On the way back to Parravon Castle, Ryan walked in silence ahead, while Devonshire followed with light steps. The young Baron peeked over his father's shoulder and asked, "Father, are you angry?"
"No," Ryan shook his head.
"Then are you sad?" The son seemed unafraid of his father and pressed further.
"Not that either," Ryan still shook his head.
Devonshire rolled his eyes, his clever mind beginning to understand. "Is Father worried that what happened with Aunt Olica might happen again? That Mother Lileath and her mother, Alarielle, the avatar of Isha, have already struck a deal behind your back?"
"How old are you to be so fond of riddles?" Ryan finally turned around, his face not showing much anger. The Sun King glanced at his son. "If you like riddles, go play with your mother, Lileath, Uncle Lion, or your grandfather. I won't play along."
"Father is definitely upset," Devonshire shook his head. After some thought, the young Baron decided to speak up for his mother Lileath. "Father, actually, Mother Lileath and Queen Alarielle were just discussing things. They specifically asked for your decision on how to deploy troops and where to fight in Anmyr. The Wood Elves are waiting for your decision."
"Waiting for my decision? When it's already been decided?" Ryan shook his head. "But that's not important. Come with me."
"Yes," Devonshire was puzzled.
Ryan and Devonshire mounted their horses and rode toward Parravon City. Ryan's griffon, Impris, soared freely in the sky above.
The peaks of Parravon towered into the clouds. This was the primary habitat for pegasi, hippogryphs, and giant eagles in the entire Knight Kingdom. The ancestors of the Parravon Ducal Family, one of the twelve original Grail Knights, Agilgar, was known for his bravery, resilience, and warm-heartedness. He was a close comrade and friend of the first Knight King, Arthur. Agilgar was particularly skilled at befriending pegasi, and the earliest Royal Pegasus Knights originated from here.
Parravon Ducal Castle was built on the mountainside of the Grey Mountains. This area was once a ruin of the elven empire (in fact, all major cities in Bretonnia were built on elven ruins). The city was famous for its numerous and towering spires. Occasionally, High Elves would visit Parravon to reminisce about their ancestors' glory. In exchange for their gifts and trade goods, the nobles were often willing to open their doors for the elves to admire.
With the King's arrival, Duke Casson naturally offered his castle for Ryan's stay. However, Ryan declined and chose to reside in a ducal estate outside the city. Most of Parravon's land was barren, but a few estates located in the valleys were extremely fertile. Unsurprisingly, these estates were owned by the ducal family, whose vast wealth came from the continuous output of these large estates.
By now, the Old Guard had surrounded the estate tightly. Ryan led Devonshire to the study inside the estate. The study was filled with antique charm, reflecting strong Imperial cultural influences as well as remnants of elven culture. Of course, the most prominent decorations were the fleur-de-lis, pegasi, lions, and swords of Bretonnia.
"Sit," Ryan gestured for Devonshire to take a seat. The Knight King sprawled casually behind a white jade desk. Once his son was seated, Ryan asked with a half-smile, "What do you think of the Twilight Sisters? How do they compare to Alarielle?"
"Mother Lileath said..."
"Not what she said. What do you think?" Ryan interrupted.
"Father, I just met them today, so I don't know much," Devonshire thought for a moment and spoke honestly. "But after spending a few hours with Sisters Naestra and Araloth, I feel..."
"Feel what?" Ryan asked with interest.
"I feel like the shadow of Alarielle in my heart has faded a bit," Devonshire gave a strange explanation. "Before, I always thought about saving her, helping her. But after spending time with Sisters Naestra and Araloth today, I suddenly realized that Alarielle has never been this warm and caring toward me. I can feel that Sisters Naestra and Araloth genuinely like me and care for me."
"That's an honest answer," Ryan nodded slightly. The father looked at his son and sighed. "I know that your mother Lileath made this decision, including discussing with Queen Alarielle about dealing with Morghur, introducing the Twilight Sisters to you, and having me and Sulia come here. It's all part of a carefully planned chain. I know she didn't do anything wrong, and I know she wants to help me. But what happened with your Aunt Olica before..."
"Mother Lileath said that Aunt Olica was just trying to scare you," Devonshire was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. The son looked at his father, covering his mouth. "Mother Lileath said her first meeting with you was at the Marienburg talent market, where she pretended to be a captive and a slave, severely injured to get close to you. She said that plan was too stupid and idiotic. Only Asuryan knows what would have happened afterward. Besides, Mother Lileath has been watching you all along. If Aunt Olica had really planned to use your power from the start, Mother Lileath and Grandfather would never have given her any chance."
Listening to Devonshire's words, Ryan's face turned as dark as ink. He had already suspected as much afterward. After all, the injuries to Olica's soul and the Emperor's approval weren't for nothing. If she had truly harbored ill intentions, not only would the Lady of the Lake have acted, but the Emperor would have as well.
So, how many more schemes do you elven gods have in store for me?
"Let's not dwell on that," Ryan shook his head, signaling Devonshire to stop. "Did you see it today?"
"See what? Queen Alarielle?" Devonshire was confused. "She's so tall, and her power is immense."
"That's not what I meant. Did you see how difficult it is to form an alliance?" Ryan couldn't help but laugh sarcastically. He pushed aside a book titled The Breeding and Rearing of Pegasi on the desk and leaned back in his chair. "Look, we fought so hard in Kislev. Your Uncle Leon even deceived three regiments of peasant soldiers, sending them across the river first—essentially to their deaths. If the nineteen survivors found out the truth, it would cause an uproar, and I'd have to clean up the mess. Look, the Chaos tide's over a hundred thousand scattered troops, not even the vanguard, have already taken Praag. Yet here we are, still scheming, bickering, and testing each other."
"Sometimes I really feel it's pointless. Your mother Lileath once said that if all the forces of Order united, we might have a fifty to sixty percent chance against Archaon. But that's impossible. Not just between humans, elves, and dwarfs—even within the elven pantheon, the gods are divided into countless factions, locked in eternal conflict."
"..." Devonshire sat respectfully, clasping his hands between his thighs, listening intently.
"Devonshire, how old are you? And how long have I been in control of this kingdom?" Ryan raised his hand, clenched it into a fist, and said, "I have done almost everything in my power to prepare for the End Times. The Great Crusades and gestures of friendship aside, what has it all amounted to? Now, it's no longer just a premonition—it's reality!!! The Chaos armies have already taken Praag! Archaon's million-strong army is gathering, and yet here we are, still like this. The Wood Elves are still testing, and the Lady is still testing. They're testing where my limits lie."
At the end, Ryan's voice was filled with helplessness. "Devonshire, since your mother Lileath wants to pair you with the Twilight Sisters, you might as well accept them. Two high-tier Saint Realm warriors riding ancient forest dragons—it would be a shame to let them go. But becoming your wife is absolutely out of the question. At most, they can be your personal attendants. You can tell your mother Lileath that, and she'll agree."
"I understand, Father," Devonshire was stunned for a moment before asking, "But Father, why have you decided to accept this?"
"Politics is the art of compromise. If you haven't learned to compromise or endure, you're not fit to be a king," Ryan shook his head with a bitter smile. "Your grandfather watched humanity rise to prosperity only to collapse again and again. He endured for over thirty thousand years before finally revealing his true form when humanity was on the brink of extinction. For the survival of the human empire, he endured endless torment on the Golden Throne for ten thousand years. If a being of his stature can endure, why can't I? Why can't you?"
"Then why did Father deliberately give Mother Lileath and the Wood Elves a cold shoulder?" Devonshire continued to ask.
"Because they are the ones asking for our help, not the other way around," Ryan waved his hand. "If you're asking for help, you need to show the proper attitude. If they can handle Morghur themselves, let them. The Wood Elves' attitude is clear—they want us humans to show sincerity. What sincerity? The so-called sincerity is just us giving in again and again? They can dream on!"
"Even worse, your mother Lileath is trying to play peacemaker. I am her husband! Yet she's still thinking about how to help her mother. If it weren't for the fact that her plan to pair you with the Twilight Sisters benefits our Knight Kingdom and us, and that Chaos is already at our doorstep, I'd have locked her up! Remember, son, some things can be compromised, but others cannot. And often, we compromise for greater gains, not for the sake of peace, dignity, or virtue."
"I understand, Father!" Devonshire pondered for a few seconds before suddenly saying, "Peace sought through struggle endures! Peace sought through compromise perishes! Father, you're taking this stance to show the Wood Elves that they are the ones who need to show sincerity! Otherwise, peace? Alliance? Forget it!"
As soon as Devonshire said this, the study fell silent.
Ryan put down his glass, rested one hand on the table, and narrowed his eyes at his son, saying nothing for a long time.
Devonshire swallowed hard, lowering his head, his face slightly red, unsure of what to say.
After a long while, the Sun King let out a long sigh, as if he had unburdened himself of something. Ryan leaned back in his chair, looked at his son, and smiled. "In this regard, you take after me and Sulia. Good, very good. Since that's the case, agreeing to have the Twilight Sisters as your personal attendants is an excellent decision."
With that, Ryan finally nodded, his tone heavy, as if bearing a great weight.
"A promising grandson. The human empire can thrive for three generations."
The atmosphere in the room lightened. Devonshire, remembering how the two older sisters had sandwiched him between them, couldn't help but blush. He was almost sixteen but still a virgin. Yet, the Twilight Sisters were undeniably captivating.
However, hearing the phrase "three generations," Devonshire was puzzled. "Father, why three generations? Don't we pass things down generation after generation?"
"Generation after generation? Ha! Who told you that?" Ryan laughed. The Grey Knight Primarch, the Emperor's youngest son, couldn't help but chuckle. "Your grandfather is an immortal, a supreme being, the Master of Mankind. Yet, your uncles only inherited a fraction of his power, and among all your uncles, only one is immortal."
"Are you talking about Uncle Vulkan? But aren't all the Primarchs immortal?" Devonshire was interested in his uncles.
"Immortality means that no matter how injured, destroyed, or annihilated they are, they will regenerate and return. Mortals only have one life—once dead, they're truly gone. Your grandfather said that killing an immortal requires meeting many conditions," Ryan nodded. "The Emperor and Malcador the Sigillite are immortals, but among the Primarchs, only your Uncle Vulkan is immortal."
"Father, aren't you?"
"I'm only half-immortal, having gained a small portion of immortality from Malcador," Ryan shook his head. "When my power passes to you, you'll only be a mortal with an extended lifespan. When you pass it to your son, he won't even have that extended lifespan. Perhaps he'll live longer than the Emperor's Custodes, but he'll still age. After another generation, the bloodline's power will degrade to the level of a normal Grey Knight."
"What about Fred?" Devonshire asked casually.
"Fred, like you, is a mortal with an extended lifespan," Ryan nodded. "But he inherited less of my power than you did. Your mother received power from your grandfather, but Emily did not."
Normally, at this age, Ryan's two sons would be pulling factions together, fighting tooth and nail for the right to inherit. But Devonshire and Fred's situation was different. They each had their own territories and titles, with nothing to fight over and no reason to take from each other. Plus, with Ryan's lifespan... the two brothers argued often but got along well enough.
"Heh, Fred's such a loser," Devonshire couldn't help but grin. "I'm the legitimate heir."
"Alright, forget about Fred," Ryan couldn't help but laugh. "First, think about how to deal with your two beautiful older sisters. They're two high-tier Saint Realm warriors chosen by the Wood Elf Queen. From the look in their eyes, they seem ready to devour you."
"Father, how do you usually handle Aunt Morgiana and Aunt Olica? Teach me!" Devonshire first grimaced but then his eyes lit up. "You can't just leave me to deal with this on my own!"
Ryan's mouth twitched, and his expression turned awkward.
However, according to intelligence, the Twilight Sisters were originally one person. They shared a "symbiotic connection." As long as one sister wasn't killed simultaneously, the other could quickly revive her.
Similarly, if Devonshire delivered a "critical hit" to Naestra, Araloth would suffer the "same damage" even from a distance. By leveraging this and his son's psychic abilities, dealing with the Twilight Sisters, while challenging, should be manageable. Besides, Devonshire was almost sixteen, and his body was mostly developed.
"Fine, come here, Devonshire," Ryan tapped his forehead. He drew from the knowledge bestowed upon him by the Emperor and his own experiences, quickly finding a relevant section. "Take this. Study it carefully in the coming days. We will eventually unite with the Wood Elves—that's inevitable."
"Understood," Devonshire accepted the knowledge and immediately began to comprehend it.
Within minutes, the son suddenly exclaimed in excitement.
"Father! Grandfather actually had a relationship with an Eldar Farseer..."
"Shut up and keep your voice down!"
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