The headquarters of the College of Magic is located in the former famous Eternal Dragonstone Castle. This castle once belonged to the immortal Drachenfels, who brought countless terrors to the world over hundreds of years, as mentioned earlier.
Now, Drachenfels has been temporarily defeated, but there is no doubt that he is not completely dead and could return at any moment. Unfortunately for him, his castle may no longer belong to him.
During a visit, half out of curiosity about the immortal's secrets and half at Leon's request, the Emperor, accompanied by Rogal Dorn, came to Eternal Dragonstone and completely purified the castle. Afterward, construction teams spent about a year renovating the entire castle, which now serves as the headquarters of the College of Magic, renamed Magritta Castle.
In truth, it was somewhat beneath the Emperor's dignity to handle this matter personally, even at Leon's request. Fortunately, the Master of Mankind did find many valuable things in Drachenfels' castle. He even confirmed that the immortal had lived through the legendary "Iron Men Rebellion" and witnessed the arrival and departure of the Old Ones, as well as the rise and fall of countless races and eras. However, unlike the Emperor, Malcador, or Ollanius Persson, who had always strived to do something for humanity, Drachenfels had mostly sought to dominate the world.
Unfortunately, he was repeatedly defeated, either actively or passively, by various challengers, becoming little more than a pig to be slaughtered.
Similarly, this castle is technically on the Empire's side of the Grey Mountains, so sovereignty should belong to the Empire. However, in the early days, both the Empire and Bretonnia were terrified of the place, and no one dared to approach it. Later, the dwarfs of Karak Hirn claimed sovereignty, and both sides eagerly handed over the hot potato to the dwarfs. Leon then formally acquired the territorial sovereignty of Blackstone Post and Eternal Dragonstone from the dwarfs of Karak Hirn for a hefty sum (about five chests of gold coins), recognized by the Old World.
On the road leading to Magritta Castle through the Grey Mountains, four Grey Knight recruits walked ahead on guard duty. Except for Bedan, who was assigned by Leon to stay by Surya's side, the rest were here to escort the king. On both sides of the rugged mountain path, a squad of Old Guard stood watch, while a luxurious carriage made its way up the road.
Inside the carriage, however, was a completely different scene. The esteemed Countess of Nuln, Emmanuelle, was dressed in a blue-and-white maid outfit. The low-cut neckline, the white headscarf, and the white lace stockings made the usually dignified Emmanuelle look as if she had returned to her youth. She happily lifted her skirt with both hands and said to her daughter, Rem, who was fourteen this year, "Rem! Are you ready? It's time to learn!"
"Yes! Yes, Mother!" Little Rem was dressed in an identical blue-and-white maid outfit, just smaller in size. Her hair, unlike Emmanuelle's waist-length locks, only reached her neck when tied into a side ponytail. Emmanuelle's dark blue high heels were replaced by dark blue flats on Rem's feet. Leon's eldest daughter was clearly nervous, quickly mimicking her mother by lifting her skirt and spreading it to the sides, striking a curtsy pose.
"The heart of a royal maid!" Emmanuelle said excitedly to her daughter. "Listen carefully!"
"First, no matter when or where, you must always remain elegant."
"Understood!" Rem's delicate, adorable face was very serious.
"Second, you must be brave and dazzling in battle!"
"Yes!"
"Third, you must always remain calm. The tea must not spill!"
"Got it!"
"Fourth, you must play Azur Lane every day!"
"Huh? We... we still have to play that?!"
"Alright, it's tea time! Rem, today is your turn."
The mother-daughter conversation inside the carriage could faintly be heard outside. King Leon, dressed in his royal attire, effortlessly guided the four purebred elven steeds pulling the carriage, signaling them to continue along the mountain path.
The purebred elven steeds looked at this part-time coachman with disdain. Our noble bloodlines are being used to pull a carriage...
Well, since it's Leon Macaroth, we'll give him some face. Hopefully, he keeps his promise and gives each of us a large honey carrot afterward.
Talienrand, dressed in a deep red suit, sat beside Leon. As Leon's foreign minister, he was accompanying the king and reporting on various matters. The limping man faintly heard the conversation inside and couldn't help but want to laugh, but his professionalism and training prevented him from losing composure. He handed Leon a document. "Your Majesty, the Third Battle of Black Fire Pass has concluded."
"How did it go?" Leon nodded slightly. As king, he was too busy. Even when he was on vacation or handling other matters, it was crucial to stay informed about the outside world, especially regarding a major battle that concerned the safety of the Old World.
"The battle was extremely brutal. According to Imperial propaganda, it was an epic victory, but based on our intelligence, a hard-fought, narrow victory might be a more accurate description." Talienrand read from the document. "The Imperial army, including the Stirland forces that were completely wiped out, had about 55,000 troops participating. The casualty numbers have not been released by the Empire, but based on dwarf estimates, it should be between 30,000 and 36,000. The Averland and Reikland forces suffered the heaviest losses, with eighteen regiments completely disbanded and ceasing to exist. Out of the 2,000 knights who followed the emperor into battle, fewer than 1,000 returned. Even at the end, the emperor only managed to defeat the greenskin warlord through a duel. Reliable sources say the emperor was at a complete disadvantage initially and only narrowly won after being possessed by a god."
"How did the Nuln forces, the Griffon Knights, and the dwarfs fare? What about greenskin casualties?" Leon listened quietly to Talienrand's report.
"Two of the five Nuln regiments were nearly wiped out, but thanks to Frederik's reorganization, the Nuln Ironclads, Black Guards, and the remaining three regiments did not suffer heavy casualties. The Griffon Knights lost nearly 100 men. Emperor Karl-Franz had your godfather, Duke Ivan, and your sworn brother, Count Anton, lead their forces in an ambush in the southern woods. However, in our view, this elite force did not play a significant role. As for the dwarfs, they suffered almost no casualties." Talienrand continued, "As for the greenskins, the dwarfs conservatively estimate that 43,967 greenskin heads were collected."
"That still means more than half of the greenskins escaped, and the losses were too heavy." Leon remained frowning, and the king could only sigh. "As for my godfather, the battlefield is ever-changing. Sometimes elite forces can't make an impact because the situation changes too quickly."
Talienrand wasn't particularly knowledgeable about military matters, but the limping man always masked this well. He simply followed Leon's lead. "Your Majesty is right. In fact, I've always believed that the difference between Emperor Karl-Franz and you is that you would have immediately smashed that greenskin warlord's head, and then we would have launched a massive cavalry pursuit. The greenskins wouldn't have only suffered a third of their forces in casualties against our army. Our cavalry would have chased and slaughtered them, then destroyed their foul and filthy strongholds, just like at Karak Eight Peaks!"
"Pfft!" Leon's furrowed brow relaxed upon hearing Talienrand's words, and he even laughed.
There was no denying that Talienrand's flattery skills were truly top-tier in the Old World.
Often, Leon knew Talienrand was flattering him, but the limping man's words never came off as obnoxious and always hit the right notes.
"What about the Everqueen? Where is she now?" Leon asked the second question that interested him.
"Her Majesty Everqueen Alarielle and the high elf delegation have reached L'Anguille in southern Tilea." Talienrand continued, "They will stay there for a day or two before heading directly to Marienburg. It's said the High King has sent a large dwarf army to prepare for their escort."
For humans, a large army would mean at least 20,000 troops, but for dwarfs, Leon guessed it would probably be around a thousand.
Talienrand, seeing Leon's silence, misinterpreted the king's thoughts this time.
The limping man had always been one of Leon's close advisors, often involved in the king's family matters. Leon didn't mind seeking Talienrand's opinions, so the limping man tentatively said, "Your Majesty, are you concerned about the two barons? In fact, if the Everqueen Alarielle can negotiate peace with the dwarfs, she might pass by on her return. However, the chances of either Baron Frederik or Baron Devonshire forming a substantial relationship with the Everqueen are extremely slim."
"I believe you already understand the high elves well enough, Your Majesty. Even as a lover, one must at least be an elf prince." Talienrand tilted his head. "Of course, if that prince is named Tyrion, even better."
Leon chuckled wryly. He hadn't expected his two sons to fall for the Everqueen, but there was no need to be too harsh on them. Firstly, the Everqueen herself was a great beauty, and she carried divine blessings and power. Both of his sons had inherited some psychic potential, which naturally drew them to her. Essentially, Leon himself had used this to attract Theresia, Veronique, Olica, and the Lady of the Lake, and even Morgiana had become addicted.
Seeing Leon's wry smile, Talienrand couldn't quite grasp what the king was thinking. His master was sometimes profound and sometimes just mischievous, making him a very difficult person to decipher.
But that was also part of the fun. One of Talienrand's greatest joys in life was the constant guessing, guarding, probing, and strategizing with his master. It made most of his days quite enjoyable. He and Leon were both monarch and subject, as well as confidants and old rivals. The limping man ran through his thoughts and then smiled. "Your Majesty, it's not that I mean to belittle or discriminate, but in the eyes of the high elves, not only are your two sons human, but even if they were willing to join the high elves, Ulthuan would not welcome them. Unless... a child born from endless disputes and hatred between the two sides could, as a half-elf, forcefully ascend to the Phoenix Throne and Avelorn, ruling over Ulthuan, would there be the slightest, almost imperceptible chance."
"Haha." Leon couldn't help but laugh, first at himself, then in resignation.
He had seen similar questions on a Q&A platform in his previous life, a centuries-old unresolved debate.
"Was Genghis Khan, the great conqueror, considered Chinese?"
This was a very difficult question to answer because there was no unified standard, and modern historical perspectives couldn't be applied to ancient concepts. Nor could this question be simplistically used as a stance for taking sides. Leon had always believed that if Genghis Khan was considered Chinese, then he could just as easily be considered Russian—his descendants established the Golden Horde, which revered him as its founder and once ruled over a dynasty in Russia. Today, the Tatars are an integral part of the Russian population.
By extension, the great conqueror could be considered a member of any nation he or his family had conquered and left his bloodline in. The Golden Family has 16 million descendants worldwide.
Thus, this question had been debated for thousands of pages without resolution.
Similarly, if this scenario were applied to the high elves, suppose Leon's two sons had a relationship with the Everqueen. Wouldn't future high elves trace the lineage of the Everqueen back to Leon?
Wouldn't Leon then become the high elves' "Genghis Khan"? He didn't speak Eltharin as his mother tongue, nor did he embrace elven culture as his primary identity. He had spent very little time in Ulthuan, and his armies and domains had little to do with the elves. He was the Sun King of Bretonnia, leading knights to conquer the Old World. Yet, according to elven law, as the grandfather of the Everqueen, wouldn't he be considered an elf? Wouldn't that make the elves and Bretonnia share a ruler?
Understanding this layer explains why the Lady of the Lake, Lileath, suddenly supported Devonshire's pursuit of Alarielle. She likely wanted to stir the pot, as the goddess loved to do. And why Talienrand told Leon it was absolutely impossible was because the limping man understood the high elves well. He knew they would never tolerate such a thing.
"Actually, Devonshire's feelings for Alarielle are more admiration and appreciation," Leon said after a twenty-second silence, shaking his head slightly. "And a childish desire to compete with Frederik. You know, Talienrand, sometimes if the older brother likes something, the younger brother wants it too. Sometimes it's because the older brother has something, so the younger brother wants it too."
"Your Majesty means that Baron Frederik truly loves Alarielle?" Talienrand immediately caught the implication. "That's troublesome. The baron isn't the type to give up easily."
"Ah, Talienrand, my head hurts," Leon said with a pained expression.
"Hahaha! Shall I massage it for you, Your Majesty?" The limping man said tactfully. "Unfortunately, my technique is poor. You'd better have someone else do it."
"Alright, I can manage." Leon pulled out a map. "What's next is more important. In three hours, we'll reach Magritta Castle. Veronique and her coven will be key to our expedition to Albion. We will invade the Kongquata of Albion, fulfilling our promises to the Lizardmen and my brother Fulgrim."
"An expedition to Albion is a dangerous endeavor, Your Majesty. Which forces do you plan to lead?" Talienrand asked, following up. The limping man actually enjoyed discussing military matters with Leon, even though he wasn't particularly skilled in this area. But Talienrand knew that human nations were essentially ruled by military nobles, so he was eager to learn.
Bretonnia was brimming with talent in all areas, and its military was filled with war geniuses and battle-hardened veterans. Hadn't many of them learned by Leon's side?
"The most elite forces: my Royal Guard, the Mousillon Legion, and the ducal armies of the southern Bretonnian nobles."
"But... that would significantly weaken our military presence in the southern part of the kingdom," Talienrand said, looking at the map.
"Yes, it doesn't seem particularly wise," Leon said, his deep blue eyes flickering with psychic energy. The king focused his gaze on the map of Albion. "But I will complete the Albion expedition within two months."
"The enemy will never expect us to move so quickly." Leon pointed to Mousillon. "As for me, I'll be at the Fontainebleau Palace in Mousillon, enjoying operas, playing mahjong, dancing, and hunting, making everyone think we're resting."
"As for some enemies lurking in the shadows, I can't wait for them to reveal themselves while I'm on the Albion expedition!"
"I am fully prepared."
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