"Ugh~" Late at night, as Teresa went to rest in the guest room, in the master's bedroom, Ryan was casually chatting with Olica, laughing towards a big lump on his bed wrapped in blankets: "Veronica~ come out!"
"This is the most humiliating day of my life!" The Garon witch, still wrapped in blankets, was furious: "I can't believe I lost to Trovick, that little princess of Garon! Ugh~ Ryan, hold me!"
Ryan had no choice but to embrace Veronica out of the blankets, holding her on his lap. Even so, the Garon witch buried her head in his chest, unwilling to look up. Ryan gently stroked her back: "It's normal that you couldn't beat her. Although Teresa is slightly weaker than you, her complete set of equipment and her staff are much stronger than yours."
After saying that, Ryan couldn't help but laugh again.
"You're laughing!!!" Veronica, infuriated, pinched her man hard on the waist. Then, remembering something, she buried her blushing face back into Ryan's chest.
By the time Ryan arrived in the drawing room, the Garon witch was tied up on the sofa, her eyes red as if she was about to cry. Ryan quickly untied her and comforted her for a long time.
Ryan wasn't surprised that Veronica lost to Teresa. In terms of strength, Teresa was slightly weaker than Veronica, but when it came to complete equipment and magical scrolls... Moreover, Veronica specialized in light and fire magic, and in a situation where she couldn't go all out, she indeed was not a match for Teresa.
"It's okay, Veronica, I won't think less of you for this." Ryan continued to comfort her: "Losing is okay; you can beat her next time."
"Hmph~ I had an agreement with her that if she lost, she would leave immediately. But I didn't expect her to get a seventh-level magic scroll from Elder Aurora." Finally calming down, Veronica sat on Ryan's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck to complain: "It was evenly matched at first, Ryan, my feet are sore, massage them for me~"
Ryan smiled and began massaging the witch's silk-stockinged feet, sighing inwardly: Veronica was indeed a smart woman; she knew exactly what she wanted. Losing to Teresa in magic wasn't important; she immediately found a way to bounce back in this situation.
Teresa still needed experience.
...
Since the sorceress also came to Ryan's domain, the covert and overt struggles between the two witches began. Teresa had the advantage of capital, while Veronica was cunning and intelligent. Their battles of wits provided Ryan with plenty of entertainment, ultimately benefiting him the most.
Initially, Teresa was very dissatisfied, always believing she was the best, until she met Sulia.
The appearance of the Duke's daughter finally made her understand something.
Now, Ryan couldn't care less; he had his own affairs to attend to.
That was about the cannons.
When Ryan first mentioned cannons to the dwarf craftsman, Derlon was reluctant, because Ryan couldn't just ask him to make cannons.
Here, the "Sacred Alliance" between the Empire and the Dwarven High King must be mentioned. Despite countless years, this pact was still honored by both the Empire and the Dwarfs. Among other things, the secret of gunpowder was a gift shared selflessly by the Dwarfs with the Empire, revolutionizing warfare with powerful gunpowder weapons.
Thus, the Empire and the Dwarfs kept a tight lid on gunpowder technology. In Bretonnia, across the Grey Mountains, knights could only get outdated cannons discarded by the Empire, mostly used for defense and not easily transported.
What was Bretonnia's main siege weapon, then?
The trebuchet.
Ryan had seen these giant siege engines in Couronne. Made from the parts of six to eight large carts, through a series of levers, gears, and coiled mechanisms, the trebuchet's massive arm was pulled down into the firing position, with a giant counterweight on the other end. A huge sling attached to the trebuchet's arm could hold rocks, debris, or even dead livestock. When fired, the sling added extra momentum to the moving arm, allowing the trebuchet to launch projectiles further and with more force than a standard catapult.
If Ryan were to use a perspective from the Celestial Empire, this was akin to the "Huihui cannon" used by the Mongols for sieges.
The power of the trebuchet was immense, almost matching the Empire's giant cannons. The boulders it launched could destroy most enemies, becoming a nightmare for goblins and orcs who preferred to move in groups. The disadvantage of the trebuchet was its cumbersome nature, slow firing rate compared to cannons, and the extensive labor required for operation.
Under the personal blessings of the Lake Prophet or even the Lady of the Lake, a divinely enhanced trebuchet could launch thrice the number of rocks with added magical damage, proving its formidable power.
However, most knights still scorned these machines, with some dukes outright refusing to use them. Despite this, owning a trebuchet remained a symbol of wealth and status. Only a limited number of craftsmen in Bretonnia could build these mighty war machines, and lords eagerly sought their services. While knights wouldn't operate these war engines themselves, they recognized their strategic value, commanding serfs to man these precious machines, for serfs could not claim honor nor understand the meaning of fighting for the Lady.
Craftsmen capable of building trebuchets were found only in Leoness or Montfort. Given Ryan's poor relations with these dukes, borrowing craftsmen to build trebuchets was virtually impossible.
As summer arrived, Ryan, along with his knights Olivier and Hektor, and his steward Carstenberg, visited the dwarf forge by the Shinnon River to inspect the latest results.
"My baron, if the dwarfs are unwilling to share their technology, how did you convince them to make cannons for you?" Steward Carstenberg's bald head shone under the sun, the baron's steward needing to shave his head every ten days.
"I can't make the dwarfs share their cannon technology with us, but we can hire them." Ryan walked towards the forge, his hands behind his back: "I've reached an agreement with Mr. Derlon. He'll make cannons for us, and we'll hire dwarf engineers to operate them."
"Dwarf mercenaries?" Olivier was interested. As a young knight introduced by Duke Schultz of Marmont, fighting alongside dwarfs seemed reasonable. Mercenaries were commonplace in the Empire.
Hektor, however, appeared concerned. The ranger knight, having gone through several campaigns, had a more composed demeanor. He was mainly responsible for training the troops within the barony. Ryan's domain now boasted over fifty soldiers and more than three hundred infantry, whom Hektor had trained to a decent level of combat readiness.
Neither Ryan's nor Anglaron's training methods were suitable for these serf soldiers, as the intense regimen was too demanding for those who couldn't ensure a steady supply of food and nutrition.
"My baron, Bretonnia does not have a tradition of hiring dwarfs... We have only hired mercenaries from the Empire, and even that under royal permission," Hektor hesitated. "Directly hiring dwarfs like this... may need further consideration."
"I've prayed to the Lady, and she has approved this request," Ryan declared nonchalantly, announcing his decision: "Dwarf brethren are our friends, and we shall fight side by side."
With this, neither Olivier, Carstenberg, nor Hektor had any further objections.
Had a twenty-six-year-old baron made such a claim, the knights might have scoffed, doubting the truthfulness of his words and considering it a blatant lie.
But Ryan was different. His word carried weight, and both knights and their soldiers believed him without question. Their lord had performed too many miracles, with the Lady of the Lake showing miracle after miracle through him. As the Lady's Chosen Champion and the Lady of the Lake's favored knight, if Ryan said the Lady of the Lake approved, then she undoubtedly did.
The thought of possessing dwarven great cannons for assault excited the knights. Already proclaimed the finest knights in the Old World, if they could be supported by cannons...
Upon reaching the dwarven forge, a whole unit of dwarven mercenaries was waiting. The leading dwarf, wearing a round helmet and with a long beard that covered half his stomach, had two large muskets slung over his back and chewed on a long white bread. From afar, one could smell the strong scent of black powder emanating from him.
"Greetings, Longbeard," Ryan, recognizing the dwarf's beard length and the jewelry within it, greeted him with respect: "Welcome to my domain. I am the baron here, the Grail Knight Ryan Macado."
"I've heard of you, baron, the Lady's Chosen Champion, slayer of countless greenskins and a Champion of Chaos," the dwarf looked up, arms crossed over his chest: "Derlon told me you could provide work, income, and endless malt beer for my brothers and sisters, so I brought them here. My name is Dugan Ironhand, pleased to meet you."
"Indeed, my baron, when you mentioned needing a unit of dwarf mercenaries, I immediately thought of my good friend Dugan. He's an excellent warrior and also an engineering expert," Derlon emerged from the workshop: "He knows how to create the cannons you desire, be it heavy cannons or organ guns... as long as the price is right."
"Good, how many of your kin do you have?" Ryan nodded repeatedly, asking Dugan.
"About a hundred, with more than sixty being skilled warriors and craftsmen," Dugan answered, looking up: "We've been wandering the mountains for too long. Perhaps Derlon is right; it's time to find work. We can't let the children starve."
"I'm willing to welcome you and your kin, but I expect you to follow the rules in my domain. And yes, endless malt beer, but in exchange for your labor and achievements," Ryan extended his hand to the dwarf.
"A fair deal. We never take advantage of our human brethren, and I trust you, as a Grail Knight, won't treat us unfairly," Dugan agreed, shaking hands with Ryan: "Moreover, dwarfs never shy away from battle. If there's war, we won't flee!"
"Then... Carstenberg, arranging the dwarven community will be up to you," Ryan told his steward: "Remember, keep them away from the elves; I don't want to witness a second 'War of the Beard' in my domain."
"Understood, my baron. I'll find them a safe place. Actually, my baron, your domain seems blessed by the Lady. Since coming here, I've not been troubled by greenskins or beastmen," Carstenberg nodded, wearing a pair of round-frame sunglasses, a dwarven craftsman's masterpiece, created by Derlon using scrap metal and glass, unexpectedly popular with endless orders.
"Heh~ then consider it a blessing from the Lady," Ryan chuckled.
Facing greenskins and beastmen, Anglaron and the royal guards took no prisoners. Only desperate outlaws turned brigands, given some leniency since they were humans, were spared the sword.
Lops and Olivier mainly dealt with this, frequently leading the domain's forces to eradicate nearby bandit dens, both as training exercises and to earn extra income, sometimes venturing into other dukes' territories.
Dugan didn't fully grasp the conversation but respected Derlon's judgment, asking, "Is this human trustworthy?"
"Rest assured, I've been working for him for several months. This human is trustworthy and very powerful, also a good brother," Derlon stroked his beard contentedly: "His domain offers everything we need, and unlike many nobles, he doesn't meddle in our affairs, leaving everything to us. The taxes here are much lower than in other domains. In my opinion, it's a good place; I'm staying."
"So impressive, yet only a brother?" Dugan was surprised, admiring Derlon's well-groomed beard.
For dwarfs, a beard symbolizes status, age, and identity, requiring regular combing and washing to maintain its beauty. Derlon's splendid beard made Dugan envious.
"Yes, if you met his brother, you'd know how strong he really is. Plus, he seems to know some secrets," Derlon showed a rune given by Ryan: "I've scoured all records and found no mention of this rune. I've sent a letter to the chief rune lord master at the Eternal Peak, Clark the Stern, to inquire about its origins. Perhaps, this might be the greatest discovery for dwarfs in hundreds of years."
"What a mysterious lord," Dugan nodded: "Let's settle down first. After so many wars and wanderings, it's time our people had a home."
As the knights and dwarfs agreed, and the dwarven unit prepared to settle, a group of wood elves appeared.
Leading them was Dalina, the forest lord Ryan had met before: "Greetings, Lord Ryan, you're finally back. We've been waiting for you."
"What do my friends from the forest seek from me?"
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