As the day gradually darkened, the veteran guards finished their day's training. They would have dinner first, and after that, there was a period of free time where they could read, take a walk, engage in some physical exercise, or stroll around nearby. Generally, they just needed to return to the camp before curfew.
The veteran guards were given two days off every ten days, in addition to public holidays. The cultures of Bretania and the Empire were relatively similar, and they mostly celebrated the same holidays. However, the Bretanians did not observe "Charlemagne Ascension Day" or "Ulric Wolf God Day"; instead, they celebrated "Holy Grail Day" and the "Lady of the Lake's Birthday."
Throughout the year, there were about ten days of holidays. The Winter Solstice holiday typically lasted three to five days, depending on the lord's discretion. Ryan usually gave the soldiers four days off.
Seeing that it was about time, Ryan finished his bowl of beef stew with potatoes. He stood up and said to Morgiana, "Let's go. Where shall we stay tonight?"
Morgiana's eyes lit up at Ryan's words. The Lake Witch tested, "You're not going back to the Duke's castle tonight?"
"Sulia wants me to spend more time with you," Ryan coughed, "She said we've been in the Empire too long."
"Well... alright," Morgiana agreed almost immediately, without any hesitation, "Shall I decide where to go?"
"Mhm," Ryan smiled and nodded, shrugging, "I'll go wherever you want."
"Then let's go to the Holy Grail's Praise," Morgiana decided without hesitation.
"Alright," Ryan agreed without further comment.
Morgiana mounted her unicorn, Sylphan, while Ryan got on his pure-blooded elven steed, Grape. Grape snorted at Sylphan and tapped his hoof arrogantly. Sylphan responded by releasing a beam of light from his glowing horn, which startled Grape. The horse jumped back, looking at the small crater left by the light. Grape swallowed hard and no longer dared to tease the unicorn.
"Don't do that, Sylphan," Morgiana quickly soothed the unicorn by stroking its back. Sylphan gradually calmed down, and Ryan also pulled on Grape's reins.
A pure-blooded elven steed could live for one to two hundred years, and the stronger ones even longer. Grape was still young, and Ryan did not want anything to happen to him.
The two proceeded along the street. The city of Gene was lively at night, with people coming and going. The streets were still illuminated in many places, and some establishments like restaurants and taverns were still open. Many freemen had just returned from the workshops, and instead of resting immediately, some went to bars for a drink, while others had dinner before heading home.
Opportunities arise with demand. With the city's growing needs, many vendors like the shop owner they had seen earlier, along with peddlers specializing in delivery and sales, had emerged. Anyone willing to work could make money in this environment.
"Eight Peaks Mountain," Morgiana initiated the conversation, "So, after you ascend the throne, you plan to join King Belegar Ironhammer in a campaign to reclaim his ancestral lands?"
"King Belegar has helped us a great deal in a series of wars, including the entire industrial belt along the Shenon River. It was all built by our dwarf brothers," Ryan said, holding Grape's reins with some emotion, "Belegar has done a lot for us, and naturally, we need to reciprocate."
"Chivalric virtue is about keeping promises; this is the Lady's teaching," Morgiana nodded, not surprised by Ryan's intention to send troops. "How do you plan to fulfill this promise? Will you personally lead the army?"
"Yes, I will lead the army myself. After I ascend the throne, I will initiate a new chivalric crusade, with Eight Peaks Mountain as the target," Ryan briefly outlined his plan. "At that time, all the knights of the kingdom will join the expedition."
"Is it necessary to mobilize such a large force?" Morgiana mused, gently suggesting her opinion, "King Belegar has undertaken the construction of almost all the industrial and waterworks along the Chalon River in recent years. He has also occupied the two mountain fortresses of Blackstone Stronghold and Okar Mountain. Isn't that enough? In fact, Duke Ford of Montfort has filed multiple complaints with both me and the royal court, arguing that contracting all the kingdom's waterworks and industrial construction to the Angrund clan dwarfs is not a good idea. It might leave the kingdom's own craftsmen unemployed."
"Hmph, I understand why Ford says that," Ryan sneered, clearly disdainful. "Previously, Montfort Duchy had the best craftsmen in the kingdom. He wanted a share of these projects but got nothing. He knows very well that Montfort's craftsmen can't match the skills of the Angrund clan's engineers and dwarf craftsmen, so he keeps coming to you and Louen to complain. Morgiana, how did you handle it?"
"I told him it wasn't my concern and directed him to the regent you appointed, Louen Leoncoeur," Morgiana replied, well aware of Duke Ford's intentions.
"In that case, how did Louen handle it?" Ryan was intrigued.
"Louen suggested that if Duke Ford was confident, he could stake the honor of House Montfort on having his craftsmen compete with the dwarfs to see who was better. He even offered to invite a few Grail Knights to judge. Since then, Duke Ford hasn't dared bring it up again," Morgiana said calmly.
"Haha, Louen has learned well," Ryan chuckled, nodding repeatedly. "It seems appointing him as regent was a good idea. He has always managed these matters well. After I ascend the throne, I'll have him continue as the kingdom's regent, so I can focus on other things."
After a while, they arrived at the Holy Grail's Praise, a tavern that was perhaps the most upscale in southern Bretania. Not only was it several stories high, but it was also filled with southern Bretanian knights, nobles, and wealthy merchants, most of whom were sipping wine and discussing current affairs. The first floor was a hall, the second floor had private rooms, and the third to fifth floors were for lodging.
Ryan couldn't help but recall when he first came to Bretania. His superior, Marquis Connery Ascot, had left him a winery but took everything with him. At the time, Ryan had planned to turn the winery into a resort, but it proved impractical. He then tried to promote the wine from his winery, but even after marrying Sulia and receiving guidance from Winford's master winemaker, the best wine produced was only second-rate.
However, the Holy Grail's Praise had its unique selling point: wine made from grapes personally cultivated by the Lady of the Lake, known as the "Lady's Reserve."
To avoid causing a stir and being bothered, Ryan and Morgiana entered the tavern through the VIP entrance. They quickly had the rooms arranged by the Lake Prophet in charge of the tavern's operations. Ryan and Morgiana first sat down in a private room on the second floor, where the waiter served two glasses of wine, a steak, and a fish fillet for their dinner.
"The dwarf king's obsession with Eight Peaks Mountain far exceeds expectations," Morgiana elegantly dined, continuing their conversation about Belegar. "In recent years, he's made quite a profit from all the kingdom's construction contracts, but he's hardly spent any of it."
"That's because Belegar used the money to pay off debts," Ryan said with a hint of sarcasm. "Morgiana, do you know how much debt Belegar is in?"
"I'm all ears," Morgiana said, cutting her fish fillet with a silver knife and fork.
"In the Old World, every dwarf kingdom—except for the Dwarfs of Zharr-Naggrund in the far north of Norsca—has lent him money, grain, or men. On top of that, he has also accrued massive debts, including hiring ogre tribes and then defaulting on payments. He even sought aid from the border princes, only for their forces to be decimated while he escaped alone."
"..." Morgiana's expression changed slightly, her grip on the knife and fork tightening. "So how can you be sure Belegar won't default on you? How can you guarantee he won't cheat you?"
"Belegar is a master of siege tactics, but he clearly has issues with strategy," Ryan didn't directly answer Morgiana's question, continuing instead, "Last time, during his third assault on Eight Peaks Mountain, he amassed a force of about eight thousand, including mercenaries and retinues. According to his estimates, there were at least tens of thousands of Greenskins in the mountain, not to mention an uncountable number of Skaven beneath."
"And yet, he still wanted to fight?" Morgiana was speechless.
"Yes, Belegar insisted on fighting. He claimed that every warrior of the Angrund clan could take on a hundred enemies, that Greenskins and vermin were nothing to worry about," Ryan laughed. "So, as I said, Belegar is a true tactical master when it comes to sieges, but strategically, he's always impatient. As soon as he gathers a sizeable force, he's eager to set out and reclaim his ancestral lands. If he hadn't failed three times, nearly depleting the last of the Angrund clan's resources, he wouldn't have learned his lesson and taken a break to regroup."
Hearing this, Morgiana frowned. She was beginning to have reservations about Ryan
's plan to join the campaign at Eight Peaks Mountain. However, considering the chivalric virtues and promises involved, she wouldn't voice her objections. Carefully slicing a small piece of fish, she offered it to Ryan, "Try this, Ryan. It's not as good as what I make, but don't just eat meat. Ah~"
"Ah~m," Ryan leaned forward, accepting the bite from Morgiana. "It's indeed not as good as what you make, Morgiana."
"Here, the broccoli is good too," Morgiana smiled, feeling sweet inside. She once again extended her fork, offering a piece of broccoli to Ryan, "Ah~"
"Mmm," Ryan accepted the food again, feeling a bit embarrassed, thinking, *I'm in my thirties, and I'm still being fed like this.*
One bite after another, their dinner quickly came to an end. After the meal, Morgiana cast a spell at the door of the private room. She moved closer to Ryan, sitting sideways in his arms, and the two enjoyed a moment of quiet warmth.
"Recently, the prices of grain on the market have been fluctuating strangely, with a slow but steady rise. Pork prices, in particular, have skyrocketed, and many people are complaining that they can't afford it anymore," Morgiana said, leaning on Ryan's shoulder, feeling soft and weak all over.
"Hehe," Ryan held Morgiana in his arms and explained, "The rise in grain prices is normal. Due to the previous trade agreements, the Empire's Wissenland is importing grain from us. The invasion by Tamurkhan ruined an entire season's winter wheat planting in Wissenland, so apart from reallocating grain from Reikland and Averland, Emilia has also been importing large quantities from us."
"As for the skyrocketing pork prices, that's related to Belegar. The dwarfs have a famous festival in the twelfth month called 'Keg End,' where all the beer barrels must be emptied, symbolizing the departure of bad luck. Belegar is also planning a grand ancestral ritual, seemingly hoping to summon the spirits of their ancestors to return and fight. A crucial part of this ritual is gathering a large number of dwarfs to feast and revel, with the greater the noise, the better the chance of awakening the ancestors. As a result, the Angrund clan has bought up thousands of pigs and hundreds of goats, leading to a shortage of pork and a natural price increase."
"I see," Morgiana nodded, closing her eyes, relishing the moment.
"In fact, at this point, everyone is eyeing the wealth buried deep within Eight Peaks Mountain. Before withdrawing from the mountain, the Angrund clan dwarfs buried and sealed away dozens of mines filled with incredible treasures. In the deepest halls of Eight Peaks Mountain, there are thousands of rune armors. All the wealth they couldn't carry out was buried underground and sealed using special methods, and only Belegar knows how to unlock them," Ryan continued, "Now, even if Belegar doesn't want to reclaim Eight Peaks Mountain, he has no choice."
Morgiana understood that the situation had escalated to where creditors had effectively become shareholders. Even if Belegar didn't want to send troops, the knights and nobles of Bretania wouldn't agree! The immense wealth hidden within Eight Peaks Mountain was waiting for everyone. Many knights were already eager, waiting for Belegar and Ryan to launch the campaign!
The knights wanted to strike it rich, especially in such a justifiable and profitable situation, which was a rare opportunity!
"And there's even more hidden within Eight Peaks Mountain," Ryan's gaze shifted to the first floor of the Holy Grail's Praise.
The Wood Elf hero, Araloth the Bold, Lord of Talsyn, had just entered with two Waywatchers. They sat down and ordered a few glasses of brandy and roasted bear paws.
"Deep within the dwarven ancestral halls of Eight Peaks Mountain, there is a gem that the elves are deeply fascinated by. Perhaps we can use this to hire a Wood Elf army."
"This platinum diamond is known as the 'Elven Gem,' the lifelong love of the elves."
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