Three days later, early in the morning, a rosy-cheeked Morgiana personally saw off Ryan and Sulia.
Sulia's face was bright and charming, and Ryan's complexion was passable.
After leaving the Tower of the Lake Fairy, Ryan took a solid day's rest and finally felt much better.
Ryan always felt that after this return, even Sulia seemed to have become clingy. The female knight now stayed with him all the time, but the count could somewhat understand. As a lady, Sulia still didn't have an heir, which was intolerable for her, especially since Emilia was already pregnant.
The noble court was darker and bloodier than one might imagine. Without a qualified heir, Sulia's position as a lady wasn't entirely secure.
Thinking of the little maid, Ryan felt a bit concerned. He didn't know how Emilia was doing now. He had sent Baron Devon Hex to Brunswick and Noor, delivering a signed acknowledgment, admitting that he was the father of Emilia's child. He also sent a jar of berry wine and a bottle of diluted Life Water.
The diluted Life Water was something he had obtained during a dark salon in Marienburg, and the berry wine was a gift of apology from the Wood Elves for betraying Morgiana. The Wood Elf Queen Ariel's chosen champion, Alaros the Brave, and the Prophetess Liff sent four jars of berry wine. Ryan drank one during his duel with Egil, leaving three.
Regarding this matter, Ryan consulted the Lady of the Lake, who confirmed that the Life Water and berry wine would be beneficial for Emilia's body.
As for whether to go to Noor... Ryan decided to heed Gelt's advice.
It wasn't the right time. Emilia was currently wrestling with the Imperial Council to reclaim her electoral position, and Ryan's appearance would cause too many changes, giving Emilia's political enemies a reason to attack her.
Ryan would only visit Noor once the dust had settled.
For now, all he could do was wait for the results.
Taking advantage of the preparation time for war, Ryan planned his next step.
He intended to audit and reform all the churches within his territory.
Unknowingly, time had slipped into June.
The weather was getting hotter, with the summer sun scorching the earth. Brittany's summer wasn't as hot as Estalia or Tilea, so the serfs could still work, and the knights continued their training.
In the wine estate of the Count of Glamorgan, the air conditioning was on.
In the dining room, Ryan, Sulia, and Sylvia were enjoying breakfast together.
"Miss, would you like some more milk?" Sylvia, dressed in a standard maid's outfit with her blonde hair wrapped in a headscarf, asked solemnly. "Lord Ryan, do you need any as well?"
"I told you, Sylvia, you can just call me Ryan from now on." Ryan, holding a soft, delicious cream bread, corrected Sylvia's mistake once more. "We are family. It's fine outside, but at home, calling me 'Lord Ryan' feels too formal."
"Rules are rules! Even if you are Miss Sulia's husband, the rules must be followed!" Sylvia's face turned inexplicably red as she quickly looked away, her tone firm. "You are the master, and I am the servant. I am Miss Sulia's maid, so I must call you Lord Ryan."
Ryan felt helpless towards Sylvia. This maid was as stubborn as a rock.
The count himself was a bit displeased. He smiled wryly and shook his head, not saying anything further.
Sylvia thought Ryan had given up on the issue, but as his wife, Sulia immediately sensed his mood change. The female knight spoke up, "Sylvia, who is the count of this land?"
"Of course, it's Lord Ryan." The maid answered without hesitation.
"And at home, who is the head of the family?" Sulia continued with a smile.
Sylvia understood Sulia's point and lowered her head. "But I am Miss Sulia's maid..."
"You are our maid, and Ryan's command is my command." Sulia continued, elegantly brushing her waist-length golden curls. "Do you understand?"
Sylvia remained silent, but Ryan knew she had taken it to heart. She just couldn't change her stubborn nature, so he turned to Sulia and said, "Sulia, let's head out after breakfast."
"Okay." The female knight nodded. Ryan and Sulia had planned to visit a runaway serf who had fled to Ryan's territory from Leonasse. "Sylvia, you'll come with us, right?"
"But..." Sylvia hesitated. Faced with Sulia's gaze, she finally agreed. "I understand."
Fifteen minutes later, breakfast was over, and everyone was ready to go. Since they were just moving within the town, Ryan didn't bring many people. It was just him, Sulia, Sylvia, and the newly appointed ranger knight, Juan.
In the wine estate's cloakroom.
The 30-square-meter room was filled with Sulia's clothes, a testament to the countess's wealth and luxury. When Sulia married Ryan, several carriages were needed to transport her clothes. In the year following their marriage, she had acquired many more clothes, jewelry, and shoes.
Sulia's dowry included ten thousand gold crowns from Angron and eight thousand gold crowns from Francois, along with subsidies from the Lady of the Lake and gifts from the Emperor himself. Her wealth and status made her the envy of noblewomen throughout the knightly kingdom.
The female knight quickly chose a sky-blue silk princess dress with floral embroidery, paired with off-white suede high heels. She changed with Sylvia's help.
"Sylvia, don't you like Ryan?" Sulia suddenly asked, looking at Sylvia in the mirror.
"I don't dislike him." Sylvia shook her head. "I just think he's unfair to you."
"Unfair?" Sulia smoothed out the wrinkles in her flesh-colored stockings with her fingers.
"He already has you, yet he has many other women." Sylvia said indignantly. "Being favored by you is already a great honor for him, but he has two court ladies and that dark elf maid..."
"Those were all women he had relationships with before we got married. Ryan promised me at the time that he wouldn't add anyone else after our marriage." Sulia smiled. She actually wanted to discuss this with Sylvia, as the countess didn't want her maid, whom she treated like a sister, to have conflicts with Ryan. "He was willing to make such a vow for me. What are you still worried about?"
Sylvia said nothing, her golden bangs covering her face.
Knowing that her maid was reluctantly accepting, Sulia decided to be straightforward. "Besides, what am I supposed to do? Should I use my status as his wife to force Ryan's court ladies to pack up and leave? Is that in line with chivalry? If I could do that, what if Ryan asked you to leave in turn? You're making things very difficult for Ryan."
Sylvia began to realize the numerous problems involved. She stood behind Sulia, still silent.
"Sylvia, do you really never plan to leave me and marry?" Sulia asked, seeing her maid's silence. She decided to be direct.
"I want to stay with you forever." Sylvia's tone was firm on this matter.
"Then as my maid, you will eventually become Ryan's court lady." Sulia said directly.
"Miss!!!" Sylvia's face turned red. "I am just your maid!"
"You are not only my maid but also my dowry."
...End of Dowry Discussion...
Thirty minutes later, dressed in new clothes, Sulia and Sylvia boarded the carriage.
Inside the carriage, Ryan was talking to Sulia about recent events. He noticed that various churches were increasing in number within his territory. "Sulia, have you noticed that more churches are opening in our land lately?"
"That's quite normal. As a region prospers and becomes wealthy, various churches will definitely come to vie for believers. Don't forget, Ryan, the Lady's church is your most powerful supporter." Sulia, who usually managed internal affairs, was well aware of the various churches in the territory. They had all come to visit her and received permission to preach.
The Old World had many sects, with the most famous and powerful being the Church of Justice, which had established a temple in Ryan's territory. The head was Alfred, who had been knighted as a respected temple knight for his preaching efforts. Due to Alfred's success, many major sects in the Old World began preaching in Ryan's land.
The most notable were the cults of the War Goddess Myrmidia, the God of Death Morr, the Nature God Taal and the Mother Goddess Rhya, the God of Justice Verena, and the Sea God Manann.
These cults had successively established temples in Ryan's territory and began preaching.
Ryan not only didn't stop them but encouraged his serfs to choose their own deities and guaranteed freedom of belief. The count often proclaimed, "Faith is the first productive force. We hope everyone can find their own faith."
Ryan's authority in his territory was unquestionable. He was worshipped almost like a deity by his subjects. Hearing his words, almost all the serfs faced a happy dilemma, and the various cults began competing for followers.
The cult of Morr successfully infiltrated those in high-risk jobs and soldiers, as no one wanted their soul and body to be manipulated by Chaos gods or necromancers after death.
The cult of Myrmidia spread among squires and military officers, offering military education and literacy, especially appealing to the newly freed serfs aspiring to education.
The cult of Taal and Rhya found followers among serfs, hunters, and woodcutters who relied on the land, forest, and nature for their livelihood. The natural cult taught them to respect and earn their living from
nature.
The cult of Verena was popular among scholars, officials, artists, and educated merchants, symbolizing justice and truth, and implying protection and law.
The cult of Manann was, of course, the favorite among sailors and fishermen. Many serfs living off fishing in the Chinon River converted to the sea god's cult.
As for the cult of Shallya, the Goddess of Mercy, and the cult of the Lady of the Lake, they had been introduced earlier and won't be repeated here.
In Ryan's territory, the Lady of the Lake's cult remained the most influential. Every Sunday, the Chapel of the Holy Grail was often packed. Serfs would come to pray, thanking the Lady for her blessings, and many showed signs of fervent devotion.
The old ban on serfs worshipping the Lady of the Lake was gradually collapsing. Even the most conservative knights couldn't argue much against the rising tide of devotion. After all, every faithful believer wanted more people to recognize their deity. Especially after Ryan's endorsement, even the most resistant knights could only grumble about maintaining standards.
Merchants trading frequently in Ryan's territory generously donated to the Lady's church for protection and status. The Lady's sorceress, Morgiana, encouraged and affirmed the virtuous and punished dishonest merchants.
"Having faith is better than having none." Ryan continued with a smile. "Faith is a weapon against Chaos corruption. Now that the serfs have a stable life and food security, they might start having dangerous thoughts. The cults provide spiritual support, ensuring social stability."
"By the way, Lord Ryan, who are we visiting today?" Young Juan, fully armed in his dazzling Sun Knight armor, asked excitedly, slightly lifting the curtain.
"Mr. Juan, didn't your family teach you manners? Lifting the curtain like that is very rude." The young knight immediately faced Sylvia's sharp reprimand and awkwardly apologized. "Sorry."
"We're going to see Sir Bertrand and Captain Raymond." Ryan didn't mind, holding Sulia's hand and explaining to Juan.
"Oh! The Green Arrow Sir Bertrand! The one who shot and killed the undead archwizard Heinrich Kemmler in the Battle of La-Maisontaal Abbey?" Juan's eyes lit up, acting like a fanboy. "Oh wow, that's so cool. I need to write to my father... Lord Ryan, why are you seeing Sir Bertrand?"
"Bertrand and Raymond are investigating around Mousilon under my orders." Ryan's expression turned serious. "Also, I want to visit Raymond's family. He fled from Leonasse and returning home must have given him insights into the situation there."
"Understood."
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