I Became a Mythical Knight King

Chapter 85: Victory (2)

“I’m Cheon Yoo Seong. Nice to meet you.”

When Yoo Seong replied with a smile, Juliet continued in her formal tone.

“We owe you a debt to Rene. Thank you for taking care of her.”

The content was warm, but Juliet’s expression and voice carried a slightly stiff feeling, likely due to her overly polite demeanor.

If it had been Rene, she would probably have said it with a carefree smile.

But there was no rule that sisters had to share the same attitude.

Moreover, Juliet, while excessively formal at the moment, was fundamentally observing proper etiquette, so there was nothing wrong with her approach.

In fact, Yoo Seong found her strong and efficient manner likable, reminiscent of an elite knight who got things done.

“On the contrary, I was the one who received a lot of help. Rene is truly a talented magician.”

When Yoo Seong said that, Juliet offered a small smile.

Meanwhile, Rene, listening nearby, blushed and grinned shyly.

‘Yes, that’s the Rene I know.’

But knowing she would undoubtedly feel embarrassed if he turned to look, Yoo Seong deliberately refrained, while Juliet, who couldn’t help but see Rene due to her position, briefly furrowed her brow before returning her gaze to Yoo Seong and speaking again.

“That’s fortunate to hear. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“Yes, I also look forward to it.”

After concluding what felt like an introductory exchange with Juliet, Yoo Seong approached Baron Anjou and the knights.

He needed to converse with them as well.

“Black Knight of Lothian! I knew we could count on you!”

Baron Laval was the first to approach him warmly.

It wasn’t just an act; he genuinely seemed thrilled.

‘He’s a good person, even if he’s a bit clueless.’

He had even apologized for his unpleasant behavior during the Lords’ Council and was the first to express his gratitude.

“The victory is thanks to everyone’s efforts.”

Saying this, Yoo Seong shared kind words with Baron Anjou and the other knights, sharing in the joy of their victory.

‘But are those two not that close?’

Rene and Juliet.

As soon as Yoo Seong stepped away, Rene eagerly approached Juliet and began chattering. However, Juliet didn’t seem very responsive, judging by her demeanor.

‘Judging from Rene’s behavior, it doesn’t look like they have a bad relationship…It’s probably just Juliet separating work from personal matters.’

It seemed like she thought they could chat later since they were working now. That was the vibe.

While letting Baron Laval’s chatter pass through one ear and out the other, Yoo Seong joined the knights heading to Baron Robert’s castle.

“Wooooaaahhhh!”

“The Black Knight of Lothian!”

“Black Knight!”

“Black Knight!”

“The Golden Black Knight!”

As they neared the castle walls, the soldiers erupted in thunderous cheers.

Seeing thousands of people cheering for him brought a smile to Yoo Seong’s face.

He had grown accustomed to the nickname “Black Knight” after hearing it so often.

Pausing briefly, Yoo Seong turned to look at the cheering soldiers.

Their appearances were disheveled from the fierce battle against an enemy more than twice their number, yet their smiling faces shone brightly, as if radiating light.

It was a sight he had also seen in Lothian and Lushen.

They had won.

They had survived.

They could welcome tomorrow.

Waving at the cheering soldiers, Yoo Seong felt relieved.

Relieved that he had been able to lead them to victory.

Relieved that he had been able to save so many.

‘Or perhaps, I wasn’t the one saving them.’

They had fought together.

The victory over Balakai and the Ratmen wasn’t achieved solely by Yoo Seong and the knights.

They had saved each other.

It was truly a battle won through everyone’s combined efforts.

After waving a few more times, Yoo Seong entered the castle gates.

Inside, Baron Robert, who had been waiting eagerly for Yoo Seong’s arrival, greeted him with sparkling eyes.

“That was truly an incredible battle!”

It wasn’t mere flattery.

The sight of knights fighting with radiant golden light against the evil deity’s incarnation that painted the sky purple had been nothing short of mythical.

In truth, it had been a holy arrow shot by Vanadain that had finished off the Balakai. However, observing from afar, Baron Robert didn’t know the details.

To him, it seemed like Yoo Seong’s golden light had immobilized and destroyed the Balakai.

Not knowing what misunderstanding Baron Robert had, Yoo Seong didn’t bother to correct him, simply smiling before moving forward. That was when he spotted Jillian.

Her face bore clear traces of tears, evidence that she had truly cried. Seeing Yoo Seong and Rene safe, her eyes welled up again, and she gently patted her chest with a fist as she spoke.

“Glory to Camelot.”

“Glory to Camelot.”

Returning her salute, Yoo Seong stepped closer to Jillian and said:

“Thanks to you, we were able to protect the gates.”

Jillian stopped Balakai’s powerful destructive ray…

“That’s right, that’s right. If it weren’t for you, the gates might have been destroyed, and the entire battle situation could have changed. You really made a huge contribution.”

Rene, who had been standing behind Yoo Seong, added in agreement, clapping her hands as if to emphasize her point. Those around them nodded as well.

“That’s the truth. Thanks to Saint Jillian, the gates were safe.”

Having said that, Baron Robert suddenly looked around, as if rallying the crowd, and shouted:

“Alright! Let’s praise the saint again!”

“Saint!”

“Saint!”

“Saint of Omphalos!”

“Saint, you’re so beautiful!”

“Long live Saint Jillian!”

From the mouths of thousands of soldiers, loud and colorful praises were being poured out, causing Jillian to flinch, her face turning red. In the end, she could no longer bear it and hid her face behind her hands.

But for some reason…

Yoo Seong had a feeling that Jillian would be smiling brightly behind her hands.

Smiling, Yoo Seong decided not to peek at her hands and instead spoke to Baron Robert.

“Baron Robert, may I ask you to handle the aftermath?”

After a battle, there was always cleanup to be done.

At Yoo Seong’s request, Baron Robert pounded his chest with a proud gesture.

“Of course. I’ll take care of it. I’ve already arranged for your bathwater, so please rest well, Black Knight.”

“Thank you.”

Although he wasn’t about to collapse, Yoo Seong was starting to feel like he could fall asleep at any moment.

After expressing his gratitude again, he headed toward the inner castle where his bath awaited.

After Yoo Seong had finished his bath and fallen into a deep sleep on his bed, Rene was in her room, facing Juliet.

“Who am I? The magician of His Majesty the King of Camelot, who was directly chosen by the Goddess of the Lake.”

Rene tilted her head high, laughing a mischievous laugh. She then dramatically spread her arms wide and continued in an exaggerated tone.

“When everyone said it was a lie, when they called it a dream, when they criticized me for pretending to pray while actually napping, I stubbornly pushed through, and in the end, I fulfilled the prophecy given by the goddess as the magician of His Majesty the King of Camelot.”

After twirling in place to finish her performance, Rene shot a look at Juliet, signaling her to apologize. But instead of the face of a polite, elite knight, Juliet now looked at her sister with the expression of an older sister who had to deal with her foolish younger sibling. She just snorted and rolled her eyes.

“Enough of that. So, when are you getting married?”

“Huh?”

Rene reacted with a strange sound at the completely unexpected question, and Juliet frowned in disbelief.

“What? You wrote a letter like that, and now you’ve done nothing? Did you at least kiss him?”

“Wh, wh, what are you talking about, sister? Why would we kiss?!”

Rene’s face turned bright red as she screamed, and Juliet, looking at her with a face full of exasperation, then imitated Rene’s mannerisms.

“You’re supposed to kiss. Then, have a night together. Have kids. Get married.”

“Sister?”

At first, it seemed like Juliet was just teasing, but as the conversation progressed, her expression and gaze grew more serious, and Rene asked in a flustered voice.

Then Juliet clicked her tongue and, with a gentle touch on her younger sister’s cheek, said:

“He’s the King’s Heir, the rightful successor of King Arthur Pendragon. The true king of humanity. Not just the kings of the five kingdoms, but even the emperor of the empire falls short in terms of legitimacy compared to him.”

This was the primary reason why Yoo Seong kept his identity as the heir to the Holy King a secret and also one of the three reasons why the Baltois family had decided to cooperate with him wholeheartedly.

Juliet wasn’t merely teasing her cute younger sister about her love life.

She was talking about the political matter of a marriage between the Baltois family and the heir to the throne of Camelot, a marriage that could be secured through an arranged political union.

“Father also wishes for it. So, take the opportunity and make it happen. I’ve heard that you two are getting along well. You even serve him tea every night, so I assumed you had already set up your bridal chamber, but it’s still not done?”

When Juliet said the word “make it happen,” Rene was about to shout at her to be careful with her words, but she couldn’t. The following remark was too shocking to ignore.

“Wait a second. I don’t quite understand. Served him tea every night? Who?”

“You.”

“Who’s?”

“The Black Knight’s.”

At Juliet’s words, Rene tilted her head in confusion, looking blankly at her. Juliet narrowed her eyes.

“I heard you go to the Black Knight’s room every night. The rumors have been spreading.”

“W, what do you mean?”

“It’s well known. How you go to the Black Knight’s room every night. They say you even act cute and ask to visit his room in front of the maids and servants.”

“W, what?”

“What? You’re saying it’s not true? It’s a rumor, then?”

Rene, who was about to shout “no” to Juliet’s question, hesitated for a moment.

When she thought about it, she realized that, from some perspectives, she had said things that could be misunderstood.

As Rene hesitated, Juliet clicked her tongue and shook her head, speaking.

“Considering your reaction, it doesn’t seem like complete nonsense. You’re really bad at lying.”

“Sister. I think there’s a misunderstanding, and that’s how the rumor started, you know? But, has the rumor really spread that much?”

“Well, at least everyone in the West knows about it. They say you visit the Black Knight’s room every night.”

It was truly maddening and absurd.

But, as a logical magician, Rene began to persuade the person in front of her first.

“I don’t go every night, okay? And I just went to see the castle, not the kind of thing you’re imagining, or anything… that kind of stuff! I’m not doing that!”

“The castle? What’s that?”

“I-I can’t explain. It’s good.”

“Seems suspicious since you can’t explain it well?”

“No! It’s just really good, I swear! Not anything inappropriate.”

“Alright. But what’s with the rumor?”

“What?”

“They say you traveled alone to rescue the Barony of Volano. You must’ve slept together, right?”

“W-well, that’s true…”

“Oh, so you slept together?”

As Juliet’s eyes gleamed, she asked, Rene shrugged her shoulders and started fidgeting with her fingers out of habit.

“Well, we did, but… just. Yeah. We just did.”

“Just?”

“Y-yeah. Just.”

Upon Rene’s answer, Juliet took a step back, crossed her arms, and began scanning Rene from head to toe.

“Sister?”

“You’re a beautiful woman, even if you’re my younger sister. You’ve gotten even prettier than before you ran away. Is there something wrong with the Black Knight?”

“No! Our heir is healthy and normal! He’s perfectly fine!”

“How do you know? Did you see him healthy?”

“Sister!”

This ridiculous older sister!

She had no shame!

After letting out an exasperated scream, Rene took a deep breath to calm herself, and then spoke in a firm tone.

“Anyway, I’m not like that with the heir. We have a healthy relationship between a king and a magician.”

“What a load of crap.”

“Sister! I told you not to swear!”

“Am I the older sister, or are you? And healthy? You’re saying you’re not like that? Then what’s this?”

At that point, Juliet rummaged through her bag and pulled out a piece of paper to start reading aloud.

“The heir hugged me so tightly, he was firm, hard, trustworthy, and warm…”

Good heavens.

What on earth is she talking about?

“I-I never said that!”

“Did you forget that this is the letter you sent me?”

Saying this, Juliet handed the paper to Rene, and Rene let out a silent scream.

It was indeed her own handwriting.

What had she done in the past?

Had she gone mad for a moment?

“Well, anyway, it’s a war situation. I don’t have the urgency to push for anything right now. If needed, I can step in.”

“Did I just hear something very strange?”

Who’s stepping in?

At Rene’s remark, Juliet smiled mischievously and, once again, gently patted Rene’s cheek as she asked.

“Anyway, have you been well? Are you injured?”

“No. How are Father and Mother? What about my older brother and younger siblings?”

“Everyone is fine.”

Having said that, Juliet naturally led Rene to the couch and sat beside her, speaking.

“Why don’t you tell me about what’s been happening?”

After all, they were sisters, and it was time to catch up after months apart.

At Juliet’s words, Rene nodded and began chattering away.

The Black Knight’s Victory was overwhelming.

The Ratman army was completely annihilated and the enemy leader was defeated.

Upon hearing the continuous reports of victory, Count Carian clenched his fist.

As expected from the legitimate heir of King Arthur.

Silently cheering, Count Carian turned his gaze toward the map spread out on his desk.

He had stayed in Lushen to form an alliance with the Western Lords, but he had already received much information about the territory of Count Artois.

Count Artois had been defeated twice, and in those two battles, both the heir who was supposed to inherit the lands and even the Count’s life had been lost.

‘If it’s him, he’ll go directly to reclaim Legion.’

Since they couldn’t move immediately after a battle, it would probably take a few days, even if they rested for one day, to reclaim Legion.

‘Baron Robert is a follower of the Holy King Heir.’

Moreover, this time, since the territory was saved, Baron Robert, by nature, would already be a loyal follower of the Holy King Heir.

‘The two southern territories of Legion are occupied by Ratmen, so the barons are most likely dead, but the northern remaining territory is easy to sway.’

Once Legion is reclaimed, Yoo Seong will become the owner of Count Artois’s land.

This wasn’t an exaggeration or delusion.

Count Carian was planning to do just that, and Count Baltois would likely be thinking the same.

‘I must hurry to rebuild the Barony of Volano.’

While Yoo Seong reclaims Legion and drives the Ratmen out of Count Artois’s lands, he would rebuild the Barony of Volano and give the Barony of Fabian to Lothian.

This way, Yoo Seong would effectively control two baronies, and with Count Carian and Count Baltois working together, it would be no exaggeration to say that the entire West would fall under Yoo Seong’s influence.

Although two other baronial families remained, one was practically a subordinate of Count Baltois, and the other was closer to the center than the West.

Among the independent lords, many admired Yoo Seong, so turning the entire West into his territory wouldn’t be a difficult task.

Count Carian looked at the map again.

The kingdom’s capital was still half-paralyzed.

The king had collapsed due to illness and couldn’t even move, and the princess had gone to the south to fight the monsters advancing from there with Sir Bisten, the kingdom’s only 3rd-level knight.

If the intelligence from the central region was correct, the Cabal Kingdom, one of the five kingdoms, was being pushed back helplessly by the monster forces.

The number of monsters advancing south was steadily increasing, and if the Cabal Kingdom fell, the Silatein Kingdom would certainly be swept up in a great disaster soon after.

Before that day arrived, the King’s forces — the forces of the Holy King Heir— needed to be strengthened and prepared as much as possible.

‘That is my role. My mission.’

It was the great wizard Merlin who made King Arthur a king.

Count Carian himself, just like Merlin, was determined to play the role of the kingmaker.

Although he had defeated the leader of the Ratmen invading Count Artois’ lands and crushed the main forces, Count Carian did not stop in his efforts to form the Western Lords’ alliance.

And the next afternoon the army of the Western Lords, led by Yoo Seong, left Baron Robert’s lands and began marching toward Legion.