The Knights had decided the victor.
It was a shame that Lancelot, who had divided the Knights of the Round Table with Gawain and caused its split, didn't come, but it was for the best: they wouldn't have to draw swords against each other.
Beowulf was different from Lancelot.
Although he was equally powerful and formidable, he had a flaw—the Lancelot of his previous life, in epic descriptions and poetic records, was a complete heartthrob; apart from being a bit promiscuous, he had no other blemishes: he was the King of France, his son was Galahad, the pure and flawless Knight, the only one to raise the Holy Grail, and his love with Guinevere was even described in poetry as a spiritual romance in a small grove, which was not illegal according to the law.
Heaven knows how a Knight who ensured his territory had no virgins (by exercising the right of the first night) could have a spiritual romance with a physically sound queen who wasn't an asexual woman?
Thirteen Knights were selected.
Besides the five already mentioned in the previous chapter—Grand Duke Andrei, Bedivere, Gawain, Gareth, and Gareth—the other Knights of the Round Table were also exceptional heroes. (Due to variations in translation, I will translate them according to the phonetic readings in Wikipedia.)
First, might was essential; as leaders of Knights, being weak in combat would not command respect. Second, composure was vital. Leading troops in war, while a daring move might make history and lead to a victory of the weak over the strong, the men who truly earn respect and are entrusted with heavy responsibilities are always those who are composed. Which famous generals in Chinese history, renowned for their exploits, weren't pushed to the brink before struggling with all their might?
Besides Grand Duke Andrei, who insisted on setting an example of loyalty despite controversy and was playfully stubborn about joining the young thirteen Knights of the Round Table, there were several other legendary figures: Lamorak, a Knight of exceptional arm strength and a robust physique, who wielded a blunt sword and defeated thirty-five titled Knights before finally collapsing from exhaustion. Although slightly lacking in martial arts, he was an absolute killing machine on the battlefield.
Andrew Stuart, this dual-wielding Knight was extremely powerful in foot combat, and his agile horsemanship, a unique skill of biting the reins while wielding two swords, even made him self-satisfied.
Artoria, who had been carefully reading the information on the newly promoted thirteen Knights, finally felt uncomfortable under that intense gaze.
"So, when are you going to tell me, My Majesty?" Kailar finally softened his intense gaze, looking at Artoria, who seemed to have a snake slithering all over her, making her feel utterly uneasy. His tone, tinged with teasing, reproach, and curiosity, made Artoria's face a little unnatural.
"Tell, tell you what?!" Artoria bravely tried to put on a kingly demeanor to lecture Kailar: "Don't, don't get too arrogant with me! You're just a small [Little Sage]! I can revoke your title with a single word, you know!"
"Oh ~ is that so… Becoming king has made you brave, hasn't it ~ My… Ki-ng, Ma-jes-ty!" Smiling, Kailar stood up from the floor, patted his bottom—which, having sat on the carpet, was absolutely dust-free—and slowly, with a smile, approached Artoria, enunciating each word.
At this moment, Artoria trembled like a kitten under Kailar's devious smile: "You, what do you want to do?! I am the King! I won't lose to you…嗚…"
A King, indeed… It's the King who gets kissed!
When their faces slowly separated, Artoria was already boneless, collapsing into Kailar's arms.
Gently embracing Artoria's slender waist, the 1.85-meter Kailar found it quite easy to hold the 1.54-meter Artoria, despite her uncomfortable long dress.
"Lily… haven't you become more sensitive?" Kailar looked at Artoria, who was blushing and panting. Just by seeing her pink earlobes, he knew she was aroused.
Kailar, whose intelligence was absurdly high, immediately understood the reason. His hand, embracing Artoria, became restless and moved along her waist. Gently licking her earlobe, Kailar whispered in her ear: "Could it be… that the change in your status as King gives you a kind of transgressive pleasure?"
Kailar was right. In Artoria's eyes, a King was someone selfless, righteous, balanced, who could bring welfare to the people and victory to the kingdom; a person without personal feelings, utterly impartial.
But when someone could use their closeness to her to engage in intimate actions, the sensory stimulation it brought was indeed a mix of illicit affair and a desecration that trampled on the King's dignity… It must be said it was like a narcotic, tempting one to sin.
In fact, Kailar only had the latter feeling… The former was quite open and honest… Should he be called evil or upright?