Just as Egil led his troops to breach the walls of Leonace Castle, Ryan's reinforcements were engaged in battle with a vast undead army in the wilderness.
Over twenty thousand zombies and skeleton warriors suddenly appeared on the fields of Mousilon, blocking the path of Ryan's more than ten thousand reinforcements en route to aid Leonace Castle. Under the command of a necromancer, the zombies and skeletons clashed fiercely with Ryan's knights.
The knights' advance was unstoppable, with Veronica's Flameskull spell turning every corpse it touched to ash. Duke Hubald led his knights in a relentless charge, and the undead forces quickly disintegrated.
"It's strange that these undead would obstruct us. They clearly can't defeat us," Sulia said to Ryan. "We just want to rescue Leonace."
"That's exactly why they block us," Ryan frowned. "The undead don't want to see Leonace completely destroyed because the dead seek to rule over the living. But they also don't want us to defeat the barbarian forces before Leonace falls, as it would make it difficult for them to interfere in Leonace's affairs."
The Count's gaze searched deeper into the ranks of the undead army, and indeed, he saw the faint figure of Matthew Horner.
"Duke, we can't stop this army," said a Black Grail Knight to Matthew Horner.
Recently, Matthew Horner had declared himself Duke of Mousilon, to which Richard had strongly protested. However, Britannia had been in internal chaos recently and had no time to deal with this.
"It doesn't matter if we can't stop them; we just need to delay their arrival at Leonace," said Matthew Horner, now much stronger and clad in black armor, his youthful and handsome face hidden under his helmet, his family crest now a black field with a golden serpent.
Having been frightened by previous conflicts with Ryan, the vampire had devised this plan to gather a large force of lesser troops to stall Ryan's progress towards Leonace.
Matthew Horner was also aware that Leonace had been invaded by northern barbarians. Attempting to negotiate, he sent emissaries to Egil, offering to collaborate in the destruction of Leonace, with the barbarians taking whatever they desired, and the vampires claiming the land and numerous graves and corpses.
Egil split the emissary sent by Matthew Horner in two with his axe.
"The fearsome God's Chosen Champion is indeed powerful, but none are as terrifying as Ryan Macado!" thought Matthew Horner, recalling the losses of his large group of Blood Knights and over ten thousand elite vampire troops. "We must stop Ryan here and consume his time!"
"Yes!"
Meanwhile, Ryan was also giving orders: "We must break through the undead army within two hours! Otherwise, Leonace will fall! Accelerate the attack!"
"Yes!"
...
King Skarlins' decision caused a huge stir, and his courtiers, servants, and many Champions of Chaos disagreed with Egil's view that such a grand war should be decided by a duel.
Egil insisted, and no one dared to defy the chieftain's wishes.
The challenge from the fearsome God's Chosen Champion was delivered to the inner keep to Dalheid.
At that moment, an argument was unfolding within the inner keep about how to handle Elizabeth and her unborn child fathered by a barbarian. Elizabeth was locked in an iron cage surrounded by various holy lake god seals. The lake god prophet, Annalara, had engraved a magical mark on Elizabeth's tongue to prevent her from speaking or casting spells.
"We should kill her immediately. She's carrying an abomination in her womb! You all know how vile this child will be; how can we sit idly by?" Duke's eldest son Aldred shouted angrily to everyone. "His birth will be a disaster!"
"Aldred, calm down. Have you forgotten the fourth vow of knighthood? We never harm women and children," another Grail Knight said in agony. "We cannot betray the Lady's vows."
"She is a Chaos spawn, carrying a child of darkness in her womb! The code of chivalry does not apply to her!" Aldred pointed at Elizabeth in the cage, then turned to Grail Knight Commander Ulysses and his father Duke Dalheid. "The code of chivalry doesn't apply to barbarians from the north or any other non-humans! These rules only apply to our fellow humans!"
"Elizabeth is a noble of Britannia, Aldred!" Duke Dalheid covered his forehead, sighing. "Whether we execute her or not, we must consult with Princess Morgiana, King Richard, or the Lady, but..."
A thunderous roar came from outside the inner keep.
"People of Britannia! Come out and duel!"
Duke Dalheid leaned back in his ducal seat, tormented. With the castle falling and the keep in chaos, morale among the knights was low, and they
were no longer able to contend with the barbarians. He turned his gaze to Grail Knight Commander Ulysses.
Ulysses slowly nodded to Dalheid.
The inner court fell silent.
Ten minutes later, Egil, who had been challenging them from below the castle, finally received a response. Dalheid, aided by his attendants, appeared on the castle walls: "I accept your challenge for a duel, but we need a day to prepare!"
"A day? Ha!" Egil laughed heartily, his face full of countless taunts and scorn: "Worthless southerners, I'll give you two hours at most! Otherwise, my army and I will storm the inner keep and destroy every Briton!"
Dalheid's face turned pale; he knew Egil had seen through his plan. After consulting with his attendants, Dalheid tried to negotiate again: "Then three hours!"
"Two hours!" Egil raised his hellish war axe: "Once two hours pass, I will begin the siege!"
"...Alright." Dalheid knew he had no bargaining power left. The duke agreed to the terms and then descended from the wall.
Preparations immediately began inside the inner keep. Undoubtedly, Grail Knight Commander Ulysses was the strongest warrior present in Leonace, with the most formidable fighters in Britannia being the Grand Master of the Grail Knights, the Green Knight, followed by several veteran Grail Knight Commanders and knights like Behemond and Francois, and then the Lady's God's Chosen Champion, Count Ryan.
But none of them were present, leaving only Ulysses available to represent Leonace.
And Egil's target was clearly Ulysses. After a series of battles, he judged Ulysses to be worthy of a fight.
Inside the inner court, where a cold wind howled, Ulysses knelt before the statue of the Lady in the small chapel of the Lake Fairy, armored up.
His lover, lake god prophet Annalara, helped him buckle his clothes, hang the plate armor on his body, and don his gauntlets and luxurious cloak. Ulysses prayed before the statue of the Lady, his eyes filled with icy rage.
"Karad, come out. I know you're here." After a while, as his armor was redressed and blessed, Ulysses spoke to a corner of the chapel.
Lake god prophet Annalara turned her head, and her brother, thirty-something Karad, hesitated before emerging from the corner.
"This is too dangerous, Ulysses. You shouldn't have rashly accepted that barbarian's duel invitation," Karad tried to say to Ulysses, standing on the steps. The kingdom knight and Count Gallamont's face was filled with pain and reluctance: "This is all my fault, all my fault, my fault!"
Tears streamed down the kingdom knight's cheeks, and lake god prophet Annalara sighed softly, turning away with a complex expression.
Elizabeth, once Karad's fiancée, had been banished by Karad for poisoning his father and stepmother.
Elizabeth did this because she was worried that Karad's father would not pass the title to Karad but to the son of Karad's stepmother.
Because of this, Karad and Elizabeth broke up, but Ulysses knew Karad still had feelings for Elizabeth from the fact that Karad had never married since.
Now, Elizabeth was carrying the child of that barbarian! Because of this, Ulysses was also forced to duel Egil. Ulysses was Karad's mentor and a figure of admiration, and in a strict sense, also his brother-in-law. Karad was in such agony he could hardly speak.
Seeing Karad's face filled with pain, Ulysses smiled. The Grail Knight Commander reached out and patted Karad's shoulder: "This is not your fault, Karad. Don't overthink it."
"Born into this dark world, everyone struggles to survive under threats. For thousands of years, we have been guided by the Lady, defending this country from Chaos, undead, and greenskins, while also facing internal threats like Chaos followers rampaging in the mortal realm and dark elf pirates frequently attacking our coastlines."
"The matter with Elizabeth is regrettable, but it was never your responsibility. It's everyone's responsibility. You can resent the greenskins, you can despise the followers of Chaos, but you must not immerse yourself in self-blame and pain. Remember, Karad, in this dark age, it is the Lady who brings us law and faith, who saves us. Without her, there would be no kingdom of knights. When you are confused, when you are lost, maintain your faith in the Lady, and you will be redeemed."
Karad wiped away his tears forcefully and nodded lightly to Ulysses: "I've learned my lesson."
"Now
, I must go and duel that damned barbarian." Ulysses donned his cross helmet, with a golden dragon statue shining on top and candles hanging on either side. The Grail Knight badge hung on his chest. Ulysses continued to Karad: "Maybe I can defeat Egil, maybe not, but what matters is that I must seize this opportunity. The champion duel is the only rule barbarians adhere to. Now, the castle's military strength is no longer sufficient to continue fighting the barbarians."
Annalara handed Ulysses his sword, Anduril. Ulysses took the sword and continued to Karad: "I became a ranger knight at fifteen. I was born in Winfort, raised in Bastogne. I've slain two Chaos giants, killed a dragon, ventured into the Kakasong prairies to eliminate a giant troll, the 'Kakasong Demon,' killed an undead wizard in the midst of a massive army, and destroyed the 'Orc Blood Beast' attacking Bastogne. My entire life has been spent defending the country and the code of chivalry, waging war in the name of the Lady. So when that barbarian challenged me, out of honor, I could not, and would not, refuse. Do you understand, Karad?"
Karad nodded silently, grasping something yet not fully understanding.
"Chivalry is not a spirit that guides us to seek benefits and avoid harm, nor is it a spirit that teaches us how to obtain the greatest benefits. In this world, some things are more precious than life, and there are always things worth sacrificing for. The Lady gave me the Holy Grail, and when I drank from the Grail, I was no longer myself. I enjoy the reverence and worship of the entire kingdom, the trust of the people, the admiration of the knights. The Grail makes me powerful and long-lived, so I must also take on the responsibilities that belong to me. Those who only want to enjoy benefits without bearing responsibilities, who only want power and respect from others, without understanding the sacrifices and efforts involved, simply think that the strong have the right, and that is the thinking of serfs and vagrants, followers of Chaos, not knights, and they are destined not to be near the Grail. Karad, that's all I have to say. The rest is for you to understand on your own."
After speaking, Ulysses strode out of the chapel and never looked back.
When the two hours were nearly up, Egil finally got what he wanted as the long horn of Britannia sounded.
The inner keep's gates slowly opened, and Grail Knight Commander Ulysses walked out of the castle, singing the praises of the Lake Fairy, his eyes burning with cold fury, facing the barbarians.
Egil stepped forward, passing his bloodthirsty warriors. His weathered, bearded face was covered by a crimson horned war helmet. The King of Skarlins walked with confidence, roaring his challenge, his voice resonating with fearsome power.
Who else had single-handedly slaughtered an entire race, who else had trampled an entire nation underfoot?
Egil was just one step away from his grand achievements.
The fearsome God's Chosen Champion and the Lake Fairy's Grail Knight Commander faced each other, both acknowledging the other as a worthy warrior. Egil even raised his hand first in a gesture of respect, raising his war axe to Ulysses, then lowering it and pressing his hand to his left chest in a show of respect for the Grail Knight Commander who had several times thwarted and obstructed his path to victory.
Ulysses slowly nodded, also holding his sword with both hands, signaling respect to Egil.
A strange silence ensued, both being the favored of their respective deities, both undying enemies and yet warriors who recognized each other's worth.
This strange silence quickly vanished into the air, as Egil's roar and Ulysses' cold grunt rang out, and the long blades and war axes crossed, sparking dazzlingly.
The champion duel had begun!
Updated!
Here's an explanation of what it means to be God's Chosen and a Champion.
For example, in high school, there's definitely a distinction between advanced and regular classes. The school will place all the top students in one class, allowing them to learn together and enjoy the best educational resources. That's what being God's Chosen means.
And in every class, there's always a top student in each exam, regardless of how poor the class might be. That's a Champion.
Which is stronger, a Champion or God's Chosen? It's not certain, because as we know, the top student in a regular class can be comparable to someone in an advanced class.
There can be many Champions and many God's Chosen, but there can only be one God's Chosen Champion. That's the idea.
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