According to Lucan, the capital city of Wincheston is structured in concentric circles, divided into six rings.
These are:
The first ring, at the very center of the capital, the Silver Crown Royal Court.
The second ring, the Ring of Mysteries; the third ring, the Ring of Guardianship.
The fourth ring, the Ring of Order; the fifth ring, the Ring of Life.
And,
the sixth ring, known as the Ring of Abundance, reputedly an impregnable iron wall.
But upon actually arriving, Suya didn't see the colossal walls he had imagined, walls even taller and grander than the 50-meter-high golden iron curtain.
Here, there was only a chalk-white wall, 10 meters high, stretching to the horizon.
This scale met human needs for a city wall, but it didn't match the powerful combat capabilities implied by the world's setting. Even a high-ranking swordsman like Suya could easily scale such a wall with climbing gear.
At this moment,
seeing Suya's puzzled expression, Merlin, who was beside him, quickly whispered a reminder:
"Don't think about climbing the wall. This city was forged by magic and miracles. Your eyes should be able to see magic, right? Look with your magical sight."
Hearing this, Suya immediately activated the meridians around his eyes, unleashing his Red Dragon's Eye.
In his scarlet-tinged vision,
above the seemingly ordinary city wall, terrifying golden, woven-like magical energy surged and connected. Countless strands of this golden magic, like threads, spiraled all the way to the sky above the capital's center, forming a colossal golden tree that overshadowed the heavens.
"Is that the Lion King's Holy Lance?"
Looking at this remarkably familiar structure, which he had only seen in movies before transmigrating, Suya was momentarily stunned, then felt his scalp tingle.
Holy Lance Rhongomyniad.
Its true form is a pillar of light that binds the world's surface. The only difference between this lance and the Holy Lance from FGO was that
it was inverted.
The tip of the lance was the Silver Crown Royal Court, the tallest white spire in the first ring at the city's center. The hilt plunged straight into the city's depths, to an unknown extent. To put it figuratively, it was as if some colossal entity from an unfathomable depth beneath the earth was forcefully holding this Holy Lance and trying to thrust it upwards, ultimately losing momentum and only managing to pierce out a small part of its tip.
And the entire capital city of Wincheston was built beneath this protruding part of the lance's tip.
"All in all, we are safe now."
At this, Lucan turned with a smile and said,
"The very existence of the capital city of Wincheston is a miracle that absolutely cannot be breached by the King of Conquerors with the concept of an 'army'!"
"And next, My King, what we need to do is—"
"In this city, let you ascend to that Silver Crown Royal Court!"
Since he was already here, Suya had no reason to refuse. He looked with slight helplessness at these individuals who insisted on thrusting the yellow robe upon him.
"So, how do we do that?"
"Merlin is missing, King Uther is dead, and as you said before, no one will acknowledge my identity."
"And besides,"
Suya knew that if he were to become the King of Britannia, in this world where faith translates into power, he would undoubtedly gain immense power instantly. He was quite covetous of such power.
But becoming king itself was a false premise.
Moreover, although he now looked more genuinely like Arthur than the real Arthur—with the Pendragon family's magical crest, the support of a small army, and a kingly appearance identical to Arthur's—in essence, he wasn't the true Arthur. If proving his royal lineage required some kind of blood recognition ceremony, wouldn't that expose him immediately?
However, Lucan chuckled, completely unconcerned:
"Previously, to escape danger, you needed the identity of King Uther's son."
"But now, all you need to do is… be yourself."
Suya couldn't help but be stunned: "Be myself?"
Lucan nodded and said:
"Last year, on Christmas Eve, a miraculous golden light descended from above the capital."
"Countless people, after witnessing the miracle, went into churches to confess. And just as people finished their confessions and looked up, they saw a sword embedded in a square stone in front of St. Stephen's Church. On the blade of that sword, this golden inscription was carved—"
"Whosoever pulls this sword from this stone, he is the King of all the land!"
Hearing this legend, Suya immediately nodded.
Although the location was a bit off—not the Winchester Cathedral or London Cathedral mentioned in history, but an unknown church within the capital of Wincheston in this world.
But the Sword in the Stone had indeed appeared.
However, Suya soon noticed something amiss in the story.
Christmas was December 25th, and according to the current season, it was at least August, almost September.
There was a gap of a full eight months, and Arthur Pendragon was living not far from the capital at Sir Ector's manor.
Hadn't he tried to pull the sword?
Just as this thought crossed his mind, Lucan gazed meaningfully at Suya and said:
"From Christmas until today, countless people have tried to pull out this sword, but none have succeeded."
"And Sir Ector's second son, King Uther's son, which is you, also attempted to pull out this sword."
"But,"
"You too could not pull this sword out!"
Hearing this, Suya's pupils contracted slightly.
His false identity as Arthur had long been exposed to Lucan and the others. Or rather, Lucan and Dagonet had never stopped doubting it from the beginning. Even after he revealed the royal magic crest, they conducted several more tests until he displayed some 'true' characteristics, giving them hope, and only then did they choose to cooperate with him.
He was not at all surprised that Lucan and the others had seen through his disguised identity.
But,
Arthur Pendragon also couldn't pull out the Sword in the Stone?
The moment he heard this news, a profound sense of absurdity welled up in Suya's heart.
Lucan looked at Suya, his voice solemn:
"That's right, this is a sword that no one can pull out."
"It was bestowed by God—"
"But now,"
Lucan spoke each word distinctly:
"We no longer have God."
Dagonet then interjected, speaking with a serious expression:
"To establish a true King capable of uniting all of Britannia, starting from last Christmas, the Church issued the most severe punishment for those who falsely claimed to be the King of all the land."
"At the same time, King Solomon, who has already ascended to the divine throne, promised that the one who pulls out this sword will immediately gain the support of all of Britannia, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and all people including the Holy City of Jerusalem in the center of the continent. They would not only inherit the throne of Britannia but also the throne left by Solomon."
"Becoming, in one fell swoop—"
"The King of the World, unifying military, political, and divine authority!"
Suya frowned slightly, wondering why Solomon of Jerusalem was involved in the selection of Britannia's king.
He couldn't help but ask in surprise: "But, isn't it true that no one can pull out this sword?"
"Even with such a solemn promise, if it can't be pulled out, isn't it just an empty promise?"
"No,"
Lucan seemed to understand the meaning of 'empty promise' that came out of Suya's mouth.
He immediately shook his head and continued to explain:
"This sword can theoretically be pulled out."
"As long as enough [Faith] can be gathered instantly to counteract and cancel out the [Divine Right of Kings] characteristic attached to the Sword in the Stone."
"According to this logic, theoretically, anyone can become King!"
"For this reason, hundreds of princes from the various nations of Britannia have now gathered in the capital city of Wincheston, all having come to pull out this sword."
Suya was momentarily stunned, then quickly realized:
"You mean, you want me to compete with those princes for [Faith]?"
"No!"
"We don't have money, how could we possibly outcompete them…"
Lucan chuckled eerily, revealing an exaggerated, cunning smile,
"But,"
"We can orchestrate a deception,"
"A deception that will let all three million people in the capital see with their own eyes that you have 'pulled' out this sword!"