I Became a Mythical Knight King

Chapter 88: Towards the Wall (1)

After the fall of Camelot, five hundred years had passed.

After the rise and fall of many countries, five kingdoms and one empire remained in the world.

But that was no longer the case.

One of the five kingdoms was facing its downfall.

The royal capital of the Cabal Kingdom, located in the southern part of the Silatein Kingdom, was burning.

The kingdom’s pride, the Heavenly Cavalry, had been annihilated, and the massive army that had been gathered for the kingdom’s survival was shattered after just two battles.

“I never imagined it would end like this.”

The bloodied old man stood on the defensive wall of the inner city, gazing at the burning royal capital.

The old man’s name was El Cardo.

One of the only ten users of the third-tier cavalry on the continent.

Known as the Guardian General of the kingdom, he was also called the protector of the nation.

He let out a hollow laugh.

Even though he was seeing it with his own eyes, it felt unreal.

This was the land he had protected his whole life.

He had passed on the position of Guardian General to his student, who was beginning to show promise, and had planned to live a comfortable life, ignoring the royal court and quietly enjoying his old age.

“I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry. I did my best, but it wasn’t enough.”

He recalled the face of his lord, his lifelong friend, the late king, and wiped away a dry tear but it was only for a moment.

The old man closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and, after recalling the beauty of the royal capital one last time, turned and looked at a man.

“Thank you for waiting.”

“You are someone deserving of respect.”

Between the old man and the man, there were corpses but they were not human corpses.

They were the corpses of the monsters that had suddenly appeared from the south and pushed their way into the royal capital, beasts with the heads of animals and the bodies of humans.

Most of them had wolf heads, but the man in front of the old man was different, with a lion’s head, covered in blood-red mane.

The man held a black cudgel, covered in blood and flesh, in his hand.

When the old man’s gaze fell upon the cudgel, the man – the one called the Lion King beyond the wall – slightly raised the cudgel and spoke.

“Skull Crusher. It’s made of dragon bones.”

“I knew it was extraordinary, but it really is something from a legend. So, there are dragons beyond the wall where you came from?”

“Most of them are dead, but they still exist.”

“That’s amazing. I wish I could see one at least once.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Ah, maybe after I defeat you, I’ll go to the world beyond the wall and see the dragons. Don’t make conclusions too soon.”

The old man’s words made the man laugh out loud.

It wasn’t a mocking laugh.

The man liked the old man.

And so, even though he already knew the answer, he couldn’t help but ask.

“Do you have no intention of defecting?”

At the man’s question, the old man blinked in surprise, as though he had never heard such a thing, and then asked, in astonishment.

“Are you asking me to betray humanity and join the monsters?”

“Monsters, monsters.”

“If it offends you, I apologize. Actually, looking at that cudgel, I’m not really sorry. It looks like it’s stained with my subordinate’s blood too. You’re a bad guy. Is it wrong to call a monster a monster?”

The man chuckled softly at the old man’s words.

He felt that there was nothing wrong with the old man’s words.

And so, he recalled the stories he had heard as a child and said.

“There were monsters among humans too. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Those who monopolized the fire by building the wall.”

“Did you see them in person?”

“King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table? No, I’ve never seen them. I’ve only heard legends about them.”

“No, not that. Did you see the part where King Arthur and the others monopolized the fire and so on? Did you see that yourself?”

Among the monsters that had invaded, there were plenty that could engage in intelligent conversation, just like the man before him.

So, the old man already knew why the monsters had invaded.

It was to reclaim the fire of civilization that humanity had monopolized.

To leave the ash-covered world and once again enjoy the benefits of fire.

But it was a one-sided story.

That King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table had monopolized the fire?

Such legends hadn’t been passed down among humans.

At the old man’s question, the man shrugged and answered.

“That’s also a legend. But after entering beyond the wall, I can at least tell you that humans enjoyed the benefits of civilization’s fire among themselves.”

“What is it like outside?”

“It’s ashen. It’s all ash. Cold, barren, desolate, and always winter. It’s a harsh land. Even if we combine all the species beyond the wall, there are fewer of them than humans.”

The man turned his head and looked into the distance.

The sky above the royal capital was scorched red, but the sky far away was glowing a beautiful shade of blue.

It was a beautiful sight unimaginable in the ash-covered world beyond the wall.

“Is this King Arthur’s fault then?”

“We believe so.”

The man looked back at the old man again.

The old man thought for a moment and then asked.

“If you have a name for your species, tell me.”

“Barakan. But we’re usually called Werebeasts.”

“Your name?”

“Marcus.”

“Marcus.”

The old man called the man’s name once.

Then, the man suddenly smiled.

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been called by my name. Usually, I’m called the Lion King.”

One of the Seven Kings beyond the wall, Lion King Marcus.

Hearing the man’s words, the old man nodded.

“I think I understand. I too am often called by my title, the Guardian General, rather than my name. My name is El Cardo.”

“El, I see. I understand you have no intention of defecting. I’ve enjoyed our conversation, but I think it’s time to wrap things up. No more stalling.”

At the man’s words, the old man smiled bitterly.

“Have I been caught?”

“Yes, but since it’s you, I won’t send any pursuit teams.”

The reason the old man had been making jokes at the man was because of the group that had fled north after leaving the royal capital.

The man’s words, that he would let them go, made the old man’s expression grow complicated, but he finally dropped his shoulders and said.

“I really don’t want to say this, but I have no choice. Thank you. I don’t know if I can repay you, but I won’t forget this kindness.”

“Alright, so let’s begin now.”

At the man’s words, the old man nodded.

He straightened his sword, which had been drooping, and spoke to the man.

“What I’m about to say isn’t just a delaying tactic. Consider it my respect for the one who may be my final opponent in life.”

The man nodded and raised his cudgel.

They had been having a friendly conversation until just moments ago, but it was no longer the case.

The man looked at the old man seriously, his eyes filled with tension, and the old man whispered softly.

“Oath of the Guardian. Even in death, I shall protect this kingdom.”

That was the old man’s knight code, the path of life that the man who had protected the kingdom for his entire life had walked.

The old man’s spirit resonated in his sword as the old man’s will began to dominate the surroundings.

Third-tier chivalry was the development of ideals.

Standing not on the corpse-laden defensive wall, but on the beautiful royal capital, the old man raised his sword.

“Come.”

The man, the Lion King, bared his teeth in a savage grin as he charged toward the human monster.

“Hello, I’m Morgan. Nice to meet you.”

The figure that appeared in the place where the golden flash had vanished was a young woman, likely in her mid-to-late twenties.

She had long white hair and red eyes.

She was dressed in a loose, large-sleeved Eastern-style robe.

Wearing black clothes and holding a long pipe in her mouth, she greeted them casually, and Yoo Seong, slightly taken aback by her appearance, which was so different from the knights they had encountered so far, responded in a calm tone.

“I’m Yoo Seong. This is the king’s mage, Rene, and the king’s saint, Jillian.”

When Yoo Seong introduced Rene and Jillian, the woman – Morgan – smiled broadly and waved her hand again.

“Hello, hello.”

“Uh, hello.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jillian.”

Rene replied with a slightly flustered tone, and Jillian responded with a somewhat awkward smile, giving a brief bow in return.

Then Morgan adjusted her seated position to be more comfortable, gently touching the hilt of one of the three swords at her waist and spoke.

“I’m Morgan. I’m a swordswoman. I’m good with swords. Aside from that, I don’t remember much. Who was I? I liked alcohol, meat, handsome men, and beautiful women.”

She paused mid-sentence, a thoughtful look on her face as she rested her chin in her hand and tilted her head, before breaking into a smile again and continuing.

“Anyway, I’m the captain of the swordsman unit, right? A sword master. Yeah, that sounds right. Our swordsman unit can use sword techniques. Each sword technique has different performance, so it’d be nice if you could give commands for the right sword technique based on the situation. It’s not just about standing in place; there’s magical power too. The sword technique itself is like a magic circle. Cool, huh? In a way, it’s like a combined form of chivalry, right?”

She rambled on, then puffed her chest out proudly, starting to boast.

‘Indeed, the opposite of Diana.’

Diana, who spoke in extremely short sentences, and Morgan, who spoke in extremely long ones.

While Yoo Seong thought that, Morgan opened her mouth again and attached herself to Rene.

“By the way, you’re really pretty. Morgana was pretty, but not cute or lovable, but you’re different. Want to call me ‘older sister’?”

“What?”

“Older sister. Huh? Older sister.”

“Uh, older sister?”

“Aww, you’re so cute.”

Morgan pulled Rene into a tight hug and rubbed her cheek against hers, causing even the queen of friendliness, Rene, to be momentarily flustered.

What is she?

Is she some kind of human capybara?

“Alright, now you try calling me.”

“Me?!”

Jillian asked, flustered, and Morgan nodded.

“Yeah, try calling me. Older sister. I’m older than I look. So, I’ll probably be your older sister.”

Morgan counted on her fingers as she said this, and Jillian hesitated for a moment, before blushing and saying:

“Uh, older sister.”

“Hehe, so cute.”

While still hugging Rene, Morgan giggled and looked at Yoo Seong.

“Don’t worry. I won’t ask the heir to call me ‘older sister.’ But, if you really want to, I won’t refuse.”

“Well, I’m the heir for now.”

Although Yoo Seong had no intention of asserting authority in front of the knights, he couldn’t help but think, ‘Isn’t this a bit much?’

Morgan giggled and said, “Yeah, heir. You’re not a king yet. We were originally close with the king, too. Kate, that uptight one, was always nagging, but when she wasn’t around, we had so much fun.”

“What did you do for fun?”

Rene asked reflexively, and Yoo Seong, Jillian, and even Morgan were momentarily taken aback, but it was only for a brief moment.

“Hmm? Well, what do you think we did for fun? Maybe we did something dirty?”

As Morgan let out a mischievous laugh and blew air into Rene’s ear, Rene let out a small scream and flinched.

“Alright, enough.”

At Yoo Seong’s interruption, Morgan nodded, returned to her seat, and spoke.

“Okay, okay. It’s just that the wizard is so cute. Merlin left, and now this cute girl is here. The world has gotten better, right?”

She was really a talkative woman.

‘Should I just send her away for now?’

While Yoo Seong was thinking this, Rene raised her hand and asked.

“How was Merlin?”

“Hmm? Merlin? Merlin… Well, Merlin was a man. He was a man and… hmm, he got caught peeping while Kate was bathing. He said it wasn’t on purpose, just by chance, and Kate said the same, but it was really fun to tease him about it. Hmm. And… and… I can’t really remember much else.”

Because she was a beauty, it was rather pleasant to see her smiling while holding the pipe in her mouth.

But instead of showing any fondness for Morgan, Yoo Seong spoke with a tired expression.

“Kate, gather.”

Once again, with a flash of golden light, a woman appeared.

“You called—”

“Kate!”

“Mo—”

Kate, who had been about to show respect to Yoo Seong, turned around in surprise at the sight of Morgan.

Morgan immediately ran over and hugged Kate.

“Our nagging queen! The one in charge of discipline! But you’re really pretty. Don’t you think Kate is beautiful? She’s probably the prettiest in Camelot, right? She’s got a great figure.”

“Enough. We are in front of the heir.”

“He’s not a king yet, you know.”

“Stop joking. If you keep doing this, I’ll really get mad.”

“Isn’t your forehead always furrowed? You’re always angry, Kate. That’s why you get those wrinkles on your brow.”

At Morgan’s words, Kate’s face turned bright red.

Not because she was embarrassed, but because she was genuinely angry.

But even then, Kate was still Kate.

After gritting her teeth, she forcibly pulled Morgan away and gave a respectful bow to Yoo Seong.

“I apologize on behalf of Morgan for her rudeness.”

“It’s fine. It’s not Kate’s fault.”

“Wait, so you’re saying I was rude?”

Morgan asked with a mixture of indignation and betrayal on her face, and Kate, uncharacteristically, scoffed.

“Are you asking that because you don’t know?”

At Kate’s words, Morgan looked hurt, but Kate didn’t fall for it.

Rather, Kate smiled, though subtly, and then turned to Yoo Seong.

“Lord Heir, I’ll take her back.”

“Yeah. I’ll leave it to Kate.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

“Now this really makes it seem like I’m the troublemaker.”

Morgan grumbled, but Yoo Seong and Kate ignored it, and Kate, almost as if to arrest her, grabbed Morgan’s arm.

“Let’s go back.”

“Tch, I hate the heir.”

With Morgan’s sulking, the two women vanished with a flash of light.

Then, after a few seconds, as if the storm had passed, Yoo Seong let out a sigh without realizing it, when Rene called him.

“Heir.”

“Uh, Rene.”

“Can I look at the Castle?”

Rene wasn’t talking about being addicted to Yoo Seong Castle.

Kate, who had dragged Morgan away.

What kind of situation would be unfolding at Yoo Seong Castle now?

Yoo Seong was curious too, and Jillian, though she didn’t speak, looked quite intrigued.

So Yoo Seong, praising Rene as the king’s magician, opened the Castle.

“As expected.”

“Just as I predicted.”

In the center of Yoo Seong Castle Kate was beating her chest in frustration, nagging, while Morgan was ignoring her words and performing some mysterious dance.

Next to them, Hector, who was smiling wryly, and Roland, who was swinging a spear in the training ground, paid no mind to the new arrivals.

By the way, Vanadain and Diana were still nowhere to be seen.

“Well… at least I don’t think they’re bad people.”

Rene said awkwardly, and Yoo Seong nodded.

There were a lot of words, but at least as long as they fought well, it was fine.

‘The excessive points were probably because of the sword techniques.’

Moreover, now that he looked again, there had been some changes in the swordsmanship and the addition of sword masters to the unit.

‘Maybe new functions open up when you reach level 2.’

Since there was a sword master, new functions could be unlocked.

‘Unfortunately, I don’t have any points right now.’

He had used them all on upgrading the unit and recruiting the sword unit.

Trying to ease his disappointment, Yoo Seong turned back to the center, where he finally couldn’t hold back and let out a wry smile at the sight of Kate, who was sulking, while Morgan received a playful slap on the head.

“Kate is a person too.”

As he heard Rene’s somewhat strange impression, Yoo Seong closed the Castle.

Then, the next afternoon, the allied forces led by Yoo Seong reached Baron William’s territory.