Chapter 1: The Birth Of A Hero

In a land that divides the filth that is demihumans, from the civilized human populace stood a proud knight. As he stood against the advancement of evil, facing an army of 50,000 demihumans, with only 1000 humans the great hero Arthur made his stand, a testament to human bravery. For twenty days the battle raged on, until only 100 humans were left, and the scourge were repulsed back into the wastelands. On this land where the blood of many were shed, was where the Lancelot Kingdom was founded. It is said the capital was built around a war flag placed by an unknown soldier that marked the line between humanity and those insufferable savages, it never fell once. It is said that King Arthur himself,  on the 20th day of battle struck down the enemy commander with a single swing from his sword, breaking enemy morale, and rallying his men. 

During this battle between commanders, a brave regiment of 30 knights struck at the rear of the demoralized troops, not one of the knights survived But their valor today is remembered by the royal knights dubbed knights of the round table, they today stand as the strongest in the kingdom. The great families of today, can all trace their lineage to the brave 100 who endured. 

“Look boy, and see on this map our empire. It spans from the great plains, reaching to the mountain of the dwarves to the north, and the great black sea to the south. One day this kingdom may be yours, and when that day comes you must become a beacon of hope, a true role model to all humanity, and become the embodiment of justice, valor, dignity, and pride. Your father, the king is rumored to be sick, no one has seen him in 5 years, the current belief is that he will not last too much longer. Out of all his children you were his favorite, I heard during your birth the goddess herself blessed you with the name Daiki. Only you received this blessing, and only you shined so bright, that even the king himself held you, something not one of your siblings dared to even dream of.

However, these are dark times, the king’s power is declining, your siblings are vying for power, and the demihumans are becoming restless. Across the continent various powers are watching, waiting for an opportunity to strike, and destroy the gate of humanity. The orcs who were believed to be extinct, have resurfaced, the demi human clans are uniting, and the holy church says the darkness of old shall return. But in the middle of all this, you have come to us, our final hope, the one who shines in the darkness, I Merlin promise on my honor as the great mage of Lancelot to protect you with my life.” With reverence in his eyes Merlin looks up at a young boy who could only be 10. 

The boy’s blonde hair shimmers like the sun, his deep blue eyes, containing more depth than the ocean, inside them is a gleam, that can see through any deceit or darkness. The boy is in near pristine condition, and an aura of majesty radiates off him. An average citizen upon seeing this boy, would be unable to do anything but kneel. The boy acts mature almost as if he is already an adult and his intellect far exceeds that of any child. The stark difference between his temperament and his child-like appearance blends into an image of pureness. 

Smiling Daiki pulls out a gold encrusted sword, that shimmers as if the power it holds would destroy the sword itself, and says “on my honor and pride as the 3rd prince of Lancelot, I Daiki son of Arthur, accept Merlin as my subordinate and swear to return his faith with results, his blood with glory, and his life with meaning.” Tapping the sword on both sides of Merlin’s shoulder, the ceremony is complete, and Daiki’s greatest ally in the kingdom, no in his whole life was accepted. With this one action the seventh son, the third prince, a mere child held 30% of the kingdom’s magical power and influence.

Re-sheathing the sword Daiki reflects on how he got to this moment. 10 years ago a baby was birthed by the sixth wife of King Arthur, being the seventh child of the king, no one expected much from this baby, as the older children were already hard at work vying for power. Over the years King Arthur had continually been stepping back from his roles in the kingdom. The first prince Tristan and the second prince Gareth had almost 60% of the kingdom’s power, and a stalemate had sunk in, as neither dared go for power belonging to the king. The other children threw in their support to either of these princes, with the hopes of living through the chaos. 

None of these siblings showed up to the birth of Daiki, and some already began formulating plans on how to remove him, others wondered how best to make use of this new chess piece. His mother not too long after giving birth to him, mysteriously died from supposed complications due to blood loss. From there, he was given to Merlin and raised like his grandchild.  Now he is only ten, it has only been 5 years since his memories had returned, and even now he struggles to control his new mind. But one thing has not changed and that is the resolve in his eyes, a yearning that is almost maddening, upon seeing such resolve one could not help but be moved.