Winter's arrival reached not only the lands of Count Glamorgan but also the castle within his domain.
The first heavy snowfall of the winter came earlier than usual. Located farther south compared to Nordland, it was unusually early for Brittany to experience such snowfall by the end of November. As people awoke, they found the town's sky covered in white, with dark clouds overhead.
With the onset of winter, the townspeople of Jean Town quickly started fires for warmth, laundered their clothes, and engaged in handicrafts. Due to the heavy snow, many local construction projects were halted, and the serfs, with their earnings in hand, headed straight for the taverns. They drank cheap barley beer, ate black bread and fried beans, and loudly discussed various amusing topics.
Dozens of taverns had opened in the town, and new ones kept appearing, including special establishments for dwarves and wood elves... naturally, these were expensive, far beyond what serfs could afford. A cup of ordinary barley beer cost just a few copper coins, but a cup of wood elf fruit wine couldn't be bought for less than several silver coins.
Every tavern's staff eagerly greeted potential patrons at the door, saying, "Gentlemen, folks, it's cold outside, come in for a drink. We have the finest bards and the best barley beer."
The shrewd tavern owners knew that this year's "folks" had plenty of shiny coins in their pockets.
Inside the Count's castle, Ryan and Sulia were snuggled together, enjoying hot coffee and delicious jam cake. The heavy snow outside did not dampen Ryan's spirits; rather, it added a special charm for the couple.
Ryan's hands were playfully wrapped around Sulia's waist. This was the first time the lady knight had sat down for a good talk with Ryan since their engagement, as her previous visits were always for "training" in the Lady of the Lake's tower. Ryan didn't know what the Lady taught Sulia, but their inability to see each other was real.
It wasn't until Ryan complained to the Lady of the Lake, "Lady, are you engaged to Sulia, or am I?" that she laughed so hard she cried, finally letting the knight reunite with him.
"The snow is heavy, Ryan. Will my brothers be alright?" Sulia leaned on Ryan's shoulder, covered with a thin blanket, her noble and elegant face showing concern. She wore a dreamy peach-pink coat over a fine white wool sweater, beautiful but not very warm, especially below the knee-length skirt, relying only on a pair of flesh-toned tights for warmth. Ryan wrapped her legs in the blanket, leaving only her feet in little bear slippers, then reassured her, "Don't worry, they'll be fine."
"I trust you," Sulia said with a mysterious trust in Ryan, perhaps because of their engagement or perhaps because Ryan had created too many miracles.
The room was very quiet. Olica was sitting by the fireplace, slowly adding wood. The oven was baking a delicious pie, which would be their lunch for the day.
"Sulia, why don't you stay here for a few days? An emissary from the Empire will be arriving soon, and I would like you to meet him with me," Ryan said softly, touching Sulia's delicate hand.
"An emissary from the Empire?" The knight blushed, initially mistaking Ryan's intentions.
"Yes, an emissary from the Empire, and also my old friend and sworn brother, Count Antoine-Ferdinand of the Griffon," Ryan relaxed into the sofa. "This meeting will be very meaningful, and I need you to meet my brother with me."
"I will, of course, meet your brother with you," Sulia nodded repeatedly, curious, "Antoine? I've long heard of the Duke of Griffon, Ivan, but I haven't heard of your brother."
Ryan smiled wryly, "My godfather was nearly fifty when he married... speaking of which, has Yuri still not planned to marry? Should we really be talking about this in front of him?"
The mention of this made the knight laugh as well, leaning into Ryan's chest, "My brother, Father has given up speaking about it. All he thinks about is combat and chivalry. Father had people introduce him to the granddaughter of Duke Hugobald of Carcassonne, the second daughter of the eldest son of Duke Berthmond of Bastonne, and several other earls' daughters, but my brother was never satisfied... Now, Father has stopped bothering. Compared to most ducal daughters, I am... very fortunate."
"Being engaged to you is my honor," Ryan's face showed relief. Sulia was kind-hearted, capable, and of noble birth; marrying her was his good fortune.
All thanks to the good education provided by Francois, having a gentle and virtuous wife who could greatly assist him was crucial for Ryan.
Duke Paravon, Casparin, had a notoriously bad wife. This duchess, born of high nobility and a great-granddaughter of the former Knight King John I, had earned a bad reputation throughout the Old World since marrying Casparin. She was not beautiful, had a terrible temper, and always tried to catch her husband's slightest mistakes to furiously rebuke him, clinging to Casparin like a rabid dog, much to everyone's annoyance.
Ryan believed that some marital conflicts were inevitable, and mutual tolerance and understanding were necessary in life, but Casparin's duchess was different. She loved to stir trouble in public and then go out of her way to air her husband's embarrassing moments to gain sympathy. Her nitpicking ways were disliked by all knights, and she remained oblivious.
Francois once complained that the duchess particularly enjoyed interrupting meetings of dukes and the king in the capital to vent her grievances, causing Casparin repeated embarrassment and influencing him to become more irritable and gloomy.
This illustrated how important having a wife like Sulia was for Ryan, a newly risen noble. Divorce among great nobles was extremely difficult and involved a lot, especially for a chosen champion like Ryan, who was almost unable to divorce under the marriage bestowed by the Lady.
Looking out at the heavy snow, Ryan was silent for a long time before softly speaking to Sulia, "The purpose of this emissary from the Empire is not so simple. First, using my godfather's connections, I purchased magic ore from the Empire worth thousands of gold marks. Due to the rarity of these ores, it's very likely that Antoine himself will bring them with the Griffon knights. Also, the friction between Duke Paravon and the Empire has been increasing..."
"Are they testing? Testing you and... my father's stance?" Sulia immediately grasped something, raising her head, her beautiful face turning serious. As a duke's daughter, her political acumen was even sharper than Ryan's: "Is the Empire... preparing for war with Duke Paravon?"
"Perhaps... we'll know everything after we meet Antoine."
"Ryan... may I ask your stance? What are your plans?" Sulia hesitated slightly before asking softly, "My father has always had good relations with the Empire..."
"Depleting humanity's precious resources in internal strife is unwise. On this point, I support the Duke." Ryan
decided to reassure the knight, letting her relax.
"Thank you, Ryan. You're so kind." Sulia felt that Ryan didn't want her to be caught in the middle, struggling between two sides. She felt warm inside, thought for a while, and finally made up her mind to lean forward and give Ryan a tender kiss.
The two entwined on the soft sofa for a while before standing up. Sulia, blushing, smoothed out the wrinkles on her dress, unable to raise her head in shyness, while Ryan chuckled, releasing her. Proud of himself, the Count brought in a box from outside: "Sulia, see what I've got?"
Opening the box, it was filled with high-quality beef, marbled beautifully.
"Is this... snowflake beef?!" Sulia exclaimed in surprise: "Ryan, how did you manage to get so much snowflake beef?"
Snowflake beef, known for its aroma, freshness, and tenderness, was famous throughout the Old World. This type of beef was scarce, even among the high nobility, and was considered a delicacy.
"This was sent by Elector Boris. I thought we could share it," Ryan smiled, beef being one of the most precious foods in this world: "Take some back when you return, and let the Duke and Duchess try it."
"Ryan... thank you." The knight was delighted, allowing Ryan to take her hand as they headed to the kitchen.
"Today, I'll teach you how to make a seared snowflake beef steak~"
"Seared?" Sulia was intrigued, knowing only a few methods like stewing, roasting, and boiling. This was a cooking method she had never heard of.
"Yes, come, I'll show you~" Ryan embraced Sulia from behind, whispering in her ear, "Once you learn, you can go back and make it for the Duke and Duchess, or even present it to the Lady."
"Ryan, don't be so utilitarian~" Sulia turned shyly, hearing only Ryan's laughter.
In the snow-covered castle of Count Glamorgan, there was a special warmth and joy.
...
Antoine's arrival was three days later. The Griffon Count, leading dozens of demi-griffon knights and over a hundred greatswords from the Duchy of Bordelaux, arrived at Ryan's domain, escorting a large cargo.
Ryan opened the castle gates, leading the resident knights and his household to welcome Count Antoine-Ferdinand. Dressed in Brittany's standard count attire, with Sulia by his side in standard marchioness attire, they looked like a perfect pair against the backdrop of snow and cold wind.
"Welcome, Antoine, on behalf of the Kingdom of Brittany, I offer you a sincere greeting and wish you good health," Ryan greeted the figure in bright golden full plate armor who approached.
"Hello, Ryan, my brother, I bring greetings from the Emperor of the Empire and Duke Griffon, wishing your pond to be as clear and beautiful as mountain meltwater," replied Antoine, about thirty years old, with a heroic face and sparkling eyes, black hair trimmed short at the temples. He rode a huge griffon, leading dozens of demi-griffon knights and over a hundred Empire greatswords. He was indeed Count Antoine-Ferdinand, Ryan's sworn brother.
Antoine brought a large quantity of magic ore and several barrels of Greek fire, which Ryan desperately needed. After Ryan wrote to his godfather, Duke Ivan, to purchase them, Ivan had to consult Emperor Karl-Franz of the Empire.
These items were strictly controlled rare resources in the Empire, available for sale only with the approval of the Emperor or an Elector. Fortunately, Ryan's prestige and his special relationship with the Empire ultimately persuaded Karl-Franz to approve the order. In exchange, Ryan would export six half-elf warhorses and a large amount of wood elf medicine to the Empire.
Brittany was in dire need of ore, especially magic ore.
Some might find it surprising that Brittany, a much younger nation compared to the Empire, would lack in ore mining. But that's not the full picture, as elves had colonized this side of the Grey Mountains for thousands of years before humans arrived.
"Long time no see, Ryan. You're a count now, life is unpredictable. When you swore you'd find your opportunity here, I thought you were an opportunist, but it turns out... you won?" Antoine looked interestedly at Ryan, dressed in count's attire: "The things you wanted, father managed to get for you."
"Thank you very much!" Ryan sincerely expressed his gratitude. The dwarf forge needed Greek fire, and Veronica's wizard tower needed the magic ore. Ivan's willingness to help was a relief for Ryan.
"That's nothing. We equally need your medicine and half-elf warhorses," Antoine shook his head. "It's only because we both need something that father agreed to help."
"That's not right. Don't I remember there being a trade route straight to Marienburg from here? Empire merchant Mr. Oliver is in charge of that route, and you could buy wood elf medicine there," Ryan said, puzzled as he watched Antoine dismount the griffon.
"Too little. The wood elf goods coming from your side are snapped up in an instant. Many nobles and merchants are desperately buying and hoarding the scarce wood elf medicine. We can buy some on the black market in Marienburg, but those unscrupulous merchants have raised the prices several times," Antoine explained, shaking his head. "We need more... Who is this?"
The Griffon Count noticed the lady knight standing by Ryan's side.
"This is my fiancée, Sulia-Kumani-Antre-de-Winford," Ryan introduced, holding Sulia's hand. "This is my sworn brother, Antoine-Ferdinand, the Count of Griffon."
"Hello, beautiful Miss Sulia, my future sister-in-law," Antoine's eyes lit up, knowing Sulia was Francois' legitimate daughter.
His confidence in accomplishing his mission grew.
"Hello, Lord Antoine," Sulia greeted Antoine with perfect etiquette.
"Let's go inside, Ryan... I have some matters to discuss with you," Antoine quickly shifted his focus from Sulia, whispering to Ryan.
"I understand."
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