"Ryan, when do you plan to withdraw and return to the kingdom?" François inquired, having accepted the idea of the Badlands Watch, though he remained cautious. "This great expedition has dragged on for over a year now."
"In another week or two, we can set off," Ryan replied from his seat, nodding slowly. "We'll give the troops a little more time to rest."
"Everyone's exhausted, but they're also eager for the rewards to begin," François remarked, stroking his goatee with a touch of sentimentality. "I never imagined it, Ryan—you did it. You achieved what no other knight-king before you has done. You conquered the Badlands, brought war to the Greenskins, and will return the wealth to Bretonnia."
"There will be no shortage of rewards, but we must give the dwarves time to count the treasure," Ryan said with a smile, clearly in good spirits. The success of the expedition had cemented his absolute prestige, and the wealth acquired was more than enough to make any ruler content.
There was no need to linger any longer—the time to prepare for the return journey was approaching.
In the following days, Ryan enjoyed a pleasant time with Veronica and Olyka, while the knights began packing up, preparing to head home.
In the waning days of December, 2512 of the Imperial Calendar, the Bretonnian knightly army, after over a year of campaigning, assembled once again within the Eight Peaks. Apart from Durant and his less than 300 soldiers, who would remain to live in River Valley Town, the remaining forces regrouped, ready to depart.
Under the heavy snow, the remaining 12,000 Bretonnian knights and soldiers lined up on the plateau of the Eight Peaks, facing the entirety of the Angrund Clan's dwarves.
Everyone had gathered.
For the first time in over 3,000 years, the ancestral horn of the Eight Peaks resounded across the plateau.
"Doom! Doom! Doom!"
"Doom-doom-doom!"
The night before, a grand banquet had been held in the Great Hall of Ancestors, with songs of praise and celebration echoing through the halls. The legendary tale of Belegar Ironhammer and Ryan Macadoo joining forces to reclaim the Eight Peaks was destined to become a legend in the Old World.
But now, the time for farewells had arrived.
Belegar and his people were committed to the great revival of the Eight Peaks. News of their victory had spread across the Old World, and many dwarves of the Angrund Clan, as well as others who had migrated to the Empire, were packing their belongings, preparing to return to the Eight Peaks and contribute to the revival. Meanwhile, Ryan, having received immense wealth, was preparing to return to Bretonnia.
The knightly army was transporting a staggering amount of treasure, including 5,000 sets of mastercrafted dwarf gromril rune plate armor, 20 chests of precious treasures, and countless ancient books and lost technologies.
The dwarf army, arranged in several ranks, gathered at Titan's Gate. Now a true king of the Eight Peaks, Belegar Ironhammer personally escorted Ryan and his companions to the gate. The two rulers grasped each other's hands firmly, while Belegar, his face half-smiling, opened his mouth but found himself unable to say anything.
"Belegar, my brother," Ryan grinned. "The time has come for us to part. I have something to tell you."
"Speak," Belegar nodded slightly, his body and his dwarf honor guard covered in snow.
"If you and your people ever visit Bretonnia, and come to my castle, remember—Sulia's afternoon tea party starts at four o'clock," Ryan said with a smirk. "And don't worry, there'll be plenty of beer."
"Hahahahaha!" A chorus of laughter erupted from the dwarf honor guard.
Mixed in with the laughter, however, were soft sobs. The Angrund Clan had spent nearly ten years in Bretonnia, and they had finally achieved their dream of reclaiming the Eight Peaks with the help of the knights. For nearly a decade, the dwarves had fought alongside the Bretonnians in battles such as the Siege of Blackstone Fortress, the La-Maisontaal Abbey campaign, the Helmgart Plague War, the Massacre of Mousillon, and many others.
During the Eight Peaks expedition, from the Battle of Giant's Tower, the Siege of Karak Angkul, the raid on Steel Rock, the Battle of Valaya's Gate, to the final fight for the Eight Peaks, deep bonds of friendship had formed between the dwarves and knights. Now, as they prepared to part, many dwarves were reluctant to say goodbye.
"We will remember your names—Ryan Macadoo, Karad de Galamont, Fedemond de Bordeleaux, François de Winford, and Veronica Bernadotte. And… Olyka, we will remember you as well. Trust the dwarves," Belegar's eyes filled with hot tears as he clasped Ryan's hand tightly. "And we will remember those who gave their lives to reclaim the Eight Peaks. We will never forget them."
"Yes, it's time to leave," Ryan sighed deeply. He patted Belegar's iron gauntlet lightly with his other hand, about to turn away when something suddenly came to mind. "Oh, Belegar, one last piece of advice."
"Next time, don't dig so deep," Ryan smiled as he said it.
"Hahahahahaha!" Laughter echoed among the dwarves as the Eight Peaks expedition came to a close and the army began its journey home.
Belegar also promised that once things were settled in the Eight Peaks, he would send a squad of "beardless ones" to Bretonnia. Together, they would go to Marienburg to deal with those merchant princes, and the dwarves from the Empire and other mountain kingdoms would join in the pressure on the Marienburgers.
In late December, the knightly army departed the Eight Peaks, starting their journey home. Over the course of two weeks, they made their way to the Heart of Valaya, then moved through the edges of the World's Edge Mountains, eventually arriving at Steel Rock.
Steel Rock had been abandoned for months, its once-mighty Ironclaw tribe nearly wiped out. Ryan, leading his army, inspected the area and immediately saw the strategic potential of the location. With its proximity to mountains, water, and a large forest, it was an ideal spot for human settlement. Additionally, Steel Rock was famous for its abundant iron ore reserves, with vast deposits of raw iron. Otherwise, it wouldn't have earned the name Steel Rock.
More importantly, beneath Steel Rock lay a massive lava lake, rich in obsidian deposits. Controlling this site would provide a continuous supply of obsidian, a valuable resource for crafting weapons, war machines, and even fortifications.
Steel Rock was also a key location between the Eight Peaks and Karak Angkul. After careful consideration, Ryan decided to establish the third watch post here.
Thus, the "Badlands Watch" was completed, consisting of Karak Angkul, Steel Rock, and the Eight Peaks. Ryan planned to appoint a border marquis to oversee the region, though he hadn't yet decided who would take on this crucial role. Lucian, the Baron of Spire Palace, had expressed interest, but Ryan was still weighing his options. The position was vital, as it required managing a distant territory under constant threat from Greenskins, offering the marquis significant autonomy, including financial and administrative authority.
Like the Empire's border counts, Bretonnia had a similar position known as a border marquis. The most famous example was the late Marquis of Enches, who perished in the Arden Forest campaign. The border marquis was responsible for defending Bretonnia's frontiers, particularly against threats like Beastmen. They had the authority to raise armies and build fortifications without prior approval from higher authorities.
Ryan had briefly considered naming the Badlands Watch something more playful, like the "Badlands Protectorate" or the "Badlands Commandery," but ultimately decided against it. The watch's purpose was clear: to help the dwarves fend off Greenskin and Skaven attacks. Someday, when the dwarves' population recovered and they could defend themselves, the watch could be disbanded.
Of course, "someday" was far off, and likely not in the next few decades. Ryan thought it wasn't a bad idea to have a place like this. The Knightly Kingdom could enjoy peace and prosperity for a few years, while the restless knights always eager for new battles would have somewhere to go. This would prevent them from causing trouble back home.
After surveying Steel Rock, Ryan led his army westward, retreating along the Black Water River. There, they were joined by François's reinforcements and the garrison from Karak Angkul, led by Jerrod.
When the Old Guard, now weathered and worn after the long expedition, met the patrol of errant knights sent by Jerrod along the banks of the Black Water River, the soldiers were overwhelmed with emotion. The errant knights dismounted at once, clasping the hands of the Old Guard soldiers tightly. The remaining light of the expedition was so bright and dazzling that the two armies soon gathered around fires, sharing fried eggs, bread, sardines, and pasta, singing and dancing in celebration of their victory at the Eight Peaks.
This scene was captured by one of the noble knights who had accompanied the expedition and was skilled in painting. The piece, titled The Meeting at Black Water River, would later become one of Bretonnia's most treasured national artworks, housed in the Holy Grail Cathedral in Couronne.
Following the reunion, the combined army of knights, led by Ryan, François, and Karad, took the opportunity
to utterly destroy a Goblin warlord named Grabanatz-Acid Gut (a distant relative of Git-Acid Gut) and his warband, who had hoped to plunder the returning army. The victory only added to the wealth they were bringing home.
By mid-January, the expeditionary army finally reached Barak-Varr.
A victorious cheer erupted from the army. Even Ryan couldn't help but laugh heartily. The knights, their faces flushed with pride, praised their king's wise leadership and the Lady of the Lake's protection. Even the peasant soldiers shed tears of relief, grateful to have survived and achieved such a monumental victory.
But as they approached Barak-Varr, the knights and soldiers were stunned by the sight before them.
The gates of the fortress slowly opened, and to the sound of blaring horns, thousands of Eternal Guard dwarves marched out, clad in mastercrafted rune plate armor and wielding mighty hammers. Several regiments of Ironbreakers and Irondrakes followed, forming a massive dwarf army.
At the head of the column, at the forefront of the dwarf formation, sat a radiant figure on the High King's throne.
"The High King! Thorgrim?!"
"Why… why is he here?"
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]