"Of course, I am very honored." Surya didn't even hesitate, the female knight immediately placed her small hand, clad in a white velvet glove, into Ryan's large hand.
"Thank you very much." Ryan breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. This made things much easier.
He felt that the female knight always extended a helping hand when he needed it most, which warmed his heart.
Moreover, Surya attended the banquet in her personal capacity, which meant a lot for an unmarried female marquis. Both Ryan and Surya understood this.
A tacit understanding began to form between them.
They agreed to meet at Ryan's place in three days and then head to Boldero together.
The capital of the Duchy of Boldero, Bodrioux, wasn't far from Ryan's territory, Gine Domain. The journey would take at most two days, and Ryan planned to arrive a day early to visit the headquarters of the Sea Knight Order and the prosperous Bodrioux.
Ryan didn't need too many guards. As a lord, he couldn't travel alone and handle everything himself, as that would be undignified.
As usual, due to her identity, the female knight couldn't stay overnight here. After agreeing on the time with Ryan, she left on her Pegasus, leaving Amelia behind.
After half a year at Winterfort Academy, Amelia matured quickly. But in front of Ryan, she was still the charming and adorable little maid. After not seeing each other for several months, Amelia's eyes sparkled as she sat beside Ryan and spoke softly, "Mr. Ryan, I've heard all about your deeds. You destroyed the Rock of Thousands Demons and defeated the beastmen tribe."
"It's not a big deal, Amelia. Eliminating those beastmen in the forest is what I should do." Ryan didn't take it seriously, but Amelia was earnest: "No, Mr. Ryan, you protected the country. You are the strongest."
"Speaking of which, I used to be able to help you with my disguise skills, but now I can't help you at all, Mr. Ryan." Amelia pursed her thin lips, her face showing a touch of grievance: "If this goes on, I will be disliked by Mr. Ryan."
"Haha~ How could I dislike you, Amelia? You have been a great help to me in many ways." Ryan knew Amelia always wanted to repay his kindness but couldn't find a way. So he took the initiative: "By the way, I'm going to Bodrioux next. Would you like to come with me?"
"Really? Can I?" Amelia's eyes lit up.
"Yes, Orica doesn't like to travel far. You can come with me this time. There's nothing going on at the academy, right?"
"Nothing at all."
"Great, then you'll come with me to Bodrioux."
"Okay!"
...
At the same time, in Britannia, Duke Connaught's domain, the Cursed City of Mushillon.
The tall city walls had already sunk into the swamp in many places. Escaped serfs and various unidentified creatures occupied this port city. The streets were dark and gloomy, shrouded by the massive walls, allowing only three hours of sunlight a day. Hence, most residents were pale and listless.
The city's economic system remained a mystery, with taverns, brothels, poison shops, fighting pits, and other dark and addictive places abound. The stores generally sold banned books, heretical ornaments, various poisons, and assassination tools, but there seemed to be no normal shops like food stores or tailor shops.
Most residents seemed to have mysterious jobs outside the city. Every day, trucks and boats full of essentials arrived, among which the vampire lords and knights often mingled in the crowd. The vampires and residents ignored each other; as long as the serfs were willing to pay taxes or sell blood, the vampires allowed them to live on.
At the same time, it was Britannia's largest black market, and despite reluctance to admit it, many seemingly reputable knights liked to sell their illegal gains here. The vampires bought a large number of stolen goods and sold them for a substantial profit, but how they disposed of these goods was unclear.
Today, a carriage entered Mushillon, driven by four undead horses.
Yes, four horses that had become undead, stripped of all flesh.
This terrified the residents, who actively avoided the path of the bone horses. The skeletal horses were emaciated, with only blue soul fire burning in their eyes.
In the dark carriage, a dry, hoarse voice was conversing with a younger, vibrant one.
"Ah~ I don't know how much time has passed since I last visited the Old World. The signs of divination and prophecy indicate that to bring our lord back from the darkness, we need to gather more materials," said the dry, hoarse voice.
"Materials? Father, what do we need to gather to bring back the Lord of the Undead?" asked the young voice, full of power, rebelliousness, and hatred.
"We need to find the nine volumes written by our lord and enough magical conductors to serve as a sacrifice to guide his return," the hoarse voice continued. "Ah~ Only the magic remaining in the nine volumes can unlock the puzzle, and only enough sacrifices can attract our lord's shattered soul back to this world for rebirth."
"One of the volumes is sealed within Britannia. I can sense it's in the Duchy of Breleon. My disciple, the time has come. We've prepared for years."
"The Red Duke proved incompetent. Pure war cannot defeat these knights afflicted with chivalry. We need infiltration, then internal dissolution."
"I will destroy this hypocritical kingdom built on lies and deceit! Father!" said the young voice with hatred and pain: "I will end it all with my own hands and sword."
"Very well." The hoarse voice was filled with inexplicable joy: "Besides, we have another target."
"That is… She has always been elusive, but we can…"
"Let's begin."
...
Five days later, Ryan finally met Surya, who had come to join him.
The female knight brought her maid Sylvia and five knights, all loyal Winterfort family knights, to protect and serve her on the journey.
At this level, Surya, as a female marquis, wouldn't be involved in trivial matters, and her maid Sylvia rarely did mundane tasks, ensuring thorough preparation for the trip.
Ryan also didn't plan to bring too many people. As planned, he brought Amelia, his butler Carsonberg, and five sergeants. The journey from Gine Baron to Bodrioux took just over a day and was not dangerous.
Ryan had custom-made a luxurious carriage. He arranged for the three girls to rest inside and rode on his pureblood elven warhorse Grape at the front, chatting with his butler Carsonberg.
"The weather is getting colder. When we return to Gine, we'll be preparing for winter." Ryan looked up, the cold autumn wind cutting through like a knife. Britannia's climate, though not as cold as Nord, was inevitably chilly and damp, chilling to the bone. Amelia, with a weaker constitution, tried to join him but was promptly sent back to the carriage by Ryan to keep warm with blankets.
"Yes, this year has been a bountiful one, my baron. We'll have a good year ahead, all thanks to the Lady's blessing," said Carsonberg, his face showing contentment. "My baron, may I speak frankly?"
"Go ahead."
"I always thought, as a Grail Knight, you wouldn't be so interested in governing your domain, but, my baron, you are truly talented in internal affairs. You seem to manage well without much assistance," said Carsonberg calmly.
"But that's exactly why I need you all. I am a Grail Knight serving the Lady, not a courtier," Ryan first nodded, then shook his head. "My main focus will still be on warfare."
"Then please allow me to continue assisting you, my baron." Carsonberg immediately responded: "We need each other."
"Perhaps that's the case." Ryan agreed, recognizing his excellence over the past few months: "By the way, can you tell me about your past? What did your family do?"
"We were executioners, my baron. I am a descendant of Baron Bafal. Of course, this was five or six generations ago. Baron Bafal was a famous executioner in Winterfort, specifically dealing with rebels and heretics. The condemned were tied to stakes, impaled, and then completely incinerated."
"Oh, that's a bloody profession," Ryan remarked.
"Yes, my baron. Unfortunately, as I wasn't born directly in line, I couldn't inherit any position or estate. My family couldn't afford knightly equipment for me, but I knew I could be a courtier. I believe it was my destiny. When Lord Ryan appeared before me, I knew it was time to seek opportunities," continued Carsonberg.
"And indeed, it was…"
Their conversation outside the carriage continued. Inside, the three girls were also chatting happily.
Amelia, dressed in a brown leather jacket, white shirt, blue scarf, and brown skirt, left her deer leather boots at the carriage door. She wore black long socks on her legs and wrapped herself in a blanket, attracting teasing from the other two female knights: "Amelia, we told you, Britannia is not like the Empire or Nord. It's damp and feels colder."
"Umm, Sister Surya, Sister Sylvia, don't tease me anymore." Amelia spoke with a hint of grievance: "I'm just... I'm just..."
"Hahaha~" Sylvia and Surya laughed. They understood Amelia's little schemes. Although they also wore short skirts and stockings, they had more experience, wearing long cotton socks outside and warm bear fur coats.
Seeing Surya's elegant demeanor, Amelia felt bittersweet and self-pitying, speaking seemingly casually: "It must be nice, Sister Surya. Mr. Ryan invited you as his companion. When he and I were in Marlinburg, he said if he really couldn't find a companion, he would take me."
Surya's heart stirred at Amelia's words, which seemed suggestive. She wrapped her legs in a blanket, holding a little bear doll: "If I had known, I would have declined Ryan's invitation, and then you would have had the chance, right?"
"That wouldn't be good either, Sister Surya. If you did that, Mr. Ryan would be sad." Amelia looked weak and vulnerable: "Anyway, it's good this way. I'm happy to go out and play with Mr. Ryan."
"Hahahaha~" Surya couldn't help but chuckle. Although Amelia was somewhat manipulative, she was inherently kind-hearted.
Sylvia, the serious maid, suddenly blushed and said, "Miss, it's not good to accept Ryan's invitation so directly. It's better to discuss it with the duke first."
"No, it's different, Sylvia," Surya reassured her maid gently: "The outcome might be the same, but it would feel different to Ryan."
"But..." Sylvia, still blushing, wanted to say more, but Surya shook her head after checking outside. Then, in a whisper audible only to the three of them, she said: "It's different, Sylvia, Amelia. Ryan obviously lacks confidence, and now is the time to dispel his doubts. We mustn't hesitate, or our previous efforts will be wasted."
Surya didn't specify the efforts, but Sylvia and Amelia understood.
Amelia felt uncomfortable watching Surya's poised and harmonious demeanor. She sighed softly. Initially, she wanted to wait until Ryan settled here to slowly build a relationship with him. However, Surya's sudden appearance was startling. Her gentle personality and beauty made it hard not to like her.
Moreover, Ryan's interaction with her was different; he still treated Amelia like a little maid and sister, while with Surya, it was clearly more romantic.
During the journey, the girls got along quite comfortably. As the carriage wheels turned slowly, Surya remembered something else and said, holding Sylvia's hand: "Sylvia, you've always wanted Ryan to guide your swordsmanship, right? This is a good opportunity."
"Eh? But... but..." Sylvia, stern and serious, immediately blushed: "It's not good to ask for guidance directly, is it?"
"Why not? Sylvia, don't forget, you..." Surya whispered in Sylvia's ear, making her blush and nod: "Hmm, that makes sense."
While the girls continued their pleasant conversation inside, Ryan on horseback encountered a young knight.
The young knight rode a standard mixed-blood elven warhorse of Britannia, draped in red and blue armor with iris patterns. He wore full plate armor with a black overcoat, and his shield bore a black and yellow emblem with a lion holding a sword.
This signified he was a knight of the Duchy of Connaught but not a direct descendant or family knight of the duke, as indicated by the red and blue shield.
Ryan hadn't seen this coat of arms before.
"Greetings, traveler from afar, noble Grail Knight. Are you also heading to Boldero for the banquet?" the young knight asked immediately, seemingly not surprised by Ryan and his company's arrival.
"Yes, that's right. I'm Ryan Macado." Ryan responded: "And you are?"
"I'm Matthew Bard, a ranger knight from the Duchy of Connaught. If it's not too much trouble, may I join you on your journey?"
After speaking, Matthew Bard's gaze seemed to drift towards the luxurious carriage.
"Travelers always need companions."
___________________
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