A Little Background Check
While Sir Kay was busy interrogating the assassin, our dear Arthur was stirring up trouble again.
Arthur had been locked up in the dungeon for about half a month, but as the war progressed, the significance of his imprisonment really started to dwindle. With the fighting at this intensity, dealing with Arthur became a minor concern.
This whole mess had escalated from Arthur committing a murder to a full-blown war between kingdoms! King Uther couldn't possibly expect King Odin to feel better and back off just because Arthur remained locked up, could he?
Given the situation, King Uther finally stopped pretending he cared. He was a father, and he missed his son. Uther believed Arthur had learned his lesson, and since the nobles were already petitioning for Arthur's release, the King decided to go with the flow and let him out. However, Arthur was strictly limited to activities within the city walls of Camelot. A loving father, yes, but Uther also feared his unlucky son might stir up more problems.
But let's be real, is Arthur the kind of guy who just follows the rules?
King Uther told him he couldn't go to the front lines, so what's the next best thing? Hunting in the forest! That shouldn't cause any trouble, right? So, Arthur grabbed Merlin—whose injuries had mostly healed by now—and headed out into the woods for a hunting trip.
Uther initially didn't want Arthur running around, but after seeing his son cooped up in the dungeon for two weeks, he knew the boy was restless. A little relaxation seemed harmless. Plus, the King was drowning in work and genuinely didn't have time to keep an eye on him. So, he simply assigned a few seasoned, level-headed knights to accompany Arthur, with the sole instruction to keep him out of trouble.
Unfortunately, Arthur seems to have a natural talent for attracting chaos. His hunting trip definitely stirred up some trouble.
No one knows exactly how it happened, but while hunting, Arthur managed to wake up a monster.
The creature awoke from the mist and immediately launched a ferocious attack on Arthur and his group. This monster was colossal, boasting the head of a serpent, the belly of a leopard, the hindquarters of a lion, and the swift claws of a deer or a hare. As it ran, its abdomen echoed with the terrifying sound of over forty hunting dogs barking.
Despite its massive size, it wasn't clumsy; in fact, it was incredibly fast.
Arthur's party consisted of a dozen or so skilled warriors, yet only six managed to return to Camelot alive. That was only because the beast stopped its chase after it had killed enough people; otherwise, Arthur wasn't even sure he would have made it back.
This news was absolutely a case of adding insult to injury for Camelot. The kingdom was already struggling due to the ongoing war, and now a monster was running rampant, killing people. It was just a run of bad luck.
King Uther looked noticeably older and more worn out when he heard the story.
"Based on your description, it's very likely a Questing Beast!" Since this was such a grave matter, Uther naturally needed to gather his advisors. Despite the late hour, he summoned his courtiers and Gaius. After listening to Arthur's account, Gaius immediately recognized the monster.
"But that's just a legend," Arthur said, a bit surprised. Tales of the Questing Beast weren't rare among the various Celtic kingdoms. It was said to be a powerful, gigantic, and very fast creature that lived in swamps. It could cause floods or spread plague, and anyone wounded by it would surely die, with no cure.
"According to the ancient scrolls, the appearance of the Questing Beast is an omen of misfortune," Gaius continued, ignoring Arthur. He was still quite displeased with Arthur's reckless behavior, believing that the whole situation in Camelot wouldn't be so terrible if it hadn't been for his impulsiveness. He simply shared everything he knew.
However, Gaius's talk of "misfortune" only irritated Uther. Right now, he cared about two things: the war and Kay's safety. He couldn't handle bad news regarding either, so he instinctively dismissed Gaius's warning.
"Gaius! That's just a superstitious folk tale."
That was Uther's mood right now. If Gaius had called the beast a good omen, the King would have probably ordered people to set up a shrine for it. He simply couldn't stand hearing anything negative.
Arthur also disagreed. He had seen the monster up close, and in his opinion, it was just scary-looking. He hadn't witnessed any special powers—certainly nothing as mystical as Gaius suggested.
"Regardless of what it is, people are terrified right now. They're afraid it's going to find its way into the city."
"Then we have to kill it!" King Uther declared firmly. With the current situation, he had to give the strongest possible response, or he risked social unrest, which would only make things worse for the soldiers on the front lines.
"Arthur, gather your guards! We leave at dawn."
Arthur, who was nearly bored out of his mind and eager to redeem himself for the mess he'd caused, readily accepted the command. He bowed and left. The others in the room also departed at Uther's signal, leaving only Gaius.
Once everyone was gone, Gaius finally spoke up: "I implore you, Your Majesty. Do not take this lightly. This creature is a bad omen! I saw it before! It was the very night Queen Ygraine passed away!"
This statement immediately struck a painful chord for Uther. He snapped in a fit of anger: "I told you, never mention that night again! I have conquered the Old Magic, and its warnings mean nothing to me!"
After taking a moment to calm himself, Uther continued, "Arthur will kill the monster, and we will be safe from its harm."
He then ignored Gaius and walked away.
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### Kay's Countermove
Meanwhile, Kay had finished his interrogation of the assassin.
Kay was stunned when he read the report. Wow! They had captured a huge fish: Myrddin, the King of Assassins! That title alone was terrifying. Even more disturbing was the fact that King Odin had personally ordered the assassination!
Instead of panicking, Kay was surprised and delighted!
Talk about the perfect solution showing up just when you need it!
This meant there was now hope for ending the war!
Why?
Because King Odin had broken the rules—the unwritten, yet strictly observed, rule among the Celtic kingdoms: Never resort to secretly assassinating the opposing royal family! While it was unwritten, its power was immense. No kingdom could tolerate such a base tactic. The real issue wasn't whether it was "dirty," but whether royal families could continue to interact peacefully if everyone started doing this. Thus, all the kingdoms carefully avoided it.
Now that King Odin had been the first to use such an underhanded method, it gave Kay all the leverage he needed. He could now confront King Odin directly and give him an ultimatum: either pull back your troops and agree to peace, or we can play dirty, too!
You want to hire assassins? Who's afraid of that? Are you richer than Camelot, King Odin? If you can pay to kill me, I can pay double to take you out. And when I do, don't complain about my lack of honor—you're the one who broke the rules first!
With this thought, Kay immediately stood up and gave a direct order!
"Summon all the knights! We're going to demand an explanation from King Odin!"