?”

“What?”

“Vanadain and Diana haven’t shown up again.”

“If they did, wouldn’t that be strange?”

“Maybe.”

Chuckling, Rene began to observe everything at the Yoo Seong Castle.

Hector, covering his ears in distress, Kate lecturing beside him, Roland practicing spear techniques alone in one corner of the training grounds.

And outside the carriage, Juliet, who had been carefully observing the carriage, thought to herself.

‘Hmm… It doesn’t seem like a one-way thing.’

Though Rene adamantly denied it, it was obvious from the letters sent to her home that she was deeply infatuated with the successor.

However, her admiration for the Holy King was also immense, so perhaps her romantic feelings hadn’t fully developed yet—or perhaps they were being suppressed.

In any case, Rene liked Yoo Seong.

So the real issue was the successor of the Holy King.

From Juliet’s intuition, it was definitely not a one-sided thing.

At the very least, Yoo Seong cared for Rene deeply, and it was clear that he found her cute.

‘They’re sitting in the same carriage right now.’

Though the saint was also there, Yoo Seong and Rene were clearly very close.

‘Maybe I just need to push things a little.’

Rene had gotten even more beautiful than before, and Juliet, as her older sister, thought she was pretty enough to be noticed by any man. Wouldn’t she seem like a goddess or an angel to them?

“Robin.”

“Yes, Lady Juliet.”

At Juliet’s low call, Robin, who had been lurking nearby, immediately responded.

Though Robin was close with Rene as both a sister and friend, her relationship with Juliet was bound to be different.

Aside from the difference in their statuses, they were also senior and junior in the same knights’ order.

Juliet, who was tightly on edge, looked at Robin beside her with a distrustful gaze, then pointed at the carriage and spoke.

“What do you think?”

“Huh? What about? The carriage? Well, it seems fine to me?”

Robin answered somewhat diligently, but Juliet clicked her tongue and, with a face of disdain, said:

“I’ve thought this before, but you really have no sense. You should work on that.”

‘What am I supposed to do about that?’

She pointed at the carriage and talked about the carriage, and now Juliet’s talking about a “sense”?

She should have just said what she meant from the start.

However, not wanting to speak her thoughts out loud due to her lack of tact, Robin just gave a sulky expression and answered, “Yes.”

Seeing that, Juliet sighed again, and with a face full of no expectations, asked:

“Those two… do you see a way forward?”

“A way forward?”

“Do you think they’ll work out as a couple?”

After tapping her chest in frustration, Juliet asked. Robin seemed to understand and responded, hunching slightly as she spoke:

“Well… I think so? They’re always together, and they seem really close, but… I get the feeling…”

“What kind of feeling?”

“That they’re just too used to each other?”

“Ah, I think I know what you mean.”

There were cases where childhood friends who had grown up together seemed more like friends than romantic partners.

“Is that so? Is that the case?”

Juliet muttered while stroking her small chin, then suddenly grinned.

She seemed to have gotten a rough idea of what to do.

“This will be fun.”

It’ll be fun.

Hehehe, hehehehe.

With Juliet’s somewhat wicked smile, Robin slowly backed off and returned to her original position.

And two days later, in the morning, in front of the gates of Legion.

While Balakai led the main army in the march, Black Eye Barakal, who remained in Legion, donned dark magical armor and raised his bright red magic sword high, shouting.

“Come at me, human scum! This land will be your grave!”

Though the main force had been defeated, thousands of Ratmen still remained in Legion.

Of course, parts of the castle walls and gates had been destroyed by Balakai, but even so, if a typical siege were to take place, the damage would be substantial, and it would certainly take a long time.

Thus, Yoo Seong decided to do something similar to what Balakai had done.

“Knight Order, Round Table Oath.”

Vanadain, wrapped in a blue light, pulled the bowstring of Failnaught

in the name of Tristan.

The target: Black Eye Barakal’s head.

There were layers of magic barriers formed by the Blue Eyes between them, but they weren’t really important.

“All things in the world, there is nothing my arrow cannot pierce.”

The chivalry of Tristan.

Before the arrow, which flew with the golden wind, the Blue Eyes’ barrier meant nothing.

The arrow shattered Barakal’s head, and the headless body of Barakal fell to the ground with a thud.

The commander was dead.

The Blue Eyes looked at each other, and without anyone speaking first, they began to flee.

At noon that day, when the sun reached its highest point in the sky, the Western Lords Alliance retook Legion.