The candles in the conference room crackled softly, as Ryan pondered the significant implications of the news he had just received.
"So, in a year or two at most, Duke Louis will completely abandon worldly affairs and entrust the dukedom to Lord Laun, heading to the Fairy Lake to guard the lady's sanctuary, is that correct?" Ryan was the first to grasp the significance of this information.
In the Knight Kingdom, there was an unspoken agreement among the dukes. A Grail Knight could rule his own territory as a lord, but if one of his proclaimed heirs completed the Grail Quest and was confirmed to inherit his title, then the Grail Knight would set aside everything and go to the Fairy Lake to guard the sacred land.
Normally, a legendary warrior could live 130-150 years, but a Grail Knight of the legendary rank who had drunk from the Grail could live 170-200 years. For a Great Knight of the Holy Realm, the lifespan was close to 400 years, which could extend over 600 years after drinking from the Grail.
Therefore, one could imagine how many figures from the previous generation were hidden among the Grail Knights by the Fairy Lake, many of whom had witnessed the changes of several centuries.
Of course, being a Grail Knight did not mean they could retire for life. These elite knights of Bretonnia actually faced as many wars as normal knights. Shadows and darkness from all corners of the kingdom needed their resolution.
"Exactly, so during this time, Louis is definitely willing to stand with us," Francois said earnestly. "Richard isn't even a Grail Knight, his royal power is destined to be fragile and short-lived."
"Hmm..." Ryan understood the meaning of Duke Wintertort.
Put bluntly, in the eyes of the Dukes of Red Dragon and Wintertort, they lacked reverence for Richard because he wasn't even a Grail Knight.
At this thought, Ryan suddenly remembered something. He raised his hand, signaling everyone to wait, then took out a gold coin from his spatial ring: "Wait... Laun, Laun-Leo-Cornwall, I've met him!"
"This is... the Leapstanding Lion Oath Coin, how did you get it?" Francois saw the gold coin in Ryan's hand. Even the usually composed Duke Wintertort was surprised.
"I got it when I was in the Nord Kingdom, on the Skaville Mountain, fighting the Doomsday Bull Taurs..." Ryan recounted his previous experiences to the two dukes calmly: "When I parted ways with Lord Laun, he gave me this coin."
"Truly the chosen champion of the Lady!" Francois nodded repeatedly. "Then it will be easy. With Louis's stance already leaning towards us, and you having this coin, there's no reason for him not to support us."
"That makes three votes," Berchimond also murmured.
"I have old ties with the Archbishop of the Sea God, Odric, in Marinburg. Perhaps we can try to gain the support of Duke Boldro?" Ryan continued, taking out a badge engraved with a mermaid statue.
"This is a symbol of friendship from the Church of the Sea God." The voice of the Lady's chosen champion was calm, but the immense power possessed by this young man in his twenties made the two dukes take notice.
"That makes four votes," Francois said admiringly. "That's enough. The opposition has already exceeded a third. I've been thinking about how to persuade Bodric. Since you, Ryan, have friendship with the Sea Church, it will be much easier to gain his support."
Duke Boldro of Bretonnia was a unique existence among the dukes.
Usually, Bretonnian knights worship the Lady of the Lake, who brings them the power of faith and the code of chivalry. For them, becoming a Grail Knight is a lifelong pursuit.
However, Boldro was an exception. The title of Duke Boldro existed in Bretonnia before its foundation, and it was said that the Boldro surname came from the sea, with the first Duke Marcus being a descendant of the Sea God Mannan.
This might not be just a tale. When the Boldro family fought at sea, the ocean always sheltered and blessed them. When the Duke of Boldro raised the family heirloom, the "Trident of the Sea God," even on land, the Sea God Mannan would respond to his call, and great waves would appear from the air, flooding the land.
Thus, the Boldro family's primary faith was the Sea God Mannan, and the Lady of the Lake was secondary.
No one in the mortal world forbids worshipping two gods, and the Lady never said anything about it, but this behavior of the Boldro family still displeased most dukes. In the eyes of most knights, the Lady should be the primary faith, although in terms of chivalry, Boldro might do much better than these judgmental knights.
The current Duke Boldro, the Grand Master of the Sea Knight Order, Bodric, was brave and tenacious, reaching the peak of legend. The Duke, excellent in both spear and sword, had few rivals in Bretonnia. He was also highly capable in internal affairs. Although his duchy was relatively small in area, its wealth was second only to the Duchy of Connacht in the north and the Duchy of Wintertort in the south. The Sea Knight Order commanded over 80% of the kingdom's navy and had knights no less excellent than those of other dukes.
The only regret was that Bodric, now in his eighties, had not embarked on the Grail Quest, the pursuit of every knight's dream.
"With four votes, our King definitely cannot dismiss this Knight War as a failure or neutral stance," Francois said after seeing the golden mermaid coin, convinced the situation was set. Wintertort suddenly laughed: "It seems Richard can only accept the fact that the Knight War was a victory."
"That's the truth!" Berchimond muttered, clearly dissatisfied with the King's attitude of wanting to downplay the matter.
If the King didn't intend to suppress this, he wouldn't have remained inactive until now, and ten dukes wouldn't be rushing to the capital. This all indicated that the King himself was not satisfied with the outcome; otherwise, the King's rewards and messengers would have already reached Ryan.
Picking up a glass of red wine, Francois gently swirled the bright red liquid, pondering: "So, let me think, what would Richard do?"
"Firstly, he can't punish Ryan privately, as it would definitely alarm the Grail Knight Order and the Lady."
"Then, with four or more dukes opposing, he can't define the Knight War as a failure in the Duke's Council, especially after such a heavy loss. Our King also needs victory to maintain his prestige."
"Finally, no one wants to see the armies of Wintertort and Bastonne return in glory. We've seized a large accumulation of the beastmen for over two hundred years. Our armies are intact and well-organized. A small loss is incomparable to the experience gained through blood and fire. The young soldiers have been tempered, the serfs have gained much, and soldiers who have participated in the war will no longer fear the beasts in the forests."
Berchimond sighed: "With so many benefits already secured, no one would want to award the glory of victory and the primary credit for destroying the Rock of Woe to us..."
"So, Richard needs an exemplar, a victorious one, but it won't be Ryan..." Wintertort's face showed wisdom, his eyes narrowing with a meaningful smile: "Since the honor can't be given to the living, let it be given to the dead."
"The dead are blameless, the dead cannot be faulted. Adelard's total defeat due to foolishness is not commendable, but Anxi, who fought to the end without ever betraying the Lady and the King, is."
At this point, astute individuals like Ryan and Berchimond fully understood, and most knights around them did too.
"Then, Anxi will become this hero, and Richard needs Anxi to be this hero." Ryan stroked his chin, understanding: "So it will be portrayed like this: Duke Anxi sacrificed himself to enable our successful surprise attack on the Rock of Woe. He led the Knight War army to stubbornly hold back the beastmen army, successfully giving us the opportunity to strike the Rock of Woe."
"Everything was planned, a sacrifice made by Duke Anxi to turn defeat into victory after Adelard's complete defeat. Undoubtedly, the greatest credit for destroying the Rock of Woe belongs to him."
"Exactly." Berchimond and Francois both turned their gaze to Ryan.
Their intentions were clear; it was time for Ryan to choose. Should this young Grail Knight receive all the honors of the Knight War and become the hero who led the kingdom to victory from defeat?
Or should he step back?
Either way, the two dukes would fully support him.
Meanwhile, Ryan was also weighing the pros and cons. If possible, he certainly hoped to accumulate enough fame to become the main protagonist of the Knight War, the hero leading the kingdom to victory from defeat.
However, as the Lady's chosen champion, Ryan realized that some things were far from as simple as they appeared on the surface. As a living saint, he couldn't vie for credit with the dead, which would offend other great nobles of the Knight Kingdom and affect his own reputation, even though he was the one who turned the tide.
Also, if he insisted on contending and revealing the truth, he would face another consequence: the dukes would argue endlessly over his matter, accelerating divisions in the kingdom. The dukes were already full of contradictions, and from a broader perspective, this was not what Ryan wanted to see. Numerous dangers and darkness were approaching; he couldn't let the kingdom fall into accelerated division for personal gain.
This wouldn't benefit his future either.
Moreover, Duke Anxi never betrayed his faith in the Lady. If not for his leading the Knight War army to firmly hold back the elite and main force of the beastmen to the end, Ryan would not have had the chance to strike the Rock of Woe. Objectively, Duke Anxi made a significant contribution to this bitter victory. For Ryan to overturn this would even displease the Lady.
Soon, Ryan had his answer. The Grail Knight sighed softly and shifted his sitting posture: "It seems we must hold a state funeral for this young duke?"
"He should be posthumously awarded a first-class Grail Medal, and for you... we will strive to obtain a second-class Iris Medal for you," Francois exhaled lightly.
He liked and admired this young man even more.
This young man possessed many excellent qualities that many others lacked. The virtues of a knight were exemplified in him, and more importantly, he had a very excellent talent: political maturity. He knew what he wanted, what he could gain from it, and what he needed to sacrifice.
Only such an excellent young man deserved the title of the Lady's chosen champion. Strong strength, decisive command, unfathomable background energy, and outstanding administrative ability.
Francois certainly knew about his daughter Sulya's frequent interactions with Ryan. The duke had always turned a blind eye, tacitly permitting it. Compared to those young knights who were either indulgent in luxury or obsessed with martial arts, his vassal satisfied him.
In every sense of the word.
Perhaps in the future, the attitude could change a bit more.
"So, what amount of gold and silver does our King plan to offer to keep our Ryan silent?" Berchimond also showed a smile.
"It certainly can't be a small amount; otherwise, I won't agree!" Ryan said with some regret, forcing a smile: "The Rock of Woe can't be fought for nothing, right?"
"Don't worry, Ryan," Francois's expression became serious. The Dukes of Wintertort and Red Dragon nodded to each other.
"To keep us silent on this matter, Richard must pay a substantial price and reward."
"We won't want any benefits; it's all yours."
"This is your reward for bringing back our army and destroying the Rock of Woe. You deserve everything."
"Right!" Ryan nodded firmly.
The roundtable meeting thus concluded.
The next day, the party set off for Couronne, Ryan's second visit to the capital of Bretonnia.
Crossing the Sanne River, one of the Old World's greatest urban wonders, once again appeared before Ryan. Upon entering the city, Francois and Berchimond immediately rushed to the royal palace. The dukes would finalize the nature of this bittersweet Knight War.
Meanwhile, Ryan stayed at the Grail Knight Order's Couronne branch, quietly awaiting the results.
The simple room was clean and well-kept, with good living conditions. Paintings hung on the walls, carpets covered the floor, and the clear glass windows turned the outside sunlight into colorful rays that shone into the room. Ryan exhaled softly, pulled up a chair, and sat down, enjoying this moment of tranquility.
"Knock, knock, knock~" Before five minutes passed, his door was knocked.
At this time, who could it be?
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