I Became a Mythical Knight King

Chapter 84: Victory (1)

It was a great victory.

The army of 12,000 Ratmen was shattered.

During their retreat, an immense number of casualties occurred, so it was no exaggeration to say the attacking Ratmen had been annihilated.

[You have won the battle.]

[You have earned 1,000 Commander Points.]

[City Salvation: Significant increase in Virtue Points.]

[Defeating the Avatar: Significant increase in Virtue Points.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[Vanadain has leveled up.]

[Vanadain has leveled up.]

[Vanadain has leveled up.]

[Kate has leveled up.]

[Diana has leveled up.]

[Roland has leveled up.]

[Hector has leveled up.]

[Rene has leveled up.]

[Jillian has leveled up.]

[The Ballista Unit has leveled up.]

[Achievement Unlocked: Avatar Slayer]

[Achievement Unlocked: Defeating a Great Army]

[You have a knight of the Round Table under your command.]

[The Round Table has been established.]

Having defeated Balakai, an opponent far beyond any they had fought before, and crushed an army of over 10,000, it was no surprise the status window was filled with notifications.

Since the battle had just concluded and the location was secluded from the battlefield, it was a moment for Yoo Seong and Rene to rest instead of overexerting themselves.

As such, Yoo Seong quickly scanned the status window, prioritizing important updates.

‘Vanadain’s power surge has brought the Elf Archers to the verge of advancement.’

Having accumulated a lot of points, it seemed the time to advance them had come.

‘Kate’s unit and Diana’s unit are also ready for advancement. Well, it’s about time.’

After all, it had been a long while since they had become elite infantry.

The Heavenly Cavalry had been consistently performing as well.

‘The other units aren’t there yet, but they’re close.’

Nodding, Yoo Seong paused at the Ballista Unit.

With every level up, they had gained one more ballista, and now there were seven in total.

Raising their level by just ten more could unlock advancement, so this was a unit he had high hopes for.

‘Will we ever get cannons?’

Like the Ratmen’s magical cannons.

If they could operate ballistae and cannons separately, pure firepower battles would become feasible.

Lost in such thoughts for a moment, Yoo Seong quickly returned to reality.

The battlefield was still active.

Although it was nearing conclusion, it wasn’t a time to indulge in daydreams.

‘The last update is about the Round Table.’

A new feature had appeared after a knight of the Round Table came under his command.

‘Knight of the Round Table, Tristan.’

The Divine Archer Knight.

If Lancelot was the strongest in swordsmanship, Tristan was unparalleled in archery.

And Vanadain was none other than that Tristan.

‘Still incomplete.’

Despite the remarkable skills Vanadain displayed against Balakai, who had acquired the Avatar’s power, there were clear deficiencies compared to Kay, whom Yoo Seong had faced at Yoo Seong Fortress.

Although the Round Table Oath restored some of the knight’s power, it was unlikely that Tristan had fully regained his original strength.

“Successor.”

At Rene’s call, Yoo Seong turned his head.

Rene, her brow slightly furrowed, was interpreting the status window notifications. She looked back at Yoo Seong and asked.

“Vanadain…was he one of the knights of the Round Table?”

Since Rene had been elsewhere during the Round Table Oath, it made sense for her to be curious.

Yoo Seong nodded in response.

“Yes, Vanadain is…Wait, what did you just say?”

“Huh? Oh, the knight of the Round Table?”

“No, before that.”

“Vanadain oppa?”

Rene tilted her head as she repeated the words.

Vanadain oppa.

Oppa.

It wasn’t strange for Rene, who called everyone from Kate, Diana, and Jillian to the smith Melissa and the barmaid Bianca “unnie,” to use “oppa” for Vanadain.

Yet, somehow, it felt peculiar.

How could one describe it? Oddly… odd?

It was a subtle, indefinable feeling that Yoo Seong couldn’t quite put into words. Observing him cautiously, Rene spoke hesitantly.

“Um… should I call you oppa too? Successor oppa… sounds a bit weird, though. Maybe Yoo Seong oppa?”

“No, no, there’s no need for that.”

“R-right?”

Rene awkwardly smiled at Yoo Seong’s reply, fidgeting with her fingers.

It was strange. Although Rene used “unnie” and “oppa” frequently, addressing Yoo Seong as “oppa” gave her an odd feeling.

Truly strange.

Her face even flushed a little.

The sudden, inexplicable atmosphere made things awkward, prompting Yoo Seong to deliberately bring up a rational topic.

“Well, it seems you’ve grown closer to Vanadain.”

“Um, not really close. It’s more like starting with titles to break the ice. I still feel like I’m closest to you, Successor.”

That was natural; they had been inseparable.

Even back at Baron Volano’s territory, they had shared sleeping quarters daily.

‘Although, it really was just sleeping side by side….’

Rene, smiling as she spoke, once again turned red-faced and awkward, wriggling her fingers. Yoo Seong, clearing his throat, pointed at the status window.

“Anyway, let’s check the Round Table.”

“Yes, let’s look at the Round Table.”

The united hearts of the king and his mage turned toward Yoo Seong Castle.

The first figure that caught their eye was Hector, towering twice the size of anyone else.

In a world where everyone was chibi-sized at 3-head proportions, Hector alone stood at 5-head proportions, his body wrapped in bandages.

Kate stood in front of him, holding a large bandage roll and seriously inspecting Hector’s body for any remaining injuries.

“Hector’s injuries were the most severe. Still, judging by his expression, he seems fine.”

Seeing Hector’s laughing emoticon, Yoo Seong felt reassured, and Rene exhaled in relief.

“Sir Roland is tending to the horses.”

“The cavalry worked hard too.”

Roland meticulously checked the horses for injuries, ensuring fresh hay and clean water were provided.

The rest of the soldiers were sprawled out, resting, their faces glowing with satisfaction after the overwhelming victory.

“But Rene.”

“Yes, Successor?”

Turning her head from a hidden object game, Rene looked at Yoo Seong, who gestured at the fortress instead of her face.

“Vanadain and Diana are missing, don’t you think?”

At Yoo Seong’s remark, Rene blinked, then widened her eyes and searched the fortress.

“You’re right. Where did they sneak off to? Together?”

“Probably.”

“Oh, come on, are they really that desperate for a secret rendezvous?”

Rene’s exasperation made Yoo Seong smile wryly and nod.

It wasn’t because he genuinely thought they were desperate for a secret meeting.

Rather, it was the vision he had seen when obtaining Tristan’s bow that resurfaced in his mind.

A man and a woman.

If the man was Vanadain, who could the woman be?

‘Most likely Diana.’

Though the exact details of their past remained unknown, it was clear their relationship was far from ordinary.

The two turned their gaze toward the temple.

A small island located in the middle of the vast lake.

On that island now stood a structure that hadn’t been there before—a massive round table made of stone.

At the edges of the smooth surface of the round table, there were mysterious characters resembling runes, with a total of thirteen inscribed.

“The Round Table Knights are said to number thirteen.”

King Arthur and twelve knights.

Arthur, also known as the Knight King, was both a monarch and a knight.

As such, he was both the leader of the Round Table Knights and one of the thirteen knights himself.

One of the thirteen inscriptions on the Round Table emitted a faint, reddish glow.

Though the table was circular, Yoo Seong could immediately tell which seat it was and who it belonged to.

The Twelfth Seat of the Round Table.

The seat of the Divine Archer, Tristan.

“Do you think Kate will also turn out to be a Round Table Knight?”

Now that it was revealed that Vanadain was a Round Table Knight, it seemed likely that the other knights of Yoo Seong Castle were also former Round Table Knights who had lost their memories.

Not just likely—Yoo Seong was certain.

“The name of the Round Table is Tristan…”

That was what Vanadain had said when he reclaimed the power of the Round Table Knight during the round table ceremony.

Perhaps each seat at the Round Table had a designated name, passed down to the knights of that era.

‘Or perhaps they are given a name when they become a Round Table Knight.’

Either way, it was clear that the names of the Round Table and their true identities were currently separated.

“Then who could it be? I’m curious about Diana, Roland, and Hector as well.”

There were names Yoo Seong could somewhat guess, but they were just guesses. The only name he felt relatively sure about was Diana’s.

Though it was an interesting topic, Yoo Seong and Rene turned their attention to other matters rather than dwelling too long on the Round Table Knights.

“The Elite Infantry and Heavenly Cavalry are eligible for upgrades.”

“Wow, what do they turn into?”

“The Elite Infantry becomes the Royal Guard, and the Heavenly Cavalry becomes… the Gryphon Unit?”

“Wow! Gryphons!”

If the Pegasus was a winged horse, then the Gryphon was a powerful mythical creature with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.

With superior combat ability and flight capability, Gryphons were clearly an upgrade from Pegasi. Yet, Yoo Seong couldn’t shake a strange feeling.

It made sense that a horse could evolve into a Pegasus, but it was bizarre for a Pegasus to evolve into a Gryphon.

‘Could it be that their soul was originally a Gryphon, transformed into a horse, then became a Pegasus, and now returns to being a Gryphon…?’

It didn’t seem entirely implausible, but it also didn’t feel completely logical.

More importantly, there was no guarantee that Gryphon would be the final form.

‘At this rate, they might eventually evolve into Wyverns and then Dragon Knights.’

It was a real possibility.

Though strange, the potential upgrade path was certainly appealing.

“Alright, let’s proceed with the upgrades.”

“Yes, successor.”

With Rene’s cheerful response, Yoo Seong set to work upgrading both units.

“Oh, this time, it’s going to take some time.”

“That makes sense, since they’ve both been upgraded multiple times.”

Both units required a full day to complete their upgrades.

Though the accumulated power in the temple could shorten the time, it would be wasteful to use it for this. Instead, Yoo Seong and Rene turned their attention to other items.

“Let’s build a hospital and a swordsmanship hall.”

Possibly due to the appearance of the Round Table, a new building—a hospital—was now available.

After investing points into both buildings, the familiar dwarves appeared and began construction.

‘Building the swordsmanship hall might yield an additional unit.’

The hospital might even produce a medical corps.

Both were welcome possibilities, so Yoo Seong and Rene watched the progress with satisfaction.

One second passed. Then two.

“Ahem. Ahem, ahem. Ahem, ahem, ahem!”

Initially soft, the coughs grew increasingly pronounced, startling Yoo Seong and Rene. When they turned their heads, they saw Robin, her body covered in the remnants of battle with the ratmen.

“Ah! Robin! Are you hurt?”

“No, this is all ratmen blood, so I’m fine. But…”

Robin quickly shifted his gaze to the side, and Yoo Seong and Rene immediately understood why she had coughed.

A group of knights, led by Baron Anjou, was gathered nearby.

While Robin knew that Yoo Seong and Rene were likely reviewing the status window when they sat together and giggled, the others did not.

To those unaware of the status window, the sight of Yoo Seong and Rene sitting side by side, not even looking at each other, but staring into the void and talking, must have seemed bizarre.

Realizing the situation, Yoo Seong rose to greet the lords and knights instead of offering an explanation.

It was then that they heard the sound of lively hoofbeats.

A female knight, astride a pure white steed, appeared before Yoo Seong and Rene.

She halted beside the knights, gracefully dismounted, and removed her helmet to reveal bright orange hair.

Though she bore some resemblance to Rene, her aura was entirely different—a mysterious young woman.

Sweeping back her long hair, she stood before Yoo Seong and offered a respectful bow.

“Juliet Baltois, eldest daughter of Count Baltois, greets the Black Knight of Lothian.”

Juliet Baltois, Rene’s elder sister, blue eyes were fixed firmly on Yoo Seong.