Ryan's flagship, Landuin, was designed in the style of a standard Bordeleaux great ship, with added features such as a ram and a Holy Grail chapel, making it a fully equipped military vessel. Even as king, Ryan was only allotted a small suite consisting of a roughly ten-square-meter living room, a smaller bedroom, and a private bathroom.
This bathroom, by the way, was installed with the help of the dwarves.
Due to the narrow door, Ryan set Veronica down as they reached it. The Garland witch gave Ryan a playful glare before opening the door.
The room was bathed in soft yellow light, elegantly decorated but not overly lavish. The Dark Elf was busy adjusting the clothes rack. Olica, who rarely wore anything other than her maid uniform, was dressed today in a fashionable, translucent white princess dress gifted by Sulia, with a black Gothic butterfly coat draped over her shoulders. However, her signature white headscarf remained unchanged.
Olica was wearing semi-sheer white velvet tights today, Ryan noted with a smile. He greeted her, "Olica, we're back."
"Master, Lady Veronica, dinner is ready," Olica said, turning and bowing to Ryan. "Would you like to eat first, bathe, or...?"
"Let's eat first," Ryan replied, taking Veronica by the hand. "We'll talk about the bath and everything else after dinner."
The meal was relatively simple. On a military ship, Ryan couldn't expect the luxuries of the Couronne Royal Palace or his ducal castle. Each of them had a portion of grilled meat, fresh fruits and vegetable salad, and a bottle of red wine, making for a modest dinner.
After eating, Veronica and Olica flanked Ryan, sitting on either side of him on the sofa in the living room. The Garland witch felt a bit uneasy, glancing at the door. She couldn't shake the sensation of a chill under her skirt, even after repeatedly checking that the door was locked.
It's all because of this Dark Elf provoking me into this! Veronica thought indignantly. Yet, she had to admit that Olica's description was accurate—what she had done was both soft and comfortable, giving her a special feeling, like being held in Ryan's arms. Blushing, Veronica leaned against Ryan's shoulder, playing with his long black hair as her thoughts began to wander.
"In terms of coordination between witches and knights in battle, we need to focus on three key points," Ryan said seriously, jotting down notes with a quill on parchment. "First, how to maximize damage to the enemy and weaken them before and during combat. Second, how to use magic to protect and strengthen our troops as much as possible during the battle. Third, how to avoid friendly fire or misdirected spells."
Ryan turned to Veronica. "Have you made any plans for your coven?"
"Plans?" Veronica, lost in thought, was brought back to reality by Ryan's question. "What plan? Oh... are you talking about the battle plan? Why don't you ask your personal maid first instead of me?"
"Olica reports directly to me. She follows my orders at all times, but my orders can't cover the entire coven, so I'm asking if you've made a plan." Ryan casually responded, "If not, we can discuss it now."
"Oh? No need," Veronica said, regaining her composure. She playfully patted Ryan and then produced a thick stack of documents. "I've already prepared everything! I have a comprehensive plan on how witches should coordinate with knights, how to minimize friendly fire, and how to distribute magical resources effectively. It's all here."
Indeed, Veronica had been busy with this for some time. After Ryan planned the grand expedition to Eight Peaks Mountain and decided to deploy the coven, she meticulously organized the allocation of the coven's magical power.
"My coven consists mainly of Light and Fire Witches. We'll leave the formal witches aside for now. What we need to discuss is how to concentrate the power of the witch apprentices. As we all know, witch apprentices have low mana reserves, limited spell repertoires, and a higher chance of making mistakes during casting." Veronica pointed to the list in the documents. "So, I've reorganized the apprentices into groups of four to five, allowing them to cast spells together. This way, they can compensate for their low mana and unstable casting, and it's easier to manage them."
"Good, continue," Ryan nodded. "Do you have any thoughts on how to cast spells during battle?"
"The Light Witches will primarily focus on battlefield support and protection," Veronica explained, pointing to the list of Light Witches. "I've planned that before combat, their task will be to cast protective spells on the frontline infantry. The primary protection spell will be the low-tier Pha's Protection, which can significantly shield those soldiers facing the green skins and Skaven attacks."
"When the knights charge the enemy, the Light Witches will cast the powerful blinding spell, Searing Doom, behind them. This will severely impair the enemy's vision, maximizing the impact of our knights' charge."
"Finally, if we encounter particularly strong enemies or large units, the Light Witches will work together to cast Net of Amyntok to bind them, making it easier for our gunners and artillery to target and eliminate them."
Ryan nodded in approval; Veronica had planned well. "So, the Fire Witches will focus primarily on damage?"
"Exactly. The Fire Witches will be responsible for area damage and targeted strikes. A group of four to five witch apprentices can cast about three Fireball spells per day. If a particularly strong enemy or single combat unit appears on the battlefield, the army can mark the target, and the Fire Witches will unleash Fireball spells to inflict damage."
"When facing large numbers of tightly packed enemies, the Fire Witches will join forces to cast Flaming Skull, a spell particularly effective against numerous, magic-weak goblins and Skaven."
"As for Cloak of Flames and Ruination of Fire, those are too risky for apprentices to control. It's too easy to cause friendly fire. Fire spells should be cast quickly and thrown as soon as possible—that's safer."
"If we encounter particularly powerful enemies, like Black Orc legions, Stormvermin, or green skin giants and Skaven monstrosities, Olica and I will handle them."
With the discussion finished, Ryan nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent, clear division of labor. It's clear you've put a lot of thought into this."
"Of course, this expedition to the Badlands is entirely different from our previous battles," Veronica said seriously. "The expeditionary army won't easily receive reinforcements, so every loss is significant. Additionally, most of our soldiers and knights have no experience fighting in the Badlands. Our tactics must be more efficient and conservative to minimize casualties and boost morale."
"Indeed, the greenskins will receive continuous reinforcements, unlike back home, where every greenskin killed is one less to fight. Besides the pressure of war, our soldiers and knights will face psychological pressure. Infantry and cavalry will need to adopt more efficient tactics to minimize casualties," Ryan nodded repeatedly. "This plan is good. Olica, any thoughts?"
"I listen to my master," Olica said, her amber eyes gleaming with excitement as she leaned against Ryan's shoulder. "My magic can't empower your troops, master, but I can teleport an entire friendly battalion or eliminate an entire enemy battalion at once. It's up to you."
Ryan thought for a moment before replying, "Good. Overall, Veronica's plan is sound. Next, we need to discuss the flexibility of individual witch deployment, particularly for key commanders. Anthelm and Fedmond have their own Lady's prophetesses, but Calard, Juan, and Old Guard Commander Bertrand would benefit from having a dedicated witch assigned to them. This will increase their flexibility and responsiveness on the battlefield."
"Understood. I'll plan for that," Veronica nodded, already considering suitable candidates.
"Veronica, your main responsibility will be operating your Light Magic Chariot to assist with spellcasting, particularly against enemy commanders and large creatures. As for Olica, you'll stay with me and cast spells as needed," Ryan instructed. "That should cover everything for now."
"Got it," both Veronica and Olica nodded in agreement.
With the basics of how the knights and witches would coordinate in battle laid out, only real combat would allow for further adjustments.
With business settled, the three of them relaxed. Olica reached out to massage Ryan's shoulders and back.
"It would be even better if Lady Aurora had brought her coven," Veronica remarked, seemingly casually. The Garland witch grabbed a soft cushion, lay down on the sofa, kicked off her red heels, and placed her black-silk-clad legs in Ryan's lap. "Dear, you're playing favorites. Why didn't you bring that proud Trovik lady on the expedition? Why only trouble Olica and me?"
This woman, always stirring the pot with her words, Ryan thought. After a brief pause, he replied, "That was my order. Aurora and Teresa's main task is to help me establish an intelligence network. Besides, Teresa is a Legendary Ice Sorceress, and her combat effectiveness in the Badlands' hot and arid environment would be severely limited. Normally, a six-ring Blizzard spell could freeze dozens or even hundreds of enemies, but in the Badlands, it might only cause a light rain or lower the temperature by a few degrees. As for Aurora, she might be able to exert some power, but she would never willingly go to a place like the Badlands. It's pointless to ask."
"Well, then," Veronica said, her face flushed as she urged Ryan to massage her feet. The Garland witch smugly continued, "Now you see who's the more qualified and suitable
chief lady-in-waiting?"
"Veronica..." Ryan sighed. "You're already one of the four great Domain Witches of the Garland Council and my chief lady-in-waiting. Why do you still harbor such animosity towards Teresa and the others?"
"Hmph~ Dear, don't try to understand us women with your male logic," Veronica crossed her arms, clearly displeased. "Let me tell you, if you weren't so exceptional and dazzling, I wouldn't be content with just being your chief lady-in-waiting."
"Heh, if I weren't exceptional, how would I be attractive?" Ryan thought.
The room fell silent for a moment, the sound of waves crashing against the ship's hull and the howling wind outside filling the space. Ryan tentatively asked, "How is the Garland Council doing now?"
"I don't even want to go back anymore," Veronica said, lounging on the sofa. "Every time I return, I'm swarmed by female councilors, either prying for information about you, asking if there's any room in your court, or trying to see what they can gain. It's exhausting. Plus, there are all sorts of rumors in the council—people saying I only advanced because I serve you as a... a slave, and that the only reason you brought Teclis to tutor me is that I've been your slave for over a decade. They claim if they were in my position, they'd have achieved the same. It infuriates me."
"Just kill them all, flay them, and hang their skins outside your wizard tower. That'll shut them up," Olica suggested with a sinister grin.
"Why care about such things?" Ryan laughed. "You can't stop those rumors. People always love conspiracy theories and believe what they want to believe. The masses are ignorant and easily swayed. Besides, didn't Margarita, your council leader, also rely on the Emperor's power to revive the Garland Council?"
"Hmph," Veronica snorted, unwilling to engage further.
"I have a suggestion," Ryan said, continuing to play with Veronica's silk-clad feet. He smiled, "Next time you return to the Garland Council, you can tell them: 'You witches lack etiquette and noble spirit. Don't you know it takes three generations to make a noble? You witches have knowledge but no culture. Wealth and magic can't build a true noble!'"
"Use an example: say that in Bretonnia, when you need to enter the palace, the servants bring the password on a silver platter. The entire process is silent! That's the heritage of high-elven culture! That's nobility!"
"Also, mention that in Couronne, you live in a palace over a thousand years old, and when you dine, your neighbors are nobles. When people address each other, it's often 'sir' and 'madam,' but they must address your knight, King Ryan-Malcador, as 'lord' and 'Your Majesty.' You can also talk about the ancient noble dukes of Bretonnia, descendants of the original Holy Grail Knights, who are so courteous and noble. This whole narrative will ensure many witches in the Garland Council will admire you and be fascinated by so-called noble culture."
"Then, you can start a 'noble etiquette class,' charging 99 gold crowns a year per person. With over a hundred female councilors, that could bring you thousands of gold crowns annually. Isn't that a win-win?"
Before Ryan could finish, Veronica was already laughing so hard she nearly passed out. "Dear, are you trying to cement my reputation as a slave and a fool? And what's this about 'it takes three generations to make a noble'? You, a second-generation Nord country bumpkin, dare to boast? You're trying to ruin my reputation, dear—you're so wicked!"
"Hahaha!" Ryan laughed, but then his expression turned serious. "Nobles should not take pride in their bloodline."
"A true knightly noble takes pride in their valor and virtue! Otherwise, they deserve the guillotine!"
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