Chapter Thirty-Seven: Exposed (Please Bookmark and Recommend)

Sophia’s expression shifted instantly. She could not imagine that one day she would be ordered to kneel by a mortal! It was an utter humiliation.

Aethelred, standing beside her, was far more experienced. He tugged at Sophia’s sleeve, signaling her to comply, while inwardly cursing their luck. Before selecting Arthur as his target, Aethelred had naturally conducted some reconnaissance. While he did not know every detail of Arthur’s personal life, he had a general understanding. He knew that Kay was not a man to be trifled with.

However, he never expected Arthur to be so intimidated by this legendary First Knight. In Aethelred’s estimation, even if Sir Kay held a close relationship with the royal family, he could not possibly stand in the way of a true prince. Now, it was clear he had severely underestimated the influence Sir Kay held over both Arthur and King Uther.

"Kay! What do you think you are doing?!"

Prompted by Aethelred, Sophia knelt down, consumed by fury and humiliation. Yet, she did not intend to yield. The moment her knees hit the floor, she locked eyes with Arthur. Under her magical influence, Arthur grew agitated once more, even going so far as to challenge Kay.

Kay glanced at Arthur, surprised, then looked thoughtfully at Sophia. Held down by the guards, Arthur could do little to intervene.

"My brother is truly growing up. From childhood until now, Arthur has never spoken to me like that. This is the first time, and it is all because of you, my lady." Ignoring the shouting prince, Kay removed his gloves and walked over to Sophia. He reached out, gently lifting her chin with his index finger, and said with a touch of arrogance, "Well, at least Arthur’s taste is not entirely flawed. You are indeed a beauty."

Kay’s actions were blatantly flirtatious, and Sophia understood perfectly that he was insulting her.

"Ha, a rose with thorns. I like that look." Seeing the murderous glint in Sophia’s eyes, Kay became even more flippant. "Tell me, my lady, how did you manage to make my foolish brother fall in love with you in such a short time? Do you know, when I first received the news, I couldn't believe it. Everyone here knows that my brother is a romantic simpleton. Yet, in just a few days, you have him completely bewitched. It is nothing short of a miracle."

After asking, Kay rudely dropped her chin and turned to King Uther. "Your Majesty, in all your vast experience, have you ever seen such a thing? Especially when it concerns Arthur?"

King Uther had paid little attention before, assuming it was simply Arthur’s time to fall in love. But now, prompted by Kay, he suddenly felt that something was indeed wrong. Uther knew his son well. He could believe Arthur might fall in love, but such an extreme, romanticized "love at first sight" leading to a secret betrothal was highly unlikely for a man like Arthur.

Uther could be reckless, but at times, he was neurotically sensitive—especially regarding anything that might involve magic. "You mean to say..."

Kay did not answer the King directly. Instead, he gave a subtle tactical signal to Leon, who stood nearby. Leon blinked, thinking he had misread the gesture, but when Kay repeated it, he realized Kay was not joking. Though slightly doubtful of Kay's judgment, his absolute trust in the knight led him to nod quietly and whisper an order to the knights behind him, who then promptly departed.

"That is a beautiful staff you have. May I take a look?" Kay walked over to Aethelred, addressing the silent old man.

Aethelred hesitated, but under Kay’s unwavering gaze, he gritted his teeth and handed over the staff. Kay twirled it casually twice before holding it horizontally in front of him.

"Hmm, lovely white oak heart. A rare material. And is this Camorra crystal? This crystal is quite scarce; they say it only forms in the lands where the Fae dwell." Kay critiqued the staff, which was as tall as a man.

Aethelred felt cold sweat pouring down his back, for every word Kay spoke was true. Before he could formulate an excuse, Kay spoke again.

"And it has inscriptions, too. Let me see... what language is this? Ah, yes, Ogham."

*“To hold life and death in one’s hand.”*

Camelot’s library contained a vast collection of books, many dating back to the time the Celts first established kingdoms on this land. Because of this, it housed a wealth of occult materials. As a child, Kay had been fascinated by these things and often spent his time immersed in the library, earning him the reputation of a polymath.

The moment Kay finished reading the inscription, Aethelred stood up with lightning speed and began chanting a spell. A violent flash of light erupted, and Kay was sent flying!

The scene descended into chaos. The people in the hall now realized these two were evil sorcerers.

"Guards!" King Uther bellowed.

Aethelred stepped to Sophia’s side and chanted again. "Abas ocus bithe!"

At his command, the guards rushing forward were blasted away. "Sophia! Now! Take Arthur and go!"

Sophia reacted instantly; she had been prepared even before Aethelred spoke!

"Arthur!" A sound like a banshee’s wail tore through the hall. Arthur, previously restrained, suddenly shook off the two soldiers holding him as if he had been infused with a stimulant. "Sophia, I am coming!"

Arthur’s eyes glowed with a faint red light. He looked vacant and mindless, stripped of his usual composure, yet he moved with terrifying speed, nearly reaching Sophia’s side.

But at that moment, Kay—who had been blasted away just seconds before—appeared beside Arthur and grabbed him by the shoulder.

"They say a first love is always tragic, but I never expected a fool like you to make such a scene. I’ll comfort your wounded heart later, but for now, you’ll stay right there." With that, Kay grabbed a metal water pitcher and slammed it onto the back of Arthur’s head.

*Clang!*

The pitcher was deformed by the impact, and Arthur, naturally, fared no better, promptly passing out.

Kay tossed the ruined pitcher aside and looked at the horrified Sophia and her father. He shrugged helplessly. "Sorry, I didn't want to treat your little boyfriend like this, but love is blind, and someone has to keep him grounded, right?"

Dropping his playful demeanor, Kay’s voice turned icy cold. "Now, it’s your turn... you mongrels."

As the words left his lips, Kay’s twin blades struck like lightning toward the pair!

Sophia and her father attempted to repel Kay with magic, but unfortunately, Kay was no longer holding back. Their casting speed could not keep pace with his strikes. They were forced to rely on simple spells to defend themselves, but these minor incantations could not shake him.

The best way for a knight to deal with a sorcerer is to overwhelm them with speed; the more powerful the spell, the longer the preparation required. Sophia and her father were reduced to using low-level magic like fireballs and telekinesis, which were ineffective against Kay—or even most seasoned knights. This was one of the fundamental weaknesses of sorcerers; if not for such shortcomings, King Uther would never have won the war against magic.

"Run!" Aethelred realized the situation was hopeless; their mission had utterly failed. Now, survival was the only priority.

"Run? You aren't going anywhere!"

Kay would not let such rare prey escape. And indeed, they were prey. This was the first time in the Celtic lands he had encountered targets with such abundant soul energy—surpassing even those who claimed to be gods. Kay had slain many "gods," though most were merely minor spirits with odd abilities who were hardly stronger than common men.

Returning to the Celtic lands, Kay had expected to spend his time hunting bandits or thugs to gain "experience." (The energy gauge for Kay’s "cheat" remained constant, but the difficulty of acquiring energy increased as he grew stronger—in short, he was grinding.) He hadn't expected the Celtic lands to actually have something of value!