"Greetings, uncles." Kailar bowed with a smile.
"Hahaha, Andre, is this your son? He's not strong at all!" The Grand Duke of the North, with the largest build, laughed heartily, his voice like a booming bell. He was Grand Duke West Bury Alarat, who guarded the northern reaches of Scotland. His physique was the most imposing among the four Grand Dukes; in fact, his mount was a demonized rhinoceros. He was the strongest of the four Grand Dukes.
Facing his mockery, Kailar gave a wry smile: "Uncle Albert, please don't tease me." This Uncle Albert's stronghold is very famous in modern times: Manchester!
Many people don't know this place, but if you mention a representative team: Manchester United, the Red Devils, many people would suddenly understand.
Currently, Manchester is just a desolate, harsh land. There are no trains, no railway tracks, only countless invasions from Scotland. Because the Grand Duke of the North's territory happens to have a natural harbor, even invaders from Ireland often come in small wooden boats to invade the Northern Territory.
Unlike other territories where a lord's cities and towns are scattered across the land, only the Northern Territory uses an ice-sealed fortress structure to enclose all its citizens. As a territory where everyone is a soldier and military preparedness is developed, a full five hundred thousand citizens have perfected the concept of 'strengthening the walls and clearing the fields' to the extreme. It's like a vast wilderness, with snow-capped mountains and grasslands, yet nothing remains!
Two thousand knights only need to patrol the national border and coastline, killing any enemy they encounter! Killing all enemies! The twenty thousand acres outside the city of the Northern Territory are all excellent fertile land. Just like Grand Duke Andre of the East, Grand Duke Andre is responsible for foreign and Roman invaders. These two are the most steadfast pillars of Camelot's outer defenses.
The Grand Duke of the South and the Grand Duke of the West, on the other hand, are absolute weapons against internal rebellions. Their two thousand light cavalry can go north or south to any place in a single day, crushing any rebels.
It can be said that these four people are the sharpest tools and the pillars of the nation. If it weren't that the others didn't have good sons, possessing Kailar's business acumen, it wouldn't have taken so many years to develop a cavalry regiment of two thousand.
But it's enough! If the combined strength of these four Grand Dukes supports His Majesty the King... none can stop them!
If following original history… perhaps one or several of these four Grand Dukes had problems!
Kailar smiled as he greeted each person, one by one, with his father, while pondering in his heart. King Arthur, from what could be seen in the end, had no moral failings. Although some of his actions were a bit naive, they were merely limited by the thinking of the era. As for why it led to discord between the King and his Prime Minister… Kailar lacked clues and couldn't guess.
"I say, Andre, does His Majesty the King really have an illegitimate child?!" Grand Duke Robert Belligor of the South asked in a deep voice. Generally, tall people have lower voices; only a few are exceptionally loud and booming, those are the exceptions.
"Undoubtedly, you know my son is a disciple of that woman Merlin, right? Although I don't particularly like her, I still admire her stratagems." Grand Duke Andre uncharacteristically started to curse.
"Hmph, that woman carries an unpleasant aura, and even your son has become weak." Grand Duke Bill Gailjas of the West drank his ale, his tone sharp. Although wine tasted better, he hated anything weak, and his words were also very harsh. Such a person would undoubtedly be given a term in later generations: tsundere, translated in Chinese as Tsundere.
"Sorry, my father spoke a bit out of line." A rather handsome young man scratched his head and apologized wryly to Kailar.
"No, to be honest, I feel more at ease and happy that my uncle can speak like this in front of us." Kailar chuckled, which surprised the other three even more.
Kailar's words were clear, because a Grand Duke who could speak like that in front of him would not stab him in the back. Moreover, someone who could speak directly to his father was clearly close to his father and would not harm him.
As for the verbal insults, Kailar merely brushed them aside.
To have such shrewdness at such a young age... This Little Sage, was he said to have received this title at seven years old? Unlike knights, a civil official's title can increase intelligence and ability. This seemingly refined fellow... has he already approached the level of a monster?
Kailar smiled: "I don't really care about the illegitimate child, but I think we must suppress those noble lords." Kailar gently caressed his teacup: "Those lords are all incredibly arrogant; tonight, many will surely be restless... If, on the day we draw swords, many fools think that numbers can defeat us and cause trouble, His Majesty the King will probably become a laughingstock."
Kailar smiled, yet subtly held the conversation firmly: "Father, shouldn't you warn them? Do you know how to write the two words 'royal glory'?"
Grand Duke West of the North grinned, his old face, like that of a humpback whale, filled with bloodlust and ferocity: "That's right, the word 'glory' isn't spoken with saliva... let's teach them a lesson with their blood."
"Hehe... Uncle, there's no need to be nervous about those mere clowns... I'm more concerned about Her Majesty Queen Igraine and Princess Morgan..." Kailar continued to smile, his eyes narrowing. "According to reliable intelligence, Princess Morgan was taught magic by my teacher Merlin... for a full ten years, but my teacher never told me anything about it..." A strange light flickered in Kailar's narrowed eyes: "What exactly are those women planning... it truly makes me uneasy."
"I said long ago that woman was no good, and even that little girl makes me uncomfortable. They are too cunning!" Grand Duke Robert of the South said unhappily.
"Just kill them." Grand Duke Bill of the West's eyes flickered with coldness, and a murderous aura couldn't help but emanate from him: "Wasn't it that woman who had us transferred away from His Majesty ten years ago! Although the plan was good, I don't believe His Majesty suddenly became weaker than Claudius without that woman's meddling."
"Bill, relax." Andre's expression was also very serious: "No matter what, they are the Princess and Her Majesty the Queen! We cannot touch them without concrete evidence!"
"Tch!!" Grand Duke West of the North roared and smashed the wooden tea table into pieces with a punch: "This is truly frustrating!!!"