The army was fully assembled, and in just a few days, the campaign to Obien would begin.
This expedition was unlike the previous ones. Ryan anticipated completing it in two to three months at most. The goal was to fulfill his agreement with Fulgrim, but Ryan also intended to delve into the mainland and, as with Lawn's last journey, secure a substantial bounty. By now, the Sun King had absolute confidence in his strength.
Time was scarce; in fact, this was likely Ryan's last opportunity for a grand expedition before the End Times arrived.
In the courtyard of the royal palace in Couronne, under the brilliant May night sky, stars twinkled brightly, and a cool breeze swept through the royal gardens. Waves of blooming irises swayed gently in the wind.
At the center of the flower-filled courtyard stood a round marble table under a canopy. After dinner and having finalized all preparations, Ryan brought his family to the courtyard. The Sun King was supervising his son, Devonshire, as he worked on his assignments. His queen, Sulia, and the Lady of the Lake, Lilith, sat on either side of him, while the dark elf Olica stood behind him as an attendant.
As for Morgiana? The Lake Witch was cleansing and preparing herself after spending the entire afternoon with Ryan—after all, he was departing the next day.
"That's right, Devonshire, exactly like that. You need to consider the perspectives of many people." The Lady of the Lake beamed with joy as she watched her son. Today, the goddess wore an embroidered silk gown with a black rose motif, its daring design leaving only thin straps holding up a small piece of fabric at the chest.
Rarely seen with her white, snow-like luminous hair exposed, Lilith had styled it into a simple braid with a princess-like hairpiece. Reclining lazily on a lounge chair, her radiant divinity and charm were unmistakable. She smiled contentedly as Devonshire whimpered under Ryan's supervision. Beneath her gown, her feet, clad in glowing, sheer unicorn silk stockings, swung happily up and down.
Her translucent, pristine white feet, elegant and flawless, exuded a delicate beauty with each slight movement. Pink-painted toenails peeked out under the faint starlight, resembling budding pearls—smooth, supple, and perfectly proportioned.
On the other side, Sulia was far more reserved than the goddess. Today, the Knight Queen wore a cobalt-blue floral court dress with autumnal purple accents. As the weather grew warmer, she chose a shorter gown, covering her knees. Her long, slender legs, clad in sheer, black back-seamed velvet stockings, extended beneath the hem. To complement her attire, she wore open-toe heels with lace-up bows, which she rarely donned.
Father is truly blessed, Devonshire thought, somewhat indignant as he observed his mother Sulia and his "Lilith mother." Not only does he have a great beauty like Mother, but even a goddess like Mother Lilith has fallen for him!
Holding his quill, Devonshire brooded. Father is free to pursue love, but why can't I chase the Little Queen? Elissara is so adorable, so charming... He glanced at Ryan, who was nodding approvingly at his math and Elven language answers. Tentatively, he asked, "Father, has Frederick returned to Nuln yet?"
"Frederick?" Ryan thought for a moment before realizing what his son meant. Smirking knowingly, he replied, "No, Frederick has been looking for excuses to 'inspect' or 'research' at the Sea Gate."
"Ah?!" Devonshire grew anxious and nearly stood up, but his mother's gaze kept him seated. Pouting, the Sun King's eldest muttered, "Isn't Elissara about to arrive at the Sea Gate? That scoundrel Frederick!"
"Relax, child. Karl and I both rejected Frederick's request," Ryan assured him, shaking his head with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "He must return to Nuln."
"Oh, I see." Devonshire breathed a sigh of relief, carefully studying his father's expression.
Ryan's demeanor seemed lighthearted, showing no objection to his son's apparent interest in the Little Queen.
Lilith gestured encouragingly with a small fist, her face full of cheer.
Sulia frowned slightly, looking concerned about her son's behavior.
Meanwhile, Olica maintained her enigmatic smile, her thoughts unreadable. Devonshire knew that his Aunt Olica excelled in mind control and magic. After mulling over his options, he was about to speak again when Ryan preempted him.
"Devonshire, I'd like to know, why do you like Elissara? Is it because she's beautiful? Charismatic? Or perhaps influenced by someone like Frederick?"
"All of the above, I suppose." Devonshire hesitated before finally answering, "I don't know why, but ever since I first saw her, I just felt... she's the one for me."
"Hmm... is that so?" Ryan sighed. "Do you realize how challenging it would be to pursue Elissara? Do you understand that even simply meeting her more often—let alone becoming her partner—would strain relations between humans and elves to the breaking point? Are you aware of all this?"
"Yes, Father," Devonshire replied, visibly distressed. "I know all of that. Most of the time, I don't even expect to become close to Princess Elissara. But don't you think... Father, just seeing her or hearing news about her makes life feel so much better?"
"Hahaha!" Lilith covered her face, laughing softly. She even stretched her silk-clad foot to nudge Ryan playfully. Sulia, however, frowned, massaging her temples in frustration. "Devonshire, are you saying...?"
"It's not like that, Mother," Devonshire quickly countered, shaking his head. "I know what you're thinking. Are you worried I'll become like Uncle Araloth, always simping for Lilith Mother, only for Father to claim her?"
"Pfft!" Everyone in the courtyard burst into laughter.
Ryan began to understand—Devonshire's feelings for Elissara were more like the innocent infatuation of adolescence.
Broadly speaking, a boy's affection for a girl he likes typically progresses through three stages:
"Just seeing her makes me happy." "I'd be happy just to interact with her." "She must be mine."
Unfortunately, by the time most people realize this, they're already in the third stage—including Ryan himself (sadly).
Devonshire, however, was still in the first stage. Simply seeing Elissara was enough to satisfy him. Interacting with her brought him immense joy. As for "simping," the concept hadn't even crossed his mind.
Later that night, after putting Devonshire to bed, Ryan reflected on the situation.
In the royal bedchamber, Ryan discussed the Obien campaign with Sulia and Lilith.
"Devonshire shouldn't be pushed too hard," Ryan said, cradling Sulia's long legs clad in black silk stockings and gently rubbing his cheek against them, relishing their silky texture. Smiling, he added, "Maybe we should start considering noble ladies for him?"
"Ryan! Devonshire is only 14!" Sulia, initially enjoying her husband's pampering, burst out laughing in exasperation at his suggestion. "If you're so eager, you make the arrangements! Don't pin it on me to play the villain!"
"I could manage that," Lilith interjected from the other side of the bed. Mimicking Sulia, she leaned against Ryan's back, giggling. "Ryan, do you remember Altharion? Prince Irys? That cold-faced elf?"
"Of course I do," Ryan replied, wary of Lilith's intentions.
"Well, the cold-faced prince has a very beautiful niece," Lilith said. "She's a devout follower of one of my other aspects—the Mist Goddess Ladrielle. The most devout, in fact." The goddess blushed as she whispered, having just been pampered by Ryan herself. "She's unmarried and has remained pure under my divine guidance. When Devonshire is a bit older, I could introduce them..."
You really love matchmaking between humans and elves, don't you? Ryan thought with a facepalm.
Then again, you even introduced yourself to me.
"The Lady's suggestions are trustworthy," Sulia said, aligning with Lilith for once. The knight queen and the goddess intertwined their arms and snuggled together on the bed, giggling and teasing each other.
"This can wait," Ryan concluded with a wry smile. "Altharion's niece might be more suitable than Elissara, but clearly, the goddess has already set the condition of Devonshire being interested in elves before mentioning her."
Ryan decided to keep his options open. If Devonshire truly shared his own preference for elves, introducing Altharion's niece might be a good choice and would make things easier to manage.
If not... Duke Boris had a beautiful daughter named Katie, and Duke Cassvon of Parravon had a daughter named Jessica, both excellent candidates. But Devonshire was still young; he could revisit the matter in a few years.
After finalizing the discussion, Ryan summoned Olica to fetch Morgiana.
Morgiana entered the room with Olica's support. Her gait was slightly awkward, but her flushed face and cheerful demeanor spoke volumes. Olica, meanwhile, smirked mischievously, whispering something into Morgiana's ear. The Lake Witch shot her a glare but remained silent, blushing deeply.
A large map was unfurled, and Ryan directed his attention to Sulia and Morgiana.
"For the Obien expedition, we'll be taking elite troops from the southern duchies and my royal guard, which will temporarily weaken our defenses," Ryan explained. "I suspect Arkhan the Black or Manfred may seize this opportunity to launch another surprise attack on La-Maisontaal Abbey, aiming to claim Nagash's Staff."
"I'll lead a strong garrison," Morgiana volunteered. The Lake Witch nodded to Lilith and pointed to the abbey on the map. "I'll command the Church's Protectorate Army, Grail Knights, the Lake God Prophetess team, and several pilgrim groups to defend the abbey."
"Additionally, the Wood Elves and the Dwarves of Karak Norn have pledged to assist in our defense," Ryan added. "Morgiana, ensure you don't launch offensives. If the undead appear, Sulia will lead Teresa and Aurora from Gienne to support you, along with Carcassonne's forces. Your task is to hold the line."
"There's also a hidden reserve force," Ryan continued. "Duke Theodoric of Bordeleaux will lead an elite thousand-strong force concealed in the Ogham Hills near the abbey. They'll act as reinforcements if needed."
"Understood, Ryan," Morgiana replied confidently. Now a dual-discipline Lake God champion at the peak of her powers, she was no easy opponent for Arkhan.
With this settled, Ryan prepared for the campaign.
The next day, the vast chivalric army boarded their mighty fleet, officially embarking on the Obien expedition.
Meanwhile, on Obien Island, an alliance of twenty barbarian warbands, ten Chaos warbands, five Chaos demon legions, and fifteen beast monster packs was gathering.
Among them were:
Be'lakor, the First Daemon Prince Xanrik, Tzeentch's Champion Egrimm van Horstmann, former Imperial Light Archmage turned Tzeentch's chosen Harold Grimson, self-proclaimed King of Obien and its most powerful warlord Wulfrik the Wanderer, leader of the Worldwalker Legion, fresh off his previous failure
These five mighty figures (Be'lakor being a demigod) convened to prepare their assault on the Sun King and his Bretonnian expeditionary force.
They knew this war would be arduous yet filled with opportunities and challenges.
The victor would earn the highest rewards from the Chaos Gods!
The final chapter in the Sun King's grand expeditionary saga was about to begin.
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