"The Yserlmar Silver Horn? The artifact that can awaken and control dragons?" Ryan frowned as he listened to Teclis's request. "Hmm... But how do we find it? And if this thing is so powerful, why didn't the Dwarfs take it with them when they retreated from Eight Peaks Mountain?"
"The Yserlmar Silver Horn was lost during the final battle of the War of the Beard. It belonged to the Caledor Dragon Tamers and became a trophy of the Dwarf clans at Eight Peaks Mountain. However, the Dwarfs didn't know how to use it, so they treated it as just another silver horn from Yserlmar," Teclis explained calmly. "But for the Asur, it's a priceless treasure. It's currently deep beneath Eight Peaks Mountain, likely within the Ancestor Shrine. If we could retrieve it, the Dragon Princes wouldn't need to sing their dragon songs for three days and nights to wake the dragons."
"And what do we get in return?" Ryan asked the second crucial question. "You know, the Wood Elves are also part of this expedition. They might want the Yserlmar Silver Horn as well."
"If we return this horn to the Dragon Princes of Caledor, then if we ever encounter trouble, just one message and the Dragon Princes will ride their dragons to our aid," Teclis said simply. "The dragons' power will annihilate our enemies, and the Dragon Princes will insist they didn't come specifically to help us—they were just out for a ride."
"…Are the Dragon Princes always like this?" Ryan asked with a sideways glance.
"What else would you expect?" Teclis's expression showed his own frustration when speaking of the Dragon Princes. "Even among the Asur, the Dragon Princes of Caledor are known for considering their bloodline the most noble and glorious. They never follow orders, only consider suggestions. Even when the Phoenix King personally leads an army, the Dragon Princes always fly their kingdom's banner. But there's no doubt they remain among the world's most formidable cavalry."
"What if the Wood Elves also want this horn?" Ryan knew the Dragon Princes were powerful. They were a type of super cavalry comparable to the Grail Knights, though like the Grail Knights, they were few in number and hard to field in large units. However, just as a single Grail Knight leading a Bretonnian lance could significantly boost its power, a single High Elf dragon could sway the outcome of an entire battle.
"That depends on whether you think Araloth is more important, or if Lilith and I are more important," Teclis said, his expression cold and emotionless. "You'll make the right choice, won't you?"
Ryan stroked his chin, noting the slightly threatening tone. "I'll think about it."
"Let's leave it at that for today. Regarding the Trovik lady's bloodline advancement, Belannaer only told me of one possibility," Teclis said as he stood up. "Drinking the blood of an ice dragon, but that's impossible. The ice dragons of the poles are either extinct or have become Chaos dragons or black dragons. None of these would meet Lady Trovik's needs."
"Then I'll leave it to you to continue researching," Ryan stood up as well. "Thank you for your insight."
"No need," Teclis said, turning to leave.
After his meeting with Teclis ended, Ryan and Olica headed back to the main castle. As they walked under the moonlight, the high windows of the palace corridor let in beams of moonlight. The weather was getting colder. Ryan walked in front, Olica followed behind, and neither spoke. They walked for quite a while, the only sounds being Ryan's footsteps and Olica's high heels clicking against the floor.
"Olica?" Ryan suddenly spoke, his face partially obscured by the moonlight in the corridor.
"Yes, Master?" Olica responded. "Is there something you wish to ask?"
"No... It's nothing," Ryan hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
"Master, you must be wondering what to do if the Wood Elves really do want that horn, right?" Olica giggled sweetly and took Ryan's arm. "Do you want to hear my opinion?"
"What advice would my personal maid and Royal Chamberlain give me?" Ryan smiled, curious to hear her thoughts.
"Let them fight for it, and whoever loses gets sold off as slaves. We can rake in a fortune at the Marienburg talent market!" Olica said mischievously. "As for the young ones who resist, we could always cut off their limbs…"
"Enough, I knew I shouldn't have asked," Ryan rolled his eyes. "Just pretend I didn't say anything."
"Hehehe, just kidding, Master," Olica teased, shaking her head as her long black hair swayed like a waterfall. "You've got the cause and effect reversed, Master. You're the one leading the expedition to Eight Peaks Mountain. You'll be fighting alongside King Belegar against the Greenskins and Skaven, not those arrogant High Elves or those opportunistic Wood Elves. If the Yserlmar Silver Horn falls into your hands, your job is to make them bid for it, to compete for it, not to be constrained by them. You're giving too much weight to relationships. Besides, do you really think the Dragon Princes would be grateful as Teclis suggested?"
"You're saying they wouldn't appreciate it?" Ryan began to understand. He wasn't as familiar with the logic of the High Elves and Dark Elves as Olica. "Go on, Olica."
"The Dragon Princes of Caledor are extremely proud. Imagine a once-glorious noble family that lost a war, their head was killed, and their heirloom was stolen, leading to their decline," Olica said seriously. "Then, after thousands of years, a lowly bastard—someone they wouldn't have even looked at—comes along and not only retrieves the horn but gives it back. If you were that noble family, what would you do?"
"If it were me, I'd give the person some reward, maybe even an opportunity to rise," Ryan considered, then shook his head. "But the High Elves might not think that way."
"Exactly. To the Dragon Princes, you would be insulting them, utterly humiliating them," Olica nodded. "Returning the horn would not only mock their incompetence and reopen their wounds but also be seen as a challenge. Do you think the Dragon Princes, especially Prince Imrik of Caledor, would be grateful to you? You're mistaken. The best way to handle this would be to hand the horn to Teclis or Lilith and let them pass it on. But the problem is that then the favor wouldn't be yours. Whether it's Teclis or Lilith, they'll ultimately consider their own interests."
"That's very High Elf-like," Ryan shook his head, finally understanding. "I'll consider what to do if I actually get the horn. Right now, it's all just speculation, but you're right, Olica. The initiative lies with me—they need me, not the other way around."
Olica smiled even more brightly, secretly making a victory gesture.
Master knows that I'm the only one who truly has his best interests at heart.
Complete victory!
It was already quite late by the time they returned to the castle. Ryan had planned to avoid disturbing Sulia and spend the night in the guest room with Olica, but as he approached the main entrance of the palace, he saw Silvia waiting at the door. The head maid's expression was stern, even faintly accusatory. Seeing Ryan approach, Silvia, dressed in a black-and-white maid outfit with white suspenders and stockings just like Olica, immediately walked over. "Your Majesty, you're back. The Queen is waiting for you in the bedroom."
"Sulia? What's going on?" Ryan knew something was amiss and quickly asked.
"You'll find out when you get there. The Queen instructed me to notify her immediately when you returned and to have you go to her at once," Silvia replied, her face stern, refusing to reveal anything further.
"Alright," Ryan nodded, sensing trouble. Silvia's serious expression suggested his wife was angry, and the consequences could be severe.
"Follow me, please," Silvia led Ryan towards the master bedroom. Ryan exchanged a quick glance with Olica, signaling to the Dark Elf. Olica smiled and nodded, then whispered a short incantation.
"Ahh!!" Silvia suddenly stiffened as if shocked by electricity, her face turning bright red. Her legs buckled, and she nearly collapsed. Ryan quickly caught her and asked, "What's wrong, Silvia?"
"Y-you…you two…" Silvia stammered, collapsing into Ryan's arms, her expression a mix of shame and anger. "This is too much!"
"Hehehe~" Ryan picked up the maid in his arms. "Come on, Silvia, tell me what's going on with Sulia?"
"N-no…I-I…" Silvia struggled to speak, but Ryan continued to "threaten" her. "If you don't, I'll leave you with Olica tonight."
"Yes, leave her to me. I'll make sure she enjoys my services," Olica grinned wickedly. "Master, don't bother asking her. She won't talk. Let me handle it."
"No…I'll talk," Silvia, terrified at the thought of being left with Olica, finally relented. "It's because…"
Two minutes later, Ryan opened the bedroom door alone. Sulia was already inside, waiting. Today, the Queen was dressed in a white brocade gown, her beautiful, delicate face showing faint anger. The gown's slit revealed her long
, shapely legs wrapped in white unicorn wool stockings, and her feet were adorned with peep-toe heels. As Ryan entered, the Queen's tone was sharp. "My lord, you're finally back?"
"Yes, Sulia, I'm back," Ryan felt a bit guilty as he quickly approached his wife. The king reached out to take Sulia's hand, but she gently brushed him off. The Queen was still clearly upset. Seeing Ryan approach, Sulia grabbed a stack of documents and placed them in front of him. "Ryan, my husband! My king! Look at these documents you've signed, these orders you've issued. My god, at this rate, our Mousillon ducal family could declare bankruptcy!"
"My dear…" Ryan finally sat down beside Sulia, gently wrapping his arm around her slender waist. "Money has to be spent to keep the economy flowing, to keep the kingdom vibrant."
"But you can't spend it like this!" Sulia softened a bit as Ryan held her, but she wasn't letting him off easily. She was upset. "I understand that the royal finances are in dire straits, and that you've been using our personal finances to shore up the kingdom's treasury, but there has to be a limit. Our ducal family's money is ours; the kingdom's finances are the kingdom's. You can temporarily allocate some funds, that's fine, but you can't keep using personal wealth to keep the kingdom running! Look at the orders you've issued since your coronation. We're paying for the canal construction, for the industrial payments to the Empire, for upgrading the Old Guard and knights' equipment, and for rebuilding Mousillon. Now you're planning a massive expedition! At this rate, we really are going to go bankrupt!"
"That's why I need to lead the expedition to Eight Peaks Mountain, my dear," Ryan sighed. He knew the expenses since his coronation had been immense, but there was no other choice. Sulia's frustration and anger were understandable. By now, the vast wealth given to Ryan by the Blood Dragon Patriarch, Abhorash, had mostly been spent. "Only by succeeding in this expedition can we solve our financial problems."
"But what about the money?" Sulia persisted, letting out a soft gasp as Ryan picked her up and placed her on his lap. She felt her strength drain away in his embrace and quickly said, "Ryan, I'm warning you, we need to keep a reserve of at least thirty thousand gold crowns. We must have that kind of emergency fund to handle unforeseen situations."
"Of course," Ryan smiled as he held his wife. "We're not without income, Sulia. My brother Fulgrim's financial support will soon arrive at Le-Angouleme. It should be around fifty thousand gold crowns. I've also negotiated with Grand Duke Schultz of Marienburg. The Marienburg council, led by Schultz, will provide us with over one hundred thousand gold crowns in war loans."
Sulia's expression finally softened a bit at this news. She nodded slightly. "That makes sense, but…Ryan, do you really need to borrow that much?"
"Why not? Do you think I fear failure?" Ryan chuckled as he held his wife close. "Standing before you is the Knight King of Bretonnia, Duke of Mousillon, Count of Glamorgan, Baron of Gienne, the Lady's chosen champion, the rightful heir of Landuin's will and virtues…"
"Pfft, alright, alright, enough!" Sulia was finally amused by Ryan's antics, blushing as she leaned into his chest. She whispered, "I'm just worried that you've just ascended to the throne and are eager to achieve something, that you might be overreaching without considering the consequences. And given your current situation, I feel I need to remind you. But since you've thought it through, I can only support you as your wife. I trust you'll bring us victory, right?"
"Of course, who am I? I'm Ryan Macador! Now, the man holding you is the Knight King of Bretonnia, Duke of Mousillon…" Ryan playfully began to list his titles again, and Sulia quickly covered his mouth with her hand. "Ryan!"
"Hahaha~" Ryan laughed as Sulia finally calmed down. He felt warmth in his heart as he gently stroked her golden curls. "To make sure we have enough money, I'm also planning to discuss something else with Grand Duke Schultz."
"With Grand Duke Schultz? Hasn't he already agreed to give you a war loan?" Sulia asked, puzzled.
"That's not enough," Ryan said, his tone turning serious as he held his queen. "I'm going to ask Grand Duke Schultz to issue war bonds!"
"We'll call them…"
"Eight Peaks War Bonds!"
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