FATE: The Man with Divine Keys

"This man, both a prince and a knight hailing from the Kingdom of Ganna, falsely accused a kind-hearted peasant woman of theft in his greedy pursuit of wyvern blood. This accusation came despite her generous and sincere act of sheltering him! Such vile and dirty behavior has tainted the name of a knight!"

Arkhan's voice echoed with indignation in the ears of everyone, and at that moment, all eyes turned towards the bandaged man with undisguised disgust.

The people who hung their heads in shame were the same people who had been present at the time and had harbored greedy thoughts for wyvern blood. Now, they wish they could disappear.

"But fortunately, my student happened to pass by at that moment and prevented this tragedy from occurring. I am proud of her."

'Teacher, why are you saying that?! Hopefully, my disguise won't be exposed!' Artoria exclaimed inwardly while her face displayed a hint of panic.

"But!" Arkhan's tone shifted, "What I didn't expect is this prince, would become so petty and vicious. He sent his men to find the woman's home, not only to seize her wyvern blood but even to kill her child that was still in her womb!"

""What?!""

Gasps filled the crowd, and angry glares were directed at the bandaged man; if looks could kill, the prince would have been torn to pieces a thousand times over.

The black-robed old man who had quietly peeked out met the furious gaze of the crowd and immediately felt his legs go weak. Despair covered his aged face.

Artoria's complexion turned extremely pale. With her intelligence, she knew the gravity of her mistake all too well.

The thought of nearly causing the death of a mother and her child overwhelmed Artoria with waves of dizziness, regret, and self-blame, gnawing at her soul like a relentless predator.

Arkhan reached out and beckoned, and the jar that had been placed in the corner flew into his hand, displayed before everyone.

"Inside this jar lies wyvern blood. I can vouch for it with my name; this jar was not stolen, her husband exchanged his life for it. He was a noble knight who sacrificed himself to protect his comrades, and his dying wish was for his child to become a respected and powerful knight. To fulfill his wish, I gave this jar of wyvern blood to his wife."

People straightened their backs, their expressions solemn, paying the highest tribute to the knight who had sacrificed himself for others.

It was an era of knights, and those who could embody the spirit of a knight, even in death, earned respect from the people.

"But what I didn't expect is that this jar of wyvern blood would become the source of calamity, straying from its purpose. Even her husband, I'm sure, wouldn't want to see his wife and child suffer more because of this jar. So, I've decided to destroy it!"

Arkhan released his grip, and the heavy jar fell straight to the ground, making a loud crash as crimson blood and shards scattered.

As the crowd smelled the much stronger scent of blood, they once again stirred.

"So, it really is wyvern blood?"

"Such a pity, although just dragon subspecies, this wyvern blood is a rare find in the capital."

"But it's for the best; without it, that mother and child won't be targeted by anyone."

Some were surprised, some were regretful, and some didn't care. However, one thing was certain—Arkhan's image had risen even higher in the eyes of the people.

"All the men sent by this prince have been killed by me. Originally, I was planning to kill him too, but his servant told me that I would be giving Camelot a new enemy, provoking a war, and I would become the sinner for all of Camelot!"

Arkhan spread his hands.

"Honestly, this is one of the funniest jokes I've heard in over a decade. A small kingdom of a hundred thousand people dares to threaten us? Just because we haven't had a king in over a dozen years, just because the Vile King Vortigern is eyeing us, just because we're surrounded by the Anglo-Saxons, facing enemies on all sides. So now, even an unknown small kingdom dares to insult us, mistreat our people, steal our possessions, and even covet the sword in the stone! Has Camelot truly fallen?!"

Arkhan's voice grew louder, and in the end, it roared like thunder.

"Tell me, can you all tolerate such a thing happening?!"

""No!""

The crowd yelled with anger in unison.

"What is this Ganna? A small kingdom we've never heard of and they dare to provoke us?"

"Anyone who dares to touch Camelot, I'll kill ten of them in retaliation!"

"They even stole from a peasant woman, and a prince at that. They must be too poor!"

Arkhan's impassioned words were like a matchstick that ignited the emotions of the crowd.

A surge of anger and indignation coursed through them as Arkhan continued his speech:

"So what if we haven't had a king for over a decade? Vortigern hasn't set foot in Camelot even now. Why should we fear them?

Camelot is Britain's mightiest country. It was before, and it always will be. We have the bravest warriors! Whoever faces us can only flee, for we are the hunters, and they are the prey!

With our own hands, we will carve out an unwavering future! If anyone dares to challenge us, tell them—If you want a war, then let's have a war!"

""War! War! War!""

The crowd erupted into a thunderous cheer. This impassioned speech ignited a fire within everyone's hearts, spreading like wildfire.

Watching this scene, Arkhan smiled faintly.

"Now, make your choice..."

Arkhan said calmly and dispersed the hand of Rune. The unconscious prince plummeted downward instantly to the front of the crowd.

Dozens of swords were raised, sending a chill down the black-robed old man's spine. The crowd cheered, and the atmosphere reached a new peak as the blood of the prince splattered.

"Arkhan!"

Someone started it, and then it spread like a plague. Everyone raised their hands like fanatic cultists, shouting the same name.

""Arkhan! Arkhan! Arkhan!""

Artoria's eyes gleamed with hope as she watched the man being called upon like a hero standing atop the tower. This was the majestic presence she had once admired, commanding the loyalty and admiration of thousands, instilling boundless confidence and hope in the people.

'But can I really live up to this now?' Artoria wondered.

Thinking of the mother and child who had almost died because of her naivety and inexperience, her clear azure eyes filled with a hint of sadness.

She recalled the words Arkhan had spoken to her that day—"Are you truly prepared to become a king?"

===

Listening to the shouts of thousands ringing in her ears, Yulina's eyes displayed a peculiar shade as she gazed at the man standing by the wall.

'He feels so much like that person...' She muttered inwardly.

Arkhan turned around, looking at the despairing black-robed old man calmly.

"You must have heard it too; this is our choice. Since you want to start a war, we have no reason to refuse. I won't kill you, go back and tell your king to prepare... the war is about to begin."