I work as an editor at Marvel.

"No, I'm currently working as an advisor for Ouroboros," Merlin retorted, laughing as he spoke.

"you!"

Just as Artoria was about to say something more, Merlin vanished into thin air like a bubble.

Artoria stood there for several minutes with a cold face before turning around and leaving. Before leaving, she took all the jianbing guozi (Chinese savory crepes) from the basket, leaving none behind.

"Meow~" (Is that all?)

An leaned on the rooftop railing, tilting her head to look at Merlin, who was crouching on the ground, avoiding Artoria's gaze.

"She's figured it out, but she's still a bit annoyed. Otherwise, she wouldn't be wandering around here; she would have just picked up her sword and wiped out all the troublemakers. The king's majesty cannot be violated."

Merlin said this as he pulled Ann into his arms, and then, while Ann looked completely bewildered, he started giving her a good rub.

Meow! Ann smacked Merlin in the face twice with her claws, then cut into the shadow passage and left Merlin's side.

Merlin scratched his hair, looking enviously at the place where Ann had left. As expected of the mage Kieran's cat, the ability to travel without regard to spatial anchors was simply too good.

As Merlin pondered this, he stuck out his tongue. He had accidentally bitten his tongue while chanting the Space Anchor spell, and it still hurt.

Chapter 119 Under the Spotlight

After Artoria completely disappeared from his sight, Merlin flicked his wrist and put on a mask. When he looked at the city from behind the mask, the crisscrossing arcane lines became clear and distinct.

"I will find you, soon." Merlin left these words and disappeared from the rooftop. He would find the legendary mage hiding behind the scenes before Artoria appeared in public. He would not allow his disciple to be secretly watched by someone of this caliber.

On the other side, Lancelot and Gawain, who had escaped from Zhao Ling'er's clutches, also separated. There were more than one small-scale demonstration taking place in the country, and there were definitely other troublemakers among them.

They must act like pest exterminators, pulling these pests out of the population and eradicating them completely! If they could trace the trail back to the mastermind behind the pests, that would be even better.

Unlike the two Knights of the Round Table, Zhao Ling'er left traces in various corners of the city and set up array points. In case Artoria really wielded her sword against mortals in public, she could also activate the array to block most of the attacks and reduce the level of conflict.

Time passed slowly, and soon it was the next day, the day of the largest demonstration reported to the United States. The demonstration sites of the opposition and supporters were very close to each other, creating a sense of confrontation.

Normally, the marches of the two sides in such a fierce confrontation should not be too close, let alone intersect. But now that Hydra is in charge in the United States, how can they force King Arthur out if they don't make things bigger and more chaotic?

At 3 p.m., when the two sides of the march met, a conflict broke out, just as Ryan had expected.

The shouts of abuse were deafening. The opponents waved online portraits of Gawain and Lancelot vigorously. They had changed their tactics today; they were against King Arthur, but even more so against Artoria Pendragon.

As for why Lancelot and Gawain were chosen, the reason is simple: in the legends, these two were King Arthur's right-hand men and knights second only to King Arthur, and their legendary status is also quite high worldwide.

By lowering their demands, they also successfully reduced the fighting power of their supporters. Some people didn't even know who King Arthur was; they were just supporting the name.

After all, King Arthur is the only Celt with a known name in the world, and as long as that name remains, they don't care.

Having been busy all day, Gawain and Lancelot stood side by side, both quite calm about being chosen as King Arthur.

This kind of thing has happened countless times over thousands of years; this level of provocation is nothing.

"How many have you found?" Gao Wen asked softly.

“Those leaders are all suspects.” Lancelot scanned the crowds of supporters and opponents.

Merlin and Zhao Ling'er also gathered nearby, closely monitoring the situation.

Neither of their plans succeeded.

That legendary mage hid so well that Merlin searched over a dozen locations, only to find Hydra assassins everywhere, and couldn't find anything at all.

During the search, Merlin also destroyed several of Zhao Ling'er's array points, which was a result of poor communication.

Because of this, Zhao Ling'er almost had a fight with Merlin, but fortunately the two recognized each other when they met.

"This is troublesome, the conflict is about to escalate. You really don't know where Artoria is?" Zhao Ling'er asked, looking at the crowd below with some concern.

"You've asked me dozens of times already. I really don't know. I was just waiting for her to come to me by chance, and after that one encounter, she hid even more deeply." Merlin shook his head, unsure whether to be happy about Artoria's growth or worried. Hundreds of years ago, Artoria would have had no chance of escaping him no matter what.

Renn, who was secretly monitoring the area, was extremely anxious. His superiors had discovered his belongings and were reportedly going to send someone to remove him from his post. He didn't have much time left.

"I can't wait any longer! Use your guns!" For the first time in a long time, Ryan had given orders to his men. His trusted underling had been taken care of by Merlin yesterday, and now he was the only one left.

His movement instantly exposed his position to everyone's eyes. Merlin flashed forward to grab Renn, but he saw a figure and stopped.

At the top of the tallest building next to the conflict site, Artoria stood on the edge of the rooftop, a gentle breeze ruffling her hair as she quietly looked down.

Just as the troublemaker pulled out a pistol from his pocket, Artoria spoke up, "Stop!"

As her voice exploded in everyone's ears, a force acted on the bodies of every marcher.

The force was like giant boulders, pressing them down so they couldn't move.

"I did it! I did it!" Rein, behind the monitor, was incredibly excited. His hands were trembling. As long as Artoria handed over the Crown of the Sun, his people would be able to deliver it to him in no time.

Of course, this is all predicated on the fact that the mystical side doesn't intervene, and in that respect, Raine has an inexplicable confidence.

King Arthur has already handed over the items, so her subordinates certainly wouldn't dare to jump. As for the mystical side in other regions, aren't there regional protection policies in place? These are the rules that Xerath told him to abide by together within the mystical world!

However, what Xerath didn't tell him was that rules can sometimes be flexible. Besides, even if Renn got the crown of the sun never sets, he still couldn't leave this Earth. Did he really think there was no one supervising Earth's orbit?

Hextech's attack satellite network has likely blocked all possible escape routes.

Even if Raine is really lucky and manages to leave Earth on that little spaceship he somehow got his hands on, he will still face the pursuit of all the mystical figures.

The mystical side should not engage in major conflicts with the surface world at present, but it should also not allow others to think that it can gain anything from the mystical side through simple power struggles and moral blackmail.

"Hey, don't you think she's a little different?" Zhao Ling'er asked Merlin, looking at Artoria.

"I'm so happy. After more than a thousand years, she has finally taken that step." Merlin's smile was radiant. He could see that Artoria had already stood on the threshold of becoming a legend.

After receiving Merlin's indirect reply, Zhao Ling'er also retrieved the Five Elemental Pearls.

There's no need for that. She can't stop a legendary King Arthur; only her husband can.

Chapter 120 Excalibur (Bonus Chapter for Donations)

“I am Artoria Pendragon, you can also call me King Arthur.”

Artoria's voice clearly reached the ears of everyone below. After saying this, she stood there, watching these clowns below.

The original intention of using power to control everyone was to prevent them from doing anything irrational. After all, Artoria couldn't just stand by and do nothing after being attacked, but if she did fight back, the problem would escalate.

But now, Artoria discovered that none of the people below were even remotely inclined to struggle.

These people are like a dog barking wildly at a big iron gate. They bark loudly when no one is in sight, but the moment the people inside come out, they all shut up without even having to open the gate.

"I heard you were looking for me, so here I am. You can tell me what's on your mind."

Artoria crossed her arms over her chest. The wind on the rooftop picked up and made her dress flutter loudly.

The citizens of John Bull who saw Artoria's appearance through the live broadcast had only one word in their minds: cool!

Isn't this version of Artoria better than those old men who can't do anything?

Even if we don't know Artoria's national governance capabilities yet, even if she's on par with those people, she'd still be pleasing to the eye.

If Artoria were to announce her candidacy now, her approval rating would surely soar like a rocket, rising relentlessly without ever stopping.

After waiting for a long time, the people that Renn had arranged had no choice but to speak up themselves, seeing that no one dared to speak.

"I have a problem with that! You're a Celt! What gives you the right to lead this multi-ethnic nation like John Bull!"

The mole shouted all the way, hoping to get the people around him to protest with him, but apart from him, there was no sound from the surroundings, and no one paid any attention to him, not even his comrades who were also moles.

"So, the people behind you are of mixed race? And mixed so logically? Their ancestors were combined according to a series of permutations and combinations?"

Artoria gave a cold laugh and addressed the crowd below.

This reason is ridiculous. Maybe people would cheer for him in the United States, but here in a place where Artoria has already suppressed him, how could anyone possibly listen to him?

“What I mean is… you’ve been King Arthur for so long, it’s time for a change. This isn’t democratic, it’s not free…” the accomplice continued, stammering, “It’s about time for Gawain or Lancelot to take over…”

Artoria couldn't be bothered with such people and simply focused on the few slightly upward-facing cameras below.

"I declare! I am King Arthur! Anyone have a problem with that? Anyone have a problem with that!"

The Wind King's barrier was broken, and raging winds swept past Artoria.

In the midst of the raging wind, those in front of the camera could see the Excalibur, which had materialized and was held in Artoria's hand.

Just then, two beams of light flashed through the crowd, shattering the portraits of Gawain and Lancelot standing on the ground, one on the left and one on the right.

"Gawain, the Silver Knight! He has an audience with King Arthur!"

"Lancelot, Knight of the Lake! Has an audience with King Arthur!"

Gawain and Lancelot, holding knightly salutes on either side, were both sweating profusely. They had only one thought: once this was over, they would definitely tear that mole to pieces!

If you're going to cause trouble, then so be it! Why drag those two into it?! It's one thing to say things when Artoria isn't around, but now you're attacking Artoria by their names in front of who knows how many people!

If they happen to be away from the area, how will they ever be able to rejoin the Knights of the Round Table? Even if Artoria doesn't object, they themselves would feel embarrassed.

The inside man is now in a bind; Gawain and Lancelot's appearance has made the matter of King Arthur a foregone conclusion.

Didn't the myths say that the Knights of the Round Table had fallen apart?! What kind of nonsense is this?!

"You're unworthy of being called the King of Never-Setting Sun! You've never shown yourself all these years!" The inside man steadied himself and immediately changed the subject, "We've suffered such crushing defeats lately! And you haven't shown yourself even once!"

"I understand, so this is what you want."

As Artoria spoke, she removed the crown of the sun that never sets from her head. Her loose hair danced in the wind, making her look even more ethereal.

Behind the screen, Renn was overjoyed. He had just thought the plan was going to fail, but now, looking at Artoria's expression, it seemed that she never wanted to be the Undying King in the first place.

"It can be given to you."

As she spoke, Artoria tossed the Crown of the Sun Never Sets into the air.

"If you're so capable, come and take it yourself!"

The crown tumbled in the air, and after separating from Artoria, it became dull and lifeless, no longer as dazzling as it had been at first.

"Excalibur!"

Artoria aimed her sword at the crown and swung it out!

Golden light gathered on the longsword in Artoria's hand, and the light emanating from the blade filled everyone's vision, even making the sun in the sky appear much dimmer.

A river of golden light burst forth, piercing directly through the crown of the sun that never sets, and continued its surging forward.

The crown of the sun never sets tumbles in this river of light, its jewel at the top shining extraordinarily brightly, as if it were about to explode.

Zhao Ling'er looked nervously at Guanghe's terminal, then breathed a sigh of relief. That was the outskirts of the city, the place where the person behind the scenes had made their move.