Early the next morning, Ryan's door was knocked on. The White Wolf Knight was still sleepy and looked up to see it was still dark outside. "Who is it?"
"Ryan! Get up! We've finished our morning lessons and prayers!" It was Paladin Alfred, full of energy early in the morning, knocking on Ryan's door. "Get up! Come take a walk in the street with me, I have a lot to talk to you about!"
"Alright, alright." Ryan rubbed his head, annoyed that these paladins were so energetic so early in the winter morning when it was still dark.
Having no choice, Ryan opened the door, quickly washed up, and changed into a noble outfit.
Remembering his agreement with the sorceress the previous night, Ryan hesitated for a moment before knocking on Teresa's door. "Teresa?"
The door quickly opened. Teresa was already dressed in a winter coat, her shimmering black hair tied up with a hairpin. She was clearly wearing makeup, with purple eyeshadow and glistening red lips that softened her cold appearance.
Seeing Ryan, her silver pupils brightened, but she quickly noticed Alfred standing behind him, and the light in her eyes dimmed. "Didn't I say, Ryan? Please don't bring unnecessary people when you knock on my door!"
"I'm going out with Alfred and the others for a walk in the street. Do you want to join us?" Ryan immediately made a gentleman's bow and then extended his hand to her. "White Wolf Knight Ryan sincerely invites you!"
"…I can't see your sincerity." Seeing Ryan's effort, Teresa raised her chin and placed her small hand, wrapped in white lace gloves, in his large hand. "…But I can't refuse you. I'll go with you."
Seeing this, Alfred thought that women were truly troublesome creatures.
Ryan's childhood friend had always been uninterested in matters between men and women, considering women to be troublesome. Seeing the two like this, Alfred thought Ryan's thinking was problematic.
How could women be more interesting than prayers and morning lessons? Ryan must be mistaken.
I need to talk to Ryan about this.
After a simple breakfast, Paladin Frode led Alfred and a young paladin named Alex to the Church of Justice, taking a walk through the streets. Ryan and Teresa followed behind the three paladins.
Paladins often did not live the ascetic lifestyle people imagined, eating black bread and drinking water every day, constantly training or praying, or going out to punish evil and promote good.
It wasn't like that.
Paladins were also people with their own lives. They could marry, have children, and they also needed to make money. The Church of Justice often emphasized that "justice has a price," meaning that paladins couldn't do good deeds without compensation because they also needed to eat, and the church needed income.
So what distinguished paladins from mercenaries?
The difference was that paladins had their own beliefs and codes of conduct. Everything they did was to establish order and fight evil. During chaotic invasions, greenskin tides, and undead wars, paladins were always at the forefront. Without their noble sacrifices, humanity might have faced extinction.
Fifty years ago, a massive Chaos army crossed the Chaos Gate into the Tazil Desert, assisted by the tides of energy. The God of Justice had predicted this event, and a legion of twenty thousand paladins, led by a bishop of the Church of Justice, spent fifteen days crossing the desert to confront the Chaos army.
A terrible war ensued. When it ended, only twenty-three paladins and the bishop standing on the altar remained.
That bishop is now the High Priest of the Church of Justice, "Death" Volkmar Beckmann.
Thus, paladins are also known as the "backbone of the world."
"Mr. Frode, does the Church of Justice have any chainmail and breastplates in stock?" Ryan and Teresa walked side by side on the street, and he asked the leading paladin Frode.
"Of course, do you need some, Mr. Ryan?"
"Yes, my armor was damaged in the previous battle, so I need a new set temporarily."
Frode readily agreed. "Mr. Ryan is an old friend of the Church of Justice. I can arrange for you to buy the armor at a twenty percent discount, but you'll need to personally try it on to ensure it fits."
After completing the transaction, the group arrived at the Church of Justice, where Ryan selected a chainmail and breastplate. The church blacksmith would make some adjustments to the armor to ensure it fit him better. Ryan then handed a piece of parchment to the blacksmith. "Can you modify the shoulder plates to this design?"
"This is...?" The blacksmith took the parchment, which depicted a heraldic design.
A sword pierced through the middle of a book, with a kite shield of white and red stripes in the background. The book had no words, only a red seal and a silver skull symbol.
"This is my future coat of arms." Ryan nodded. "Can you do it?"
"Of course, though it's a bit unusual. But making it won't be a problem." The blacksmith took on the task, and they agreed to pick up the armor the next day. Ryan then led Teresa out of the Church of Justice. The two strolled through the winter streets, enjoying the unique atmosphere.
Teresa extended her small hand to hold Ryan's, and he didn't pull away.
The sky brightened, and the sun began to show its face. Nordlanders loved to wake up early. As Ryan and Teresa left the church, many townsfolk were already up, with smoke rising from chimneys. It was a clear day despite the strong wind, and many citizens were beginning their morning prayers.
They were followers of the God of Dawn, who typically prayed at the first light of day, reflecting the saying, "The day's plan is made in the morning."
"Honestly, I find it quite troublesome to pray every day. It's tiring, don't you think?" Ryan watched many citizens praying and smiled at Teresa. "When does the Lady of Mysteries require her followers to pray?"
"We only have a unified prayer on the fifteenth of March each year. Otherwise, we Garons rarely pray." The sorceress enjoyed the feeling of walking through the winter streets with Ryan, her tone growing cheerful.
"Pfft! March 15th?" Ryan couldn't help but laugh. "That suits you Garons perfectly."
"??? What do you mean?" Teresa felt puzzled and asked, "Then what about the White Wolf Lord's prayer requirements?"
"Him? I doubt he even listens to our prayers. Well... we light a bonfire and pray to the White Wolf Lord after the first snowfall of winter." Ryan nodded. "Otherwise, you can pray if you have time, but it's not mandatory."
Different churches had different prayer requirements. The more orderly the deity, the stricter the prayer requirements. For instance, the God of Justice's paladins and priests performed morning lessons and prayers daily at dawn, rain or shine, even on holidays. In contrast, the God of Dawn's requirements were less strict. Followers prayed when they remembered, but if they were busy or if it was cloudy or rainy, they could skip it.
Spellcasters were inherently contradictory because the path of arcane magic had little to do with faith. Spellcasters preferred studying the essence of magic over worshiping the Goddess of Magic, so an annual prayer sufficed.
Walking along the cobblestone road, the knight and the sorceress ensured that everyone avoided them. At each shop, Teresa would pull Ryan inside to browse and buy small trinkets.
These simple handcrafted items or basic food treats were usually beneath the Garon sorceress's interest, but Teresa was in high spirits today. Ryan wondered what was going on with her.
Blessed with his father's powerful genes and extraordinary physique, Ryan could not be exhausted by accompanying a woman shopping.
After walking through two blocks, Ryan noticed a gathering of people that piqued his interest.
An elderly woman, looking around fifty years old, sat on a chair at the corner of the street. Surrounding her were a group of children, ranging from five or six to thirteen or fourteen years old, all wearing worn clothes.
The old woman used her withered hands to take a basket from behind her. The basket contained some small fruits.
As soon as the children saw the snacks, they swarmed around her, their dirty little hands reaching for the fruits.
For the kingdom knight and the Garon council member, these sour and astringent wild fruits were the poorest quality food, but for these children, it was a rare delicacy that many poor families couldn't afford.
"Don't rush! Wash your hands first!" The old woman hurriedly stopped the children, who, despite their eagerness, obediently lined up to wash their hands in a nearby bucket.
After washing, the children received a small portion of fruit each and gathered around the old woman, who handed out small wooden sticks to the older children to distribute to the others.
"What are they doing?" Teresa was curious.
"Let's go and see." Ryan reached for the sorceress's hand, and though she rolled her eyes, she didn't resist, following him closely. "Don't tell me, a renowned White Wolf Knight, likes children?"
"No, I don't actually like children. They are illogical and..." Ryan shook his head. "You know, I like peace. My life is filled with battles and slaughter. In the gaps, I don't seek women or return to my home in Auterne. I prefer a quiet corner to rest. Children... are too noisy."
Teresa was stunned.
In that moment, the Garon council sorceress felt she had, for the first time, glimpsed Ryan's true self.
The real Ryan, hidden behind his open and sophisticated exterior.
Since meeting Ryan, he
had always presented himself as cheerful, humorous, and knowledgeable, acting mature beyond his years.
But that expression, the momentary loneliness and self-mockery in his tone, she recognized it as loneliness.
Why did this famed White Wolf Knight feel lonely watching a group of children around an old woman?
She began to recall Ryan's background.
Ryan's background was entirely traceable. He had adoptive parents, his own childhood, many friends, and an excellent godfather to guide him.
In this context, why did he feel lonely?
Teresa thought back to a crucial point in Ryan's history.
All Ryan's known information started from when he was found by Norman at three years old.
What about before he was three?
Did Ryan have memories before three?
Why would his father abandon a three-year-old and leave him with such a sword?
For the first time, Teresa felt a deep curiosity about Ryan.
And why didn't he want to be her partner?
Clearly, she didn't meet his expectations.
The sorceress reflected on her behavior since meeting him, from the skirmish in Mien Forest, the dock battle in Karlzenhaven, the evening banquet, the five-day mountain crossing, to her cold reaction to his friend yesterday.
Heh~
Teresa hadn't even finished thinking it through, and she was already coldly laughing at herself.
Her performance indeed wasn't up to par. Not only had she not helped him much, but she had also repeatedly caused trouble and shown him a cold face.
Thinking about it from his perspective, if she encountered a male wizard partner who performed poorly and had a bad temper, what would happen?
Teresa's face turned red and white.
It would likely end in a falling out, at best.
Most likely, it would end in a fight.
The thought made the sorceress shudder, her pretty face pale.
What have I been doing all this time?!