In early April, the Holy Grail Cathedral was brimming with life.
After a period of recuperation, Ryan was finally able to walk, though he was still somewhat weak. On the surface, however, he looked like a perfectly normal person.
"Is that so? Sulia won the Knight Tournament? That's really something to congratulate her for." Today, Duke Francois of Winfort came to visit Ryan, quite proud of himself. He stroked his mustache as he relayed the good news to Ryan, who was still recovering.
Having both a son and a daughter as champions of the Knight Tournament, Francois had every reason to be proud. After all, Grail Knights are still human.
"That's really wonderful. It's a great pity I couldn't be there to watch it myself," Ryan said with regret. During this time, the female knight hadn't visited him, which he could understand since Sulia must have been participating in the Knight Tournament.
"Hehehe, no worries, Ryan. It's more important for you to heal properly," Francois laughed heartily. Noticing Morgianna, who was sitting quietly to the side, he addressed her with respect, "Thank you, Princess Morgianna, for awarding Sulia. This is Sulia's glory."
"It's my duty," Morgianna replied, though her expression was less than pleased.
Francois sensed Morgianna's mood might be off. The Duke wondered if his daughter had offended Princess Morgianna somehow, especially since Morgianna seemed unhappy even while awarding her own daughter two days ago, merely going through the motions before giving a routine encouragement.
Morgianna's temperament was always a mystery, so Francois changed the subject, "Speaking of which, Ryan, today is the Day of the Grail, and there are many festivities on the streets of Couronne. If you're feeling up to it, why not join Louen and me for a walk?"
The Day of the Grail is an official holiday in Bretonnia, commemorating the legendary meeting between the founding Knight King Arthur and the Lady of the Lake by the shores of Lake Carcassonne, where Arthur drank from the Holy Grail, becoming the first Grail Knight.
This marks the beginning of Bretonnia's glorious history. After Arthur's death from illness, his eldest son, Louis, designated these two days as public holidays in memory of his father's great deeds.
Interestingly, before ascending to the throne, Louis faced widespread skepticism as he had not yet received the Lady of the Lake's approval to become a Grail Knight. Choosing to forgo the kingship, he left the capital alone, seeking the Lady's approval.
This is the origin of Questing Knights, or Errant Knights.
Years later, Louis returned to the capital, having achieved the realm of sainthood, with tattered clothes and a divine aura, his banner bearing the golden Grail. His identity was beyond doubt, and he ascended to the throne, reigning for over two hundred years before his death.
Intrigued by Francois's invitation, Ryan was keen on the idea. He had been confined to the Holy Grail Cathedral for over a dozen days and was frankly bored. If not for Emilia's company by day and Morgianna's discussions on kingdom affairs by night, he felt he might rust away.
"My princess..." Ryan began, but Morgianna coldly interrupted, "Go if you want, no need to ask me."
"Uh... What I meant was, with the Duke here, safety shouldn't be an issue, but I still wanted to get your opinion," Ryan politely sought Morgianna's consent.
"Go. Today is the Lady's festival; there's no rush to return," Morgianna gave Ryan a strange look, then turned and walked towards the inner chamber, clearly having other matters to attend to.
Ryan, finally freed, left the Holy Grail Cathedral with Francois.
On the Day of the Grail, the streets of Couronne were adorned and bustling, with nobles and citizens alike enjoying the festivities. Shops were filled with various wines, and even serfs could pause their work to join the nobles in celebrating this hard-earned holiday.
On this day, knights would kindly allow serfs to revel, opening their cellars to share inferior, near-expired, or even slightly sour wines, hoping to catch the Lady's eye with their generosity.
Observing Ryan's condition and finding him steady, Francois relaxed and commented, "Reaching this point is already commendable. Even I wouldn't be sure of victory against a Great Unclean One, yet you achieved it."
"If not for the siege by the Grail Knights and the aid of Elector Count Boris, it would have been difficult for me to defeat the Great Unclean One," Ryan recalled the fierce battle and sighed, "Even so, I paid a heavy price. Looking back, life and death were but a hair's breadth apart."
"Such is the strength of a Great Daemon. It was already weakened by the attacks of the Grail Knights and Elector Count Boris, and with the Winds of Magic weak, its power was limited. Yet, it still dominated us, a group of legendary Grail Knights. It seems I still have a long road ahead," Ryan continued, but he didn't wish to dwell on this topic, quickly adding, "By the way, how did Sulia win the tournament? Can you tell me?"
"Sulia? Her final opponent was Matthew Bard from Connaught, a peculiar young man but incredibly strong," Francois nodded, recounting the tournament, "In the first two rounds, Sulia was defeated. Matthew Bard's lance was extremely accurate and fast, always striking before Sulia could attack."
"But in the third round, Sulia successfully dodged Matthew Bard's lance. She used the three-stage thrust taught by Julius, striking Bard's plume and securing a comeback victory," Francois said with a hint of pride.
Ryan nodded, familiar with the tournament rules.
The tournament featured jousting, where fully armed knights charged at each other with wooden lances, aiming for the body for victory. Striking the head was considered a foul and a loss.
It was a best-of-three contest, but even if one knight won the first two rounds, the third would still proceed due to a special rule: the plume strike.
The plume, a feather on a knight's helmet, if struck by a lance without touching the opponent's head, would immediately grant victory.
According to Francois, Sulia's unexpected move caught Matthew Bard off guard, and her successful plume strike led to a reversal of fortunes.
Sulia, having turned the tables, wanted to visit Ryan with her trophy but was refused by Morgianna, who insisted Ryan needed rest.
"I wish more people could visit me; otherwise, I feel abandoned by the world," Ryan said helplessly.
Walking down the street with Francois, Ryan's appearance sparked a celebration. Citizens loudly praised the Grail Knights' glory, offering sweet wines. Children sang around Francois and Ryan, accompanied by applause and poets creating moving songs on the spot. The embodiment of humanity's hopes and wishes was displayed in this moment.
The most popular was Ryan, approached by many unmarried girls offering him jewelry, crafts, and flowers. The unmarried Grail Knight had become the kingdom's hottest new star, his every move drawing screams and cheers, almost like a deity descended to earth.
After much effort to escape the crowd, Francois looked at Ryan's somewhat disheveled appearance and said with a smirk, "My baron, you are indeed popular among the young ladies!"
"I can only thank the Lady for her favor," Ryan replied playfully. "My duke, weren't you the same in your youth?"
"Ha ha ha~" Francois laughed heartily, patting Ryan on the arm without using much force. "To think that I, a father, had to personally intervene to get you out here, Ryan. Your reputation is indeed significant!"
"???" Ryan was confused, not fully grasping the situation.
"Go ahead, it's just up that way," Francois patted Ryan on the shoulder, pointing towards a path in the city, then disappeared without looking back.
Ryan had a vague understanding of what was happening. He looked up the path and followed it uphill.
Spring had truly arrived. This hillside was planted with a lush sea of flowers, thriving under the diligent care of the gardeners. The bright sunlight warmed the earth, and the fresh air caressed Ryan's face as he walked through the breeze.
The iris, Bretonnia's national flower, along with lilies and many other flowers bloomed across this hillside. Ryan felt as if he had stepped away from the worldly noise. The battles against Chaos, Beastmen, and Greenskins seemed like distant memories. As the Chosen Champion wandered through the sea of flowers, he enjoyed a moment of leisure on this holiday.
Beyond the flourishing flowers, beneath a towering windmill, stood a beautiful noble lady among the blooms. In that instant, Ryan felt as if all the flowers paled in comparison, and his eyes saw only her.
She noticed Ryan's arrival, her mouth agape in disbelief before exclaiming, "Ryan? You can move now?"
"I regret not being able to witness..." Ryan began to reply, only to find himself enveloped in an embrace.
Hesitating only for a moment, Ryan too wrapped his arms around her, cherishing her warmth and softness: "It's alright now."
Under the azure sky, in front of the massive windmill, amid the lush sea of flowers, the two held each other tightly.
It seemed as if the rest of the world had vanished, leaving only the sound of the gentle spring breeze sweeping across the land and the fragrance of flowers.
Updated! This is today's second update. I've been writing from the afternoon until now. Vote for me!
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