The son of the God-Emperor in Warhammer Fantasy

What to do?

Ryan felt his clothes and forehead soaked with sweat. Critical moments like this, and he wasn't some Reaper Academy student with a voice changer. Moreover, Archbishop Vikmar's voice was very distinctive. The red-robed bishop was second only to the archbishop; how could he not recognize the voice?

Tigris was already preparing a grand spell, the Archmage bracing for combat.

At the critical moment, just as the red-robed bishop reached for the carriage door handle, Archbishop Vikmar suddenly snorted. The snore was low and dull, sounding like a disgruntled hum.

That sound stopped the red-robed bishop, who was about to open the door, in his tracks. It was indeed the voice of the archbishop. The bishop's expression changed rapidly, and he quickly retreated: "Sorry, I was presumptuous."

The situation was temporarily stabilized. Ryan exhaled softly, quickly wiping his forehead; his sleeve was soaked with sweat.

However, the crisis was not over.

"Archbishop, if there is nothing wrong, please issue your decree. This matter cannot be delayed any longer." The red-robed bishop, leading his subordinates, asked Archbishop Vikmar again: "I know you have important matters to attend to outside, but what could be more important than eradicating the chaos cult and bringing light and faith to humanity?"

The carriage remained silent, and the red-robed bishop still blocked the front.

Inside the carriage, Ryan had now completely calmed down. Another power in his bloodline began to manifest, and in his mind, an image of a skinny old man in a black robe appeared, smiling benignly at him: "Don't rush, my child, calm down, think."

"Think." Ryan cooled down completely, his gaze settling on the archbishop: "Then resolve."

After about five seconds.

The carriage curtain was pulled back, and Archbishop Vikmar's right hand extended from the window.

The archbishop's right hand formed a circle with his thumb and forefinger, while his middle finger, ring finger, and pinky were raised high, a ring on his thumb.

This was a sign of agreement.

"Yes! Understood!" the red-robed bishop, relieved: "We will immediately send assistance to His Majesty, let the carriage pass!"

The crowd blocking the carriage stepped aside, allowing the carriage to pass.

The black carriage, carrying secrets and a mission, left the Church of Justice Cathedral.

Thirty minutes later, at the Imperial Royal Hotel.

The luxurious decor, the floors carpeted with animal hides, were spotlessly clean. The exquisite oak furniture in the lobby was cleverly arranged, and the flames in the fireplace crackled, the half-dry firewood burning inside.

Lady Knight Sulia was dressed up, wearing a cute reindeer wine-red dress, smilingly serving Tigris the famous cat poop coffee from Tilly.

Ryan, feeling like he had just come out of a sauna, slumped on his living room sofa, saying to Tigris: "Exciting, exciting."

The Archmage's face looked troubled, holding the first fragment of the Crown of Lilith, he sighed softly: "It's always like this... no matter what, the Old World affair has ended, though not perfectly."

"Are you leaving?" Ryan detected the implication in Tigris's words.

"The matter is over, it's time for me to leave," Tigris nodded. "There are many things waiting for me in Ulthuan. I wasn't supposed to come here, at most Beren and Luthien would have come. But since Lilith insisted, I made the trip. Now that it's done, I must return."

"Can't you stay for the Winter Festival? It's just over a week away." Ryan was reluctant; Tigris's presence in the Old World had been a great help. His arrival provided Ryan with a powerful ally, and his guidance to the two witches, Veronica and Teresa, had significantly advanced their skills.

With Tigris around, many of Ryan's affairs, including the alliance treaty and trade agreements with Emperor Karl-Franz, were facilitated. Ryan still hoped to leverage Tigris's immense prestige in the Old World for more.

"The human festival is not an elven one." Tigris stood up, shaking his head: "I'm leaving in three days, returning to Ulthuan. If Miss Trovick and Lady Bernadotte have any questions, they should ask me soon."

"Alright." Ryan could only nod helplessly. Tigris's status meant he couldn't stay long in the Empire just to support Ryan and teach the two witches. The High Elven Archmage, burdened with many responsibilities, had only decided to come to the Old World after insistence from the Lady of the Lake.

Three days later, Tigris led the high elf army back along the Reik River. They would reach Marienburg and then

 board an ocean-going vessel back to Ulthuan.

Ryan and the others stayed, planning to spend the Winter Festival in Brunswick before returning to their own lands.

On the first day of the Winter Festival, Ryan woke from his sleep.

Once again, heavy snow began to fall outside, large flakes covering the entire imperial capital, turning the heart of the Empire into a vast white world.

The Winter Festival was approaching, Ryan's twenty-seventh since arriving in this world. Unnoticed, he had acquired a home, his own lands, and a lofty position.

But the time left to him was growing short.

The thirty-year-old count barely opened his eyes, lying in a soft four-poster bed, the warm room momentarily making him think he was back in his count's castle.

But he immediately realized he was still in the imperial capital.

"Awake, my husband?" Dressed in a light-feathered snow fluff thin streamline florist princess dress, Sulia was already awake. The lady knight's face was flushed with deep blush and happiness, smiling at Ryan: "Happy Winter Festival."

"Happy Winter Festival, my lady." Ryan felt many emotions as he recalled last night's tender warmth.

He too had a home now.

The count stretched out a big hand, pulling his lady into his arms and kissed her: "My lady, any plans for today?"

"Today Emperor Karl has invited you to hunt in the suburbs, did you forget?" Sulia's golden hair smelled of iris, the lady knight's slender waist held by Ryan in an embrace, kissed for a while, leaving her breathless, she playfully tapped Ryan's forehead with her dainty white finger.

"Ah, right, mainly because the date keeps changing." Ryan paused for a moment, then remembered the Emperor had indeed invited him to hunt.

Opening the window, the streets of Brunswick were bustling. Every household hung bright flags, many activities underway, with the Imperial people celebrating the arrival of the Winter Festival, especially near the Royal Hotel, a wealthy area, with luxurious carriages coming and going, nobles' celebrations underway.

Under the cover of heavy snow, many combat priests and demon hunters also patrolled the streets, their fierce and stern gazes monitoring every move in the area, somewhat dampening the festive atmosphere.

There was no helping it; the incident Ryan and Tigris stirred up was too big.

Archbishop Vikmar, having dozed off and woken up in the carriage returning to the Holy Relics Church, took a minute to realize what had happened to him.

Afterward, Vikmar's roar could be heard not just throughout the southern part of the capital, at least.

A massive "cult cleansing" campaign was immediately launched by the archbishop, numerous combat priests, demon hunters, and holy knights mobilized, conducting a brutal and bloody search and check of Brunswick. The demon hunters' method of "better to kill a hundred by mistake than to miss one" wronged many normal people but indeed dealt a severe blow to the chaos cults in the capital's slums. Many cults were discovered and eradicated, with thousands tied to stakes and burned on the first day of cleansing alone.

Emperor Karl was also extremely surprised that someone had attempted an assassination inside the Church of Justice Cathedral. The Reiksguard, commanded by Heilberg and Ludwig, bloodily purged the entire von Roken family, a family secretly worshiping chaos gods, not only completely annihilating them but Ludwig also followed leads to implicate hundreds more.

Their fate was also collective trial and execution by fire.

Compared to the almost playful punishments of the capitalists in Marienburg, the Empire's punishment for chaos corruption was extremely harsh.

The Empire's great nobles had no objections; chaos corruption must be eradicated, and since the evidence was conclusive, besides enjoying the massacre, the nobles eyed the von Roken family's assets. The family's assets were declared forfeit by the emperor, including thousands of hectares of good land and several shops in Brunswick, three warehouses in the dock area, and two river workshops along the Reik.

The cake was only so large; fewer people eating meant more to go around.

The emperor withstood the pressure, awarding most of the good land to soldiers who had performed meritoriously in the war against the barbarians, auctioning the shops publicly, taking the workshops into royal possession. Of course, the clever emperor also appropriately rewarded the Lichtenstein family, who first responded to the emperor's call to deploy their family's private guards for the action. The von Roken family's trade network and many businesses were handed over to the Lichtenstein family, causing many great nobles to beat their chests in annoyance, complaining they lost a chance to share in the spoils due to their hesitations.

Indeed, steadfastly following Emperor Karl-Franz's line had its benefits.

The capital's chaotic environment delayed the planned hunting activity again and again, pushing back the time so much that Ryan almost forgot about it, fortunately, Sul

ia always remembered.

"Lady~" Ryan buried his face in Sulia's ample bosom, the lady knight's substantial front providing him great comfort: "Let's go hunting together!"

"Aren't you taking Miss Veronica and Miss Teresa?" Sulia gently embraced Ryan in return: "I think they would also like to go."

"I would take them if I could, but such an occasion isn't suitable." Ryan shook his head: "It's a gathering place for a bunch of great noble scions, even though the Imperial Royal Wizarding Academy has been established for over a hundred years, many nobles still don't trust wizards."

"But you should still talk to Miss Veronica and Miss Teresa about it. Do you know, every time you make decisions for them based on your subjective assumptions, it hurts them?" Sulia gently said: "I know you always respect me, letting me make my own decisions, but those ladies are different. They gave up a lot to follow your lead. Maybe they really shouldn't participate in such activities, but you should still inform them."

"Yes, I understand. I'll follow your instructions, my lady." Ryan scratched his head sheepishly, having taken things for granted. Faced with his beloved wife, the husband readily admitted his mistake: "I wasn't thoughtful, I'll go and talk to them."

After more tenderness and kisses on the bed, Ryan finally let go of the now blushing Sulia, leaving the bedroom. The lady knight sat uncomfortably on the bed, rubbing her silk-stockinged legs together, re-buttoning the front of her dress, then lifted her head proudly.

What of a human hero or a lady's chosen champion?

Wasn't he still utterly beholden to her?

Thinking for a while, the lady knight's cheeks reddened again. She touched her abdomen, remembering the Lady of the Lake's admonition to have a child with Ryan soon. The child they would have would surely be healthy and strong.

The lady... surely liked Ryan too? Then why not join together? The lady knight's mind raced with wild thoughts; she had been the most devout follower of the Lady of the Lake since she was three years old. After being possessed several times during their honeymoon, Sulia was very willing to share her husband with the lady.

Finding the opportunity was key...

Fifteen minutes later, Ryan returned, telling Sulia that Teresa and Veronica were busy continuing their magical studies, still recalling Tigris's guidance before his departure. The two witches didn't have time to go hunting with Ryan.

"Then let's set off," Ryan said to Sulia.

"Um... Sylvia? Henderson the butler?" Sulia began instructing her maid and her butler, preparing to depart to meet the emperor.

...

On the first day of the Winter Festival holiday in the Old World, in the Empire, Reikland, Reikwald Forest.

The bright and snow-covered Reikwald Forest within the Empire's borders was considered a safe forest, but deep within, there were still plenty of bandits, beastmen, and some vampire castle ruins left from the time of the vampire wars by Vlad von Carstein and Mannfred von Carstein, the counts of vampires. It was said that a few undead creatures still roamed there.

Ryan rode the pureblood elven warhorse Grape, and Sulia rode the pureblood elven warhorse Licht, the armored couple following Emperor Karl-Franz.

Behind them were the Brunswick Royal Hippogriff Knights and the Griffin Greatswordsmen, along with the Reiksguard and Reiksguard recruits, all nobility's offspring, accompanying the emperor on this hunt as an opportunity to show themselves.

Many young nobles looked hungover and pale, clearly having indulged during the Winter Festival.

Even the emperor himself was, as Ryan found when he arrived at the designated spot at ten in the morning and the emperor had not yet arrived. It wasn't until ten forty-five, with a sleepy face and yawning, that the emperor finally arrived late, a rare holiday, Karl had slept until after ten.

The hunting went smoothly, uneventful and successful. The Hippogriff Knights and Reiksguard had already cleared this part of the forest in advance. Emperor Karl-Franz and Ryan soon had plenty of game hanging behind their horses: "A bountiful harvest, Your Majesty."

"Your catch isn't bad either." Emperor Karl looked at the rabbit and two roe deer hanging behind Ryan's horse, laughing: "Your horse is really great."

"???" Ryan was puzzled.

"If it were my horse, it couldn't carry that much." The emperor then tried to inquire: "Could I perhaps..."

"Your Majesty, Bretonnia prohibits the export of pureblood elven warhorses, it's national policy." Ryan blocked the emperor's line of questioning.

"Alright then..."

"Your Majesty, we're returning to Bretonnia after the Winter Festival."

"Won't you stay a bit longer?"

"No, it's time to go back."

"Which route do you plan to take?"

"We'll travel by land from Bogenhafen to Helmgart, then through Axe Bite Pass."

Updated! Today's chapter is 4500 words, packed with content!

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