"Sulia's engagement was rejected by her father, and her elder brother also opposed the marriage," Sulia said, her tone unflustered, even somewhat amused. "I'm not entirely sure why my father refused, but my brother believes that Marquis Anxi is not someone who could bring me happiness. He is merely coveting the wealth of Winfoort and my dowry."
"Moreover, I also believe that I would not marry a knight who is weaker than me," the female knight shook her head. "Rather than being a knight, I think Marquis Anxi would be better suited as a poet or a court minister."
"He is weaker than you?" Ryan laughed, as he also saw Olivier shouting loudly while knocking Kretian off his horse, winning the duel.
"It's not that his current strength is weaker than mine. What I mean is, I am eighteen years old this year, and my strength is at the elite high rank. He is twenty-seven this year and also at the elite high rank. Do you understand what I'm saying, Sir Ryan?" Sulia explained a bit more, not sure why: "And just like the young ranger knights of today, he always hopes to gain the attention of ladies through a splendid war. Moreover, compared to governing his own territory, he cares more about what clothes to wear to parties at night."
Ryan understood. With Francois and Julius, an outstanding father and an excellent brother setting the standard, it was clear that the female knight would not fancy Marquis Anxi. So, it was normal for Duke Winfoort to refuse; if his daughter disapproved, how could he as a father approve?
"I also think that to be the lady's husband, one must at least be a legendary knight, preferably one who has already been recognized by the lady through the Holy Grail trial..." another female knight, Sylvia, chimed in, but she was cut short when Sulia pinched her hand, so she stopped talking.
"Well, I was being presumptuous, I'm sorry." Knowing that Sulia was not engaged, Ryan felt somewhat relieved. After all, men have this common problem: seeing a beautiful woman already spoken for always feels like a missed opportunity.
The next few days were spent marching. The army of the Duchy of Winfoort bypassed the Charlon Forest, passed the Duchy of Boldero, and then headed northeast. By mid-August, they finally reached the assembly point for this knightly war, the Valermy Camp in the Adenson Forest.
Upon arrival at Valermy Camp, what entered Ryan's eyes was a large camp made up of countless tents, wooden fences, watchtowers, and stables.
White, yellow, and gray tents were neatly set up in the valley, forming a complex network. Numerous flags fluttered in the wind. Ryan saw the "Leaping Lion" crest of the Connette family, the "Red Dragon" of the Bastonne family, the "White Castle" of the Montfort family, and the "Blue Sea Monster" of the Le Angoulême family, the "Poseidon's Trident" of the Boldero family, and so on...
Except for Duke Berleon, who was engaged in battle with Estalia, all dukes had sent their troops.
A few kilometers away from the camp, the lush, endless forest sea was the Adenson Forest.
The Adenson Forest, the largest forest within Britannia, covers tens of thousands of square kilometers of land, spanning the territories of five dukes.
Deep within this forest lurk the most fearsome beastmen tribes, which emerge in spring to raid surrounding villages and towns, forming a huge beast tide in summer, and retreating with their spoils to hibernate as winter approaches.
For centuries, the Knightly Kingdom has waged countless wars to exterminate these beastmen, with victories and defeats. Generally, the beastmen's offensives have been contained to the Valermy-Yulsen line. This year, King Richard has launched a new knightly war: to venture deep into the Adenson Forest and completely destroy the beastmen's sacred totem and spiritual pillar—the Wanhell Rock.
Patrols constantly moved within the camp, quickly welcoming new troops. "Is it the army from Winfoort?"
"Yes."
"Then please follow me." The clerk led Winfoort's army to a site within the valley to camp.
Knights and infantrymen patrolled and drilled within the vast camp, wearing splendid plate or chainmail armor, carrying their family flags. The myriad of family crests was dazzling. Newly arrived Ryan could not recognize many family crests; he could only identify them by the flags of their ducal territories.
The appearance of Winfoort's army attracted many knights. Their camp was set against a hillside within the valley, with hundreds of tents already set up, wooden fences and watchtowers manned by sentries. As the troops arrived, soldiers immediately went to report.
Several knights and about a hundred infantrymen had already arrived at Valermy Camp. The infantry quickly opened the gates, and Julius-Antrei led several knights to welcome them: "Sulia? Lord Connally? Ryan! You're here too?"
"How could I miss out on a fight? I am the lady's champion!" Ryan laughed.
The noble knights laughed heartily. Indeed, what is a knight without war?
The group proceeded inside the camp. Soldiers were arranged to stay in ordinary tents, magnificent war horses were accommodated in stables, and for the knights, Julius had already constructed many spacious and comfortable large tents within the camp for their stay.
The knights went to arrange accommodations and distribute soldiers' supplies, leaving only Ryan, Sulia, Connally, and Julius, along with their attendants, heading towards the main tent. The half-gray-haired Marquis Connally asked first, "How's the situation, Julius?"
"Not good. We've repelled three beastmen offensives in two months," Julius, not wearing armor, suggested they change into more comfortable clothes before discussing further: "I've arranged the accommodations, let's meet in the main tent later."
Fully armed, it was indeed not suitable for sitting down to discuss matters.
As a Grail Knight, Ryan was given a separate tent in a shaded area, not easily exposed to direct sunlight.
Thirty minutes later, dressed in lighter clothing, they sat in the main tent again.
Julius and Marquis Connally sat on one side of the wooden table, Ryan and Sulia on the other, with a large map on the table detailing the Adenson Forest's terrain, surrounding towns, and the camp.
"Since June this year, the beastmen's activities have become increasingly frequent. Since my arrival, Valermy Camp has repelled three beast tides, all beaten back by the knights," Julius pointed at the map's edge, indicating Valermy Camp.
"How does Duke Glaskol plan to fight this war?" Marquis Connally, not adept at warfare, preferred to hear others' opinions.
"The duke arrived at Valermy Camp in early August, leading his knights and waiting for the knightly army to assemble," Julius said solemnly: "The duke plans to enter the forest after the army is fully assembled, reach Yulsen Castle, and then directly attack Wanhell Rock deep in the forest."
"Yulsen Castle? Who is stationed there now?" Ryan noticed Yulsen Castle was inside the Adenson Forest, about seventy kilometers from Valermy Camp.
"Yulsen Castle is currently manned by a hundred knights and over two thousand infantry from the Duchy of Leonnese, led by Count Adelred, a subordinate of the Duke of Leonnese. A few days ago, reports came that Yulsen Castle had been attacked by beastmen several times, but the defenders held firm."
Yulsen Castle's strong defenses, abundant siege weapons, and sufficient garrison made it unsurprising that it could hold. Everyone nodded.
"After scouts and cavalry scouts paid a heavy price for reconnaissance, we've confirmed that Wanhell Rock is located about two hundred kilometers deep in the Adenson Forest from Yulsen Castle," Julius pointed heavily at a spot deep in the Adenson Forest: "This is our war's target, to destroy Wanhell Rock and the nearby beastmen camps!"
"When do we start marching?" Ryan asked, suddenly realizing a problem.
All arriving armies brought forty days of food, but some dukes' troops arrived earlier, others later. It was mid-August now, meaning the earliest arrivals had already consumed about ten days of food.
"Except for Duke Berleon, who is fighting the Estalian troops, the knightly army is still waiting for Duke Kakasong's troops from the south and Duke Paralion's troops," Julius continued: "Maybe... a few more days."
"Then we don't have much time left for the march," Ryan's face darkened. If it took a few more days, it meant a few more days of food consumption, leaving them with very little time.
"Right, brother, Lord Connally, Sir Ryan." Sulia hesitated: "Father said... in this war, Winfoort's troops might not be heavily relied upon, so everyone, please be careful."
"Anyway, after a long journey, everyone rest first and wait for Marquis Anxi's notification to march!"
"Okay!"
Meanwhile, in the main tent of the knightly army.
A handsome young noble was enjoying his lunch, the table laden with various fruits, white bread and meats, and many condiments.
This noble had dazzling golden hair, slender phoenix eyes, blue pupils, and a fair complexion, though his face now showed impatience and irritability. After pestering the king for a long time, he finally became the commander of this knightly war. However, when he eagerly led his troops to the camp, he found most of the army had not yet arrived.
This poured cold water on the young marquis, who had to patiently wait for the other duchies' troops to arrive.
After gulping down a glass of red wine, he shouted outside: "Someone come!"
"My marquis?" A ranger knight walked in from outside.
"How many people came today?"
"About two thousand, my marquis," the knight replied: "Winfoort's army has also arrived."
"Winfoort? Hmm, so only Paralion and Kakasong's troops haven't arrived. What are they doing, don't they know this is the most important war in recent years! We are going straight for Wanhell Rock!" Marquis Anxi said impatiently.
No wonder the marquis was impatient; he had arrived here in early August, hoping to make a big splash and gain the ladies' attention. But he was held back by some late-arriving troops, waiting ten days in vain.
"Our messengers have contacted Kakasong's troops; they should arrive in a few days. As for Duke Paralion's troops, we have yet to hear from them," the knight continued.
"Then let's wait for Kakasong's troops to arrive and prepare to depart. We won't wait for Paralion's," the marquis decided immediately: "If we wait any longer, we'll run out of food."
"Yes!"
Marquis Anxi suddenly remembered he forgot to ask if Sulia had arrived. Thinking of the female knight's beautiful figure, he felt regretful. After the failed marriage proposal, it was only proper not to bother her anymore.
No matter, as long as he performs splendidly in this knightly war, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. If not Sulia, he had many other choices.
The marquis began to study the map, having thought through a battle plan for over a month with his courtiers, a strategy he considered flawless.
...
Five days later, with the arrival of Kakasong's troops at Valermy Camp, the knightly army officially declared its assembly complete.
This army consisted of three hundred kingdom knights, over eighteen hundred ranger knights, more than three thousand cavalrymen and sergeants, and over sixteen thousand infantrymen.
Including logistics personnel and various accompanying family members, the knightly army's numbers had reached over forty thousand.
Britannia outwardly claimed to have assembled an army of one hundred thousand.
The camp became increasingly crowded, with friction between armies of duchies that did not get along. Young ranger knights began to fight daily, and the experienced kingdom knights did not stop them, seeming to enjoy the spectacle.
During these days, Ryan stayed mostly within the camp, keeping a low profile, spending most of his time reading and practicing his psychic powers in his tent.
After testing his psychic-powered armor, Ryan discovered a serious problem.
His armor was specially customized, lighter and easier to wear and remove than ordinary power armor, appearing no different from normal knightly plate armor at a glance.
However, as special psychic-driven armor, like his Avenger Goddess, wearing this armor significantly drained his physical and psychic energy. Wearing this armor while using the Avenger Goddess doubled the consumption.
He couldn't sustain this state for long.
Ryan understood why: the Emperor intended to train his psychic ability usage, so he specifically ordered the Great Sage to not include an internal power source in the armor.
Yet, the son always felt somewhat tricked.
Baron Ryan wanted to test what other functions his power armor had when Sulia lifted the tent flap: "Sir Ryan?"
"Good morning, Miss Sulia?"
"Marquis Anxi has notified everyone to attend the pre-war council, Sir Ryan."
"Alright, I'll be right there."
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