The news of His Majesty the King inspecting all of Camelot spread inadvertently.
Like a whirlwind, intelligence agents from Red Leaf Ridge disseminated this news throughout the entire country.
The people were overjoyed, but the nobles smelled danger in it.
Knights who were not selected into the Royal Army retained their merits and titles, and were granted farmlands near the Royal City (approximately one hectare, which if harvested abundantly, was enough to guarantee a prosperous life. The most important thing was that, being honorable, they did not need to pay taxes!).
Now all the knights were probably moving their families to the Royal City, while the nobles were full of private filth.
In a dark room.
Only a few short candles lit the room, leaving it mostly dim.
"Aren't we being too adventurous?" A middle-aged man's face was obscured, only his mouth could be seen moving in the dim light.
"Hmph, if we don't do this, the losses would be unbearable for everyone." Another person sitting opposite him sneered.
His words made everyone fall silent.
Indeed, they could no longer bear it.
Initially, they didn't pay much attention to the consolidation of military power, but it turned out to be just the first step. Like all young people, Kayal's chess style was aggressive, but compared to ordinary young people, Kayal also possessed a cunningness unsuited to his age.
After consolidating military power, Kayal, while utilizing the King's prestige, immediately cut down many of the nobles' rights: many individuals of the same rank as the newly promoted knight-nobles actually possessed more territory than their manors... This instantly created a conflict of interest between the old nobles and the new nobles. Needless to say, the knights who possessed military strength and pledged loyalty to the Royal Family would unhesitatingly support His Majesty the King in reducing their interests and distributing them among the new noble class—even though His Majesty the King was still a woman.
But following the King meant having meat to eat, and following the Sage meant having nobility.
And it was hereditary!
Although the Sage explicitly stipulated that each inheritance would reduce one rank, even if a father passed it to his son, or an elder brother to his younger brother, one rank would be reduced. But it was still a long-term meal ticket, especially since this system ensured the fresh blood of the nobility and the continuation of the old nobility.
Firstly, to become a noble, one must constantly accumulate merits. Secondly, if the predecessor left a high enough rank, even if no outstanding figures appeared for several generations, among the eighteen ranks of nobility, surely an outstanding descendant would appear within eighteen generations?
Eighteen generations! Counting twenty years per generation, two hundred and sixteen years would definitely have passed. Should a family that cannot produce an outstanding figure in two hundred and sixteen years not perish?
Although Kayal reduced noble welfare, a noble was still a noble, an iron rice bowl guaranteed by the state. For the sake of their future descendants, all the knights were eager to secure a big iron rice bowl for their future generations: they dared not dream of dukes, but marquises, viscounts, should they also shrink back?
Having received internal news early, they were naturally all sharpening their weapons, and they were not even the most urgent ones.
The most urgent were those who had not been selected into the twelve Knight Orders. In fact, the selection of knights was still ongoing, but some rejected knights were initially disheartened. However, Kayal's words instantly made them ecstatic: "Although due to national financial reasons, so many knights are not needed, during wartime, scattered knights and rangers can organize their own teams to penetrate enemy territory and cause destruction. As long as they do not kill the elderly, weak, women, or children, an enemy man's head counts for one contribution point. Destroying enemy logistics or attacking enemy armies will also earn contribution points after confirmation."
Such knights were called 'battlefield mongrels' in later generations, a time filled with money, meaning mercenaries who went wherever there was money. Now, they were merely amateur warriors whose chests were filled with glory.
If it hadn't been spread yet, perhaps all the rangers in England would have moved at the news.
This was, of course, a strategy of annihilation!
Kayal could not guarantee that since Nero, Gilgamesh, and Alexander had already appeared in this world, a Wallace (Braveheart: from a later movie) would not also appear.
Due to the existence of magical beasts, the art of ranger skills had been developed to an artistic level. They knew how to discern directions in the forest without tools (Kayal stated he could also do this), their medical skills were formidable, and their understanding of medicine was second only to the witches of this era (Kayal stated he felt no pressure at all). They also made unexpected contributions to the development of archery.
The traditional English hardwood bow made from white birch wood poles was something that appeared during the Anglo-French War in the 14th century. At that time, English archers severely defeated the French invaders, but this simple and easy-to-make longbow was abandoned by the rangers. Most of them now used self-made composite short bows, each bow possessing excellent and outstanding characteristics.
Kayal had once seen a ranger's composite bow, a short bow made of bamboo, rosewood, and oak, which was in no way inferior to the traditional English longbow in terms of range and power. Seeing that ranger, Kayal immediately realized he had underestimated the people of the world. Only then did he settle his mind, and using the general trend of the world, he sent Artoria to the throne and carried out reforms to the end, almost in one smooth, exhilarating sweep... and it was still continuing!
After having the twelve Knights of the Round Table select their subordinates, Kayal immediately began to build momentum. The new King, accompanied by one hundred and fifty knights, toured Camelot. There were three purposes for doing this: first, to proclaim Artoria's prestige—as a King, what good was it if her subjects had never seen her?
Second, to directly announce the declaration of war and, incidentally, let the people speak of their lords' good and bad deeds, using the King's prerogative to rectify matters directly.
Third, to expose weaknesses and entice the nobles to make the first move.
Kayal truly intended to eradicate the cancerous growth of the nobles in one fell swoop.
The four Grand Dukes, aware of Kayal's plan, couldn't help but gasp, feeling a chill down their spines at Kayal's methods. Kayal intended to uproot them directly!
No matter the dynasty, those who dared to act against the King never met a good end!
Kayal intended to 'cleanse the King's side' with one move and'settle the world' with two!
Once this move was executed, after bringing a bloody storm domestically with the newly acquired power, with the Grand Duke of the North stationed in the south, the subsequent war for the unification of the north would surely face no pressure at all, right?
Although surprised by Kayal's ruthlessness, they unexpectedly felt that this time, the unification of the entire island of Camelot would proceed smoothly.
Because of that silver-haired man who seemed very gentle, yet silently laid out a killing trap?