"We arrived in southern Leonasse, where we learned a lot of information." As a native of Leonasse, Raymond spoke with a tinge of sadness. During this journey, he returned to his former village, only to find it in ruins.
The entire village was now deserted, but traces of the rebellion were still visible.
"Currently, many castles and cities in northern Leonasse are deserted. The devastation caused by Egil's invasion left both nobles and commoners unable to recover from their heavy losses. As a result, there are areas where serfs openly declare independence or where nobles declare autonomy. Duke Aldred of Leonasse lacks the ability to manage these issues, so he can only let them be."
"In the south, the nobles are banding together, refusing to follow Duke Aldred's orders. Instead, they demand greater autonomy and better treatment."
"Leonasse is currently rife with serf uprisings. Rebels gather in the forests and establish camps in the northern hills. The nobles turn a blind eye to this, instead fighting amongst themselves for titles and land claims. Every month, small-scale skirmishes and minor civil wars erupt in the duchy."
"Without external intervention, a full-scale rebellion in Leonasse is imminent. The duchy could erupt into full-scale civil war at any moment."
Ryan indicated for them to pause. The count himself then spoke, "The problems in the Duchy of Leonasse have been longstanding..."
The Duchy of Leonasse suffered tremendous losses during the invasion by Skarlings' King Egil Redeye. As one of Brittany's three largest duchies, Leonasse originally had nearly four thousand knights registered.
The duchy bore the brunt of Egil's invasion, suffering devastating losses. According to the intelligence Ryan received from Morgiana, there were now just over a thousand knights left in the Duchy of Leonasse.
Generally, having too many knights isn't beneficial for a duchy. When lords realize there are too many knights, they often organize chivalric wars or expeditions to send the excess knights to their deaths and use the opportunity to select the best among them. This is an unwritten rule in Brittany, and even with some losses, there are plenty of knightly families to fill the gaps immediately.
Just like the chivalric coalition led by Ryan and François in the battles of Blackstone Keep and La-Maisontaal Abbey, such wars not only don't harm the duchy but are beneficial.
However, the losses Leonasse suffered during Egil's invasion were beyond the duchy's capacity to bear. Along with the large number of knights lost, many sergeants and peasant infantry also perished, leaving Leonasse in a state of decline. The previous duke, Dalheid, chose a penitential expedition after the war, leaving this mess to his son. The new Duke Aldred inherited a depleted and fragmented knightly class, a starving peasantry, and a collapsed economy and security system.
Duke Aldred's control now extended only to the castle of Leonasse and its surrounding twenty to thirty kilometers.
In the north, serf uprisings were escalating. With the peasants unable to eat, rebellion was inevitable, and neither Duke Aldred nor the local nobles could resolve it. Rebel serfs stormed poorly defended castles, killing the local lords, seizing their wealth, and taking liberties with the knights' wives and daughters. These pampered and delicate noblewomen naturally became the favorites of the rebellious serfs, earning the leaders' approval. From elegant noble life to the horrors of public use, the drastic change drove many noblewomen to abandon their estates and retreat to Leonasse, further straining the duchy's finances and food supply.
Worse still, the nobles in southern Leonasse began to defy orders.
Historically, southern Leonasse was originally part of the Duchy of Mousillon. After the "Mad Duke Merovin" incident, Mousillon was stripped of much of its territory, which was annexed by Leonasse. Initially, the nobles of Mousillon were relieved to escape Merovin's mad and bloody rule, but they soon found themselves excluded from the power center of Leonasse, with their fiefs and estates gradually encroached upon by northern nobles. This naturally led to discontent among the former Mousillon knights.
Previously, the northern nobles held the advantage, but now that advantage was gone. The surviving former Mousillon knights, having suffered heavy losses in several wars, decided to unite and make their voices heard.
They were even plotting independence.
After a brief private meeting, when they came out, Ryan and Sulia continued discussing the matter in the carriage. Sitting together, Sulia said, "If Bertrand and Raymond's investigation is accurate, a full-scale rebellion in Leonasse is just a matter of time. This could introduce unforeseen variables into our plans to attack Mousillon."
"..." Ryan didn't respond immediately. He just nodded silently, deep in thought.
Seeing Ryan remain silent, Sulia continued, "Should we discuss this matter with my father and the champion knights of Quinelles?"
"That can be done. Collective wisdom is valuable, but it may still be of little help to Leonasse." Ryan first nodded, then shook his head vigorously. "We might come up with many ideas, but they would just be talk, Sulia. The problems in northern Brittany can't be solved quickly."
Sulia sighed. "If only the northern part of the kingdom could fully adopt your reforms and implement fixed taxes instead of the current system."
Since the beginning of the year, the southern duchies of Bordeleaux, Winford, Bastonne, and Carcassonne had collectively adopted Ryan's tax reform plan. They moved from a tithe (in Winford, it was previously a septage) to a fixed tax system with tax reductions, encouraging serfs to work harder and allowing nobles to reclaim abandoned lands. As long as land could be held for three years, dukes were willing to create new noble titles.
Abandoned castles and villages were being restored, Chaos minions were hunted in the forests, and many long-abandoned wilderness areas were being resettled. The Lady's light once again shone on the southern kingdom. The introduction of advanced smelting and industrial technologies from the Empire and the dwarves brought substantial profits. Trade prosperity, agricultural abundance, and industrial innovation greatly improved the lives of serfs and eased tensions between the knightly and serf classes. The enormous benefits from Ryan's trade initiatives made the knights of several duchies support him. Realizing the kingdom's issues, many nobles stood by Ryan, and even the conservative nobles who enjoyed the benefits began to voice less opposition.
They recognized that Ryan might indeed have the ability to rejuvenate the thousand-year-old kingdom.
François and Bohemond took the opportunity to jointly declare their support for Ryan's views. The clear stance of these two Holy Grail knights ensured the continuation and deepening of the reforms.
Duke Bodrick of Bordeleaux, after the Estalia incident, controversially became the first Duke in Brittany's history to officially visit the Great Temple of Manann on the island off the coast of Bordeleaux. No one knows what he discussed with the Sea God Manann, but upon his return, he announced Bordeleaux's full support for Ryan's campaign against Mousillon.
"I will inform Oliver and his men to send more personnel to closely monitor the situation in Leonasse." After thinking for a long time, Ryan finally decided. "Also, send a message to Duke Lawn, informing him of the issues in Leonasse and asking for his intervention."
"Understood," Sulia nodded, indicating she comprehended the plan.
When the couple returned to the castle, sorceress Teresa was already waiting.
"Ryan, Mother has decided to lead a large group of witches to visit your territory after this year's autumn harvest. She asked me to inform you." The sorceress wore a fresh white lace shirt and straight blue wide-leg pants, showcasing her tall and slender figure. Teresa was very pleased about her mother's upcoming visit.
"Good," Ryan felt reassured upon hearing this.
This campaign against Mousillon indeed needed Aurora's assistance.
...I am the line dividing the witches' visit...
At the same time, in the Old World, Brittany, the cursed city of Mousillon.
The black-and-gold serpent crest of Mallobaude hung on Mousillon's walls. This cursed land was plagued by extreme weather all year round. Even on clear days, Mousillon would be shrouded in thick fog. When the wind blew, it was strong enough to uproot trees, and rainstorms were torrential, sometimes mixed with hailstones. Lightning often accompanied the rain, occasionally causing wildfires, though these fires wouldn't spread far as Mousillon was mostly submerged in swamps.
In the heart of Mousillon, in Merovin Castle, the Black Duke Mallobaude sat on his blood throne. The young and handsome black knight's face was increasingly pale, but his power was growing stronger.
Merovin Castle was once a place of blooming flowers, with gardens full of irises. From the castle, one could see fields filled with fireflies and a vibrant plain.
But that was centuries ago. Now, there were no flowers in Mousillon, and if there were, they were dead.
Duke Mallobaude stood up, gazing out the window. In June, Mousillon was being pelted with hail. A fierce wind blew, soaking Mallobaude's black and gold silk robe.
Mallobaude's expression grew distant, as if he had returned to his younger days. The young ranger knight, full of chivalry and honor, first came to Mousillon, vowing to save this land.
He had once been a devout follower of the Lady of the Lake. Among the younger generation, no one was more pious than he. Mallobaude had been one of the most skilled and honorable knights, performing many heroic deeds.
But the lie eventually shattered
. When Mallobaude arrived in Mousillon, he found a cup of clear holy water in an abandoned Grail chapel. Believing it to be a gift from the Lady of the Lake, he drank it, hoping to become a legendary Grail Knight.
Everything changed. Mallobaude was neither destroyed by the holy water for harboring evil thoughts nor did he receive divine revelation or become a Grail Knight. Instead, his godfather, Lich King Arkhan's magic took effect, revealing the truth about the Lady of the Lake.
Realizing this, Mallobaude resolved to claim the throne for himself and free this land from the lies of the Lady of the Lake.
But how could he prove the Lady of the Lake's deceit? The Duke of Mousillon was deeply puzzled. He believed because of Arkhan's magic and his trust in his godfather, but if he revealed this, everyone would think him mad.
Thus, to expose the Lady of the Lake's lie, Mallobaude had to become king and then find a way to the Grail Chapel to unveil the truth.
The Black Duke of Mousillon was still contemplating when the hall doors were knocked. "Enter."
A black-armored knight with a dragon-winged helmet, named Belitus, entered.
This black knight had a special status. He was the half-brother of the famous Holy Grail Knight Caradoc de Garamont. After Caradoc's fiancée Elizabeth poisoned Caradoc's father and stepmother, the grief-stricken Belitus swore never to forgive Caradoc and Elizabeth and left, vowing revenge.
But all he heard was news of Caradoc becoming a Grail Knight. Knowing revenge was impossible, Belitus came to Mousillon to serve Mallobaude and was turned into a vampire, willing to pay any price for revenge.
"What is it, Belitus? I said not to disturb me unless it's important." Mallobaude's tone was icy.
Belitus didn't have time to answer before a sharp, angry female voice interrupted. The sound of high heels clacking on the stone floor echoed as a noblewoman in a princess dress stormed in. "Mallobaude! So, you're here!"
Oh, it's this lady. Mallobaude smirked inwardly, his pale, handsome face showing warm and sincere enthusiasm. "Darling, you're here?"
"We agreed on three years, but it's been almost eight now. Mallobaude, when do you plan to marry me?"
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