Warhammer Divine Throne

"Boring, tedious." Fiona was seeking the novelty in the party, but she had already experienced various games at such gatherings before. This big party wasn't something new to her, so she declined, "I'm not interested."

"Uh." Mathew Bade scratched his head, then extended his hand toward Surya: "Then... Miss Surya?"

"No, thank you, I'm tired and want to find a place to rest." The female knight calmly shook her head, politely declining Mathew Bade's invitation, "I'm sure many young ladies would be willing to accept Mr. Mathew Bade's invitation, wouldn't they?"

After saying this, the female knight and Fiona nodded politely and walked towards a corner.

"Hmph, really boring. I don't know why Surya Sister accepted that kind of invitation." Fiona murmured impatiently, "Enough, I'm annoyed, it's really meaningless. Mathew Bade, let's go."

Mathew Bade hurriedly nodded and bowed, "Okay, let's go, but where should we go next, Miss Fiona?"

"Haven't you always said you wanted to see the port? Then let's go take a look over there!"

"Alright."

......

Inside the inner courtyard, Duke Boldro Bodrick was standing in one of the corner towers of the castle waiting.

In the distance, Boldro Port was glowing with lights in the pitch-black night.

Bodlukes' docks were still operational; even from such a distance, one could see many workers loading and unloading goods by torchlight. A small town had formed near the docks, housing many residents living off the docks and several dingy taverns.

Thus, Bodrick ordered complete isolation of the port from the castle, with fully armed infantry guarding the roads leading from the port to the city, ensuring the noble masters wouldn't be affected by the filth and bandits of the port.

The Duke would seize every opportunity to cleanse this area. If a plague broke out, he would immediately order the area to be razed to the ground, thoroughly cleared, and rebuilt. In fact, this had happened three times since Bodrick took over.

"My Duke, you summoned me?" Laine entered the corner tower and noticed the high elf mage Anatole he knew was also present, along with the merchant Ismail, a Lake God Prophet, and the demon hunter Abel.

Beside Abel stood a beautiful witch with fiery red hair and a strong yet lovely face, her long hair draped over her shoulders as she held Abel's hand. She seemed to be the witch Jelena Abel couldn't forget.

"Laine, Laine Macado, the Lady's Champion." Bodrick stood before the corner tower, gesturing for Laine to look at Bodlukes' docks with him: "See, this is Brittania's largest port and Manannan's blessed place. Every day countless ships depart here for Marinburg, the Southern Realm, Ossuan, Lustria, Sea Gate Pass, and even trade with the Northern Wasteland."

"I understand, my Duke." Laine reached up to touch his chin; he was young and didn't have a beard, "This is the jewel of Western Brittania."

"But this jewel is constantly assaulted by the Dark Elves. These beasts seize every opportunity to raid, plunder, and abduct people," Bodrick said, raising his glass, the dark red "Manannan's Enjoyment" glimmering in the moonlight, "I have a plan, Laine. Would you like to hear it?"

"I won't make a decision before hearing the plan, my Duke." The sea breeze blew against Laine's face, ruffling his black parted hair. Unlike many knights, Laine never wore a helmet.

"I plan to launch a thorough counterattack against the Dark Elves, these damned bastards." Bodrick raised his glass and clinked it with Laine's, "I need enough personnel, more than just my direct vassals."

Laine leaned gently on the windowsill, letting the sea breeze caress his face. The young Holy Grail Knight understood Duke Boldro's intentions, but he seemed hesitant, "My Duke, it seems we should first address the Blood Red Duke problem."

"No, the Blood Red Duke issue has proven to be a waste of time and effort with no resolution. I've given up wasting more time on this mess." Bodrick shook his head repeatedly, looking dismissive, "We can defeat the Blood Red Duke again and again, but once we near Musillon, we return empty-handed. I'm tired of this cat-and-mouse game. Now my main focus will be on combating the Dark Elf pirates."

Laine opened his mouth, realizing it wasn't convenient to persuade further. He could only follow Bodrick's lead, "So what can I do to help you, my Duke?"

"Your martial valor is the best help you can offer, and so are all those present here." Bodrick nodded, indicating everyone to listen to him, "I need your assistance. I'm planning to wipe out these persistent Dark Elf pirates harassing Boldro once and for all."

"Once these Dark Elf pirates are completely eliminated, I can rest easy and pursue the Holy Grail."

"Of course, that's why I am here." The high elf mage Anatole nodded, "The Dark Elves are a common enemy."

The demon hunter Abel shook his head, "I'm sorry, my Duke. Demon hunters don't engage in these worldly disputes. Our rules don't permit us to get involved."

Bodrick's brow furrowed, his tone laden with pressure, "Are you sure, my demon hunter? Do you know who you're refusing? You will become unwelcome in Boldro, and the witch you've been painstakingly searching for will be expelled because of your decision."

Abel also frowned, realizing he was in a dilemma. Agreeing to the Duke would violate the demon hunter's code; refusing would implicate the witch Alina he had just found. "This..."

"Hold on, my Duke. Can you tell me when you plan to take action?" Laine interrupted Bodrick, clearly not fond of Bodrick's assertiveness, "The Dark Elf pirates appear irregularly; we can't just wait here indefinitely, can we?"

"... Currently, my plan is still in the stage of gathering personnel. The last Dark Elf appearance was two years ago, and the next is estimated two to three years away." Bodrick was momentarily distracted by Laine, gritting his teeth, "Last time they appeared, these damned bandits reduced an entire village to ashes and flayed all the guards, nailing them to stakes at the village entrance."

"My Duke, demon hunters need to accept commissions to make a living. They can't survive by absorbing sunlight or moon essence." Laine made a joke that brought smiles to the crowd, then continued, "Likewise, I can't wait in your castle for the Dark Elves to show up. But I think we can reach some cooperation. The Dark Elves are a threat to everyone."

"Haha~ maybe you're right, Lady's Champion. I was a bit hasty; you know, my time is running out." Bodrick was amused by Laine, his expression eased. He explained to Laine, "I'm now over eighty, Laine. The time left for me to pursue the Holy Grail is getting shorter. Unlike you, who gained the Lady's favor early, I hope you can offer some understanding to an old man yearning for the Grail."

"I will, Lord Bodrick."

The discussion continued in the corner tower.

On the streets of Bodlukes, a carriage was slowly passing through.

"It seems lively in this city tonight. Apparently, Duke Boldro is hosting a grand banquet."

"Do you want to go take a look, Catherine?" A mature, sweet female voice came from inside the carriage.

"Hmm... no, Member of Parliament, we should hurry to Baron Gene's Domain." The soft voice sounded slightly apprehensive.

"Hehe~" The mature female voice seemed indifferent, but she quickly noticed something, "Huh? Isn't that girl... Catherine, can you see for me, that girl, yes, that one."

"Ah! Member of Parliament, isn't that Miss Amelia?"

"Yes, how come she's here?"