Davidian's Holy Grail War

"That's not the problem. This island is inherently barren. The Britons become gloomy because they can no longer see the Tower of Radiance."

Merlin's sudden statement puzzled the two people before him. Artoria was puzzled by the Tower of Light, while Davidan was puzzled by the land.

"The Tower of Radiance? You mean Rungomminiad?"

Upon hearing Artoria's words, Merlin seemed to suddenly remember something and explained, "Ah, so I haven't explained the Holy Lance and Holy Sword to you yet. Well then, let's start with the Holy Sword..."

Merlin recounted the origins of the Holy Sword, its true purpose, and its immense power to Artoria.

This sword is not meant to protect humanity, but to protect the world. Artoria knew this, and Merlin had mentioned it to her briefly in his spare time before.

"I know that the true power of this sword cannot be used in battles other than saving the world, right?"

Leaving aside the Sword of Choice, the power of Excalibur is simply too great.

To turn the entire land into scorched earth along with other races is to put the cart before the horse.

Merlin nodded: "That's exactly how it is. That's how the Starlight is meant to be used. If the day comes when you fight not as a king, but as a hero, never forget this."

"If you swing the holy sword without thinking, it will definitely backfire. Although your body is very tough and you'll probably be fine, an ordinary person like Davidan would probably be instantly annihilated."

Hearing his words, David silently put down his chopsticks, raised his fist, and said to Merlin:

"I'm really sorry that I'm just an ordinary person. How about I, an ordinary person, give you a couple of punches? Also, it's true that Artoria's body is quite tough."

But don't think of his body as being made of iron or anything like that. In peacetime, he could live an ordinary life like any other person and find happiness far removed from such suffering.

Artoria pulled his hand down and gently patted the back of it to reassure him. Merlin realized his words had been slightly inappropriate, so he quickly tried to smooth things over:

"Excuse me, then the next matter is the Holy Lance. This is not about defeating external enemies, but about stabilizing the planet... or rather, anchoring this planet."

He began by recounting the location of the Fairy Land, the changes in the rules of survival on the planet, the end of the Age of Gods, and also briefly explained why the dragons and fairies would willingly cede the surface to humans like them. Only at the very end did he mention the purpose of the Holy Lance.

"In short, humanity has now become the representative of this planet. But that thing is just a thin veil that can be peeled off with the slightest touch."

If you had a piece of cloth that could be blown away at any moment, what would you do? You certainly wouldn't leave it lying around, and if you didn't want it to fall off, you would sew it up.

The fabric of the world you humans inhabit, the anchor that holds it to this planet, is the Holy Lance—the gleaming spear of the end, the pillar guarding primates, the Holy Lance Rungomminiad.

Chapter 123 The Future Merlin Said

David and Artoria rolled their eyes at the sheer volume of the statement, and were even somewhat dumbfounded.

There was nothing that could be done, because the Holy Lance had been in Artoria's hands for a long time.

"Why, why would you give me something so extraordinary?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Because you are the King of Britain. Listen carefully, this island is very special. The mainland has long been the world of humans, after all, the land connects countless countries. Where there are many humans, the laws of physics are rewritten more quickly."

Merlin said this, but it was really just out of interest. After obtaining the Holy Lance, he pondered for a long time and finally concluded that Artoria was the most suitable.

"But this island is different. It still retains the atmosphere and mystery of the Age of Gods. That's a characteristic of small island nations. The more isolated they are from the mainland, the more likely their land will retain mystery."

Britannia is a place of particular importance, after all, it's like the navel of a planet. For those who live in mystery, it's a sacred place, like the heart of the planet.

David heard this, but ultimately said nothing.

But in his heart he was just scoffing. Merlin said that, but in reality, this land was not a good place at all.

This is crucial for the mysterious, but for ordinary people...

Bah! What kind of sacred place is this, a heartland? It's just a dilapidated place plagued by disasters and teeming with deadly monsters.

"So if someone were to fill this planet with ether again, their workshop would undoubtedly be located on this island. It is the last remnant of the Age of Gods and a fulcrum capable of overturning the world."

The Holy Lance was thrust into the world to prevent such a thing from happening. If Britain is to be protected, a magical world must be sealed away.

Artoria nodded, "I see."

But Davidian suddenly remembered something Merlin had told him before: given enough time, Morgan could find a way to lock the mystery of Britain to the surface.

So that's it. This holy lance was the anchor that blocked Morgan from trying to find a solution in that direction.

"But Merlin, the Holy Lance is already in my hands. Does that mean the anchor of the world has fallen?"

Artoria brought this up again; it was the crux of the matter. After all, she'd stabbed so many people with that holy lance—wasn't that a big deal?

But Merlin simply shook his head and explained, "No, the Border Tower is still standing. It's just that people can't see it because you're holding it."

The Tower of Glory beyond the horizon is now in your hands. Don't you feel like you've suddenly become a god? Aren't you happy about that? Hahahaha!

Hearing his laughter, Davidian made a constipated expression. Artoria, on the other hand, was quite exasperated; she couldn't help but say:

"How could that be! I'll give it back to you right now! Oh no! If I give it to you, you'll just find a random rock and stick it on to tempt people because you think it's fun."

“That’s right, so Artoria, you should keep that Holy Lance safe. Just don’t give it to anyone who wants to do evil. Like Vortigern… just don’t give it to someone like that.”

Upon hearing Vortigern's name, Davidian snapped in displeasure, "Shut up, Merlin! How dare you mention that fellow's name in front of this lord!"

A pleasant and rare chat turned somber because of that person's name.

But Artoria wasn't too angry. She simply asked, "Merlin, it might be a little late to ask now, but what exactly did Vortigern mean by his dying words?"

Britain will be destroyed, but there is no need for lamentation. For you will not see Britain's end, but rather its demise because of Britain.

To summarize the words of the Lowly King before his death, this is roughly the gist of it. Fortunately, at that time, only Gawain, Lancelot, Tristan, Davian, and she herself heard these words.

After saying those words, Voodoo Gon turned to ashes and disappeared.

"Of course. The people all thought that the war on the island of Vortigern would end once the island was defeated, but as you can see, the war continues. It is good that you have suppressed the current lords on the island with powerful force."

But what came after that? The covetousness of Britain from the kings beyond the island, and even Rome. I must congratulate you on defeating Rome in that way. But I must also tell you what lies ahead: the war will not end.”

Merlin's words cast a shadow over the hearts of David and Artoria.

When Davidian faced Anagurmas, he once said, "My king hopes that all of them can escape this endless cycle called war."

But despite their long and arduous efforts, fighting one battle after another to end war, the outcome was just as Anagurmas had predicted: all that awaited them was the next war.

"Furthermore, this year is a year of disaster, and next year will be too. You have made contributions, that's beyond doubt. There has indeed been a reduction in war on this island, but there will still be people who are dissatisfied because of it."

Why go to war with the resolve to die? It's so that we can live a life of luxury, that's all, you understand.

Merlin raised the most crucial question about human nature: going to war is all about the rewards afterward. But unfortunately, neither Britain nor even King Arthur can offer anything in return to the knights who went to war.

Davidian's First Legion even received the lowest pay in the entire Arthurian army. Davidian and his officers, as key officers, had almost no personal wealth, using it all to support their legion.

"Humans do like things that are right, that's true. But humans also hate things that are too right. As long as King Arthur remains in people's ideals, they will depend on you, and they will also distance themselves from you."

This is something you must bear. Dominators and the dominated—human beings are creatures where only one side can achieve happiness. And you, you have chosen to make the people happy while causing yourself suffering.

After Merlin finished speaking, he looked at David.

He could tell that Davidian was on the verge of exploding, and he knew very well about Davidian's own values.

He found it hard to tolerate this situation if Artoria wasn't his best friend. He needed to respect Artoria's wishes and ideals.

Perhaps he would say to Artoria, "Let go of all this, don't worry about anything, and find a new king to free you from this burden."

"She's just a human being, yet you expect her to live like a god?"

Davidian looked at Merlin and said such things, his face showing dissatisfaction. This was definitely not how a human being should live.

"So much unreasonableness, so much cold-bloodedness. They blame all the bad things on the king without considering the reasons, so that they can feel at ease."

This is the way of life for humans, or rather, in such times, ordinary people have no other choice. And Artoria can only bear this.

Chapter 124 The Comfort Women Can Bring

"I'll fucking punch you twice!" David was furious. It was precisely because he respected Merlin that he couldn't tolerate Merlin saying such a thing.

Anyway, he hadn't received any education from the upper class. He was as blunt as possible when it came to insults, and Merlin's words had just enraged him.

But Artoria patted David on the shoulder to calm him down before saying, "So, if I take on these responsibilities, at least the people can live a more comfortable life, right?"

"That's right. You understood this principle long ago, didn't you? It was because you understood these things that you drew your sword. Davidian even told you about the ending he saw."

But you still chose to do it, so you should just abandon human nature as soon as possible and become a transcendent being like King Uther.

Merlin was genuinely trying to manipulate Artoria. Because that would be much better; after all, that was the ideal state for a king.

By maintaining the status quo in behavior and abandoning worldly emotions in one's heart, one can stop suffering.

"It's okay, we'll just do our best."

Artoria laughed heartily, a laugh born of acceptance of everything. Even though it was painful, it was by no means something to grieve over.

"Perhaps not now, but at least we are trying to make this country better. Who knows, who knows, one day this island will become a good country? A beautiful country that rivals the legendary utopia. You agree, David."

Artoria looked at Davidian; the two had known each other for over ten years. Davidian had wavered for personal reasons, but after that wavering, he stood firmly by her side.

The two of them seem to be getting closer and closer to their goal.

Her words suddenly made David feel enlightened, and the bottleneck that had been holding him back disappeared.

He suddenly understood why he had fought, not just because of Artoria's personal charm and the correctness of her wishes.

It was because he himself wanted to do it, and that was his wish; that was what he thought when he embarked on his journey.

He had also told Morgan on those quiet nights that he wanted to save the island, to save these suffering people, and to fulfill their humble and weak dreams.

But after that, he experienced too many bad things, parted ways with Morgan, spent year after year in war and death, and gradually became numb as his passion was worn down by endless mundane things.

Because he couldn't see a bright future, and he wasn't sure if he could change the tragic and desolate ending on the hill.