Leonel raised his head to look toward King Arthur. His gaze was as calm as a lake, splitting the kingly aura that descended upon him in a steady stream.
King Arthur's aura became more and more stifling.
It wasn't just him. The guards along the walls of the throne room felt rage an indignation. Who was this boy to speak to their King in such a way?
It had to be remembered that though King Arthur was an orphan, he was still of noble birth. To the people of Camelot, his orphan status wasn't as important as his royal blood. From the very beginning, he was destined to be King.
To the subjects of Camelot, the difference in worth between Leonel and their King was obvious. How could they allow such an infringement on his dignity.
At that moment, Arthur felt a hint of rage in his heart. When had he ever been disrespected in this way? Ever since he pulled the sword from the stone, his life had completely changed. He hadn't suffered a single setback.
In that journey up, his Knights were his brothers in arm. Lamorak and the others grew up by his side. He would have never made it here had he not relied on the judgment of his close friends. It was impossible for a King to make every decision himself and see through every mystery alone.
Even if he appreciated Leonel's talent, Lamorak wasn't asking him to kill him, he was only asking him to rescind an entry right. Though this was still quite a major ask, it was still acceptable under the circumstances.
It was true that King Arthur had already decided to side with Lamorak. However, he had decided to question Leonel first.
In his mind, Leonel was just a teenage boy. Under the oppression of kingly might, any flaws he had would be obvious for all to see. However, what he had never expected was for Leonel to react like this.
It was true that Leonel had the right to feel indignant. A Major Opening of the Trials only happened once or twice a century. If he missed this opening, it would mean that he would never live up to his full potential.
However, Camelot was in a precarious position right now. King Arthur would rather wrong an innocent than give way to a villain.
Whether it was the internal strife with The Church, or the outside pressure of the Demon Army, both were issues that couldn't be looked down upon. If he also raised another tiger in the meantime, his Kingdom might truly crumble.
He already had his back pressed against a wall, yet now he was withstanding the verbal assault of a junior? How could he not be enraged.
King Arthur slowly regained his calm.
Though his heart was billowing with anger, his face had hardly shown any ripples from start to finish. He was a King. In the end, he wouldn't lower himself to the level of a child.
"Three Star Official Mage Leonel, it has been decided by the Royal Court of Camelot that your rights for entry into the Merlin Trial Gates will be rescinded. You may leave."
King Arthur felt no need to explain himself. He could insist that Leonel's origins were too mysterious. He could say that Lamorak and he had fought side by side on many battlefields and he trusted the judgment of his brother. He could bring up any number of fallacious reasons he wanted.
However, he didn't. He disdained to. What reason did he have to explain himself to someone beneath him? He was a King. The King of Camelot. His word was final.
That said… This King could have never expected Leonel's response.
"Mm."
Leonel nodded as though this judgment had nothing to do with him. Then, he turned to leave without another word.
He had entered this castle with awe in his heart and he left with indifference hanging around him. He didn't even bother to bid farewell to Lionus.
King Arthur's gaze flashed with rage, but Leonel's footsteps didn't pause. It was complete disregard.
In the end, King Arthur chose not to move, even waving his guards who had half unsheathed their weapons off.
As Leonel walked out, he affirmed something in his heart.
There were many versions of King Arthur. There were stories that painted him as a heroic man without flaws who only fell due to the betrayal of those closest to him. However, there were others that painted him as a hero of an era with tragic flaws that drove those closest to him away.
After this interaction, Leonel already knew which version of King Arthur he was dealing with.
Long after Leonel left, King Arthur let out a sigh and shook his head. He ultimately wasn't an oppressive ruler. He had his own guilty conscience, but that didn't mean he would change his mind. He had already decided to side with Lamorak.
"Father, I think you've made the wrong decision."
Lionus, who hadn't felt it was right to follow Leonel, stayed behind. After a long while, he finally spoke these words.
"So this is why you decided to stay back? In recent days, it seems like you haven't wanted to spend any time with this father of yours at all."
If others knew this, they would be shocked. After all, Lionus had nothing but admiration for his father. Avoiding him didn't sound like something he would do.
"Father…"
King Arthur waved his hand.
"Say no more, the decision has been made. The words a King speaks can't be so easily taken back.
"He is an Earth Mage, so ensure that this is properly accounted for. Ensure that he doesn't leave Camelot within the next year. After this, let him go and do as he pleases.
"If he moves to join Modred, kill him. If not, leave him be."
King Arthur gave this task not just to his son, but his guards as well. Wouldn't it be too much of a joke if Leonel was allowed to escape through the ground and leave toward the Trials even after he was banned from doing so?