The March Grass Festival heralded the thawing of snow and the beginning of spring planting. While the timing of snowmelt varied due to the vast territories of both Bretonnia and the Empire, everyone's eagerness for winter to end and for spring to arrive remained constant.
On this day, Ryan's older brother, Angron, welcomed a large group of guests to his estate located in Redfish Village.
Although Angron tried to live a low-key life as a farmer, his name inevitably spread across the Old World. However, due to his famous younger brother, the impression most people had of him was as "King Ryan's half-brother," "the fierce-looking, exceptionally strong farmer," or "the burly uncle always helping Ryan with the kids."
Despite standing over two meters tall and being incredibly muscular, the people of this world had seen too many strange things to be easily surprised. At most, they would joke that Angron's mother must have been a Norscan or Kurgan. The villagers of Redfish loved Angron. Since his arrival, their lives had significantly improved, and they no longer suffered from beastmen attacks. They knew their lord was incredibly strong, and whenever they encountered terrifying creatures in the forest, they could count on Angron to deal with them. However, the true extent of Angron's strength was beyond their comprehension, as it was for most of the Old World.
Beastmen in the forest? Angron could sweep them away with one blow.
Greenskin brutes, trolls, or even Doombulls and many other monstrous creatures that most had never heard of were rare opponents that could last more than one round against Angron. Even when he ventured out to sea and encountered legendary sea beasts or vampire pirates, Angron returned victorious, bringing back spoils and fresh meat.
The villagers often thought there was something strange and "off" about their lord, as if his entire presence didn't quite fit with their world, but they respected and loved him nonetheless.
Various factions of the Old World frequently sent spies to investigate Ryan's brother. However, Angron's background was a complete mystery. It was as though he had descended from the sky, appearing in the mortal world out of nowhere. His unfathomable strength instilled deep fear in many. After Fugen, another of Ryan's brothers, achieved great success in Lustria and announced the rise of a new ruler in the New World, even more attention was drawn to Angron. Some wondered if he, too, might attempt to carve out his own dominion like Fugen.
But after years of observation, Angron seemed content to remain a farmer. Ryan hadn't assigned him any military duties, and his only title was that of a kingdom knight, which reassured many in the Old World. Angron's estate gradually became a place where influential figures could meet privately or enjoy a retreat. Bretonnian nobles especially liked to come here for discussions and negotiations because the peaceful environment discouraged violence. Over time, many banquets and parties were hosted here, where guests could enjoy fine food and entertainment. The estate's "neutrality" made it a favored vacation spot for nobles.
Queen Sulia was one of the most frequent visitors, often bringing her children to spend holidays at the estate.
Today, however, the estate was under heavy guard. Thousands of troops were stationed around the small village, which was less than a square kilometer in size, completely surrounding it. Inside the estate, a formal meeting was taking place between Imperial Duchess Emilia, King Ryan, Queen Sulia, and the Lady of the Lake's high priestess, Morgiana.
This meeting would go down in history as "The Angron Estate Meeting."
However, the actual atmosphere inside the estate was far from formal…
"Hey everyone, today we're picking mushrooms from Old Man's farm next door! Look at these! They're beautiful!" Ryan exclaimed as he picked mushrooms from a peasant's home, with Angron watching from a distance with the three children. Meanwhile, Sulia, Emilia, and Morgiana—the three most powerful women in the Old World—were sitting together, sipping tea and chatting happily. Not far away, a group of Grail Knights, a squad of Nuln Iron Guard, and an Old Guard company kept a close watch on the surroundings. The peasant family, consisting of the man, his wife, and their five children, were kneeling on the ground, too terrified to move.
"These mushrooms are the best!" Angron laughed heartily from a distance. "They take years to grow, at least a three-year cycle. Not many people grow them anymore, but I know you love these, brother."
"Our king also loves your livestock!" called out Ryan's father-in-law, François, from nearby. "So, are we in luck today?"
"Could you stop calling us and your king out on everything!" Angron shouted back. "Always eyeing up my stuff!"
"Hahaha! The king said nothing tastes better than what you have!" Everyone burst into laughter, including Emilia, who was cradling her border collie, Subaru, while chatting with Sulia and Morgiana. The imperial duchess smiled fondly as she watched her son herding cattle and sheep in the distance, closing her eyes and savoring the moment.
Kingdom Regent Lawn, Duke Bohemond, and François were all present, eyeing Angron's plump livestock with greedy anticipation. "Mr. Angron, any chance we'll get to taste some today?" they asked, practically salivating.
"Oh, sure!" Angron handed François a large net. "Use this, and whatever you catch, you can eat."
"Looks like we're in for a treat today," Bohemond said, stroking his long beard with a laugh.
With that, Bohemond and François, both powerful warriors at the peak of their domains, each grabbed a simple wooden net, smirking mischievously as they entered Angron's chicken coop. Soon, they emerged with several plump, healthy chickens. Attendants quickly took the squawking birds from the dukes' hands, expertly slaughtering, cleaning, and preparing them.
Two Old Guard soldiers carried a large iron pot and placed it over a woodpile. Lawn, ever practical, took out a fire starter, lit the wood, and carefully tended the flames. As Grail Knights who had participated in numerous grueling expeditions, survival skills were second nature to them.
Today, King Ryan himself would cook a signature dish: chicken stewed with mushrooms. While the chickens weren't exactly small, each weighing several kilograms, the king was determined to handle the cooking himself.
A massive pot was set over the fire, and as the dish simmered, everyone finally sat down to wait for dinner.
"Uncle Angron! Why does that warrior monk have two nails in his head?" Little Devonshire asked curiously, tugging at Angron's leg as he pointed at a bald-headed priest.
A battle priest from Nuln, sent as a representative by the High Priest of Nuln, Casimir IX, had joined the feast. Two iron nails were embedded in his skull, which piqued young Devonshire's interest.
"Uh…" Angron thought to himself, How should I know?
"I know! I know!" Frederick raised his hand excitedly. "Uncle Angron definitely knows too, right?"
"Well, yes, of course I know." Angron decided to play along, pointing at the nails and saying, "Those are service nails, symbolizing that this battle priest has served the Emperor for 200 years."
"Down with the false Emperor!" Little Devonshire shouted, shaking his tiny fists with a phrase he didn't fully understand—something Angron had taught him.
"???" Frederick thought to himself, Isn't it because of diarrhea and desire that they do that?
"Doggie, puppy~!" Little Rem was running after a group of border collies, dressed in a princess gown.
"Look at your son, running wild like that," Emilia teased, cradling Subaru as she smiled at Ryan, who was busy adding seasoning to the large pot.
"As if he's not your son too," Ryan shot back, causing everyone to laugh.
Soon, the large pot of chicken and mushrooms was ready, and everyone enjoyed an outdoor feast.
"Everyone, I called you here today to share some important news." The tender chicken and fragrant mushrooms earned praise for the king's cooking skills. Ryan sat back down and placed his bowl on the wooden table. He then pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. "The High Priestess of the Cult of Myrmidia, Isabella Giovanni, has gone missing."
"Missing?" Emilia asked casually, still feeding Rem chicken soup. "Maybe she just had something urgent to attend to?"
"No, she's been kidnapped. The culprit is the Lich King, Arkhan the Black." Ryan's expression turned grim. "I just received this information from Hal Harris. Take a look."
One by one, everyone read the small piece of paper. Their expressions darkened. François stroked his goatee, his gaze turning to Morgiana, whose face had grown pale. Trembling with a mix of fear and anger, the Lake Witch clenched her fists tightly. François sighed and said, "It seems Arkhan hasn't given up on his plan to resurrect Nagash, the Lord of the Undead, despite his major defeat in Bretonnia."
"Damn it!" Regent Lawn set down his bowl and glared at the hastily written note. "So, our next opponent is Arkhan again? That bastard! He orchestrated the Mallobaude rebellion that almost destroyed the entire kingdom. We should immediately organize a new army."
"A new army?" Bohemond smiled bitterly. "Let me tell you, Lawn, first, we don't have military passage through Estalia. We can't
even enter their borders. Second, the undead's tactics…"
"The undead's tactics are like this—if Arkhan is determined to hide, we'll have a hard time finding him," Sulia added, looking worriedly at Morgiana. She reached out and held the Lake Witch's cold hand. "Your Highness, as I said before, you must not leave this place."
"That's right, Your Highness," Ryan agreed, frowning deeply. He certainly didn't want to see Nagash resurrected. But as Nagash's most loyal servant, Arkhan would stop at nothing to achieve that goal. Even though Arkhan had suffered a setback in Bretonnia, he could still find replacements. If he couldn't capture Morgiana, then Isabella Giovanni, the High Priestess of Myrmidia, had become his new target.
Vampires and undead could afford to take decades, centuries, or even millennia to complete their plans. They were patient, inching toward their goals one step at a time. The capture of Morgiana and the Mallobaude rebellion had been the result of Arkhan's careful plotting over decades. Though he had failed, Arkhan didn't seem to mind. Having lived for 5,000 years, he had limitless time. Preparing another plan over several more decades, or even centuries, was easy for him. Could humans outlast Arkhan?
The group was at a loss. Arkhan's movements were unpredictable, and as a peak Sanctuary undead sorcerer who could cast group teleportation spells, capturing him was nearly impossible. To make matters worse, Arkhan commanded several undead legions and tomb legions.
"Heinrich Kemmler is dead, Mousillon has been reclaimed, and we've driven the last of the undead forces out of the kingdom," François said, stroking his goatee. "But we cannot interfere with the internal affairs of other nations. It's well-known that among the eight major churches of the Old World, only the Church of Mercy has its cathedral in Bretonnia. The others are based in the southern nations or the Empire."
"Yes, that's another headache," Ryan agreed. He had once had an agreement with Neferata, the bloodline ancestor of the Lahmian vampires, but after the Battle of Valaya's Gate, they had become mortal enemies. Clearly, she couldn't be relied upon for help now. After some thought, Ryan turned to Morgiana. "Your Highness, you…"
"I will stay here more often, don't worry," Morgiana readily agreed, her thoughts aligning perfectly with Ryan's.
"François, Bohemond, La Maisonnel Abbey must remain on high alert and bolster its defenses," Ryan continued, addressing the two dukes. "I'll also notify Ford and Casfaen."
Both dukes nodded.
"Olica, do you have a way to contact the Tomb Kings, specifically the High Queen of Lybaras, Khalida?" Ryan then asked Olica.
"No problem, Master. Khalida gave me a way to reach her, but she made it clear it must be about dealing with the undead," the dark elf nodded.
"Good. Now, let's think. Besides Morgiana, who else could Arkhan target next?" Ryan asked the group.
"Wait!" Emilia suddenly had a thought. She gestured for everyone to listen. "Could it be…"
"It's very likely! We'll need you to keep a close eye on the Empire!" Ryan responded.
...And now we transition to the next chapter…
As the meeting at the Angron Estate continued, over in the Old World, on the edge of the World's Edge Mountains, the Skydome Fortress was hosting the Grand Assembly of Garon.
Thousands of witches had gathered in the luxurious Skydome Fortress to vote on the fate of Elder Witch Aurora and her faction.
Meanwhile, in a private room, Elder Witch Kalayrona wore a sinister expression. She turned to the shadows in the room and said, "It's time to strike. Now is the perfect moment!"
A calm and elegant male voice replied from the shadows, "No, not now. If we act now, we don't have enough certainty of success."
"We need to wait. Wait for Veronica and her people to leave. That woman has a powerful purification aura. The Raven Lord has warned us not to confront her directly."
"When Veronica leaves, we can act. This council, which has stood for centuries, will finally be destroyed!"
"This is the plan to bring down Garon!"
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