Fate: I Will Eventually Become the Hero of Justice

Chapter 172

One of the generals sneered, "King Arthur, you speak so boldly! The dire state of Britain has already been reported by our merchants. It's said that you were defeated by Vortigern and fled in panic!"

Shirou sneered, "You're trusting the words of merchants? Hmph, it seems that this general is nothing more than that! A so-called general like you wouldn't even be considered worthy of service in my kingdom."

The general glared in anger, "What did you say!?"

Shirou responded confidently, "Go ahead, ask those very merchants if Vortigern hasn't already been pushed back to the northern border, if the land next to Gaul doesn't belong to King Arthur, and if my name doesn't resonate loudly in the south! If I had truly suffered defeat, how could I command such a high reputation?"

The general scowled and turned to King Ban, who nodded in agreement.

Without delay, the general left and soon returned with a merchant in tow.

The general sneered and addressed the merchant in the hall, "Tell me, do you know King Arthur?"

The merchant responded promptly, "General, I frequently conduct business in Britain, so I am well-acquainted with this king. He is the legendary king of Britain, destined to rule and lead his people."

The general continued his line of questioning, "Are you also aware that this same king was defeated by Vortigern and even abandoned Camelot?"

The merchant replied emphatically, "Of course, I am aware of that! In fact, it was precisely because of this that I hastened to flee from the British Isles and return to my hometown of Benoic!"

The general let out a loud laugh and pointed at Shirou, mocking, "King Arthur, still speaking big words?"

This elicited laughter from the assembled crowd.

Shirou smiled wryly and commented, "How ignorant."

The general scowled, "What did you say?" His expression was fierce.

Shirou responded calmly, "Why don't you have a little chat with this merchant who controls the land stretching from Cornwall to Hadrian's Wall? I'm certain he will gladly enlighten you about the overwhelming love and support the people in the south have for King Arthur."

The general and the other listeners turned to the merchant and posed the questions.

The merchant replied confidently, "The land from Cornwall to Hadrian's Wall is under the control of Camelot, and the people in the south are staunch supporters of King Arthur. Whenever they hear his name, they erupt in cheers and jubilation."

The general was taken aback and questioned, "But didn't you just claim that King Arthur was defeated? How could he still have the love and support of so many people?"

The other listeners in the room looked equally puzzled. If King Arthur had truly suffered a crushing defeat, then surely he would have lost the loyalty of the people. However, the merchant's testimony seemed to contradict this assumption. How could this be possible?

Shirou smiled and explained, "It's simply because I pushed Vortigern back to the north."

The general responded skeptically, "And is 'winning' now synonymous with allowing the capital to fall?"

"Vortigern is a cunning adversary. Without using the capital as bait, how could we have successfully trapped him? If we had not been willing to risk everything, how could I have become king!?"

The people in the room fell silent, processing the information they had just heard. Though they were not fully informed about the situation on the island, based on what they had been told, they could not help but envision a king who had used his own capital as bait to ensnare foreign enemies. This was a stunning revelation that left them all dumbfounded.