"It's starting!" Everyone was incredibly excited. The sword-drawing ceremony began promptly at ten o'clock this morning. First, there were a few requirements for drawing the sword in the stone.
First, one must be a Knight!
Second, one must be a Noble!
Third, one must absolutely not be a Commoner!
These requirements all had a certain logic to them.
Firstly, if one is a Knight, then their combat prowess and physical condition are not an issue. If the new King were a sickly person who died in less than two days, what would be the point?
Secondly, being a Noble ensures a strong family background and education; at the very least, their vision would be considered broad.
Thirdly, not being a Commoner guarantees a certain level of knowledge. At least Knights and Nobles can receive an education. Can a Commoner? If someone who doesn't even understand the nation's annual income becomes King, how long can this country last?
Therefore, there's some logic to taking civil service exams; at least you can't let a mentally challenged person become a director, right? Although most who become directors end up mentally challenged... The saying that power corrupts the heart is very true. For an official whose term is only eight years or even shorter, what do you expect him to do? If he does well, there's no benefit for him. If he does poorly, it's a dark stain on his political record. Mediocrity is bliss! Endure a few years, and it becomes another political achievement... That's why Communist officials are the most corrupt. If they don't embezzle or take bribes during their short few years in office, who will remember their past glory after they step down?
Kayal shook his head, watching the four Grand Dukes walk onto the stage.
"Because the four of us hold the highest titles, we'll shamelessly assist Great Sage Merlin in presiding over the sword-drawing ceremony." Grand Duke Andrei, due to Kayal's recent prominence, was the most influential and also one of the more amiable among the four Grand Dukes. He spoke, while the other three sat in charge. Almost everyone had no objections, nor did they dare to have any.
Of course, operating under the assumption that the position of Emperor for drawing the sword in the stone was rotational and it was their turn today, the four Grand Dukes, despite knowing it was already decided, still tried it out just for fun. When they found that the sword in the stone was truly embedded in the stone and could not be pulled out, they all shook their heads and sighed. Grand Duke Andrei's casual remark, "This is practically the sword in the stone," instantly spread among the Knights.
Although the Knights couldn't guarantee that their strength was equal to that of the four Grand Dukes, who had experienced many battles and held three titles, they still had to try, didn't they?
Following the order of Marquis, Count, Viscount, and Baron, the Nobles stepped forward one by one to draw the sword in the stone. It was evident that merely facing the sword-drawing revealed the Nobles' attitudes. Some Nobles without ambition, even when drawing the sword in the stone, would only exhale deeply, deciding to give up if they truly couldn't pull it out. Others displayed their ugliness, clinging to the sword in the stone and pulling even if they couldn't extract it, ignoring the blade cutting their fingers and shoulders.
Watching the many ugly displays of this group of fools, the four Grand Dukes, who had been observing from the side, showed cold smiles. As for Merlin, she remained enveloped in her cloak, her expression unseen.
Including the four Grand Dukes, at least a hundred Nobles... all failed!
Many Knights went up with red faces, not from shyness, but because their liege lords' unsightly behavior was truly too humiliating, bringing shame to Knightly honor!
There were many more Knights, of course, divided into Titled Knights, Qualified Knights, Official Knights, Knight Marquis, and Knight Attendants.
Most Knight Attendants were thirteen or fourteen years old. Although they very much wanted to come with their lords to witness this grand feast, unfortunately, the venue was only so large. Apart from exceptionally favored attendants, where would a Knight bring a Knight Attendant?
Camelot alone had one hundred thousand Knights, with eight thousand Titled Knights!
These eight thousand people spent an entire day trying to draw the sword in the stone!
All failed!
By the morning of the second day, when the last Titled Knight walked off the stage with a bitter smile and a shake of his head, both he and everyone else let out a sigh of relief.
No matter how much they claimed not to care or felt they weren't king material on normal days, when the possibility arose, they would inevitably feel nervous. It wasn't about ambition; it was simply a pure physiological reaction.
After the Titled Knights came the Ace Knights.
These Ace Knights were the reserves for Titled Knights, the top experts among ordinary Knights, all capable of earning a title in a single battle. They eagerly rubbed their fists, but they had already given up the idea of becoming King, merely wishing to draw the sword in the stone to prove their valor.
These more than twenty thousand Ace Knights spent two full days trying to draw the sword in the stone, which directly made this unyielding sword famous throughout the land.
The name sword in the stone spread unintentionally.
By the fourth day, when the seventy thousand Knights tried to draw the sword in the stone, it took a full seven days.
All in all, a week passed just like that. With so many people, if the merchants from Red Leaf Ridge hadn't come to circulate and sell food, this gathering would probably have dispersed long ago.
The amount of food alone was an astronomical figure! Not to mention that one horse counts as three people. Including the Knights, that's a staggering four hundred thousand people consuming food!
No wonder Kayal informed me in advance to have them bring their own food or purchase from the citizens... Merlin at the tavern couldn't help but inwardly praise him. If it had truly been as she imagined, with the royal family supplying provisions, what would be left for the new King would likely be just an empty shell of a royal family... This disciple of hers truly was a little monster.
However, precisely because of this, Merlin became even more eager to contend with that little monster... It should be very interesting... Cupping her chin, Merlin, despite being in her forties, still looked like a mature and alluring twenty-eight or twenty-nine-year-old.
It was the secret to youthful appearance, something every woman dreamed of. In an era without cosmetics, how difficult must it be to maintain such grace!
"I'll give you a surprise." Merlin chuckled, gently placing her index finger into her mouth and sucking on it. The contact between her slender, jade-like finger and fiery red lips created a strong visual sensation, involuntarily stimulating others' desires.
However, the Knight standing behind her, wearing a mask and helmet, remained silent. His fingers twitched slightly, but it was unclear whether it was from excitement or anger.
"Haha, you don't need to be anxious. Tomorrow will be your time to shine, won't it?" Merlin gently withdrew her finger, her tone filled with endless amusement and mockery: "I really want to see the expression on my good disciple's face when he sees you..."
"..." Lowering his head, the Knight, completely encased in armor, remained silent.
As if greatly displeased by his attitude, Merlin scoffed and walked into the palace, her long mage's robe trailing behind her.
The Knight knew she was going to have an all-night secret discussion with the Queen. He thoroughly disliked their constant 'lily' behavior... No, it should be said he felt an instinctive aversion.
Tomorrow, huh... The masked Knight looked towards the moonlight. Just tomorrow... he would finally see him!