Chapter 494: Ryan's Little Fanboy

Juan Carlos Sundancer, the legitimate son and youngest child of Duke Rubio Sundancer of Marguerite, had recently passed the selection trials of the Sun Knights, officially becoming one of them. This was a significant achievement for a noble child.

However, this brought mixed feelings to Duke Rubio Sundancer. On one hand, he was delighted and proud of his youngest son's excellence. On the other hand, he was troubled by it.

Rubio had more than one son. His eldest son, Felipe, was twenty-nine and had already built a considerable influence within the kingdom, along with his own supporters. Now, having an outstanding younger son posed a potential threat to the succession.

In the line of succession among the nobility, the legitimate son is undoubtedly at the forefront, much like in ancient China. The process for establishing a successor among legitimate sons generally follows a sequence: establishing the eldest, the capable, or the beloved.

Although Felipe, as the eldest legitimate son, was the first in line, Juan was also a legitimate son. Thus, a competition could arise, and who knows what the future holds?

Duke Rubio had been troubled by this for a long time.

At this moment, a court guard brought news that Ryan had arrived in Marguerite!

Coincidentally, Juan was an ardent admirer of Ryan! The first time he heard of Ryan was during the champion duel in Middenheim, where Ryan defeated the mighty Bear of Breeg. Both the White Wolf Church and the Holy Maidens had detailed descriptions of the battle, and Ryan's deeds were naturally woven into songs. The nine-year-old Juan was deeply captivated upon hearing them.

Since then, Ryan moved to Britannia. The Knight Kingdom was not far from Estalia, and over the years, Ryan's heroic feats continuously reached Juan's ears. To put it bluntly, Juan grew up listening to Ryan's stories and vowed as a boy to become a knight as remarkable as Sir Ryan.

For Juan, the highest compliment was: "You fight like Ryan."

It's worth mentioning that across the Old World, many noble children shared Juan's sentiments.

Over nine years, Juan independently completed all the knight courses at the War Goddess Academy of Marguerite and earned his spurs to become a full knight.

The Duke immediately thought of a perfect solution. His youngest son idolized Ryan so much?

Why not send him to serve under Ryan as a knight?

Firstly, sending Juan away would remove him from the succession battle, ensuring a smooth transition of the noble title. If his youngest son was capable, he could secure his own title.

Secondly, placing Juan under Ryan's command would forge a connection with this influential noble in Britannia, creating a hidden alliance.

Thirdly, the distance between Britannia and Estalia wasn't vast. It would take just over ten days by fast passenger ship from Bordeaux to Marguerite. Loving his youngest son dearly, Rubio wouldn't have to worry about not seeing Juan again.

It was a win-win situation! The decision was made!

However, before that, Duke Rubio Sundancer felt he needed to test if Ryan was truly as formidable as the legends suggested. This wasn't out of mistrust or disdain, but a father's cautiousness. After all, Juan was his beloved son, and Rubio needed to see for himself to be assured.

With that, the Duke and his entourage headed towards the Eastern Palace.

Meanwhile, in a hidden room along the side corridor of the banquet hall in the Eastern Palace, the Grand Master of the Marguerite Knights was frowning, visibly angry. "So, I was deceived?! The Trident of Poseidon can't aid us in the Al-Arabi expedition? How do I know you aren't deceiving me too?"

"The Son of the Sea God doesn't lie about Mannan's honor!" Frederic retorted sharply. "Abandon your insatiable greed. The consequence of using the Trident will be the Sea God's wrath. You'll be cursed. Once your ships set sail, Mannan's fury will consume them, smashing them to pieces!"

Enzo Moretti's eyebrows knit together tightly. He wanted to retort to Frederic, to tell the son of the Duke of Bordeleaux that he didn't believe him and that even their Holy Grail Knights could be deceitful.

However, upon a moment's reflection, Moretti realized that Ryan and Frederic had no reason to deceive him.

First, Holy Grail Knights were known for their honesty. Second, Frederic, as the heir of the Sea God's family, wouldn't joke about Mannan.

Realizing this, the Grand Master of the Marguerite Knights felt a tinge of embarrassment, his face reddening. "So, did you come all this way to Marguerite just to mock me?"

Why doesn't this old man understand? Frederic felt veins popping on his forehead. The Grand Master knew he had been deceived, so why wouldn't he admit it?!

"No, as I said, I came to talk," Ryan signaled Frederic to calm down. He raised his hand. "Clearly, Master Enzo Moretti, you were also deceived by the vampires. In this, we are both victims. Am I right?"

The Grand Master paced the room before finally speaking. "Fine, if the false information did come from the vampires, I still don't understand why they would want us to go on an Al-Arabi expedition."

"You've surely fought those skeletons lurking in the desert, haven't you?" Ryan asked calmly. "That's the reason."

"The undead are enemies of the undead?" Enzo Moretti questioned.

"Humans often wage wars among themselves. Why not the undead?" Ryan countered.

Enzo Moretti had no retort. The Grand Master's face turned various shades of pale and flushed before he finally conceded. "So... all of this was a misunderstanding?"

"And we are here to clear it up," Frederic stood up as well.

"Alright, Holy Grail Knights, you have ten minutes to convince me," Enzo Moretti sighed deeply. "Otherwise, we will still have to fight to decide the fate of the artifact."

At the level of a Grand Master, admitting mistakes was exceedingly difficult as it damaged their authority. Often, it wasn't about unwillingness but about not being able to.

But now, he had no other choice. Even without Ryan, Enzo Moretti knew he couldn't easily defeat Frederic.

"Very well," Ryan nodded. The issue was close to being resolved.

Now it was time to discuss the terms.

(Whispering continues)

Twenty minutes later, the door to the hidden room opened. Ryan, Frederic, and Enzo Moretti emerged, all wearing relieved smiles. The three knights quickly stepped out, and Enzo Moretti extended his hand. "Thank you, Sir Ryan and Sir Frederic. You are truly remarkable knights. Your efforts have resolved this conflict peacefully."

"Ensuring that valuable strength isn't wasted in pointless conflicts is our duty," Ryan replied, shaking Enzo Moretti's hand.

"I will have someone inform you of the delivery time and place," Enzo Moretti nodded. "The leader of the rogue knights is named Gilliam du Chastillon. He commands over three hundred men, including a hundred or so wandering knights, while the rest are mostly mounted squires. We have hired the Marguerite Vanguard, a mercenary group, to retrieve the artifact from them. The Vanguard is a thousand strong and equipped with some cannons."

"How do you plan to proceed?" Ryan asked softly, holding a wine glass.

"The Marguerite Vanguard is our hired force. I'll inform their commander that when Gilliam du Chastillon and his rogue knights show up, your forces can ambush them on the Moros Plain. The Vanguard will turn on them to aid you, ensuring none of the rogue knights escape alive." Enzo Moretti outlined his detailed battle plan. Somewhat embarrassed, he added, "Although the Marguerite Knights couldn't uphold their deal with the rogue knights, our patron Myrmidia will forgive us. This is for peace."

Simply put, Enzo Moretti and the Marguerite Knights had decided to betray the rogue knights under pressure.

"Good. The knights of Bordeleaux will land soon," Frederic exhaled deeply. The matter was finally nearing resolution.

By now, it was around 8 PM, and the Eastern Palace was still brightly lit with the banquet ongoing. With the primary objective achieved, Ryan had lost interest in the festivities.

The Lady of the Lake's chosen champion strolled alone towards the palace gardens.

The garden behind the palace was called Mor's Garden, named after the god of death. Many past Dukes of Marguerite and local nobles were buried there. The garden was lush with trees, crisscrossed by pathways, and featured crystal-clear, mirror-like lakes, with birds singing melodiously among the trees.

In the Empire and southern realms, almost every city had a Mor's Garden, also known as Mor's Cemetery. It housed the remains of the nobility. Nobles typically viewed cremation as an unworthy burial method and preferred interment. However, buried souls were easily disturbed by necromantic magic, leading to the creation of Mor's Gardens. Within these gardens, the knights of Mor's Order and Mor's priests protected the noble remains. The blessed fences and death god statues ensured the souls could rest peacefully under the protection of Mor's power.

Naturally, this wasn't free. Nobles had to pay substantial amounts to rest in Mor's Garden after death, making it a significant revenue source for Mor's Church.

Thus, Mor's Order's influence spanned the Old World. Although not everyone welcomed Mor's priests, they were universally respected, as no one wanted their soul to return to the Chaos or be toyed with by the undead after death.

Perhaps one day, I too will lie here? Ryan thought as he walked along the garden's paths, enjoying the cool evening breeze. This journey

 to Estalia had given him new insights into many things.

I should have asked Veronica to join me earlier. Walking hand in hand by the pool would have been very romantic, Ryan mused. He cherished Veronica deeply and wanted to share his joy with her.

Among all his women, Veronica was the one who truly achieved a social leap by staying by Ryan's side. From a penniless young sorceress, she became a High Elder with her own independent wizard tower. Veronica's story was a subject of envy and admiration among many young witches in the Garland Council. Because of this, Veronica had a strained relationship with her peers and rarely returned to the Garland Council in recent years...

"Excuse me, are you Sir Ryan?" A voice interrupted Ryan's thoughts in the garden. A tall, well-armored guard appeared before him, his armor adorned with gold, silver, black jade, and various gems. His helmet bore three colorful plumes. The guard bowed respectfully to Ryan. "I'm sorry to disturb you."

Ryan was clearly not pleased at being interrupted but remembered he was in someone else's palace. "Yes, I am. How can I help you?"

"Hello, I am Pablo, captain of Duke Rubio Sundancer's personal guard. It's an honor to meet you," the guard bowed again. "It's truly a pleasure to encounter you in Mor's Garden."

"I suppose this isn't a mere encounter, Captain Pablo," Ryan's face showed a hint of sarcasm as he looked at the guard. "What do you want?"

"Sir Ryan, as you can see, I've been stuck at the threshold of the intermediate legend level for a long time. I've read every combat manual in the Marguerite Library and spent years dueling opponents but still can't advance. So... may I have the chance to spar with you? I want to see my limits!" Pablo said, presenting his prepared request. "Please grant me this opportunity."

Ryan's expression remained impassive as he stood still, his blue eyes fixed on the guard.

An overwhelming aura emanated from the Lady of the Lake's chosen champion. Pablo felt his internal organs tighten and wanted to speak, but no words came out. An endless cold enveloped his senses.

Pablo seemed to sense that some supreme being was gradually releasing all its restraints.

But in the blink of an eye, everything returned to normal. Pablo found himself drenched in sweat, awaiting Ryan's response. "Alright, but just this once."

"Then, Sir Ryan, please don your armor..."

"No need," Ryan shook his head. "Just like this, come at me."

"What?!"

"I said, draw your sword and come at me."

Not far away, in a gazebo, Duke Rubio Sundancer and his son Juan sat together. Seeing Ryan choose to face the challenge without armor, Juan exclaimed, "Sir Ryan! He isn't wearing armor or using a weapon?!"

"Quiet, Juan," Rubio motioned for his son to be silent, his eyes fixed on the duel. The Duke murmured, "Watch carefully. This will test Sir Ryan's true strength."

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