Chapter 26: Merlin: That Is The Most Dangerous Place In The World
Damn, Scáthach actually joined my Knights of the Round Table!?
Even Noah, as a transmigrator, had never considered this possibility before it actually happened, because... that's Scáthach we're talking about.
But astonishment aside, Noah didn't let this go to his head.
He clearly understood that this was probably similar to how Scáthach helped Chaldea. If he truly wanted Scáthach to become his Knight of the Round Table, he would need to be able to defeat her in a fair fight.
After all, he remembered Scáthach saying something like "if you want to climb into my bed, you must first withstand my spear." So by extension, to make her his knight, he would likely need to defeat her first.
But that was the second time they met. The first time she saw him, he had just started his extra training...
That must be happening soon.
In other words, if he increased the intensity of his combat training daily from now on, there was a high probability this Queen of the Land of Shadows would seek him out on her own initiative...
However, at his current stage without the physical capabilities from the simulations, facing Scáthach on such terms would still be quite difficult... But with three daily simulations available, if he put his mind to it, it really wouldn't be that big of a problem.
Thinking this far, Noah's mind began to race.
The Knights of the Round Table.
Imagining his future Knights of the Round Table—first seat: Artoria, second seat: Scáthach, and only third seat: Lancelot...
Hiss—
With a Round Table like that, wouldn't it be fine even without Gawain and Agravain?
After all, with these three, plus recruiting Tristan from Selkirk Territory when dealing with the Picts, and then adding Kay, Ector, and King Pellinore's family, the framework of the Knights of the Round Table would basically be complete.
Against Vortigern, even such a Round Table might not have many members who could make a difference.
But after dealing with Vortigern, that would be a different story...
Because even without considering the inevitable future destruction, if Noah remembered correctly, this timeframe coincided exactly with the barbarians crushing Rome and plunging into the heart of Europe.
Timeline-wise, the best news during this period might be that Attila, the Hun king known as the Scourge of God, had died, and her vast empire was rapidly disintegrating.
But...
Noah recalled the intelligence he had received recently.
Although Britain was currently plagued by internal and external troubles, leaving them almost completely in the dark about Roman affairs, news about major events like Attila's death and her empire's collapse should still have reached them.
Yet clearly...
There was absolutely no news about this!
So if Noah wasn't mistaken, this Scourge of God probably hadn't died yet...
While he didn't know the exact situation over there, having Rome's Sword Emperor Lucius holding the line was manageable for now. But Rome was undoubtedly very vulnerable at this stage. If that Hun king remained alive, Rome couldn't hold out indefinitely.
Therefore, after dealing with Vortigern and stabilizing the situations in Britain, Pictavia, and Hibernia, he would need to start considering matters concerning Rome and that Scourge of God.
The newly formed Knights of the Round Table might not yet shine brightly enough when dealing with Vortigern.
But when facing the Great King of the Huns or Rome, the situation would be entirely different.
Noah's thoughts extended far into the future.
However, he only pondered these matters briefly.
After all, he wasn't skilled in political strategy, so he merely organized the information in this regard while leaving the rest to depend on the simulation's developments.
Not to mention, even within the simulation, Vortigern hadn't been dealt with yet, making matters concerning Rome and the Great King of the Huns still distant.
Thus, Noah continued watching the simulation.
[Scáthach had indeed heard of the existence of the 'Pillar of Light' that maintains the surface of the world, but she didn't know its exact location—something even her wisdom from the Land of Shadows couldn't uncover.]
[Morgan didn't know its location either.]
[The only one who could find the 'Pillar of Light' was Merlin, who possessed the highest level of Clairvoyance capable of seeing through the present.]
[Upon hearing that you wanted to find the 'Pillar of Light,' Merlin first couldn't understand why you sought it, then hesitated about whether to take you there.]
[It wasn't that he thought you could destroy the 'Pillar of Light'; rather, the journey to that place was truly too dangerous. He feared that taking you there might lead to your death, causing the recently stabilized Britain to fall into chaos once more.]
[But you insisted on going, and in the end, Merlin had no choice but to agree.]
Reading this, Noah tightened his arm around Artoria.
He became more serious than before.
After all, if even Merlin said the place was extremely dangerous, then obtaining the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad might indeed be far from easy.
Still, he wanted to see exactly where this thing was located!
[Merlin told you that the location of the 'Pillar of Light' itself was safe, but there was only one path leading to it, and that path was where the danger lay.]
[Merlin also said that it wasn't about surviving against all odds on this path; rather, the living had no permission to enter it. Only the dead could pass through. Therefore, to reach the 'Pillar of Light,' one must first die, and only then would there be a chance.]
[Merlin had a way to put you into this state of death, adding that you must pass through the path, reach the 'Pillar of Light,' and return the same way within a day, or you would truly die.]
[Moreover, while traversing this path, Merlin would do his best to conceal your presence, warning you not to be discovered by the master of that place. If you were found, as someone in the state of death, you would have no chance of returning.]
[Because although the master of that place was powerful in the world of the living, they were not entirely undefeatable. But in the world of death, they were the undisputed king.]
[In the world of death, even gods couldn't escape their hunt and could only accept death without resistance.]
[Hearing Merlin speak so gravely, you grew somewhat nervous. But you knew that without obtaining the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad, even if you survived now, you still wouldn't overcome Vortigern. Thus, you steeled your resolve to go, no matter what.]
[After sensing your determination, Merlin knew he couldn't dissuade you, so he revealed the location of this passage and advised you to mentally prepare yourself before entering the state of death.]
[Then Merlin told you—this passage lies in the most dangerous and terrifying place of legend, where even renowned heroes would emerge with severe psychological trauma...]
[—the Land of Shadows]