Ivan always brought along his son Anton and godson Laine. He picked up a large steak, ate it in a few bites, and then said to Laine, "The beef is a bit tough."
"Next time, I'll personally grill a charcoal steak for you." Laine knew what his godfather was implying and, swallowing a piece of pork, replied begrudgingly.
Laine had a knack for cooking, and Ivan loved eating the meats he prepared. Hearing that Laine would cook, Anton's eyes lit up, which Laine found amusing: "Alright, alright! You can join too, but you have to bring your own beef."
"Hahaha! You rascal! Still the same as before." Ivan laughed heartily and gave Laine a playful slap on the head. Laine clutched his head, not daring to retaliate, thus dodging around while Anton smiled quietly.
The Griffin father and son and Laine huddled in a corner eating.
"Oh! Honorable Griffin Duke, I bring sincere greetings on behalf of His Highness Phoenix King Finuba." High Elf Ambassador Tymag-Den-Kaben appeared, showing rare respect: "I never expected it to be you leading the army to Marinburg this time."
"So it's Lord Tymag. I received the Phoenix King's greetings. May I ask what brings you here?" Ivan, seeing it was a Sharp Ear, didn't show much enthusiasm.
"I wanted to inquire whether His Majesty the Emperor of the Human Empire intends to respect Iphita's status in Marinburg and the previous trade agreements?" the High Elf Ambassador asked his most pressing question.
"The rights of the High Elves will be secured, please rest assured of this, Lord Tymag." Ivan whispered quietly.
"That's excellent, the friendship between High Elves and humans is long-standing, and we hope to continue this friendship," Tymag nodded repeatedly with satisfaction, then left with his chin up and a glass of red wine.
Once the high elf was out of earshot, the Griffin Duke sneered: "The Sharp Ears are always . They care most about their own interests; as long as it doesn't affect their benefits, they couldn't care less about anything else."
"Indeed, I bet if the Green Skins respected the trade agreements and their control over Iphita, these Sharp Ears wouldn't care if the Green Skins became the masters of Marinburg." Laine raised his glass of red wine, grinning: "But alas, the Green Skins never do."
"Hahahaha!" The Griffin Duke and his son laughed together.
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Ivan signaled that the three of them could leave. Marinburg had arranged accommodations for the Griffin Duke and his son on Amber Avenue.
Walking along the chilly streets, street lights illuminated their figures as the cold wind brushed against their clothes.
"So, Laine, why did you turn to the Lady of the Lake?" Ivan eventually asked, with Anton also looking at Laine in curiosity.
"The matter began when I received a mission from the Justice Church to hunt down the Fallen Hunter Belte..." Laine gently recounted his series of experiences, with Ivan listening intently, occasionally nodding seriously, while Anton was occasionally amazed at Laine's harrowing adventures.
When Ivan heard Yurik's oracle instructing Laine to eliminate a Doomsday Bull, he frowned slightly, especially when Laine mentioned the evolution of the Doomsday Bull into a Four-armed Bull Demon. He couldn't help but interrupt: "The Master of the White Wolf is still so harsh on his followers, assigning tasks that seem almost suicidal—this isn't the first time, either."
Laine just sighed, then continued his journey account, only skipping the part about the Ancient Saint Altar. When he mentioned a traitor's betrayal causing the gates to collapse, leaving Mijordenhaven defenseless, he had no choice but to face the Barbarian Great Chief in a Champion's duel, only to find himself at a disadvantage. In that crisis, the Lake Fairy reached out to help him.
"At that time, I had only two choices: either hope for the improbable help from the Master of the White Wolf or accept the Lady's olive branch. Ivan, Anton, you both understand, I had no choice then," Laine said, looking utterly helpless: "I couldn't think too much at that time; my body was exhausted, and I was at my physical limit. I could only grasp this lifeline."
Finally, Laine spoke of his arrival in Marinburg, ultimately slaying the Fallen Hunter Belte, leaving the Duke and his son in silence as they walked quite a distance together.
"The Lady of the Lake must see your potential. You're only twenty-five, yet you've slain the Four-armed Bull Demon, killed the Chaos Champion, and then killed the Champion of Khorne, eliminating the Aesthetic Society. Your future is limitless. The knightly virtues you've exhibited must have caught the Lady of the Lake's attention, which is why she took you as her Divine Chosen Champion." Ivan pondered for a while before continuing: "Clearly, all this was part of the Lady of the Lake's plan. She helped you at your most critical moment, and in life and death situations, people tend to grasp any hope of survival. Especially since the Lady of the Lake is also an enemy of Chaos; it's not surprising you switched faiths."
"Yes, sometimes life is just so helpless," Laine said, sounding full of resignation, gently unbuttoning his shirt front.
A golden Holy Grail pattern was shining brightly on his chest. Discover more novels at Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
"That's the Holy Grail Engraving! Has the Lady of the Lake already recognized you as a Holy Grail Knight?" Anton exclaimed in surprise.