When I woke up early in the morning, I found Morgan beside me, wrapped around me. Her hair was a mess, so I gently fixed it with my hand and kissed her forehead.
If she weren't such a crazy woman, I might have let myself get even closer to her. But honestly, she scares me. The things this woman is capable of... they terrify me.
I'm not a monk.
I'm not the kind of guy who can ignore a beautiful woman lying next to him.
But this is god damn Fate universe. We don't mess around lightly here. Before I awakened the Sun Dragon Lineage, I could only use the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception for about 15 minutes at most.
Now I can sustain them for 30 minutes.
I put on my training outfit. The knights' training is about to begin, and I need to be ready.
One hour later
All the knights stood before me.
We began with a running drill, about an hour of non-stop running.
I was at the front, wearing heavy weights, leading the way. Most of them were on the verge of collapse.
I had deliberately chosen mountainous terrain and forced them to maintain formation while running.
When I said "left," they had to step with their left foot in perfect unison. If not, I would run even faster, and they would have to follow and keep up with my speed.
After reaching the peak, we ran back down at full speed. Everyone looked like they were about to die.
There are 10,000 knights under me.
No big deal.
After that, I began teaching them formations and coordinated maneuvers. One person caught my eye. But what the hell is he doing here?
He shouldn't be here.
Three hours later
I was demonstrating movement coordination with the group in an open field. Morgan had arrived and was watching us.
We trained from early morning until about 1 PM.
I split the knights into two groups and had them spar using wooden swords or spears, shit like that.
A tall, silver-haired, handsome man stood before me.
I pointed my wooden sword at him.
"What's your name, knight?"
He looked nervous, almost like he wanted to run.
"Balin, my king..."
Damn it. Why is this guy here?
I want him to attack me. Morgan was still watching, but I didn't care.
He charged at me, attempting a diagonal strike. I stepped to the left and gently tapped his back.
"Don't lose your stance. Control your body. Swing your sword with your whole frame, not just your arms."
He nodded. Every time he tried to strike, I ended the bout in a single move. The sun above strengthened me more each day. This was permanent growth. It amplified with training.
But Balin… his progress was unreal.
Eventually, drenched in sweat, he dropped to his knees, holding himself up with his sword. I reached out my hand. He smiled and took it, standing with my help.
"Thank you, my king," he said, clearly thrilled.
I smiled back.
"You're welcome, knight. I have a proposal for you. Do you want to hear it?"
His eyes lit up with curiosity.
"Would you like to become my right hand, Sir Balin?"
He looked like he was about to faint from joy. He was a wandering knight.
"I would be honored, my king," he said.
He raised his right hand and touched it to his chest. It was a salute I taught them. I never wanted my knights to kneel before anyone.
"Follow me," I said. He quickly fell in behind me. I raised my hand, signaling the rest to stop. They returned to formation and stood in lines before me.
"My brothers, training is over for today. You may return to your duties. Take a 15-minute rest. You've got 10 minutes to shower. Nobody slacks off."
I looked to Balin and gestured for him to approach. He stood by my side, proud.
"From this day forth, Sir Balin is my right hand. Show him the same respect you show me and the queen. His orders are as good as mine. Understood?"
All knights saluted.
"As you command, my king!"
"Dismissed."
"Thank you," they all said in unison. I taught them how to speak when addressing higher-ranking knights.
Balin followed me. I ordered him to take a bath and find me afterward. I bathed as well. Morgan was waiting for me outside.
I was fully dressed.
"Yes, my queen, how can I help you?" Morgan had been smiling more lately.
"You care so much for your soldiers and people," she said, placing a hand on my chest.
What is this woman plotting now?
"This is my kingdom," I said. "It's my responsibility. I'm just doing what must be done."
Truth be told, her father never involved her in politics. But King Lott was different.
He trained his troops. No other king would do that.
He distributed farmland to the people and began uplifting the nation. At this rate, this kingdom would become the strongest in Britannia. Even stronger than Camelot.
He fostered brotherhood and camaraderie among his knights.
And what the soldiers thought was this: our king works so hard for us. How can we sit idle as his subjects?
Even King Lott had become a workaholic.
Morgan feared that if this continued, he would die one day.
"You've worked hard," Morgan said softly. She tiptoed and kissed me. Our lips met.
I opened my eyes in shock for a moment, but then held her and slipped my tongue into her mouth. We kissed for about two minutes before pulling away.
Morgan's face was as red as a tomato. She's still young. I get it. I saw her working on some paperwork for me.
Then she came to check on me. I put my hand on her waist and started walking toward my office.
Servants were staring at us with envy on their faces. I understood. After all, I look like a character straight out of a shoujo manhwa.
Morgan pinched my waist, as if she knew exactly what I was thinking.
Women's intuition is terrifying.
When I entered my study, Sir Balin was already there, standing and saluting.
Another rule I'd taught them. Always stand when a superior enters the room.
I gestured for him to sit. I took my seat, Morgan beside me. The table was stacked with paperwork.
The three of us, Morgan, Balin, and I, spent the rest of the day going through the documents. I asked for their thoughts.
But the last paper was a letter.
King Pellinore had arrived. Damn that bastard. In legend, he's the one who kills me. I'll have to kill him.
The letter was filled with threats. Warnings of war.
Of course, it was written with polite words. But come on. This guy is so bad at insulting someone that a Call of Duty kid would roast him alive.
I've played for years. I can be brutally toxic when I want to be.
Just wait for me, King Pellinore. I'm coming.
Suddenly, a system screen appeared before me.
[Declares war on King Pellinore]
[Reward: Ryūjin Jakka]
Even the system wants this war. So be it. The letter I send back will be a declaration of war.
War is about to begin.