What kind of man was Vortigern?
If one had to describe him in a single word—
He led his army to the gates of the Camelot, preparing to wage war against King Uther.
King Uther knew his own strength was insufficient, especially since Lot's army was still behind Vortigern's territory.
At this moment, Camelot's forces were not at their strongest.
Faced with Vortigern's assault, he was tempted to simply hide behind the castle walls.
But avoiding a direct confrontation was not an option.
If it became obvious that he dared not fight Vortigern, he feared the usurper king would see through his weakness.
He had to fight—no matter what, this first battle had to be won.
King Uther rode out with a company of knights.
Upon seeing Vortigern, he raised his lance and charged.
Vortigern's subordinates, witnessing Uther's advance, stirred with eagerness to intercept him.
But at that moment, Vortigern stopped them.
"You cannot stop him."
At the same time, he sat astride a strikingly majestic warhorse.
Gripping his own knightly lance, Vortigern too began his charge against Uther.
One bearing the bloodline of the legendary Red Dragon, the other embodying the will of the White Dragon.
Two knights clashed head-on, neither willing to yield.
Vortigern was mighty, but Uther Pendragon was no lesser king.
Their lances collided.
Both sturdy weapons shattered in unison.
Then, before the wooden splinters could even scatter upon the ground, both men gripped the hilts of their swords.
Drawing their blades, they thrust toward each other.
After their lances failed to decide the victor, the two began a contest of swordsmanship.
Their duel lasted a long time.
Finally, with one last exchange of blows, King Uther retreated toward the Camelot.
Vortigern, meanwhile, remained standing, sword in hand.
It was clear—in this battle, Vortigern had gained a slight advantage.
Upon returning to the castle, Uther was met with disheartened faces.
Seeing his men's morale waver, the king removed his helmet and rallied them:
"What? Since when have I been a king famed for single combat? Though I may have been at a disadvantage against Vortigern, the war between us is far from decided!"
As he spoke, he struck the castle wall behind him with force.
"After all, we still have these towering walls to rely upon!"
King Uther declared loudly.
Hearing this, his men's hearts settled somewhat.
Yet as Uther gazed at the enemy forces brimming with fighting spirit beyond the walls, unease still gnawed at him.
Morgan… Lot… I've staked everything on you.
If you fail, the Camelot will not hold.
King Uther sensed this would be his final battle.
In contrast, Vortigern's soldiers were exhilarated by their king's dominance.
"My king, your prowess in battle is truly awe-inspiring!"
"Your Majesty, with but a single command, we shall shatter the walls of this white fortress!"
Amidst their praises, Vortigern only frowned slightly as he studied the city.
"My king, what troubles you?"
One of his men, noticing his expression, ventured to ask.
"I sense that King Uther has prepared a countermeasure. Our rear may yet face unforeseen threats."
"Then… shall we withdraw?"
His subordinate asked reluctantly. Yet, cowed by Vortigern's might, none dared openly question him.
Vortigern shook his head lightly, then turned his gaze forward.
"Intensify the assault."
[Do people in this era not bother to build roads? Or was this Vortigern's scheme all along? Fine. I'll remember this grudge.]
Trudging through the muddy path, Lot inwardly cursed.
Mounted atop her steed, Morgan couldn't help but smirk at his complaints.
As they prepared their attack, rain had begun to fall. The downpour turned the roads into a quagmire.
Riding became impossible.
Now they could only lead their horses on foot.
Seeing Morgan, Lot naturally refused to let her trudge through the muck.
So he took it upon himself to guide her horse.
But in his heart, he couldn't stop cursing Vortigern.
Bastard. You knew I was coming to fight you—couldn't you have at least built a damn road to make it easier for me?
Morgan, overhearing his thoughts, found it amusing. Yet she also took mental notes about the roads.
"If one wishes to maintain swift troop movements, every territory must have well-maintained roads. Only by constructing thoroughfares across all governed lands can armies be deployed efficiently."
She resolved that once she became king of Camelot, road-building would be her first priority.
Mm. Another point for future governance—jotted down in the notebook.
Squeezed a little more wisdom out of Lot.
With that thought, Morgan adjusted the rain cover in her hand, shielding Lot from the downpour.
The rain wasn't without its benefits.
Under its concealment, Lot's army easily bypassed many of Vortigern's outposts.
After a full day and night of forced march, they finally arrived outside Vortigern's stronghold.
Only then did the garrison troops spot Lot's forces.
Like the commoners before them, the soldiers panicked at the sight of an army emerging from the coast.
Where did they come from?
Why did we have no intelligence about this?
Could the Roman Empire be taking advantage of our war with Uther to strike?
The rain obscured the armor and numbers of Lot's troops. Following conventional logic, they even wondered if the Romans had invaded.
After all, tactics like Lot's were rare in this era of Britain.
In their panic, they hastily dispatched messengers to call for reinforcements.
When Lot's forces captured one such courier, they obtained this intelligence.
"To think this blunder would work in our favor. What an unexpected windfall. We must make full use of this coincidence."
After hearing the report, Lot and Morgan resolved to exploit this blunder.
And so, under the cover of rain, they further feigned preparations for a siege—
Pressuring the garrison into sending even more messengers for aid.