The son of the God-Emperor in Warhammer Fantasy

The July heat in Mousilon was unbearable. The scorching sun illuminated the land, and the hot wind blowing outside the city filled the air with a fiery sensation. Under the high temperatures, the stationed armies felt irritable. The wood elves retreated into the nearby forests to escape the heat, the dwarves set up camp in shaded areas, drinking, bragging, and gambling bare-chested.

The human camp was established not far from Mousilon Castle, with rows of tents forming a magnificent scene. The human soldiers, drenched in sweat, patrolled back and forth, while the knights gathered in small groups to discuss the recent battles and the difficulties of the war.

Ryan's tent was naturally very spacious. Morgiana, the Lady of the Lake, had kept her word and led the prophetesses of the Lake to create a larger and more luxurious tent for Ryan, without charging him. Now, Ryan resided in a 5x7 tent.

The tent was divided into an outer and inner section, both equipped with magically powered air conditioners, thanks to Teresa's help. Finding the outside too hot, Ryan stayed inside the tent, enjoying the air conditioning and drinking cold beverages.

After a week of futile attacks, Ryan ordered a rest due to the intense heat and the army's exhaustion. He sent scouts to reassess the terrain around Mousilon, temporarily halting actions and waiting for new information.

Inside the tent, Ryan lounged comfortably in a chair, sipping iced orange juice and letting go of his worries about the unfavorable situation. He knew that being anxious was useless. A strong attack was deemed unfeasible; in such hot weather, soldiers would easily become dehydrated and tired after about three hours of fighting. This army had been fighting alongside Ryan for several months, and he felt it was unreasonable to push them too hard.

"I like it this way," Veronica said, wearing a bold, short white dress that barely reached twenty centimeters above her knees. Her long, slender legs were bare, with red nail polish on her toes, which she wiggled in front of Ryan. The beautiful, blushing witch of Garland held a glass of iced plum juice, enjoying the air conditioning from a reclining chair. Her lively almond eyes glanced around, and her silky, dark brown hair flowed smoothly. "Dear, have you thought of a solution yet?"

"No," Ryan replied, somewhat bored, leaning back in his chair and enjoying the cool air. "This army has shown signs of fatigue after prolonged combat. Now, only Mousilon remains as a tough nut to crack. We'll take it slow; the weather is too hot. Let's rest for a couple of days."

"Mm-hmm," Veronica lazily sipped her juice. She stretched her foot and gently kicked Ryan. "My advice is to end this war as soon as possible. The sooner the war ends, the less impact it will have on spring sowing and the recruitment of serfs. Our food reserves are also starting to dwindle. And... isn't Sulia about to give birth? As a father, you should finish the war before your child is born."

Ryan smiled and nodded.

The Duke understood that Veronica was actually a decade older than Sulia, yet the witch always called Sulia "lady" or "sister." She knew well what could be contested and what couldn't. The smart witch knew how to avoid sensitive areas, and her three suggestions were concise and accurate. Whether as a lord, a commander, or a husband, Ryan needed to capture Mousilon Castle quickly.

"Indeed, I prepared enough food reserves, but it's not enough for the thousands of people consuming it daily," Ryan said, leaning back and closing his eyes. "But we have no ideas at the moment. Lord Berhemond even suggested that several of us Holy Grail knights storm the city wall, but that's unrealistic."

"Why?" Veronica asked curiously.

"Do you think the kingdom's Pegasus knights haven't tried over the years?" Ryan shook his head helplessly. "The skies above Mousilon are protected by necromantic magic. If we try to land over the high walls, we'd become giant targets for the undead's attacks. We can withstand the magic, but our mounts cannot. Besides, Karad and Berhemond ride purebred elven horses, only I ride a griffon, and François rides a purebred Pegasus."

One of the first twelve Holy Grail Knights, the first Duke of Palaon, Agile, died over eighty years after Arthur's death. He fought a wyvern on his Pegasus, successfully killing it, but his Pegasus was severely injured in the process. The initial Holy Grail Knight fell from several thousand meters, dying upon impact.

After chatting for a while, Ryan noticed that the witch enjoyed the afternoon time. Morgiana, the Lady of the Lake, stayed in Corona to treat Lawn, so the main spellcasters for the Mousilon campaign were Veronica and Teresa's coven.

Incidentally, the Forest King, Orion, had left, leaving Alaric in command of the troops. Duke Hagen of Gisoreux and Duke Bodrick of Bordeleaux also had matters to attend to.

In contrast, the Templar Alfred led a group of Templars and flagellants to support Ryan, expressing his desire to contribute to reclaiming Mousilon and defeating the undead.

Sounds came from outside the tent, drawing the attention of Ryan and Veronica to the inner doorway.

"So, while you two relax with cold drinks and chat, I have to run around installing air conditioners," Teresa's tall figure appeared at the door. Seeing Ryan and Veronica leisurely chatting and enjoying cold drinks, she felt quite unhappy, standing with her hands on her hips. "Make one for me too!"

"Coming, coming," Ryan stood up, smiling as he took the juice bottle from the table and poured a full cup of juice with ice into a mug for Teresa. "Thanks for your hard work!"

The sorceress wore a white patterned, fitted shirt and black tight pants, exuding a strong professional woman vibe. She took the cup from Ryan's hand and drank the juice in one gulp, sighing in relief. "Phew, this weather makes me not want to move."

"Then I permit you to rest until evening," Ryan said with a smile. "This is a direct order from the Duke of Mousilon!"

"Hmph, I rest when I want, not needing your permission!" Teresa retorted, sitting naturally on the soft bed and kicking off her boots. "Moving around in this heat is truly annoying."

"Remember, this is Mousilon, Trovic," Veronica teased. "The Duke is right in front of you. Behave yourself, or you might get punished, even if you are Ryan's consort!"

"If he wants to punish me, he can. What's it to you?" Teresa quickly thought of what Ryan's "punishment" would be, as she had been "punished" recently. She quickly countered, "This is none of your business, Veronica!"

"Fine, I can't be bothered to argue in this weather," Veronica said, drinking her juice contentedly. "So, what news did our little princess bring us?"

"Teresa, any news from the scouts?" Ryan asked, focusing on the matter at hand.

"The wood elves are indeed impressive," Teresa said, feeling a bit proud as she relayed what she had learned. "Alaric and his Rangers and Waywatchers scouted along the Grismerie River and found a hidden underground river under the roots of the Age Oak, leading directly to beneath Mousilon's walls. The undead had built a conduit there."

"A conduit..." Ryan's eyes lit up as he pondered the implications.

"Yes, a conduit," Teresa said, pleased with this discovery. "The water flow is rapid, and humans can hardly pass through it, but I have a suggestion, Ryan. I can freeze the river, create an ice flood, and flood Mousilon!"

"Ice flood?" Ryan's relaxed expression turned serious.

"An ice flood? That's a wild idea, Trovic," Veronica said, immediately getting up. She walked around the room in her high heels, pondering for five minutes before speaking. "No, we shouldn't create an ice flood. We should have Trovic open the conduit temporarily and transport my explosive powder into it!"

"Blasting the walls with explosives?" Ryan thought carefully and then stood up. "Okay, Teresa, you rest for now. We'll convene in the evening to discuss the plan."

"Alright," Teresa said, feeling tired and wanting to rest.

"Get up, Trovic," Veronica said, standing by the bed with a slightly flushed face. "Get up!"

"What now, Veronica?" Teresa asked, puzzled.

"You're sitting on my stuff!" Veronica retrieved a pair of flesh-colored stockings from under Teresa and sat down to put them on. "These stockings are expensive and nearly ruined by you."

"???" Teresa blushed suddenly. "You guys..."

"Hehe, rest well, dear Teresa," Ryan said, gently patting the sorceress's shoulder and kissing her. "We'll discuss the plan tonight."

"Mm."

... I'm the line for discussing plans ...

That evening, the camp was bustling as all the Holy Grail knights, Ryan's two consorts, King Belagar Ironhammer of the Eight Peaks, Lord Alaric of Talsyn Woodland, and Templar Alfred gathered to discuss the new military situation.

"Thanks to Alaric and his Rangers, we've discovered a conduit beneath Mousilon's walls," Ryan said, sitting in the center. "We now have two plans based on this discovery."

"First, Teresa Trovic can freeze the upper reaches of the Grismerie River to create an ice flood, flooding Mousilon and submerging the entire castle."

"Flooding Mousilon?" François nodded, contemplating but withholding his opinion for now. "What's the second plan?"

"The second plan, proposed by Veronica Bernadotte

, involves transporting a large amount of explosives through the conduit and detonating them. Teresa will help open the frozen conduit. Once enough fire magic-infused explosives are accumulated, we will detonate them, collapsing the walls," Ryan continued. "Does anyone have other suggestions?"

"Blow it up!" Berhemond was the first to speak, loudly declaring, "Collapse the walls! Let the knights charge in! I don't believe the undead can stop us!"

Ryan acknowledged with a nod and looked at Belagar, the siege expert, hoping for his input. "Belagar, your thoughts?"

Belagar stroked his white beard, contemplating for a moment before speaking. "Listen, Ryan. Flooding and blasting each have their merits. Let me explain."

"Flooding will submerge the entire city, significantly impacting the undead over time without heavy troop losses. However, it will take a long time, and the undead aren't particularly afraid of water. Most casualties would likely be civilians."

"Using explosives is quick, allowing us to engage the undead immediately. But it won't weaken their strength during the siege. Even after breaching the walls, we'd still face a tough battle."

"The decision is yours, Ryan," Belagar concluded.

The room fell silent as everyone pondered.

"I suggest using explosives," François said, shaking his head. "We can't wait any longer, Ryan. Quick resolution is necessary. Our food reserves are depleting, and prolonged siege will only tire our soldiers further. Let's end this quickly."

"Indeed, there are still many living people in the castle," Ryan agreed, considering François's words. "Flooding takes too long, not aligning with our goal of quickly ending the war. And our food supplies are dwindling."

Standing up, Ryan made his decision. "We'll use explosives to breach the walls!"

"Yes, sir!" everyone responded loudly. Belagar immediately began planning the siege, considering how much explosives were needed, how long to freeze the conduit, how to evade vampire scouts, and the best timing for the operation.

Just then, a fully armed figure stepped forward from the crowd, with golden hair and blue eyes, exuding warmth and enthusiasm.

"Duke Ryan, leave the detonation to me!"

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