As the Lady of the Lake's Day approached, distinguished guests from all over began arriving in Curona to attend Ryan's coronation ceremony.
The first to arrive were a group of wealthy merchants from Marienburg. Since Marienburg was the closest city to Curona, these wealthy merchants quickly prepared lavish gifts upon hearing of Ryan's upcoming coronation. Ryan, knowing that Grand Duke Schultz, the Inquisitor, would arrive later due to other commitments, didn't meet with the merchants himself. Instead, he handed them over to Casenberg, his steward, to receive them.
Ryan was well aware that despite their cheerful demeanor and generous gifts, these merchants were extremely shrewd. Brittany and the Empire frequently clashed over territorial disputes along the Curona Road, a marshy area several hundred kilometers long between Marienburg and Curona, with these Marienburg merchants often fanning the flames. If they saw the two nations coexisting peacefully, they would secretly create tensions and disputes to cause price fluctuations, from which they profited.
But if war seemed imminent, the merchants would use their influence and resources to mediate, trying to bring the two nations back to the negotiating table to avoid conflict.
With this in mind, Ryan had little fondness for these merchants. He preferred to let Oliver and Casenberg handle them.
The second group to arrive was the envoy from Karak-Hirn, sent by the Dwarf King Lorrec Granitehand. Ryan met with the envoy, who displayed a rather haughty attitude, though without ill intent. After exchanging some pleasantries, Ryan arranged for the dwarves to stay at an inn, completing his duties as host.
Next to arrive were Duke Rubio Sunwatcher of Magritte and Amancio Pérez, the leader of the Estalian Merchant Guild.
These two guests were important enough that Ryan deemed it necessary to meet with them personally. Coincidentally, Baron Juan Carlos Sunwatcher, one of Ryan's vassals, was preparing for his marriage to Agnès de Gisoreux, the granddaughter of Duke Hagen of Gisoreux. Juan could discuss his marriage arrangements with Duke Rubio during this visit.
For Juan, this marriage was somewhat of a "step up" in status, but he wasn't without his own merits. As the legitimate son of Duke Rubio of Magritte, Juan's noble rank, though not as prestigious as that of a frontier prince, was still respectable. Moreover, Juan was a rising star under Ryan's command, young and full of potential, and had earned Ryan's favor. Duke Hagen was pleased with the match, and Juan also found it suitable.
Ryan had no objections, and Sulia, his wife, had introduced Juan to several noble ladies from Winford and Bastogne, but Duke Hagen showed the most sincerity. Since Ryan didn't oppose the match, Sulia naturally didn't either. As long as Duke Rubio agreed, the marriage would be sealed.
"Father!" Juan was thrilled to see his father, Duke Rubio, in person. Although he was still in his twenties, with a bit of downy hair on his face, Juan had eagerly prepared himself early in the morning, cleaning up and heading to meet Ryan with great excitement.
Ryan, also ready, set out with Juan from the inn. Juan had intended to address Ryan as "Your Majesty," but Ryan stopped him, seriously stating that until he was officially crowned, Juan should refer to him as Duke.
"My dear, I want to come along too," Veronica, the Garland Witch, clung to Ryan's arm as he was about to leave, playfully insisting, "Take me with you!"
"We're going to discuss Juan's marriage and meet guests. Why would you want to come?" Ryan asked, amused but not unwilling. Veronica held a special place in his heart, and he was generally lenient with her.
"Mr. Pérez is my business partner," Veronica explained as she clung to Ryan's arm. "I just want to see my trade partner. He hasn't given me my dividend for the first half of this year!"
"Alright," Ryan relented, not arguing further.
The group set out together to greet Duke Rubio and President Amancio outside the city.
Juan was particularly excited about his father's arrival. The young Sun Knight had been riding a wave of success recently. Not only had he gained honor and titles, but he had also found direction. In Ryan, he saw hope.
The Church of the War Goddess Myrmidia had also praised Juan's success. Upon hearing that Juan would follow Ryan on an expedition to Eight Peaks Mountain, the Church of the War Goddess sent a team of Sun Knights from Talabheim in the Talabecland to assist Juan on his journey.
"Lord Ryan, after your coronation, will you move your residence from Gene to Curona?" Juan asked eagerly as they left the inn.
"Why, do you want to settle in Curona?" Ryan asked with a chuckle.
"Yes, dear, can you secure a few shops for me in Curona?" Veronica immediately chimed in before Juan could answer, clinging to Ryan. "With your influence in Brittany, getting a few prime locations shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Don't be silly, Veronica. Getting the shops would be easy, but repaying the favors would be very troublesome," Ryan paused before continuing. "I won't stay in Curona often—maybe two or three months a year. Most of the time, I'll be in my own territory. I'll leave Curona to Lawen; he'll handle things well."
Veronica raised an eyebrow slightly. She understood why Ryan didn't plan to stay in Curona for long. Curona, as the capital of the Knight Kingdom, was the stronghold of conservative knights, and Ryan could easily run into many problems here. Lawen, as a representative of the conservative nobles, was experienced in dealing with these issues and could act as a buffer between Ryan and the conservative forces. If Ryan stayed in Curona for too long, he would likely end up in direct conflict with them.
The second reason also related to the royal palace. As the Knight King, if Ryan stayed in the palace in Curona, he would have to navigate extremely complex rules and ceremonies. After a thousand years of tradition, the rules governing the Knight King were so numerous that even Ryan found them daunting. Simply put, the Knight King couldn't casually summon an ordinary knight or be alone with any minor noble. Every word and action would be recorded, and he would be strictly monitored in everything he did, which Ryan didn't like.
Veronica knew Ryan well; he preferred starting fresh rather than tweaking existing structures.
When they reached another inn, Duke Rubio and President Amancio had already arrived. Surrounded by dozens of knights from the Pegasus Knights, Rubio Sunwatcher was speaking with Duke Hagen of Gisoreux.
Duke Hagen was a righteous and brave man, though not particularly skilled in internal affairs. He spent most of his time in seclusion at the Grail Cathedral in Curona, either in deep meditation or honing his skills, only returning to his domain for urgent matters. However, Hagen was no fool. Although he rarely stayed in his duchy, he kept a tight grip on appointments and controlled the most elite troops of Gisoreux, ensuring that the regents and deputies he appointed didn't abuse their power or engage in corruption.
"Father!" Rubio was in the middle of a pleasant conversation with Hagen when he saw Juan approaching. Rubio's face filled with pride. "Juan, it's been a while. Lord Ryan, congratulations, and thank you. Without you, Juan wouldn't be where he is today."
"His achievements are due to his own efforts, not mine. Gold shines wherever it is," Ryan replied sincerely, shaking Duke Rubio's hand. "Welcome to my coronation, and President Amancio, you are also very welcome."
"Hahaha, you indeed should welcome me," Amancio, the shrewd merchant, said without hesitation. He leaned in close to Ryan and whispered in his ear, "As you requested, I've arranged to hire a company of soldiers from Kislev. They're known as the 'Striped Devils,' the Erlengrad Port Guards, all dressed in blue and white striped shirts! They've already landed in Bordeleaux, and your people have gone to receive them."
"General Ivan, I presume?" Ryan's eyes lit up. The Kislev Erlengrad Sea Spirit Guard, a legendary unit from Kislev—only someone like Amancio, with countless connections and decades of experience, could have pulled that off.
Some 160 years ago, during the Great Holy War, when all of Kislev was overrun, a ragged group of Kislev sailors, clad in blue-and-white striped shirts originating from Brittany's Le-Angoulême Duchy, managed to hold out against the Chaos army's relentless assault for several months. They held on until the Chaos warband grew tired of besieging them and moved on. When the Savior Ludwig led the Alliance of Order's counterattack into Kislev, he was astonished to find that Kislev still had a garrison holding a small fortress.
These sailors became Kislev's pride, and the Tsar awarded them the highest honors. As former sailors, they were named the Erlengrad Sea Spirit Guard by the Tsar.
This is the story of the Erlengrad Sea Spirit Guard. Their fame spread throughout the Old World. Now, over a century later, they were Kislev's most elite unit. How Amancio managed to secure them was anyone's guess.
"Allow me to correct a small mistake," Amancio whispered in Ryan's ear with a smile. "He's now General Ivan, personally promoted by Tsarina Katarin."
"Heh," Ryan chuckled with a hint of sarcasm. Was this a special favor from the Tsarina or some sort of message? To promote Ivan, an Ungol, directly from Colonel to General—
only Tsarina Katarin, eager to stabilize her rule, could do something like this.
Now Ryan understood why Tsarina Katarin had promoted Ivan and allowed him to work for Ryan. Since the rise of the Empire, Brittany and Kislev had grown close, always maintaining some form of secret military and political alliance. Kislev, frequently battling Chaos, often received funds from Brittany, which helped it weather the challenges of war. Brittany would then profit through diplomatic negotiations with the Empire, without the need to send troops.
This partnership between Kislev and Brittany was no secret, and Ivan's presence was likely a gesture to reinforce this relationship. Besides, Ryan had a special status as both the Lady's chosen champion and the future king of Brittany. It was entirely reasonable for Kislev to show goodwill in this way.
"That explains why I didn't hear any news when I inquired about the situation in Kislev. It turns out the Tsarina personally ordered it," Ryan thought to himself, stroking his chin. In recent years, Kislev had fallen into a state of near-anarchy, with many armies operating independently due to the lack of a clear leader. The Tsarina had been busy securing her rule in the capital, making it difficult to control the far-flung territories, even if her orders were sometimes carried out late. That Ivan could bring his troops all the way to Brittany was already quite impressive.
Now, Ryan had no intention of letting this gift go to waste.
As they spoke, Amancio, noticing Ryan's interest, stepped closer and lowered his voice. "These Sea Spirit Guards are all seasoned warriors, and you won't find better reinforcements anywhere. I spent a significant amount to get them here, but I'm confident they'll be worth every coin."
Ryan nodded. As the new king, he would face numerous challenges from the conservative nobles who opposed his rule. With such elite forces at his disposal, he could ensure a stable and secure transition of power.
"Thank you, Amancio," Ryan said sincerely, extending his hand to the Estalian merchant.
"No need for thanks, Lord Ryan. You've done more for me than I could ever repay," Amancio replied, shaking Ryan's hand firmly. "I'm just glad I could be of service."
With that, the conversation turned to lighter matters as they made their way back to the inn to continue their discussions. Ryan knew that the road ahead would be difficult, but with the support of allies like Amancio, Veronica, and his loyal vassals, he felt more confident in his ability to lead Brittany into a new era of prosperity.
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