As they approached the military camp, they could see a group of soldiers clad in gleaming silver armor, vigorously training with Gae Bolg.
The soldiers let out thunderous shouts and infused their weapons with powerful bursts of magical energy, swinging them with all their might.
"Boom boom boom boom -!"
Their strikes were so forceful that the ground beneath them began to tremble and crack open.
All one thousand soldiers in the unit had been bestowed with the skills of Mana Burst, Battle Continuation, and Instinct by none other than Shirou himself.
Despite the arduous and exhausting nature of his task, Shirou persevered in meticulously polishing the weapons and armor of his soldiers, while imparting them with valuable skills.
These one thousand soldiers were a testament to his unwavering dedication and selflessness.
With the kingdom now having achieved self-sufficiency, Shirou's army had grown to three thousand well-trained regular soldiers. Each soldier was equipped with a Gae Bolg, but not all had the benefit of complete armor and innate skills.
As Lamorak supervised the training of the spearmen, he caught sight of Shirou and immediately called for a halt.
The soldiers were overjoyed to see their beloved king, their faces lighting up with excitement.
Lamorak turned to the soldiers and asked, "What is the essence of our spirit, soldiers?"
Without hesitation, the soldiers shouted back in unison, their voices ringing with conviction, "Love for country, compassion, honor, bravery, sacrifice, humility, justice, and honesty!" Their unwavering commitment to these values was evident in the determination etched on their faces and the unwavering faith shining in their eyes.
A smile spread across Shirou's face as he gazed upon his loyal soldiers. "Is the training too difficult?" he inquired, his voice warm and encouraging.
With a sense of pride, the soldiers responded in unison, their voices ringing with excitement, "No, not at all!"
Their enthusiasm was contagious, and their loud and thunderous shouts echoed throughout the camp, reverberating through the very heavens and earth.
He smiled, "Then keep pushing yourselves even harder, my brave soldiers. Our glory and honor are intertwined!"
The soldiers were now even more motivated in their training, their energy and enthusiasm palpable. Even the clouds above seemed to tremble with the intensity of their spirit.
After spending some time chatting and catching up with the soldiers in the military camp and the knights, he bid them farewell and departed.
He turned to Agravain and asked, "How many soldiers do we have in our regular army?"
"Currently, we have a total of 3672 soldiers."
Shirou's expression turned serious as he pondered this number. "Three thousand soldiers are not enough. Our food supplies can sustain an army twice as large."
Agravain expressed his concern, "Our total population is approximately 67,000. If we were to expand our army, it would be challenging to manage other aspects, particularly considering our plan to construct roads to connect with other territories..."
"I see your point. What I meant was, do we have any nearby mercenary groups that we can hire?"
"Ah, I see what you're getting at. Yes, there are about sixteen mercenary groups in Ireland and Gaul, with varying sizes ranging from twenty to several hundred people," Agravain's eyes brightened as he understood. He licked his lips in anticipation.
"Anyone who can be recruited, use food and money to lure them in. Keep the capable military leaders and dispose of the rest efficiently."
Agravain reassured his king, "Please do not worry, I am well-versed in this matter!"
Shirou asked again, "Has the bard already begun spreading the word?"
"Yes, he has. Please do not worry. Whether it's Vortigern or the other kings, they will only know that Cornwall is barely surviving with a military force of fewer than five hundred people."
"Excellent. Oh, Agravain," Shirou paused before continuing, "Please make sure to get closer to Bedivere. Facing difficult situations alone is not ideal." he patted Agravain's shoulder before turning to leave.
Agravain was surprised for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. He whispered to himself, "I won't let you down, my king! You are the only one who can lead Britain towards a brighter future!"
A look of admiration and fanaticism filled Agravain's face.
Over the past year, he had witnessed firsthand how Shirou governed this rundown place with such efficiency. he marveled at how Shirou was able to identify talents and place them in the right positions, imparting wisdom and coordinating everyone's abilities, so that everyone's strengths were focused in one direction.
Reflecting on his own mistake in judgment from a year ago, he realized that perhaps only Shirou had the greatest chance of success.
Above all, Agravain recognized that Shirou needed everyone's strength and genuinely cared for all of his people, including himself. Shirou's concern for his wellbeing touched him deeply, and he felt that Shirou truly saw him as more than just a tool to be used.
This kind of leadership was something Agravain had never experienced before in his life, and it made him feel valued and appreciated. He thought to himself, "I, Agravain, will give you my greatest efforts, my king!"
...
Shirou made his way back to the palace, and as he walked, he saw Gareth and Lancelot patrolling the city. The two greeted him eagerly, and even Lancelot, who was standing alongside Gareth, looked up to him with respect.
However, Shirou's attention was drawn to Gareth's hair, and as she noticed his gaze, she covered her hair and stepped back quickly.
He looked puzzled and asked, "What's wrong? Am I that scary?"
Gareth's face reflected a mixture of admiration and fear as she stuttered, "N-no, my lord. But I have short hair, I don't have a ponytail..." Her voice trailed off as she looked down.
A year ago, Morgan had released Gareth from her control, and since then, she had become an apprentice knight under Gawain, and was currently studying with Lancelot.
Gareth held deep admiration and respect for Shirou, but she was also afraid of him. This was because he was seemingly perfect in every way, except for one peculiar habit - he had a strange liking for grabbing girls' ponytails!
In the past, Gareth had grown her hair long and tied it into a ponytail, only to be ambushed from behind by the king who played with her hair. The experience had left her traumatized and afraid of letting her hair grow long again.
However, Gareth wasn't the only one who suffered from Shirou's peculiar habit. Artoria was even more unfortunate, as it was rumored that after King Arthur finished correcting documents, he liked to grab her ponytail and watch her angry expression.
In King's own words, he felt great pleasure in grabbing Artoria's ponytail, and it would help him release all his fatigue from the day. Artoria had wanted to tie up her hair to avoid his behavior, but the King had ordered her not to, leaving her seething with anger but unable to explode.
Gareth lived in fear of becoming the King's next target, so she took preemptive action and cut her hair short to avoid being noticed. She made a solemn vow to never grow her hair long again, so that she could avoid the King's peculiar habit.
Shirou returned to the palace with a strange expression on his face, and as he entered, he was met with Merlin's resentful gaze. Ignoring him, he sat back down in his seat.
...
Dressed in a flowing white gown, Artoria approached Shirou with a delicate porcelain plate filled with fragrant fish soup, the steam wafting up from the surface in enticing swirls. She urged him to try it. "My king, please try this," she said earnestly. "I developed this recipe myself. I hope you'll like it."
Shirou tentatively sipped at the soup, relishing the rich flavors and tender chunks of fish that danced across his tongue. "This is more than just pretty good."
She beamed with happiness at his praise.
He turned to face Merlin and asked, "Where is Scathach now?"
Merlin used his Clairvoyance to check and replied, "She's already crossing the sea. By the way, why are you so fixated on the Queen of the Shadow Land? If it's for training spearmen, Lamorak is already sufficient."
"It's not the same." Shirou shook his head.
"Huh, what do you mean?"
Shirou simply smiled and looked down at his paperwork. He felt a sense of comfort whenever he saw her, but he didn't want to share this sentiment with anyone. As a king, he needed to remain strong and stand firm, always stronger than anyone else.
As another day passed, a purple-haired female warrior from Ireland arrived in Cornwall.
...
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