After the Winter Festival, the land remained frozen, with the distant Oracular Mountains blanketed in white snow.
In the courtyard of the forest lodge, a towering Imperial Custodian greeted the approaching guests with great courtesy. "Good morning, Princess Sulia."
"Good morning, Mr. Black Glove." Sulia nodded at the Custodian, then signaled the sorceress behind her to follow.
"This seems to be one of the few chances we have to chat freely," Teresa remarked, leaning on her Violet Staff. The sorceress wore her standard blue sorceress robe and black leather outfit, complete with over-the-knee boots. She appeared both curious and wary, unsure why Sulia had invited her out at this time. "Is there something you wish to discuss, Lady Sulia?"
"Can't I just chat with you?" Sulia's elegant face bore a faint smile. The lady knight, clad in a luxurious white fox fur coat over her marquise attire and high boots, exuded the aura of a proper "official wife" in every gesture. Her bearing and presence were strikingly imposing, a quality that Teresa had come to dislike.
Teresa had long felt unwilling to play the role of a courtier. She had aspired to be the Countess.
In her attempts to compete with Sulia, she had suffered two significant setbacks.
The first occurred when she planned to have her mother, Aurora, form a delegation of sorceresses to visit Ryan's territory. Sulia, leveraging her position as the lady of the house, promptly and gracefully issued an invitation to the Garland Council, inviting them to visit Ryan's domain.
This invitation landed in the hands of Chairwoman Margarita, who promptly declined due to her commitment to a crucial magical experiment.
With the Chairwoman's clear refusal, Aurora had no grounds to overstep and proceed with her own visit, thus the planned delegation visit fell through.
The second setback happened when Teresa organized a tea party, inviting local nobles. Upon learning of the event, Sulia enlisted the support of Morgiana and Francois, and attended with over twenty "Grail Ladies" and "Grail Lovers."
That evening, under Sulia's charismatic hosting and engaging conversation, the party turned into a great success, leaving everyone satisfied.
Teresa, the original host of the tea party, had to reluctantly acknowledge that her social skills paled in comparison to Sulia's.
After these two defeats, Teresa grew both wary and somewhat fearful of Sulia.
The sorceress felt as though all her actions were under Sulia's control. No matter what she attempted, Sulia always seemed to have a way to counter and preempt her.
They settled into the parlor. Sulia gracefully lifted her cup of tea, her expression warm. "So, aside from Veronica, you were the first to meet Ryan, weren't you, Miss Teresa?"
"If you put it that way, yes. I met him when he was just a ranger knight." Teresa nodded, letting her black, lustrous hair flow over the back of her chair. "At that time, I didn't think much of him. After he distinguished himself, a certain thirty-something formal sorceress from our Garland Council suggested that if Ryan could become a Kingdom Knight with his own fief by the age of thirty, she might consider marrying him."
"Oh? And what did Ryan think of that?" Sulia's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Women can never stay silent about such matters.
"Ryan politely declined. I later heard from my mother how he felt," Teresa said with a chuckle, her lips curling into a smile. "Ryan returned home and told Lord Norman, 'If I am a Kingdom Knight with my own fief, why should I seek out a thirty-something formal sorceress? To let her control the finances? To let her dictate my life and compare me to other sorceresses' husbands? Why should I? If I become a Kingdom Knight, there will be plenty of young sorceresses eager to pursue me. Why not choose one in her twenties who is obedient and considerate?'"
"Is that why he ended up with Veronica?" Sulia found it amusing. "Veronica certainly chose wisely."
"Veronica saw what I couldn't. When she partnered with Ryan, he had nothing. You know, Lady Sulia, in Nordland, Ryan's position was… quite awkward. As an adopted son, he was only half a noble and had no claim to the fief. His godfather, Duke Ivan, didn't pay him much attention. All he owned were his knight's gear and his warhorse." Teresa's tone carried a tinge of bitterness and self-mockery. "In other words, from Veronica's perspective at the time, there was no reason to fancy him. He was just a moderately skilled young warrior, one of many in Nordland."
"If you can't stand by him during his lows, you can't share his glory at his peak." Sulia murmured thoughtfully before changing the subject. "And then what happened?"
"Then he defeated the Beastmen chieftain, 'Fang' Ghor, and was knighted as a Kingdom Knight. We attended his knighting ceremony—he was only about twenty-two or twenty-three then. Many sorceresses began to take an interest in him, but his views on marriage had changed. He felt, 'Why should I marry a sorceress and limit myself? I have a bright future.' At that time, the Nordland Princess, Caroline, met him, and from what my mother said, there was talk of him marrying into her family. But Ryan wasn't interested because he was one of many suitors. He said he didn't want to be a backup. What does 'backup' mean?"
"After that, you know the rest. Under my mother's request, I joined Ryan on his adventures in Nordland…"
Sulia listened with keen interest, sipping her tea. She smiled and said, "Backup? It likely means being a reserve or a secondary option. In reality, Miss Teresa, by the time you came here looking for Ryan, he was already chosen by my father as my husband."
"But I used to… dismiss men without titles, status, or power, refusing to give them any respect. Yet when I finally encountered someone like Ryan… how could such a man marry a sorceress? This isn't Kislev!" Teresa laughed wryly. "I just feel… unfulfilled. After all, I was first."
"You need to adapt, Miss Teresa. Let me tell you, in my marriage with Ryan, I'm not the one with the upper hand when it comes to family background. You don't know Ryan's true origins." Sulia hinted, a knowing look in her eyes. "It seems we've reached a temporary understanding."
"True origins?" Teresa frowned, feeling like she had missed something crucial. "Can you… elaborate?"
"I cannot." Sulia shook her head. "Let's change the subject. Miss Teresa, have your mother visit here. As Ryan's courtier, I should have a discussion with Lady Aurora."
"All right…"
...
"Meeting with Caroline? That's something I'd rather not recall."
Ryan, holding Emilia's hand, strolled through the corridors of the Chapel of Justice with Alfred. He chuckled, exasperated, "Alfred, why are you interested in that?"
"Nordland sent news recently that Princess Caroline married a baron from Middenland, which reminded me of the event." Alfred, now sporting a golden beard that made him look more mature and composed, still bore his warm and sincere smile.
"Come on, Ryan, tell me about it." Emilia's eyes gleamed with curiosity as she tugged at Ryan's sleeve. "I'm really interested."
"Ten men," Ryan began as Emilia's persistence swayed him. "Ten men lined up to enter the palace and meet Princess Caroline. We couldn't look directly at her face, turn our backs to her, or sit down without her permission. We couldn't even speak unless she addressed us first. When she asked a question, we had to start with 'In response to your question, noble and beloved Princess,' and then answer briefly."
"No wonder. Only the rustic Nordlanders would have such rules," Emilia said with disdain. "A bunch of country folk using convoluted rules to maintain their status. True strength isn't in these superficial traditions but in one's inner strength."
"No wonder you decided to leave Nordland after that meeting," Alfred laughed. "It was like a cattle market, and you were the cattle."
"Let's not talk about it." Ryan winced at the memory, then asked Alfred, "So, Lorgar has been staying with you lately?"
"Yes, he's been with me, preaching, meditating, and spreading the gospel. Occasionally, he complains that our faith's standards are too low for his liking." Alfred shook his head, half amused. "I can't tell if he's helping or hindering me. But everyone he preaches to immediately turns to worship the God of Justice. Though they prefer shouting 'For the Emperor,' and they've started showing signs of excessive fanaticism, even self-harm to show their devotion. I had to put a stop to it."
"I'm just…" Ryan pinched his chin and shook his head. "Never mind. He won't stay here long. Bear with it a bit."
"Actually, Mr. Lorgar isn't so hard to get along with. His thirst for knowledge and understanding even surpasses mine. In just two weeks, he's nearly read through all my books, and he's constantly quoting proverbs." Alfred looked conflicted. "We have many shared views. We get along quite well. He's planning to write a new booklet full of his summarized sacred sayings, and I've agreed to help edit it."
As expected! Lorgar is spreading corruption
! Ryan's face turned pale.
He needs to be taken away by Father quickly! Nothing good ever happens when he's around!
Ryan's expression was one of utter disdain.
"By the way, Ryan, Mr. Lorgar doesn't seem as formidable as Mr. Angron," Emilia commented. "He fought Marquis Julius to a draw."
"Do you know why Julius chose to concede, dear Emilia?" Ryan held Emilia's hand, smiling.
"Why?" Emilia asked, feigning curiosity, though she secretly smiled. Giving a man a chance to boast is sometimes necessary.
"Because he had no chance of winning." Ryan squinted. "It might have looked like they were evenly matched, but the problem is, how could Julius win? Lorgar's stamina and energy are nearly limitless. In his repeated states of frenzy, he only grows stronger, while Julius was already exhausted and barely holding onto his sword."
"I see. But I thought Marquis Julius made some strong counterattacks," Emilia added.
"He did, but they were ineffective. So, he realized there was no point in continuing." Ryan nodded. "Julius is a martial arts enthusiast. He saw this as an opportunity to improve. My brother-in-law is already quite exceptional among the younger generation of knights, with high talent and all his energy focused on mastering horseback and swordsmanship."
"Valor is one of the few means we have to protect ourselves in this dark world, Miss Emilia." Alfred gripped his sword at his waist. "Especially for lords, they need to have some combat skills. The battlefield is the best place to build prestige. Ryan's reputation was forged through countless battles… Ryan, are you here to soak in the hot springs?"
"That would be wonderful, Alfred." Emilia jumped in before Ryan could answer.
"Alright." Alfred glanced at Ryan, who didn't object, and nodded. "Please wait a moment; I'll make the arrangements."
...
Meanwhile, in the New World, in Lustria, at the Norscan settlement of Skoggi Port.
Once a thriving barbarian port, Skoggi was now engulfed in relentless flames of war. The well-equipped Ash Legion, bolstered by many Lizardmen reinforcements, was driving the last of the barbarians into their final stronghold.
Amidst the destruction and the unstoppable advance of the human expeditionary force, Skoggi's chieftain, Chaos Champion Rostlinkson-Krul, stood on the Chaos altar. Despair filled his eyes as he watched his warriors fall.
And he could do nothing.
Because before him stood a tall man, his strikingly beautiful face almost otherworldly, with long, silky white hair flowing in the wind like an ancient deity descended upon the world.
"You have come?"
"In the name of the God-Emperor, I bring you judgment." The man gave the Chaos Champion no time to respond. With a flick of his golden power sword, his form blurred into a purple flash.
In that instant, the Chaos Champion had only begun to reach for his axe.
"Swish!" The next second, his head was severed, flying through the air, and blood sprayed over the Chaos altar.
"Die!"
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