"Ding ding ding ding~"
"Delicately depict~"
"Ding ding ding ding~"
"Sing this melody~"
"That is New Treasure Island!"
"Resent~"
Since the masquerade ball at the Golden Smile Concert Hall that day, the entire city of Nuln had been swept up in the frenzy brought by "New Treasure Island." People went crazy over the song and its captivating dance steps. Under the purple lights, Nuln's inhabitants sang and danced together. The craze for this song spread to every corner of the city, from high nobles to common citizens and even the poorest in the slums, everyone was eager to learn the rhombus cross dance steps.
Only the dwarves living in Nuln protested vehemently. The stubborn imperial dwarf engineers weren't against following trends, but after trying it out themselves, they vowed to find the great artist Van-Darkholme and make him drink dwarf beer until he passed out.
Hidden under the frenzy of "New Treasure Island" was Neferata and her Lahmia Sisterhood's actions. As she promised, she began her purge of the Chaos cult, the Pleasure Seekers Association.
On the first day, three Pleasure Seekers Association bases in Nuln were destroyed by Neferata, with over four hundred people killed on the spot. The Queen of Lahmia left all the cultists' rituals, Chaos insignias, and evidence intact, leaving no room for doubt.
Then she officially began her full-scale operation.
On the second day, another Pleasure Seekers Association base fell, with over thirty Chaos cultists captured. The Imperial Duchess Emilia immediately sent personnel to confiscate all their properties and executed them by fire.
In despair, the Slaanesh cultists of the Pleasure Seekers Association found themselves helpless and leaderless. The Gentlewoman was dead, and no one could lead this Chaos cult. They could only watch as one base after another was uprooted. Neferata knew these Slaanesh cultists too well.
By the second week of the operation, the big fish began to appear.
General von Linderst, Count of Nuln, and Marquis Stroessner were proven to be Slaanesh cultists by Neferata.
Initially, Emilia couldn't believe it. To her, the former was a loyal general, and the latter a brilliant architectural master and interior expert, renowned in Nuln. She suspected Neferata of framing them.
However, the evidence was irrefutable. Neferata had collected all the proof and even used necromantic magic to make these two nobles think they were dreaming, performing forbidden rituals to please Slaanesh right before their eyes.
Emilia was speechless.
The plan, codenamed "Anti-Cult Operation," was implemented, with High Chaplain Casimir IX personally leading a large Nuln army, battle priests, and witch hunters to destroy these two families and erase all traces. All their lands and properties were confiscated, and everything was purified and burned in rituals. Their names were erased from Nuln's history.
Just as the task was completed, Neferata and her followers disappeared as if they had evaporated, disappointing Ryan, who had planned to eliminate the vampire queen. However, he didn't regret it much, knowing Neferata was too shrewd to make such a low-level mistake.
With the problem resolved, it was now May, and the weather in Nuln had begun to warm up.
It was around 4 p.m. in the sunny courtyard of the Elector Palace.
In the courtyard, Duchess Emmanuelle of Nuln, Duchess Surya of Mousillon, and several female nobles sat together, with maid Sylvia standing behind Surya. The courtyard was filled with laughter and chatter. Though some unpleasant events had recently occurred in Nuln, these female nobles cared little. Initially, they expressed condolences and regret, but once Duchess Emmanuelle took out the golden key and opened her small treasure box containing tea from Cathay, thoughts of Chaos cults and executions quickly vanished. They began their afternoon tea, laughing and chatting, mostly discussing "The Wind Rises," "New Treasure Island," and the now-vanished great artist Van-Darkholme.
Emilia was quite relaxed. The Imperial Duchess wore her favorite princess dress and lace blouse. Since staying in Nuln for a while, Ryan had started teaching little Frederick to read and use his psychic powers and giving advice on internal affairs.
Nuln already had a city council; Emilia was only responsible for oversight and signing. With her man now in Nuln, Emilia felt more confident and content. She held her afternoon tea, smiling, "Sulia, sister?"
"What is it?" Surya, dressed in standard Bretonnian noble attire—a white velvet coat and a blue pleated skirt, with black stockings covering her long legs—also wore the same high-quality stockings as Emilia, from the Empire's top brand "Wolford." These stockings were not only made of top-grade elastic material but also had luxurious lace embroidery with dual-tone rose patterns on a soft, elastic sheer background.
Of course, the price was exorbitant. A pair of Wolford stockings sold for 100-150 gold marks among the nobility, a price unbearable for even small nobles.
Despite this, Wolford stockings were still highly sought after.
Only a few knew that the brand's hidden owners were Duchess Emmanuelle and Duchess Surya, two of the most powerful women in the Old World, who had invested together to establish it.
"Are you planning to leave?" Emilia asked cautiously. She always felt less imposing in front of Surya, in every sense. Especially whenever Surya stood up straight, Emilia would subconsciously glance down and then her delicate, beautiful face would instantly fall. "I noticed you've started packing."
"We've been in the Empire for five months; it's about time to go back." Surya lifted a cup of Bretonnian tea, gracefully holding the cup's handle with her fingers, taking a sip just level with her mouth, then putting it down. The entire etiquette process was flawless. After she completed this set of actions, all the female nobles present shifted their gaze, trying to mimic Surya's tea-drinking etiquette because it was the latest trend in Nuln.
While the high nobility of Nuln didn't particularly like Ryan, they almost universally admired and appreciated Surya. After staying in Nuln for several months, the Duchess, with her excellent social skills, had won over the entire Nuln court.
"Watching Duchess Surya drink afternoon tea, you'll find that both she and her soul carry the fragrance of tea."
—Nuln court commentary
"Hmm... wouldn't you consider staying a bit longer? I could take you hunting, hiking, and then picnicking." Emilia was clearly reluctant, primarily about Ryan but also a bit about Surya.
Emilia used to have a very close relationship with Surya, but after each had children, their relationship cooled somewhat. Surya had a faint sense of guard towards Emilia and her son Frederick, and Emilia always felt resentful about not being the official wife.
"No, it's about time to go back. Ryan had a lot of tasks in Mousillon that are now almost done. He needs to return to continue overseeing the development of the riverbank industrial zone and the establishment of major estates." Surya put down her teacup and smiled at a luxuriously dressed woman sitting at the end. "How's Oliver's business going?"
"Yes, Duchess Surya." The woman, dressed in expensive silk clothes, looked both nervous and excited, her face flushed with excitement. She couldn't believe she was actually at the Imperial Duchess's afternoon tea party! This was the highest status gathering for any woman in the Old World!
She was Oliver's second wife. Oliver's wife thought this afternoon tea party would be something she could boast about for the rest of her life. Hearing Surya's question, she almost stood up in excitement. "Oliver... has basically finished his business."
"Basically?" Surya smiled and asked again, "How much longer do you think it will take?"
"About two or three weeks." The woman's improper behavior made the surrounding female nobles frown.
"Then Ryan and I will stay for about three more weeks." Surya nodded. The Duchess also wanted to go home; Nuln was magnificent, but she preferred being the mistress.
Emilia's expression froze. She took a minute to think before nodding sadly, "I understand, sister Surya."
Ryan can only stay for three more weeks?
Then I need to make the most of the time.
...I'm the dividing line of plastic sisterhood...
Late May, Old World, Border Princes.
The Border Princes is a barren and desolate land. Due to the Black Mountains, Imperial armies must either cross these mountains or pass through Averland's plains and Black Fire Pass to reach it. After losing this province, the Empire never tried to reclaim it, instead stationing large armies at Black Fire Pass to guard against possible Greenskin invasions.
This area became a new no-man's land. Initially, some fallen Imperial nobles established settlements here, followed by a few Bretonnian knights who missed the final battle of the Red Flame Expedition. When they arrived at the Border Princes, King Jafar of Araby was already dead. Finding nothing to offer their Lady, some less devout knights decided to settle here, seeking honor and wealth.
Later, many mercenaries, criminals, bandits, wanderers, adventurers, and escaped slaves also settled in the Border Princes, gradually forming its current scale.
In fact, while the Border Princes is indeed barren and dangerous, it is not as extremely perilous as many claim. The dwarf fortress Barak Varr at the mouth of the Black Water River effectively repels most southern Greenskin harassment, allowing the human residents of the Border Princes to barely maintain their territories
.
However, when Tamurkhan bypassed Barak Varr and directly attacked the eastern Border Princes, the residents there realized their doomsday had come.
When the Chaos army entered the Border Princes, the Kurgans, ogres, and Chaos dwarves were astounded and delighted by the "richness" of this land—a fragile human kingdom! Countless slaves and sacrifices!
The entire Chaos army quickly splintered into thousands of small warbands, destroying everything in sight with fervor. This army, low in morale from the long expedition, now felt like wolves spotting lambs. Their bloodthirsty eyes were fixed on their prey, ready to enjoy it.
The human settlements in the Border Princes were scattered and disorganized. Many large settlements had at most a thousand people and two to three hundred soldiers, lacking sufficient strength and quality weapons. Within just two weeks, all human settlements in the path of the Chaos army were reduced to ruins and rubble. Tens of thousands of humans perished under the Chaos blades, with a few survivors captured by the Chaos dwarves, destined to be slaves in the Dark Lands.
However, as the Chaos army advanced deeper into the Border Princes, they finally encountered a minor obstacle—a small trouble.
A man, a Border Prince, a notorious scoundrel, a shameless rogue, led his Eagle Mercenary Corps and armored cavalry to successfully repel a small Chaos warband attacking his territory.
This glorious victory made his name resound throughout the Border Princes.
He is the infamous "Black Prince" Littbeard, a legendary peak-level fighter.
However, few call him that; they prefer "Blackheart Rip."
This man embodies all the worst qualities: vanity, arrogance, malice, obstinacy, hypocrisy, cruelty, and shamelessness. With over a dozen betrayals to his name, no one in the Old World trusts his promises because he is too vile. All he cares about is gold, and he will do anything for it.
Yet, undeniably, Blackheart Rip's exceptional martial skills and fearless bravery have seen him survive countless battles, and his strategic and tactical talents often bring him victory. After spending decades, Blackheart Rip managed to secure a piece of land in the Border Princes and declared the establishment of a "kingdom." He not only proclaimed himself "Black Prince" but also shamelessly claimed to be the illegitimate son of Emperor Karl Franz, demanding all Border Princes swear loyalty to him.
Emperor Karl Franz, upon hearing this, was both amused and exasperated. Blackheart Rip was almost seventy, while the Emperor was only in his forties. Yet, the Empire had no time to deal with the Border Princes' riff-raff. After receiving a tribute worth thousands of gold marks from Blackheart Rip, the Emperor and his ministers chose to turn a blind eye, casually granting him the title of Border Baron as a form of appeasement.
Victory came quickly and went quickly. Blackheart Rip soon realized his trivial victory had attracted the attention of the Chaos army.
At the end of May, on a battlefield filled with smoke, the earth and mountains trembled under the might of the Chaos army. A murky yellow-green tide approached Blackheart Rip's troops.
Blackheart Rip did his best to resist the Chaos army's assault. He and his armored cavalry twice charged into the Chaos ranks, but when he broke through the encirclement, the notorious mercenary captain found himself the only one left of his hundred-plus armored cavalry.
The bald mercenary baron surveyed his surroundings, finding himself surrounded by many Chaos warriors. Beneath their full armor and masks were the grinning faces of Kurgans.
"Damn, this is hell." Blackheart Rip panted heavily, exhausted from hours of continuous fighting. He and his mount were both worn out, but his vile sense of humor persisted. The mercenary baron grinned, "But I am a child of hell! You chaotic bastards, you won't keep me here!"
With two swift strikes, Blackheart Rip killed two oncoming Chaos warriors, discarding his shattered shield and spitting, "Damn you! Chaotic scum, your mothers are dead! No, you're all motherless bastards!"
His mount barely managed to carry Blackheart Rip out of the encirclement. Meanwhile, his Eagle Mercenary Corps formed a tight formation, resisting the Chaos army's advance. The mercenaries trembled at the sight of the endless Chaos horde but continued firing their muskets and crossbows.
"Damn it." Blackheart Rip cursed under his breath, knowing this battle was unwinnable but having another mission to complete.
Chaos had come from the south!
He had to find a way to get the message to the Empire!
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