"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!" The bells rang out urgently, a clear sign that the enemy was formidable.
"Guards! Guards!" King Uther instantly shed the slight vulnerability he had shown moments ago, his expression now hard as iron as he loudly summoned the royal guards.
A troop of knights wearing crimson surcoats immediately charged in, each of them with their weapons drawn. The situation was clearly dire; otherwise, no one would dare to unsheath a weapon in the King's dining room.
"Yes, your Majesty."
"What is happening outside?" King Uther asked composedly. As the sovereign, Uther would never show an expression unbecoming of a king in front of anyone.
The knights seemed a bit unsure of how to explain. Uther was highly displeased by their hesitation. His father had once taught him a crucial lesson: Never let your subjects feel confused. When they ask you for an answer, you must respond without hesitation! Even if the answer is fabricated.
King Uther wholeheartedly believed this and demanded the same promptness from his vassals—though he naturally omitted the part about making up answers. If his subjects couldn't answer the King's query in a timely fashion, what good were they?
"Leon! You tell me!" Uther didn't have time to discipline the entire group right now, so he told his most trusted knight, Leon, to answer the question.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Sir Leon was a classic Celt: red hair and beard, slightly curly. Like the monarch he served, he was a serious and rigid knight. However, even this knight, who normally never faltered, was stammering a bit now. He knew what a grave offense it was to deceive the King. While he didn't believe the messenger soldier would lie, the answer simply sounded too unbelievable.
"It's a griffin... Your Majesty. Soldiers on the ramparts saw a griffin flying toward Camelot." As a knight, however, Sir Leon could only truthfully report the intelligence to his liege.
The word "griffin" gave King Uther a massive headache. This monster had recently caused immense damage to the surrounding villages. At least fifty people had been eaten, and the loss of property and livestock was countless. Uther had organized soldiers to fight it, but the beast's body was hard as iron. The knights' and soldiers' weapons had absolutely no effect on it, only provoking the creature's ferocity. Uther had lost a good number of men trying to deal with it.
"Then what are we waiting for? Dispatch the Knights!" Uther didn't bother to dwell on the knights' earlier hesitation. If this monster managed to enter Camelot, that would be a true disaster.
Arthur, forgetting his earlier moodiness, immediately called out to his friend and servant, Merlin, to prepare his armor and weapons. He was the commander of the Knights, and this was no time to sit around.
But right at that moment, Sir Leon, with a strange look on his face, called Arthur to a halt.
"Wait a moment, Your Highness!"
"What? Is there more bad news?" Uther was starting to get jumpy from Leon's sudden outbursts. Camelot had been plagued by one misfortune after another recently, with one bad piece of news always following another. King Uther hadn't had a single good night's sleep in days, and he was starting to feel numb.
"No... I'm not sure if it's good news or bad news. I'd prefer to call it weird news..." Sir Leon was not one for witty remarks, but the message from the soldiers truly left him perplexed. "The soldiers report that the griffin is fighting a person."
King Uther was highly dissatisfied with Sir Leon today; he was speaking erratically, completely lacking the rigor and composure expected of a knight. However, this "weird news," in Uther's view, wasn't necessarily bad. The griffin's recent rampage had caused many knights and soldiers to lose their will to fight. Now, the news that someone dared to battle this monster was definitely heartening.
Just as King Uther was about to speak and command a great reward for this warrior, Sir Leon finished his report.
"They are fighting... in the air."
The words Uther was about to speak stopped in his throat. He looked at his knight with astonishment and asked uncertainly, "In the air?"
Merlin, who had been standing by, immediately perked up at this. After all, someone battling a griffin in the sky sounded an awful lot like magic! Merlin was always intensely interested in such things.
And of course, another person was just as interested.
"Is it sorcery or magic?" The slightly cheerful look on Uther's face immediately turned grave.
All magic and sorcery were forbidden in Camelot. Anyone who dared to be associated with magic in the city would be beheaded. No exceptions, and absolutely no mercy. This was a decree that began with King Uther, and the iron-fisted ruler's greatest pride was that Camelot's laws had never been broken. Anyone who dared to violate the law would face the cruelest punishment. Uther was especially sensitive regarding matters of magic, and even the smallest rumor or sign would raise his alarm.
Hearing this, Arthur and Merlin exchanged a look, their shared frustration evident.
Sir Leon and the others were used to it; the nickname "Uther the Tyrant" hadn't appeared overnight.
"I'm not certain, my King... at least the knights on the ramparts haven't seen any trace of magic." Uther's knights had executed countless sorcerers and magic users over the years and were quite familiar with the signs of spells. "That... that warrior seems to be riding the griffin while fighting... at least, that is the message I received."
King Uther quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He knew the deceitfulness of magic and sorcery all too well; if he had a choice, he would never want anything to do with those dark arts again. He then grew intensely curious about the warrior who dared to wrestle with the griffin in the sky.
King Uther, like any monarch of his time, shared a common characteristic: a fondness for warriors. The more heroic and mighty the champion, the more they were appreciated.
"Then let us go and witness the valor of this warrior who dares to fight a griffin in the air!" With that, he couldn't contain his curiosity any longer and quickly strode out.
Arthur was just like his father, full of admiration for brave fighters. He rushed out so quickly he hadn't even finished putting on his armor, completely ignoring Merlin, who was struggling to catch up, clutching the heavy armor.
...
When the group reached the ramparts, the knights and soldiers there were not diligently defending their posts. Instead, they were whistling and cheering.
It was well-known that King Uther was a strict monarch, and calling him a tyrant was not an exaggeration. So, when he saw the chaos on the ramparts, his face turned as black as coal... This was hardly the demeanor expected of Camelot's warriors.
However, King Uther soon forgot about his soldiers' lack of organization and discipline.
His attention was entirely captivated by the battle unfolding in the sky.
...
The cries of an eagle echoed in the long sky. Everyone looked up to see a monster at least five meters long thrashing and struggling in the air. It was a dark, greenish-black creature with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion.
This monster had gained quite a reputation recently. Many knights and soldiers had encountered it, but the results of those meetings were never good.
So, no one had any affection for this creature. Seeing someone soundly beating it up, they naturally cheered. Besides, the monster's target this time was Camelot! They truly did not want to face it again.
It wasn't a lack of courage, but sheer helplessness. Their weapons couldn't harm the beast. How could they fight? It was simply not worth it. Now that a warrior was helping them take care of this monster, they thought it was great. Even better, this warrior seemed to be completely dominating the fight.