I Became a Mythical Knight King

Chapter 109: Ambush (1)

The name of the lion-headed monster with the black mane was Septimus.

A member of the Lion King Marcus’ clan, Septimus was one of the top warriors among the werebeasts.

Septimus’ mission was simple.

Kill the Black Knight of Lothian.

The Lion King and the werebeasts were beings of intellect.

As they crossed the borders and traversed the Cabal Kingdom, they absorbed the civilization built by humans and did not neglect collecting information.

After the Cabal Kingdom, the next kingdom they would have to face was the Silatein Kingdom.

The Lion King, intending to cross the Silatein Kingdom and head to the empire’s institutions, analyzed the threats along the way.

And the key individuals to focus on were two.

The actual regent of the kingdom, Princess Elizabeth, and Master Knight Bisten.

However, when they reached the border, a new figure emerged.

The Black Knight of Lothian.

The one who defeated Rat Lord and crushed the army of ratmen he led.

Beyond the walls, there were several Rat Lords, and the gap in battle power between them was significant.

However, even if it was the weakest of the Rat Lords, defeating the army of ratmen under the Rat Lord’s command was no small feat.

Thus, they had to be cautious of the Black Knight of Lothian.

They would never leave him unopposed as he moved west and south.

Just as the Lion King did in the Cabal Kingdom, instead of leading an army northward, he used a different method.

Rather than sending an army towards the Black Knight of Lothian, he sent only Septimus and about ten elite soldiers.

This was possible because the southern part of the Silatein Kingdom had already been devastated by the lizardmen.

The lizardmen, who had their retreat cut off and were struggling, could not refuse the alliance request from the Lion King, one of the seven kings beyond the walls—effectively an order to come under his command.

Thus, the operation was set in motion.

While the lizardmen launched an ambush to draw attention, Septimus and the elite soldiers infiltrated the castle to target the Black Knight of Lothian.

The plan succeeded.

Although it took some time to locate the Black Knight of Lothian, once Septimus faced him, the operation was practically over.

Septimus grinned fiercely and charged forward.

His speed was so fast that it was difficult to even perceive with the naked eye.

However, in that moment of charging, Septimus felt a slight confusion.

If the Black Knight had either failed to respond or reflexively retreated, this feeling wouldn’t have occurred.

As Septimus kicked the ground to charge, the Black Knight also kicked the ground.

The Black Knight turned to face Septimus and charged towards him, even faster than Septimus.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Septimus’ greatsword, swung reflexively, scraped against the Black Knight’s—Yoo Seong’s shield, making a metallic sound.

In his haste, and because the distance had closed so quickly, Septimus couldn’t land a proper blow.

Unable to control his momentum, Septimus stumbled forward several steps, and as he passed by Yoo Seong with his shield raised, Yoo Seong quickly shouted as he changed direction.

“Hector, Morgan! Gather up!”

Bang!

A golden flash filled the corridor, dazzling Septimus’ eyes.

But there was no time to even close his eyes.

Feeling the immense energy from the front, Septimus reflexively raised his greatsword in defense.

Crash!

With a tremendous noise, Septimus was pushed back violently.

A massive axe struck in front of him.

He barely managed to block it, but that was all.

The monstrous strength made his hand tremble, barely holding onto the greatsword.

How did this happen?

Septimus hadn’t expected it.

His instincts screamed, sending warning signals.

“Well, not bad?”

The voice was heard after a sharp sword strike grazed his neck.

Septimus barely managed to twist his body, and the blow only grazed him. However, the slash through the thick mane caused blood to spurt from his neck.

“But you know, this isn’t the end, right?”

It wasn’t a single strike.

A woman.

A woman with white hair swung her sword again.

It was a simple strike.

But Septimus knew.

Though it seemed simple, it wasn’t simple at all.

That attack was not something easily blocked.

The woman’s strength was weak and her speed was not of an extraordinary level.

The aura on her sword and her ideology were also beneath Septimus.

But her swordsmanship was different.

In terms of swordsmanship, she was far beyond Septimus.

How could a human…

At the moment Septimus thought that, their swords clashed.

Like a magical display of swordsmanship, the woman’s sword made Septimus’ greatsword slide away, sending it in an unintended direction.

“Hahaha!”

And then the axe flew in.

Septimus roared and released his aura.

He tried to delay the enemy’s assault with his aura while using it like a wall to block the axe.

Clang!

With a sound like striking a lump of metal, Septimus was pushed back again.

The immense pain made it hard to breathe, but he gritted his teeth and lifted his head.

A human woman and a big man.

Clearly strong, but not strong enough to overwhelm him.

If he exerted his full strength and struck them one by one, there was a chance of victory.

But then, the human woman—Morgan—smiled.

Instead of charging at Septimus with her furious energy, she flashed a bright smile.

Why?

Septimus thought about it, and then the answer came.

“Kate! Roland! Gather up!”

Bang!

Light erupted again.

This time, from behind.

Septimus, startled, turned around, and there stood a woman with golden hair, wielding a sword that shone like the sun.

-Crash!

He barely blocked it, but there was no time to counterattack.

The woman and the old man—Morgan and Hector—attacked simultaneously.

“Septimus!”

The wolf-headed monsters, who had called him with howls, as well as the other monsters who had arrived late to help him, were no match.

Roland blocked the path of the wolf-headed monsters.

The ones who had rushed to the howl were not just the monsters; Juliet and Ruan had positioned themselves behind the monsters with knights.

-Clang! Clang! Clang!

Septimus swung his greatsword frantically, blocking attacks from three directions but he couldn’t block everything perfectly.

While each individual attack was clearly weaker than his own, each had something comparable or even superior to him.

The golden-haired woman’s aura was on par with Septimus.

The white-haired woman’s swordsmanship surpassed Septimus.

The strength of the large man was at least on par with Septimus, or possibly superior.

Moreover, the problem was that their coordination was incredibly flawless.

“Damn it! How is this possible?!”

The Black Knight of Lothian was merely one of the powerful local lords.

The military strength of the Cabal Kingdom and the Silatein Kingdom was comparable, and the level of their knights was similar.

If the prisoners from the Cabal Kingdom weren’t lying, then this should have been the case.

So what is happening now?

Why were there not just one, but three powerful knights under a mere local nobleman?

“Grrr!”

With each wave of attacks, more wounds appeared.

At this rate, defeat was certain.

That’s why Septimus made a reckless move.

He took the attack from the white-haired woman—Morgan—with his body and released his aura all at once.

-Boom!

A powerful shockwave swept through the area from the expanded red aura.

The ceiling and walls shook, and Kate, Hector, and Morgan had no choice but to distance themselves from Septimus.

And Septimus didn’t miss that opportunity.

Concentrating all his power in his abnormally swollen right arm, he prepared to strike the most powerful blow.

“I’ll take one down!”

Thus, he would sever their coordination and defeat them one by one, as planned.

If he couldn’t defeat the Black Knight, at least he would create a situation where he could escape.

But just then, at that moment the white-haired woman smiled again.

And once again, when the question arose, the answer came.

[Knight’s Order: Round Table Appointment]

The name of the Round Table is Pellinore.

-Tschwhaaah!

A blinding light suddenly erupted from the front.

And through that light emerged a golden giant.

What was carried in his fist was the chivalry of King Pellinore.

Septimus watched the fist.

It was an abnormally huge fist.

A giant’s fist.

A colossal blow that seemed capable of filling the entire hallway.

It was so large that there was no way to defend against it.

The fist struck Septimus, and all he could do was scream as he was sent flying.

-Kwang!

Septimus, struck by the fist, collided with the wall and fell to the ground.

The excruciating pain left Septimus unable to speak.

It felt as though every bone in his body was crushed and turned to dust.

“Khkh…kgh…”

The plan had failed.

The power of the Black Knight far exceeded expectations.

‘Could the Princess be the same?’

If the Black Knight of Lothian had more power than was known—

‘No, it doesn’t matter.’

No matter who was under their command or what strength they were hiding, it was irrelevant.

For the Lion King himself was heading toward the Princess.

Whatever they had prepared, it was meaningless in front of the Seven Kings beyond the wall.

Just like the capital of the Cabal Kingdom had fallen, the Princess’ death would be as tragic.

“Koooh…”

Septimus forced himself to rise.

He would die here but at least he would deliver the information to the Lion King.

He would let out a roar, commanding his subordinates to retreat, and burn his life in the process.

However, as he opened his mouth, Septimus hesitated.

The white-haired woman was standing in front of him but it wasn’t her sword that stopped Septimus.

What caused Septimus to freeze was the words that came from her mouth.

“It’s not just here. I’ve gone to the Princess as well. The Lion King himself.”

Septimus couldn’t help but swallow at the piercing red eyes.

How?

Did she have the ability to read minds?

No.

It was one of Morgan’s other specialties: transcendental insight—more precisely, the Skazahar style of Morgan’s school, which allowed her to “pierce through the essence.” She had deduced the situation. But for Septimus, nothing mattered anymore.

What mattered was that the information had leaked.

Septimus emptied his mind.

He kicked the ground and focused his aura, charging toward the direction of the Black Knight.

What he intended was self-detonation.

A grand explosion of aura, filling the hallway.

Septimus literally burned his life.

He concentrated his aura into one point.

“He’s going to self-destruct!”

The white-haired woman shouted again but this time, Septimus didn’t hesitate.

Ignoring her, he tried to approach the Black Knight but the Black Knight was running toward him instead.

Septimus thought he understood.

He intended to kill him before he could self-destruct.

A foolish thought.

The moment Septimus died, the aura’s massive explosion would occur.

Although the force of the explosion would be weaker than if he had controlled it, there was no problem since the distance to the Black Knight had shortened.

That’s why Septimus didn’t dodge the Black Knight’s sword.

He willingly accepted the golden aura blade as it pierced his chest, heading toward his heart.

Lion King, may you achieve your great cause.

Septimus closed his eyes.

He intended to die with the explosion of his aura but the explosion didn’t happen.

Instead of the promised death, all he felt was the pain in his chest.

Why?

Septimus opened his eyes and saw the Black Knight of Lothian standing before him.

And he felt it.

The golden aura was enveloping his heart.

The aura, which seemed about to explode, had been sealed to prevent the self-detonation.

The Third Sword of the Holy King’s Cross Swords, the Sword of Sealing.

Septimus laughed in disbelief.

Even if it was unexpected, this was beyond the limit of surprise.

“Did you also go to the Princess?”

At the Black Knight—Yoo Seong’s question, Septimus laughed again.

“I have lost. But my King will win, as he always does.”

That was all.

Septimus shattered his own skull with a fist filled with monstrous strength and died.

It was a horrific scene, but no one screamed or made a sound.

Roland took down the wolf-headed monsters, and both Ruan and Juliet repelled the remaining monsters.

Yoo Seong, after retrieving his sword, took a breath and thought.

‘A surprise attack using asymmetric strength.’

The Princess had the Master Knight, Count Bisten.

So, if it was truly a surprise attack, the Lion King would have intervened directly.

For a King to infiltrate the enemy ranks—it was beyond reason.

After all, it was something Yoo Seong himself had always done.

‘Galatein Fortress.’

Where Princess Elizabeth was.

Even riding a horse, it would take five days.

If they didn’t detour through the mountains and flew with all their power, they could reach it in just a little over two hours, but even then, it would still take two hours.

What was the situation at Galatein Fortress?

Has the Lion King already attacked? Or was he just about to?

Both Rene and Gillian, as well as the knights, had seen Yoo Seong.

And among them was Count Carian, who had arrived late.

Having heard what Morgan said to Septimus, he thought to himself.

Could the Princess stop the Lion King?

While there was the Master Knight, Count Bisten, the Guardian General had said.

Even if the Guardian General and Count Bisten teamed up, they couldn’t guarantee victory.

If the Princess and Count Bisten couldn’t stop the Lion King…

And if the Princess met her death…

It was a dangerous yet sweet thought.

The effective king of the Silatein Kingdom would die and the successor of the Holy King would emerge.

Of course, fully conquering the Silatein Kingdom would be impossible.

But from the perspective of simply taking the throne, the Princess’ death could be beneficial.

‘No, that’s not right.’

It was a very short-sighted thought.

This wasn’t about human political strife.

It was a war for survival between humans and monsters.

If the Princess’ death led the Silatein Kingdom into chaos, causing a sharp decline in their strength, that alone would be a massive loss.

Moreover, if both the Princess and Count Bisten were to die, who would ally with whom to face the Lion King?

To defeat the transcendent strength of the Lion King, the Princess—especially the Master Knight, Count Bisten—was absolutely necessary.

Count Carian didn’t voice the thoughts that had briefly crossed his mind.

The main reason wasn’t that Yoo Seong couldn’t calculate these pros and cons.

It was more important that he couldn’t imagine the King—successor of the Holy King—choosing to abandon the Princess for power.

His actions thus far had proved this beyond a doubt.

“Count Carian.”

“I am here.”

Count Carian immediately responded to Yoo Seong’s call.

After sending the knights of Camelot back, Yoo Seong spoke to Count Carian.

“I will go to rescue the Princess. Please take care of the castle and the troops.”

“I will follow your orders.”

The Lizardmen mobilized by the flank were originally meant for this purpose.

Having defeated the Lion King’s assassins, the forces and knights of the alliance should be sufficient to hold off any attack.

‘There will be no additional attacks.’

A considerable amount of power had already been invested here, and the Lion King had set out to the front lines.

No matter how strong the Lion King was, he wouldn’t venture alone to the place where the Princess and the Master Knight were. Any forces capable of executing a surprise attack must have been taken with him, which was not an unreasonable assumption.

Yoo Seong recalled the terrain of Fantasy Monarch.

Though the histories and nations were different, the terrain of this world and that of Fantasy Monarch were the same.

Having already confirmed this fact as he traveled across the west, Yoo Seong could now map out the shortest route to Galatein Fortress in his mind.

Just a little over two hours.

The fate of the Silatein Kingdom hung in the balance during that time.

“Alphonse!”

At Yoo Seong’s call, the black dragon steed appeared.

Yoo Seong mounted it and looked back.

Only one person could ride with him.

Thus, the person who would accompany him was already decided.

“Rene.”

“I will follow your orders.”

With a determined expression, Rene nodded and took Yoo Seong’s hand, climbing onto the dragon steed.

Yoo Seong, after giving a final glance to the knights and Jillian, looked at Count Carian.

Count Carian, without saying a word, raised his fist and tapped it against his chest.

“For the glory of Camelot.”

Yoo Seong nodded.

They passed through the wall shattered by the battle with Septimus and soared into the night sky.

Their direction was east, towards Galatein Fortress.

The dragon steed roared as its pitch-black trail crossed the night sky.

Princess Elizabeth absentmindedly looked out the window.

It was a night with exceptionally bright stars.

There were so many stars that the moon was nearly invisible.

Count Bisten also looked up at the sky.

Sitting atop the castle walls of the fortress, he gazed at the night sky. As if guided by fate, he turned his head south.

At the same time, at the same hour.

The Lion King, who had been looking at the night sky, turned his gaze forward again.

By his side were ten warriors selected from each of the tribes of the Werebeasts to kill the Princess and plunge the kingdom into chaos.

After defeating only the minimum amount of power, he would take the shortest route to the island with the flame of civilization.

Once again, he sought to obtain the flame of civilization.

To claim a world full of light instead of one covered in ash.

The Lion King took a step forward towards Galatein Fortress.