Warhammer Divine Throne

”Just one sentence, and that is to get lost, greedy humans, Aisloron does not welcome you!” Francois couldn’t stop laughing. ”Casvan suffered the loss of dozens of soldiers, a courtier, a squad of Ranger Knights, oh, and his gifts, all of which the Wood Elves gladly accepted.”

”Hahahahaha~” The three Holy Grail Knights burst into laughter, and Bohemond slapped his thigh hard. ”Serves him right! Any attempt to actively communicate with the Wood Elves is seen as having ulterior motives. Only when they initiate a trade agreement, never accepting it passively, or else I’d definitely trade with them too.”

Louis chuckled, stroking his goatee and shaking his head helplessly. ”From what I know of Casvan, he must have declared war on the Wood Elves in a fit of rage, right?”

”Casvan? Our Duke of Paragon is already at odds with the Wood Elves, but now he’s being hounded by debt collectors from Marinburg and doesn’t have time to send troops.” Francois sighed with a bitter smile, shaking his head. ”Now Richard can’t manage so much either. He’s still troubled about how to handle next year’s Kulona Knight Tournament. The royal finances are struggling, but for the sake of the kingdom, the tournament must be held in grand scale, or else it would harm our honor.”

”There will be a way. Even if Richard absolutely can’t manage it, Her Highness Mogiana will step in to host it. What I’m interested in is not this, but why is it that Laine, that lad, can make the Wood Elves take the initiative to sign a trade agreement with him?” Bohemond asked Francois instead. ”The Wood Elves are stubborn. The last person who could trade with them was Holy Grail Knight Count Lidmond, and that was over eighty years ago. Since Lidmond died, no one has been able to earn the Wood Elves’ trust again.”

”I’m not very sure either, but... perhaps we can analyze a bit about Laine’s lineage.” Francois’s expression turned serious. The Duke squinted his eyes and first talked about something else. ”As you know, Laine’s lineage is extremely complicated, even beyond our imagination.”

Louis and Bohemond seemed thoughtful.

”First, Laine’s biological parents are unknown. From what we know, Laine was found at the age of three by Lord Norman of Autene and adopted. At three, he showed extraordinary wisdom and learning ability, talents beyond anyone’s imagination. As you know, he was adopted as a godson by Duke Ivan and climbed his way up through battles to become a White Wolf Knight, with remarkable military achievements.”

”Yes, Laine’s birth is unknown, and so is his lineage.” Bohemond nodded repeatedly.

”Then, as we know, in the championship duel against the Northern Barbarians, he received the Lady’s help and became the Lady’s Divine Chosen Champion. I don’t need to elaborate on the rest; you all know that. But in your interactions with him, don’t you find it peculiar how frequently the Lady appears around Laine? Since coming to Brittania, she descended at Kulona’s Holy Grail Cathedral once, and during his official knighting as a Holy Grail Knight in Kakasong Duchy, and once more when she possessed Her Highness Mogiana at the Kulona Palace.” Francois nodded continuously, squinting with wisdom in his ocean-blue eyes. ”Don’t you think... it’s a bit much?”

”Moreover, within his territory, there’s his brother, Angerong, whose power is unfathomable, but when I had someone investigate, that tall and sturdy knight had no prior records or movements—it was as if he appeared out of thin air.”

”Indeed, wait... Francois, are you suggesting that Laine himself...” Louis had already caught on, retaining his sharpness even after retiring from his worldly duties.

Francois signaled to let him continue, and the Duke himself lifted a goblet of fruit wine, gazing at the liquid within. ”First we can be certain that Laine is by no means a heretic or outcast, just because he is the Divine Chosen Champion.”

Bohemond and Louis both nodded. Francois’s unsaid words were simple: since the Lake Fairy acknowledged Laine as her Divine Chosen Champion, Laine’s character and abilities were beyond question.

A Holy Grail Knight would never doubt or test the authority and power of the Lake Fairy, and Laine himself had proven his strength and excellent virtues multiple times.

”Then, behind Laine, there must be a formidable force supporting him, evidenced by his brother’s sudden appearance, while his biological father remains unknown.”

Francois’s voice was low as he traced a line on the table with his finger. ”Finally, Laine himself possesses a rare quality, which is that whether it’s Dwarves, Elves, the Imperial people, or Nord’s hillbillies, he seems able to communicate with them, integrate into their circles. This is undeniably his unique ability. Think about it, Louis, Bohemond, apart from Laine, who else in this country could communicate with so many forces? The Wood Elves actively sought trade with him, Dwarves accepted his invitation to serve as craftsmen in his territory, High Elf Wizards expressed goodwill in Boldro, and the Grand Master of the Imperial Griffin Knight Order is his godfather. He himself was once a White Wolf Knight, and even after leaving the White Wolf Knight Order, the White Wolf War God issued an oracle to the White Wolf Archbishop, saying that Laine’s departure was allowed by him, which means the White Wolf Knights still share a camaraderie with Laine.”