As King Uther finished his words, the crown—a bit smaller than the King's own—was placed upon Arthur's head. At that moment, everyone began to applaud sincerely. This symbolized that they now had an object of fealty, and their covenant with the Royal Family could continue.
King Uther looked at Arthur, who stood up and was now considerably taller than himself. A genuinely gratified smile finally appeared on his face, the kind of pride a father feels when his son has grown into a man.
Once Arthur stood, he began to acknowledge the people around him. Everyone who saw Arthur first bowed to show their submission and respect, and that included Kai. Merlin and Gwen, standing behind everyone, even made a joke about Arthur's change in status.
Arthur was perhaps a little smug. After seeing Kai actually bow to him, he deliberately turned to look back at Kai. Kai knew exactly what the young man was up to, but in such a solemn setting, Kai naturally wouldn't be inconsiderate, so he had no choice but to bow again.
Arthur suddenly felt that the previously boring knighting ceremony wasn't as dull as he had imagined. At the very least, it allowed the formidable Kai, whom he had always deeply respected, to bow his head to him.
Just as Arthur was about to try and pull the joke one more time, Kai's expression suddenly changed, and he burst forward.
Arthur nearly panicked. He hadn't meant anything serious; he just wanted to tease Kai, and he hadn't expected Kai to rush toward him like that.
Kai's sudden move immediately drew the attention of a large segment of the crowd—the staunch supporters of the monarchy. They feared nothing more than the royal lineage being compromised, and to them, Kai represented a huge potential threat.
When Kai suddenly charged, they thought he had finally succumbed to his inner ambition and intended to disrupt the Prince's investiture.
However, Kai was too fast; they didn't have time to react. But immediately, they realized Kai wasn't trying to disrupt Arthur's ceremony.
Kai dashed to Arthur's side, grabbed him, shoved him backward, and then stood in front of Arthur, drawing both of his swords into a defensive stance.
"CRASH\! BOOM\!"
The instant Kai completed his defensive posture, the huge stained-glass window on the side of the hall shattered. A knight, clad entirely in black armor and mounted on a massive black horse, broke through the glass and entered the great hall.
The Black Knight exuded an extremely powerful presence, causing the hall's brightly lit candles to flicker erratically.
It was only then that the other knights reacted, swiftly drawing their long swords and positioning themselves in front of King Uther and Arthur.
The Black Knight made no other move, simply guiding his horse slowly closer to Arthur and King Uther. He held a lance bearing a banner; the banner was black, adorned with a soaring white phoenix. The same crest was on his shield.
The heavy clomping of the horse's hooves echoed throughout the entire hall. Everyone was confused; they couldn't understand why someone would be so audacious as to interrupt the Prince's investiture.
He stopped just five paces away from King Uther and Arthur. His helmet was thick and covered in scars, clearly having been through countless battles with its owner. Perhaps because of the helmet's thickness, no one could see the knight's eyes; through the visor, there was only a silent, profound darkness.
The knight shifted his helmet, appearing to be observing the crowd. Finally, his gaze settled on King Uther's face. Then, he removed his metal gauntlet and threw it onto the floor\!
A Knight's Challenge\!
Kai squinted, sensing an immense malice from the knight. Even worse, Kai couldn't feel a single trace of a living person's presence from him\!
Just as Kai was pondering what to do, Arthur suddenly broke free from Kai's protection and bent down, intending to pick up the metal gauntlet\!
"Don't\!" Kai immediately shouted.
But before Kai could stop Arthur, a young knight standing on the other side stepped forward and picked up the gauntlet first.
"I\! Sir Owen, accept your challenge\!"
"A real pain in the neck\!" Kai cursed, exasperated.
He knew this young man. He was one of the five knights Kai considered the most promising in the order. He was very talented and very young, even younger than Arthur. Although his strength wasn't top-tier yet, Kai believed that in time, this young man could certainly become an excellent knight.
But like all young men, he was still too arrogant\!
Seeing that someone had picked up his gauntlet, the Black Knight offered no other reaction, simply stating, "Single combat, tomorrow at noon, until death\!"
Having said this, the Black Knight prepared to turn and leave.
"Wait\!" Kai suddenly called out to the Black Knight.
The Black Knight turned his head to look at Kai.
"The duel is canceled\!" Kai stepped forward with both swords in hand. "I will take his place."
"What?!" This not only caused an uproar among the others but also stunned Owen.
The Black Knight glanced at Kai, ignored him, and emphasized to Owen again, "Tomorrow at noon. Be there."
Without another word for Kai, he rode his horse into the night.
...
No one had expected Arthur's investiture ceremony to turn into such a complete disaster.
"You shouldn't have picked up the gauntlet, Owen..." Kai sat in a chair, his hands resting on the armrests, looking extremely helpless. The young man was simply too stubborn\!
"Then call off the duel\!" Morgana said frantically.
"No\! This is a matter of knightly honor. I cannot call off the duel." Owen maintained his stance; he refused to cancel the duel.
"Enough\! The challenge has been accepted, and the duel is unavoidable\! That is the rule of the Knight's Code\!" King Uther's expression was also grim, though it was unclear if it was because the ceremony had been ruined or for another reason.
"But..." Morgana wanted to say more, but King Uther was no longer interested in listening. He waved for Owen to step back. "Go get some rest. Stay in good condition."
"Yes, Your Majesty\!" Owen had actually been somewhat afraid before, as the Black Knight's presence was overwhelming. But after this period of mental preparation, he had solidified his resolve. Fleeing was far more terrifying than death.
Morgana looked at the young Owen, the compassion in her heart becoming unbearable, and she looked at Kai.
Kai knew exactly what Morgana meant, and he shook his head. "I already tried. Owen refuses to let me take his place. If he had agreed earlier, I could have used certain justifications to replace him, but now... it's too late."
Arthur couldn't hold back either. He had been ready to accept the challenge himself, but now... in any case, he could only try to think positively.
"Owen is already very strong. Perhaps he can..."
"Impossible\!" Kai immediately cut him off. "Do you know who that was?"
"Who was it?"
"Tristan\! Once the greatest knight of the Celtic kingdoms, and also... my former teacher."
"Impossible\!" King Uther unexpectedly rose and interrupted Kai. "He is dead\! He cannot still be alive\!" King Uther spoke urgently, even with a hint of fear in his voice.
"You're right... he is not a living man," Kai said, leaning his head back on the chair. His voice was low. "I couldn't feel any warmth on him, no heartbeat, no breath. All I felt was the stench of death... It seems someone has woken my former teacher from the grave."
"That is impossible\!" King Uther still refused to believe it.
"It's very possible... Those sorcerers can do it, my King. I know Tristan intimately. His armor, shield, crest, and banner are all identical to how he was buried. And that imposing presence—I could not be mistaken." There was simply no point in denying it. Kai had noticed the knight's strangeness long ago; he just hadn't expected Owen to be so quick to pick up the gauntlet. "I fear we are certain to lose an excellent knight tomorrow. No one can kill a dead man."
King Uther had actually recognized Tristan long ago. That was his own brother-in-law, Arthur's uncle, and the former Queen's brother\! Moreover, Tristan was the man King Uther himself had slain in a duel. King Uther was simply in denial.
read my story : belamy20
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