Kay was genuinely stunned at the time. Weren't Black people supposed to be in Africa? How did they end up in England? By boat? Was the technology of the African people that advanced back then—advanced enough to cross half the Atlantic Ocean and reach the British Isles?
What was even more baffling was that no one else seemed to think the Black people he saw weren't Celtics... that their ancestors were the same...
Sometimes, Kay just had to marvel at the supposed magic of Celtic heritage.
Hearing Gwen's tone of admiration, Morgana couldn't have been happier. She proudly declared, "That's Kay! He was the Champion Knight ten years ago."
Gwen was certainly impressed. After all, what Kay had done at the banquet last night was the talk of all Camelot today. Even though Gwen was just a servant, what young woman hasn't dreamt of a fairy-tale romance? Gwen sometimes daydreamed about her own Prince Charming.
Who will be my Prince Charming?
A part of Gwen couldn't help but wonder.
With that thought, Gwen's gaze drifted to Arthur and Merlin, who were standing in the corner of the training yard.
Arthur was truly frustrated right now. He had been dealt two major blows this morning: first, by sparring with Kay and being completely dominated. This made Arthur, who had always been very confident in his skills, feel terrible. He could handle losing, but this kind of crushing defeat was too much. It brought back the feeling he had ten years ago facing Kay—that overwhelming, undeniable power that felt truly hopeless.
If that were all, it might have been acceptable. Kay was exceptional; even King Uther, who was usually Arthur's greatest supporter, had admitted that Kay was the most naturally gifted knight he had ever seen and that Kay was destined to be the strongest knight. Those were the King's exact words.
Though bitter, losing to the "Strongest Knight" would be easier to swallow. But now, Kay had shown him a much more brutal reality: the glory he had achieved up until now was a lie! Arthur was usually rather thick-headed, but he wasn't stupid. By now, he knew that the members of the Knights of the Round Table had been taking it easy on him during their matches.
These two blows came one after the other, giving Arthur a sudden feeling of unreality. He started to question if his life was even authentic. If these knights would secretly hold back just because he was the Prince, what about everyone else? How much of what people said to him was truly sincere?
Merlin, standing next to him, wasn't thinking about any of that. He was half-heartedly wiping sweat off Arthur while excitedly watching Kay dominate the training yard. As Arthur's personal attendant, Merlin was responsible for all of Arthur's personal needs, including but not limited to, helping him put on armor, repairing and maintaining equipment, looking after his horse, preparing tack, washing his clothes, cooking, and so on. Merlin was involved in pretty much every aspect of Arthur's life.
So, although Merlin was a servant, he was very familiar with the Knights of the Round Table. He spent at least half his day here. He had seen countless sparring matches.
But Sir Kay's style... how could he describe it? Beautiful? Yes! That was it—it was beautiful!
The old sparring matches between knights were always clumsy, one strike after another, full of heavy force, but they looked awkward, like two puppets fighting. It was anything but graceful, and Merlin had often silently criticized Uther's taste for finding it entertaining.
But watching Kay fight today, Merlin finally believed that fighting could be beautiful!
Every move Kay made wasn't just powerful; it was infused with a fluidity that no one else possessed. Each attack was smooth, flowing like water. It was elegant in a way Merlin had never seen. The two wooden swords in Kay's hands seemed alive, and the changes in speed and tempo created an unfamiliar rhythm.
During the combat, Kay didn't shout loudly to intimidate, as other knights did. Instead, Kay was quiet; even his breathing rate didn't change. The most apt description was that he was as still as a mountain—silent, but incredibly imposing.
Compared to the rough shouts and heavy breathing of the other knights, Kay's presence was on a whole other level.
"Hey! Merlin! I asked you to wipe the sweat off, not stuff the towel in my mouth!" Arthur immediately complained when he saw how captivated Merlin was.
Snapping out of his trance, Merlin instantly pulled the towel back. But Merlin didn't take Arthur's annoyance personally. Although Arthur was a little arrogant, bossy, and quick to temper, he was fundamentally a good person and never treated Merlin like just a servant. They were more like friends.
Merlin tossed the towel aside and looked at Arthur, his face full of curiosity. "Did you really learn swordsmanship from Sir Kay?"
Arthur didn't react to Merlin's casualness; in fact, it was precisely Merlin's straightforwardness that made Arthur want to be his friend. As the Prince, people in Camelot either feared him or buttered him up. Although Arthur was an adult, Uther had sheltered him so well that he still had the mindset of an overgrown kid. Kids need playmates, and Merlin was close to his age and, more importantly, genuine with him.
Arthur, who had lacked companionship growing up, naturally viewed Merlin as his friend. So, he wasn't keen on using his royal status to intimidate Merlin.
"Of course. Why do you ask?"
Once he got his answer, Merlin scrutinized Arthur, then said with a look of disdain, "You really don't look like it at all..."
"..." Arthur definitely understood that Merlin was mocking him. "I need water! Go grab me a tankard of ale!"
Merlin shrugged, pouting, and walked off.
That was the dynamic between the two young men.
Sir Leon, the most senior member of the Knights of the Round Table, was the last to face Kay. As a veteran knight, Leon's skill was certainly exceptional; he was even considered a top-tier knight across the kingdoms. But against Kay, the only thing he could do was last a little longer.
Leon was decisively knocked to the ground, his wooden sword sent flying by Kay. Just as he struggled to stand up, Kay's two wooden swords were crossed at his throat.
"I concede," Leon said, disheartened, facing the expressionless Kay.
Kay had defeated him ten years ago, but he hadn't expected to lose even faster ten years later. He was completely helpless. Was there anything more humiliating than that?
"What in the world have you been doing, Leon?" Kay didn't seem too bothered by the victory itself.
The truth was, after all his years of training and fighting, the Soul Energy Kay had accumulated had pushed him beyond the realm of mere mortals.
His current attributes were: Strength 40; Agility 30; Spirit 40.
Kay had compared these numbers. A normal person in his previous life would have all three attributes around two points. Trained professionals could average about three points. In this world, however, for some unknown reason, people's physical capabilities were generally stronger. A strong commoner's Strength could reach five points, and Agility could reach three points, while Spirit remained similar to his past life, fluctuating between one and two. Only those with magical or sorcerer talent had higher Spirit scores.
Knights, at their peak, could reach a Strength score of ten, Agility of seven, and Spirit could exceed three points.
Just based on the stats, Kay surpassed Leon by a factor of four. And that was just the superficial comparison; the reality was far more terrifying. Attributes weren't just for show—each one had a specific function. Strength wasn't just raw muscle; it also represented physical durability, stamina, and environmental adaptability. Agility represented speed, neural reaction time, balance, and body control.
Spirit was the hardest to define, as it covered the most ground—anything related to the mind was included: processing speed, learning ability, memory, perception, spatial awareness, and even mystical psychic energy.
When all these factors were accounted for, Kay's actual combat strength didn't just exceed Leon's by four times, but likely ten times or more, though it was difficult to quantify. If Kay unleashed his full power in a perfectly fair environment, he could easily handle over a dozen Leons. By using the environment and tactics, he could take down even more. Reality isn't a turn-based video game where you hit me and I hit you; in a real-world fight, the gap between Kay and Leon would only be wider.
Considering this comparison, it was clear how terrifyingly strong Kay was now. This was also after Kay had spent many of his energy points on various skills, which kept his attributes from becoming even more astronomically high. Otherwise, Kay wouldn't even need skill or tactics—one punch would simply turn Leon into a smear on the ground.
Leon certainly knew what Kay was asking, but he had his reasons.
"Arthur is the future king. He must not be harmed." Loyalty was a necessary virtue for a knight. Arthur was the Prince; he would inevitably be the King! He was the object of all the knights' allegiance. As a knight, how could Leon possibly hurt his sovereign? It would violate his code of chivalry.
Kay shook his head in disappointment, speaking every word clearly. "He's a King, not a Queen! [He is a king, not a queen!]"
Kay then looked around at the assembled knights and continued in a serious tone, "You think you're doing Arthur a favor? Letting him live a lie? Letting him overestimate his own abilities? Yes, you can't and won't hurt him. But what about his enemies? The wicked sorcerers? The terrifying monsters? Will they go easy on him like you do? Will they spare him because he's a prince?"
These words made every knight present lower his head. Of course, a few of them were still unconvinced, feeling that their duty was to protect the King, and they couldn't possibly let their King suffer harm.
Kay pressed on, "He's a man, and he's the heir to the throne. The day will come when he leads you into battle. As knights, would you rather he get hurt during training, or get killed on the battlefield? I don't think I need to remind you which one to choose, do I? King Uther didn't send Arthur here to play house with you!"
Finished with his lecture, Kay ignored whatever the men were thinking. He put away his swords and, looking slightly arrogant, announced to the knights, "To punish you for your negligence, every single one of you will run fifty laps around the city walls! No taking off your armor, no resting! Now! Go!"
Kay shouted the last sentence. Regardless of their private thoughts, the knights could only scramble out toward the city walls immediately. Forget about arguing that Kay didn't have the authority. He was King Uther's adopted son and held the status of a prince. This wasn't a time of established law and order; it was a feudal society. Was there really any question about the royal family giving orders to the knights?