Taking advantage of the autumn harvest season, Ryan finds himself relatively free from internal affairs. With everyone focused on the harvest, and many of the troublemaking rogue knights led off by Carad or handled by Duke Berchmond, Ryan finally has some downtime. He decides to travel to Mousilon to inspect the Veterans' Home and the Bretonnian Royal Old Guard Estate.
Morgiana is too busy to join him, as are Aurora and Teresa, who are gathering intelligence about the Old World. Thus, Ryan is accompanied only by his queen, Sulia, and his personal maid, Olica.
Ryan also brings along his son, Devonshire, who has grown tall and shows considerable talent in both psionics and weaponry. Ryan has recently been personally instructing him in the mornings, while he trains and eats with the Old Guard in the afternoons. Initially worried that his son might struggle to adapt, Ryan finds Devonshire thriving in this routine. Despite being under ten years old, the boy displays exceptional energy and learning ability. Carad, however, often finds himself unable to provide enough instruction due to his own lack of cultural knowledge.
Because Ryan has been away on campaigns for much of his son's life, young Devonshire is closer to his uncle Angron. Ryan uses this time to build rapport with his son, aiming to show him that while he may not surpass Angron or Fugen, he remains one of the Old World's most formidable figures.
By the end of October, the Bretonnian autumn harvest is nearly complete, with only the southernmost duchies of Carcassonne and Brelion still harvesting. Next, the serfs will plant crops to endure the winter.
Ryan strolls through the Veterans' Home in Mousilon, holding Sulia's hand, his face alight with a smile. Behind him follows Olica, and further back, two commanders of the Old Guard, Bertrand "Eye of Tal" and Nikola Davout. Following them is the resplendent Old Guard itself, wearing their iconic bearskin hats, blue coats with white shirts, and red epaulets decorated with wheat sprigs. Many of these soldiers have served for over a decade; one former serf named Rosier, who fought alongside Ryan at the Battle of Coleson near Marienburg, has served for twenty-two years, earning him the nickname "The Relic."
Now 45, Rosier is a legendary warrior, having advanced during the Great Eight Peaks Expedition. Despite multiple promotions, he remains a soldier at heart, insisting on serving Ryan as a knight. Ryan has since elevated him to the rank of ranger knight, where he continues his duty.
The Old Guard's ferocious combat prowess, honed through rigorous selection, training, and loyalty to Ryan, commands worldwide admiration. Whenever the Old Guard appears on the battlefield, it inspires Bretonnian troops and strikes fear into the hearts of any foe.
Upon returning from Osuan, Ryan restructured the Old Guard for the third time. Admission now requires at least ten years of service and participation in five major battles. Under these conditions, he expanded the Old Guard to five companies, totaling around 2,000 troops: one pike company, one greatsword company, two companies of musket grenadiers, and one musket dragoon company.
"Everyone wants to join the Old Guard, absolutely everyone. But it seems the king has no intention of making that easy – ten years, for goodness' sake!"
— A statement by a Bretonnian freeman
The Veterans' Home houses disabled veterans and serves as a military museum showcasing Ryan's unparalleled achievements. Recently completed, it includes five large courtyards, a Lady of the Lake chapel by the lake, a print and uniform workshop, and a new military hospital operated in cooperation with high elf healers from the kingdom of Saphery, who provide medical services and instruct human trainees.
After viewing the Veterans' Home and the Royal Old Guard Estate on the coastal cliffs of Mousilon, Ryan decides to picnic by the cliffside, where a banquet is quickly arranged.
"Your Majesty, many people believe this recent measure was unwise!" Bertrand "Eye of Tal" comments as he walks in his uniform, adorned with over a dozen medals that clink proudly with each step, embodying endless honor.
Ryan had also reformed the medal system upon his return from Osuan. The authority to award medals and decorations now rests with the king. Ryan's new system includes:
- Highest Medal of the Lady of the Lake (presented personally by the Lady of the Lake)
- Exceptional Holy Grail Legion Medal
- First Class Golden Cross Medal
- Second Class Lion Medal
- Third Class Iris and Hibiscus Medals
Besides bestowing great honor and status, these medals also come with pensions and privileges. Ryan has also awarded various service medals, such as five-year, ten-year, and twenty-year service medals, as well as medals commemorating specific battles like Blackstone Hold, La Maisonneuve, Great Eight Peaks, and Obion.
Bertrand's medals are indeed numerous, clinking as he walks. Compared to him, Davout, who joined more recently, feels slightly embarrassed by his modest collection. With the introduction of the medal system, medals have become the new currency of prestige among soldiers, with those bearing many medals, like Bertrand, gaining considerable pride and respect—even among the nobility.
"Unwise in what way, Bertrand? It's not polite to speak in half-sentences." Sulia interjects, sensing that Ryan is deep in thought. Today, she's dressed in a formal lady knight's attire: a blue coat with golden epaulets and buttons, a white lace dress beneath, black lace stockings, brown over-knee high-heeled boots, and white lace gloves with a gold double-headed eagle wedding ring. Her golden hair flows down to her waist, radiating the aura of a valiant, noble lady knight.
"The northern coast needs protection, so many believe Your Majesty should assign us to this duty," Bertrand says with a smile to Sulia. "The men feel this is something they should be part of."
Sulia chuckles; she understands the Old Guard's eagerness to fight. This elite unit views war as its only path to advancement and reward.
Ryan, however, does not laugh. Frowning slightly, he gestures for the soldiers to prepare the picnic on the cliffside. The Old Guard begins setting up camp, cooking, and arranging sentries. Ryan, leading Sulia to sit, watches his son, Devonshire, join the soldiers to grill meat. The king surveys his troops with satisfaction, though his expression turns somber.
The Old Guard is an elite, fully professional force that exists solely for combat, funded by the kingdom. As long as strict selection and training standards are maintained, it is a formidable unit. Since it doesn't engage in trade, politics, or production, its attention remains undivided.
Yet Ryan understands that such elite forces have inherent risks. Since they neither produce nor engage in commerce or politics, their sole purpose becomes warfare, and they will push for conflict to advance their positions. Over time, such a unit might even begin advocating for war if the monarch does not.
If the king resists, initially, they might show mere dissatisfaction. But over decades, as monarchs and soldiers are replaced, this elite corps may come to feel that if the king won't lead them to battle, they should find one who will.
Ryan's advantages, however, are significant: first, as a Primarch, he enjoys an extraordinarily long lifespan. Second, the world remains rife with conflict, eliminating the need to start wars to keep the army active. Third, his personal prowess ensures he maintains control over his forces.
As they sit, Olica stands behind him, and Ryan turns to Sulia. "Any word from Carad?"
"None. They only relocated their base from Diana Manor to Alençon Castle at the northern gateway to Couronne," Sulia replies gently. "Per the suggestion from Uralda's commander, General Meletskov, which Beliar should have shown you."
"Yes, I saw it. His analysis of the Norscans is spot-on," Ryan says with a slight smile. "When I was in Nord, I saw it too. The tribes often avoid attacking vulnerable positions unless they can plunder enough to please their dark gods."
"Your Majesty, do you believe they will attack?" Davout, the Old Guard's deputy commander, asks, unsure. "So far, the northern coast seems calm."
"Chaos and the tribes defy reason," Ryan says, yawning. Last night, the Lady of the Lake had visited, teaming with Sulia and Olica for a "group activity." Now, she is in Mousilon's new palace overseeing the renovations. Though Ryan found it enjoyable, he can feel the strain on his back.
Ryan continues, "Historically, Marienburg, Nordland, and the Norscans have signed hundreds of pacts, and while the tribes occasionally honor them, they're discarded the moment the Dark Gods issue a command or a chieftain has a vision to raid southward. We'd best remain vigilant."
"Yes," the others agree.
As Ryan enjoys this rare moment of calm amid the golden autumn, a thousand Norscan longships sail across the Claw Sea. Bearing the 33,000-strong army of the Norscan Worldwalker legion, led by Ulfrey the Wanderer, they advance quickly toward Bretonnia's northern coast.
"Our mission is to burn their pathetic capital of Couronne to ash!" Ulfrey shouts. "First target, Chantilon!"
"For the Wanderer! For Chaos!" With his sword Frostbite in hand, Ulfrey, adorned with trophies of skulls, stands at the bow of a giant dragon ship, rallying his horde with a single word: "Destruction!"
"For Chaos!" The chorus of bloodthirsty
, frenzied shouts echoes over the sea as war clouds gather, creeping ever closer to the knightly kingdom.
Appendix: Norscan Bretonnian Front, Worldwalker Legion Composition
Commander: Ulfrey the Wanderer, mid-Sanctuary rank, Worldwalker
Sorcerer: Edjik the Maze Keeper, Sanctuary rank, Tzeentch's chosen
Units:
- "Horn of Frost" Norscan champion warriors: 1 team
- "Tribe Beast" champion warriors: 1 team
- Barbarian raiders: 133 teams
- Berserker warbands: 50 teams
- Spear-armed raiders: 36 teams
- Champion warriors: 10 teams
- Raider hunters: 20 teams
- Raider cavalry: 13 teams
- Elite raider cavalry: 10 teams
- Norscan chariots: 89 units
- Skin wolves: 6 warbands
- Norscan trolls: 5 warbands
- Marsh fiends: 12 warbands
- Ice trolls: 3 warbands
- Norscan giants: 8
- Mammoths: 3
- Ice drake: 1
Total: Approximately 33,000
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