Early morning, at the entrance gate of Camelot…
Knights who were members of The Round Table were guarding the meeting place.
“Was it today? That Round Table Conference?” a knight who was yawning from boredom said while pointing to the top of the castle.
At that, multiple knights understood what day today was.
“Ah, now that I think about it…”
“When will I be able to go there?”
“Wake up. What can you do?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Why are we even discussing this? We haven’t even gotten to the 50th Floor, so how could we sit at the Round Table?”
Just because one was a Ranker didn’t mean they could sit at the Round Table.
However, all those who sat on the Round Table were Rankers. Being a Ranker was just the minimum requirement for being able to sit at the Round Table, so for those who hadn’t even bee Rankers yet, it was impossible for them to sit there.
On top of that, the knights who were guarding the gate weren’t even part of the Royal Knights, so the Round Table was even further away from them.
“I’ll attempt it again. Definitely.”
“When?”
“After getting a few more points working here. If I can get over the 50th Floor, my level within the guild will be decently high, right?”
“That’s true. You stopped at the 47th Floor? That is pretty close.”
“I’ll definitely sit there in the future.”
The Round Table Conference was like a dream to the players who were part of The Round Table. It was an important event for operating the guild and the nation, and it was simultaneously symbolic of the place of the 150 strongest people in The Round Table.
“Hey, wait here for a second.”
“Where are you going?”
“The toilet for a bit.”
“Didn’t you just go before?”
“I think I ate something wrong. My stomach isn’t feeling well today.”
“Go quickly.”
The knight ran inside the castle.
The other knights talked about how he must have been in a hurry and turned around while shaking their heads. They were only yawning with boredom for a little bit.
The fellow knight who just ran in to go to the toilet had returned.
“Uh, what the—You’re back already?”
“Yeah. Did your stomach suddenly get better?”
Hearing their answers, the knight who returned made a confused expression.
“What are you talking about? ‘Back already’? I suffered for so long, I think I ate something wrong.”
“…?”
“…?”
* * *
Translator – Jreaming
Proofreader – BringTheRayn
* * *
“You’re quite late,” Lancelot greeted Merlin. However, unlike his words, he wasn’t looking at Merlin. He asked while looking at YuWon, “Why have you e with this man?”
“Can’t I?”
“Although we cannot allow an unqualified person to sit at the Round Table…”
Lancelot looked at YuWon. He already knew for a while that Merlin would be attending this meeting. However, YuWon’s arrival was unexpected.
‘What is he thinking?’
The Round Table Conference was a meeting that he, as the guild master of The Round Table, oversaw. To walk into the meeting willingly like this was no different than walking straight into a lion’s jawsv.
He thought YuWon was a smart guy. Although he couldn’t tell what he was thinking, it was clear that YuWon chose the wrong place to fight.
Lancelot nodded. “Understood. I will make an exception this time. We have things to talk about as well anyway.” He looked to the knights sitting around the table and asked them, “Does anyone have a problem with this?”
It was the first time something like this had happened. An outsider who wasn’t even part of The Round Table would sit at the Round Table.
However, they couldn’t just decline either. It was the will of Merlin, the strongest power in The Round Table and a teacher to the King of Knights, and Lancelot, the current king of Britain and guildmaster of The Round Table. So none of the knights could dare suggest another opinion.
“Then I’ll take it as everyone is in agreement.”
Lancelot nodded, and YuWon and Merlin took their seats.
And then…
“Do you know whose seat that is?” Lancelot questioned YuWon after he sat down.
After thinking for a second, YuWon replied, “Thal or Lollit’s. It would probably be one of the two.”
“How dare you…!”
“Impudent!”
Hearing YuWon’s answer, a few of the knights stood from their seats.
Even if YuWon was an outsider and not part of The Round Table, this place was under their authority, and on top of that, Lancelot was the lord. For him to answer with such a tone as that was more than enough to rile up the knights who were brimming with loyalty to Lancelot.
Lancelot raised his palm.
The meeting area that seemed like it would turn into chaos quieted down in an instant.
After silencing the knights with one move of his hand, Lancelot opened his mouth. “Then, you must know what happened to those two.”
“I know very well.” YuWon’s eyes looked directly at Lancelot. “Because I saw you kill them with your own two hands.”
“What…?”
“What did you say?!”
“Where do you think you…”
The reactions of the knights were split in two. Some looked towards Lancelot, waiting for confirmation if it was true, and the others shouted in anger at the nonsense they just heard.
Lancelot looked as if he had expected this oute, and rather than be flustered, he lowered his head.
“Yes. That’s right. I killed them. I, with these two hands…” With a tone of misery, Lancelot didn’t finish his sentence. And then after a bit, he spoke while glaring at Yuwon. “However, this is all—”
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“Lancelot.” YuWon glared back at him. “Don’t misunderstand.”
“What?”
“This isn’t my place but yours to pay for your sins.”
Lancelot furrowed his brows and glared back at YuWon without averting his eyes. He couldn’t guess what YuWon was thinking as he had just said something that would make him the enemy of all the knights that had gathered here.
‘Does he have the confidence?’
It was a little bit exciting. What did he believe in to be so confident?
With his outer and inner expression in control, Lancelot looked at YuWon. “What are you trying to say?”
“I have a guest…”
Step—
“A lot of you will be pretty glad to see him.” As he said that, YuWon stood up from his seat.
A new person walked up the stairs.
Limp—
The steps of a knight in heavy full plate armor.
All the knights who were in the conference looked in the direction of the footsteps. After confirming his face, all of their eyes grew wide in surprise.
“C-Could it be…”
“Real… Is he real?”
Creak—
Even though they were in a meeting, a few of the knights stood up in surprise. No, it wasn’t a few of them. Over half the knights had stood up.
It was only natural.
“Your Majesty…!”
The sole person that could be called the King of Britain who wasn’t Lancelot. The master of the “real” seat of the monarch that had been empty for a thousand years.
“Arthur…?”
With his golden hair and golden eyes, the King of Britain, Arthur, had appeared at the Round Table.
* * *
Step—
Arthur’s appearance actually made the meeting room go even more silent than before.
Arthur sat in the seat YuWon stood up from.
Then someone opened their mouth for the first time. “Are you really… His Majesty?”
Knight Gawain. The 1st Knight of the Round Table and Arthur’s right hand.
As he asked with quivering eyes, Arthur replied with a light smile, “Gawain. It’s been a while.”
“My King!”
“How is your son? He might be using that sword I gifted him by now.”
“Your Majesty…” Gawain’s expression was filled with emotions.
When his son was born, Arthur had gifted him a sword in secret, for his son to use when he grew up. The only ones who knew of that sword’s existence were him and Arthur.
“Oh, Jidrak. You’re already sitting there? The youngest boy has already grown this big.
“Caulkston. Did you get married yet? I know you had that girl you liked a lot back then.
“Gild, you…”
Arthur looked around at the knights who were seated at the Round Table.
These were stories that no one could know if they weren’t Arthur.
As his talking continued, the knights held tears in their eyes, and their cries became louder.
“Your Majesty!”
“Just where have you been?”
“My King!”
Hearing the cries of the knights, Lancelot’s expression was shaken.
Just looking at his appearance, since Rankers didn’t visibly age, there was no difference from his form a thousand years ago, and the stories that came out of his mouth could only be known by Arthur himself.
However…
“Just how…”
This was something that could never have happened.
No, it shouldn’t have ever happened.
‘If Arthur es back and sits on the throne now, it will be the end.’
The one in front of him was definitely not Arthur. There was no way.
Then…
‘Maybe?’
Lancelot turned to look at YuWon, whose lip was subtly upturned. Only then did Lancelot remember the information that Percival had brought him.
“That man is a fake!”
Creak—
Lancelot stood up from his seat and shouted.
At that, all eyes were on him.
Lancelot’s eyes glared, and he continued to speak, “There was a demon that came into Camelot with him. That person was of Belial’s bloodline.”
“Belial’s?”
“Why does that…”
“Wait, perhaps?”
The “Monarch of Lies” Belial. As one of the Demon Kings leading the guild Demon Kings, he was well-versed in the methods of Doppelgangers.
As a demon of that bloodline, they would be quite skilled in their ability as a Doppelganger. On top of that, if that Doppelganger was in a party with YuWon, it was natural for one to doubt the Arthur in front of them as a fake.
“I am a fake?” Arthur looked at Lancelot.
After meeting his gaze, Lancelot stopped himself from laughing. “Yeah. You are a fake.”
“A Doppelganger… After returning after a long time, I’m even hearing something like this.”’
Shwing—
Arthur pulled out his sword.
In that moment, brilliant light filled the meeting area.
“Then how will you explain this?”
“That is…”
“Excalibur!”
“The symbol of the King of Knights!”
“My King!”
“I never doubted you even once!”
As the sword that symbolized the King of Knights made its appearance, the small atmosphere of doubt was instantly washed away.
Information that couldn’t be known if he wasn’t Arthur and even the symbol of the King of Knights, 「Excalibur.」 There were no grounds for suspicion.
‘There’s no way. Arthur is definitely dead. There must be…’
Just what had happened?
The one in front of him was definitely a fake. That was the truth. However, contrary to that, there was no way to prove that the Arthur in front of him was a fake.
‘If that guy is a Doppelganger,” Lancelot’s hand slowly moved towards the sword on his waist, ‘his head will go flying, and his true form will be shown.’
Flash—!
Time slowed to a halt.
Lancelot stood from his seat and burst forward.
Shwack—
Lancelot’s sword cut off Arthur’s head.
But at that moment…
“What do you think you are doing here?”
Flinch—
While everyone else was stopped, Merlin moved together with Lancelot.
Clang—!
The sword and staff clashed, and the sound of steel filled the room.
Only then did the knights notice that Lancelot had moved.
A few of the knights wore expressions of betrayal at Lancelot’s actions. Arthur had just returned, but he had pulled out his sword against him. For the knights who had waited a thousand years for him, this was no different than treachery.
“What are you doing!”
“You are targeting His Majes—”
“No!”
Vwooong—
With Lancelot’s shout, mana flowed out of his body and filled the room. It was a dense flow of mana that crushed shoulders and turned over their insides.
The knights who had stood against him faltered, and a few buckled over.
“Kugh…”
“Uagh…!”
Lancelot suppressed the knights with his strength. Of course, to suppress all these Rankers was something that was difficult even for Lancelot to do.
However, he was confident.
“That man is definitely a fake.”
He glared at YuWon, who was observing this entire situation with an entertained expression.
Just what was he thinking?
However, it didn’t matter in the end.
‘As long as I am certain here, there is no way I will lose. Your scheme is weak.’
As long as Arthur was a fake, the only oute was his victory.
He needed to be a fake.
It was then…
“You’re right.” Arthur’s voice instantly changed as if he was a totally different person. “I am a fake. Just like you said, I am the son of Belial and a Doppelganger.”
Ziiiip—
The leather of Arthur’s face flipped, and a pale man’s face appeared from beneath it.
The knights were surprised as they held their breath.
Lancelot was also naturally surprised at all this.
‘He revealed himself willingly? But why?’
The thing he wanted was revealed, but Lancelot felt that his current situation was the most dangerous. All the things that had happened just now were ridiculous but understandable, but revealing himself like this to everyone was inprehensible.
Just what was happening?
“The real one…” Mamos smiled widely and looked away, “Is here.”
A husky and gloomy voice. Frighteningly dark mana.
As soon as he turned his head, he met the eyes of a small Undead made of bones, and Lancelot froze in his spot.
“It’s been a while. Lancelot.”
Because he understood that this was the real Arthur.
