The town of Ubetherick was located at the important bridge that crossed the river from Bogenhafen to Deep Castle. It was also connected to the downstream trading towns of Alwald and Green Castle, to the capital of the Empire, Brunswick.
Ubetherick was perhaps the most important town in the Grey Mountains. Its location at the mouth of the river made it a place for merchants who wanted to transport their goods down the mountain. It was the territory of Count Graf Sigismund von Jungfreud, a noble of the Empire. But what was unusual about this town was that the count did not have the final say in the affairs of the town. The merchant guild also had some say in the town by handing in a sum of wealth every year. Other than that, the dwarves also had a certain status. The count compromised with the dwarves to ease the dispute over mining rights.
Early in the morning, the town was attacked by a group of Orcs, and the fortifications were severely damaged. The Count had to defend the town personally. Due to his poor management and defense, he had been stripped of his authority in Alwald by the Emperor. He couldn't afford to lose Ubetherick.
The outcome of the battle left the Count speechless. A few Knights from the other side of the mountain came. The leader of the Knights wielded a Griffin Warhammer and killed the Orc King. Then, he calmly raised his Warhammer and killed the Shaman.
It was the Holy Grail Knight from the other side of the mountain! The defenders quickly recognized them. Taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the defenders launched a full-scale counterattack.
The Orc army collapsed. The Beasts fled in all directions and disappeared into the depths of the mountains. Many of the cliffs were passable for the Orcs, so the Knights gave up their pursuit.
It was the Knights from the other side of the mountain, and they were the Holy Grail Knights! At first, Earl Graff felt a little lucky, but he couldn't help but want to curse. The Holy Grail Knight on the other side of the mountain was so strong. He had to work hard to protect his town all day long. If he had arranged a Holy Grail Knight for his town, would the battle be like this?
Why did the Knights from the other side of the mountain come to his town at this juncture?
…
The guards of the Empire wore iron helmets, standard breastplates, and red tights. They held long halberds in their hands and covered their heads with a hood. Although they were grateful to the Holy Grail Knight who saved them from danger, they still extended their halberds. "I'm sorry, Holy Grail Knight, but you have to show your documents or pay enough taxes to pass."
"Greedy nobles won't be willing to give up every possible gold coin," Julius said to the guard unhappily. "We just saved your lives!"
"Those are two things, Mr. Knight. Recently, the territory has entered a state of war readiness, and the city gate has been closed. If you want to enter the city, you must pay enough taxes, or show the documents." The Empire's guards looked apologetic. They knew that they were saved by a few knights, but it was the Count's order.
"…" Laing frowned and wanted to take the customs clearance document, but his hand was held back.
Laing turned his head in confusion and found that François had stopped him. "My Duke?"
François was calm as he gestured for everyone to look up.
Laing lifted his head. On the high city walls of Ubetherik, a noble of the Empire was looking with disgust at the Knights who had just crossed the mountain range. The Archers and Musketeers drew their swords and aimed at the Knights on the other side of the mountain.
The black muzzles of the muskets and sharp arrows were aimed at Laing and his companions, who had just rescued the city from the Orcs' attack.
"Let's go, Julius, Jerrold, Laing." François shook his head and gestured for them not to enter the city. He walked towards Helmgard and said, "Even if Laing has the customs clearance document, we've met a Lord Overlord who doesn't welcome us. So what if we can enter the city?"
"Father, how can they do this?!" Julius shouted unhappily. His face was contorted with hatred as he said, "We supported the city from the Orcs' hands! How can they collect taxes from us and refuse to let us enter the city?! "
"Yes, but so what?" François gestured for everyone to turn their horses around and leave in the opposite direction. "Do you think they'll open the city gates and welcome you as their saviors?"
"Wake up, this isn't Brittany. This is the Empire." François's tone was calm as he said, "You can do good deeds, but don't think that you deserve to be rewarded."
The four knights turned their horses around and walked downstream along the river. In the cold weather, Earl Graff looked at the Holy Grail Knight's beautiful blouse and cloak with the Holy Grail pattern. He frowned and signaled the soldiers to put down their crossbows and guns. Then, he turned around and left without saying a word.
The situation was tense, and he would not allow any unstable factors that might affect his rule to enter his city. There was no one in the city who could fight against the two Grail Knights.
Absolutely not!
In the cold morning wind, Laing could feel the cold wind blowing against his body along his robe and collar. His strong body could naturally ignore this degree of cold. Although Julius and Jerrold were not Grail Knights, they were still Legendary masters. It was not a problem for them to withstand the cold wind for a short period of time.
They felt more chilled, especially Julius. He had been cursing from the beginning to the end. He could not maintain his poker face and said, "Father, these people of the Empire are too much!"
"Julius, you have to get used to this." François said calmly, "This is the Empire, not Brittany. There is no chivalry here. In the Knight King's Kingdom, chivalry and the Grail system are always the benchmark to evaluate whether a knight is competent and devoted to the lady. The nobles will follow … or at least follow the rules of chivalry on the surface."
Laing continued François's words. The young Grail Knight, the champion of the Lady of the Lake, said to his future brother-in-law, "But in the Empire, these do not exist."
"The Empire is located in the heart of the old world. It is the most powerful country among the human countries, but it is also a country that is always in chaos, surrounded by the creatures of darkness and chaos."
"There are always threats in the land of the Empire. Death and war are haunting here. But in the midst of blood and slaughter, this great country still stands, using its huge cities and military fortresses to form a strong wall against the sea of savagery. " Laing told the story of the Empire in a low voice, "Unlike Brittany, the Empire has to face the threat of chaos, green skin, and vampires. Compared to the Empire, we have to face much less external pressure."
Julius was silent, and Jerrold seemed to be thinking about something.
"The Empire is so big that since the founding of the Empire by Charlemagne, no emperor has truly ruled the entire vast territory. The emperor can only rule his own territory, and each province is actually an independent kingdom. The Skaven War, the bloody battle of Emperor Mandred the Exterminator, the era of the Three Emperors, Emperor Tarabein, Emperor Rick, and Emperor Mildenwolf completely split the Empire, and the re-establishment of the alliance in the Vampire War. On the eve of the great holy war, a country nobleman from Nur united the forces of the entire Empire and reorganized the Empire. A new Empire replaced the old Empire, and that was Ludwig the Savior." François stroked his beard and said, "If the Brittany knights can unite to fight in the name of the Lady, then the reason why the Empire is united is that their hatred for the green skin and dark creatures far surpasses the conflict between their own kind."
"Even so, it is a little too much for Count Ubetherick to not welcome us into the city." Julius accepted the explanation, but he was still a little angry.
"Hahaha! That is why I want to take you out for a walk, Yuri." François laughed and said, "The vastness of the Empire means that every time a noble warrior walks on the road, there will be a despicable believer of chaos lurking in the shadows nearby. Similarly, there will be noble and passionate nobles like Emperor Karl-franz among the Empire's nobles, but there will also be despicable and untrustworthy nobles. We are doing justice and destroying the darkness. Are we asking for anything in return? No, everything we do is for the Lady. Every dark creature we kill is a tithe we pay to the Lady. As long as you think of it this way, Yuri, Jerrold, you will not be so calculative. "
After François's speech, both Julius and Jerrold were in a much better mood.
Yes, we follow the spirit of chivalry. We destroy evil and protect order for the Lady and the Holy Grail, not for rewards.
The knights' footsteps were much lighter. Following the river flowing down the Grey Mountains, they headed towards Helmgath. They saw almost no pedestrians along the way. Occasionally, there were wild creatures, but they were immediately scared away by the Grail knights.
Many creatures in the Grey Mountains were cunning. These dark creatures had been through thousands of years of experience and already knew what they could deal with and what they could not.
A few hours later, when the knights went over a hill, the scenery in front of them changed.
"It seems that we are warmly welcomed," Laing said humorously.
"Yes, it is said that the Empire gives flowers to friends and greets enemies with swords." François also smiled. "But I wonder which side we belong to?"
Thousands of soldiers of the Empire appeared on the other side of the hill. Disciplined spearmen, ruthless and cold halberds, and imposing great swordsmen slowly advanced under the cover of archers, crossbowmen, and musketeers. The loyal army of the Empire lined up in several rows, waiting for the guests on the way.
The heavy knights formed by noble warriors wearing the best plate armor provided solid support for the Empire's army. They were wearing iron armor and kite helmets. The huge feathers and gorgeous clothes told the Empire's provinces they came from. Laing did a little calculation and knew that there were more than five knight regiments.
There was nothing strange about this. The Emperor's territory was the richest territory in the Empire, and there were more than fifteen Knight Regiments that used the Ricks as their base camp.
He even saw half of the griffin knights.
The appearance of the four knights attracted the attention of the Empire's army. They did not move at all as if they had received the order in advance. They just stared at Laing and the others with sharp eyes.
Then, the formation of the entire Empire's army changed as if it was an art. The halberds and great swordsmen changed their positions. The Empire's army undulated like ripples in the cold winter wind. A winding path appeared out of nowhere in the huge army.
"Da, da, da." Heavy footsteps sounded along the path that only allowed one person to walk on. A man wearing a full-body dwarven plate armor called "Silver Seal" and holding the symbol of the Human Emperor, Gail Maraz, had a huge kite feather on his helmet, and a brown skull cape and family coat of arms on his back. On his left shoulder was a golden falcon's shoulder, and on his right shoulder was a falcon's mouth, which vaguely formed the shape of a double-headed falcon.
A young noble who looked around thirty years old appeared in front of everyone. His eyes were shining, and his clear blue eyes were filled with endless enthusiasm. With a faint smile on his face, he walked out of the Empire's army and came to Laing and the others.
"Hello, human compatriots on the other side of the mountain. I'm Karl-franz. Many people call me Emperor." Emperor Karl-franz of the Empire came to Laing and the others surrounded by the Empire's army. Although Duke Pallavon had declared war on the Empire, it did not affect the emperor's good mood, nor did it make him hostile to Laing and the others.
Laing and the others dismounted from their horses and showed their respect to Karl-franz, "Hello, Your Majesty."
The Empire's army almost instinctively pointed their weapons at Laing and François. The reputation of the Grail Knight had spread everywhere in the old world. The Empire's army listed these two as dangerous people, and their guns were pointed at Laing and the others.
"Hello, Your Excellency François. We met more than twenty years ago. At that time, I was still a teenager." The emperor of the Empire covered the awkwardness with a hearty laugh. He reached out his hand and signaled the Empire's army to put down their weapons. "My father said that you are a person who understands the big picture. I want to thank you for this matter."
"I remember when we met, I was in my fifties, and His Majesty Luitpold was in his sixties. More than twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye. The child of the past has become a mature emperor," François said with some emotion.
"Yes." Karl-franz nodded. Then, the emperor moved his eyes to Laing. "When we first met, I've heard of your name. Count Laing the 'Devout' Macado, the winner of the battle against the Champion of Chaos, the banisher of the Nurgle Demon, the terminator of the Blood Red Duke, and the champion of the Lady of the Lake. When I led the Empire's army to support Mjolden Haven, you brushed past me. In the end, you accepted the Brittany's invitation and became the lord. This made me feel very sorry. The Empire lost an excellent warrior."
"Hello, Your Majesty Karl-franz." Laing nodded respectfully. "Please forgive me. I won't call you emperor, but I will call you Your Majesty."
"Why?"
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