The creation of the new Grey Knight recruits had been a project in the making ever since Ryan was merely a count.
Under the guidance of the Lake Church, magically gifted boys from across Bretonnia were identified and sent to the chambers prepared by the Emperor and his Custodes. There, they underwent an arduous and monotonous process of conditioning. Survival depended solely on the boys' mental resilience and whether they could withstand the psychic shocks from Ryan's powerful psychic energy.
These mighty Grey Knights were forged by the Emperor's divine power, Ryan's pure bloodline, and Malcador's indomitable will. Their sacred mission intertwined their very essence, binding their will to the Warp and their psychic energy. Each of the five recruits was not only an exceptional knight but also a psychic. Having endured countless trials, they had all gained a rudimentary understanding of their psychic potential.
The five recruits had already mastered the two foundational abilities of the Grey Knights.
The first was The Light of the Warp, an ability that allowed them to cloak themselves in a dazzling, pure psychic glow during battle. This light not only blinded enemies but also shielded the Grey Knights from magical and ranged attacks.
The second was Dispel, a psychic power that could nullify any magic, including the Winds of Magic. The effectiveness of this ability depended on the strength of the opposing magic and the individual psychic power of the Grey Knight.
Beyond these basic skills, the recruit named Pétain had even mastered a third ability: Thunderstrike (also known as Lightning Palm). With this power, Pétain could channel his psychic energy to deliver devastating attacks that ignored armor and tore through flesh. Additionally, his strikes temporarily enhanced the speed of all nearby allies.
The recruits had grown rapidly under the Primarch's guidance, their strength and prowess increasing at an astonishing pace. Returning to their hometowns as part of their training, they were hailed as divine blessings and messengers of the gods. Villagers, and even their own parents, knelt in gratitude to the Lady of the Lake and the King for their children's transformation.
But for Pétain and his fellow recruits, everything they once knew had changed. During their years in the incubation chambers, they had been imbued with vast amounts of knowledge and had come to understand the true purpose of their existence.
More than ten thousand years had passed, filled with endless sacrifices and suffering.
The five recruits now stood before the Primarch, Ryan-Malcador. His legendary deeds were known throughout the world. His strength was unparalleled, and his victories had brought peace and prosperity to Bretonnia's people. His grand expeditions had repeatedly struck devastating blows against darkness, bringing glory back to his kingdom.
Sacrifice was the foundation of humanity, and blood was the soil in which its future grew. Though the sky remained perpetually dark, there was still hope—a dawn that had never fully faded. The Emperor's throne burned brightly, and the five recruits swore to fight for humanity's survival until their last breath, to return to the embrace of the Emperor.
That was their ultimate goal and the meaning of their existence.
"How are things in the Grey Mountains and Arden Forest?" Ryan asked from behind his desk, addressing the five recruits he referred to as his "sons."
"The situation isn't good, my lord," Pétain replied. He had just returned from visiting his aging parents after ten long years. Seeing their son return was a miracle to them, and Pétain had brought gifts of food and cloth. In a soft voice, he explained to his parents that he had been chosen by the Lady and had become one of the fabled "Sons of Bretonnia."
The peasants, knowing little of the world beyond their fields, saw the Lady as the eternal goddess. Having a child serve her was a source of immense pride.
Pétain, however, felt a deep sadness at the scene but knew he could do nothing to change it.
"Not good?" Ryan frowned. "Be clear, Pétain. And you, Foch, Joffre—I need specifics, not vague answers. A poor harvest could be described as 'not good,' but so could an entire village being wiped off the map."
"The beastmen in Arden Forest are resurging, Your Majesty," Pétain admitted hesitantly. "According to reports from the former Duchy of Artois, beastmen activity has been increasingly frequent. Many settlements in the eastern forest have suffered small-scale attacks, and even in the west, ungors have been sighted."
"They're stirring again, are they?" Ryan nodded slowly. It had been over twenty years since he had destroyed the Herdstone of the Thousand Mauls. Now it seemed the beastmen were attempting to return. "Why haven't I received any reports?"
"Baron Claude, the Grail Knight, believes he can handle the situation on his own," Pétain replied earnestly. "In fact, he has already led several expeditions against them, though with limited success. However, compared to the beastmen, there is another group that is seen as an even bigger problem."
"Another group?" Ryan asked curiously. As a Grail Knight and baron, Claude was within his rights to organize his own forces to address local issues. But for another group to go unreported was unusual.
"They are the so-called Trackless Ones, Your Majesty," Pétain elaborated, providing details about the three major factions in Arden Forest.
In addition to Baron Claude and the resurgent beastmen, a third force occupied the forest: a band of human outlaws known as the Trackless Ones. Numbering over ten thousand, including the elderly, women, and children, these outlaws were essentially fugitives living outside the law.
Ryan's expression darkened at the mention of the Trackless Ones.
The Trackless Ones, often called "Merry Men," were born out of the infamous Great Red Flame Crusade. After that crusade, many serfs who had followed their knight lords into foreign lands saw a different way of life. Witnessing the relative equality of Araby, the ideals of liberty and equality in the southern kingdoms, and the meritocracy of the Empire, they began to disdain the knights' so-called "chivalry." They rebelled, rejecting the nobles' laws but justifying their actions as fighting for justice by robbing the rich and opposing oppressive lords.
Under Ryan's rule, the number and influence of the Trackless Ones had dwindled significantly. With reforms allowing serfs to farm peacefully and rise through military service, fewer people turned to banditry. However, in the less reformed northern regions, remnants of the old nobility persisted, and so did the Trackless Ones.
The largest of these groups was the one in Arden Forest, led by a man known as "General Charles." Composed of former serfs, disinherited noble bastards, defeated soldiers, disgraced knights, and even some high-ranking nobles seeking redemption for past mistakes, this band had become a small army ruling the depths of the forest.
Ryan had largely ignored them, considering them a minor issue as long as they stayed deep in the forest. However, his attention was now drawn to their activities.
"This Trackless Ones group calls itself 'Free Bretonnia,' and its leader, General Charles, styles himself as the head of the Hidden Fellowship," Pétain explained, his disdain for the outlaw leader evident. "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"
"Summon an army immediately!" Ryan's response was decisive. "Issue my command: appoint Bertrand, Marshal of the Sixth Army, as the commander, with Rokossovsky as his deputy. Assemble three regiments of the Old Guard, the First Guard Lancer Regiment, and detach units from Mousillon's army. Conduct a military reconnaissance of Arden Forest!"
"Your Majesty, is such a large force necessary?" The five recruits were visibly surprised.
"An army that doesn't fight becomes complacent," Ryan replied calmly. "Let them clear out the beastmen. As for the Trackless Ones, instruct Bertrand to negotiate their surrender if possible. If not, authorize limited suppression. As for you five, you will accompany the expedition. Your task is to purge corruption and investigate whether Chaos cultists are among the Trackless Ones."
"Yes, sire!"
The Reconnaissance Begins
Following Ryan's command, a massive army assembled in Mousillon. This force included multiple Mousillon infantry regiments, several companies of zealous Questing Knights, numerous Knights of the Realm, an artillery regiment, and three battalions of the Old Guard (halberdiers, greatswords, and gunners), as well as the First Guard Lancer Regiment. In total, the army numbered over 12,000 men, all marching into the depths of Arden Forest.
Even a team of Wood Elf Waywatchers, known as the Emerald Wind, had joined the effort.
As they advanced through the kingdom's valleys, wooded clearings, and dense forests, the Marshal of the Old Guard, Bertrand, reflected on the past. Once the leader of the Berjac Bandits, he now walked alongside his halberdier captain, Raymond, marveling at how much had changed.
"So many years have passed, and here I am once again in the heart of the forest. It feels almost like coming home," Bertrand remarked.
"The King's first major battle after arriving in the kingdom was against the beastmen of Arden Forest," Raymond added, clearly in a good mood. A veteran himself, he spoke bluntly. "I have to say, Marquis of Ancy at the time was utterly incompetent. Under his leadership, the chivalric army was nearly wiped out. If not for the King's decisive action leading the right flank to strike directly at the Herdstone, the northern kingdom would have been in grave danger for years."
In the center of the formation marched the disciplined and awe-inspiring Old Guard, their precision a sight to behold. Flanking them were scouts and skirmishers. Rokossovsky, clad in newly forged dwarven rune armor, said little, his Kislite instincts keeping him ever vigilant.
Belya, however, was eager to join the conversation. The Ungol was always disappointed that he had joined Ryan's forces too late to be part of the Arden Forest campaign. "Marshal Bertrand, I heard that during the right flank's advance, the army narrowly avoided an ambush thanks to a local serf who risked his life to warn the King about the incoming rain, allowing the timing of the beastmen's attack to be predicted. Is that true?"
At Belya's question, the group fell silent. Many of the Old Guard veterans, their faces lined with scars and beards thick as brambles, sighed deeply.
Realizing he might have touched a nerve, Belya quickly apologized. "I didn't mean any offense."
"Denis, a peasant from Bastonne," Bertrand said after a moment, his voice heavy with emotion. "A brave lad. He saved the King by warning him in time, earning a promotion to sergeant. Denis followed the King through countless battles, even joining the Old Guard when I first came under the King's command. Sadly, Denis fell during the Battle of Valaya's Gate."
"Most of the soldiers from Denis's cohort met similar fates," added Lucille, the Old Guard's senior sergeant. "Denis and Amédée died at Valaya's Gate. Tim fell at the Battle of the Titan's Gate. Steve perished at the Siege of Herzig. Didier was lost at the Battle of Wolphen. Only a few of us old-timers remain, but as long as I draw breath, I'll continue to fight for the King."
The group fell into solemn silence. Indeed, it was King Ryan who had elevated them from the mud, giving them higher status and greater honor. In return, they were willing to die for him.
A song broke the silence, carried through the Arden Forest by the marching troops. It was one of Bretonnia's newest and most popular ballads, The King Ryan March.
"King Ryan calls, assembling his men.
The nobles of Bretonnia, take their turn again.
King Ryan commands, his orders clear.
Who will follow him, across lands far and near?"
As the song echoed through the forest, the army pressed deeper into Arden's heart, intent on locating Grail Knight Baron Claude.
After hours of marching, the five Grey Knight recruits were the first to notice something amiss.
"Something's wrong!" Pétain exclaimed. "The settlements deeper in the forest show signs of corruption everywhere!"
"What?!" Bertrand immediately ordered the army to quicken its pace, advancing toward Baron Claude's castle and the nearby village.
But they were too late.
In the depths of Arden Forest, Baron Claude's castle and the entire adjacent village had been razed to the ground.
Baron Claude's mutilated corpse was displayed on the castle gate, nailed to a massive Chaos Eight-Pointed Star with spears. His head was missing, leaving only his desecrated body.
Bertrand and Rokossovsky were horrified, ordering immediate searches. Meanwhile, the Grey Knights began purging the taint.
After scouring the area, Belya delivered a chilling report to Bertrand. "Marshals, aside from Baron Claude's body, we found no other corpses in the village or castle—only bloodstains and signs of a battle."
"That means there are too many mouths to feed," Bertrand muttered grimly. "By Taal!"
"It's here! It's here!!" The panicked cries of the Wood Elf Waywatchers interrupted the discussion. The patrol, including their leader Daith, wore expressions of sheer terror as they pointed to a symbol they had found.
"It has returned!"
"The Shadow Wraith cursed by Kurnous and Isha has risen again!"
"Disaster will once more descend upon Athel Loren!"
"We must alert the Eslyrian Council immediately!"
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