Naturally, many factions in the Old World were secretly monitoring Ryan's coronation ceremony. Besides the Empire and the Wood Elves and High Elves, several other factions were also keeping a close watch on Couronne.
For instance, the Chaos Champion of Norsca, Ulfric the Wanderer, had more than once considered taking advantage of this opportunity to come to Couronne and challenge a champion. However, due to the patrolling of the Sea God Fleet and his lack of confidence, Ulfric ultimately decided to retreat after observing the coastline from his ship, deciding to wait for another chance.
Similarly, Tsarina Katarin of Kislev was also concerned. Although she did not attend, it was not because she was indifferent. After Aurora finished handling the matters of the Garland Council, she met with Katarin. Upon confirming that Ryan would not be providing aid or reinforcements to Kislev, Katarin decided not to come. Therefore, it wasn't that Katarin never intended to attend, but after receiving information from Aurora, she chose not to. Aurora didn't mention this, and Ryan didn't ask because it wasn't necessary.
As for the Tyrians, their appearance would be nothing short of provocation.
Apart from the aforementioned factions, there was another faction in the Old World that took great interest in Ryan's coronation ceremony.
The vampires, the nobles of the night.
Even though Ryan had successively killed the Red Duke, eliminated Heinrich Kemmler, the necromancer of Blackstone Stronghold, and reclaimed Mousilon, as long as there were human kingdoms, there would be vampires lurking within them. In the northern part of Bretonnia, there were still a few vampires hiding in cities and villages.
It's well-known that vampires are divided into moderate and extremist factions. The extremists wish to annihilate the majority of the living and establish a grand undead empire on the ruins of human kingdoms. The moderates hope the extremists can do the same, as they too wish to establish an undead empire.
Under certain circumstances, moderate and extremist vampires can transform into one another. For instance, when humans are strong, vampires might be moderate. When humans are weak or embroiled in internal strife, the moderates might turn extremist. When the undead armies are destroyed, many extremist vampires suddenly claim to be moderates, emphasizing that the undead and the living can coexist.
This phenomenon is known as the "Vampire Uncertainty Principle."
Thus, Ryan always believed that the only good vampire is a dead vampire. Unfortunately, the influence of vampires in human kingdoms is too vast. As Neferata said, in the Empire, one of her commands holds more sway than an imperial decree from Karl Franz.
For this coronation, two factions of vampires also sent people to Couronne to gather intelligence.
They were the bloodlines of Lahmia and Von Carstein.
After scouting around for information, due to the presence of many strong individuals and the heavy patrols of Grail Knights and elite armies in the city, the vampires concluded that there was no opportunity to cause trouble within the palace or the Hippodrome. The Lahmia vampires, having received clear instructions from Neferata not to trouble Ryan—who still had his uses—decided to leave after a brief scouting.
However, the Von Carstein family stayed behind.
Draco Von Carstein, always proud of his noble lineage and ancient glory, was a direct descendant of the first vampire count, Vlad Von Carstein. This time, he came to Couronne with a plan to teach Ryan and the lowly humans a lesson they would never forget.
Since they couldn't cause trouble at the palace or the Hippodrome, they decided to create a bloody incident in Couronne instead!
Coincidentally, their spy in Couronne reported crucial information: the Grand Duke of Marienburg, Schultz, had not attended the Royal Jousting Tournament. Instead, he had booked an entire inn!
Schultz was a mortal enemy of Von Carstein, having killed Mondwald Von Carstein, a subordinate of Vlad, and uprooted the vampire's thousand-year-old schemes in Marienburg. Schultz had long been on the Von Carstein family's kill list, and now, the opportunity had presented itself!
"If I can turn Schultz into a vampire, my ancestor will surely reward me greatly when he is resurrected," Draco thought gleefully.
Schultz's death would undoubtedly cause a massive diplomatic and political crisis, shattering the hard-earned trust between Bretonnia and the Empire. The Marienburg Senate would be thrown into chaos over the position of Grand Duke, leading to a tumultuous period that could take decades to resolve—something the vampires relished, and in which the Von Carstein family excelled.
Without hesitation, the vampires disguised themselves as noble knights on patrol under the cover of night and knocked on the inn's door.
"Knock~ Knock~ Knock~"
"Is anyone there?"
"We're here to check for suspicious individuals!"
The knocking grew more insistent: "Open the door quickly!"
Inside the inn, the five Primarchs and Schultz exchanged glances, with only young Devonshire continuing to eat.
"Are they your men?" Johnson had already reached for the giant sword by his side and asked Schultz.
"How could they be my men…" Schultz was equally puzzled, shaking his head emphatically. "Impossible. All my men are stationed at an estate outside the city."
"Are they Ryan's people?" Vulkan asked casually while busy with his food.
"I'm not sure." Angron thought for a moment, considering that today was Ryan's grand coronation and that it would be best not to act rashly. "I'll go open the door and show them our travel papers."
"Be quick; my patience is running thin," Johnson said impatiently.
Angron got up and went to open the inn's door. "Coming, coming. What seems to be the matter? There are no suspicious individuals here; you might have the wrong place!"
Seeing that the person who opened the door was a tall man wearing a straw hat, Draco Von Carstein flashed a bloodthirsty smile. He reached out, trying to push Angron aside forcefully. "Step aside! I suspect this inn has been corrupted by the undead, and there are vampires among you!"
Unable to push Angron aside, as the man stood firm like a tower, Draco had no choice but to try and sidestep him. Angron continued to grumble, "You must be mistaken. There are only a few of us in this inn! Here are our travel papers!"
Seeing how rude and arrogant the intruders were, Vulkan immediately moved young Devonshire to his side, while Johnson and Clark had already stood up.
Draco began to sense something was amiss, but then he spotted Schultz. Laughing loudly, he signaled his men to close the inn's doors. "Schultz, I've found you!"
"What brings a noble of the night here at such an hour?" Schultz had already recognized the true nature of his visitors. Drawing his sword, the Grand Duke of Marienburg said, "I'm afraid you've chosen a rather inopportune moment."
"No, I think it's perfect, absolutely perfect." Draco bared his fangs. "Imagine the expressions on Emperor Karl and King Ryan's faces when they find your drained corpse at Couronne's gates tomorrow! Isn't that the perfect timing?"
"Hmph~" Schultz shook his head helplessly and drew his sword.
At this point, even the slow-witted Angron realized who the visitors were. Throwing off his straw hat, he said, "Alright, brothers, it seems we're destined to encounter vampires. My only request is that you don't wreck the inn."
"I'll try," Clark extended his black claws. "Vulkan, protect our nephew."
"Got it."
"I'll make you repent," Johnson said coldly.
"Repent? You'll all die here today!" Draco was infuriated by their casual demeanor and tone. Drawing his necromantic bone sword, he declared, "The world belongs to the dead!"
"Argh!!!" The vampires transformed into a swarm of bats, launching themselves at Schultz!
"For the Emperor!!!"
…
Meanwhile, in the outskirts of Couronne, within an ancient, abandoned Grail Chapel.
The night's darkness could not conceal the radiant golden light emanating from a supreme being. Under this light, the nearby ancient pond and dilapidated structures seemed to be rejuvenated, brimming with vitality. Nearby serfs, believing this to be a manifestation of the Lady, gathered around the chapel ruins to kneel in worship.
And within a small forest near the chapel, the Lord of Mankind was engaged in a conversation.
"Greetings, Father. I'm honored you didn't kill me immediately." A sweet female voice spoke in High Gothic.
"...You are filled with Ryan's pure psychic energy, and you bear his mark," the Emperor responded coldly. "And you have no right to call me Father, at least not until you earn it."
"Oh? And how might I earn your recognition?" The voice echoed from all directions within the forest.
The Emperor did not answer, merely directing his gaze toward a specific location. "Your magic cannot conceal you from me, xenos."
"How rude, Father." A thick black fog and the scent of dark magic spread through the forest as a beautiful figure emerged from the darkness. A Dark Elf, with her waist-length black hair tied with a maid's headscarf, dressed in a full black-and-white maid outfit with thick white tights and black lace-up heels, and draped in a fox fur coat, slowly approached the Emperor. The charming, enchanting Dark Elf curtsied deeply. "A pleasure to meet you. My name is Olica, Olica-Colundia, Ryan's personal maid."
"...Tell me, where is it?" The Emperor's eyes blazed like lightning as he pointed a golden, flame-imbued claw at Olica
. "And you still do not have the right to call me Father."
"It has been calling for you." Olica ignored the Emperor's threat, recognizing that Ryan's father was being cautious. She smiled sweetly. "For ten thousand years, it has wandered through endless nightmares and torment, constantly calling your name. I once thought the Emperor it referred to was the one across the mountains, but after your last appearance, I realized otherwise."
"...Continue," the Emperor demanded coldly, though his voice trembled slightly, as if some long-held suspicion was becoming reality.
"The Pale Queen found this lost soul in a Warp storm." Olica pulled out a golden soul from her bosom. "It was lost, separated from its body. It's powerful, but cursed—a very powerful curse. In the cursed dream, we repeatedly witnessed a fallen, irredeemable being using his claws to strangle him within a grand palace, using a ritual blessed by the Chaos Gods to kill him completely."
The golden soul radiated dazzling light and a comforting warmth. The power of light filled the entire forest, exuding loyalty, compassion, and strict discipline. Within the halo, on either side of a drop of blood was a pair of pure white wings. The brilliant light was not blinding; instead, it made the plants in the forest stretch toward it, seeking to touch this beacon of hope.
"Saint Gilles!!!" The Emperor finally lost his composure. "As I suspected!"
"Is this soul named Saint Gilles?" Olica immediately disappeared into the shadows, though she did not leave entirely. She simply took a step back. "I didn't know, but since you desire it, Father, I will return it to you."
"Saint Gilles! My son…" The Emperor took the blood-winged soul from Olica. His face showed a brief hint of joy, but it quickly turned into a faint anger. "The Chaos curse still lingers. Saint Gilles' soul is still suffering."
"The Pale Queen spent ten thousand years mending his shattered soul," Olica said, bowing respectfully. "But she was never able to remove the curse. The Chaos Gods' power is too great. I even sought the aid of the God of Death, Morr, but he too was powerless against the curse."
"..." The Emperor held the golden soul in his hand, pressing it to his chest, closing his eyes in silent contemplation.
Olica continued to smile as she watched the Lord of Mankind, not saying a word.
After a long silence, the Emperor finally spoke. "I cannot help either. Saint Gilles' fragile soul cannot follow me through the endless Warp storms, and here, my power is insufficient to cleanse the curse. This curse was originally meant for me, woven by the combined might of the Chaos Gods."
Olica didn't fully understand what the Emperor was saying, but that didn't stop her from smiling sweetly and offering a suggestion. "Father, the gods of the underworld are powerless against the curse, but according to the Pale Queen, perhaps there is an ancient Elven artifact that could help purge the Chaos curse from this soul."
"...Speak." This time, the Emperor did not refute Olica's use of the term "Father." His attention was entirely focused on the golden soul in his hand.
"Legend has it that among the High Elves…"
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