When Olica spoke up, Ryan didn't react much, but Sulia immediately became anxious. The knightly lady had been discussing with Ryan about relocating the capital from Gene to Mousillon, but Olica's words quickly changed the mood. Sulia hurried over to sit beside Olica. "What's going on, Olica? What happened? Why has Ryan caught the attention of the Chaos Gods?"
"I've killed Khorne's chosen champion, repelled Tzeentch's first Greater Daemon, and slain Nurgle's chosen champion. It would be strange if the Chaos Gods didn't notice," Ryan said, unsurprised. "Being noticed by the Four Gods is quite an honor!"
"You fool!" Sulia glared at Ryan. "You may not be afraid, but what about me? What about Devonhill? What about Sylvia and your servants? Aren't you concerned? You and Olica may be powerful enough to handle it, but Ryan, you're no longer alone. You have a family!"
Realizing his mistake, Ryan quickly raised his hands in surrender, acknowledging his fault.
Just moments ago, Ryan had been thinking more from the perspective of a Grey Knight Primarch and the future King of Bretonnia, while Sulia instinctively saw things as his wife and the mother of his children.
"Tell me, Olica, what did you dream about?" Sulia decided to focus on Olica instead of arguing with Ryan. "Ryan has been marked by the Chaos Gods? What did the gods say? Do they have a plan? How did you dream about this, and can you confirm if it's real? Have the gods been bothering you?"
Olica opened her mouth, lifting her head from Ryan's embrace, her amber eyes flashing with a hint of displeasure.
Olica, Ryan's personal maid, often encountered Sulia, but she rarely spoke. When Sulia had something to discuss, she would typically go to Sylvia or directly to Ryan. If Ryan wasn't around, Sulia would never seek out Olica, who usually stayed in her Pale Court, crafting potions or experimenting with magic. They rarely interacted.
Moreover, Olica had initially accepted Sulia's status as Ryan's wife and agreed to the Lady of the Lake's request somewhat reluctantly. Now that her power had returned, she naturally had her own thoughts.
"It's alright, Olica. Sulia isn't an outsider," Ryan said gently. "Tell us, what did you see?"
Since Ryan had spoken, Olica nodded, leaning against his chest as she began to speak softly.
"I saw it through the eyes of the Pale Queen. In the Chaos Realm, the gods are constantly at war, endless battles, the sky exploding, the ground piled high with countless demons."
"I heard the gods whispering among themselves, all mentioning your name, Ryan-Macado."
"The gods see you as a significant threat. Your existence introduces uncertainty into a world doomed to destruction, threatening their plans. They intend to eliminate you!"
"Eliminate?" Sulia grew even more alarmed, pressing Olica for details. "How? What did you hear? Quickly, tell us so we can come up with a plan... No, I must inform the Lady! Ryan, we should avoid traveling so freely from now on. And the castle's defenses..."
"Stop, Sulia. Calm down first," Ryan urged, holding Sulia's hand to help her relax. "Let's hear Olica out first!"
"The gods plan to bestow their blessings on a chosen champion, creating an Everchosen, who will lead their demon armies south to destroy the mortal kingdoms," Olica recounted, her voice tinged with the pain of her dream.
"Everchosen? Is this person named Archaon? How are the gods planning this?" Ryan asked, his interest piqued.
"It seems the gods still don't fully trust Archaon. They mentioned that he's missing something... something important." Olica struggled to recall every detail of her dream, her face contorted in discomfort. "Then there was more arguing, and I kept falling, endlessly falling."
"Missing something?" Sulia was still puzzled, but Ryan was already connecting the dots. He exhaled lightly.
Archaon has yet to find the final Chaos artifact—the Crown of Domination, right?
After confirming that Olica had only heard this much, Ryan felt slightly disappointed.
It was inevitable that he would be noticed by Chaos, and the matter of Archaon and the Everchosen had already been foretold by the Lady of the Lake. There wasn't much new information to gain from this. Ryan gently patted Olica's back. "I see. Thank you, Olica. Are you tired?"
"I'm not tired, Master. I just regret not hearing more," the dark elf said, embarrassed. She clung to Ryan's shoulder, clearly still shaken. "I'm sorry."
"Olica's information is valuable. Ryan, you should reduce the number of times you leave Bretonnia. The kingdom needs you, and so do the people," Sulia urged, her thoughts drifting to other concerns. After a pause, she asked, "Olica, you mentioned the Pale Queen... Are you a deity?"
The elven pantheon is divided into two main pantheons and three supreme gods. The two pantheons are the Heaven Pantheon and the Underworld Pantheon, and the three supreme gods are Asuryan, the Phoenix King, Ereth Khial, the Pale Queen, and Kurnous, the God of the Hunt.
The Pale Queen is the ruler of the Elven Underworld Pantheon, overseeing a large portion of elven souls after death. She once tried to seduce the Phoenix King Asuryan, but he rejected her and banished her from his court. Since then, the Pale Queen has harbored bitterness and hatred toward Asuryan.
However, over time, the worship of Khaine, the God of Murder, became the dominant belief among the Dark Elves, leading to the decline of the Pale Queen's cult. Her status as a supreme deity was largely supplanted by Khaine, though she still retained some followers among the Dark Elves. After all, serving the Pale Queen in the Underworld, though unpleasant, was far better than being consumed by Slaanesh.
"I'm not a deity," Olica shook her head, her words bubbling out like a fish blowing bubbles. "I never was. I can just borrow the Pale Queen's power."
"If you're not a deity, how can you borrow the Pale Queen's power?" Sulia asked, intrigued.
"Sometimes, deities grant a portion of their power to mortals they favor. Other times, they need a vessel to walk in the mortal world," Olica explained slowly. "Anyone who has been possessed by a deity retains some of their power. I was cursed and stripped of everything by the High Elves after my defeat, but luckily, Master took me in. Master is my everything."
Olica didn't need to spell it out—Ryan and Sulia understood. Sulia thought for a moment before turning to Ryan. "When we return, we must strengthen the castle's defenses. And we must inform the Lady."
"I will," Ryan agreed.
"Olica doesn't seem to be in great shape. Ryan, why don't you stay with her tonight? Go to the room next door, so you don't wake up Devonhill," Sulia said graciously. "Olica, you can have Ryan tonight. Rest well. We'll need your help with what's to come."
"Alright." The dark elf accepted Sulia's kindness, and the knightly lady nodded, heading toward the inner chambers.
"Master~ I'm sorry I couldn't gather more information," Olica whispered sweetly once Sulia had left, her tone turning soft and vulnerable. "I'm useless, unable to help you."
"It's alright. You've done more than enough," Ryan smiled, lifting Olica into his arms. "You're drenched in sweat. Let's take a bath!"
"Okay."
...Bath time line...
After about two weeks of sailing, Ryan's fleet split into two. One part of the army disembarked at Mousillon's port, while the other docked at Mannan's Drydock in Bordeleaux.
Duke Bohemond of Bordeleaux and his heir, Fedemond, were already waiting at the dock. Three hundred Sea Guard knights stood in several rows, welcoming Ryan's arrival.
Bordeleaux was more prosperous than ever. Since Ryan had established trade routes with the Lizardmen, High Elves, and Estalia, Mannan's Drydock had been expanded once, but it was still at full capacity. Ryan even noticed a few cargo ships waiting in the nearby waters, clearly queuing to enter the port.
Bohemond, now over ninety, appeared even older since Ryan last saw him. After his heir Fedemond returned, Bohemond began gradually transferring control of the army to him. He also arranged Fedemond's marriage to Eva, the granddaughter of Duke Berthold of Bastonne. The wedding was imminent, and after it, Bohemond planned to embark on his long-overdue Grail Quest.
To ensure a smooth transition of power to his son, Bohemond encouraged Fedemond to build a strong alliance with Ryan. When Ryan proposed digging a canal to connect the north and south, Bohemond readily agreed, even though it meant a slight loss of his interests. The far-sighted duke knew that the canal would bring immense benefits and positive effects to the entire kingdom and his lands.
Unexpectedly, Ryan also spotted a full squad of Grail Guardians. Morgiana, the Lady's Witch, was standing before them, astride her unicorn, Silfan. In the early winter, she wore a porcelain blue court lacquered silk gown, the waist
line emphasizing her graceful figure. Her beautiful face was expressionless, and beneath her skirt, the heels of her soft boots peeked out. Her green eyes held a fury that made Ryan feel uneasy.
"Welcome, Ryan," Duke Bohemond stepped forward. "And Lady Sulia, I must say, your visit to the Empire was long."
"Good morning, Bohemond, Fedemond." Ryan smiled as he shook hands with Bohemond and Fedemond. "You must have heard about the battle outside Nuln. I felt it was my duty to fight against evil."
"It was a spectacular battle," Fedemond, now much more seasoned, said as he shook Ryan's hand, his tone filled with admiration and regret. "The only regret is that you didn't contact me. My Sea Guard was ready."
"Fedemond, you're about to get married. I couldn't ask you to come at such a time," Ryan replied, shaking his head. "Marriage is a significant life event."
After exchanging greetings with Bohemond and Fedemond, the Sea Guard Duke and his son departed, leaving Ryan to approach Morgiana, who remained mounted on her unicorn.
"Good morning, Lady Morgiana," Ryan said, feeling increasingly uneasy. He asked somewhat awkwardly, "How have you been?"
"You know how to come back?" Morgiana's tone was laced with something unsettling. "I thought you might have lost yourself in your maid's domain."
"I was just dealing with Nurgle's chosen champion, Tamurkhan," Ryan explained briefly. Seeing the situation, he extended his hands, and Morgiana's eyes lit up. She let him lift her off the unicorn. Once her boots touched the ground, she adjusted her skirt and crown before saying, "Regardless, as the first in line for the throne, you were away for far too long. I had to make decisions in your absence. You should know, what belongs to the gods should remain with the gods, and what belongs to mortals should stay with mortals. I am the Lady's representative on earth, but I cannot always manage your internal affairs."
"I understand. This was my mistake, and I apologize," Ryan admitted, acknowledging Morgiana's point.
"An apology can't be just words; you need to show it through your actions... We'll discuss this later." Morgiana wasn't fully satisfied with Ryan's apology. She signaled that they could continue moving forward. Holding the Holy Grail of Potions in her hands, Morgiana glanced disdainfully at the silent Olica before turning to Sulia. "The war in Nuln was fought well. You successfully stopped Nurgle's chosen champion, Tamurkhan, from ravaging the Empire, upholding the virtues of knighthood. The Lady is pleased."
"It was our duty," Sulia nodded, holding her son and smiling. "Thank you, Lady Morgiana, for managing the territory's internal affairs. Has there been anything significant recently? And what about Couronne?"
"The territory has been relatively peaceful. A large number of immigrants from the Empire have moved into Mousillon. Given the vast lands and sparse population, there haven't been any major conflicts with the natives. As for your original lands, nothing significant has happened. In Couronne, King Richard and Regent Louen have been relatively quiet, focusing their efforts on the canal excavation," Morgiana reported, calmly holding the Holy Grail of Potions.
"Good," Ryan nodded. Richard and Louen had already acknowledged his victory, so they likely wouldn't cause trouble. Even if the old King Richard wanted to, he wouldn't dare.
To use an analogy, one might wonder why Emperor Xian of Han never ordered the Imperial Guards to take out Cao Cao?
"As for the south, there is one major event," Morgiana continued. "François has formed a new infantry regiment called the Unicorn Guard of Winford. It currently has about three hundred soldiers, including two hundred pikemen, seventy gunners, and thirty greatswordsmen. They receive treatment comparable to your Old Guard. The duke has promised that those who achieve military merit can be considered for knighthood. This is the most talked-about event in the kingdom, and many dukes are now considering forming their own elite infantry units."
"Pfft~" Ryan and Sulia exchanged amused glances, unable to contain their laughter.
François, that cunning old fox, learned quickly! He was clearly following Ryan's path to success, immediately adopting any reforms that seemed feasible.
"By the way, Lady Morgiana, when we return to the territory, I'd like to have a private discussion with you," Ryan said, recalling his plan for the serf emancipation purchase system.
"Yes, of course. I think it's time we had a private conversation," Morgiana replied, her expression brightening as her lips curled into a smile.
"Shall we plan for a week?"
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