As everyone's attention was focused on the prisoner offering ceremony, an uninvited guest arrived without notice.
A pale and familiar figure with long silver-white hair appeared. He wore a simple red helmet and a set of old but meticulously cleaned full plate armor, with a pristine white shirt visible underneath. In one hand, he carried a massive scythe-like greatsword, and in the other, a long blade still dripping with blood. His face was handsome yet stern, with a square jaw and tightly clenched facial muscles.
When he strode forward, the tens of thousands gathered for the ceremony turned their eyes toward him. Yet, no one dared to confront him directly, for his speed was too great.
He moved like a crimson phantom, weaving through the massive crowd and evading countless soldiers' attempts to intercept him. Not a single person managed to touch him, not even his cloak.
In the blink of an eye, he was near the main platform. The Old Guard immediately closed ranks, attempting to block this unexpected visitor, while the Grail Knights gripped their weapons tightly.
"Hold, everyone, hold." Ryan had already recognized who it was. "He is a friend. Let him come up."
The Blood Dragon Ancestor, Abhorash!
The loyal Old Guard immediately obeyed, though the Lady's Grail Knights remained wary. Calard and François stepped forward, their swords—the Unicorn Blade and Durandal—drawn, positioning themselves to protect the Lady of the Lake.
A deity descending in person was an extremely dangerous act, with the slightest misstep potentially leading to their demise.
Was Abhorash friend or foe? Ryan frowned slightly.
Veronica was severely injured, Olica was gravely wounded, and Ryan himself was in poor condition. Even as a primarch, recovering from the injuries inflicted by Be'lakor in just two days was impossible. Sanguinius had needed time to recover after being crippled by Ka'Bandha, after all.
Ryan estimated he would need two to three months to fully recover.
As for the Lady of the Lake, she was not particularly skilled in combat and often relied on Ryan for support.
Thus, Ryan made a decisive choice. Rather than hiding their vulnerabilities, he would lay everything bare and gamble on Abhorash's sense of honor and duty, betting that the Blood Dragon Ancestor would not act against his nature.
"Welcome." Ryan gave Calard and François a meaningful look. François immediately understood, and the Knights of the Realm quietly moved the Lady's seat back into Ryan's royal tent. Ryan then stood to greet the visitor. "Welcome. What brings the Blood Dragon Ancestor to Albion?"
"I heard there was an epic battle here." Abhorash's voice was firm and unyielding. His crimson eyes locked onto Ryan. "Unfortunately, it seems I arrived too late."
"Yes, you're late. If you were looking for the original Demon Prince Be'lakor, I temporarily repelled him. Temporarily." Ryan smiled and nodded, appearing completely candid. "If you were seeking another demigod, the jungle spirit wanderer Nakai, it has already been recalled to Lustria."
"I came for you." Abhorash's blood-red eyes bore into Ryan, as if he were gazing at a delectable prey.
Ryan knew this wasn't a thirst for blood. The ancestors of the five major vampire bloodlines were bound by Nagash's curse. Only Abhorash, the Blood Dragon Ancestor, had broken free by drinking the blood of a living dragon (he had single-handedly slain an Emperor Dragon, known to the High Elves as a Star Dragon). He had become a demigod and was arguably the strongest melee combatant in the world, bar none.
The only challenge left in Abhorash's life was to seek out worthy opponents. Ryan knew the Blood Dragon Ancestor had set his sights on him and wanted a duel.
"I cannot fight you now." Ryan shook his head calmly. "First, I have just defeated the original Demon Prince Be'lakor and am severely injured. Second, according to your agreement with the Green Knight, our duel should not take place at this time."
"Therefore, you owe me a favor." Abhorash nodded. "I will not demand a duel with you now."
"Then I owe you nothing!" Ryan emphasized calmly.
"Another army." Abhorash's heroic face remained expressionless.
"Another army?" Ryan was puzzled.
"The von Carstein clan. The undead army of Necrarch had already landed on the western coast. I persuaded them to retreat." Abhorash's words were concise. "You owe me a favor."
Everyone's eyes widened in shock.
So that was why! No wonder the promised undead pirate army had never appeared—it was because Abhorash had intervened!
At this thought, many couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. Though no one said it aloud, everyone knew the situation had been dire. The Knightly Army was caught between two fronts, the Empire's center had collapsed, and even Ryan and Olica together couldn't defeat Be'lakor. If the vampire pirates had joined the fray, the Knightly Army might have suffered a devastating defeat.
"Thank you, but why?" Ryan continued to question.
"I once made a promise to Arthur. As long as I live, the sound of Bretonnian hooves will forever echo across the plains of the Old World." Abhorash spoke plainly. "Also, there is someone who does not wish you harm, for she still has need of the Sun King and his army. Those were her exact words."
"Someone else?" Ryan pondered for a moment. Abhorash's social circle was notoriously small and simple.
Who could it be? Who would want to ensure his safety?
Wait! Ryan's eyes widened suddenly.
Her?
Could it be...
Abhorash nodded calmly. Though his expression never changed, he moved through the army as if strolling through his own backyard. The Blood Dragon Ancestor omitted some details he deemed unnecessary.
For example, when he appeared before Count Necrarch, the undead pirates immediately noticed the intruder. Hundreds of gunners fired at him.
But Abhorash, wielding his scythe-like greatsword and long blade, moved with the speed of a tempest and the ferocity of a storm. All anyone could see were afterimages of his white hair and the whirlwind of steel formed by his blades, deflecting every bullet.
"If you refuse to retreat, then I shall be your opponent."
Count Necrarch immediately decided to give Abhorash face.
"Retreat!"
Since Abhorash remained composed, Ryan also maintained his calm. He exchanged a few more words with the Blood Dragon Ancestor and personally witnessed a grand blood sacrifice ceremony.
The power of a demigod like Nakai was truly immense, Ryan thought to himself.
However, he was well aware that a weapon like Nakai was unique and irreplicable, even for the Lizardmen. The Old Ones had left only Nakai as a demigod guardian for the Great Plan, and such beings were not easily deployed unless absolutely necessary, much like the White Lizard Gor-Rok of Itza.
Moreover, Nakai, strengthened by Sotek's blood sacrifice and the Seven Gifts, was at the peak of its power, while the Chaos Greater Demons were constrained by the mortal world, unable to unleash their full strength.
From Abhorash, Ryan also learned that the Blood Dragon Ancestor had recently traveled to the Far East. He had not only visited Ind but also Cathay and the legendary Nippon.
Abhorash had little to say about Ind but shared a few things about Cathay and Nippon.
Cathay's fortunes had been declining in recent years. After a series of defeats in the northern wars, the outposts beyond the Great Wall had fallen, and barbarians frequently reached the foot of the Wall.
When Abhorash passed through Wei Jing, the capital of Cathay, a significant event had just occurred. The imperial cabinet, led by three grand councilors—Li, Zhang, and Zeng—had officially recognized the worship of Qing Bao Tianzun as a state religion. The faith of Qing Bao Tianzun had become as mainstream as the White Wolf Cult in the northern Empire, the Cult of Sigmar in the southern Empire, and the Cult of Myrmidia in the southern realms. It was now only a step away from the Lady of the Lake's exclusive status in the Knightly Kingdom.
According to Abhorash, the three grand councilors—Li, Zhang, and Zeng—were devout followers of Qing Bao Tianzun. Only one councilor, Zuo, vehemently opposed the decision. Unfortunately, Zuo was leading an expedition to the Ogre Kingdoms to reclaim lost territories and support the besieged Western Protectorate, which was surrounded by Kurgan and Hung hordes.
The Dragon Emperor, Wu, had not been able to stop this. With the support of the entire bureaucracy, from the highest officials to the lowest scholars, the Dragon Emperor had no choice but to decree that worship of Qing Bao Tianzun must be conducted in a conservative manner, such as offering incense, bowing, or making gestures of respect.
Abhorash told Ryan that the Dragon Emperor was incredibly powerful, being both a peak-level warrior and a peak-level Heaven Wizard. In addition to the Three Great Battalions and Sixteen Guards of Wei Jing, he commanded a Qilin Cavalry Regiment, a Spirit Monkey Army, and a Steam Terracotta Army, as well as twelve colossal golden statues.
Furthermore, the Dragon Emperor's most renowned technique, the "Imperial Fist of Shattered Earth," was said to be capable of destroying a medium-sized fortress in a single blow.
Abhorash had originally planned to challenge the Dragon Emperor, but the guards denied him the opportunity. Instead, he infiltrated one of the Emperor's elite armies and challenged a favored general—Minister Lu. Minister Lu, a man of great integrity, refused to surrender or be turned into a vampire and was slain by Abhorash.
Abhorash also noted the cultural diversity and inclusivity of Cathay. In simple terms, whether they were northern Kurgan, Hung, vampires, beastmen, or ogres, all could be officially accepted and hold positions in the imperial court. Chaos-worshiping barbarians frequently traded with Cathayan merchants at border markets, and many even resided in Wei Jing. Some were even selected for the Dragon Emperor's Imperial Guard, with their numbers increasing yearly.
Vampires, in particular, had recently taken up important positions in the Cathayan court, as the Dragon Emperor used them to counterbalance the influence of Qing Bao Tianzun's scholar-officials.
After his visit to Cathay, Abhorash traveled to Nippon, where the situation was equally dire. The northern island of Ezo had fallen entirely, and Chaos forces had repeatedly invaded Honshu. The Nipponese army had built numerous fortresses in the north to resist.
In Nippon, Abhorash challenged the famous swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, beheading the Shogun's personal bodyguard under a cherry blossom tree. As a testament to his strength, Abhorash took Musashi's legendary katana, Chikugo no Kotachi, as a trophy.
This was one of the two weapons Abhorash now wielded, said to contain a sealed demon.
After their conversation, Abhorash prepared to leave. Before departing, he glanced back at Ryan. "Remember to tell your brother that I, Abhorash, will one day return to challenge his twin axes."
"I will convey your message to Angron." Ryan nodded.
Abhorash left as quietly as he had come.
He transformed into a deep crimson phantom, drifting away through the tens of thousands of soldiers, leaving without a trace.
...
The Battle of Kongquata was not the end of Ryan's conquest of Albion, but it was the final blow that broke the back of the Albion barbarians. After this glorious victory, the Knightly Army spent two weeks pillaging all the fortresses within Albion's misty lands, then very un-knightly reduced them to ruins.
If not for Albion's incessant rainy season, the Knightly Army would have set fire to all the barbarian fortresses.
Finally, in the tenth week of Ryan's campaign in Albion, the Knightly Army declared victory and prepared to return home.
The Second Albion Crusade had concluded. The Knightly Army had eliminated over 200,000 barbarian soldiers and militiamen, seizing approximately 370,000 gold crowns' worth of wealth, along with vast quantities of ore, furs, magical scrolls, and numerous Old Ones relics.
The spoils were divided in a 6:3:1 ratio. Sixty percent was allocated to the dukes and armies based on their contributions, thirty percent went to the royal treasury, and ten percent was given to the Empire as compensation for borrowing Newland's troops and hiring Nordland marines.
Out of the 48,000 soldiers who participated in the campaign, around 8,000 had perished, and over 4,000 were wounded. Compensation for the fallen and injured was handled separately. As for the Empire's share, though only ten percent, it amounted to a hefty 40,000 gold crowns (Ryan had to cover additional compensation and marine fees). The envoys of Nordland's Grand Duke Theodoric Gausser and Emperor Karl Franz arrived almost simultaneously.
Both Gausser and Karl wanted the money!
Ryan was now faced with a dilemma. After some thought, he decided to give the money to Karl Franz's envoy, as Newland was an Imperial province, and the alliance with the Knightly Kingdom had been signed with the Emperor himself. Once the money was handed over, how it was divided internally was the Empire's problem, not his.
After settling these matters, Ryan officially declared victory and prepared to return to the Knightly Kingdom.
And in the eighth month of Imperial Year 2520, as the Knightly Army began its journey home, news that would shock the entire Old World reached the Wood Elf Glade Council.
The High Elf and Dwarf envoy delegations had been ambushed and wiped out!
The Everqueen, Alarielle, was missing!
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