Warhammer Divine Throne

”It’s the Green Knight, my lords!”

”The Green Knight, the Green Knight has come to support us!”

The Green Knight, champion of the Lake God, one of the most outstanding champions of the Lady of the Lake, protector of the Holy Land.

His origins could fill countless mythologies. Many believe he is the embodiment of the Eight Virtues of Chivalry, while others think he is the spirit body of a deceased legendary Holy Grail Knight.

All anyone knows is that thirty years after Brittania was founded, the Green Knight began to appear on the kingdom’s lands. He relentlessly guards the shrines and holy places of the Lake Fairy throughout the kingdom. He roams through forests, appears in mountain springs and waterfalls, slaying any enemies daring to violate the Holy Land. With his longsword burning with rage, he splits open enemy skulls, then quietly vanishes among the ancient trees once peace returns.

At the same time, he is also the Grand Tutor of the Holy Grail Knight Order, testing knights in his own way. Expedition Knights seeking the Holy Grail may sometimes encounter the Green Knight, who appears without warning to challenge them. If defeated, there is even a risk of being killed.

”Advance! Soldiers, do not fear the darkness. I will fight alongside you!” The Green Knight, rarely speaking, suddenly opened his mouth. Clad in entirely green armor covered with lush ivy, his green warhorse and longsword emitted a strong spiritual light. The warhorse’s hooves lifted high in the eyes of all: ”Advance! For the Lady!”

”Advance! For the Lady!” The Boldro army’s morale soared. The Green Knight led the charge, immune to any vampire attack on this warrior who has battled for hundreds of years. With his Blade of Suffering, he slashed up and down, killing two Bloodthirsty Bat Wolves in succession, greatly relieving the pressure on the Sea God Knights. They seized the momentum, forcing the vampire army to retreat continuously.

Bodric finally recovered his strength, drew his longsword, and led the Sea God Knights in a counter-charge. No undead could withstand a single round against the Green Knight, who single-handedly broke through the undead army’s formation.

A Blood Knight spotted the Green Knight; he shouted and raised his long spear charged with foul energy, galloping towards the Green Knight.

”Blade of Suffering.” No ordinary weapon could harm the Green Knight. Many long halberds even passed through him. Seeing the charging Blood Knight, the Green Knight raised his dark green sword blade.

A bright light sufficient to blind shone on the sword, the Blood Knight’s long spear passing directly through the Green Knight’s body. Yet, the Green Knight’s longsword cleaved the Blood Knight’s flesh, and as the blade flashed, the Blood Knight’s head fell.

Charging all the way, the Green Knight bloodied several Blood Knights, his momentum unyielding, directly aiming for the Red Duke in the central army.

”It’s the Green Knight!” The Blood Red Duke noticed the Green Knight charging straight at him.

Old memories resurfaced; back when he was the Duke of Aquitaine, he had heard of the Green Knight’s legend. The Blood Red Duke found himself unexpectedly feeling fear. He shouted angrily, drawing the Duke of Aquitaine’s Sword, and engaged in a face-to-face duel with the advancing Green Knight.

At the moment the blades clashed, the vampire central army lit up like daylight, the nearby undead unable to open their eyes, and weaker zombies were directly purified.

The confrontation ended, the Green Knight’s steed continued charging through the central army, and then with a flash of green light, he vanished into the mist.

”Ugh!” The Red Duke grunted coldly, a crack appearing on his armor, clearly wounded.

”Advance! For Manannan! For Boldro!” Just after the Green Knight disappeared, Bodric led the Sea God Knights in, causing the vampire army to collapse. The Blood Red Duke, feeling immense danger, had to order the Blood Knights to hold the line.

”Aaaah!!” Bodric, his eyes bloodshot, raised the golden Sea God Trident, thrusting it directly into a Bloodthirsty Bat Wolf’s mouth. The Sea God’s power erupted, the Bat Wolf’s head exploding into a shower of blood rain. Hundreds of Sea God Knights and thousands of Ranger Knights charged, the vampires continuously retreating. The Blood Red Duke, clutching his chest wound, had no choice but to order a temporary retreat of the army.

The horses neighed, the knights shouted, the vampire formation severely destabilized after being disrupted by the Green Knight. The Sea God Knights’ charge became the final straw for the undead, causing them to lose control en masse and explode into blood mist. The Zombie Legion and Desolate Tomb Guard vanished into dust.

After Bodric led the Sea God Knights to break two lines of defense, they withdrew prudently, returning to the castle.

”The castle is secured.” Returned inside, Bodric’s demeanor finally relaxed slightly: ”Francois will arrive tomorrow.”

”Yes, my Duke, thank the Lady, thank Manannan,” Deputy General Sir Houlf, his body soaked in blood, his robe full of cuts, said.

”No, all thanks are due to the Green Knight,” Bodric shook his head repeatedly, a hint of sigh in his expression: ”If the Green Knight hadn’t appeared to assist, I might have... You know, Houlf, I truly wish I could put everything down now and walk the Path of the Holy Grail.”

”My Duke, Boldro cannot be without your wise leadership.”

”I know... Rest, I am a bit tired.”

”Yes.”

After Houlf left, Bodric raised his head to look at the portrait hanging on the wall behind him.

It depicted the First Duke of Boldro, Marcus, dueling the Chaos Champion Svengar. On a grand tower, the first Holy Grail Knight Marcus wielded his longsword bravely, battling the Chaos Champion.

The strength of his ancestor made Bodric stronger, his resolve even firmer.

If an ancestor could become a Holy Grail Knight, so can I.

......

By noon the next day, Francois had led reinforcements to arrive. The more than two thousand reinforcements greatly alleviated the pressure facing Duke Boldro. Bodric personally led the Sea God Knights out of the city to bring the reinforcements in.

After a short rest, Francois and Bodric met on the city walls by evening.

The two dukes looked at the Undead Army outside the castle. Even after a night of fierce fighting, there were no signs of the undead diminishing. Standing atop the tall city walls, just from the blood-stained walls and battlefield, Francois knew the battle had been brutal: ”The vampire’s offensive is astonishing; we have to find a way to defeat the Blood Red Duke.”

”Thank you, Francois, I’m glad you could bring people to support me.” After a day of rest, Bodric was in slightly better spirits as he walked with the Sea God Knights along the wall, saying to Francois, ”Only our numbers are still too few, have any other dukes made a move?”

Francois shook his head: ”Bohemond’s reinforcements are still on the way; they have encountered sporadic Undead Knights’ attacks and can’t arrive shortly.”

”Ha~ This is our king. I can bet if Turis Castle falls, and I retreat to Boldrukes, our king would surely then prepare to support me.” The fine lines at the corners of Bodric’s eyes spread open. He was nearly ten years older than Francois, but Francois, being a Holy Grail Knight, appeared only about thirty, whereas Bodric already looked well into his forties.

”Now isn’t the time to discuss this, Bodric,” Francois said quite calmly. ”The Red Duke’s offensive won’t last long; this kind of fight is attritive for us but imposes an even heavier burden on his mana, and besides...”

”Something’s wrong! Your Grace the Duke!” A soldier hurriedly ran over on the city wall: ”A new army has appeared! And there are two new siege towers!”

”It seems the vampires’ reinforcements have arrived.” Francois, with his heir Julius, a large group of knights from the Winford family clad in blue and white, and a group of Sea God Knights in blue and yellow, proceeded along the wall to the top of the gate.

In the distance, hundreds of undead knights had joined the vampire army. In addition, two hastily constructed siege towers loomed about two kilometers from the castle.

”Siege towers,” Bodric said with a stern face, ordering the soldiers, ”What are you standing around for? Use the catapults immediately to destroy those siege towers!”

”My Duke, the catapult’s range is insufficient; we can’t hit those two siege towers!” the soldier responded.

”No, arrows can’t destroy siege towers. If those two towers get close to the walls, we’re doomed; the soldiers can’t hold off so many enemies.” Bodric’s brow furrowed. He pointed at the massive group of undead knights and a squad of Blood Knights in the distance, ”This is obviously a trap. If we venture out to try to destroy those siege weapons, the Undead Knights will certainly engage us in field battle.”

”The siege towers are too far; my Duke, the catapult’s max range is eight hundred meters,” the soldier reported to Bodric, ”we can’t reach that far!”

The towering siege towers stood approximately fifteen meters high, slowly advancing under the push of dozens of zombies and Desolate Tomb Guards, covered with animal hide and oilcloth to evidently guard against fiery arrows.

The two dukes reached a consensus: ”We absolutely cannot let those things approach the castle.”

”Dwarves, where is your heavy cannon? Bring it to me!” Francois shouted, ”We need artillery!”

”Coming, coming!” Amid the strenuous effort of over a dozen people transporting it, the dwarven heavy cannon was gradually being brought onto the wall, with the Dwarf Engineer Dugen the Ironman fondly clutching his beard: ”Here, my Duke, where do you want me to shoot?”

”Can you hit that siege tower?” Bodric was surprised to see a dwarf among the Winford troops but could not worry about it now. The duke tried his best to clearly enunciate, pointing at the two side-by-side advancing siege towers: ”Just that one! Can you hit it?”

”Hold on! Hold on!” Dugen thought to himself how Brittania’s knights were also so blunt. The Dwarf Engineer gave a thumbs up towards the siege tower, squinting his eyes: ”The distance is approximately twelve hundred meters!”

Francois and Bodric looked expectantly at the Dwarf Engineer.

After ten seconds, Dugen shouted, ”Alright, guys, adjust positioning! Elevation angle thirty-seven degrees twenty-one minutes!”

The accompanying dwarves nervously adjusted the cannon’s muzzle. The wooden crate was opened, the round black cast iron shell fetched by a dwarf with dirty hands, and placed into the cannon barrel.

Once everything was ready, Dugen shouted, ”Fire!”

”FIRE!!!” The dwarf’s heavy cannon emitted a deep muffled sound, the black shell accompanied by thick smoke shot straight, stirring the air with a whistling sound.

”Bam!” The lower section of the right siege tower was hit by the shell, blowing a massive hole in the hastily made siege tower constructed of wood and stone. The splintered wood and stones flew in the air, cascading like a downpour.

”Creak creak~” The lower part of the siege tower, now with a large hole, could no longer support the upper weight and the numerous Desolate Tomb Guards preparing to storm the castle from the top. It gave a twisted groan under the strain, tilting, and after snapping many wooden support beams, crashed down with a thundering collapse.

”Beautiful!” Bodric shouted in delight as the right siege tower was obliterated in one shot.

”Isn’t it? Dwarves are always the best.” Dwarf Engineer Dugen the Ironman’s old face turned slightly red. He proudly stroked his beard, ready to swallow some secrets.

He actually aimed at the left siege tower: ”Let’s continue!”

”FIRE!!!”