Ryan had initially not wanted to answer the door, preferring to rest or sit quietly as a Grail Knight.
"Knock, knock, knock~ Sir Ryan?" A servant's voice came from the door. "Do you have a moment? Someone is looking for you."
"Someone looking for me?" Ryan stood up and went to the door. "Who is it?"
"It's Sir Olivier, your knight," the servant replied.
"Olivier?" Ryan opened the door, and the young ranger knight slipped in. "Oh! My baron! Look what I've brought for you!"
"Oh? What's this?" Ryan had already smelled it. The Grail Knight's eyes lit up.
It was roasted beef, black pepper roasted beef! And a whole big steak!
This was a high-end treat, not even the nobility could have it every day. Where did Olivier get it?
"This was sent by Sir Gabriel for you. I brought it over as soon as I got it. Eat it while it's hot, my baron."
"Let's eat together, Olivier!" Ryan pulled out two bottles of apple sparkling wine, warmly inviting him.
So, the baron and his knight sat down to enjoy the feast.
The juicy black pepper beef and the bubbling apple wine made the baron feel very comfortable, and any small displeasures were whisked away with the gustatory delight. He felt much better.
Seizing the moment, Olivier asked, "My baron, are you free tonight? You shouldn't be busy these days, right?"
"Uh, I'm free for these few days, just can't leave the capital until the results come out," Ryan replied casually.
"Then... how about we arrange some activities?" Olivier's eyes twinkled, and he whispered, "There's a masquerade ball tonight at the Vie Courtyard in Couronne!"
"Masquerade... ball?" Ryan's eyes flickered, his interest piqued: "Is it, 'that kind' of masquerade ball?"
"Exactly, 'that kind' of masquerade ball," Olivier smirked. "Not only this... but also that..."
"Really? A masquerade ball where you can do this and that?" Ryan's lips curved into a smile: "Then that would mean..."
"Exactly, my baron, what kind of view lies behind that curtain, what surprises are hidden behind that screen... Don't you want to see for yourself?" Olivier tempted: "It's fine, everyone wears masks, no one cares, and even if they know, so what? Knights need relaxation after battles."
Ryan thought Olivier was right. In Bretonnia, knights strictly adhered to the code of chivalry, but they were quite lenient about occasionally going out to "relax." Most cities in the kingdom had such places.
Grail Knights were the same; the eight virtues of knighthood didn't include any requirements in this regard.
(There were rumors that Grail Knights had even greater needs in this regard than ordinary people)
"On the battlefield, a knight must ensure his lance kills the enemy accurately; off the battlefield, he must ensure his 'small lance' is full of vitality. That's what makes an excellent knight."
— The second Knight King of Bretonnia, Louis
"Hmm..." Ryan was tempted.
"So, my baron, shall we go and see for ourselves?"
"Hmm~ indeed, after a long campaign, now that there's nothing urgent, why not go and see?"
"Hehehe~"
"Hehehehehe"
The two men chuckled sleazily in the room.
"Where do Sir Ryan and Sir Olivier plan to go?" Just then, a gentle female voice came from the doorway.
"Whoa!" Olivier jumped up in fright, and Ryan was also startled.
Looking up, the duke's daughter and her maid were standing at the door; Olivier hadn't closed the door!
The lady knight was dressed in her noblewoman's attire, but with brown checkered shorts instead of trousers, revealing her long, slender, silky legs wrapped in black stockings. She wore silver high heels, and her golden waist-length curly hair was secured with a blue headband. She looked impeccable and dignified.
Behind Sulya was her maid, Sylvia. Unlike Sulya in noble attire, Sylvia wore a standard Bretonnian noblewoman's dress in deep red with ribbons tied at the front. Beneath her brown checkered shorts were grey stockings and leather shoes. She was a bit shorter than Sulya, who was close to 1.75 meters tall, with dazzling long blonde hair coiled at the back of her head.
This equally resplendent female knight seemed to have heard more of their conversation, eyeing Olivier with a dangerous look. But remembering he was Ryan's knight, she restrained herself.
"Cough cough, we were just discussing how bustling Couronne is as the capital of Bretonnia. I didn't get a good look last time, so I thought I'd visit some famous spots this time," Ryan replied calmly, unfazed: "But Olivier and I have a problem. We're both foreign knights and not familiar with Couronne's streets."
"That's exactly what I wanted to say, Sir Ryan. You shouldn't be busy for a while, right?" The lady knight didn't mind their evasiveness and generously pretended to know nothing, inviting Ryan: "If you're free, can Sylvia and I have the honor of showing you around Couronne?"
"Of course, I'm very honored!" Ryan instantly put Olivier aside and earnestly accepted the invitation: "I didn't expect Miss Sulya to invite me. How could I refuse?"
"And, you can just call me Ryan."
...
Ten minutes later, on the streets of Couronne.
The stone-paved roads were neat and clean, lined with three- and four-story buildings and a multitude of shops, constituting the city's bustling first element. The streets of Couronne, by the Sanne River, were bustling with people.
Couronne, the capital of Bretonnia, with a population of around 150,000 to 200,000, was one of the few giant human cities in the Old World, alongside Altdorf, Middenheim, Nuln of the Empire, and the semi-independent Marienburg.
The Empire, across the Grey Mountains, had a total population of about 20 million, while Bretonnia had around 6 million. The loss of over 30,000 people in the Knight War was a strain for Bretonnia but still manageable.
Just walking around, the trio saw many Imperials, a few people from southern kingdoms, high elves, and dwarfs, although Couronne's prosperity paled compared to Marienburg. The streets, alleys, and open spaces of Couronne were filled with fully-armed knights, differing from Marienburg's chaos and filth.
The knight culture was deeply ingrained in this nation. Many noble children dressed in simple knight uniforms, brandishing small lances and shields, shouting in the name of the Lady, and practicing with each other.
Ryan, as a Grail Knight, was shown great respect. Walking the streets, any knight saluted him, male nobles tipped their hats, female nobles curtsied, and children surrounded him, vying for his attention.
In this country, the status of a Grail Knight was evident.
Ryan was calm about his exalted status, neither arrogant nor falsely modest. He politely responded to every greeting and continued his tour.
Goods and specialties from all twelve duchies of Bretonnia, imports from the Empire, and shops of dwarfs and elves were found in Couronne, many with "20% off for Grail Knights" signs.
"The Great Cathedral of the Grail is just ahead, Ryan," Sulya said, walking alongside Ryan. Seeing how much respect he received as a Grail Knight, she felt genuinely happy for him.
Entering a shop, the alchemist inside, delighted to see a Grail Knight, exclaimed, "Welcome! Absolutely welcome! Noble Grail Knight, feel free to look around, everything is 20% off!"
"Ryan, do you practice alchemy? I see you've bought a lot of alchemical materials," Sulya noted Ryan's deliberate purchase of alchemical materials, starting a conversation.
"I don't practice alchemy myself, but a friend of mine does. I'm collecting these materials for when she comes to visit," Ryan replied, carefully examining a dragon's beard grass in his hand.
"She? The Lake Prophetess sent by the Lady?" Sulya moved closer to Ryan, interested in the topic: "Speaking of which, Sir Ryan, as the Lady's chosen champion, you don't have a Lake Prophetess in your domain to help with administration."
"Are there any in the court of Wintertort?" Ryan smiled meaningfully, not answering directly. The Lady had offered, but Ryan had declined.
"Yes, there are two Lake Prophetesses serving in Wintertort's court, assisting my father with administration," Sulya replied, watching Ryan pay: "They are very gentle people."
"I'll also have my own wizard friends to help me, but they're not particularly gentle," Ryan said with a wry smile.
"She?"
"Yes, do you know of the Garland Council?" The group left the shop and continued towards today's destination—the Great Cathedral of the Grail.
The Garland Council? Those evil witches? The lady knight was startled, but her expression remained unchanged, her smile as warm as a spring breeze: "I've heard of them, an organization of female spellcasters?"
"I have a working relationship with them, though not very stable..." Ryan nodded, deciding to change the topic: "By the way, how is Emilia doing at your place? Is she adapting well?"
"Yes, Miss Emilia is adapting well to the academy environment. She enrolled in courtier and knight assistant programs and is studying very hard. She's also getting along well with the other students," Sulya tried to continue the topic, but knowing it wasn't the right time, she made sure Ryan was comfortable in their conversation.
As a duke's daughter, Sulya was flawless in conversation and demeanor. Interacting with her, Ryan felt truly relaxed and invigorated.
"Really? I thought Emilia would be too shy to make friends." Ryan laughed heartily, thinking of his maid.
"Why not? But Ryan, may I ask you a question?" Before Sulya could speak, her maid Sylvia asked.
"Of course, Miss Sylvia, feel free to ask," Ryan gestured with an open palm, inviting her to inquire.
"How did Miss Emilia become your maid?" Sylvia, a more serious character, looked intently at Ryan. Emilia's performance had caught both the lady knight's and her attention; she didn't seem like someone who would voluntarily become a maid.
"That's a long story..." Ryan thought about the lengthy tale.
"But Sylvia and I would love to hear it. It must be a thrilling story, right?" To his surprise, Sulya didn't let the topic go. She stopped, her ocean-blue eyes peeking through her golden fringe, full of interest: "Since you entrusted Miss Emilia to my care, I have the right to know about her, right?"
Ryan thought she had a point, but why were both female knights looking at him with such interest?
He felt quite pressured.
"Alright, it started about a year ago when I was in the capital of Nordland, Winter City, and received a commission from Archbishop Innocent..." Ryan began recounting his adventures.
He told them about his journey from Nordland, full of danger and battle, to Marienburg, where Emilia voluntarily became his maid.
"What an incredible story. The virtues and nobility you've shown are admirable," the lady knight listened earnestly and admired Ryan, her face showing respect. Sylvia also held newfound respect for Ryan's conduct on the journey.
Only such a person deserves to be the Lady's Champion!
Both female knights thought as much.
"Thank you." Unknowingly, they reached the day's first destination.
The iconic building of Couronne, one of the three great holy places in Bretonnians' hearts, the Great Cathedral of the Grail, covering dozens of hectares, had arrived.
No one would forget the great figures of Arthur and the twelve Grail Knights, nor their twelve great victories. Without their efforts, there would be no Bretonnia today.
Just as they approached the entrance, a light female voice suddenly came from behind the trio: "Ah! It's Sister Sulya! And Sister Sylvia! Long time no see!"
"Wait! Who is this man?! Knights, seize him!"
___________________
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