"How absurd!" Armand furrowed his brow first, asking Veronica, "Doesn't the Kislev Kingdom Court know that granting these bow cavalry such power could likely lead to rampant plundering, disrupting the villagers' production?"
The Holy Grail Knight, who hated evil, could not accept such an excessive law.
"The reason is simple; the Kislev Court doesn't have the means to pay these bow cavalry," Veronica said indifferently. "They want the horses to run without feeding them; how is that possible? So, the court can only grant these horses the power to find grass themselves."
"They need to eat," Olivier from the Empire took it lightly, saying with a smile, which only earned eye rolls from Hex and Armand.
"My Count, you've hired these bow cavalry; do you have any plans?" Hex asked Laine, who at over thirty years old was now very mature and composed, almost to the point of being rigid. "I think they'll only bring trouble."
"But we need such a mobile ranged unit; remember the situation when we battled outside Leonais Castle against the Northern Barbarians?" Laine furrowed his brow, continuing, "If it weren't for the ambush volley of the Dwarf Thunderous Musketeers, resolving those barbarian plunderer cavalry might have taken a great effort."
"The Ugoer's combat strength in horse archery is undoubtedly reliable. Every Ugoer has been riding and shooting since birth; you can rest assured about that," Veronica emphasized.
"Right." Everyone was unable to refute this point.
"Then we need to train how the knights and infantry corps coordinate with these bow cavalry," Hex thought further and continued, "Oh, and the dwarves too."
"Indeed, attacking the Black Stone Stronghold requires the dwarves' help," Laine pondered and continued, "Since the Ugoer Bow Cavalry have arrived, Hex, Olivier, Armand, let them collaborate with the knights and infantry corps in battle; I'll leave it to you."
"Yes!"
......
Thirty minutes later, the circus performance temporarily ended. Mikhail Ivanovich Gorlov walked up to Laine, bowing deeply and speaking in somewhat broken words, "I offer you my respect, Count."
This man had a typical Kislevian appearance, with light skin, exceptionally strong build, narrow and high nose, well-defined features, tall and strong stature, carrying a hard bow on his back and a hand axe.
Laine noticed the man wore a slanted-neck burlap shirt, a coarse wool coat, skinny pants, leather boots, and had meticulously styled hair and jewelry. He tried to maintain politeness, though his greeting was not standardβat least by the Brittania Court's standards.
"Welcome to the Count's Domain of Glamorgan, Mikhail..." Laine thought the name was long and difficult to pronounce.
"Just call me Ivan," Ivanovich showed little expression, raising his head, "You pay, we fight; it's just a transaction. We're mercenaries, you're the employer, simple as that."
"Good, I enjoy simplicity," Laine nodded repeatedly. He was actually too lazy to talk much with these Ugoers, as there was significant disparity between their customs, dietary culture, religion, and settlement style compared to the Brittania people. He didn't expect them to fit in here: "Who introduced you?"
"It was His Excellency, the Grand Duke of Oster and Wolfen Prince-Elector, Vamil von Rukov," Ivan straightened his figure, looking like a big bear, with two long beards hanging down his chest: "He introduced us here."
Upon speaking, the Northern Man as the peasant called him stood straight, not speaking further.
Laine intended to ask more but realized he didn't know what to ask.
"Alright, for now, Ivan, have your group perform around the area,"
The sound of high heels clicking on the wooden floor echoed behind Laine, with Veronica whispering in his ear, "The Oster Territory and Kislev Kingdom have a very good relationship because they repeatedly face invasions from the Northern Barbarians together; their armies can even exchange defense zones."
"I know that, Veronica; do you remember Oleg? The eldest son of Vamil Prince-Elector?" Laine motioned for them to descend the stairs, with Veronica slipping her arm around his, pressing her soft fullness directly against his arm: "That Wolfen Baron who dressed lavishly and constantly talked of exterminating Norsca people?"
"Yes, with Oster and Kislev having a good relationship, I heard that the Ice and Snow Queen Katarina gifted Oleg a magic scimitar, the Blade of Frost," Laine composed himself and said with a smile, "It's definitely not as strong as the Rune Fang, yet still a powerful weapon."
"The Ice and Snow Queen Katarina is a Holy Sanctuary Ice Witch; she built the Bokaha Palace as a giant fortress of ice and snow using her magic after her enthronement. Unlike her father, Bokaha, who loved leading Krim Guards and bear cavalry deep past the Linsk River north to battle the barbarians and ultimately died on the battlefield in the Giant Demon Realm, Katarina prefers staying in the Imperial Palace, commissioning generals to solve problems. I'm telling you, the Kislevians should thank you; since Egil's death, the Norsca people are busy with internal conflict, and news from the Celestial Vault Castle says the barbarians' southward raids have greatly decreased in frequency," Veronica intentionally dragged her words: "Honestly, those blockheads don't know to thank you even once."
"Resisting Chaos is the best thanks," Laine said indifferently. Battling Chaos was a duty, not a cause to seek credit and reward. Laine believed the stance differed; Veronica wasn't passionate about battling evil. She cherished alone time with Laine and indulging in her own research locked in the tower, especially since her Wizard Tower was completed, the indulgent and luxurious life and top-notch settings deeply satisfied the Jialan Witch.
"Alright then, you're the Kingdom's hero, the Divine Chosen Champion of the Lady of the Lake; you're famous and prosperous, while I'm just a little witch attached to you, always on the verge of being played and kicked out of the court... Ah!" Pretending to be pitiful, Veronica ends up in Laine's mischievous embrace, lifted and placed onto Laine's Pure-blooded Elf Warhorse, Grapes, which the horse soon sensed wasn't its master, pawing impatiently, signaling Veronica to get off.
Laine patted Grapes' mane, calming it down.
"Speaking of your Wizard Tower, I haven't visited for a while; what has your Magic Workshop been producing lately?" Laine climbed on the horse, embracing Veronica's voluptuous frame, and then signaled Grapes to move.
The Pure-blooded Elf Warhorse's load capacity is astonishing; Grapes grunted, still lowering its head and striding briskly towards the castle location.
"Lately? Aside from producing various potions, my Magic Workshop has been crafting Explosive Bullets," Veronica thought aloud: "Those are magic bullets filling Dwarf Muskets, exploding upon hitting the target; want to take a look?"
"Let's go, we should see that; besides, I have some ideas," Laine pecked Veronica on the cheek, laughing, "Want to know what I've prepared for you?"
"What?"
"Light Magic Riding!"
