Chapter 38: The White Knight, Vortigern
"And this little creature you're carrying is...?"
When Vortigern awoke, Noah was still standing before him. Perched on Noah's shoulder was a small white creature that seemed to be watching him with curiosity.
Vortigern felt somewhat peculiar looking at this small creature.
He could tell—this creature's form was constructed using the island's own power. Like Uther and that Morgan, it was a user of the island's energy.
However, unlike thieves like Uther and Morgan, this one was clearly the island's chosen, the true messenger recognized by the island.
Logically, facing the island's messenger, Vortigern felt he should at least not dislike it, if not show respect.
But
Even he himself didn't know why—gazing at this undeniably adorable little creature—he felt an inexplicable sense of aversion... Hmm, if he had to recall when he'd felt this way before, it might have been when he saw Merlin...
Nevertheless, since the creature currently held the status of the island's messenger, Vortigern didn't express this sentiment.
"You can call her Fou. She's the messenger I've chosen... and she's also capable of helping you create an avatar."
As Noah spoke, as if to prove herself, the Fou transformed from Mary emitted a radiant white light from her eyes. Under this gaze, an exact replica of Vortigern—a White Dragon—appeared behind him, lying asleep.
Witnessing this, Vortigern crawled over to the White Dragon, circling it once.
"Scent, aura, presence, voice... Hmm, even the magical fluctuations are identical to mine. With an avatar like this, even Merlin wouldn't be able to tell the difference."
Vortigern was surprised that this small creature could achieve such a feat, but remembering she was chosen by the island, he found it reasonable.
Now with the avatar ready, he directly shrank in size.
Then, under Noah's watchful eyes, a female knight clad in silver-white armor emerged.
She had long hair as pure white as falling snow, with thick eyelashes matching her hair color. Beneath them were silver eyes that seemed to shimmer with flowing light—a distinctive feature one would notice upon seeing and never forget, even against her entirely white appearance.
The White Knight approached Noah, tied up her long hair, and donned a helmet that covered her entire face.
Then Vortigern spoke in a clear, cold voice that nonetheless carried a perceptible warmth, like melting ice.
"Island, though I can normally assume human form, Merlin might recognize me that way. By transforming into this appearance, even Merlin wouldn't associate a female knight with the White Dragon of Britain."
Hearing Vortigern's words, the Fou perched on Noah's shoulder clearly showed complex emotions.
Noah gazed at the White Knight completely encased in armor—indistinguishable as male or female without hearing the voice—and softly inquired, "But won't you feel uncomfortable yourself?"
The White Knight shook her head.
"On the day I became the White Dragon, I ceased to be human."
"Everything that once belonged to humanity holds no meaning for me now. I destroyed familial bonds, severed friendships, and have largely abandoned both my former ambitions and the vows I made..."
Her voice was calm, as if she weren't speaking about herself.
"Since then, I have been the White Dragon of Britain, the guardian and sustainer of this island. Therefore, the gender I possessed as a human holds no significance to me now—after all, I've discarded things far more important than gender, haven't I?"
She made no solemn vows nor offered any guarantees, yet her plain words carried greater persuasive power.
What she expressed wasn't empty, fantastical grandeur, but the actual past that had unfolded in her life.
The words of one who has experienced carry more weight than those of mere empathizers.
Plain statements often resonate more deeply than ornate rhetoric.
Because this is life.
More absurd than the most absurd fiction, yet more real than the most realistic writing.
So although Noah originally had more to say, he swallowed his words at this moment.
Facing such a Vortigern, he could only nod.
"Very well, since that's the case, so be it. From now on, I shall address you as White, while publicly I will call you the White Knight. I intend to establish my own Knights of the Round Table, and you won't belong to that order. Instead, you'll constitute an entire sequence by yourself."
Noah had already planned this when he decided to have Vortigern become the White Knight.
He wasn't Artoria, and thus wouldn't follow her example of summoning all Knights of the Round Table to discuss various matters during round table conferences.
After all, his Knights of the Round Table would recruit elites—they would be a more select force than the Enforcement Knights, not merely a high-level organization similar to a cabinet.
As for the true leadership...
Noah had also considered this.
The first seat of the Knights of the Round Table would be Artoria, the second Scáthach, and the third Lancelot—these three would constitute the upper leadership.
Artoria and Scáthach needed no explanation; they were Kings whose abilities required no proof.
The third seat would serve as both an aspiration for other Knights of the Round Table members and a promotion channel, representing a form of honor.
Beyond the top three seats of the Knights of the Round Table, his assistants would naturally be considered high-ranking—Morgan counted, and even Merlin would be included.
As for Kay, Noah wouldn't place him within the Knights of the Round Table sequence.
Of course, Noah was well aware of his capabilities. If Artoria were King, Kay would handle a significant portion of Camelot's internal affairs.
Thus he could be included in the high-ranking sequence, but under the title of Commander of the Enforcement Knights.
Beyond that, they would need to select knights outside the main sequence who possessed either exceptional abilities or special status.
Such as the White Knight Vortigern.
In the future, there might also be Black Knights, Blood Knights, Green Knights, and without Gawain, perhaps even Sun Knights or similar titles.
In any case, something resembling a cabinet needed to be established separately—they couldn't simply use an existing structure like the Knights of the Round Table sequence for this purpose.
After all, their functions differed, and not everyone possessed the innate capability to rule like Artoria and Scáthach. Moreover, even the most elite forces would not deploy a combatant like Vortigern as a mere soldier.
Noah solidified this future framework in his mind.
But this couldn't be rushed.
Scáthach still needed to wait a little longer, while Morgan was nearly at Camelot.
So...
Noah looked at the massive incarnation of the White Dragon, conjured by Mary, and smiled from the depths of his heart.
—Before dealing with the Picts, it was better to start with the Southern Six Territories.
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