Morgiana settled in Ryan's castle, where the Lake Witch usually kept a low profile, spending most of her time in bed recuperating. The third floor of the baron's castle was reserved for private living, and except for a few people, no one knew Morgiana was hidden here.
The Lake Witch's movements in Brittany were always mysterious and unpredictable. Many crusading knights sought her presence in hopes of clues to the Holy Grail, but their efforts were destined to be fruitless. Morgiana announced through the Holy Maiden Convent that she had been attacked and was seriously injured and recuperating. The kingdom's nobles and the Holy Grail Knight Order all received the news. A team of about twenty Holy Grail Knights came to Ryan's territory to ensure the Lake Witch's safety, and Ryan had them stationed at the vineyard.
The Lake Witch's plight greatly outraged the knights of Brittany. Many ranger knights swore vengeance against the vampires and treants, charging into the Musillon or Athel Loren forests, never to return.
In the evening, after dinner, Ryan and Veronica walked hand in hand near the castle.
The baron's castle had been luxuriously and magnificently refurbished, with its walls fully repaired and reinforced. The outer castle shone with dwarven-made cannons, ready to unleash death upon enemies. Several squads of soldiers patrolled the walls, armed with close combat weapons and crossbows.
The soldiers usually resided in the outer castle, with a vast stable located between the outer and inner castles, extravagantly furnished for the pureblood elven warhorse Grapes, along with several serfs who slept alongside the horse to attend to its needs at all times.
Having the honor to sleep in the same stable as a pureblood elven warhorse was an unparalleled honor for the serfs.
The armory and training grounds were where the soldiers usually trained, effectively becoming professional soldiers in a sense. Ryan had decreed that while in the territory, a soldier would get two days off every ten days, one day off when stationed outside for long periods, with no holidays during wartime and shifts arranged on holidays.
Outside the castle was a vast paddock, now home to several horses. Grapes, Ryan's mount, stood out among them. The pureblood elven warhorse was temperamental, demanding its own territory and the freedom to roam. Any attempt by serfs to lead it was met with fierce refusal.
Perhaps it was this pride that allowed the proud pureblood elven warhorse to carry a fully armed Ryan into battle. Influenced by Ryan's psychic powers, Grapes was evolving further, and Ryan was contemplating how to breed this horse with other mares.
Breeding pureblood elven warhorses was a challenging task, often requiring the help of wood elves. These warhorses were temperamental, and ordinary mares did not meet their standards. The serfs had to do everything to keep Master Grapes happy and then carefully introduce it to potential mares.
Veronica wore a champagne-colored wood elf silk satin dress over the knee, with a black scarf tied around her chest, her black-brown shoulder-length hair tied with a white bow, her beautiful legs covered in black silk, and white velvet boots. The sweet-faced witch was flushed with excitement, enjoying a rare moment of relaxation. "Speaker Margarita said that once the teleportation circle in my wizard's tower stabilizes, she will send a whole class of wizard apprentices to your territory. They can help you in battle, make magic potions and scrolls, and experiment with various crops."
"When do you expect your wizard's tower to be completed?" Ryan asked as they felt the night breeze. If nothing went wrong, the reinforcements from Wintertodt would arrive tomorrow or the day after, marking their last leisure time together.
"I don't know, only two floors are built so far. My plan is to use the first floor for defense and storage, the second floor as a storeroom and dining room, the third and fourth floors for laboratories and magic workshops, the fifth and sixth floors for the living and library areas of the witch apprentices, and the seventh and eighth floors for my private area," Veronica shared her plans for the wizard's tower with Ryan. "This will be the most luxurious wizard's tower ever built by a Carleon council member before the age of forty. At the top of the wizard's tower, I plan to create a unprecedentedly large war machine... but currently, there is no budget."
"...Don't rush, one step at a time." Veronica's wizard's tower's first floor alone spanned over 150 square meters. If it weren't for acquiring up to fifty divine gold coins (50,000 gold crowns) during the extermination of the Aesthetic Society in Marinburg, Veronica wouldn't have been able to afford such a luxurious wizard's tower. Normally, a wizard's tower's floor area ranges from fifty to eighty square meters.
"No wonder Theresa was incredibly jealous after seeing your wizard's tower, speaking in a strange tone. She's currently borrowing money from her mother and planning to borrow from merchants in Marinburg to build a wizard's tower that won't lose to yours," Ryan remembered Theresa's reaction after touring Veronica's wizard's tower and couldn't help but smile.
That was pure jealousy.
The couple walked along the road, passing by the Sinon River, with its swift waters beating against the banks and rocks. The riverside wind was strong, and the road was quiet. This world was nothing like Ryan's previous world, densely populated. At night, except for villages and towns, most places were devoid of human activity.
"I've encountered trouble, Veronica," Ryan said, leading them to a secluded spot and signaling for them to stop. The baron's face showed deep distress as he furrowed his brow. "Princess Morgiana's serious injury has left the kingdom without someone to unite all the ducal forces. Although she has handed her power to me, but..."
"But no one listens to you, dear," Veronica said with a playful laugh, her beautiful almond eyes brimming with amusement as she helped Ryan tidy his windblown hair.
Morgiana's serious injury caused some unrest within the kingdom. Since she was not severely affected overall, it did not have a significant impact, stabilizing the morale and public sentiment. At least the Holy Grail Knights and the nobles knew she was recuperating somewhere.
However, a problem arose. The Lake Witch's injury left the kingdom without someone to unite the nobility against the vampire invasion.
Morgiana indeed delegated her powers to Ryan and even cut a strand of her hair as a token, but when Ryan tried to contact the dukes, he faced resistance from most of the nobility. Regardless, the Lake Witch is the Lake Witch, and Ryan is Ryan. As a baron, he could not command the dukes, highlighting the gap in worldly status.
Barons are not hereditary titles, and in the eyes of the nobility, they are somewhat lacking.
Facing the Lady's Champion, Ryan, renowned for his achievements and fame, the dukes were not overly harsh. They first emphasized their own difficulties, losses in the knightly wars, recent threats, and then subtly stated their inability to help, despite their willingness. Some dukes sent carts of black bread, others sent a few dozen soldiers, and some expressed their busy military schedules before sending a few dozen to a hundred gold crowns.
These
contributions were a drop in the bucket for supporting Duke Baldur, but it was better than nothing.
Ryan felt helpless. After all, a baron's title is not hereditary, placing him at the bottom of the nobility and the top of the knightly class. He was merely a proxy, not the Lake Witch herself, and a baron. The dukes considering him at all was due to his illustrious military achievements and reputation.
Only Duke Francois of Wintertodt and Duke Berthier of Bastogne showed their support, personally leading over two thousand reinforcements on their way, expected to arrive tomorrow or the day after at the latest.
Duke Berthier's forces, led by Earl Calard of Gallamont, numbered around a thousand men and were still en route, heading directly to the front lines.
As dusk approached, the river flowed incessantly, its waters clear due to the influence of the fairy tower in the lake, revealing fish and some plankton. Ryan was not surprised by this situation. As a baron with a lower worldly status, it was expected for the dukes to give him a cold shoulder, but it was not entirely disrespectful.
"Don't worry, dear. In the Empire or Nordland, you would have faced outright rejection, possibly even having your envoy turned away," Veronica said, walking shoulder to shoulder with Ryan. "You've done well to get this far, remember, you've only been in this country for two years."
"And don't forget, your future wife is a marchioness, dear," Veronica added with a hint of sourness in her tone, moving her long legs. "She's truly beautiful, from a good family, envy-inducing."
"Do you like Sulia?" Ryan asked casually, signaling that they could head back to the castle.
"She probably won't bully me... If she does, my great knight, you must speak up for me. I'm just a poor little witch, without a duke as a Holy Grail Knight for a father, and without much status," Veronica quickly assumed a pitiful demeanor.
"...Just don't cause trouble, and I'll be relieved. I'm actually more worried about you, my great witch," Ryan said, glancing at the Carleon witch. "Sulia's character won't lead her to provoke you, but you..."
"I won't," Veronica shook her head gently. "It's been a hard journey to get here, you understand, Ryan."
"That's good."
As they returned to the castle, the conversation continued. In the main bedroom on the third floor, Veronica relaxed, unzipping her boots to switch to slippers, and continued talking to Ryan. "I think there's another reason why the dukes are reluctant to send troops to support Duke Baldur, and it's not because of you."
"The conflict with the vampires isn't a personal matter; it's a threat the entire kingdom faces," Ryan said, frowning as he changed into slippers and sat opposite Veronica. "What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying that Duke Baldur, Bodrick de Baldur, is a prince of the Sea God Manannan, and the Grand Master of the Sea God Knight Order," Veronica spoke softly. "He follows a dual faith."
"Yes! That might be an important reason," Ryan nodded in agreement, stroking his chin. "That's pride and prejudice. Yes, exactly. The dukes have long held grievances against Duke Baldur. Why should he alone receive the Sea God Manannan's blessing and have the chance to become a Holy Grail Knight?"
"And don't forget, my great knight, Baldur possesses the kingdom's best port. But there's another port in the north that rivals Baldur, the giant lighthouse castle of Le Angouleme. The current king is Duke Richard of Le Angouleme. So, do you see why Richard has yet to mobilize his forces?" Veronica said with a playful laugh.
"The vampire army has swelled to twenty thousand. Duke Baldur currently leads seven thousand ducal troops, including two thousand knights, stationed near the Gresmore River on Baldur's side, near Touris Castle. This represents nearly seventy percent of Baldur's military strength," Ryan said, pulling out a map and frowning. "The two forces are separated only by a river. I don't know why the vampires' main target is Baldur, but..."
"Don't forget, Ryan, the vampires lost an entire flag of Blood Knights when attacking your territory," Veronica pointed at the interior of the Charlon Forest. "They're afraid."
The Carleon witch tied her long hair behind her ears, her long elfstone earrings swaying gently, adding to her charm. "The vampires are scared. If an entire Blood Knight flag can disappear while attacking your territory, what's the point of sending more? A Blood Knight takes hundreds of years to cultivate, and the Red Duke can't afford such losses. So, he opts for what seems like an easier target, Baldur, because Baldur's capital is only a hundred kilometers from Musillon."
Ryan nodded slowly. He had to participate in this war, not only to help Duke Bodrick but also to protect himself.
But first, he had to wait for Francois's arrival to discuss and formulate a specific plan.
The next afternoon, Duke Francois of Wintertodt arrived with over eight hundred knights and two thousand troops at Baron Jean's territory. The baron's four hundred troops were also assembled, along with two hundred miscellaneous soldiers sent by other dukes, all serfs, a few sergeants, and not a single knight.
In the baron's castle meeting room, Francois brought his children and a tall, handsome knight with a goatee, holding a helmet topped with a shining unicorn statue. The white cloak and shiny silver unicorn armor made him stand out. He appeared to be under forty, his eyes cold and sharp, distorting his otherwise refined face. Ryan curiously asked, "Who is this?"
"He's my cousin, Sir Gerold," Francois introduced to Ryan, then turned to Gerold. "Ryan, Ryan Macado. No need for formalities, we're family now."
"Hello, Gerold."
"Hello, Ryan." Gerold shook hands with Ryan, managing a smile despite his discomfort.
"Alright, let's discuss this war!"
Updated!
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