Warhammer Divine Throne

Morgiana continued: ”At that time, a massive Green-skinned Army invaded the Count of Galament’s domain, rampaging across it. Kaled and his brother faced the first battle of their lives; they mounted their warhorses, raised their cavalry lances, and fought alongside countless knights to defend their territory.”

”That must have been a grueling battle.” Laine could imagine the difficulty of the fight.

”The surrounding knights were falling one by one, yet Kaled and his brother persevered. They drove the Green Skin’s vanguard back into the forest. However, the young knights soon realized that they had only defeated a small part of the Green-skinned Army. When the Green-skinned Army attacked again, the weary and heavily wounded knights were defeated and forced to hold the castle, staying put.” Morgiana continued, observing the sibling chatting in the courtyard, she sighed softly.

”After two days of holding the line, reinforcements finally arrived. Knight Commander Jules of the Holy Grail Knight Order led the Kingdom Knights to support them. The arrival of Jules turned the tide of the battle; he brought the glory of knightly spirit and the wrath of the Lake Fairy. The Green-skinned Army was defeated, and Kaled reunited with his sister.”

Laine nodded repeatedly: ”At this point, Lady Anara must have already become an excellent Lake God Prophet. Given that she has accompanied Lord Jules into combat, she should already be Jules’s lover.”

”Yes, Anara and Kaled reunited on the battlefield, and the knight army finally defeated the Green-skinned Army. But when Kaled returned to the castle, he was struck by a thunderbolt of news: his father and stepmother had been poisoned with toxic wine. Investigation revealed that the culprit was his fiancée Elizabeth, who confessed to Kaled that she had always feared his father and stepmother would harm him and take away his first inheritance rights. For their love and future happiness, Elizabeth had preemptively used poisonous wine to murder his father and stepmother.” Morgiana’s eyes were filled with anger.

”What a sad yet common situation; I have seen many such cases in Nord and the Empire.” Laine sighed.

”After Bohemond’s judgment, Kaled was declared innocent, but he felt deeply pained by the situation. Confronted with his dearly beloved fiancée, he couldn’t bring himself to decisively kill her. He drove Elizabeth out of his domain, and his brother swore never to forgive his fiancée’s actions and left him. In sorrow and pain, he was forced to take over his father’s title and became Count Galament.”

”After becoming Count, Kaled was reluctant to fulfill his duties as a lord. He frequently skipped banquets, hunts, competitions, and visits between nobles. He preferred to follow Jules as an ordinary Kingdom Knight fighting across lands.” Morgiana held Laine’s arm: ”Sorrow and pain have given Kaled strength; he is now a Legendary Tier Kingdom Knight.”

”Hardship and setbacks always make us stronger.” Laine steadily withdrew his hand, feigning reflection as he spoke.

......

The prolonged search for the Merciful Goddess Archbishop yielded no results, and Morgiana was forced to call off the action. She knew in her heart that the Merciful Goddess Archbishop was likely already dead. Attempts to find Mathew Bade also failed, and even lacked the support of the Brittania Royal Family led by Richard. The King refused to issue a warrant, and in negotiations with Morgiana, Richard believed that as the tournament runner-up, Mathew Bade would not sign the King’s Order without conclusive evidence.

In late April, Laine and Morgiana finally embarked on their journey home. The Lake God Witch would return to her Lake God Tower behind the Lake Fairy Cathedral in the Kakasong Duchy, while Laine would return to his domain.

Accompanying them was Kaled. After completing their mission, Jules continued to station at the Kulona Branch of the Holy Grail Knight Order, temporarily replacing the injured Knight Commander Eugene from the battle of Kulona Plains.

Amidst the prosperity and lush fields of Brittania, Morgiana side-sat on the Unicorn ”Hilphain,” with Laine riding alongside her. Kaled followed a position behind them.

”Duke Montfort accused you, claiming that harboring Dwarves and Elves is an offense to the Kingdom’s history and tradition. He engaged with the King, demanding you be punished. This suggestion was endorsed by Duke of Paragon and Duke of Leonais.” Morgiana said to Laine.

”Pfft~ The reason is simple: my workshop produces a large amount of Dwarf-crafted weaponry and equipment, as well as the Wood Elves’ trade station. They are merely jealous, influencing their income, so they want to sanction me.” Laine showed no pleasant expression: ”Duke of Paragon has always tried learning to trade with the Wood Elves, ending in heavy losses. Montfort boasts having Brittania’s best craftsmen, but even their top skills cannot match Dwarven craftsmanship. Unable to compete in quality, they want to use these means to sanction me, which is understandable.”

”Jealousy prevents them from approaching the Holy Grail.” Morgiana nodded: ”I have ordered them not to raise this matter again. If they act secretly, Laine, you can come directly to me.”

”It’s unfair, Lord Laine.” Kaled said indignantly: ”It’s always like this nowadays; the lords suspect each other over interests, knights use every means to exploit peasants. The feat of moving the Wood Elves trade that you achieved, I have heard of, belongs to your glory, not theirs.”

”Appropriate interests are necessary, Lord Kaled.” Surprisingly, Laine lightly shook his head: ”Knights need warhorses, need a complete set of knight equipment to enter the battlefield; lords need social connections, need sufficient military funding; peasants need to fill their bellies, at least not starving. We need to find a balance between interests and faith. Solely pursuing virtue is not the mark of a competent lord; solely pursuing interests will lead you away from the Holy Grail, away from the Lady’s teachings.”

”...Thank you, Lord Laine, your words have taught me something.” Kaled hesitated for a moment, then suddenly felt certain problems become clearer: ”I have always thought hunting, various banquets, and competitions are a waste of manpower and resources, and the socializing between nobles is overly hypocritical, but... Lord Laine’s words have enlightened me.”

”That’s life, Lord Kaled, finding the balance between governing your domain and refining yourself is also a test given by the Lady. Even Holy Grail Knights have lives of their own; we cannot fill our bellies by merely drinking water, or repair armor by merely praying.” Laine smiled: ”Do not think that the so-called Path of the Holy Grail is only completed through devotion and bravery. Wisdom and adaptability are equally indispensable.”

In fact, ordinary Holy Grail Knights have food consumption that is 3-5 times that of a regular person. These brutes not only never tire but also have considerable appetites, requiring a large amount of meat, Holy Grail Knights even more so.

”I have learned from you, Lord Laine.” Kaled said admiringly, the thirty-something Kingdom Knight behaving like a junior before the twenty-six-year-old Laine.

Mogiana nodded with satisfaction, her emerald eyes fixated on Laine for a long time; he was indeed her ideal champion.

With only three people, they traveled swiftly through this dangerous world. The Lake God Witch of the Holy Sanctuary and two Legendary Tier Knights could indeed ensure safety in most situations. Initially, Laine remained vigilant, but they encountered very few problems along the way.

Upon reaching the Bastogne Territory, Kaled bid farewell to the two of them. He had been away from his own domain for several months, and even if he didn’t want to be a lord, he knew he must return to inspect his land.

With only Laine and Mogiana left, their pace quickened. Laine only needed four to five hours of rest each day and, when necessary, could ride continuously on Grape without interruption. Meanwhile, Mogiana’s steed, the Unicorn Hilphain, hardly ever felt fatigued.

Two days later, they arrived at Laine’s domain.

Since he became Baron Gene, the land had undergone tremendous changes. Tall aqueducts channeled river water into the fields, numerous buildings had been constructed, and the once fertile land had become even more populated. Thick smoke rose from the villages in the distance, new farmlands had been cultivated with owners already, peasants worked joyously in the fields, and a patrol moved away with their backs to Laine.

Nearby the village, construction was in full swing. The village, once having only thirty or so low wooden houses, was expanding. Merchant caravans entered and left his territory, while Wood Elves carried cartloads of ore and Dwarf-made armaments away.

”What a thriving land,” Mogiana remarked. ”It’s completely different from what I saw over in Kakasong. There, the peasants always looked lifeless, and the lords dictated even the exact depth their ditches should be dug, lest the peasants cut corners.”

”I don’t know who’s managing in my absence; it could be my brother or Veronica,” Laine pondered briefly. Before leaving, he had arranged for Veronica to oversee, with Gaspardon handling tax collection, Kasenberg managing internal affairs, and Angerong in charge of the military. However, Angerong had the authority to command Veronica.

”No worries, I think we’ll find out soon enough.” Laine quickly let the matter go, finding no need to dwell on it. ”Your Highness Mogiana, are you in a hurry to return? Why not rest in my castle tonight? I think I should check the seal.”

A blush flashed across Mogiana’s face as she instinctively placed her hand on her lower abdomen.

The seal left by Laine seemed to be heating up, burning intensely.

It probably needed checking, and the Lake God Witch did not refuse. ”I understand.”

A wild screech from the sky caught their attention.

”A Horned Eagle Beast!” Mogiana gripped the reins, the Lake God Witch shouted as a sharp sword instantly appeared in her hand.

”Why is there a Horned Eagle Beast here?” Laine shouted in surprise. He raised his warhammer and quickly calmed the startled Pure-blooded Elf Warhorse, Grape: ”Neigh—!”

The Horned Eagle Beast swooped past them, soared in the sky with a large circle, and then landed before them, screeching and flaring its wings boastfully.

Then, a bald man, clad in a massive bear hide cloak and large full plate armor, jumped off the Horned Eagle Beast: ”Hey, brother, you’re back?”

”Brother?!” Laine stared, dumbfounded, at Angerong appearing before him. He quickly signaled Mogiana not to act, and the Lake God Witch lowered her longsword upon seeing this.

”Ha, brother, let me introduce you to my new steed,” Angerong laughed heartily, taking a piece of raw meat from his waist and feeding it to the Horned Eagle Beast. The beast screeched once, then devoured the meat in one bite.

Laine: ”???”

Angerong stroked the Horned Eagle Beast’s head, exceedingly proud, and said to Laine, ”I’ve heard many lords desire a Horned Eagle Beast for a mount. So, I thought I’d get one too. Hey, lucky me, it only took me five days to tame one. Now I’m also a Horned Eagle Beast Knight, hahaha~ It was way too easy.”

Laine: ”???????”