CK Simulation, Creating the Style of Tsukino Fumi

Page 98

Although he agreed to Mordred's request, Quinn did not explicitly state that he intended to change his plans.

"That concludes the war council meeting. Everyone, go back to your own business. Morgan and Lily, you two stay behind for a bit; I have something to discuss with you."

With Quinn finalizing the next plan, the Knights of the Round Table dispersed. With the great battle imminent, everyone had their own things to do. Based on past experience, as long as everyone did their part well, victory was inevitable. Therefore, no one cared why Quinn left Morgan and Lily alone, not even Artoria.

After most people had left, Morgan, who had been called back, noticed Mordred huddled in the corner. She immediately looked at Quinn. Her long experience with men told her that Quinn's refusal to let Mordred leave meant that he must have some ulterior motive.

"What are you planning to do now?" Morgan asked, displeased.

"It's rare for someone to ask me for a favor, so I was just a little bit selfish."

Someone asked for it, and I had selfish motives?

Morgan immediately looked at Mordred, who awkwardly scratched her face. This sight instantly dispelled Morgan's resentment. Since the matter involved Mordred, she had nothing more to say. "Alright, what do you want us to do now?"

"How much longer will it take to forge the Holy Sword? Can it be completed before the duel with Meliuchina?"

“That’s a bit too much to ask.” Before Morgan could speak, Lily, who was also in charge of forging the holy sword, couldn’t help but complain, “Forging the holy sword is a very complicated process. Even recasting the embryo is not…”

"can."

However, before Lily could finish complaining, Morgan agreed. She didn't say much, but looked at the fairy in the paradise who was of the same origin as her and could even be called her 'sister' with a pleading look. Under Morgan's gaze, the fairy in the paradise couldn't help but turn her head to look at Quinn, only to find that Quinn was looking at her with the same gaze.

"Oh my god, okay, okay, I'll work extra hard!"

Under the intense gaze of the two, the fairy of the paradise had no choice but to abandon her nature of slacking off like an ordinary country girl.

As the fairy of paradise answered, Mordred looked at Quinn with a gaze that was no longer just respect. To describe her feelings at this moment in one sentence, it would be: the Master's debt of gratitude can never be repaid.

After Morgan and Lily left, Mordred simply pounced on Quinn, frolicking around like a golden retriever.

"Master, thank you for your trust. I will definitely bring you victory!"

Actually, not winning isn't necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it's better to lose.

Quinn had intended to say that, but looking into Mordred's sparkling eyes, as if she had finally gained his trust, Quinn couldn't bring himself to say it.

Now that things have come to this, you can no longer admit that you just wanted the other person to go through the motions with the Sword of Kings. It's clear that you were able to summon Mordred because of compatibility. Even though you haven't spent much time with this Servant, you instinctively accept her just because of that face that looks exactly like Europa II.

[Perhaps, it's not impossible for her to actually defeat Melyuchina.]

[This thought arises in your mind, and in the following days, everything Mordred does only strengthens this belief. You discover that Mordred has actually started practicing swordsmanship diligently. Although this is just a last-minute cramming exercise, it has a completely different meaning when it comes to a Servant.]

Due to the special nature of Servants, Mordred's stats upon being summoned are at their peak during her lifetime, whether it's her physique, skills, or experience. From a familiar's perspective, this undoubtedly symbolizes her as the best familiar. However, conversely, it's almost impossible for her to advance further.

Limited by her so-called Spirit Origin, Mordred, now a dead woman, had already been stripped of her potential for growth. No matter how much she trained her swordsmanship, she could never surpass her peak in life. Her life had already ended at the Battle of Kamran, but even so, she was still trying to break through her limits. This was undoubtedly an action driven by her desire for victory. [The rest of the text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated, so it's omitted.]

She was anxious and eager. She knew she might lose, but because of your trust and commitment to you, she didn't want to lose. She wanted to win and bring you victory, and for that, she tried to surpass herself.

You understood Mordred's feelings and decided to offer her some small assistance.

So, you secretly found Lily and asked the fairies of Paradise to incorporate an exceptionally precious material into the holy sword's embryo when completing the final step of the sword-forging process. This material was your own rib.

You really want Mordred to win.

[Because the conditions for using the King's Sword in this world are exceptionally demanding, besides requiring the bloodlines of a red dragon and Morgan, one must also possess the bloodline of Europa. Mordred meets the first two requirements, but she lacks the last one. You are unsure whether the Holy Sword reforged by Lily and Morgan can remove this restriction. Therefore, to ensure that Mordred can unleash the full power of this newly created Holy Sword, you decide to pave the way for her.]

[The rib, the hematopoietic bone of human infants, is a symbol of creation in mysticism. From any perspective, it is a material closely related to bloodlines. By offering your rib, you hope to satisfy this holy sword's thirst for European blood.]

Fortunately, your final forging result was as you wished. With the Paradise Fairy and Morgan working overtime, the basic reconstruction of the Holy Sword was quickly completed before the battle. The newly reborn King's Sword looks no different from its former appearance, but its core has undergone obvious changes. Not only is the user no longer limited to the Europa bloodline, but when Mordred holds this sword, she even feels that it is no different from her own Noble Phantasm.

As Mordred grasped the holy sword, you also sensed a sudden change occurring throughout Northern Europe.

The spiritual veins of Northern Europe have been released from the shackles of the Dragon Bone Throne, and this land has been liberated.

[You have forged the legendary holy sword—Clarent. The wielder of this sword gains a powerful claim to the Britannian Empire and the Scandinavian Empire, and their nation will no longer be affected by the effects of the Dragonbone Throne.]

Europa II already knew of the existence of the Holy Sword.

Chapter 228 As Before

Melyuchina's attack came earlier than planned.

When the "cheap ears and nose" half-nightmare, Meryl, relayed this news to Quinn, Quinn was not surprised at all. He simply said "oh" and told Meryl to continue going out to gather information. After all, this nightmare couldn't be of much help in other aspects, except for her good looks and suitability as an informant.

The Holy War Army's sudden and premature attack was not exactly big news; Quinn had anticipated this outcome when the Holy Sword was successfully forged.

Therefore, Quinn quickly devised a countermeasure in response to this situation.

Abandon the fortified defenses along the way and concentrate troops in Copenhagen.

Having chosen a defensive strategy and a one-off war, you feel no psychological burden facing the Holy War Army's offensive. After all, with the birth of the Holy Sword, the spiritual veins of the Nordic region have broken free from the control of the Britannian Emperor. Europa II, who can no longer directly influence the vassal states through the spiritual veins, can no longer threaten the fate of the Nordic region. Without such underhanded tactics, the only factor that can determine the outcome of the war is the difference in military strength.

This is precisely where the strength of Scandinavian countries lies.

Because technology has not made much progress in the last thousand years, the Vikings still retain the potential to invade Europe. The armies of the European countries are not strong enough to decide the outcome of a battle based on technological differences. Therefore, the Vikings have an advantage in individual combat capabilities. After all, these pirates who are good at invading also had a glorious history of military units – the Varangian Guard.

In the late 10th and early 11th centuries, an ancient empire that inherited the legacy of Rome embarked on a path to revive the glory of its ancestors. In order to achieve military victories over the surrounding countries, this empire decisively incorporated a portion of the Vikings who had migrated south into its legions, establishing a heavy infantry force named after the heavily armored paladins. These troops, with the blood of berserkers flowing through their veins, stepped from the ancient and wild northern lands into civilized territory—this was the Varangian Guard.

If the armored paladins were the tanks of that historical period, then the Varangian Guard were the rogue warriors, a legion capable of crushing other infantry of the time. And in this world that has not changed much in nearly a thousand years... the appearance of this legion can only be attributed to the power of Odin.

In fact, the one-eyed old man did exert his strength.

[Because the Rhine gold he sent is an inexhaustible, self-generating wealth. Assisting Artoria in reshaping the Dragon Slayer Greatsword is just one use of this treasure. In your eyes, the core function of Rhine gold is to provide a continuous stream of money, which can then be exchanged for real military supplies. Although, on the surface, the European countries have abandoned trade routes with the Vikings in order to defeat the Norse, in reality, both food and military equipment are still being continuously transported from Europe to your army.]

All of this is thanks to Guinevere. As the Queen of Ireland, she controls most of the trade routes of the Britannian Empire, and can continuously procure military supplies for you, transporting them to your camp by sea. These smuggled military supplies, combined with the Vikings, have formed the foundation for the establishment of the Varangian Guard.

[If we take into account Mordred's current claim to the Scandinavian Empire, these Vikings gathered in Copenhagen could now call themselves the Varangian Guard.]

The Varangian Guard, numbering in the tens of thousands, is a force that could dominate Europe, even in the games you've played.

Therefore, when the Holy War army reached Copenhagen, the European kings and Melyuchina, who had hoped to use the advantage of heavy cavalry to win in open battle on this vast plain, did not see scattered barbarian tribes huddled together and easily scattered by heavy cavalry charges, but rather an almost insurmountable iron wall square composed of nearly fully equipped heavy armor, with strong shield walls and spears.

Shield walls, phalanxes, heavy infantry corps systems...

When this scene came into Meryuchina's view, the dragon girl was stunned for half a second. As a fairy, she found it difficult to understand the human way of thinking. However, having served Europa II for nearly a thousand years and spent living among humans, she had learned about human history, especially the history of Britannia's rise to power. Therefore, she knew about the glory and decline of many human empires and knew that the birth of each empire was based on the corpse of the previous empire, and that it was only by absorbing the nutrients of its predecessors that it could grow strong.

Britannia's rise to power began with its defeat of the former European superpower, the Roman Empire, which was most famous for its organized heavy infantry legions.

Europa I once defeated the Roman hoplites with his heavy cavalry legions, causing the Roman Empire, which was showing signs of resurgence under Lucius's leadership, to disappear from history, thus laying the foundation for the Britannian Empire.

At this moment, Europa I, who should have died in history long ago, has returned and is leading the Vikings to try to overthrow Britannia, which he founded. This is beyond the realm of common sense. If Melyuchina had not personally heard and witnessed her lord's conversation with Shiro Emiya in the London court, she probably would not have imagined that such a scene would occur.

But now, Europa I has not only appeared, but is also trying to overthrow the country he built with his own hands, using the same army that his old rival, whom he personally defeated, has made Melyuchina's body tremble slightly with excitement.

Yes, Melyuchina was very excited.

Because the obsession that had been lodged in her chest for so long finally had a chance to be broken—to gain the approval of Europa II, the woman who had brought her out of the dragon's skeleton and given her a new life, and to acknowledge that she was a "strong one".

To become the second Lancelot, the strongest fairy knight, the perfect knight in the eyes of the people of the Britannian Empire… all of Meryuchina’s actions and obsessions were essentially aimed at gaining the approval of Europa II. She hoped to become the protector of Europa II and gain his absolute trust. Therefore, she constantly imitated all the actions of the most perfect knight in her eyes and the legendary tale between Lancelot and Europa I.

However, no matter how she imitated him, she could not gain the approval of Europa II.

It wasn't that Europa II treated her badly; quite the opposite, he treated her too well. So well that whenever Melyuchina did something well and tried to curry favor with Europa II, he would say, "Melyuchina, well done. Even Sir Lancelot couldn't have done better than you," thus comforting her. But after each such praise, the woman would always add another sentence: "I wonder if Father would think I've surpassed him if he saw this."

Whenever this happens, the obsession in Meliuchina's heart becomes even heavier.

In her eyes, Europa II was the most perfect person in the world. No one could be better than Europa II, who brought her out of the dragon's remains. She longed to realize Europa II's dream with her own power.

Unfortunately, even with the power of a dragon, Meliuchina could not defeat a dead person.

But now, everything is different.

Therefore, Melyuchina gave the order—the cavalry should be dispatched to break through the enemy lines.

Just like the story of the past.

Chapter 229 Mordred: My Turn

When the heavy cavalry's iron hooves echoed across the great plains, shaking the earth, those caught in the throes of the storm, aside from the terrified Ragnar, showed no concern whatsoever. Because… (The rest of the text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the preceding sentences.)

"How many years has it been since the Empire fought a truly evenly matched battle?"

Seeing the heavy cavalry regiment charging straight at his 'Varangi Guard,' which he had built with money, Quinn couldn't help but ask the person next to him.

"I haven't fought since you died."

Artoria let out a sigh and couldn't help but cover her forehead.

Clearly, since Quinn eliminated Britannia's greatest threat—the Roman Empire—there was no country in Europe that could rival Britannia. During that period, the scattered and fragmented states could not even muster an army that could be considered strong, let alone consciously build new units specifically targeting heavy cavalry. This situation became even more pronounced after Europa II completed the unification of Europe.

With the emergence of a complete and powerful overlord state and the birth of an environment free from war for many years, almost all the vassal states of Britannia have been emulating their overlord, both in culture and military. Heavy cavalry has become the most popular type of soldier for the kings of the various states within Britannia, and chivalry has become a trend among the states. What has been born from this distorted culture and military customs is a European continent that is almost utopian.

Artoria's planned regency rebellion was perhaps the most serious crisis in the history of this empire. Apart from that, any wars or political turmoil were eliminated under the intervention of Europa II, and those that could not be eliminated were only minor skirmishes. Therefore, Britannia had not experienced the trials of war for a long time, and almost all its understanding of the military battlefield remained in the past, believing that the charge of heavy cavalry could solve any problem on the front line.

but……

The reason I was able to charge blindly back then was because the opponents were all light infantry, who had almost no ability to withstand heavy cavalry charges. Moreover, when we fought against the Roman army, the problem that heavy cavalry could not effectively fight against large numbers of infantry legions had already been exposed. How could anyone still blindly trust cavalry charges at this time?

What do you mean by "recreating the past"? This is clearly mindless copying of homework!

Watching the Varangian Guard's heavy cavalry charge towards you in unison, you witnessed firsthand the dangers of a nation's millennia-long stagnation. When the cavalry trusted by the kings of Europe were halted by the Varangian Guard's shield wall and lances, the Vikings' superior infantry and the inability of their heavy cavalry to maneuver and outflank became apparent. As one heavy cavalryman after another was dragged from their horses by the Vikings, the myth of your once-invincible heavy cavalry was shattered by your own actions. Clearly, you had gained the upper hand in this battle, but you felt no joy whatsoever.

[Because all these circumstances are telling you that it's not just technological stagnation; Britannia's military capabilities have also declined drastically. Melyuchina, as the strongest fairy knight, owes her strength primarily to her unparalleled power. Her military skills, let alone Lancelot's, are probably inferior to yours. You can hardly imagine what Britannia would become if it continued like this for another hundred years.]

While you were deep in thought, Artoria had already issued new battle orders on your behalf. As a seasoned veteran, she would not let go of any opportunity to weaken the Holy War Army. She immediately ordered the enemy to be surrounded, striving to completely destroy this heavy cavalry regiment that had made a mistake, and to dismantle this elite force carefully cultivated by the kings of Europe in one fell swoop.

To achieve this goal, the Knights of the Round Table were mobilized. When Lancelot and his men appeared on the battlefield, the heavy cavalry, already bogged down in a quagmire due to their commander's misjudgment, suffered casualties like an avalanche. Combined with the Varangian Guard, the elite of the Holy War Army suffered heavy losses. Seeing their own elite forces mired in the mire, the kings could no longer sit idly by.

Heavy cavalry is the foundation of these European kings' power. Unlike the days when you could start from scratch simply by having money, these European kings need to spend more energy and resources to support these soldiers. They cannot bear to see their hard work disappear, so they have to force the remaining troops forward, trying to make the battlefield situation more chaotic and buy opportunities for the heavy cavalry to escape. And that is exactly what you want to achieve.

When it comes to chaotic battles, the Vikings are the true experts. These pirate warriors are accustomed to the chaotic battlefield and know how to fight alongside their comrades in the midst of chaos, breaking down large armies into numerous smaller groups to confront the enemy.

As time went by, the Jihad Army's disadvantages became increasingly apparent. Seeing that their army was about to be defeated, the Jihad Army's commander finally could no longer sit still.

[Meliuchina intervened in the battle. Accompanied by a dragon roar that resounded through the sky, the Albion Dragon appeared in the sky above the battlefield. A large number of True Aether Magic Cubes scattered from the dragon's wings, falling like stars and crashing onto the chaotic battlefield. Seeing Meliuchina appear, Artoria also went to the battlefield and joined Lancelot in the same direction.]

The battle between two knights wielding dragon-slaying swords and the dragon Albion quickly replaced the chaotic fighting between armies. Both your Varangian Guard and the armored paladins of the Holy War Army gained a moment's respite. Ordinary mortal soldiers soon withdrew from the war, leaving large swathes of the battlefield to these heroes who could stir up a storm with a mere gesture.

However, things did not go as Artoria had hoped. Even with the dragon-slaying sword in hand and Lancelot's help, Melyuchina still held the upper hand. This strongest fairy knight, no matter how unskilled in military affairs, was no ordinary person, representing the strongest military force in Britannia.

After a long battle, Artoria and Lancelot failed to defeat Melyuchina. On the contrary, Melyuchina's fighting spirit grew even stronger because of their presence. She probably realized that she could no longer replicate your past achievements and could not prove herself to Europa II through this opportunity. Therefore, she settled for second best and hoped to prove her worth by defeating Artoria and Lancelot.

As the battle between the three parties intensifies, you know you have to get involved.

【then……】

"Modred, go now, it's your turn to shine."

Chapter 230 What does it mean when the emperor beats up his own people?

For two hours, the dragon's breath and the gleam of the sword had clashed on the battlefield. Artoria and Lancelot, panting, watched Meryuchina sometimes circling in the air and sometimes landing on the ground. They took advantage of the moment when Meryuchina was also catching her breath to recover their strength, but soon, Meryuchina launched another attack. This dragon, who looked like a petite fairy in human form, had a ferocious fighting style that was completely different from her cute appearance.