Hearing this name, a gleam flashed in Ryan's eyes. The two extended their hands to shake, and Ryan suddenly laughed heartily, "So, we're both lions?"
"Hahaha! If it were someone else, I wouldn't admit it, but I've heard of your name. Defeating the Doomsday Bull shows you're an excellent knight. So why not call ourselves lions together?" Lawen laughed heartily. The name Leo in his name means "lion," and Ryan's name also means "lion." The different pronunciations are merely due to language differences; Bretonian noble language is derived from Imperial High Gothic and is quite similar.
"Hahaha~ uh~" Ryan was about to continue laughing when he felt blood flowing from his nose again. Knowing that his laughter had irritated his lungs, he quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe it off. "It's embarrassing. I'm quite injured. You know, I chose to face that beast alone to cover my companions' retreat. It took quite an effort."
Lawen tethered his horse and sat down by the fire to warm himself. "I know. I encountered your companions. They were being besieged by a group of beastmen at that time, and the situation was critical."
"Are they alright?" Ryan was a bit nervous, but seeing Lawen's calm demeanor through the firelight, his heart settled. The large bag of beast heads explained everything.
"Of course, I'm a knight of the Lady. In the face of danger, I have no reason not to rescue them." Lawen nodded. Without much ceremony, he took out a bowl and spoon and began eating Ryan's stew heartily.
Ryan watched as the scalding hot stew was gulped down by Lawen. His heart warmed. Although Lawen used silver cutlery, his unquestioning trust that Ryan wouldn't poison him showed his noble character.
Ryan also served himself a large bowl. The night sky over Skavell Mountain was filled with stars, with no moonlight. The two enjoyed a meal of stew, ham, roasted potatoes, and bread by the firelight and starlight.
Lawen's elven warhorse ate the same food as the two knights. Ryan found nothing strange about this. In the knightly kingdom of Bretonia, elven warhorses were considered more important and valuable than people, being extremely rare. For the people of this country, sharing a stable with an elven warhorse was not a disgrace but an honor of the highest order.
For some reason, the meeting of these two "lions" did not result in conflict but rather a sense of instant familiarity. Seeing this, Lawen took out a bottle of red wine from a wooden box behind him. "Care for a glass? It's from the vineyard of Winfort."
The Winfort Duchy in Bretonia, renowned for its fine wine and olive oil.
"Why not?" Ryan also took out a mug.
"Hahaha~ interesting. It's rare to meet a knight as straightforward as you, Ryan." Lawen poured the wine generously. The red liquid, reflecting the firelight and starlight, looked like blood. "Cheers! To the Lady!"
"Uh..." Ryan hesitated briefly before raising his glass. "To Ulric, the White Wolf!"
The two cups clinked, and wine splashed.
Hearing Ryan invoke the name of the White Wolf Ulric, Lawen's expression briefly tightened, which Ryan noticed. Ryan thought to himself that followers of the Lady of the Lake didn't quite get along with Ulric's followers. Ulric's devotees found the Lady's knights too bound by rules and too involved in politics, while the Lady's knights thought Ulric's followers were brutes, lacking in refinement.
They weren't outright enemies only because Chaos was their common foe.
As expected, after a sip of the wine, Lawen spoke. "The moment I saw you, I knew you must be the 'Hammer' Ryan of the Nord Kingdom."
"Oh? Do tell~" Ryan was intrigued. What did this noble knight want to say?
"In your twenties, black hair, blue eyes, capable of single-handedly defeating a Doomsday Bull. Apart from you, is there anyone else in Nord?" Lawen ate some soup-soaked bread, marveling. "If not for Julius constantly mentioning you, I wouldn't have known such a figure existed in Nord."
Since the founding of Nord, notable figures had been few.
"Hah~ I don't know what Julius told you, but it must be related to dueling, right?" Ryan said helplessly, and Lawen nodded with a smile.
Julius Anteri, the eldest son of the Duke of Winfort in Bretonia, was the foremost of the younger generation in the knightly kingdom. At fourteen, he joined the military as a ranger knight, and at eighteen, he was knighted as a kingdom knight due to his many accomplishments.
He was about Ryan's age. They had met because Julius was a martial arts enthusiast. Through the mediation of Ryan's godfather, the two young men had a duel. Ryan was unseated in a joust but won in a foot battle by disarming Julius.
This duel earned Julius's respect, and they agreed to a rematch.
Of course, what Ryan remembered most was not Julius's strength but his beautiful sister, though he wouldn't admit this.
"Indeed, seeing you today, your reputation is well-deserved. So... what do you plan to do with this beast's head?" Lawen smiled, showing goodwill but also some curiosity. "Offer it to the White Wolf Lord?"
"This is the White Wolf Lord's decree. Naturally, I will offer the beast's head to Him." Ryan pretended to be young and innocent, wanting to see what Lawen intended to say. "Since it's my lord's decree, as a White Wolf Knight, I must do my best to fulfill it."
A glint flashed in Lawen's eyes, thinking there was a chance. He continued, "So... after completing the White Wolf Lord's mission, you'll deliver the head to the White Wolf Church?"
"Of course." Ryan nodded naturally.
"And then? Since you've eliminated such a terrible Doomsday Bull for the White Wolf Lord, the reward must be generous, right?" Lawen asked casually.
"Well, I guess. I'm not sure what the reward will be." Ryan thought the real question had finally come.
"Is that so? Normally, what would the White Wolf Lord reward his White Wolf Knights?" Lawen, with another glass of red wine, asked with an official tone and a certain drawl, typical of high-ranking nobles.
"This isn't a secret. Most churches operate similarly. The clergy will record the deed and inform the archbishop of White Wolf City, Archbishop Malas. He will communicate with our lord when there's an opportunity, like during a holy festival, and then issue a reward, usually a wolf head or wolf fang." Ryan explained effortlessly.
"After killing a Cyclops, I was given this plate armor at the Lady's temple." Lawen raised his arm slightly, displaying his plate armor to Ryan.
Under the night sky, with starlight and firelight, Ryan could only make out so much. The armor was indeed extraordinary. Even in harsh weather, it remained spotless. Runes on the armor shimmered with the Lady's powerful divine energy, and the beautiful patterns glowed in the dark.
Clearly, this was no ordinary item; it was a piece of enchanted armor, at least personally enchanted by the Lady or one of her chosen.
"...It's remarkable." Ryan nodded. Enchanted armor was rare. For the lords of Nord, having one enchanted weapon was already a divine blessing.
But this eldest son of the Duke of Winfort?
He was fully equipped with enchanted gear.
"It's not as you think. None of this equipment was inherited from my family." Lawen's eyes showed some amusement, but his expression was serious. He seemed to understand what Ryan was thinking and explained, "It was all granted by the Lady."
Oh?! Ryan's interest was piqued.
One couldn't earn such rewards without merit. Lawen's implication was clear: all this enchanted equipment was earned through his own efforts, through battles and victories recognized by the Lady.
This impressed Ryan deeply.
Over the years in Nord and as a White Wolf Knight, Ryan had learned that...
The White Wolf God Ulric was not a generous deity, or rather, he was a cold deity.
Ulric was a cold, ruthless, and vengeful god. He demanded his followers to rely on their own strength and bravery to show their loyalty. Unlike more civilized gods, Ulric was savage and brutal, embodying strength, glory, and courage. He despised weakness and cowardice, favoring those who were bold, fierce, and ruthless.
Ulric's followers, in turn, reflected these qualities. Ordinary prayers to Ulric were met with silence, unlike the benevolent responses of just gods or the frequent miracles of the Lady of the Lake.
And to his clergy or White Wolf Knights?
Not generous either.
Ulric was indifferent even to his most faithful. For instance, in Ryan's situation, Ulric neither specified the enemy's strength nor aided Ryan against the evolved four-armed bull demon. Under normal circumstances, a deity's decree would warrant divine intervention when faced with an overwhelming enemy.
But Ryan didn't seek help, knowing Ulric wouldn't assist and would instead mock his weakness.
Why seek humiliation?
If Ryan were a "simple-minded local," he might regard Ulric as a supreme god, sacred and inviolable, willing to risk his life for a divine command.
But Ryan wasn't. As that man's son, Ryan had his own beliefs and pride.
Despite often mocking his father, deep down, he was grateful and admired him, always taking his father's mission as his ultimate goal.
Ulric? Surface-level faith.
So, Lawen's words resonated with Ryan,
making him reconsider. He had been feeling restless about his slow progress, and Lawen's "casual" remarks made him think: Perhaps Ulric wasn't the best choice.
Ryan chose to believe in Ulric partly because his adoptive father Norman was a devoted follower and a White Wolf Knight, and partly because Ulric was resolute against Chaos.
This was due to Ulric's followers being in the northern Empire and Nord Kingdom, the first targets of Chaos invasions. For Ulric, there was no choice but to fight Chaos to the death since a god's power depended on the faith of its followers. Without followers, a god would weaken and eventually perish.
Another reason was that among the four Chaos gods, Khorne, the Blood God, represented hatred and war. Ulric, representing winter and war, was also a war god, and only one could prevail.
So, they fought, unendingly.
But the Lady of the Lake also waged an unending war against Chaos!
For Ryan, belief was merely a facade. Deep down, he saw gods and followers as a relationship of mutual use. Followers offered faith and power, while gods protected followers and bestowed blessings.
His true belief lay in the cold golden light that brought him to this world.