Veronica, sweet and lovely, hurried in from the entrance of the reception room, her eyes bright and a bit aggrieved as she exclaimed, "You're finally here, Uncle Norman, Aunt Sally, Ryan bullied me!"
"Oh! It's Veronica," said the white-haired Lady Sally kindly. Veronica sat beside the old lady, holding her arm and pouting, "He's planning to marry another woman behind my back!"
"???" Ryan looked confused, not understanding what was going on.
"Hmph! I may be old, but I'm not foolish. If Ryan dares to bully you, I won't allow it," Norman, the shrewd little old man, immediately understood and pretended to be stern, "Just come to me! I don't believe I can't teach him a lesson!"
Undoubtedly, among the women around Ryan, Veronica was the closest to Norman and his wife. After becoming partners with the Garon witch, she would often spend holidays with Ryan at his Autney estate after completing their tasks (and having their fun), staying for a few days.
Veronica was a clever person, always behaving very sweetly and thoughtfully in front of Norman and his wife, winning their affection.
"Veronica~" Ryan knew he was at fault and could only lower his head in embarrassment.
The Garon witch took this opportunity to hint to Ryan that she had backing and he shouldn't think of abandoning her, though she didn't really intend to make a big deal out of it.
"Veronica, is that tall wizard tower we saw on our way here yours?" Lady Norman's eyes stayed on Veronica, the old lady holding the Garon witch's hand and smiling.
"Hmph! At least Ryan has some conscience; yes, that tower is mine. Ryan helped me build it." Veronica beamed sweetly upon hearing Norman and his wife mention her wizard tower, "Wait and I'll take you for a tour."
"Good~ good~"
"Hello, uncle and aunt," Teresa appeared as well. She immediately noticed Ryan's parents and approached them politely. The female sorcerer was also quite familiar with Ryan's foster parents, having visited Norman and his wife several times during her stays at the Garon Council.
As Norman grew older, he suffered from rheumatism and many ailments, and Aurora concocted numerous potions to cure his illnesses, earning Norman's deep gratitude. Ryan was also very mindful of this kindness.
"Miss Teresa, you are here with Ryan too, huh? Ryan, this lad..." Norman immediately understood what was going on, the clever old man smiling broadly, "Did Ryan bully you too?"
"Um... a little." Teresa was unsure whether it was better to complain or to save Ryan's face, ending up with a non-committal answer while blushing and fumbling, which utterly revealed her feelings.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha~" Everyone in the reception room burst into laughter, filling the room with joy, and Ryan could only respond with a wry smile.
...
With the arrival of Norman and his wife and the Prince Elector Boris, more distinguished guests arrived. However, some of these guests did not come to Ryan's estate but stayed elsewhere, such as the Imperial Royal Wizarding Academy's Grand Alchemist Gert arriving at the capital, Krona, and Ryan's godfather, the Griffin Duke Ivan going directly to Helen Hild. Most of the distinguished guests didn't come directly to Ryan's estate.
The reason was simple: there was no room. Ryan had already hosted the High Elves of Targarys, the visiting King of the Eight Peaks, Belgar, and Prince Elector Boris along with the Grandmaster of the White Wolf Knights, Aksel. Hosting any more people was beyond his capacity.
Despite many wanting to visit Targarys, the Supreme Mage announced that he was temporarily unavailable as he was busy teaching two witches at Ryan's request—details to be discussed after Ryan's wedding.
Upon hearing that the Lord of the Eight Peaks, Belgar, had arrived at his estate, Ryan requested a meeting, but Belgar was hesitant to meet right away and deliberately gave Ryan the cold shoulder. However, the King of the Eight Peaks knew this was rude and sent Ryan several fine Dwarven hand cannons produced by the Anglarond clan through Todor, passing a message that now was not a good time to meet. Ryan had no complaints, as the hand cannons were immediately given to his two maids, the two Garon witches, and the merchant Oliver. If being snubbed meant acquiring fine Dwarven hand cannons, he would welcome it daily.
Two weeks passed, and Ryan's wedding was now less than a month away.
Today, a new hunting party appeared in the forest of Charlon in autumn.
"Shh~ shh~" Fully armed, Prince Elector Boris, Grandmaster Aksel, Count Ryan, and the Lake Witch Morgiana moved through the forest on
their mounts. Ryan rode a purebred Elven warhorse named Grape, with his little griffin, Imperius, while Morgiana rode on the unicorn Silphain. Prince Elector Boris and Grandmaster Aksel rode on half-breed Elven warhorses, undoubtedly "snatched" from Ryan's stables. The two ruffians directly barged into Ryan's stables to see his half-breed Elven warhorses, each choosing one, leaving Ryan no choice but to give them away.
Morgiana, having drunk a potion of magic from Targarys, had rapidly regained some of her casting abilities. Her strength was now roughly that of a legendary mid-tier caster. Seeing Ryan and others heading out for a hunt, the Lake Witch volunteered to join them, mostly remaining silent and listening to their conversations.
The group hunted down two deer, a wild boar, several pheasants, and rabbits. However, their main focus was not on the hunt but rather on discussing recent events.
"... So, the threat from the barbarians in the north and Nord has significantly decreased?" Ryan's boots crunched on the soft forest floor, breaking twigs and leaves with a crackling sound.
"You've been a great help, Ryan. The Empire's General Halberg just led his troops to a historic victory in Nord, annihilating over twenty thousand marauding barbarians. Not a single barbarian escaped," Boris said, squinting his one eye and shaking his head, "It'll take them three to five years to recover from this."
Ryan was unsurprised; with Egil's death, chaos among the northern barbarians was inevitable.
The chaos-worshipping barbarian tribes were inherently disorderly, warring and slaughtering each other on the northern wastelands, acknowledging no authority. They oppressed the weak and challenged the strong, forever striving for a fleeting glance from the four gods of chaos.
Thus, even the marauding barbarian armies that ventured south showed poor discipline and combat efficiency, plagued by internal strife and mutual aggression. Despite their individual prowess, they stood little chance against the Empire's well-trained troops in battle.
Now, only the powerful champions of chaos and chosen champions of chaos could forcibly unify the tribes, ensuring obedience and forming a formidable force. Therefore, with Egil's demise, the northern barbarians lost a powerful leader. The Skarlin tribe near Nord, in particular, saw its elite forces decimated and its leaders killed, plunging into endless internal strife. Egil's subordinates, who rushed southward for plunder, were nothing but a disorganized mob, easily wiped out by the disciplined Imperial forces.
"It's good news," Ryan nodded silently. The barbarians had been dealt a severe blow and would likely remain quiet for a few years.
"I'm just not pleased that Karl-Franz, that cur, again refused to let the White Wolves fight. He relies more on his own Reiksguard and the knights sent by the Griffin Order... And our brave and mighty White Wolves must stay in White Wolf City, waiting for an opportunity," Aksel's bald head reflected the sparse sunlight as Ryan noticed Aksel wasn't bald by nature; he simply preferred a shaved head for ease of care. Boris and Aksel both sported full beards, a symbol of masculine allure among the followers of Ulric.
Ryan had considered growing a beard, but his maid, the two witches, and even the nymph of the lake made it clear they disliked it. In Brittany, goatees and mustaches were more fashionable, so Ryan eventually decided against growing a beard.
"You're asking knowing the answer. Boris, you know why this is," Ryan sighed resignedly, "Karl-Franz managed to narrowly defeat you and become Emperor, and you know why."
"Whether I become Emperor is irrelevant," Prince Elector Boris said impatiently, "I'm tired of Karl-Franz's prejudices! Since he became Emperor, I've been doing my duty and following his commands, but he'd rather send troops from the Reikland across my lands to aid Nord than let the nearby White Wolf City mobilize!"
"Hehehe~" Ryan chuckled repeatedly, "There will be a time for you to deploy, and Boris, you're not without tasks. The Drakwald Forest is still teeming with countless beastmen tribes waiting for you to exterminate."
"Beastmen, damn beastmen, 'One-Eyed' Kazik; I must kill it," Boris growled at the mention of beastmen: "I recently led the White Wolves deep into the Drakwald Forest to hunt beastmen but didn't find any trace of One-Eyed Kazik. We wandered the forest for over a month and only wiped out a few small beastmen tribes."
"... Any other news from the north?" Ryan continued.
"Halberg's recent prominence suggests that Karl-Franz might appoint him as Marshal of the Reik," Grandmaster A
ksel took up the conversation, speaking boisterously, "The Imperial Royal Wizarding Academy will elect a new Supreme Patriarch in three years. The current Patriarch, Senus-Gelman of the Bright Order; Otto, the High Light Wizard of the Bright College; and Gert, the Grand Alchemist, have all confirmed their candidacy."
"Hey, Ryan, did you know? Gert is a favorite of Karl-Franz, almost consulted on every matter by the Emperor. And that man, always skulking around in a golden mask... he's indeed formidable. I still can't figure out how he turned several hundred beastmen minotaurs into gilded statues with a wave of his staff," Boris said gruffly as he walked along the forest path, "Though I dislike him, I must admit Karl-Franz is indeed capable. The Duke of Hockland and Elector of Hezig, Adelbrand Rudendorf, has already sent his son, Conrad-Rudendorf, to Nuln for training. The King of Nord, Frank, has also decided to send his grandson, Baron Theodricson, who will attend your wedding, to serve in the Reiksguard."
This was effectively taking hostages. The northern Electors sending their children to the military forces or academies of the southern Empire served dual purposes: it provided their children with the best education and also signaled their submission.
The Reiksguard comprised the strongest knights within the Empire, including sons of several Electors and high nobles. Having a family member in the Reiksguard was a supreme honor, akin to becoming a Grail Knight in Brittany.
"Is the title of Duke of Nuln still vacant?" Ryan asked, a spark of interest in his eyes.
"Yes, the title should have passed to the Duke of Wissenland and Elector of Bresia, Jani-Benadino, but Jani is just a teenager and not a direct descendant of the Benadino family. The most eligible Emmanolie is missing, and the mages of the Sky College have repeatedly used their astrolabes and divining rods, indicating that Emmanolie is still alive. Therefore, Emperor Karl-Franz has refused to appoint Jani as Duke of Nuln, and Jani himself has no interest in being an Elector. He is currently under the tutelage of a Knight of the Sunfire Order from Talabheim, aiming to become a fully-fledged Sunfire Knight."
"What are your plans for sending your children to be trained by Emperor Karl-Franz?" Ryan teased.
"No!!! My children will only be taught before the Holy Fire of Ulric!" Boris immediately roared, "God knows what kind of training my son would get in the Empire. I only trust in the power Ulric gives me! Only within the White Wolf Knights can my sons avoid being led astray!"
Morgiana, riding on Silphain, rolled her eyes, clearly believing that only the Grail Knights were the most formidable.
"By the way, Ryan, for your wife's gift, our Lord Ulric has prepared something," Boris recovered from being teased by Ryan, laughing heartily and whispering, "A priceless gift, we've decided to give it to your wife."
"What is it?"
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