It was a red demon prince that was five or six meters tall. It had huge wings and held a huge battle axe. Countless skulls were hanging on its body, and it was roaring in despair.
"Father, father!!!" The demonized fallen origin seemed to be unable to speak coherently. It just kept calling its father over and over again, even though it was on the verge of defeat under the siege of the Emperor and Zhuang Sen. There were several shocking wounds on its body, and it had lost one of its hands.
It was still holding on. It was still holding on in despair.
However, under the siege of the Emperor and Zhuang Sen, it finally could not escape the fate of defeat. Its tall figure was pierced through by the Emperor's huge sword and Zhuang Sen's huge sword. The demonized fallen origin fell to the ground. Its shell gradually disappeared, and its soul and energy were about to return to the subspace.
"Hurry up! Chaos has already sensed my return! " The Emperor stretched out his hand, and endless power formed a huge storm that swept across the subspace. The soul of the original demon and the chaotic energy that formed it were forcibly pulled out of the subspace by the Lord of Humans.
The stars trembled.
Only the most powerful Lord of Humans could accomplish such a miracle.
"What should we do next? Father? " Zhuang Sen suffered some minor injuries, but it was not a big deal for the original demon. It would only take him one or two days to fully recover.
"Now, it's time to send this guy over there to be purified. Leon, take your men. Let's go!"
"Retreat! Retreat! "
…
Mid-April, Brittany, capital of the Winford Duchy, Helenhilde.
The Knight of the Holy Grail, Ryan, led the knights who had returned victorious into the city. They were very proud and happy because they had brought back many carts of spoils of war, as well as many carts of bandit heads.
In seven days, all five bandit strongholds were eliminated.
Although they could not completely eliminate the bandit threat, Duke Winford would not have to worry about it for a while.
And in these few days, the knights of Winford witnessed firsthand what was called ferocity.
In all the bandit fortresses, Laing was the first one to rush to the front of the fortress. All the long-range weapons of the bandits were useless against this Holy Grail Knight. Then, Laing would use his Gryphon Warhammer to directly break through the door or even the wall, nullifying the advantage of the defenders. After that, the dismounted knights would follow him in.
No matter if it was wood, stone, or even iron, Laing would break them all.
It was too violent.
Simple, violent, direct, and effective. Thus, by relying on this tactic that could not be considered a tactic, the knights won again and again. The bandits simply did not have the ability to engage in close combat with the dismounted knights. Once the knights got close, they would be destructive.
On the way to the city, many bards were already recounting Laing's glorious feats, such as single-handedly defeating the Doomsday Bull, winning the championship, exposing the dark secrets of the Aesthetical Society, killing the Khorasan champion, killing two Green-Skinned Warlords and a wyvern in the Battle of Collesen.
However, this did not include his latest story of eliminating the bandit threat. Obviously, because this incident had just happened, the bards and dramatists had not yet written new poems and plays.
Flowers and applause were constantly given to the knights who returned in triumph, which made many young rangers feel a little smug. Fortunately, they fully understood that if it were not for Laing, victory would not have come so easily, so they did not lose their composure.
It was just that their complacent looks were just on the surface.
On the way back to the castle, Suria, who was walking side by side with Laing, sighed and said, "It's too easy, Mr. Laing. You're encouraging their pride and making them not know the immensity of heaven and earth. Not every war will have a powerful Grail Knight like Mr. Laing who can easily destroy the stone walls and wooden doors and let them win in close combat. This makes them feel that the war is too easy."
Laing always felt that the duke's daughter was a little disapproving of the recklessness and bravery of the young Brittany rangers, so he smiled and said, "It's too easy for me, Miss Suria. My duty is to eliminate these bandits and uproot their strongholds, not to train these rangers."
The female knight's eyes flashed. She was about to continue the topic, but Laing had already continued his topic. "Speaking of which … Yuri seems to be unmarried? He's twenty-six years old, right? No one wants to introduce him? "
"My brother … Many people have introduced him, but he's not satisfied with anyone, and he's not in a hurry." Suria could only say, "Because my brother and Mr. Laing are in a similar situation, I'm sure Mr. Laing can understand."
Laing could understand this, because he and Julius were both legendary masters. At this level, they would not age until they reached a hundred years old, so it was not too big of a problem for them to get married later. If they did not meet someone they were satisfied with, they could wait a little longer.
For example, his Godfather, Ivan, did not get married until he was almost fifty years old.
In the pavilion of Duke Winford's castle in Helenhilde, François was also talking to a middle-aged man with white hair and beard. This middle-aged man was about fifty years old. He was very well-dressed, wearing an earl's silk suit and holding a gentleman's cane, sitting on one side of the pavilion.
He was Laing's nominal superior, Marquis Connelly Ascot.
The two sat together, and the Grand Duke looked even younger.
"Too strong. Seven days, five bandit lairs." The Marquis still had a sad look on his face. His hoarse voice was full of helplessness and admiration. "My knights fought several times but did not succeed. Instead, I had to hold funeral after funeral for some unlucky bastards."
"The Lady's Champion took care of these bandits with only a few dozen young men." François looked up, his deep eyes full of wisdom. "I plan to let him train the young men of the duchy."
"You want to hire him as a knight instructor?" Marquis Connelly's eyes lit up. This Marquis was only a knight of the kingdom, and his strength was only at the early elite level. Military affairs were not his forte, and because of this, the army he led lost more than he won.
"And don't you think he's very good? He's only twenty-five years old. " François looked at Laing's calm and composed appearance and suddenly laughed. "At this age, the young knights are either full of all kinds of hot-blooded fantasies, or indulge in the luxury of life. Am I right?"
"You always see things so deeply, François." Connelly leaned on his cane and looked at Laing's figure. "Do you think he'll agree?"
"He will. He's still young and needs to build his own team and manpower. At this time, he won't refuse my help. When he really rises, it'll be too late for us to lend a helping hand." The Grand Duke's index finger with the magic ring kept tapping on the marble table. "And, I have a feeling that the Knight King's Kingdom is about to usher in a huge change. Connelly, don't you think that after hundreds of years, Brittany has begun to decline?"
"You're always a little too worried, my Duke. But … perhaps you're right." Connelly also leaned on his cane. "Today's famine came earlier than usual. It's only the fourth month, and many serfs have already appeared at the borders of the Duchy to ask for shelter. Among them, the Duchy of Palawon and Duchy of Bereon have the most serfs."
"Theodoric has already led his knights to fight the invaders from Estalia for more than two years. The Duchy of Bereon is already exhausted from the war. Until now, there are still three baronies and many castles that have fallen to the enemy. If I'm not wrong, this war will continue for a long time." Grand Duke Winford had been observing the surrounding situation. He had a very clear understanding of the current situation. "As for Casfern? He deserves it! Most of Palawon's barren territory is mountains. His income is completely dependent on a few pieces of barren land and taxes. But he still insists on maintaining the entire Pegasus Knights. He's crazy. "
"The excessively high taxes and corvee labor have almost crushed the serfs. Not only that, but many knight families have also begun to have problems of not being able to buy a full set of knight equipment for their young children," Connelly replied. "Perhaps one day, we will also face this problem."
"The kingdom needs to change, but there are many difficulties. The vampires are lurking in our kingdom, and the knights must not put down their lances. From Bereon in the south to Lyonnesse in the north, the serfs' revolts are becoming more frequent. We need to carefully find a solution to this problem … especially when we don't have a good relationship with our neighbors." François frowned. The Grand Duke looked at the beautiful and rich Helenhilde and fell into deep thought.
Duke Winford did not have a good relationship with his neighbors. The tax rate he set for his duchy was 7 tithes (70% after deducting the basic rations), which was much lower than the 9 tithes of the surrounding dukes. Therefore, there were many disagreements between Duke Winford and the surrounding dukes. Only the Duke of Bastogne in the north had a good relationship with Duke Winford.
Laing was completely unaware that others were talking about him. The Grail Knight had just entered the castle and was introduced to Connelly Ascot by the Grand Duke. "Hello, my Lord Marquis."
"Hello, Ladies' Champion, Laing Macado." Connelly was also more enthusiastic.
After a few words with the Grand Duke and the Marquis, the Grail Knight said goodbye. "My Duke, please allow me to return to my own territory."
"Don't you want to stay a little longer? I've arranged a banquet for you. Connelly will also participate. " François seemed to really want Laing to attend the banquet. "You may be able to make a lot of new friends at the banquet."
"I'm sorry, but I'll definitely attend next time. It's mainly because Zeon has something to deal with." Laing politely declined the Grand Duke's invitation. He said that he still had things to do.
The baron had just arrived at his territory, and there were a lot of things that needed to be done. Ryan's request was not too much, and the Grail Knights had their own independence. Since Francois had tried to persuade the baron to stay, he did not insist. "Then don't be in a hurry to leave. Let's sit down and have a drink."
Laing had to give face to the Duke. He could only take off his armor and put on the Baron's suit. He had a dimensional ring, so the process was very fast.
After a few minutes, they sat back in the pavilion. The Grand Duke asked about Laing's territory, "Did you encounter any difficulties in the construction of your territory? Do you need my help? "
"My Duke, I need a steward. Do you have any good candidates you can introduce to me?" Laing thought for a moment. He suddenly felt that this was a good opportunity to ask for someone.
He knew that there were many talented nobles in the Winford Duchy who had nothing to do. His territory just happened to be lacking manpower. Gasparton was an excellent tax collector, but Laing did not want to burden him. Taking this opportunity, Laing wanted to see if the Grand Duke had any talents he could use.
"Steward? My Baron, what kind of steward do you need? " François immediately began to think of a suitable candidate. "You just need a steward who can take care of your castle? Or do you need a steward who can help you out? "
The female knight also looked at Laing with her bright eyes.
"Of course, I hope to have a well-rounded butler who can share all my responsibilities with me." Laing immediately gave an answer. It was easy to find a steward who could take care of a castle, but he needed someone better.
"There are many people who are willing to serve the Lady's Champion and the Knight of the Holy Grail. But since you have such a request, Laing, perhaps Katzenberg is suitable for you. Call Katzenberg over for me!" François said to the servant in a pleasant manner.
After a while, a tall and thin young man with a big bald head came over. He looked less than 30 years old and was well-dressed, but Laing noticed that his clothes were a bit old.
"My Duke, you were looking for me?"
"Laing, Katzenberg is one of the best candidates I've seen in recent years. He comes from an excellent knight family, and he is also an excellent knight. But apart from that, Katzenberg's excellence is that he has completed all the courtier courses at the Winford Academy. He can be your right-hand man and help you deal with anything in your territory, big or small, as long as you need." Duke Winford introduced Katzenberg's past in detail and then said with a smile, "It's a pity that I can't provide him with a chance to show off his skills."
The young man immediately understood something. His eyes lit up, and he continued to stand upright.
It was his great honor to serve Laing, the Lady of the Lake, the Chosen Champion and the Knight of the Holy Grail.
With a thin face, a reflective bald head, and bright eyes, Laing felt that this was a shrewd person. Considering that Duke Winford, as a Knight of the Holy Grail, would not lie to him, Laing was quite satisfied with this candidate. But he still joked, "My Duke, you're giving me a choice? That's not very good, is it? "
"I have other candidates, but I think Katzenberg can definitely meet your needs. How about this?" Duke Winford thought for a moment and then continued, "You can try letting Katzenberg do it for a while and see how it goes. If you're not satisfied, I can recommend someone else."
"That sounds like a good idea, but his salary …" Laing seemed to accept this idea, but he still looked a little hesitant.
"Hahaha, what a shrewd champion!" The Duke suddenly laughed heartily. He pointed at Laing and said, "Now I'm beginning to understand why you're so good. Other young people at your age can't even think of this. After they find out that they've been cheated by those profiteers, they can't do anything but complain to me."
"Okay! How about this, two years. For these two years, I'll pay his salary. How about that? "
"That's the best result. Thank you very much, my Duke." Laing got the result he wanted. He raised the corner of his mouth, and his handsome face was full of cunning. The Duke sitting opposite him also smiled meaningfully at the young man. His eyes were full of wisdom and praise.
Both Marquis Ascot and the Duke's daughter smiled knowingly.
The old fox and the young fox.
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