In early April, a group of knights was riding their horses along the mountain road behind Baron Zeon's territory.
Suria did not come alone. Two Royal Knights led many rangers to protect the Duke's daughter. The security in Brittany, especially in the vicinity of the Duchy of Winford, was not very good. Even though the female knight was an elite, she could not come alone.
The Royal Knights sent by the Duke to protect his daughter were naturally good fighters. Both of them were at the peak of the elite level and had their own titles. One of them was called Bull Knight Baptiste, and the other was Stag Knight Gaston. Both of them were over thirty years old. They were dressed in fine plate armor, with long swords hanging from their waists and shields hanging from the hind legs of their horses. They carefully paid attention to the movements on both sides of the road.
Only the Holy Grail Knight was riding his horse calmly and chatting with the Duke's daughter. "So, the security in Winford is not as good as we thought?"
"Yes, Mr. Laing. We spend a lot of energy clearing out the bandits every year," the female knight said seriously. Riding on her pure-blooded elven warhorse, the female knight explained to the baron seriously, "Many of the bandit fortresses are built on the borders of the duchy, or hidden deep in the forest. In order to eliminate them, we also lost many knights."
"That's unreasonable," Laing complained. "Can't the duchy's knights deal with this threat?"
As soon as this sentence came out, many of the young rangers in the team looked unhappy. However, because the person in front of them was a Holy Grail Knight, they could not say anything. At most, they muttered, "It's not that we don't work hard. It's just that the bandits are too cunning."
The Bull Knight Baptiste had a beautiful mustache and a shaved head. When he heard Laing's words, the knight said awkwardly, "Mr. Laing, please understand. The bandits are very cunning. They often attack villages. Once they hear that the knights are gathering, they will hide in the depths of the mountains or the forest, hiding in those fortresses."
"Then don't you know how to attack?" Laing continued to ask. He did not want to save face for these knights at all.
The Holy Grail Knight's virtue was unquestionable. The knights present were a little ashamed. Suria saw this and took the initiative to say, "Here's the thing, Mr. Laing. The siege weapons are cumbersome and difficult to carry into the depths of the forest or mountains. The cunning bandits never confront us head-on. It's very difficult for us to take those fortresses when they are defending them...."
"Hmm …" Clayon rubbed his chin. He was really thinking about this problem.
Brittania, the kingdom of knights, the hometown of knights, had the strongest heavy cavalry in the entire Old World.
. The knights' charge was indeed powerful in the field, but it had its advantages and disadvantages. The Knight King's lack of powerful siege weapons and powerful long-range troops was one of the disadvantages. This country did not have cannons. When the bandits built their fortresses in the depths of the forest or the rugged mountains, the heavy catapults could not be transported in. Unlike cannons, the knights had to dismount and fight.
So the knights felt helpless against these bandits. They could only defend passively. The cost of recruiting an army was too expensive. It was not an option that the duke considered.
Thinking of this, Laing understood why the female knight came to him.
"Miss Suria, do you want me to help the duke solve this problem?" Laing still had a smile on his face. He looked very calm.
"Yes, we want to ask Mr. Laing to help us. Otherwise, these bandits will cause a lot of damage to the duchy every year. People will be displaced, caravans will be robbed and killed, and farmlands will be destroyed." The female knight reached out and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Her figure was like a blooming iris flower. Her face was full of sincerity and seriousness. "I hope Mr. Laing can lend us a hand. This is my personal request."
At this point, Laing did not hesitate at all. He immediately agreed. "No problem, I agree. Miss Suria and Yuri are both my friends. The Aintree family is a friend of mine, Laing Macado. They have helped me a lot along the way. I have no reason to refuse."
"That's great. Thank you very much." Suria's delicate face bloomed with a smile.
Laing also smiled kindly as a response.
This young lady was gentle and eloquent. She and her family had shown kindness again and again. Laing had no reason to refuse. The Aintree family had helped him a lot along the way from Marineburg to Brittany.
His knighthood did not allow him to turn a blind eye to this. It was shameless to only accept benefits without paying.
Entering the interior of Winford Duchy, the air was filled with a sweet fragrance. This duchy was surrounded by the Oracle Mountain Range. The Shinon River originated from the depths of the mountain range. The land here was thousands of miles wide, and the weather was cold in winter and cool in summer. It had the best wine farms and olive oil factories in the Old World.
Looking up, in the clear blue sky, only the sun was warming the earth. The diligent serfs were farming, and the roads paved with stones were full of travelers, caravans, and villagers.
"What a land full of vitality!" Laing praised. "This is heaven on earth."
Hearing the praise of the Grail Knight, the ranger knights and the two royal knights felt honored. Stag Knight Gaston immediately replied loudly, "Yes, Sir Laing. Every time I see this beautiful scenery, I'm willing to give my life to this land. When I'm out fighting, the Lady and Winford are my most firm beliefs."
Along the wide road, the knights advanced towards Duke Winford's capital, Helenhilde.
It was a huge city that looked like a garden. It was built in the middle of a valley, and the clear water of the Shinon River flowed through the fields beside the city. On the high city gate hung the family coat of arms of the Aintree family, "Pure White Pegasus." The golden crown of the duke was on top of the coat of arms, telling the ancient history of the family.
The houses in the city were all made of bricks and stones, with white walls and red roofs. The streets were very busy, with many people coming and going. Many trees were planted in the middle of the streets, and there were flowers and shade everywhere.
The duke's castle was located in the depths of the city, with the back of the mountains. The towering walls and pointed towers formed the huge castle of Duke Winford. This huge castle had three floors, inside and outside, rising in the shape of a cone. It had a circumference of more than a thousand meters and was made of towering granite stones. It was a symbol of the duke's wealth and power.
The castle was close to the Shinon River. In the middle of the castle was a square main castle, with six huge conical turrets on both sides. In front of the main castle, there was a 30-meter-tall pure white pegasus statue. It was as if the first Duke Winford, who had followed Arthur to conquer the world, had returned to the human world.
On the road, among the flowers, and in the square, bards and acrobats were performing all kinds of shows. When the knights passed through the main gate of the castle, they saw a lush sea of flowers. However, Laing and the others did not stop there. Instead, they followed the Duke's daughter straight to the inner courtyard, where he was going to meet "Long Legs" François Antley, a Sanctum grand knight, a Knight of the Holy Grail, and Duke Winford.
Unfortunately, the duke was not in the inner courtyard of his castle today. The loyal maid told the Duke's daughter that the duke was tasting wine in the pavilion outside.
"Mr. Laing, please go and meet my father first. I'll join you after I change my clothes," the Duke's daughter said. The Duke's daughter tactfully expressed that she wanted to stay. Leon nodded in a friendly manner. "Okay."
Then, under the guidance of Baptiste, the bull knight, and Gaston, the stag knight, Laing walked along the marble courtyard and came to the pavilion in the castle.
The pavilion in the castle was built on a hill. Standing in the pavilion, one could overlook the whole of Helenhilde and even the surrounding wilderness.
In front of the pavilion, there was a long line of people. Countless people were waiting in line for an audience with the duke. Among them were leaders of various trade unions, merchants from other places, manor owners from the duke's territory, and even some wandering knights from outside Brittany. They were all eager to see the duke in person, either to promote themselves or to complain about their difficulties.
But today, they were disappointed. Baron Jean, wearing a full set of Brittany baronial suit and a Knight of the Holy Grail badge on his chest, requested to see the duke. So, the guards and knights who were on duty in the castle were immediately informed by the duke that today's meeting was over. The two Knights of the Holy Grail would be discussing an important matter.
So, with reluctance and regret, the waiting people could only disperse.
In the pavilion, several knight-errant knights in shiny silver plate armor were standing guard. In the pavilion, a tall and stalwart figure stood with his back facing the visitors. He was slightly taller than Laing, about 1.9 meters tall.
Looking at the stalwart figure, the bull knight, Baptiste, and the stag knight, Gaston, never hid the enthusiasm and love in their eyes. They stood respectfully with their hands down, motioning Laing to come forward.
"It's been a few years since we last met. The respected guardian of Winford, the owner of the Oracle Mountains, the beloved Sir François Antrel de Winford, the Knight of the Holy Grail Laing Macado, wishes you good health." Laing bent down, pressed his hand on his left chest, and saluted the stalwart figure respectfully.
Like his Godfather, Winford "Long Legs" François was also a person worthy of respect. This duke became a knight-errant at the age of 18 when he came of age. He participated in several wars, big and small. At the age of 23, he won the crown in a tournament in Brittany's capital, Culona, and was knighted. At the age of 35, he embarked on the path of the Holy Grail. At the age of 39, he killed a wyvern and a doomsday bull, successfully completing the trial of the Holy Grail. After that, he returned to his territory and inherited his father's title of Duke Winford.
The difference between François and the other dukes was that this Grand Duke was extremely good at internal affairs. His many years of war never affected his wisdom. Under his governance, the rich Winford territory became even more prosperous, almost like a paradise on earth.
His military ability had never been neglected. Eleven years ago, the Necromancer Heinrich Kaimler led an army of undead to invade Brittany. It was Grand Duke François who led the knights to stop the attack and completely drove the undead out of Brittany's territory.
"Welcome to Winford, the champion of ladies, the guardian of Marienburg, and the winner of the championship, Laing Macado." The Grand Duke turned around.
Like Julius and Suria, this Grand Duke had bright blond hair and blue eyes. His thick short hair made him look very energetic. His eyebrows were wide, his nose was tall, and his short mustache was very well-groomed. It was hard to imagine that this Grand Duke was in his early seventies. He was so handsome that he looked like he was in his thirties.
But when Laing turned his gaze to his eyes, the impression of the Grand Duke's appearance had faded. This was a pair of eyes as deep as the sea. This was a pair of eyes that could really see through people's hearts. Wisdom was rolling in this turbulent sea, brewing, waiting for the next wave to come.
The Grand Duke of Brittany's silk clothes decorated his tall body. It seemed that because there was no formal event today, the Grand Duke's clothes were also more casual. "I've waited for you for a few days, but you didn't come to visit me, so I had to take the initiative to invite you over, my Baron."
The Grand Duke's voice was heavy and magnetic, with a strong sense of age.
After making sure that the Grand Duke's face was full of smiles, Laing carefully replied, "It's my fault. I've just arrived in the territory, and there are a lot of things to do. I planned to visit you after I finished my business."
"Wise decision! That's what a qualified lord should be like. " The Grand Duke first praised Laing's decision, then smiled and said, "You're very good. Even though I know you're Ivan's godson, I didn't expect you to be this good."
"Reality is always more incredible than imagination, my Duke." Laing smiled a little unnaturally and said, "I also didn't expect this day to come. When I felt despair in the championship, it was the Grand Duke who gave me the strength to continue fighting."
"And your feats along the way have made you worthy of the title of Lady's Champion. This is the reason why I welcome you. Sit, in this beautiful spring, there is nothing more comfortable than drinking a glass of good wine together." The Grand Duke signaled the waiter behind him, and the waiter immediately brought two ivory cups. A very old bottle of wine was opened, and the dark red wine was poured into the jade-white ivory cup, "This is Young Wine from 1462, for the Grand Duke!"
"For the Grand Duke!" Laing took the wine cup, and the wine in his mouth was mellow and rich, with a thick smoky and roasted smell.
"Emmm, truffle, mint, leather, black cherry, and a little dwarf miner's smell. Hardness and softness, clear layers," Laing tasted with his eyes closed.
Before Duke Winford replied, a surprised voice came from behind the Baron, "I didn't expect Mr. Laing to know wine."
The baron subconsciously opened his eyes and turned to look behind him.
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