The appearance of the first Holy Grail Old Guard caused a huge sensation not only in the knight kingdom but also throughout the Old World.
When Ryan heard the news, he was preparing to lead the Nuln delegation on a visit to Mousillon to inspect the gun factory there. Upon learning about the emergence of the first Holy Grail Old Guard, Ryan could only shake his head repeatedly and sigh. His lady had once again found something for him to deal with.
The decision to create the Holy Grail Old Guard was made after a discussion between Ryan, the Lady of the Lake, and Sulia. The goal, which aligned with Ryan's plans, was to further eliminate noble privileges and force the knight nobles to elevate themselves, thus weeding out a large number of freeloaders.
Since his arrival in Bretonnia, Ryan had realized that the kingdom's resource distribution was extremely unbalanced. The nation was using all its resources to support the knights, with the majority of the kingdom's wealth funneled toward the knightly nobility.
Ryan couldn't flatly say that this policy was completely wrong. The Empire had its own characteristics, and so did the knight kingdom. As Ryan had mentioned to Alfred, abandoning the kingdom's source of pride and glorious traditions without hesitation would put Bretonnia in grave danger.
After all, Ryan believed in the confidence of his theories and cultural heritage.
However, there was a key issue—while the majority of the knight nobles were brave and willing to sacrifice, the kingdom had existed for a thousand years. Many nobles now merely lived off their ancestors' glory, using their bloodline to freeload, or worse, engage in misconduct and enjoy their privileges unjustly. This was an unavoidable problem for any nation.
Ryan had already cracked down on these nobles once, using methods such as land confiscation and title revocation. Now, with the Lady of the Lake's cooperation, they aimed to strike again, eliminating more of these decaying nobles through the creation of the Holy Grail Old Guard. This would reduce the financial burden on the kingdom and relieve the peasants. After all, with the kingdom's resources already so skewed, there was no need for the dead weight of idle knights. With the Lady's support, Ryan had the absolute moral high ground, and no one could oppose him.
In some ways, this was a deliberately manufactured crisis. For centuries, the knightly nobles of Bretonnia had monopolized the right to obtain the Holy Grail, so the appearance of a Holy Grail serf was an earth-shattering blow to the nobility.
Why was it such a massive shock?
You already understand.
What surprised Ryan about the Holy Grail Old Guard was not its formation but the Lady's choice of candidate. Ryan had thought the Lady would choose Bertrand, the commander of the Old Guard, or someone else, but instead, she chose Nicolas Davout, a former dragon knight who had only joined the Old Guard after the Battle of Valaya's Gate during the Eight Peaks Expedition.
In his private study at the ducal castle, Ryan was still pondering this issue. Sitting behind a cherrywood desk in his full royal attire, he carefully studied the profile of the first Holy Grail Old Guard.
His queen, Sulia, sat beside him, her expression gentle and even a little joyful. She said to Ryan, "Ryan, Duke Bohemond has already written to inform us that this happened within his territory. He has ordered Baron Gascoigne's title revoked, his lands confiscated, and his family, including the Baroness Sherry, who offended the Lady, exiled. Gascoigne's uncle, who recommended him, has been demoted from earl to baron and will inherit Gascoigne's manor."
"Got it," Ryan replied, sighing softly as he looked at his queen.
Sulia's wisdom and administrative abilities always impressed Ryan, but when it came to matters involving the Lady of the Lake, her stance was clear. Sulia always hoped her husband and her beloved goddess could be as close as possible, sharing everything. To her, having her husband, her sister-like goddess, and herself all together brought double the happiness.
"Apparently, this Mr. Nicolas is already on his way to Jean City, escorted by knights. Do you plan to hold a grand banquet to welcome him?" A mature and sultry voice spoke from behind Ryan. Imperial Duchess Emilia, dressed in a maid's uniform with a headscarf and white lace collar, stood behind him, massaging his shoulders. Smiling mischievously, she added, "If such a man appeared in Nuln, I would certainly open the city gates and personally welcome him. What do you think, Sister Sulia?"
If the Nuln officials saw this, they might feel a deep sense of shame. The Duchess of Nuln, the city's ruler, was publicly dressed as a maid, serving Ryan as one, and seemed to be enjoying it.
Duchess Emilia, isn't this lowering your status a bit too much? Sulia sometimes teased her.
This would likely leave Nuln's chief engineer Wagner, Nuln's champion Theodore Bruckner, and the Iron Armored General Jubal Falk utterly speechless, perhaps even returning to Nuln to prepare for a full-scale war against Bretonnia.
Ryan also tried to dissuade Emilia from such behavior.
But Emilia didn't care, further supporting Ryan and Sulia's private speculation that she had lost interest in being a grand noble. Perhaps in a few more years, when young Frederick was old enough to take charge, Emilia would pass all her titles to her son.
"I've already sent people to prepare the banquet," Sulia replied, glancing at Emilia, hinting at the tension that sometimes sparked between them.
"Master, Lady Veronica, Lady Teresa, and Lady Aurora have already teleported to Skydome Fortress," Dark Elf maid Olica said sweetly as she entered, carrying a silver tray. "It seems they won't make it to this banquet."
"Has Bertrand arrived?" Ryan asked, ignoring the tension between his queen and the duchess. He had many matters to deal with, including preparing for a grand celebration and heading to Mousillon to inspect the veterans' hospital and the newly built gunpowder factory.
The Mousillon Gunpowder Factory had been built with a ten-thousand gold crown investment from Ryan, with full technical guidance and supervision from Nuln. The dwarves had also provided significant assistance. The factory was divided into two workshops. The chief engineer of the first workshop was Dugan Ironhand, a member of the Angrund clan. His "Dugan's Blackpowder Brotherhood" had played a crucial role in Ryan's wars and the Eight Peaks Expedition.
Ryan had thought Dugan and his group would stay in the Eight Peaks to rebuild their home, but Dugan decided to return to Bretonnia, believing they still owed Ryan a debt, even though the dwarves had repaid their knights through the treasure of Eight Peaks after its capture.
Belagar agreed with Dugan, so the dwarf engineer returned to Bretonnia, and Ryan appointed him as chief engineer of the gunpowder factory's first workshop.
As for the chief engineer of the second workshop, Ryan was still waiting for news from Belia.
The latest updates indicated that Belia's mission had been quite successful. Ryan couldn't help but marvel at how easily he had acquired the skilled scholars and workers that the previous Tsar, Boris Bokaha, had painstakingly cultivated at great expense.
It was like selling off the family farm without a second thought!
Wizard thinking truly differs from that of normal nobles, especially in a country controlled by Ice Witches. From what Ryan had heard, Gelt was thriving in the Sol territory, with nobles and commoners alike praising his governance and administrative abilities.
"He's already outside," Olica replied. "Master, he seems a bit nervous."
"Nervous is normal. It would be more concerning if Bertrand didn't care," Ryan nodded slowly. "My lady, you've really given me a tough problem here."
For the knight kingdom, Holy Grail knights typically only served other Holy Grail knights, so the Lady's actions put Bertrand, commander of the Old Guard, in a very awkward position. Ryan even wondered if the goddess had done it on purpose. How was Bertrand supposed to command this Nicolas Davout?
With countless issues swirling in his mind like a tangled ball of thread, Ryan signaled for Olica to bring Bertrand in. He needed to comfort his Old Guard commander and figure out how to deal with Nicolas, the new Holy Grail Old Guard. On top of that, the Grand Assembly of Garon was approaching, and there were matters concerning the Mousillon gunpowder factory, the veterans' hospital, the royal estates, Belia's updates, and how to allocate the wealth from the Eight Peaks Expedition. Not to mention Fugen would be arriving soon.
Thank the Emperor for blessing him with the ability to multitask, but even so, Ryan often felt exhausted. And that didn't even include the antics of his three children, who were constantly causing trouble in the palace, or the time he had to spend teaching them psychic powers. Emilia had also been clinging to him lately, often clashing with Sulia, while Morgiana wasn't helping matters, frequently sneaking into his office during the afternoons or evenings.
Regent Lawn had returned to Couronne to manage his duchy, so Ryan had to handle many affairs personally.
Ryan now understood why most knight kings made little progress after ascending the throne.
And why the High Lords of Terra often worked themselves to death.
But for now, Ryan had to address the matter of the Holy Grail Old Guard.
Three days later, Nicolas Davout, the Holy Grail Old Guard, returned to Jean City with his family, receiving a hero's welcome. People poured into the streets to greet him, eager to catch a glimpse of this
legendary figure.
The celebrations were grand. Queen Sulia presented Davout with a half-elven warhorse, which he rode as he was cheered by the city's people, especially the freemen and serfs, who even climbed onto rooftops just to see the kingdom's hero.
Flowers and ribbons filled the air, and the crowd chanted Davout's name or family name. Draped in a platinum Holy Grail cloak, Davout was now a noble, and Duke Bohemond personally knighted him on the spot. However, Davout remained resolute. The Lady had instructed him to serve under Ryan and follow Bertrand's orders. Thus, he knelt before Bertrand, pledging his continued loyalty as a captain of the Old Guard. This act brought relief to both Ryan and Bertrand, and Ryan promoted Davout to deputy commander of the Old Guard, placing him in charge of the dragon cavalry while keeping him under Bertrand's command.
After the grand welcome ceremony, a high-level banquet was held at the ducal castle. Queen Sulia personally hosted Davout and invited him to sit next to her during the meal.
Ryan warmly greeted the Holy Grail Old Guard, inquiring about his journey and the situation in his homeland. Davout answered honestly and thoroughly, which pleased Ryan. After Ryan's questions, Emilia eagerly asked two more—whether Davout was married and if he planned to use ranged weapons. Davout replied faithfully that he was unmarried and that he was used to using firearms, which he would continue to do.
Hearing that Davout was unmarried, Emilia's eyes twinkled with intrigue, though it was unclear what she was plotting. Meanwhile, Duke Bohemond seemed both excited and angry, swinging his arm forcefully. "Duchess, that won't do! Our sons of Bastonne do not marry outside. We will find a gentle and virtuous noble daughter for him, so you needn't worry!"
"Heh, Duke Bohemond, that's old-fashioned thinking! In Nuln, we believe in freedom of love and that men and women should choose for themselves," Emilia retorted, undeterred. "It's his choice, so please don't interfere."
Emilia's interruption made the banquet slightly awkward, and Ryan, already exhausted from the sheer number of political duties and activities, was relieved when the dishes began to be served.
The banquet's main course featured pan-seared flounder fillet rolls, Bordeleaux halibut with lobster mousse, lamb rolls with salad, and lamb slices with potatoes and carrots. There was also Queen Sulia's favorite, roasted venison loin with Winford red wine truffle sauce, a dish that reflected the knightly nobles' tradition of winter hunting. Side dishes included braised red cabbage and a root vegetable and pumpkin tart.
For dessert, there was custard pudding, vanilla cream pie, and fruit—a mango, black chocolate, and lime trifle. The black chocolate was shaped like buttons and dusted with edible gold, looking nearly identical to the buttons on the Old Guard uniform.
The banquet went smoothly, but the former serf-turned-Holy Grail Old Guard eventually slipped up. When the full array of pure silver tableware was placed in front of him, Davout awkwardly whispered to Queen Sulia, "Your Majesty, I'm sorry, but I don't know how to use these."
Sulia smiled warmly and, with a hint of mischief, replied, "Don't worry. Let me tell you a secret—I don't know how to use them either. Just follow your instincts."
An even more awkward moment followed when the servers brought out lemon water for rinsing mouths. Davout drank the lemon water in one gulp and even ate the lemon slice inside.
Seeing this, Ryan and Sulia exchanged a smile. The king and queen each picked up their own lemon water, drank it, and ate the lemon slice.
Seeing the king do this, every noble present immediately followed suit, drinking the lemon water and eating the lemon slices.
Emilia, watching silently, nodded to herself. The imperial duchess realized that the knightly nobles had truly changed under Ryan's influence. They were starting to understand that etiquette was merely a surface matter, while strength was the substance. Gone were the days of endlessly prattling about "noble spirit" and "it takes three generations to cultivate a noble."
Davout had earned the respect and recognition of the knightly nobles with his strength and achievements, securing his entry ticket into their ranks. The kingdom was gradually evolving, aligning its system with that of the Empire. The nobility was beginning to transform itself into an elite class.
This country was truly changing.
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