The son of the God-Emperor in Warhammer Fantasy

Old World, Bretonnia, Late Autumn, Grey Mountains, outside Blackstone Keep.

The knightly army set up camp here.

After a long day of fierce battle, the knights and peasant infantry were exhausted. The army chose to rest here, collecting bodies and giving them proper burials. Most knightly remains would be cremated, with their ashes placed in the Morr Cemetery to protect them from undead magic. The peasants, however, did not have this privilege and would be buried on site.

After the great battle, the human infantry were extremely tired, many leaning or lying down, chatting idly, and eating.

The humans were tired, but the dwarves were not.

Belegar Ironhammer, the King of Eight Peaks, proudly boasted how he and his army had turned the tide of the battle, the dwarves gathering to sing loudly, drink ale, and celebrate their victory, singing praises to Grungni, Grimnir, and Valaya, the three main gods.

They were about to have a new home. After years of exile, the Angrund clan finally had a new base!

After Belegar's inspection, Blackstone Keep's facilities were intact. Many dwarf mechanisms and devices were still functional. Kemmler had only used Blackstone Keep as a temporary foothold, not fully exploring its depths.

Now, the vast treasure inside belonged to this army. The treasures within the Eternal Dragonstone were endless, with mountains of gold and silver filling the entire palace. The dwarves also discovered a rich iron ore vein below the fortress, which Belegar claimed would be the capital for their future campaign to retake Karak Eight Peaks.

An initial estimate placed the stored wealth at over 50,000 gold crowns.

Ryan ordered that no one should directly use these gold and silver treasures, as they were tainted by vampire corruption.

Belegar assured him that this was not an issue, promising to summon the ancestor spirits of the Angrund clan to perform a grand cleansing ritual. Afterward, the treasures would be divided, with the dwarves receiving 40% and the Bretonnians 60%.

The knights were dissatisfied with this division. Many argued that the war expenses, food supplies, and maintenance were all provided by Bretonnia. They had attacked Blackstone Keep to secure a base for the dwarves, so why should they only get 60% of the treasures?

Those treasures were conservatively estimated to be worth over 50,000 gold crowns!

At least give us 80%!

François and Ryan suppressed these complaints, explaining that without the dwarves' ritual, they couldn't use the corrupted treasures. It was better to leave this troublesome task to the dwarves, who were happy to handle it.

The knights couldn't challenge the decisions of Ryan and François, especially after such a victory, so they agreed.

In the evening, the knightly army leaders and the King of the Angrund clan gathered in the main tent for a meal and a meeting. The victory put François in a great mood. Under the warm light of the yellow magic chandeliers and candelabras, the duke laughed heartily, initiating conversation with Belegar: "Thank you, Lord Belegar. Without you and your army, we might not have won this glorious victory."

"Oh ho! You should thank the dwarves. With the dwarves' help, victory is inevitable." Belegar, sitting on a raised small stool, raised his large beer mug to clink with François's glass goblet. "Of course, you should also thank Ryan for his sincere request. Without his earnest plea, there would be no victory. Dwarves don't lend a hand easily~ I was moved by his sincerity and decided to help."

The knights present smiled awkwardly, thinking the dwarf was quite shameless.

Never mind, given the power of the dwarf cannons and the great victory, the knights didn't bother arguing with Belegar.

The leaders of the knightly army understood the significant contribution of Belegar and his Angrund clan in this battle.

Why did the undead wizard Heinrich Kemmler choose to fight a field battle against the human-dwarf alliance instead of holding Blackstone Keep?

It was because of the dwarf cannons. The dozen dwarf cannons and organ guns made by the Angrund clan were deadly siege weapons, and the dwarf riflemen were also a formidable force.

The undead had no long-range weapons. How could they defend the keep? Watching the walls get pounded by dwarf cannons and organ guns, while longbowmen, rangers, and dwarf thunderers lined up to shoot them down?

If it came to that, Ryan and his forces would laugh. They had enough artillery and ammunition to bombard Blackstone Keep for three days and nights without stopping, preparations made since the beginning of the year.

Kemmler and Mathieu Bard knew that choosing a siege would play into the strengths of the human-dwarf alliance, who excelled at sieges and trench warfare. Their numerical advantage would be nullified, forcing them into a field battle.

The banquet was lavish, with barrels of grain, meat, vegetables, fruits, and seafood brought to the main tent, cooked deliciously by the accompanying chefs.

After toasts and a hearty meal, the knights discussed serious matters. François set down his wine glass: "It's a pity we didn't completely kill Kemmler today. We still have one more battle. We cannot allow Kemmler and his ancient tomb army to continue rampaging on the lands blessed by the Lady! His story must end on this land."

The knights nodded silently, having sacrificed much to fight Kemmler and his army.

"That undead Chaos warrior was incredibly strong. I don't know where Kemmler found such a powerful Chaos champion corpse and a group of undead warrior remains, but we still need to find a way to defeat those undead warriors." Karad, sitting at the left middle of the round table, took the lead: "Without a way to deal with those undead warriors, winning will come at a great cost."

"Geoffrey also died," Anthelm said softly.

"That Chaos undead warrior, even with the combined strength of the Duke and Count Ryan, couldn't be defeated. Unless we request aid from Lord Bohemond or even the Green Knight, I can't think of a way to defeat such a strong enemy." Sir Gerald focused on Ghur.

"The Green Knight's whereabouts are always mysterious, and Lord Bohemond is leading the Red Dragon Knight Brotherhood in Bastogne, blocking Kemmler and his ancient tomb army from entering the Bastogne Plain." Duke Falkard of Montfort added.

"The army is exhausted. Both knights and soldiers need rest, and we have many wounded to care for. We need time to recuperate." Ryan said, frowning. "We can't catch up with the undead, chasing Kemmler through the Grey Mountain's terrain. We must determine where Kemmler and his army might flee... Meanwhile, I suggest we seek assistance from Lady Morgiana to find a way to deal with our strong enemies."

"Count Ryan's suggestion is sensible, I second it."

"Seconded."

"I second it too."

The knights all agreed, and Belegar also shouted, "Yes, you humans should think of a solution too."

The servants cleared the table, taking away the dishes and food scraps. Only Belegar continued eating and drinking, which everyone was used to. Dwarves were always hearty eaters.

A large map was spread on the table. François, Ryan, Falkard, and Anthelm gathered around, carefully identifying strongholds and human settlements along the Grey Mountains, discussing Kemmler's next possible target.

"After suffering heavy losses and injuries, Kemmler and his ancient tomb army have one last chance. If he fails again, only destruction awaits him." François stroked his goatee, his golden beard newly groomed and well-kept. As a Grail Knight and a paladin, he wasn't very tired. "So, there's only one chance. Where will he attack?"

"Will he return to Gisoreux?" Duke Falkard of Montfort suggested. "The Duchy of Gisoreux is complex, bordered by the Pale Sisters Mountains to the north, the Grey Mountains to the east, and the Arden Forest to the west. He could easily hide there."

"Or he might choose to join the Black Knight in Mousillon." Karad also shared his view seriously. "They might retreat to Mousillon."

"Hmm." François pondered where Kemmler might flee, gradually forming an answer.

The tent fell silent as everyone proposed various possibilities. Some knights even believed Kemmler might try to cross Axe Bite Pass into the Empire or head south along the Grey Mountains, escaping to Tilea through Athel Loren Forest.

After a fruitless discussion, François looked up at Gerald and asked, "How long do we need to rest before we can move out?"

"The army needs to rest until the morning after tomorrow. Otherwise, the soldiers and knights can't recover from the battle, and the warhorses also need rest." Gerald replied.

François glanced at the sky outside the tent. The moon was high, and Duke Winford, knowing his old adversary Kemmler, had deduced Kemmler's destination through analysis.

He then asked Ryan, "Ryan, how long will it take to contact Lady Morgiana?"

Ryan took out a jade cup from his pocket: "Now."

"Good. Then we'll break camp the morning after tomorrow and head to La Maisontaal Abbey!" François declared, his blue eyes seeming to burn with fire. "We

 will have our final showdown with Kemmler there!"

That madman would surely make a desperate last stand.

So be it. The grudge for my father, for our family, and my twenty-year feud with Kemmler will end there!

The place where all the wars began, La Maisontaal Abbey, would also be Kemmler's end.

"Yes!" the knights responded loudly.

"Ryan, leave the task of contacting Lady Morgiana to you!" François continued.

"Understood!" Ryan nodded.

"Meeting adjourned!"

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