Chapter 12: The Knight Kingdom of Brettonia

The next day, before dawn, around seven in the morning, the mercenaries got up and started packing their things to prepare for departure.

Ryan was already up. Leaning on his warhammer, he stood at the entrance of Teresa's tent, watching the mercenaries pack. He shook his head secretly. Yesterday's battle had cost the mercenaries dearly, and everyone was wounded. In such circumstances, Ryan couldn't force them to march. Their bodies wouldn't hold up.

But he couldn't leave the mercenaries behind to chase Belter on his own.

Teresa's condition was dire. The sorceress was barely holding on, and everyone knew how fragile she was. If her magical power ran out, the mercenaries would surely misbehave. In this situation, if someone in the mercenary group had ill intentions, Teresa could indeed fall victim to them. Ryan felt that mercenaries couldn't be completely trusted, at least not the Blood Axe Mercenary Group.

As always, mercenaries would sell anything for enough profit.

So, should he leave the mercenary group and take Teresa to chase Belter alone?

That wouldn't work either. Belter was a cunning demon hunter. If he doubled back, the weakened sorceress would become a burden. Ryan would have to fight and protect her simultaneously. He wasn't confident he could defeat Belter under such circumstances. Belter had been famous for years, exterminating countless monsters and earning the title of Demon Hunter Master from the Demon Hunter Association. Ryan wasn't sure he could take him down even before Belter's fall. Who knows how much stronger he had become after embracing chaos?

Ultimately, Teresa's lack of battle experience was the issue. The sorceress hadn't allocated her magical power properly and didn't consider the loyalty of the hired mercenaries. Maybe to her, these mercenaries were like servants, surely subservient to the power of magic. But Ryan didn't think so. Many witches had been betrayed by their guards, ending up dead or sold into slavery.

Marienburg was the largest "talent market" on the continent.

This was why Lady Aurora entrusted Teresa's protection to him. The inexperienced sorceress needed a strong and experienced melee fighter to guard her. Ryan was the perfect choice.

She was learning quickly, wasn't she? Most spellcasters were intelligent, making mistakes out of unfamiliarity but not stupidity.

Today's weather was not snowy but overcast. The clouds were thin, faintly revealing the gray sky. The biting cold wind blew past Ryan's ears, his cloak fluttering behind him. With his tall, sturdy build and handsome face, he looked like a seasoned warrior guarding a pass, ready to fend off invaders at any moment.

But actually, I'm just standing guard for a woman changing her clothes... Ryan thought as he listened to the sounds inside the tent.

I feel so lame.

Ryan now understood why many legendary warriors were reluctant to travel with the female spellcasters of the Garland Council. This wasn't companionship; it was babysitting!

A young mercenary had finished packing and was peeking around nearby. Ryan knew what he was up to. The young mercenary was looking for a chance to talk to the goddess.

A slender hand wearing a white lace glove lifted the tent flap. "Good morning, Ryan."

Teresa's beautiful face appeared in the cold wind, her alabaster skin and striking silver eyes captivating. She was still wearing the sea-blue fur coat from the previous night, but the pearl necklace on her chest had been replaced with a thin sapphire chain. Triangular golden earrings engraved with magical runes hung on both sides, and Ryan could feel the magic emanating from these accessories.

So wealthy, Ryan thought, recalling the stories he'd heard about the wealth and temper of the Garland Council members. It was said that a lord from the Kingdom of Nord, plagued by beastmen in his territory, had once personally sought help from Teresa's mother, Aurora.

This lord, known for his poor reputation and lack of strength, arrived when Aurora was conducting an important experiment. Before he could even speak, the irate Grand Witch teleported him into a lake near Sky Castle, nearly drowning him.

Power is the most important asset.

"Are you feeling better?" Ryan noticed Teresa's improved spirits and was about to inquire when he saw her legs still trembling slightly under her fur coat. He knew she hadn't fully recovered and didn't want to show it. "I'll fetch the horses. Please wait here."

The sorceress's lips curved into a smile. This man knew how to save her face, unlike those brutish warriors. Her mother had made the right choice in picking him as her companion.

Most female spellcasters were knowledgeable and well-versed, making them proud and selective. This morning, Teresa finally understood and accepted Ryan as a true companion.

As the group packed up and set off again, Ryan showed little interest in the mercenaries' usual topics of drinking, eating, and robbing women. Instead, he struck up a conversation with Oliver, the merchant from the Empire. "Mr. Oliver, your attire... hmm? Quite fashionable. Is this the latest trend in the Empire?"

The merchant's outfit was peculiar today. He wore a helmet and a white fox fur coat but had a breastplate over the coat. His thick pants and boots were normal, but he also wore greaves over the boots, looking rather odd.

"Well, Mr. Ryan, you see, after experiencing such events, adding some protection makes me feel better." Oliver was a bit embarrassed, but his natural merchant's thick skin quickly recovered. "Life is precious. If I die, my wife might be very happy. She could take the fortune and remarry."

"But your mistress would be heartbroken, and your son would be bullied by his stepfather, right? They're clinging to your tree. If you fall, everything ends." Ryan joked.

"Hahahahahaha!" Everyone laughed, even the wounded Boris, who called out in pain after laughing.

Only Teresa, on horseback, snorted, thinking this man understood these things well. She couldn't help but smile at the thought, her mature and enchanting demeanor captivating Bander beside her.

Female spellcasters might lack the combat experience of knights, but they were far more knowledgeable about court and high society matters. For Ryan, young and unmarried, without even a maid or mistress, to understand these high society details was quite surprising.

"Mr. Oliver, since you're from the Empire, can you tell me what business brought you to Nord?" Ryan patted his horse, which he had named Pinecone.

"Ah, there's nothing secret about it. I came to Nord for bulk trade. We set off from Marienburg, loaded with armor and food, sold them here in Nord, then bought a large batch of gold and silver ore, animal furs, and magical crystals. I wanted some wildfire, but couldn't get any."

"How much profit do you expect?" Ryan asked.

"Five to six hundred gold dinars, but considering the current situation, maybe more. I made quite a bit from the recent war."

"I heard there was a war between Brettonia and the Empire recently? The Empire won, and they renewed their alliance?" Ryan said as they walked along the muddy road, now frozen solid in the winter, making travel easy. Who knows how muddy and difficult this road will be in early May when the snow melts.

"Indeed, but it wasn't as you think. The war wasn't between the Empire and Brettonia." Oliver coughed and began recounting the events of two months ago.

The Empire was the largest and strongest human nation in the world. About 1,800 years ago, during the Great Cataclysm, a tribal leader named Charlemagne rose rapidly, eventually founding the Empire. He was crowned the only human emperor under the witness of the gods. He spent nearly 200 years conquering the world, and at its peak, the Empire's vast territories included the entire continent, dominating all races and ruling the world.

The current Empire was only a part of that original vast domain.

The Empire resisted external enemies for nearly a thousand years until several centuries ago, when internal conflicts and external threats led the Emperor and the Senate to abandon most territories, keeping only the core lands. Brettonia was one of the abandoned regions. When the Empire announced the abandonment, nobles and commoners fell into despair. Brettonia faced not only undead, barbarians, and other abandoned human factions but also chaos beastmen from the east and greenskin hordes from the south, who came to plunder and destroy everything.

A young baron named Arthur led his knights in a desperate struggle against these threats. However, seeing his people on the brink of destruction, Arthur, separated from his troops and gravely wounded, knelt at the fabled Lake of the Lady, praying for help to save his people and land.

Initially, his pleas went unanswered, plunging Arthur into deeper despair. But the young lord didn't give up, vowing to fight to the death in the next battle.

At dawn, a white light pierced the sky from the lake. The Lady of the Lake, a goddess, responded to his plea. She healed his wounds with holy water from the Grail and granted him unwavering faith and eternal blessings. With the Lady's aid, Arthur rallied his forces under the blessed banner, leading his knights to a monumental victory in a battle against overwhelming odds.

Arthur's victory was a beacon in the darkness, rallying Brettonia's army. Over twelve successive battles, they eradicated all invaders, establishing the Knight Kingdom of Brettonia.

Through the Lady of the Lake's mediation, Brettonia established diplomatic relations with the Empire on equal terms. Since then, Brettonia and the Empire maintained good relations, with occasional wars but never crossing certain lines. They

 never killed prisoners and ensured surrender guaranteed survival, driven by the numerous external threats they both faced.

"It was Marienburg, Mr. Ryan. The Emperor tried reclaiming Marienburg for the third time. The Grand Duke of Marienburg, unwilling to relent, convinced Brettonia to join his side, citing the Emperor's violation of the founding charter written by Ludwig. Brettonia's eager questing knights charged into the Empire's ranks without warning, sparking a full-scale war," Oliver recounted. "The war lasted a day. Fortunately, the Emperor and the Knight King were sensible. Ten thousand troops clashed, resulting in only over three thousand casualties. In the end, the Emperor renewed the alliance with Brettonia and returned captured nobles, announcing the abandonment of partial sovereignty and jurisdiction over Marienburg."

"Marienburg's annual revenue is nearly a fifth of the Empire's total fiscal income. The Emperor's desire for this port city is understandable. If I'm not mistaken, those questing knights were likely incited by the Grand Duke of Marienburg," Ryan speculated.

"Indeed, this failure seems to have weakened the current Knight King's authority. It's uncertain which duke will succeed him," Oliver nodded. "However, the successor matters little. As long as the Lady of the Lake presides, Brettonia's trade will remain stable."

Brettonia's system was intriguing. The entire nation served the Lady of the Lake, the true ruler behind the scenes. The Knight King was the figurehead, but the Lady decided the next king by summoning all dukes to vote whenever a Knight King retired or died.

Besides these roles, the Lady was renowned for establishing the "Eight Virtues of the Knight," embedding "knight" and "virtues" into her divine duties. Her influence extended beyond Brettonia, with many knights across the continent worshipping her. Even Ryan occasionally prayed to her.

"By the way, can you tell me about the Empire? I heard a few years ago, Elector Count Andrea of Brescia led a campaign against the Red Horn Beastmen tribe at the border and unfortunately perished?" Ryan asked, shifting the topic to the Empire.

This time, Oliver didn't answer immediately. The Imperial merchant pondered for a moment before speaking in a low, somber tone.

"Yes, the war was lost, and the Elector Count died. The beastmen retreated into the forest before the Emperor's forces arrived. Several towns in Brescia were massacred, leaving no survivors. The Elector's seal was lost."

"The only daughter of the Brescia Elector family also disappeared during the turmoil, ending the Bernardino bloodline. The sacred sword symbolizing Brescia's electoral power, 'Fire of the West,' was also lost. Now, only four of the twelve sacred swords from the Empire's founding remain in Imperial hands."

Feeling exhausted...