"It's a white wolf cloak blessed by Ulric, covered in frost, which effectively blocks most attacks," Boris whispered, "made from the finest white wolf fur in Middenland."
"Thank you very much." Ryan appreciated the gift, knowing that only the bravest followers of Ulric received such rewards. The white wolf god cloaks were crafted from the pelts of white wolves, hunted alone in the forests by a champion of Ulric as an offering.
The cloak was defensively excellent, but Ryan wondered if wearing it all the time might give the knight rheumatism in her old age.
After a moment, Ryan dismissed the concern, knowing Sulia's remarkable resilience. Sulia joined his campaigns less frequently and needed protection primarily because of her youth—she was only in her mid-twenties, unlike Veronica and Teresa, who were older and more experienced, and thus more helpful to Ryan.
Ultimately, Ryan's rapid advancement as a gene template was something few could keep pace with.
As they continued their walk, Boris, the Elector Count, sighed, "Sometimes I envy you, Ryan. Your lands are new, you hold absolute authority, and your word is law. Since I became Elector Count and Duke of Middenland, I've handled countless matters. You understand, Ryan—the nobles in White Wolf City can trace their lineages back a thousand years to Emperor Mandred the Rat Slayer, or even to Charlemagne, which makes internal management exhaustively demanding."
"I understand." Ryan was well aware of the complexities within the Empire's nobility.
As the day grew late, they started heading back.
"Ryan, we had a meeting before coming here. The Empire wants to trade for more wood elf medicines and half-elf warhorses," Boris broached the subject after a pause. Aksel, the Grandmaster of the White Wolf Knights, nodded in agreement, "We really need those warhorses."
The primary mounts for the White Wolf Knights were mountain breeds from the northern Empire, adept at navigating rough terrain and quick, though not very enduring under the weight of heavily armored knights.
"I've already exported quite a bit of wood elf medicine. As for the half-elf warhorses... we'll have to wait until the younger horses in my stables mature," Ryan diplomatically responded, knowing Boris was testing the waters.
Morgiana, the Lake Witch, also focused on Ryan, aware that Boris wouldn't make such overtures without significant motivations.
Brittany's strict non-export policies for pure-blood elf horses were well-known, and the Empire didn't dare breach these. However, the imperial knights were desperate for quality mounts, often facing exorbitant demands or outright dismissal when attempting to purchase horses in Brittany.
Now that they had a lord like Ryan, who could engage in legitimate trade, the Empire naturally sought to exploit this opportunity.
Ryan's wedding provided an excellent occasion for representatives of various powers, who might not meet otherwise for decades, to gather under one roof. While intense debates and arguments were inevitable, outright conflicts or face-offs were efficiently prevented.
From the arrival of major order forces to the beginning of Ryan's wedding, this was a period rife with backdoor dealings, plots, and blackmail. Ryan was already aware of several verbal promises and contracts that had been agreed upon.
One of the most significant contracts was between Duke Boldrick of Bordeleaux, Earl Ryan of Glamorgan, Duke Francois of Winfort, and the Supreme Mage Targarys. This agreement alone was expected to bring Ryan at least two thousand gold crowns in annual revenues—a significant sum for Francois as well.
However, this paled in comparison to Boldrick's gain, marking a monumental moment in his tenure as Duke by establishing the second stable trade point for the High Elves outside of Marienburg.
The trade agreement was verbally agreed upon, and Ryan was to travel to Helen Hild in a few days to discuss it further with Francois and Boldrick.
The Empire also initiated negotiations, prompting Ryan to ponder, "What can the Empire offer me?"
"People! The people you need!"
...
Two days later, in Helen Hild, the capital of the Duchy of Winfort.
"Is this the city of Duke Francois? Wow, it's huge, really huge!" Ryan's foster father, Norman, marveled like a countryman entering a city for the first time.
"Yes, father, it is quite large." Ryan rode his purebred elf horse, smiling at Norman.
Helen Hild was located at the source of the Sinon River, in the valley. The cool autumn breeze blew past them, and the clear river waters flowed with a lively sound, while the majestic castles and the tall city gates adorned with family crests told of the ancient history of the Antre family.
The "Pure White Pegasus" family crest, crowned with a ducal coronet, highlighted the noble status of Ryan's future wife. Norman, a rustic from Nord, felt somewhat
inadequate in comparison. As a lord from Nord, he only had a small castle, a few dozen attendants, and a modest landholding, whereas Ryan was marrying into a glorious and historic family, which made Norman quite nervous.
The houses in the city were all made of brick and stone with red roofs and white walls. The dense crowds and bustling traffic made the city prosperous and vibrant. Autumn added a special charm to the city, with falling leaves decorating the streets.
Ryan, along with his foster parents, Morgiana the Lake Witch, the steward Karstenberg, Boris, and others arrived in Helen Hild. Additionally, Belgar, the King of the Eight Peaks, and the dwarf engineer Dugan Ironhand came along, persuaded by Ryan's planned visit to Helen Hild for a pleasant journey, with the powerful dwarf king ensuring their safety.
Ryan simply smiled and agreed readily.
As for Targarys, he stayed behind in Ryan's territory to continue teaching the witches, so Veronica and Teresa also stayed. The maid Amelia insisted on not accompanying Ryan, and he did not force her.
Ryan had heard about Belgar's activities in his territory—the King of the Eight Peaks spent his days observing his troops and knights training, taking notes relentlessly, especially during the training sessions of the knights and their squires. He even created several plastic figurines for war gaming.
According to Dugan, Belgar was somewhat satisfied with the strength of the Bretonnian knights, remarking that they were "barely passable."
As the group neared the castle, Boris, the Elector Count, admired Helen Hild and said, "I must say, White Wolf City is still the biggest and most beautiful city in the Old World, but this city is not bad either."
The ducal castle's towering walls and the dozen spired towers formed a triple-layered structure of Helen Hild Castle. The square main keep was in the center, flanked by six massive conical towers, with a thirty-meter tall statue of a pure white pegasus at the front.
"Here," Ryan raised an arm, directing everyone, "Francois said we'll enter through the main gate."
"If you ask me, this castle, although large and beautiful, has poor defenses compared to our dwarf standards. It looks flimsy," Belgar complained continuously, "Too focused on aesthetics, just like the elves."
"I feel the same," agreed Aksel, the Grandmaster of the White Wolf Knights, his bearded face gruff, "I heard Ivan is also here?"
"Not just Ivan, the Grand Alchemist Gert is also here," Ryan whispered, "Let's talk this afternoon."
"That we should."
Ryan and Morgiana, along with Boris and others, were naturally received with great hospitality by Francois. Ryan also met his godfather Ivan, the Griffin Duke, who patted his shoulder without much talk, proud of his godson but aware that now was not the time for reminiscing since Ryan was a noble of Brittany, and Ivan represented the Empire across the mountains.
As soon as they settled in, negotiations began in the conference room of Helen Hild.
The Bretonnian side included Duke Folcard of Montfort, Duke Casfenvale of Parravon, Duke Francois of Winfort, Duke Berchemond of Bastonne, Earl Ryan of Glamorgan, Morgiana the Lake Witch, and the tardy Duke Bodrick of Bordeleaux.
The Empire was represented by Griffin Duke Ivan, Elector Count Boris, Grandmaster Aksel of the White Wolf Knights, and Grand Alchemist Gert.
Also, Belgar, the King of the Eight Peaks, participated as an envoy of the King of Breeze Castle.
The first negotiation topic was related to the dwarves. Francois, sitting in the center, started, "After discussions with Folcard, Casfenvale, and Berchemond, we believe that the history of the dwarf kingdoms in the Grey Mountains predates that of humans by far. Therefore, we are willing to acknowledge the existence of Breeze Castle as one of the dwarf kingdoms and its legal standing. We hope to sit down with the Breeze Castle dwarves and the Empire to negotiate a ceasefire, establish borders, and restore peace."
"The Empire side is willing to be fair," both Ivan and Boris nodded.
"Agreed!" "Agreed!"
Hands were raised in agreement.
This was a rare opportunity for Bretonnia to negotiate directly with the dwarves of Breeze Castle.
"Yes, peace, that's also what the dwarves want," Belgar, appointed by King Lurek Granitehand of Breeze Castle, nodded repeatedly. Sitting on a chair boosted by three cushions, he added, "We and the Bretonnians are not friends, but not enemies either. Dwarves won't engage in civil wars with humans that would give greenskins and chaos a chance."
Ryan, sitting to the right of Francois, whispered to his father-in-law, "Dwarves are
stubborn, but they understand the big picture."
Francois's blue eyes twinkled as he smiled elegantly, "Dwarves' stubbornness lies in not giving you a chance to meet and negotiate!"
"I agree to the peace talks and am willing to sign a ceasefire, but I must say, the dwarves of Breeze Castle must acknowledge Montfort's full legal claim to Axe Bite Pass," Duke Folcard of Montfort asserted, "Also, please immediately stop your excessive mining beneath my lands. Many mines have extended into my territory, infringing on the rights of Montfort."
"The issue of Axe Bite Pass has been instructed by Lurek," Belgar stroked his white beard, affirming the ownership issue, "Bretonnians have long defended and patrolled Axe Bite Pass, established watch belts and outposts to guard against greenskin invasions. The dwarves of Breeze Castle are willing to recognize the pass as belonging to Montfort."
"Phew," Duke Folcard of Montfort felt a weight lift off his chest. The tolls from Axe Bite Pass were vital to Folcard, and there was no room for concession. Since the dwarves acknowledged this, negotiations could proceed more smoothly.
Negotiations continued like a tug of war over various issues. Two hours later, the Dukes—Folcard, Casfenvale, and Berchemond—and the Breeze Castle representative, Belgar, signed a ceasefire agreement. For the first time, they relatively specifically delineated their spheres of influence. The Bretonnians recognized the existence of Breeze Castle, and the dwarves acknowledged the Bretonnians' ownership of Axe Bite Pass. Regarding the mines beneath the mountains, both sides agreed to set aside disputes and jointly develop the area. The Bretonnians granted the dwarves continued mining rights, and in return, the dwarves agreed to sell a portion of the ore to the Bretonnians at a preferential price.
Ryan knew this was a win-win agreement, as Bretonnia's mining technology was disastrously inadequate. Even if they expelled the dwarves, they lacked the capability to mine effectively. The dwarves, on the other hand, could mine without worrying about finding a market for their ores.
The Dukes and Belgar left the conference room to prepare for the signing, leaving only Francois, Bodrick, Ryan, Morgiana, and the representatives from the Empire in the room.
"The next issue concerns the Empire's request for further liberalization of wood elf medicine and half-elf warhorse exports," continued Francois. "We want to know what the Empire can offer in return for our trade."
"We are willing to trade an army for it," said the Grand Alchemist Gert in his metallic, grating voice. "An army that you need."
"An army we need? I can't think of any army we specifically need," Ryan frowned. Brittany's heavy cavalry was the finest in the Old World, and with dwarf artillery, he saw no urgent need for additional forces.
"We know what you need," the Empire side produced a contract and laid it before Ryan.
"A company of elite Kislevite Uhlans."
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