At the center stood Castle Carcassonne, an ancient city of the Old Ones and the birthplace of the Truthsayers.
Outside Castle Carcassonne, a four-meter-high wooden wall encircled the city, layered with trenches, moats, dwarf mines, witches' magical traps, cannons, and firing ports. The roads were littered with caltrops, and the walls were manned by handgunners and crossbowmen for protection. A large reserve of peasant infantry and free company halberdiers stood ready.
Inside the walls, groups of knights were prepared to charge the enemy or dismount to fight if necessary.
The Grail Knights served as the primary mobile support force, alongside the Old Guard's dragoons and a small contingent of expeditionary knights. Veronica had stationed a witch at each section of the wall for magical defense, and five Grey Knight recruits were on standby for reinforcements.
The left wall was commanded by Francois, who led the elite southern forces of Bretonnia, the Nordland Marines, and Bertrand's Fifth Army.
The right wall was under the command of Calard, who led the elite northern knightly nobles. Ryan had also assigned him the Sixth Army under Davout.
The central army was the largest but had the most uneven combat capabilities. In addition to the Bretonnian Royal Guard led by Ryan himself, all the residents and defenders of the Empire's Nordland province were also stationed here.
These Imperial residents and defenders weren't entirely without combat ability. Living in a place like Albion, they had to deal with monsters and barbarians regularly, so they had some fighting experience.
However, their combat prowess was far inferior to Bretonnia's elite field troops. Yet, Ryan couldn't just abandon them in Nordland. If Wulfrik and Be'lakor's forces arrived, Nordland wouldn't be able to defend itself.
Against the barbarians, Ryan could be ruthless. Although most Norscans were once commoners living in what is now the Empire before its founding, many tribes had already begun worshiping Chaos during the Age of Strife, before the rise of Sigmar. They were later driven to Norsca or further north.
In Ryan's view, once they embraced Chaos, there was nothing more to say. Kill them all.
But the residents of Nordland couldn't be ignored. These 7,000 people were Imperial citizens, people of order, and fellow humans.
As Ryan sat on the high platform of the wall, coldly watching the 20,000 barbarian civilians squeezed between the siege walls and the walls of Castle Carcassonne, being attacked from both sides, he called out, "Raymond?"
"Your Majesty." Raymond, the deputy commander of the Old Guard, stepped forward. "Your orders?"
"How are the Nordland civilians? Are their emotions stable? Any major issues?" Ryan frowned. "Is anyone sympathizing with the barbarians?"
Raymond couldn't help but laugh. He straightened up and saluted his beloved king. "Your Majesty, are you drunk?"
"Huh? Why do you say that?" Ryan turned his head.
"The Nordland residents below are overjoyed. They're clapping and cheering," Raymond said with a helpless shake of his head. "Your Majesty, most of Nordland's residents are either serious or moderate criminals who couldn't pay their fines and chose exile, poor people whose homes were destroyed by beastmen, greenskins, or barbarians, retired soldiers with no livelihood beyond soldiering, mercenaries seeking fortune, or even former bandits. Your Majesty, how could you expect these people to have any compassion? They hate the barbarians! At least 2,000 of these 7,000 people are here because they lost their homes during Morkar's invasion and came to Nordland for a meal! They want the barbarians dead, even their entire families!"
"That's good." Ryan sighed and nodded. "Good. Anyone showing sympathy, send them out to join the barbarians."
Over the long span of two to three thousand years, countless wars had taught humans, ravaged by Chaos, greenskins, and the undead, to hate.
"Good. Inform all units to prepare," Ryan said softly. "The enemy reinforcements are approaching."
"Yes!"
Raymond left, leaving Ryan and Olica alone.
The rain poured down, hammering the canopy above. Ryan sat quietly on his campaign stool, watching the rain over Albion, silent.
Olica stood by her master, watching the rain with him. The dark elf maid brought tea to Ryan's side. Without a word, she reached out from behind and wrapped her arms around Ryan's neck, letting him lean against her chest.
Ryan felt his face "squeezed," disrupting his calm mood. He thought to himself that the largest in his harem was the Lady of the Lake, followed by Olica and Sulia, who were roughly equal.
"Olica," Ryan said, taking her small hand and feeling the warmth and softness of the dark elf. "You've been with me for so many years. It must have been hard."
"Not hard," Olica said with a sweet smile. "Because what I've gained from you far exceeds what I've given by ten, a hundred times. You are my everything, and everything I have belongs to you, as long as you still want your Olica."
"Is that so?" Ryan chuckled softly.
There was no doubt that every woman in his harem had her own interests. The Lady of the Lake, Veronica, and Theresa were no exception. Emily was practically independent, and even Sulia, as his queen, often had her own considerations. Only Olica was wholeheartedly devoted to him.
Had Olica truly abandoned herself, choosing to merge completely with Ryan? Not quite. As Olica had said, the rewards and power she now possessed far exceeded her wildest expectations, especially after her contact with the Emperor. Initially, the Emperor had been wary of this dark elf, but when Olica presented the soul of Sanguinius, even the Emperor was moved. The Master of Mankind decided to share a significant portion of the knowledge he had gained from the Eldar Empire with Olica. Now, no one knew the extent of Olica's power. Ryan could vaguely sense that her strength was on par with his own, if not slightly inferior.
Olica knew all too well that the Emperor was watching everything. The more she prioritized Ryan, the more she abandoned herself, the more she pleased the Emperor, and the more secure her position became.
The Lady of the Lake, on the other hand, never quite grasped this. Although she was deeply connected to Ryan and even secretly held a wedding with him, the goddess still had her own schemes. Often, her mind was filled with just one thought.
Cause trouble, cause trouble, cause trouble!
The goddess always felt wronged, wondering why the Emperor disliked her so much.
So, in this situation, Veronica was on the second level, the Lady of the Lake on the third, Sulia on the fourth, and Olica on the fifth.
Of course, Ryan didn't want the Lady of the Lake to change. He found her quite endearing as she was.
"Olica, what do you know about Be'lakor?" Ryan asked casually.
"I don't know much more about Be'lakor than you do," Olica said, resting her chin on Ryan's head and inhaling his pleasant scent. The dark elf murmured, "Most of what I know comes from the era of the elven gods. Back then, the Pale Queen, Morai-Heg, wasn't as filled with venom, curses, and hatred as she is now. When she and Isha walked the mortal world, Be'lakor already existed. Be'lakor is older than the elven gods."
"Did the elven gods ever fight Be'lakor?" Ryan turned and gestured for Olica to sit beside him. The dark elf brought over a stool and sat close to Ryan. After a moment's thought, she shook her head. "Occasionally, but not often. Be'lakor was more interested in mortals. Conquering a world and its people, forcing them to worship him as a god. When a race declined and was destroyed by Be'lakor's greed and cruelty, he would move on to the next emerging race."
"My lord, never think Be'lakor is foolish. He is actually very clever. For a long time, he played the Chaos Gods like a fiddle. He pretended to be an extension of the Four Gods' will but deliberately misinterpreted or selectively accepted their commands in many places," Olica continued. "Be'lakor loves civil wars. He particularly hates mortal champions, daemon princes, or greater daemons who, like him, have received the blessings of Chaos. But he never isolates himself. For example, when he slays a Great Unclean One of Nurgle, he claims it was on Tzeentch's orders. When he destroys a Slaaneshi chariot, he says it was Khorne's will. The Four Gods were once completely fooled by him, until Tzeentch saw through his scheme."
Ryan couldn't help but think that Be'lakor was quite the master manipulator.
"My lord, never underestimate Be'lakor's strength. He was once the strongest being beneath the Four Gods. Even now, having lost most of his power, he is still a demigod, and a demigod with an endless arsenal of spells and combat abilities," Olica hesitated for a moment before adding, "My lord, you might not be his match."
"Whether I'm a match or not, we'll only know after we fight," Ryan said, his expression serious. Be'lakor was likely the most powerful and terrifying enemy he had ever faced.
But so what? As a primarch, had Ryan ever been afraid?
"I'll assist you when the time comes, my lord," Olica said, feeling slightly reassured by Ryan's fearless demeanor.
"Speaking of which, Olica, you..." Ryan hesitated.
"My lord, are you asking about my relationship with the Pale Queen?" Olica smiled sweetly, her soft, wheat-colored cheek gently rubbing against Ryan's face. "I am her daughter."
"Daughter?!" Ryan was startled.
Was his dark elf maid the Pale Princess?!
"Like the Everqueen and the Everprincess, I am her emissary in the mortal world. But compared to the Everprincess, I am of a higher rank," Olica sighed softly. "The elven gods realized long ago that the End Times would come one day. Each elven god prepared a mortal avatar, but the circumstances varied. Let me put it this way, my lord. I was once the Pale Queen's chosen, then her first chosen, then her avatar, and now, I am a fragment of her."
"You are already a part of the Pale Queen?" Ryan mused.
"So you must help me, my lord, or you will lose your Olica forever," the dark elf said confidently. "As for the rest, I've already prepared. Are you ready to gain another elven goddess, my lord?"
"Can't even the division of the elves unite your gods?" Ryan laughed, knowing what Olica was planning.
"History can be deconstructed and distorted countless times by bureaucrats, dictators, court conspirators, reform advocates, tabloid writers, public intellectuals, and lyrical bards to form ten thousand 'profound lessons,' my lord," Olica said with a sweet smile. "Also, there is no 'we.' What gave you the illusion that the elven gods were ever united? Even when Asuryan was active and there was relative peace, he often had to mediate and arbitrate disputes among the gods. Khaine and Kurnous fought a great battle over Isha, and Asuryan couldn't stop it."
Ryan couldn't help but laugh. Yes, "we" sounds simple.
The master and servant fell silent. Olica leaned affectionately against Ryan's shoulder, quietly awaiting Be'lakor's arrival.
An hour later, the sky changed.
The mountains trembled, the earth shook, and under the rain of Albion, the mountains split open, spewing blood into the sky. The swamps churned violently, their inhabitants fleeing in all directions. Plants rapidly decayed, smoked, and grew grotesque tumors. Leaves and grass turned into venomous snakes and insects. Deep red, pale blue, dark green, and deep purple lights converged into a grayish-purple figure descending from the heavens, surrounded by flames and wind.
The barbarians of Castle Carcassonne screamed, prayed, and cheered for the blessings of the true god.
Forests burned, lakes boiled, and the Chaos army stretched from one horizon to the other. Barbarian war cries and praises to the Dark Gods filled the air. Thousands of war drums beat, and hundreds of horns blared. A sea of Chaos warriors and barbarian champions charged toward the walls of the knightly army. Several daemon legions materialized from the void. Khornate Bloodletters and Heralds licked their lips as they swung swords and axes. Tzeentchian sorcerers rode discs into battle. Nurgle's heralds waded through the swamps on plague drones. Slaaneshi chariots, laden with androgynous degenerates, danced to the music of youth.
Be'lakor and his Chaos army had arrived. The Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided had, through various means, temporarily subdued the destructive forces of the Four Gods, turning their ancient rivalries into a shared hatred for the Sun King, Ryan Makado.
The ancient Daemon Prince, Be'lakor, had appeared, ready to annihilate the knightly army once and for all, to slay the Sun King, Ryan Makado, and present his first gift to the Chaos Gods upon his release.
The Grey Knights' primarch would face this legendary foe.
This would be Ryan's first battle against a demigod.
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