Chapter 64: 1 vs 5

In the Celtic realms, where chivalry was intensely revered, a knightly duel held a supremely sacred status. When a war concluded through a duel of knights, both sides could readily accept the outcome. After all, while such a method might seem somewhat whimsical, the resulting casualties were kept to an absolute minimum.

A knightly duel would cost the lives of only a few knights at most, whereas a full-scale war resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries. A simple comparison made it obvious which option was more sensible.

Had it not been for the sake of preserving the king's dignity, the nobles of Sunderid would have agreed long ago. Unfortunately, all of this required the king's final ruling. Although the king was merely the nominal leader, in public affairs, nobles making decisions over the head of their sovereign was considered a grave breach of etiquette, one that would draw the contempt of all nations and the entire aristocratic class.

Consequently, the nobles could do nothing but fret anxiously.

How could King Odin fail to perceive the sentiments of his subordinate nobles? His prestige had plummeted to its absolute lowest point since the war began. It was he who had initiated the conflict, yet under his command, the war had been fought disastrously. He had essentially been beaten black and blue by that young man on the opposite side. Had Camelot not possessed a relatively modest force, the war would have ended long ago.

It was precisely for this reason that King Odin had resorted to the despicable measure of attempting to assassinate Kay.

Ordinarily, while King Odin's prestige would have fallen, it would not have provoked such fierce resistance to his will among his subordinates. No matter what, the miserable state of the war was not entirely King Odin's sole responsibility. However, employing such a base tactic as assassination—and getting caught in the act—made it indisputably King Odin's personal fault alone.

This dealt a devastating blow to King Odin's prestige.

The war had reached a point where the nobles could no longer foresee any hope of victory. Instead of pressing on, it would be far wiser to cut their losses in a timely manner. Now that Kay had offered such favorable terms—preserving both their substance and their pride—they might as well take the off-ramp provided for them.

King Odin closed his eyes, feeling a profound wave of grief. As a sovereign lord of a nation, he was actually powerless to even avenge his own son...

Yet, having served as king for so many years, he still possessed the requisite political acumen. He knew that this war could no longer be sustained. At this juncture, if he were to persist in his stubbornness, it would only invite an even greater catastrophe. The domestic nobility had already begun to waver; if he continued to disregard their wishes now, he would completely forfeit their support.

"Very well! I agree! But I have one demand!" Although a truce and troop withdrawal were already a foregone conclusion, the thought of his brutally murdered son prompted King Odin to make a final, willful stand! He had to make King Uther pay a price, or else his son's death would have been in vain!

"Name it." Since King Odin agreed to a ceasefire and reconciliation, Kay let out a sigh of relief. As for King Odin's demand, Kay was not overly concerned. Things had come this far, and King Odin's request could hardly be too excessive, especially since the matter was already settled.

"I have long heard of your reputation. Are you not hailed as the greatest knight of the realms? Then prove it to me! I will dispatch five knights from my side, and you shall face them all alone!"

As soon as King Odin voiced this demand, an uproar erupted among both the knights of Camelot and the nobles of Sunderid. This was forcing Kay to fight five opponents at once! It was utterly unfair!

However, the Sunderid nobles quickly quieted down. Although King Odin's demand was somewhat excessive, he had, after all, lost his crown prince—a father burying his son. The king had already suffered gravely; surely he was allowed to vent his frustrations? Besides, the entire affair was a humiliation for the Kingdom of Sunderid, and they naturally harbored resentment toward Camelot. If possible, they were more than willing to see Camelot suffer a setback.

Thus, they prudently kept their silence, intending at most to make a slight concession should Camelot lodge a formal and stern protest. Expecting them to initiate any compromises, however, was out of the question.

The knights of Camelot, on the other hand, were filled with indignation, and many already began clamoring for the war to continue. Camelot would not submit to such an unreasonable demand. Since they held the military advantage, they could easily resume fighting, if only to let the other nations witness Sunderid's true colors.

Kay, however, remained silent, merely tilting his head in deep thought.

After nearly two minutes, Kay raised his hand. Instantly, all the knights of Camelot fell utterly silent. At a single gesture, every last man followed suit without hesitation. The scene left the opposing Sunderid nobles staring at one another in astonishment; such absolute discipline and authority were rarely seen among the various realms.

This alone demonstrated just how immense Kay's prestige was within Camelot.

"I can agree to..." Before Kay could finish his sentence, the knights behind him immediately exploded into uproar, preparing to voice their objections. But Kay raised his hand once more, and instantly every man was forced back into his original position, not daring to utter another word.

Even King Odin watched the spectacle with genuine admiration. He knew that not even he, as a king in his own land, necessarily commanded such absolute prestige as Kay.

"But I, too, have a condition."

Upon witnessing this scene, King Odin felt a sudden, inexplicable tremor of unease in his heart.

"State it."

"If I win, your side's war indemnity must be doubled!" Five thousand changed to one hundred thousand!

King Odin's expression shifted. While he could have gritted his teeth and paid the previous indemnity of fifty thousand gold coins, one hundred thousand... As mentioned earlier, the actual cash reserves in the hands of various monarchs were quite limited. To pay a hundred thousand gold coins, King Odin would be forced to liquidate a portion of the royal assets.

Yet, considering the overwhelming advantage of five against one, King Odin was reluctant to refuse. After all, if he lacked the courage to accept a five-on-one contest, Sunderid would become a laughingstock by tomorrow.

"Very well!" King Odin said these words through gritted teeth.

In this era, contracts written in black and white were not in vogue; reputation was everything. King Odin had given his consent before so many knights and nobles, leaving him no room to reneging. Aside from whatever Camelot might do, his own domestic knights and nobles would compel King Odin to honor his pledge, because it concerned not only the king's personal reputation, but the honor of every single person present.

They were witnesses. If one side failed to fulfill its obligations, they were duty-bound to ensure justice was executed. Though the people of this era were both crude and backward, they possessed their own admirable qualities.

"Then I shall choose the form of the contest. No objection, I presume?" This was only fair. King Odin already held a massive advantage with five against one; pressing for further dominance would have been utterly shameless.

"Agreed!" Naturally, King Odin would not make things difficult for Kay over such a minor point, as that would lack all grace.

Kay had already pondered the matter. To fight five opponents simultaneously without appearing overly excessive, the best approach was the jousting tournament—a sport where two knights charged at each other bearing massive wooden lances. This form of competition was considered the safest event in Celtic knightly sports, boasting the lowest mortality rate. Furthermore, the event was strictly one-on-one, making it impossible for five knights to attack simultaneously, thus requiring him to face only a single enemy at a time.

Just as Kay was about to propose the contest format, however, a Camelot knight galloped swiftly from afar, rushed to Kay's side, and whispered something into his ear.

Upon hearing the news, Kay's expression changed drastically. He immediately turned his head and declared to King Odin, "I believe there is no need for such complications. We shall settle the outcome with the simplest method possible—a knightly duel! I take on all five, let them come together!"

Hearing this, the Sunderid camp instantly erupted in a torrent of curses. This was nothing short of a blatant humiliation!