Upon hearing the name, a sharp gleam flashed in Laine's eyes. The two shook hands, and Laine suddenly laughed heartily, "So, we're both lions now?"
"Hahaha! If it were someone else, I certainly wouldn't admit it, but I've heard your name before. Being able to defeat the Doomsday Bull shows you're an excellent knight. What's wrong with us both being called lions?" Lorne laughed heartily. In his name, Leo means 'lion,' and Laine also means 'lion.' The difference in pronunciation is purely due to language differences. The noble language of Brittania is derived from the Empire's High Gothic Language, and is generally similar.
"Hahaha~ uh~" Just as Laine wanted to continue laughing, he felt blood trickling from his nose, realizing that his laughter had irritated his lungs. He quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe it away. "Seriously injured, I'm afraid. You know, to cover the retreat of my companions, I chose to face that beast alone and it was quite a bit of work."
Lorne warmed his hands by the fire after tethering his horse to the side. "I know, I encountered your companions. They were under attack by a group of Beastmen at the time, and the situation was dire."
"Are they alright?" Laine felt a bit tense, but looking at Lorne's calm demeanor through the firelight, he felt reassured. The large bag of heads spoke for itself.
"Of course, I am a Knight of the Lady, and in the face of danger, I have no reason not to lend a hand," Lorne nodded, unapologetically grabbing a bowl and spoon to gulp down Laine's stew.
It was truly a gulp, as Laine watched Lorne swallow down the steaming hot stew without a second thought. Despite using silver cutlery, Lorne's act of eating without suspicion of poison showed a nobility in line with his conduct.
Laine filled a big bowl for himself. The night sky over Scavell Mountain was full of stars, devoid of moonlight. Together, under the glow of fire and starlight, they enjoyed a meal of stewed meat, ham, roasted potatoes, and bread.
The elf warhorse of Lorne was fed the same food as the two knights.
Laine found nothing strange about it. In the Knight Kingdom of Brittania, elf warhorses were considered more important and valuable than humans, being extremely rare. For the people of this nation, living alongside an elf warhorse was not a disgrace but an unparalleled honor.
For some reason, the meeting of the two "lions" didn't lead to repulsion but instant camaraderie. Lorne took a bottle of red wine from a wooden chest behind him. "Would you like a glass? It's from a Winford vineyard."
The Duchy of Winford in Brittania, renowned worldwide for its wine and olive oil.
"Why not?" Laine pulled out a mug.
"Hahaha~ What a rarity it is to meet a knight as forthright as you, Laine." Lorne filled the glasses with red wine, the liquid reflecting the hue of blood in the fire and starlight. "Cheers! To the Lady!"
"Uh..." Laine took the goblet. After a moment's hesitation, he raised his glass too. "To the White Wolf Yurik!"
The glasses clinked, and liquid splashed around.
Upon hearing Laine toast to the White Wolf Yurik, Lorne's expression momentarily faltered, unnoticed by Laine. Laine thought to himself that followers of the Lake Fairy and Yurik rarely got along. Yurik's followers believed the Lake Fairy knights had too many rules and interfered too much in politics, while the Lake Fairy's followers thought Yurik's knights were a bunch of simpletons.
Yet, they weren't in conflict because Chaos was a common enemy. Get full chapters from novel-fire.ɴet
As expected, after the blood-red wine slipped down their throats, Lorne spoke up. "At first glance, I knew you must be 'Great Hammer' Laine of the Nord Kingdom."
"Oh? I'm all ears," Laine's interest piqued at what this noble Mission Knight wanted to say.
"Twenty-something, with black hair and blue eyes, capable of single-handedly killing the Doomsday Bull, who else could it be in Nord besides you?" Lorne stuffed boiled bread in his mouth, exclaiming, "If Julius hadn't talked about you all the time, I'd never have known Nord had someone like you."
Truth be told, Nord hasn't produced any significant figures since its founding.
"Ha~ I don't know what Julius has told you, but I guess it has something to do with a duel, right?" Laine said helplessly, while Lorne just nodded with a smile.
Julius Antre, the eldest son of the Duke of Winford in Brittania, was the standout of his generation in the Knight Kingdom. As a Ranger Knight at fourteen, he entered the military camp, and at eighteen, due to his numerous military achievements, he was conferred as a Kingdom Knight.
He was around the same age as Laine. Their acquaintance began when Julius, an unabashed martial fanatic, met Laine through their godfather's mediation. They dueled, and in mounted combat, Laine was defeated when Julius's Cavalry Lance unseated him, but in a foot duel, Laine knocked the Longsword from Julius's hands to claim victory.
This duel earned Julius's recognition of Laine's skills, and they agreed to face off again next time.
Of course, what left an impression on Laine was not just Julius's formidable abilities, but rather... his very beautiful sister, though it was something he would never admit aloud.