The carriage continued to move forward. Emilia and her daughter Rem carefully handed the black tea to Ryan and Talleyrand. Talleyrand accepted it with a mix of reverence and nervousness, while Ryan smiled and took a sip under his daughter's expectant gaze. He nodded, indicating that the tea was well-brewed.
Rem, the eldest daughter, flushed with excitement. For her, receiving her father's approval was the greatest reward.
Emilia, however, needed no such reward. The Imperial Countess glanced sideways at Talleyrand, who was drinking the tea with utmost respect, and thought to herself, If you dare say it's not good, I'll kill you.
Talleyrand wisely chose to remain silent.
The Imperial Countess had been in a foul mood lately because it was time for her to return to Nuln. The entire Nuln court had stayed in Bretonnia long enough. Now, Nuln's task was to provide technical support, preparing to remove the four existing steam boilers from the Emmanuelle-class Land Cruiser and install the Solar Engine for testing.
After testing, the Solar Engine modified by Fulgrim proved to be exceptionally effective. At full power of 1500 horsepower, the Emmanuelle-class Land Cruiser could reach speeds of 38-40 km/h, with some power to spare. However, even after the Dwarves of Karak Kadrin reinforced the transmission system with runes, 40 km/h remained the land cruiser's maximum speed.
After numerous discussions, the Nuln team proposed reinstalling the ramming prow. Since the transmission system couldn't be improved and the speed was capped at 40 km/h, the excess power would otherwise go to waste. The ramming prow, which had been removed to reduce weight, would now be added back.
As for the four new steam boilers that were removed, they would be modified and installed on the base of the Solar Storm Rocket Launcher. Ryan planned to convert the rocket launcher into a rocket artillery vehicle. The first chief engineer, Dugan Ironhand, the second chief engineer, Urban, and the third chief engineer, Kalashnikov, completed their design. Four rocket artillery vehicles would be designed as war machines capable of carrying a large number of rockets and increasing their range.
These new rocket artillery vehicles were named "Katyusha," with a total of four units.
The energy source for the Solar Engine was also roughly understood. It had two charging methods. The first was direct charging, requiring psychic energy or the Wind of Light. Once fully charged, it could travel approximately 500 kilometers. The second method was indirect charging. According to the manual Fulgrim sent, indirect charging required something called the "Great Plan Slab." You all don't need to think about that; just stick to direct charging.
Great, so in the end, I'm still the human battery? Ryan couldn't even bother to complain anymore.
Do all of you see me as a human battery? A power bank? A portable charger?
I think I've already gotten used to it.
Thinking this, Ryan gently embraced Emilia. The Imperial Countess would soon be leaving.
Seeing this, Talleyrand immediately excused himself, saying he would scout ahead, leaving the space to Ryan and Emilia.
"Ryan, you need to pay attention to Frederick too. He's also your son," Emilia, who stood at 1.6 meters tall, appeared petite in Ryan's arms. Once Talleyrand left, she changed her tone and began whispering in Ryan's ear: "That matter we discussed earlier, shouldn't you also exert some influence? Like in Middenland?"
"Emilia!" Ryan said exasperatedly, "Karl Franz is still alive! And very much kicking!"
"Hmph! I don't care. He's your son, and mine too," Emilia muttered a few more words. Ryan faintly heard her complaining about how the Emperor was still unharmed. The Knight King's forehead twitched.
Compared to Sulia, Emilia's perspective on this matter seemed rather narrow.
His little maid had always wanted to place their son Frederick on the Imperial throne. From the moment Frederick was born, she had been building momentum for him. Little Fred himself was quite promising, and his mother was obsessed with this idea.
Having been together for many years, Ryan understood his little maid well. Due to her early experiences and her years as a wandering mercenary, Emilia was deeply insecure. This insecurity had been mostly alleviated by Ryan's protection, emotional support, and the birth of their son. However, deep down, Emilia still felt uneasy about the future. She believed that having her son become the Emperor would be the ultimate solution to her worries.
This desire grew stronger as Frederick grew older.
Moreover, in some ways, Emilia had a stubborn streak.
"Fred is only a few years old," Ryan said bluntly. "Him? Becoming Emperor? If he wants my support, he'll have to wait until he's at least thirty and has proven himself in governance, diplomacy, and military affairs."
"Thirty?" Emilia complained. "By then, I'll be old!"
"You won't grow old," Ryan shook his head. "Karl Franz has broken through to the Saint Realm and has won the hearts and admiration of the people in this war. The Emperor's authority is now unparalleled. Even the people of Nuln and Middenland, who dislike him the most, dare not disobey his orders. The Empire is more united than ever. If you truly care about Frederick's future, you should cooperate with Karl's policies. I can see that Karl is determined to address the Empire's issues. This victory has given him the prestige to start making changes. I'm just a bit worried…"
"Worried about what?" Emilia leaned against Ryan, the Imperial Countess used to not thinking about anything when she was with him.
"I'm just worried that it might be… too late," the Knight King sighed deeply. Karl Franz's victory had finally united the Empire, much like how Ryan had united Bretonnia after defeating Mousillon.
However, Karl Franz had established his personal authority far too late compared to Ryan—thirteen years later!
The Emperor, now in his fifties and having ruled for over twenty years, how much time did he have left to carry out reforms?
...I am the thirteen-year dividing line...
The one who came to receive the Knight King's entourage was Adriana, a councilor of the Sorceress's Assembly. She was a legendary Sky Mage who had initially been reluctant to come to Bretonnia and live under someone else's roof. However, after being persuaded by Veronique, she now had her own independent wizard tower and was quite content.
Following Adriana were thirty witch apprentices, all dressed in fiery red Camellia robes, with summer blouses, pleated skirts, and small leather shoes underneath. When the great Sun King appeared, the light and heat in the apprentices' eyes were almost unbearable. They uniformly grasped the edges of their skirts, took a step back, and curtsied to Ryan.
Margarita Castle was a massive fortress built high in the Grey Mountains. Outside the castle were several abandoned military camps, remnants of the Empire's expeditionary forces. These had now been converted into external training grounds for the witches. The castle, purified by the Emperor, covered approximately 2.5 hectares. The main keep was twelve stories high, with three spires outside: the Rose Tower, the Camellia Tower, and the Violet Tower. Additionally, there was an astronomical tower within the castle's secondary keep.
The castle was adorned with Camellia-themed decorations, including tapestries, murals, and even the faucets in the bathrooms, which were shaped like Camellias. For water supply, the Dwarven craftsmen had built a reservoir hundreds of meters high in the valley, storing water from the mountain crevices and using natural water pressure to supply the entire castle, including the top floor.
"Veronique really outdid herself. She lives better than I do," Emilia, still in her maid outfit, pointed around with her daughter Rem, marveling at the castle's beautiful environment and luxurious decorations. The Imperial Countess's eyes sparkled with envy. "Wow, it's not inferior to my Elector's palace. I'd love to stay here for a while."
"You're always welcome, Countess," Councilor Adriana said with a smile. "We're always ready to welcome you. In fact, Margarita Castle also offers hotel and restaurant services. You can fully immerse yourself in the world of magic and fantasy here."
"Alright, we're not here for tourism," Ryan said as the pointed gates opened. The dome, twenty to thirty meters high, was filled with magical chandeliers. A long carpet stretched dozens of meters ahead, and dozens of long tables were pushed together. Ryan noticed that almost every window in the castle had little girls staring at them, their eyes like hungry wolves. Some were even licking their lips and swallowing saliva.
Four Grey Knight recruits were surrounded by witch apprentices, leaving the young men somewhat flustered. Ryan didn't intervene much and went straight to the point: "Where's Veronique?"
"The Chairwoman is in her office in the main keep," the councilor replied. "She's currently crafting a magic scroll."
"Take me to her."
"Yes."
"Emilia, are you coming?" Ryan turned around.
"You're going to discuss matters with Veronique. Why would I go? I'll take Rem around for a walk," Emilia declined.
Ryan didn't press further. The Knight King signaled to Raymond to keep the soldiers in check and instructed Talleyrand to review the recent reports from the council. Then, he headed alone to the Chairwoman's office.
The spiral staircase was long, leading to a gleaming oak door at the end. The door was engraved with patterns of fiery red Camellias and bright red roses. A tall stone statue blocked the entrance—a fire golem with only its upper body visible. It had two bull horns on its head and a row of adamantine mana conduits on its back. When someone approached, flames ignited within the golem, and it blocked the path: "State the password."
"Password?" Ryan was momentarily stunned. Veronique was playing games now?
The Knight King quickly realized that his chief court sorceress was throwing a tantrum.
The root of this was still Sheila Trokvic. Ryan knew that his decision to have Sheila inherit the Camellia Council in the future had angered Veronique.
"Is there a hint?"
The fire golem's voice echoed: "Which came first, the phoenix or the fire?"
"..." Ryan pondered for a moment. "At the beginning of the world, fire came first. The phoenix is the crystallization of fire."
"Correct." The fire golem didn't even wait for Ryan to finish speaking before stepping aside, making Ryan doubt whether it had truly listened to his answer.
Behind the door was a spacious, beautiful circular room. Veronique had arranged her office almost exactly like Margarita's. Behind a massive cherry wood desk, four meters wide and two meters long, sat the Chairwoman. She was leaning over the table, her fingertips emitting flames and beams of light as she crafted a magic scroll.
Today, Veronique was wearing a gilded, fiery red, seductive, slit evening gown with a low neckline and an open back. Only two thin straps hung over her delicate shoulders, revealing two full, round hemispheres. Her dark brown hair was slightly styled and held in place by an Ulthuan golden phoenix hairpin. Her sweet face was lightly made up, and her round almond-shaped eyes were filled with focus.
"What are you working on?" Ryan strode in, appearing suddenly behind Veronique as if it were nothing.
"Ah! You came in without saying anything!" Veronique was startled. Seeing it was Ryan, she pouted and lightly punched his head. "Why are you here all of a sudden? Not spending time with your Lady of the Lake, Imperial Countess, or Queen Consort?"
"I came to see you," Ryan smiled, wrapping his arms around Veronique's neck. The Knight King sneakily glanced downward.
Hmm, big and white.
Veronique was wearing black garter stockings today, with fiery red, proud Camellia patterns at the top. Her legs were as long as Sulia's, but unlike Sulia, who preferred pantyhose, the Chairwoman favored garter stockings.
Seeing the man's gaze, Veronique was both annoyed and amused. She pushed Ryan away from behind, her black-stockinged feet finding her red high heels under the desk. She stood up and said with a pout, "Is this why you came to see me?"
"I came mainly for two things," Ryan said, sensing Veronique's cold attitude. He awkwardly pulled over a chair and sat down. "First, the Emmanuelle-class Land Cruiser is almost ready for combat, so the plan to modify your Luminark of Hysh for the land cruiser is now feasible. Second, I need the Sorceress's Assembly to prepare for the upcoming Albion Expedition. I'll need your strength."
"That's it?" Veronique seemed somewhat disinterested after hearing this. The Chairwoman shook her head, hands on her hips, her golden belt accentuating her slender waistline.
"What, you're not willing?" Ryan asked with a half-smile.
"The Assembly and I are your vassals. Would it matter if I said no?" Veronique continued to shake her head, her lips curling into a wry smile. "If you want us to form a witch coven for the Albion Expedition, you could just issue a royal decree. Why bother coming here? Seems unnecessary."
"I'm showing you respect," Ryan said naturally.
"Respect?" Veronique sneered. "If you truly respected me, could I refuse?"
"I allocate 30,000 gold crowns to you annually," Ryan calmly pulled out a thick stack of bills. "On top of that, every few months, unpaid bills from your end still find their way to my court, and I pay them all. And now, you're telling me you don't want to join the Albion Expedition?"
"The initial years of rebuilding the Assembly were costly. Everything had to be reestablished, and the money was well spent," Veronique said, feeling a bit pressured. She moved sideways to her wine cabinet. "Besides, it's not your money… What would you like to drink?"
"It's the kingdom's money!" Ryan said impatiently. "Every year, so much funding flows to you. If it weren't for Sulia and me suppressing the dissent, there would have been complaints long ago… Get me a glass of iced cocoa."
"I figured," Veronique had already poured the iced cocoa. She sat down across from Ryan, her black-stockinged legs crossed. She gazed at Ryan's now authoritative face, lost in thought. "I've known for a while."
"What's wrong, dear?" Ryan felt a bit uncomfortable under her gaze.
"Ryan, when did our relationship become like this?" Veronique handed him the iced cocoa. "So utilitarian, so transactional, only about interests? I use the Assembly to pressure you, and you use funding to pressure me?"
"Isn't this what you chose?" Ryan couldn't help but stroke his chin, chuckling. "Ever since you took up Margarita's legacy to rebuild the Assembly, this was inevitable. Besides, we're no longer the little warrior and the little witch we once were. I'm now the Knight King, bearing the expectations of millions. You're the Chairwoman, a Saint-tier Sorceress, with over twenty legendary mages under you and thousands of witch apprentices. We both have bright futures ahead."
"Pfft…" Veronique burst into laughter, her mature laughter filling the office. "Pfft, hahaha~"
Ryan didn't say anything, just watched her laugh.
After about twenty seconds, Veronique stopped laughing. She picked up her cocoa, letting her long hair cover her eyes.
"Don't you think it's a bit sad, dear? I was the first in everything—adventuring together, celebrating festivals together, sharing a bed, building wizard towers. But… why do I feel that as time goes on, my presence and status in your life keep diminishing?"
Veronique's voice was emotionless. "I've given so much, so why do you love Sulia the most?"
"That's a good question. Do you want to hear the lie or the truth?" Ryan seemed unsurprised.
"I want both."
"Well… the lie is that I love everything about Sulia, especially the way her noble demeanor breaks into shy and strange expressions in my arms. It's incredibly satisfying," Ryan said with a shrug.
"…And the truth?" Veronique frowned. She knew Ryan's tastes well, but it wasn't just Sulia who experienced this. Wasn't she also constantly teased by Ryan?
"The truth?" Ryan's expression turned serious. "The truth is actually quite simple."
"The truth is, on the surface, your status has gone from princess to lord. You started as a little witch and became the Chairwoman, the leader of a faction."
"But to me, to Ryan Malcador, Veronique, your identity to me has shifted from lord to princess."
"While Sulia, from beginning to end, has always been my queen, my equal."
"Do you understand what I mean?"
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