Miracle Card Shop: All My Cards Can Be Actualize

704  Trouble on Horizon

Hearing Lancelot's complaint, Daniel let out a sigh. "Why are you here, Sir Lancelot?" he asked.

"There is a… concerning development outside the border that requires your expertise, Lord Merlin. And, of course, yours as well, Lady Morgan le Fay. His Majesty, the King, has requested your aid," said Lancelot.

Hearing this, Morgan turned toward Lancelot. "What is it? Is it a problem that cannot be solved with Excalibur?" the witch asked.

"Yes, Lady Morgan… I'm afraid this problem is one of such rare occurrences," Lancelot confirmed with a polite nod.

Hearing the knight's words, both Daniel and Morgan looked at each other before deciding to follow him to Camelot Castle.

— Camelot Castle —

The stone castle was built with flawless precision as if it were not the work of human hands during the Dark Ages but rather the product of machinery. And indeed, it was. The castle had been constructed using the power of a metal scarab swarm, which used stones dragged here by golems from a nearby quarry.

The castle was miraculously completed within a few days. The distance from the quarry was the only factor that delayed its construction by a few days rather than mere hours.

The two arrived at Camelot Castle after a short carriage ride, as the castle wasn't far from the eastern forest. In fact, the location of the main trading hub was the former village of Thegn Cuthred, who had fallen in the war between the old Ealdorman and Daniel.

The former village-turned-trading hub bustled with activity: merchants haggling, hawkers' shouts echoing as they vied to make the sale. The trading system changed from simple barter (Goods trade with goods) to currency-based transactions, further energizing the hub's activity and making it more bustling than it used to be.

The economy was booming. Traders across the British Isles flocked here, hoping for a quick profit in Camelot, which has become the land's most prosperous domain.

Other lords and kings struggled to adapt to these changes. Some tried copying Camelot's methods without much success.

Few wise lords understood the principles and adjusted them to their own domain environment. Others blindly mimicked the system without grasping how it worked, only to regret it as their economies collapsed.

For example, one lord mandated using his own currency in his domain, declaring it "ten times more valuable" than Camelot's gold coins.

But without understanding the trust behind the currency, how it works, and how it must reflect real value and credibility, the Lord undoubtedly asked for a disaster to happen.

And it did happen. The result? His domain plunged into chaos. Traders refused to accept his coins, relying instead on Camelot's gold standard. That was because Camelot's economic dominance came from its thriving industries, weaving, papermaking, armor, and weapon-smithing. At present, no steel rivals Camelot's, and no bow matches the reliability of Camelot's craftsmanship.

This was the secret behind the trust in Camelot's currency. By copying the system without understanding its foundations, other domains were simply inviting swift ruin upon themselves.

"Six years ago, if someone had told me that this bustling scene could happen within this village, I would have called them a liar or laughed it off as a joke," Lancelot said with a melancholic look before continuing.

"I wish Thegn Cuthred could have seen this scene," the knight murmured, speaking the name of his fallen master from the war.

Hearing this, Daniel didn't offer an apology or anything. He didn't want to be a hypocrite, nor did he plan to start becoming one now. @@novelbin@@

The life and death of warriors during the war were rarely their own choice, especially in this era, where many were bound by the concept of foolish bravery. A belief that dragged countless brave warriors to an early grave.

The trio passed through the main gate of the castle and arrived at the audience hall. Daniel walked toward the throne, where many knights clad in armor made of Camelot steel stood proudly, their eyes reflecting pride as they looked at him.

They knew that everything they and their kingdom had achieved was thanks to this powerful wizard named Merlin.

"Welcome, Teacher! Would you like some tea?" King Arthur asked with a friendly gesture, signaling his servants to provide the wizard a seat.

In moments, several knights entered, carrying a tea table, followed by a maid with a small teakettle of brewed tea mixed with herbs and berries.

The culture of appreciating tea was thanks to Daniel, who had introduced it. It had become a hit among nobles and lords across the British Isles. Many foreign lords and kings enjoyed it, creating a new market for tea and tea masters, individuals who had built their reputations solely on their knowledge of blending herbs and tea to develop exquisite brews for the lords of their domains.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Daniel said before sitting down at the table. At this moment, only Daniel could enjoy such equal treatment from King Arthur himself.

Arthur had already shed the guise of a young man and had become a strong and wise king, worthy of the legend of King Arthur.

Daniel sipped the tea out of formality before setting it down on the plate. "Your Majesty, you called me here because you require my aid. May I ask what it is?" Daniel asked.

King Arthur looked around. The knights, servants, and ministers in the audience saw this and, understanding that their king needed privacy, immediately bowed to him and offered a courteous nod to the powerful wizard before exiting the audience hall without needing Arthur to dismiss them. Only Sir Lancelot remained, as he was the king's right hand.

"Teacher… there is trouble outside the border. One of our knight brigades spotted several undead stumbling near our border, and we found this," Arthur said from his throne, then nodded to Lancelot to bring something forward.

What Lancelot brought out was placed inside a sealed black wooden box. This box was specially crafted by an artificer—a student of Daniel—to contain foul or cursed objects.

"Place it on the ground over there. Don't ruin my tea," Daniel said before finishing his cup and walking toward the sealed box.

He opened the seal and saw two objects inside. The first was a severed, rotting hand pulsating with dark magic. The hand twitched as if still alive, but it was powerless to escape, restrained by the seal's magic.

The second was a green soul orb. Inside, it flickered the essence of a deceased soul, its power fluctuating and resonating with the mana in the atmosphere. The orb displayed agonizing faces of people, their expressions twisting as the mana surged.

These were things Daniel recognized. The dark magic within them was undoubtedly ancient and potent from the school of necromancy. It was something he had seen before, during Vlad's battle with Thalassar the Archlich.

"Thalassar?" Daniel murmured the name, catching the attention of both Arthur and Lancelot.

"Who is that, Teacher?" the king asked, unconsciously stepping down from his throne and moving toward the sealed box.

"Don't go near it if you don't have any protection," Daniel warned the king.

Arthur nodded and stopped at a safe distance, though close enough to see the contents clearly.

"Who was the first to bring these things to your attention?" Daniel asked. His paranoia flared up again. He needed to check if the curse was contagious to those who had touched it. The moment he laid eyes on the objects, his mindscape revealed a condensed cursed power within the green soul orb.

"They are the knight brigade under my command, Lord Merlin," Lancelot quickly answered, sensing the urgency in Daniel's voice.

"Quickly detain them and bring them to me, including anyone who might have come into contact with them," Daniel said.

Hearing this, Lancelot glanced at the king for approval. After receiving a nod, he rushed out of the castle to carry out the order.

"What is it, Teacher? What's wrong?" Arthur asked.

"The green orb is cursed, and I need to see if the curse is contagious. Let's just hope it's my paranoia and nothing has happened," Daniel said warily.

"Then… can you tell me who Thalassar is? Does this name have something to do with these two cursed objects?"

"Thalassar, the Archlich… He's an ancient undying lich dating back to the era of King Solomon. One of my people faced him in combat once, but he's very good at escaping," Daniel said, recalling the time Vlad fought the lich. Thalassar had managed to reach the sea first, and Vlad, being a vampire, couldn't follow him into running water, one of the inherent weaknesses of vampires. As a result, Thalassar escaped.

But Daniel wondered: What would Thalassar be like in this era? Would he be more powerful than in the future? Or did he possess some kind of special magic capable of laying waste to entire kingdoms?

"Then why is this ancient lich coming here?" the king asked.

Daniel shook his head. "Only God knows why he's here. For now, we need to increase the guards and patrols at the border to monitor the situation. During this time, I'll also help you keep watch over the border."