Outside the capital city of Curona, all the dukes of Bretania had united to confront the "serpent" Matthew Bard and his army, except for Duke Hubald of Carcassonne in the far south and the missing Duke Lawen of Connet.
Even so, the remaining troops were still outnumbered by Matthew Bard's ever-growing forces.
Moreover, Matthew Bard had the support of four Bretanian dukes: the vampirized Duke Aldereld of Leoness, Duke Furcard of Montefort, the resurrected former Duke Armand of Aquitaine, and the also resurrected former Duke Sylveroy of Artois.
This war would ultimately decide the fate of the knight kingdom.
Even the elderly Knight King, "Tiger" Thinoire-Jean-Richard-Le-Angoulême, donned his ancestral armor once again. This aged king appeared even older after suffering recent setbacks, yet he resolutely came to the front line.
Wearing the enchanted full plate armor of Bretanian mithril and bearing the family crest of the "Blue Sea Monster," Richard placed his sea monster helmet and knight's crown on his head. He gazed far into the distance at the seemingly endless enemy line and sighed softly. The elderly Knight King murmured, "It shouldn't have come to this. Things were never supposed to turn out this way."
"But it has happened, my king," said Eugene, the Grandmaster of the Holy Grail Knights stationed in Curona, feeling deeply saddened by Richard's appearance.
The king before him was once a fierce and fearless warrior on the battlefield, earning numerous accolades. But time is unforgiving. Richard had not completed the Grail Quest and was now over 120 years old. As a regular legendary figure, he had aged. He hadn't worn armor for a long time and nearly stumbled upon donning it fully.
"Enough, this must end," Richard coughed twice, a long-lost vigor suddenly surging within him. "Don't help me! I'm not so old that I need support!"
The old warrior's fierce spirit from his youth reappeared momentarily. The Knight King's eyes opened wide, his white hair draped over his shoulders. He took the sacred sea monster lance from his attendant, and his muddied eyes gradually filled with the fire of rage. "I, Richard, will join the battle today!"
Under the King's lead, the palace guards marched out of the castle. Richard rode a new pureblood elven horse and exited the city gate.
As dawn broke and the bells of the Holy Grail Cathedral tolled, Bretania's knights, with their banners like a forest, recited their prayers, their long ranks stretching to the end of the streets. The city's residents emerged from their homes, each holding a candle, praying to their goddess, hoping the knights would once again achieve victory, as they did a millennium ago.
Otherwise, darkness would descend.
When was the last time I left the capital fully armed? Richard pondered.
He remembered: more than thirty years ago, a massive beastman army had swarmed out of the Arden Forest, attacking Curona. Prince Imrik of Caledor led a high elf army to assist. The joint forces of Bretania and the high elves defeated the beastmen, protecting the capital.
Unconsciously, it had been so long since my last expedition, Richard thought sadly as he looked at the residents lining Curona's streets. The old king softly sang a poem written by the deposed King John II.
The entire kingdom once ruled by me.
The waves surged at my command.
Now I march to the battlefield at dawn.
Wandering the avenue that was once mine.
I once cast dice to decide life and death.
Reveling in the terror in enemies' eyes.
Hearing the people's cheers and praise.
The old king is dead.
Long live the new king!
The city gate opened wide, and Richard led the palace guards to Ryan's side. Ryan smiled and greeted Richard, "Good morning, my king."
"Good morning, my vassal," Richard nodded, sighing. "In the end, you have won."
The old king is dead.
Long live the new king!
"I haven't won yet," Ryan nodded, sensing Richard's mood. The Lady of the Lake's chosen champion pointed at Matthew Bard not far away, "Only ending this will be the true victory."
"The kingdom cannot fall in my hands," Richard nodded calmly. It seemed the past conflicts between Ryan and him had vanished. "Go, defeat the serpent and his army. I entrust you with command of all Curona's forces. The kingdom's fate rests on you."
"Yes, my lord." Ryan nodded lightly. In reality, he no longer needed Richard's commission. With his reputation, status, and new ducal title, he could act independently.
Yet Richard had compromised once again, just as his governance had always leaned towards compromise for the greater good.
Ryan turned his attention back to Matthew Bard.
"My end?" Matthew Bard laughed sharply at Ryan's words, his face twisted with both a sinister and mocking smile. "No, today is not my end. It's the beginning of a new era for this kingdom. I will save all of you from a lie. I swear, if you surrender now, I will forgive your sins."
"Matthew Bard! Why are you so stubborn?" Duke Berhemond, the most hot-tempered, stepped forward, cursing angrily. "Look at what you've done! You murdered your own father! You allied with the undead, harming the kingdom's serfs and nobles! Now you've recruited rogue knights, rebellious traitors, and vile bandits to attack our capital? I've never seen such a shameless knight! And you still dare to claim the throne?"
"If the original Duke of Connet, one of the twelve first Holy Grail Knights, the revered Kariot the Brave, knew his family produced a scum like you, he'd kill you himself!" Berhemond's furious voice echoed through the outskirts of Curona, his eyes wide with rage.
"Kill him! Kill him! Kill this bastard!" The young knights roared in indignation, shouting for Matthew Bard's death.
Matthew Bard responded with a cold smile, his eyes filled with venom and hatred. "You chivalry fanatics will never understand what I've been through. But soon, I will dance on your corpses."
Ryan raised his hand to stop Berhemond's continued questioning. He knew Matthew Bard had committed fully to his path of darkness, and any talk of chivalry or family would only fuel his madness.
Instead, Ryan focused on the group of knights gathered behind Matthew Bard, the human army composed of former Mousillon nobles. "Knights of Leoness, what has become of you? Why side with this madman?"
Faced with Ryan's question and Berhemond's fury, many of the knights and nobles looked down in shame, but some responded angrily.
"Injustice!" A knight rode forward, shouting. "Yes, my family and I were once knights of the Duchy of Mousillon. We were happy to be freed from the mad Duke Merovin's tyranny, but we did not receive fair treatment!"
"Since being incorporated into Leoness, we've been marginalized! Our fiefs and farms were taken by northerners! Our hunters were driven from their lands!"
"We repeatedly sought justice in the ducal court but were always suppressed, excluded from important meetings!"
"We've had enough. Our land belongs to us. We were always Mousillon nobles!" the knight declared loudly. "We deserve our rightful status. We must unite against this injustice!"
Hearing this, Richard sighed softly.
The southern territories of Leoness, which were incorporated from Mousillon, were very fertile. Dozens of small rivers flowed through, creating lakes in low areas. Most castles and villages were built on islands in these lakes.
Since being merged into Leoness, the former Mousillon nobles faced constant suppression. Over five hundred years, they lost many fiefs and estates, absorbed by the northern Leoness nobles. They were often excluded from ducal meetings, a grievance festering for a long time.
Richard had recognized this issue and discussed it with the former Duke Dalhide of Leoness, considering solutions.
But recognizing the problem was easier than solving it. The local knights of Leoness inherently distrusted and excluded the former Mousillon nobles. Even the Duke himself did. The accumulated tension over centuries could no longer be resolved peacefully. Civil war within the duchy seemed the only solution.
But Richard was neither a fierce fighter like Berhemond nor an expert in internal affairs like Francois. He instinctively avoided sparking internal strife, letting the problem fester until now.
At that moment, the old king saw a familiar figure beside Matthew Bard. His eyes widened in shock. "Charles? Why are you with that traitor's army?!"
Richard's legitimate son, Charles, stood beside Matthew Bard, pale and red-eyed. Confronted by Richard's question, Charles responded angrily, "I couldn't wait any longer, Father! I couldn't wait! If not for Lord Matthew Bard's magic extending my life, I would be dead by now!"
Charles raised his warhammer, pointing it at Richard:
"How can a prince wait seventy years to become king?!"
"Good! Very good!" Richard's hands trembled, tears welling up in his eyes. "Lawen's son ended up opposing him, and now my son opposes me. Charles, have you considered if you are even fit to inherit the throne?"
"That doesn't matter anymore, Father," Charles defiantly swung his warhammer. "Lord Matthew Bard promised me the title of Duke of Le-Angoulême after this."
Seeing Richard's legitimate son Charles also betray them caused a stir among the knights, some silent, some cursing, and others sighing.
Is this what chaos looks like?
Ryan gestured for everyone to calm down. He raised his hands, signaling for silence, and called out to the knights on the other side, "Knights of Leoness, brothers, hear me out!"
Ryan's standard bearer, Armand, approached from behind, holding a tray covered with a silk cloth.
Ryan nodded, drawing a sword from his waist, "Do you recognize this?"
"That's... 'Undying Hand'?"
"That's the sword of the great Saint Landuin!"
"Why is it in Ryan's possession?"
The Mousillon nobles couldn't fail to recognize Landuin's sword. They murmured in disbelief.
The knights reached a consensus.
"Thief!"
"Robber!"
"Grave robber!"
Seeing their reluctance to acknowledge the truth, Ryan sneered and took a nearly four-meter-long lance from his squire. He raised it high. Under the spring sun, the lance's body was inscribed with High Elven runes, glowing with a holy light like moonlit water. The Lady of the Lake's divine light enveloped its tip. "This lance is named 'Unblemished Light of the Lake.' Do you recognize it?"
The knights in Matthew Bard's ranks could no longer remain calm. They began to realize something, their faces pale, whispering among themselves. These former Mousillon nobles trembled, understanding the last appearance of this lance was hundreds of years ago. Now, seeing 'Unblemished Light of the Lake' meant...
"That's right! That is 'Unblemished Light of the Lake,' the legendary lance of Saint Landuin!"
"This lance can only be wielded by someone of supreme virtue!"
"Only one recognized by Landuin can obtain it!"
"Landuin's family code said the 'Unblemished Light of the Lake' could only be used by his successor. Now this lance appears in Ryan Macado's hands. Does this mean...?"
"It means Ryan has been acknowledged by Landuin, inheriting his will and virtue!"
A knight exclaimed, "So, are we fighting against his will?"
"Yes! Lord Ryan has inherited Lord Landuin's will and virtue, receiving his appointment. He is the true Duke of Mousillon!" Francois seized the moment, riding forward. The old father-in-law pulled the silk cloth off Armand's tray. "Look, what is this?!"
The golden ducal crown of Mousillon appeared, causing an uproar.
"This is the Ducal Crown!"
"Yes! It is the Ducal Crown. Knights of Leoness, the Ducal Crown of Mousillon, the sword 'Undying Hand,' and the lance 'Unblemished Light of the Lake' are all in Ryan's possession. This is the Lady's will, Landuin's will!" Francois shouted. "The greatest Knight of the Lake has chosen his successor. Ryan Macado is the true Duke of Mousillon!"
"The true... Duke of Mousillon!"
"The true... Duke of Mousillon!"
The chants spread far and wide. The knights under Matthew Bard realized the grave mistake they had made, dishonoring their ancestors' glory.
Matthew Bard's face turned ashen. He wanted to prevent these knights from defecting, but the undeniable truth was right before them.
"Ryan is the true Duke of Mousillon! We've been deceived by this bastard Matthew Bard!"
"Traitor! He tricked us!"
"We are the honorable people of Mousillon. We only serve Landuin and his successor!"
"Abandon him! Ryan Macado is our true Duke!"
The knights and nobles, realizing their folly, turned their horses away from Matthew Bard's army, aligning themselves with the Bretanian chivalric army.
"We swear allegiance to the true Duke of Mousillon, Landuin's successor, Ryan Macado! We shall never forget our oath!"
The overwhelming tide of knights surged forward, and Ryan finally smiled. "Excellent! Knights who have found their way back, you have chosen the right path. You have not forgotten the Lady's teachings and glory!"
"Now, raise your lances and fight for me!"
"Yes!"
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