For the pirates, perhaps the past six months were just endless bickering, raiding, and then gathering again to bicker, but for Kayal, it was crucial.
Kayal knew his fifteen-year plan might be difficult to achieve, but how could he be content without trying something so challenging?
Aside from the academy, spring plowing, land reclamation, and canal excavation, the main focus was directly entering Scotland to exterminate monsters.
Kayal seemed to have an extraordinary sense for war, always able to smell its approach. It was true of the last civil war in Scotland, and it was true again now.
However, Kayal didn't know where the so-called war was coming from. The Roman Empire was still in a stalemate with the now-independent Kingdom of Carthage. Even if Rome was in decline, it was still an old hegemon; its accumulated power could not be compared to Carthage, a small African country that had supplied beasts to the Roman Colosseum for hundreds of years.
But with a larger territory came more problems. Rome had amassed a large number of infantry along various borders to prevent other countries from taking advantage, even completely abandoning its coastline and retreating inland. This was likely a strategy Merlin brought to Nero: rather than attacking piecemeal, it would be better to take down Carthage in one fell swoop before confronting other nations.
And besides Rome, it seemed no other country could cause trouble for Camelot.
Kayal was not anxious; he simply accelerated his pace, as intuition could sometimes truly save a life, especially for battle-hardened warriors on the battlefield, whose bodies often reacted faster than their minds in moments of danger.
Many people went to Scotland this time, 55,000 in total. Kayal's 5,000 infantry were dispersed among them, almost all at the squad leader level. The mid-to-low-level officers and soldiers were completely under Kayal's control, advancing in squad formations.
There were many Scottish, but in the last war, due to the ice and snow, they had only marched north from the continent, directly into the plains of Scotland.
Many small villages or towns in the deep mountains on both sides of the main road had not been visited. These administrative units, where hundreds or thousands of people gathered, became more numerous the further one went from the royal city into remote areas. They had not been individually cleared, and it was initially estimated that there were still 50,000 to 150,000 people scattered across the land of Scotland.
So, these 55,000 people were not going to kill monsters, but to drive these laborers.
Kayal was also extremely busy, and finally, taking a break as if for relaxation, he and Artoria, accompanied by one hundred and fifty Knights of the Round Table as bodyguards, without even bringing the Claymore girls, simply ambled along a small path. It was a pleasant diversion.
Kayal knew Artoria had been working very hard during this time. He said nothing, holding a parchment in one hand and a charcoal stick in the other, slowly walking along the country path.
When they faintly reached the end of the road, Kayal smiled slightly at the sketch in his hand, patted the Unicorn's rear, and then gently handed the parchment to Artoria, who was leading the way.
Lily was startled. She took the parchment from Kayal's hand, and on it was a drawing of herself.
She, in a blue dress with a snow fox fur cape, radiated a dazzling glow in the sun, on horseback, amidst the trees in the background.
Artoria was momentarily stunned, then met Kayal's gentle gaze with eyes full of tenderness. As a queen, she had no sweet words of love or playful banter; she simply slowly rolled up the parchment and tucked it into her bosom.
Taking a deep breath, Artoria suddenly felt that aggressive war was not an unacceptable problem. After all, wasn't everything Kayal did for the people? Consider the excavation of the Grand Canal a while ago; if so many people from Camelot had gone, not to mention whether the country could afford such compensation, the sheer manpower and resources involved would have crippled half the country.
But now, not only had they gained hundreds of thousands of horses from Scotland for mobility and labor, but also hundreds of thousands of people, and resources like gold, silver, copper, and iron.
Though it couldn't be called a huge harvest, it was a small profit. The national treasury was no longer so strained; in fact, it had become quite comfortable.
Ever since Artoria discovered that Kayal's every step had profound meaning, she would deeply reflect on the potential effects of each of Kayal's actions every time they rolled around in bed, or when she was bathing alone in the bathroom—of course, this didn't count when they bathed together.
Just as the two were silently flirting, faint shouts could be heard from within the outline of a village. The commotion was immense, as if there were an army, or an ambush. In any case, the Knights of the Round Table immediately grew tense.
Their status, if called bodyguards, was that of the most glorious bodyguards; if called knights, they were the most elite knights. Each of them held a title and possessed unique skills, and as the King's direct forces, if they truly allowed the King to be in danger, it would be an unforgivable crime, and their families would also suffer humiliation.
The 'clink, clink, clink' of weapons being drawn startled Kayal. Artoria remained relatively calm, pointing her jade-like finger forward and softly saying, "Scout ahead." She was becoming increasingly regal, like a true King. It was a pity that a certain sage enjoyed tormenting the King, who was becoming more and more queen-like... A team of fifteen knights, without the slightest hesitation, galloped forward. Their heavy armor combined with their own weight and that of their horses amounted to five tons, making them like tanks, completely unafraid of ambush. After only a few minutes, one returned to report: "Your Majesty, the town ahead is a Scottish town. They are holding a sacrifice to the heavens, and the offering is a young girl. We have already rescued her. The villagers are a bit agitated. Do you wish to go?"
Artoria nodded gently, flicked the reins, and the tall horse beneath her began to take small, gentle steps forward.
Kayal and the one hundred and fifty Knights of the Round Table followed closely.
Inside the town, over a thousand villagers were agitated at the town's entrance. Many held torches billowing thick smoke, shouting. Many of the Camelot Knights didn't understand the Scottish dialect, but this didn't stop them from standing in a line, holding cold longswords. Like Terminators, they dismounted, using their horses as a wall, and stood outside the wall, watching the townspeople like a flock of chickens and dogs. Their expressionless faces and sharp, knife-like gazes kept these thousand people from daring to make a move. As for Artoria's arrival, they all took a step back in unison. The sight of hundreds of heavy knights looked as if there were thousands.
Artoria took the initiative to negotiate with the townspeople, while Kayal, adopting the demeanor of a doctor, dismounted and walked to the girl tied to a wooden cross. After untying her ropes and brushing the dust from her face, Kayal was momentarily stunned. This girl—she was so beautiful!