Success—
That was the ideal outcome.
Even if there were losses, Silver Axe could accept that.
Failure, however—
That was something he absolutely could not tolerate.
He had painstakingly built up his forces over many years.
If this operation ended in failure, it would be an outcome he could never accept.
"..."
The atmosphere gradually grew silent.
It was as if everyone had realized something was wrong.
The situation had become awkward—
advancing felt wrong, retreating also felt wrong.
They were stuck in an uncomfortable stalemate, a situation that truly gave people a headache.
Tap.
Morgan slowly descended to the ground, her expression calm and unhurried.
Compared to her so-called "socially clueless" younger brother… well, his elder sister wasn't much better either. In truth, this could probably be considered a Pendragon family tradition.
If King Uther were still alive and saw that both his son and daughter turned out like this, the Red Dragon King might rage himself back to life just to beat them both senseless.
"Knight Commander?"
"Retreat."
"Yes!"
The giant officer had just been about to say something when Silver Axe suddenly issued the order.
The giant froze for a moment, then immediately nodded. From the brief exchange earlier, he could clearly tell—Morgan was terrifyingly strong. Her combat power was unquestionably astonishing.
"Oh?"
Morgan spoke lightly, "Leaving already?"
Silver Axe replied calmly,
"I'm not confident I can secure a guaranteed victory—and…"
His words trailed off. After a brief pause, he chose not to continue. Some things didn't need to be said aloud just yet. Silver Axe understood very well that the potential losses simply weren't worth it.
Silver Axe, Ochoku, and others like them always acted with preparation. They were still young enough to endure failure—but the real question was:
Why fail at all?
If success was possible, why accept defeat?
That was why they rejected failure outright.
Success alone was enough.
"Haha…"
Morgan chuckled softly and said nothing more, merely watching as Silver Axe withdrew.
Was Morgan le Fay strong?
Of course.
Within this sea, she was undeniably an admiral-level powerhouse. One opponent? Two opponents? Either way, defeating her was impossible. That alone showed just how terrifying she truly was.
But—
That was only part of her strength.
If she chased them beyond the British Isles, things would be different. Without the island's blessing, Morgan would at most remain at admiral level, and her overall combat power would decline.
More importantly—
All she needed to do was defend Britannia itself. There was no need for her to pursue or press the attack.
Splash—
Splash—
As the pirate fleet gradually retreated, a faint smile curved Morgan's lips.
The entire encounter had been brief.
From start to finish, it lasted no more than half an hour.
And that was enough.
At least, it was more than enough for Morgan. The problem had been resolved cleanly. There was nothing more to worry about.
Tap.
Tap.
As the Silver Axe Pirates departed, a figure slowly appeared behind Morgan.
With respect, he spoke,
"Mother… you truly have changed."
Morgan replied calmly,
"I wouldn't call it change. I just find that constantly clashing with Arthur isn't very interesting anymore. The world is vast—wouldn't it be more entertaining to keep moving forward and see what lies beyond?"
"Yes."
The knight smiled gently. Whatever the reason, as long as his mother was willing to take this path, that alone was enough for him.
But—
The smile vanished in an instant.
He returned to his usual composure, gazing into the distance before bowing deeply.
"Mother, there is still much work that requires my attention. I will take my leave."
Morgan nodded.
The knight departed.
Morgan murmured softly,
"Arthur… don't disappoint me. In this world, build a truly holy British Empire."
"Heh-heh…"
A faint smile appeared.
In this new world, Morgan had truly changed. She realized that the things she once clung to—the grudges, the obsessions—no longer seemed that important. They could finally be set aside.
"It's… not a bad feeling."
She narrowed her eyes slightly, finding the sensation surprisingly comfortable. Having let go of anger and hatred, this elder sister now cared more about her younger brother—and her children.
Though, thinking about it carefully…
Didn't her brother and her children all seem to have some problems?
As these thoughts surfaced, Morgan felt even more different—like a completely transformed person compared to who she once was.
As the dark aspect of the Lady of the Lake—
But darkness was never so easily defined.
What appeared to be darkness was not necessarily evil. Things were never that simple.
---
Splash—
"Knight Commander?"
The pirate ship sailed across the sea as the giant officer hesitated, clearly wanting to say something—only to stop himself.
"Hm."
Silver Axe spoke calmly,
"I know what you're thinking. That woman is strong. But her strength isn't the core issue."
"The real question is—if we force a head-on clash, can the Silver Axe Pirates truly conquer the entire British Isles?"
"This…"
The giant officer, along with the knight and swordsman officers beside him, all fell into thought.
Indeed.
This was the key issue.
Losses were acceptable. In this sea, there was no such thing as a flawless victory. Even with Morgan's magic backing him, Arthur still lost nearly a thousand knights during his campaign.
That was war.
Not some childish strategy game where one side won without casualties.
Such a thing was impossible.
That was why Silver Axe chose to retreat.
Not because he feared losses—but because the real issue was whether Britannia could be conquered despite those losses.
If the end result was total failure, then everything would be meaningless.
"Hm…"
The knight officer pondered seriously.
"Knight Commander, that woman seems capable of wielding even greater power within the British Isles. Even if we eventually win, the cost…"
"Exactly."
Silver Axe nodded.
"I'm not an idiot. Britannia may be a tempting cake—but if it's too rich, it'll choke you to death."
"And when that happens, not only will the price be unbearable—you won't even be able to hold onto the prize."
The others nodded in agreement.
To take a prize, the prerequisite wasn't crippling self-damage—it was the ability to swallow it cleanly.
"And besides…"
Silver Axe shook his head.
"Forget it. We'll deal with that later. Where are we heading next? Ochoku… he likely lost as well, didn't he?"
"Huh?"
The others were momentarily stunned.
Ochoku… defeated?
But on second thought, it wasn't that surprising.
Silver Axe roughly knew Ochoku's strength.
The Five Peaks Pirates were about evenly matched with his own crew. When two forces of similar strength clashed, deciding a winner was never easy.
Since Arthur had personally taken the field—
Victory was likely assured.
Especially when he had left behind Morgan—another admiral-level powerhouse.
"Hmph."
Silver Axe narrowed his eyes.
"Arthur… you really caught me off guard."
He understood now—Arthur could not be underestimated. In such a short time, that boy had grown to a terrifying degree. If underestimated again, the price would be catastrophic.
Exhaling slowly, Silver Axe thought grimly:
"There isn't much time left. We need success—fast. Only then can Arthur be eliminated in one decisive blow."
If Arthur ever found out about this thought—
He'd probably find it absurd.
He had no interest in being a pirate.
Absolutely none.
He'd joined the Rocks Pirates for wealth—nothing more. Once he had enough, what was there to cling to?
Nothing.
Yet Ochoku and Silver Axe insisted on treating him as a future rival.
In Arthur's eyes, the pirate title was utterly insignificant.
But some people simply couldn't understand that. They assumed what mattered to them must matter to everyone else.
In truth, to Arthur—
It was all just… "whatever."
---
"Mm… Mm…"
The Den Den Mushi connected.
Arthur listened with a smile as the knight reported.
"Heh…"
"As expected of my elder sister's strength," Arthur said lightly. "A clean, effortless victory."
"Your Majesty, Mother's power remains overwhelming. The Silver Axe Pirates withdrew without fighting. They clearly realized the problem."
Arthur nodded.
"Not surprising. Silver Axe may seem hot-headed, but anyone who survived under Rocks is bold and meticulous."
"He knows exactly what price he'd have to pay to break through my sister's defenses."
"And if the cost is too high—then no matter how great the reward, it's meaningless."
This was an undeniable truth.
When the price exceeded what one could bear, even the greatest gain lost all meaning.
Arthur understood Silver Axe's thinking perfectly.
"Yes," the voice on the Den Den Mushi replied seriously.
"Your Majesty, when do you plan to return? Even with Mother's strength alone, there's still a chance of unforeseen danger."
Arthur smiled. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen."
"This news will soon shake the entire world. Once it does, no one will dare move against Britannia."
"Repelling Shiki."
"Defeating Ochoku."
"Forcing Silver Axe to retreat."
"With such a record, anyone considering another move against Britannia will have to think very carefully."
Victory on both fronts—
Arthur's smile grew ever brighter.
---------------------------------///
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