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IBHJ Chapter 250
🕑 Added 2023-05-07 22:45:23 +0000 UTCAfter a month and a half, Agravain led Kay and Gawain back to Camelot to resume their duties. As the King, Shirou summoned them alone in the palace.
From his throne, Shirou watched as Agravain and his companions knelt before him, heads bowed, performing the knight's salute. "How is the situation on Morgan's side?"
Before Agravain could answer, Shirou waved his hand to interrupt him and turned to Kay. "Kay, please speak."
Kay lifted his head and replied calmly, "Everything is normal, my king. You can rest assured that she did not obtain your bloodline."
His words brought a sense of relief to Shirou, and he relaxed a bit, leaning lazily on his throne. "And how is Cornwall faring under Morgan's rule?"
"My king, the situation is very stable," Kay replied. "Morgan enforces strict laws and rules with an iron fist."
He nodded in understanding. Enforcing the law to govern the people seemed like something his wilful younger sister would do. However, he couldn't help but wonder how far she would go to achieve her goals.
Shirou felt a slight sense of relief that Morgan hadn't obtained his bloodline. He sat lazily on his throne and asked, "What about Artoria?"
Kay began to speak, but Shirou interrupted him. "Gawain, please speak."
"What? Me?" Gawain pointed to himself, looking hesitant.
"Of course," he nodded. "Agravain is Morgan's child, so I had Kay answer about her. And since Kay is Artoria's brother, it's only fair that you answer. So, how is Artoria doing with her territory governance?"
Gawain took a deep breath before responding. "Speaking for myself, my king, I believe Artoria is doing very well. She has the charisma and leadership of a true king."
Shirou raised his eyebrows, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh? So, Artoria defeated you in combat, and now everything she does is good, right?" he said, pointing at Gawain teasingly.
Caught off guard, Gawain scratched the back of his head and showed an embarrassed smile. "Hahaha...you caught me, my king."
Shirou chuckled before dismissing them. "Alright, you may all go now. Once the war is over, I'll reward you with a large territory based on your achievements. You will become great lords, able to show off your power to others and your descendants,"
Gawain looked at Shirou strangely and asked, "My king, hasn't the war already ended?"
Shirou shook his head. "Not yet. There is still one last enemy. We'll begin preparations within the next three years. During this time, you can relax a bit, but don't let your guard down. Train the soldiers, practice your martial arts, and don't slack off."
The three knights nodded in understanding. "Yes, my king."
"You may go now," Shirou said.
"Yes, my king!" The three of them exchanged glances before bowing and slowly exiting the palace.
Although their words put Shirou at ease, he still felt it was necessary to observe the situation personally. However, it wasn't the right time yet. Once the capital stabilized, he planned to conduct an inspection himself under the guise of an official visit.
...
It was now the sixth month since the destruction of Camelot, and finally, the city had been rebuilt from the ruins. It was a rebirth from the ashes, a symbol of the resilience and determination of its people.
The city's appearance and spatial distribution of buildings embodied a modern urban landscape. The buildings were interwoven and clearly structured like teeth, with various functional buildings arranged within it, presenting a prosperous appearance.
With Cornwall's political institutions now relocated to Camelot, Shirou utilized the Round Table gifted to him by Lancelot to control and inspect the various regions of his kingdom.
Each year, representatives of knights were drawn from the different territories of the Kingdom of Camelot to attend the Round Table Conference. However, unlike the Round Table Knights in the Arthurian legend, Shirou allocated the number of participants based on the size and importance of the territory.
In total, there were 120 participants who were then distributed to their respective territories to gather public opinions and issues, monitor the lords, and then raise them in meetings.
The Round Table Knights comprised representatives from various classes, including nobles, commoners, and merchants. This mechanism was a unique combination of democratic centralism, aristocratic politics, and a parliamentary system, tailored to the actual situation in Camelot.
Some might even view it as a relatively primitive form of a parliamentary system. However, it ensured that the voices of all classes were being heard and represented.
One significant difference with the Round Table Knights was that they were not required to collect information from officials, but rather from the various territories themselves.
Shirou was careful not to give the Round Table any power, as its main purpose was to control the regions, regulate conflicts between them and the central government, and strengthen the royal power.
To prevent corruption, Shirou had implemented various internal control measures, including the two-year term limit for each knight. This ensured that fresh perspectives were brought to the table and prevented any one person from becoming too entrenched in their position.
He had set up this control mechanism not for his own use, but to lay a strong foundation for his successor. He was not one to blindly follow the Arthurian epic. Rather, he believed in using whatever was useful, regardless of its origin.
For Shirou, reality and seeking truth were top priorities. This same attitude applied to his approach to the planet. While the planet's will might not have had a personality or high intelligence, its power was essential in dealing with the Crimson Moon.
His attitude towards the impending threat of the Crimson Moon was one of using any means necessary to deceive and eliminate it. He was willing to employ tricks, deception, confusion, and coercion, whatever it took to protect his kingdom and the planet as a whole.
In the racial war, he was not concerned with the means used to achieve victory. Even the planet was not immune to being deceived or coerced if it meant securing their survival.
He was also prepared to win over other powerful forces, such as the Eastern Roman Empire, the Holy See, the Visigoth Kingdom, the Burgundians, the Vandals, the True Ancestors, and Dead Apostles who were dissatisfied with the Crimson Moon. He was even willing to ally with Attila if it meant defeating their common enemy.
Shirou's military strategy was akin to his approach in dealing with Vortigern. He planned to isolate the Crimson Moon and unite all possible forces to strike and attack.
He knew that victory against such a powerful enemy could only be achieved through a united front, where each force utilized their unique strengths and abilities to their fullest potential.
There was one thing that was currently bothering Shirou - the Holy Church had found their way to the island and requested that he hold another coronation ceremony, crowning him as king in the name of God.
Shirou scoffed at the notion and even lamented, "Just killed one god, and now another one appears." He questioned whether he still needed the approval of the church when his words held more weight than those of the gods in the Camelot dynasty.
After all, he had single-handedly built this dynasty, and it was not just a kingdom, but rather an empire that spanned the north and south. The church's involvement seemed unnecessary to him, especially given his success in creating such a prosperous and powerful empire.
Shirou had a disdain for so-called divine power, but he could afford to disregard it in this era due to his immense popularity among the people. They had inexplicably started calling him the "Eternal King," which puzzled him.
While he did not need to concern himself with divine power, he was mindful of his successors and the need to maintain the stability and power of the empire. As such, he planned to let the members of the Holy Church who had come to the island wait for a while, while he prepared to assimilate some members of the church to make it serve the royal power.
He had put in a great deal of effort into planning for his successor. Despite many requests for another coronation ceremony, he had not agreed to it, as it would waste precious time and resources.
Having experienced the hardships of dividing one portion of food into ten during turbulent times, Shirou had learned to cherish resources. He knew that every resource and moment of time was valuable, especially with the looming threat of the Crimson Moon.
...
With the establishment of the national system and the stabilization of the capital city of Camelot, the time had come for Morgan to depart. Shirou was anxious and worried about her departure, and he couldn't wait to form an inspection team with Agravain, Gawain, Kay, and others to personally inspect her.
Despite his favor towards Morgan, Shirou was mindful of maintaining appearances to avoid conflicts with those who supported Artoria, such as Merlin and Kay. His ultimate goal was to ensure that his successor inherited a stable and prosperous dynasty, free from internal and external problems.
Speaking of Merlin, it had been a year since he had gone to find Zelretch and had not yet returned.
Shirou was not overly concerned about Merlin's absence, as he had already made preparations to deal with the Crimson Moon threat. Zelretch was merely an insurance policy, and Shirou was confident in his ability to tighten the net and take down their target, even without Zelretch's assistance.
However, the dynasty had many problems that needed to be addressed, and Shirou had yet to make a concrete plan. He was uncertain of the success rate, but he believed that by uniting all possible forces, they had a chance of success.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Shirou quietly led the inspection team to Cornwall, where they would assess Morgan's rule and ensure that everything was running smoothly in her territory.
