Chapter 346: The Eve of the Grand Wedding

In Brittany, deep autumn has set in, and only a few days remain until Ryan's wedding.

Ryan and Tegris walked out of the Lake Fairy's tower, both looking pale—one green and the other blue.

"...Tegris, do you think... Alaros listened at all?" Ryan, dressed in noble silk attire, walked with his hands behind his back, a wry smile on his face. "I feel like he didn't hear a single word."

"Maybe bringing him to meet Lilith was a mistake." Tegris, in his grand mage robes, looked quite unwell. "You didn't mention to Alaros that Lilith often visits here, did you?"

"No." Ryan closed his eyes, shaking his head repeatedly.

Ryan had been in Helen Hild for nearly a week. During this time, numerous agreements were signed, and a multitude of consensuses were reached among the various powers. This diplomatic event satisfied, delighted, worried, or dismayed many nobles, as each's needs and stances were thoroughly expressed and one contract after another was signed.

The Bretonnians and Empire dwarves negotiated peace, and further discussions took place between the Empire and Brittany. Duke Casfane of Paravon and the wood elf representative, Liff, signed a ceasefire agreement. Casfane symbolically compensated with two hundred gold crowns worth of grain, while the wood elves warned the Duke to keep away from their forests. Ryan remained the sole trade partner with the wood elves.

The plan to join forces with Bellegar's Angland clan to attack Blackstone Fortress was being prepared. Ryan was in no rush to propose this to Bellegar because both Brittany and the Angland clan were in a post-war recovery phase. Everyone needed time to recuperate. Ryan first tentatively asked if Bellegar needed food support. Bellegar, hesitating a bit, expressed that the dwarves had encountered some difficulties and could handle it themselves, but they would be grateful for human assistance.

This meant they indeed needed help, so Ryan provided Bellegar with additional food supplies.

Next came the matter of Ryan taking Alaros to see the Lake Fairy, as previously mentioned. Whether the Lake Fairy wanted to meet her rumored suitor, Alaros, was unclear, and Ryan was indifferent.

Tegris insisted, believing Alaros and his wood elf troops were a crucial force.

After much discussion, due to Tegris's insistence on a meeting between the Lake Fairy and Alaros, Ryan took Alaros to the Lake Fairy's tower for a meeting.

What followed was a scene that left both Ryan and Tegris stunned.

Alaros recognized Lilith, overjoyed to tears to realize she was the elf goddess he had saved in the Aesoloron Forest. By the time Tegris and Ryan came to their senses, they found Alaros singing to the Lake Fairy.

Ryan listened for a while, the lyrics went something like this:

"You are the wild wind of May, blowing through the flowers in my heart~"

"You are the fierce sun, breaking through my fragile heart~"

"You are the eternal summer, guarding my pure fragrance~"

"Your favor erases all scorn from mortals, your love removes the brand of shame, what do the world's matters have to do with me? You are my universe, a strand of morning light in my life, please listen to my song, your image is deeply rooted in my heart, without you, what disaster shall I face?"

"Besides you, I have no other concern in the world."

Alaros's lyrics were filled with many references and the obscure ancient Elvish language, which Ryan could only understand the gist of.

The Lake Fairy seemed quite pleased, giving Ryan a playful look, her azure eyes filled with amusement.

I still have many admirers, look, my champion, here is one of my admirers!

Alaros spent quite some time expressing his longing for Goddess Lilith and then seemed about to sweep his beloved goddess off her feet and run away, which Ryan and Tegris hurriedly stopped. Alaros's forwardness even startled the Lake Fairy, who quickly stopped him from getting too close. Given Alaros's demeanor, if he had taken the Lake Fairy back to the forest, the first thing he might have done was close the door and indulge in passion.

The three then sat down to discuss matters, consulting with the Lake Fairy about the approaching End Times. Tegris planned to travel to the Empire to alert Emperor Karl-Franz to prepare, while Ryan suggested they needed to unite with the dwarves and try to weaken the northern barbarians.

The weaker the northern barbarians, the fewer the number of Chaos armies that would march south during the End Times. Ryan believed that only by weakening the grip of the Chaos Gods and Archaon on the future could they hope to prevail.

Ryan and Tegris meticulously outlined a comprehensive plan.

As for Alaros… from start to finish, he seemed oblivious to what Ryan and Tegris were discussing. His eyes were solely for his goddess, and he loudly proclaimed that he would follow whatever Lilith commanded.

The Lake Fairy revealed a crucial truth: to combat Chaos, they must reforge "Lilith's Crown," a powerful artifact that could grant her power approaching that of a chief elven deity.

The crafting of Lilith's Crown was intricate, requiring materials that Tegris and Alaros were tasked with gathering.

Once their discussions concluded, Alaros inquired if he could stay overnight, but upon receiving a negative response, he pleaded with Tegris and Ryan to leave him alone for a while to have some private time with his goddess.

This led to Tegris and Ryan leaving with complex expressions—one green and one blue.

"He can't see us anymore, nor can he hear us. To him, the lady is his everything," Ryan sighed, continuing, "This might be advantageous for our plans in the short term, but in the long run..."

"You're worried he might make inappropriate demands of Lilith?" Tegris understood Ryan's concern, leaning on his staff as he turned around: "...Indeed, it's likely."

The two quickly agreed that Alaros was akin to a sycophant, a hero of the wood elves whose concerns for the world's threats were secondary to his obsession with the Lake Fairy. For his beloved goddess, he was willing to sacrifice everything.

"I remember... Alaros already has a mate, right?" Ryan asked curiously while Alaros hadn't yet returned.

"He has two daughters," Tegris stated calmly. "Actually... if Alaros's help can be secured, it wouldn't matter if Lilith made some sacrifices; it's all to prevent the End Times."

Ryan furrowed his brow at this.

Tegris implied that if it could sway Alaros, he wouldn't mind his goddess leveraging her charm, as it would be worthwhile.

Tegris was such a person—unlike his brother, Prince Tyrion, who was passionate and emotional, Tegris was always the epitome of rationality. For him, many things could be sacrificed to achieve his goals; he might feel guilt but would not regret.

"You seem to disagree with my view?" Tegris noticed Ryan's furrowed brow and asked proactively.

"Once there's a first time, there will be a second, and a third," Ryan said gravely. "Whether the lady is willing to do this is one thing, but do you think Alaros, once successful, will still have the drive to face death? What he wants is his goddess! He doesn't care about the outside world!"

"You make a good point, but I think you're jealous," Tegris said calmly, his dead fish eyes glancing sideways at Ryan. "You have personal feelings in this."

"I do not!" Ryan immediately defended.

"You do." Tegris didn't press further, merely nodding lightly: "But I accept your perspective. I was shortsighted before. Based on Alaros's behavior, he can be used for minor roles but not trusted with major ones."

Tegris meant that while you could delegate many minor and tedious tasks to Alaros, who would handle them well, you should never entrust him with crucial matters because of his irrational nature. As a valiant warrior and powerful hero, he preferred solving problems with his spear and bow rather than with thought.

As they were discussing, Alaros emerged, looking somewhat despondent: "She still rejected me."

"Lord Alaros?" Ryan wanted to know what had transpired between Alaros and the Lake Fairy inside.

"It's like a dream that ultimately leads to emptiness. From the moment I refused her in the forest, the outcome was already determined," Alaros said, still somewhat dispirited. The hero of the wood elves and Queen Alarielle's chosen champion tried to compose himself: "Excuse me, I need some time alone."

"Please." Tegris gestured for Alaros to take his leave and watched the wood elf hero stride away before bluntly stating: "Clearly a case of failed courtship."

"You expected this?" Ryan's tone shifted, knowing the Lake Fairy would never give Alaros another chance.

"Definitely." Tegris looked meaningfully at Ryan: "I know Lilith has chosen a new partner for herself, but more importantly..."

"More importantly?"

"More importantly, a bootlicker ultimately ends up with nothing."

"Are you talking about yourself?"

"...Come here, Ryan, I have something to show you."

"I refuse!"

...

As the wedding day approached, the grand nobles of Brittany and the Empire, along with messengers from the dwarves and wood elves, plus the high elf emissaries, gathered for Ryan's unprecedentedly

 spectacular ceremony. Other than the coronation of the Emperor, no event had ever seen such a convergence of powers.

Preparations for the wedding venue had been completed weeks in advance. The Grail Knights of the Holy Grail Knight Order and the Lake Prophetesses from the Sisterhood had meticulously decorated the Great Cathedral of the Lake Fairy, stockpiling mountains of barley flour, wheat flour, oats, soybeans, and peas for the banquet. Hundreds of livestock were ready for slaughter, and Morgiana, the Lake Goddess Witch, had opened her storerooms, bringing out sugar, honey, cheese, and butter. Francois even contributed his stock of Winford's fine wines, barrel after barrel delivered to the Great Cathedral of the Lake Fairy.

Brittany seemed eager to use the grand wedding to dispel the shadows of the early year's Chaos invasion. Ryan's reputation in the nation was unmatched, leading even the lords to treat their serfs more kindly during this period.

Duchess Sulia would not be marrying alone; her retinue of nearly two hundred people, from servants to knights, would accompany her. They ranged from maids and chefs to butlers and guards, providing the lady knight with a complete and independent staff. Moreover, her fiefs in two villages within the Duchy of Winford would remain hers.

These people were unrelated to Ryan; Sulia's marriage to him did not make them his subordinates. They were clearly divided in their responsibilities: the servant group was accountable only to the Duchess, and the villages provided taxes directly to her, managed by her steward and court ladies.

Just two days before the wedding, the final and most important guests arrived in the Earl of Glamorgan's domain.

Deep autumn, Charlon Forest, Angland's cabin in the woods.

Five colorful beams descended from the sky.

The Devourer Primarch was already waiting: "Brothers, you've really taken your time. Ryan's grand wedding is the day after tomorrow."

"Angland..." A cold voice looked at the resplendent dwarf mithril armor and dual vibrating gold battle axes of the Devourer Primarch: "I really want to kill you."

Blood still dripped from the vibrating gold axes, and Angland had several freshly bandaged wounds.

"Traitor..." A twisted, dry voice casually spoke.

"We've arrived! My brothers! Angland, have you completely reverted to your original form?!" A voice filled with passion and encouragement: "That's great news!"

"Welcome, brothers, welcome," Angland ignored the three speakers, focusing on the Extreme Warrior Primarch Kiriman in blue power armor and Magnus in yellow power armor: "Our new Regent of the Empire and the Starwatcher have come too? I thought you wouldn't make it... Magnus, what's that on your neck?"

Magnus's neck bore a collar, still flashing.

"It's a bomb made by Father," the Extreme Warrior Primarch Robert-Kiriman looked troubled: "To prevent Magnus from running away, this bomb can precisely ensure he's only knocked unconscious without harming anyone nearby."

"Hahaha... Who has the switch?" Angland laughed heartily.

"It's in Johnson's hands," Kiriman's gaze shifted to Angland's side: "What's this? An unwelcome guest?"

A headless terror of a Greater Daemon corpse lay next to the cabin, its head hanging by the cabin's door, still dripping blood, its body cut into several pieces.

"A Bloodthirster of Khorne, here to disrupt Ryan's wedding, I killed it," Angland spat: "Quite strong, it claimed to be the Skull King of Khorne's First Army, took me a bit of effort to slay it."

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