Player's Journey In Anime World

In that era of Great Britain, fully armored knights were considered the most valuable military force. A kingdom with a knightly order of over a hundred members was already regarded as powerful. The majority of the remaining soldiers were poorly equipped peasant levies.

Armor?

Unheard of. It was fortunate if they weren't sent into battle wielding pitchforks. However, when Ryou emerged from his retreat and agricultural endeavors, creating longbow and crossbow units, the storm of arrows they unleashed easily shattered the knights' glory. With extraordinary range, heavy arrows designed to pierce armor, and the terrifying gravitational acceleration as they descended from the skies, the knights' defenses became futile. In a single volley, half of the enemy's heavily funded knightly order was obliterated. By the second volley, only a few lucky survivors remained.

Seated on her warhorse, Artoria and her twelve elite Round Table knights were dumbfounded. Previously, their battle strategy had been straightforward: the king led the charge, and they followed, breaking enemy formations through sheer force and engaging in brutal melee combat to carve a path to victory. But under Ryou's guidance, warfare had become both elegant and cruel. There was no need to approach the enemy—just draw, aim, and release, and lives would be taken with ease. Fortunately, this world wasn't mundane; it had magic, sorcery, and warriors capable of single-handedly facing armies. Yet, in terms of both quality and quantity, who could rival the Round Table Knights? This realization offered them some solace; at least they wouldn't be out of a job just yet.

Little did they know, their reactions were all within Ryou's expectations. While ordinary soldiers struggled against these superhuman beings, it wasn't impossible to counter them. Enchanted equipment could empower regular soldiers to pose a threat to these magical entities. The only drawback was the exorbitant cost, which was unaffordable for Britain, currently strapped for cash. Luckily, the Round Table Knights were a high-caliber fighting force ready to be utilized at no additional cost. Ryou foresaw a time when Britain, under his leadership, would exploit its colonies for wealth. That would mark the end of the knightly era.

With these formidable archer units, Camelot entered full conquest mode. Even a coalition of several nations stood no chance. The overwhelming firepower left no room for negotiation. In just five years, with Ryou's help, Artoria successfully defeated the mighty Romans, drove out the Saxons, and unified all of Britain. After Ryou retrieved the Holy Spear for her, Artoria underwent significant changes in those five years. The once-innocent young woman had grown tall and voluptuous, exuding an irresistible allure, like a ripened peach. The naive "Ahoge King" had evolved into the "Holy Spear Queen," skilled in both governance and human interaction.

Britain itself also underwent an immense transformation. Ports and naval bases in cities like Plymouth, Liverpool, Manchester, and London began to take shape as shipyards gathered there. This was all part of Ryou's policy. To boost Britain's maritime endeavors, he offered generous support to fishermen and the shipbuilding industry. Taxes were waived, and funds were even provided to build docks and related infrastructure.

Five years passed swiftly.

Though Britain was starting from scratch, it was impossible to develop a formidable navy in such a short time. At most, it had created a fledgling fleet with a handful of warships. But that was enough, as other nations had no navies at all! With just a few medium-sized warships capable of carrying hundreds of troops, Britain became a renowned maritime power in the region.

The maritime industry, initially developed as a foundation for the navy, also flourished. Under Ryou's leadership, Britain entered the Age of Exploration ahead of its time. In an era of difficult transportation and limited trade, Ryou sent out merchant ships to trade goods from various regions. Occasionally doubling as pirates, these ventures brought vast wealth to Britain. This wealth was reinvested domestically, strengthening the kingdom's infrastructure. As a result, Britain's national power grew visibly by the day. Through these achievements, Ryou's prestige in Britain soared, second only to Artoria.

The only thorn in Ryou's side was Morgan, the twisted, vengeful sorceress who never gave up her grudge against Artoria. As Ryou's power grew, so did Morgan's determination for revenge. She constantly urged Ryou to act against Artoria, but he paid her no mind. Morgan, being the troublemaker she was, had caused her share of chaos. Before Artoria's wedding, she drugged her fiancée Guinevere and used a gender-altering spell to claim Guinevere's virginity. To her frustration, Artoria remained unbothered and married Guinevere for the sake of the kingdom's stability.

Fuming, Morgan devised another scheme. She publicly revealed Ryou's identity as the illegitimate child of royal blood, hoping to undermine Artoria's authority and teach Ryou a lesson. To her astonishment, Artoria was delighted. She immediately announced Ryou's resignation as chancellor and proclaimed him crown prince and sole heir to the throne. Morgan was utterly dumbfounded by Artoria's unexpected move. She hadn't considered that Ryou, unlike the rebellious Mordred, had transformed Britain into a powerful nation rivaling the Roman Empire. For Artoria, discovering Ryou's royal lineage was a blessing, not a curse. Having inadvertently sabotaged herself, Morgan was forced to retreat, quieting down for the time being.

As for Ryou, his life remained largely unchanged. Though the knights treated him with greater reverence and young women looked at him with more fervor, his daily routine was unaffected. Artoria passed the chancellorship to Merlin, who, as a laid-back national advisor, rarely took his duties seriously. Ever since Ryou's rise, Merlin had spent his days wandering under the guise of inspecting territories, earning a reputation as the Magus of Flowers for his romantic escapades. With the title of chancellor, Merlin still left all the kingdom's affairs to Ryou, merely giving him a more formal title to legitimize his rule.

After consulting with Artoria, the British Navy boldly crossed the English Channel and launched an attack on France, which lay just across the sea. In just a month, all of France's ports fell. However, calling them "ports" was generous—they were merely small fishing villages. At this time, France, still under the shadow of the Roman Empire's dominance, had not experienced much development. Once the British forces landed, they swiftly swept across large swathes of land with unstoppable momentum. Yet, just as the invasion seemed unstoppable, an unexpected figure emerged—someone Ryou could never have imagined.

A young woman named Jeanne d'Arc rose up, courageously leading the people of France in a counterattack against the British invaders. She successfully halted their advance at Orléans, striking a decisive blow against the British forces. When Ryou received this news, he was utterly baffled. His Jeanne was still safely in Chaldea, so where did this Jeanne come from? And more importantly, why was she showing up so early? This timeline didn't make sense! Ryou's first thought was that his approach to invading France must have been flawed. His second thought was that this Jeanne was a time traveler.

When Ryou personally led the Knights of the Round Table into battle against Jeanne's resistance forces, he finally understood. Opposite him stood a girl clad in jet-black armor, her face filled with rage, her short silver hair shining in the sunlight. She pointed angrily at Ryou and shouted, "I knew it! It's you, you scoundrel!"

Her tone was like that of an innocent girl finally catching the scoundrel who had wronged her. The Knights of the Round Table exchanged awkward glances, their expressions complex as they looked at their prince. Ryou felt an overwhelming urge to cover his face. That familiar tone—it had to be that Jeanne, Jalter who had been sent away by Bluebeard in the Fate world. It was destiny, an ill-fated connection!

Though France's army was weak, Jalter proved to be a significant thorn in Ryou's side. Unlike Jeanne, who excelled in commanding and inspiring morale, Jalter possessed more troublesome abilities. One couldn't forget her title as the Dragon Witch. She summoned hordes of wyverns and dragons, wreaking havoc on the British army. These dragons avoided engaging the main forces, instead targeting logistics and supplies, leaving Ryou scrambling to deal with the chaos. He had no choice but to dispatch a large number of longbowmen and even the Knights of the Round Table to protect his supply lines. This diversion of forces severely slowed the British army's progress in conquering France.

Moreover, Black Jeanne became cunning. No matter how Ryou provoked her, she refused to face him in direct combat, seemingly shaped by her experiences in the Holy Grail War. But Ryou was no novice—he was a master of underhanded tactics. He slowed his army's advance while secretly sending emissaries to negotiate with the French king. Britain proposed a truce but demanded that the so-called "witch" Jeanne be handed over for trial. The French king, intimidated by Britain's overwhelming military power and wary of Black Jeanne's dragon-summoning abilities, agreed.

After some secret dealings, Black Jeanne was betrayed. With her location disclosed, Ryou and the Knights of the Round Table surrounded her on a hill. Despite her fierce resistance and summoning legendary dragons, she was ultimately defeated by Ryou, who had nearly reached the peak of Heroic Spirit power. When it came to handling such a proud and fiery figure, Ryou had plenty of experience. In simple terms, she might resist with words, but her body ultimately complied—a classic tsundere. However, Ryou had more pressing matters to attend to, so he temporarily shelved his segg correction of Black Jeanne.

With her out of the picture, Ryou immediately tore up the truce signed with the French king just ten days prior, a move that caused discontent among the Knights of the Round Table. But Ryou didn't care.

"Treaties between nations are made to be broken," he declared.

"In international relations, there are no friendships, only interests. Treaties are mere illusions, and strength is the true guarantor of peace!"

Not only did Ryou break the treaty, but he also launched a surprise nighttime attack, catching the French army off guard and nearly annihilating their 20,000-strong force. France collapsed, and in just three months, Ryou captured the French royal capital.

At this point, no nation in Europe, aside from the Roman Empire, could rival Britain. Ryou suggested to Artoria that they relocate the capital to France, specifically to the area that would later become Paris. At the time, Paris was merely a small Roman village spanning the Seine, but its geographical advantages hinted at its future as a world-renowned romantic city. Artoria's original dream was to protect Britain, but with Ryou's sudden rise, a sliver of ambition began to grow within her. The title "Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire" sounded rather appealing. After a long discussion with Ryou, Artoria agreed to move the capital to Paris.

The British Isles became Ryou's personal domain, serving as the kingdom's largest naval and shipbuilding base, as well as a hub for agriculture and livestock. Relocating the capital was no small feat, especially with Paris still in its early stages of development. After three years of effort, the city began to take on the shape of a burgeoning metropolis. During these years, aside from focusing on Paris's construction, Ryou spent his free time correcting Black Jeanne. Over time, she became so obedient that a mere gesture from him could leave her flustered and weak-kneed. Yet, despite her physical surrender, her sharp tongue and sarcasm remained. Her venomous remarks often left Ryou speechless, and as punishment, she frequently ended up in a state of disheveled humiliation, which, oddly enough, seemed to thrill her.

With the capital officially relocated, the Roman Empire finally turned its attention to this rising power. A tense calm settled over the continent, a quiet before the storm.

War was imminent.