Laine stood alone by the stream, watching the flowing water. He noticed footsteps behind him, accompanied by a faint fragrance.

Hmm~ it was the scent of jasmine and iris, prompting Laine to turn around: "Miss Surya? Miss Sylvia?"

"Good evening! Lord Laine!" "Good evening, Holy Grail Knight Lord Laine!" The two girls greeted Laine, with Sylvia being somewhat reserved, while Surya was quite natural: "What are you thinking about?"

The summer night, the silent forest, the cool breeze, the sound of insects, and the two beauties in front of him put Laine in a good mood. The two female knights were not wearing knight armor during the evening camp; instead, they wore Brittania's standard knight attire, namely, blue vests and white shirts, along with brown tight pants and boots. Both female knights had excellent figures, with only Laine noticing that Surya's shirt buttons were stretched tighter.

"I'm wondering if our knightly war this time can achieve its goals. So far, we haven't encountered any formidable enemies," Laine whispered, "The Beastmen seem to have disappeared."

"Lord Laine must not be careless! These beasts may be watching us from the shadows right now!" Sylvia said instinctively.

"Sylvia! How could Lord Laine be such a knight?" Surya hurriedly signaled Sylvia to stop speaking.

A rather serious beauty who liked keeping a stern face, Laine thought, though this maid had a particularly good relationship with Surya, the two of them akin to sisters. So he smiled and said: "Miss Sylvia, don't be so serious, I don't mean to relax. On the contrary, I am afraid the Beastmen won't engage in a decisive battle with us."

Upon hearing this, the two female knights grew curious, prompting Laine to continue: "What are we Brittania knights best at?"

"Hmm, we excel at group charges on plains and at formation warfare," Surya thought for a moment and immediately understood: "Therefore, if the Beastmen are willing to confront us head-on, we knights will hold a great advantage."

"Exactly. For this reason, the Beastmen will never engage us head-on. We are clad in sturdy armor, wielding heavy shields, and once we initiate a group charge, the Beastmen cannot withstand us. We know this, and the Beastmen know it too. Never underestimate the intelligence of these beasts; they might be much smarter than many knights." Laine said this, looking up at the military camp.

A few Bastogne Rangers and Winford Rangers have already started an argument, and it seems another knight duel is about to break out.

"Pfft~" The two female knights exchanged glances, unable to resist a giggle.

Compared to the Ranger Knights who want to charge at everything without thinking, the Beastmen might indeed be much smarter.

"Lord Laine is absolutely right!" At this moment, Marquis Gabriel and Marquis Connelly joined their conversation, especially Marquis Gabriel, who had already reached his thirties as a Kingdom Knight, clapping his hands: "I've been on the battlefield since I was sixteen, fighting these beasts for over twenty years, and have a deep understanding of their cunning. In this vast, dense forest, our knights are disciplined, defensively strong and offensively weak, therefore the Beastmen will never give us the opportunity for a showdown on plains or grasslands. On the contrary, dense jungles, narrow paths, even muddy environments are these beasts' favorites."

Laine nodded, suddenly filled with regret and said: "I suddenly feel, Marquis Gabriel, that you should be the one leading the grand army."

"Maybe." Marquis Gabriel grasped the broken-steel Knight's Sword at his waist, his face unfavorable: "But I know I could never get that position. Even if Marquis Angxi didn't lead this Knightly War, His Majesty Richard won't give the command to me."

"Why?" Laine asked, curious.

"Because I bear the name of Bastogne!" Gabriel said and then left. Seeing this, Surya approached Laine and whispered in his ear: "Originally, the Knight King's position should have been Duke Bohemond's, but he refused."

Laine understood.

Indeed, Bastogne Duchy, Brittania's dragon rising land, direct descendants of the First Knight King Arthur, the Red Fire Dragon Family, they are the true pure royal bloodline. The dragon-scale armor of the First Knight King Arthur is still kept in Bastogne Castle, and Duke Bohemond is an honorable Holy Grail Knight and Holy Sanctuary Grand Knight.

If at the King Selection Council, this Red Dragon Duke were to stand up and declare that he is the purest bloodline of Arthur's descendants, recognized by the Lady as a Holy Grail Knight and Holy Sanctuary Grand Knight, then the King Selection Council wouldn't even need to be held. Bohemond could be crowned Knight King based on these two points alone.

He rejected being crowned Knight King, the Duke himself had no interest in becoming King, thus allowing the King Selection Council to proceed.

So, would the current Knight King Richard be grateful to him for this?

No, absolutely not. On the contrary, Richard must guard doubly against this Red Dragon Duke, watching him closely.

Simply put, this Red Dragon Duke holds a "strong claim to power" over Brittania, and moreover, he's a local power faction. If this were a game, then Knight King Richard should by all means try to replace or assassinate him.

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