"An intelligence department?" Aurora seemed intrigued, while Teresa took a moment to contemplate the implications of helping Ryan establish such a department. It was undeniable that both Aurora and Teresa had become witches who needed Ryan's protection and resources.
Aurora's eyes lit up upon hearing Ryan's request. Her greatest fear was that Ryan might dismiss their involvement altogether, which would be problematic. On the contrary, if Ryan required their assistance, they could leverage this need to secure some of Ryan's authority and integrate into his court, which was crucial for Aurora.
After thinking for a while, Teresa spoke softly. "But Ryan, don't you already have an intelligence department?"
Ryan nodded slightly. Teresa was correct.
Ryan's forces already had an intelligence network, divided into two main parts.
The first part, managed jointly by Sulia and Ryan, was based on the Oliver Trading Company and specialized in gathering intelligence on the various powers and movements within the Old World. This department could collect information, relay messages, and occasionally provide a safe haven.
The second part was managed by the Dark Elf, Olica, focusing on monitoring Chaos corruption, cultist activities, and the movements of vampires and Skaven within the territory. Olica trained a few maids using the same methods employed by Khaine's assassins and established an external structure. This team was small and entirely under Olica's command.
"While the Oliver Trading Company can collect intelligence, they can't handle deeper operations. What I need is an active intelligence network within the Kingdom of Bretonnia, not just a passive source of information. After careful consideration, I believe you two are the best candidates. My initial plan is for you to send personnel to establish branches in Bordeleaux and Helen Hill." Ryan detailed his plan to Teresa and Aurora. "You don't need to worry about securing properties or setting up shops; I will handle that."
Ice witches were indeed a unique existence. Although their magic was a form of Chaos magic, it didn't cause mutations but rather made the caster's personality colder. The first Kislev Ice Queen, Queen Miska, had obtained the secrets of ice magic from the ruins of the Old Ones. Due to the nature of ice magic, these witches practiced their craft coldly and were disinterested in politics. They were also less prone to Chaos corruption, and even if they failed in their training, they would simply turn into ice sculptures and die quietly, without causing panic or disturbing the citizens. They were ideally suited to hiding in cities or suburbs. Unlike many other witches whose misuse of magic could cause panic or explosions, Ice Witches were not so troublesome; they preferred to work quietly behind closed doors.
The only thing Ice Witches despised was male wizards. The first Ice Queen, Miska, after studying the secrets of the Old Ones, concluded that men were incapable of practicing ice magic. Thus, there were no male Ice Wizards, and Ice Witches harbored a natural hostility toward male wizards, often leading to conflicts. The secrets of the Old Ones clearly stated that close association with male wizards would weaken ice magic until it disappeared forever. Hence, when male wizards attempted to approach Ice Witches, a battle was often inevitable (this was one reason Aurora feared Gailter so much).
In this regard, Bretonnia offered a naturally favorable environment. It was well-known that all children with magical potential were taken away by the Prophetesses of the Lady of the Lake if they weren't sent to the Imperial College of Wizards or the Southern Realms Wizard Alliance for education. The boys would disappear forever, while the girls would be trained to become new Prophetesses. As a result, male wizards were rare in Bretonnia, with only a few employed or invited by major noble households. This greatly reduced the potential for conflict.
Ryan's words made both Aurora and Teresa nod repeatedly. The Sanctuary Witch, Garland Council Elder Aurora, began to think that perhaps the crisis-ridden council wasn't such a good place to stay after all. She started contemplating how to relocate several of her female council members, hundreds of formal witches, and apprentices. But the thought of abandoning her hard-earned network and wizard tower gave her pause.
While Aurora was still thinking, Teresa voiced her concern. "Ryan, it's not that I don't want to help, but why don't you ask Sulia or Olica?"
"Sulia... isn't suitable. She already handles most of the internal affairs of the territory. She manages everything when I'm away, from major decisions to minor issues. Adding this responsibility would be too much for her, and it wouldn't be appropriate."
"As for Olica... she's too ruthless." Ryan couldn't help but smile wryly. "She's fine dealing with Chaos cultists, vampires, and other non-humans, but she's too brutal when it comes to our own people. I don't want that. What I need is something different."
Just because the Dark Elf acted like a soft, sweet-smelling pillow who occasionally offered advice, didn't mean she was harmless. This Dark Elf from Naggaroth was inherently cruel. She would often mutilate captives, hanging them on butcher's hooks to bleed out slowly until death. She had also suggested introducing slavery, using captives as labor.
"I wouldn't trust Olica with internal affairs." Ryan said bluntly. "I'd rather keep her close, where I can manage her."
"Understood." Teresa exchanged a glance with Aurora and, after receiving a nod from her mother, hesitated before speaking. "Ryan, we have no objections and are willing to help. But are you sure it's safe to entrust something so important to us?"
"Who else can I trust?" Ryan asked in return. The heir to the Knightly Kingdom, Duke of Mousillon, and Lady of the Lake's chosen champion shook his head with a bitter smile. "When it comes down to it, who else can I choose? My options are limited to knights, nobles, the church, or wizards. Sulia leads the knights and nobles, Morgiana controls the church's legislative and judicial branches, so only the wizards are left to oversee things."
With that said, Aurora and Teresa had no further objections.
The evening conversation ended, and the servants prepared hot water for their baths. Ryan allowed Aurora and Teresa to bathe first, while he took a walk around the village, greeting the elders and villagers with warm words from a Grail Knight. He even distributed a few sacks of wheat and several strings of pork from the remaining army rations, rewarding the village guards.
Seeing the legendary Lord Ryan being so generous moved the serfs and villagers to tears, though Ryan noticed they weren't particularly ecstatic. They expressed their gratitude and bowed simply. A quick inspection of the villagers' food stores left Ryan relatively satisfied. Most had enough to survive the winter, and those who didn't weren't his concern—it wasn't his duchy, after all.
Bastogne, a duchy known for its piety and low administrative efficiency, was mostly governed by Grail Knights. These knights, being more compassionate due to their quest for virtue, were less oppressive toward the serfs. However, because Grail Knights spent most of their lives training in martial prowess and seeking virtue, the duchy was notoriously poorly managed. The most typical example was Karad, a formidable warrior on the battlefield but utterly ineffective in administration.
Thus, when Ryan introduced his tax reform in Bastogne, changing from the tithe system to a fixed tax, there was little resistance. The Grail Knights agreed since it aligned with chivalric virtues without overly harming their interests. Consequently, many of Ryan's reforms were successfully implemented, revitalizing the duchy, where at least the serfs were guaranteed enough to eat.
As Ryan walked through the village streets, he exhaled a cloud of white breath into the night air.
Indeed, who else could I use?
As a duke, his choices were limited to knights, nobles, and wizards. After considering all options, it always came down to the same people.
Am I unaware of the Sulia family's influence on my territory? Am I unaware that Aurora's singles party proposal is also a way to infiltrate my lands? Am I unaware that Morgiana is building Grail chapels in Mousillon as a form of infiltration? Am I unaware that the church's tax officials are also part of this?
But what can I do? Apart from these people, who else is there? In this kingdom, who has received a proper education? If not knights, then wizards or the church—these are the only options.
The Old Guard? The Old Guard Army is still a nascent force, composed of men who earned their ranks through military service and who have received only minimal education, barely literate. Transitioning them into administration would have disastrous consequences, and you know what kind.
Ryan's current efforts amounted to nothing more than a small step toward transitioning Bretonnia from a nobility-dominated system to a more meritocratic one. He had opened a path for social mobility, but that was all. The Empire had already taken this step after the reforms of the Savior, Ludwig.
"I'm ashamed to say, I've only done a little work." Ryan watched the smoke rise from the village chimneys, his blue eyes growing more determined. "I can't stop now; there's still much to do."
After strolling around the village, Ryan returned to the main house. The warm room was lit by a crackling fire, and the windows were tightly shut against the winter cold. Ryan enjoyed a long, relaxing bath, then dressed in comfortable clothes before opening the door to the inner room. What he saw instantly lifted his spirits.
Teresa was sitting on the bed, reading a book. She had bathed and changed out of her black swan coat and tight-fitting riding pants, now wearing a violet Gothic-style court dress that accentuated her graceful figure. Her oval face and glossy black hair still showed traces of moisture, and
she had clearly put on makeup—lavender eyeshadow and bright eyelashes gave her a seductive, alluring look.
Her slender legs, wrapped in sheer black velvet stockings, were exposed, revealing the white skin beneath. Her delicate, purple-painted toenails peeked out from simple elven slippers. As she noticed Ryan enter, Teresa looked up from her book and adjusted her black-rimmed glasses, decorated with purple butterfly patterns. "Finished your bath?"
"Yes, all done," Ryan replied with a smile, walking over to embrace Teresa. "This is nice."
The room was filled with the scent of lavender. Teresa blushed as she took Ryan's hand. "Ryan, what do you think about my mother moving here as well?"
"Aurora? Would she really leave behind decades of work?" Ryan asked with a knowing smile. "I know her well—she won't want to."
"You sound like you know her better than I do," Teresa gave Ryan a sideways glance and sighed. "You're right. She's hesitant."
"It's alright. She has plenty of time to decide." Ryan shook his head and kissed Teresa gently on the lips. "I promised she'd always be welcome, but if she comes to my land, she'll need to follow my rules, not set herself up like a queen."
"Let's not talk about that now," Teresa murmured, her face reddening further. "Mother mentioned that I should give you a child, preferably with the name Trovik, to carry on our family's lineage. What do you think?"
Ryan thought to himself that even if they had a child, it would be impossible for the child to bear the name Malcador. Only his and Sulia's child could carry that name.
He pretended to ponder for a moment, then reluctantly nodded. "Alright, if that's what you insist."
"Thank you, Ryan!" Teresa's heart warmed as she sensed Ryan's hesitation but appreciated his agreement. "Have you thought of a name for the child?"
"A name, huh..." Ryan smirked with a hint of mischief. "How about Siegfried for a boy, Teresa, or Karen for a girl? Or maybe Kiana?"
"What kind of strange names are those?" Teresa clearly disliked the names. "Teresa is the only one that sounds decent, but I still don't like it. None of them, please."
"We can discuss it further," Ryan chuckled. "But first, we need to have a child."
"Yes... let's have one."
...
After several days of travel, the army crossed the Chalon Forest and reached Ryan's territory. Ryan and Teresa were in high spirits, but Aurora seemed less so, clearly annoyed and dissatisfied, though Ryan pretended not to notice.
On the way back, the Lake God Witch Morgiana had already been waiting with a team of Grail Guardians. Upon seeing Ryan and Teresa, Morgiana first frowned, then awkwardly adjusted her golden hair. "Ryan? You're back?"
"Yes, what's happened? Why are you here in person?" Ryan asked, puzzled.
"Duke of Lau, Regent of the Kingdom, along with Duke Adalhard of Lyonnesse, Duke Berchmond of Bastogne, Duke François of Winford, and Duke Bodrick of Bordeleaux have all arrived. They've just settled in your castle," Morgiana replied with a nod. "They need to speak with you."
"Good, they're finally here."
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