The victory of the Knight Lord was like a beacon in the darkness. The armies of Brittania reunited and, in what resembled an epic campaign, won twelve consecutive battles, completely eliminating all enemies that invaded Brittania, leading to the establishment of the Knight Kingdom of Brittania.
Under the mediation of the Lake Fairy, the Knight Kingdom established diplomatic relations and an alliance with the Empire as equals. Since then, the relationship between Brittania and the Empire has been quite good. Throughout their hundreds of years of history, although wars occasionally broke out, both sides adhered strictly to their principles, never killing prisoners, even ensuring the safety of those who laid down their arms on the battlefield. This was truly because there were too many external threats, and the Empire and Brittania had a deep mutual understanding, never exhausting precious manpower and resources in internal conflicts.
"It's Marinburg, Mr. Laine. His Majesty the Emperor has tried to reclaim Marinburg for the third time, but the Duke of Marin is also unwilling to back down. Because the Empire violated the founding charter written by His Majesty Ludwig, Brittania chose to side with Marinburg. At this time, the Ranger Knights of Brittania, eager to prove themselves, suddenly charged into the Imperial Array without warning, triggering a full-scale war," Oliver slowly recounted the events and their course. "The war lasted an entire day. Fortunately, His Majesty the Emperor and the Knight King remained clear-headed. Despite one hundred thousand troops fighting for a day, only a little over three thousand were killed or wounded. Eventually, His Majesty the Emperor and Brittania made peace and renewed their alliance, returning the captured nobility, forcing His Majesty the Emperor to abandon regaining partial sovereignty and governance over Marinburg."
"The annual revenue from Marinburg is almost one-fifth of the Empire's total fiscal income; it's natural for His Majesty the Emperor to covet this port city. If I'm not mistaken, those Ranger Knights must have been instigated by the Duke of Marin to charge into the Imperial Array?" Laine asked with interest.
"Yes, after this failure, it seems the current Knight King's prestige is no more. It's uncertain which Duke will take over as the Knight King," Oliver nodded. "Who takes over as the Knight King isn't important. As long as the Lady of the Lake remains, Brittania's trade won't face too many issues."
Brittania's system is intriguing. The entire country submits to the Lady of the Lake, or the Fairy of the Lake. The Knight King is the visible ruler, but the Lake Fairy is the true ruler of the kingdom. After each Knight King abdicates or falls in battle, the Lake Fairy gathers all the Dukes of the Duchies to vote and discuss who will be the next Knight King.
Apart from these, the most well-known thing about the Lake Fairy to the world is that she personally established and regulated the "Eight Virtues of Chivalry." Her divine duties include these important codes of conduct and principles, so her faith extends beyond Brittania. Across the continent, especially among knights, many believe in the Lake Fairy. For instance, Laine sometimes prays to her.
"By the way, can you tell me about the situation in the Empire? I heard that a few years ago, Brescia Prince-Elector Andrea led his troops in an all-out war against the Red Horned Beastman Tribe at the edge of his territory but unfortunately died in battle?" After thinking over the Holy Grail Knight matter, Laine asked about affairs concerning the Empire.
This time, Oliver didn't immediately respond. The Imperial Merchant pondered for a while before slowly speaking, his tone sombre and even a bit sorrowful:
"That's right, the war was lost, the Prince-Elector died in battle, and the Beastmen retreated to the forest before the Emperor could lead his forces there. Several towns in Brescia were massacred, leaving no survivors, and the Prince-Elector's seal also vanished without a trace."
"The only legitimate daughter of the Brescia Prince-Elector Family also disappeared amid the chaos, extinguishing the direct lineage of Bernardino. The Holy Sword 'Western Fire', symbolizing the Prince-Electorship of Brescia, was lost as well. Now, only four of the twelve Holy Swords forged at the dawn of the Empire remain in Imperial hands."