Warhammer Divine Throne-Chapter 611 - 268, Leisurely Early Winter

"Yuri, from the moment I met your sister, I knew that you and I would definitely be friends!" Laine teased as he nudged Yuri with his elbow, holding a glass of wine. "Why, don't you want your sister to marry me?"

"If I didn't want to, do you think you could have gotten engaged to Surya?" Julius leaned against the railing of the courtyard, holding a wine glass, "But I still have to say, Laine, you really are a scoundrel with ulterior motives."

"If marrying Surya makes me a scoundrel, then so be it." Laine replied with a thick-skinned smile. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Can I throw you off the courtyard?" Julius was infuriated by Laine's cheeky smile, desperately wanting to punch that irritating face of his.

However, the legitimate son of the Duke of Winford also knew that having Laine as his brother-in-law was an excellent choice. At least, Julius couldn't think of anyone more suitable than Laine. His sister would have to marry someone unless she was sent to the Saintess Order to be a nun, and Francois would never let Surya become a nun. The duke only had this one legitimate daughter.

Becoming the Countess of the Divine Chosen Champion isn't a bad ending. The marriages of duke's daughters aren't often happy, because most of them are political alliances,

"Surya...I'll leave her to you, Laine. I know you are the Divine Chosen Champion of the Lady, and over the years, countless foes have fallen by your hand. The knightly path is perfectly embodied in you, and your exploits inspire the kingdom's knights, sending terror into the hearts of the Lady's enemies, but I still have to emphasize: if you don't treat my sister well, I will challenge you to a duel with a sharp sword." Julius said defiantly, "At that time, guess who Surya will support?"

"That won't happen, Yuri." Laine earnestly replied, holding his wine, "Never."

Yuri nodded at this, and the two men stood side by side by the courtyard's railing, overlooking the prosperous Helunhilde, the capital of Winford Duchy. It was already late autumn, yellowing leaves lay over a flourishing city. As for his future father-in-law, Laine had no hesitation in opening trade routes, offering the markets of Winford masterwork weapons from the Dwarfs, goods from the Wood Elves, and a wide range of magic potions from Veronica's Dawn Wizard Tower.

Julius's handsome, cold face looked at Laine for a long time, making Laine a bit uneasy, "What's up? Yuri, with you staring at me like that, I feel a little afraid."

"Without noticing, you've left me behind." Julius sighed, "I need more honing, but recently the whole kingdom has been quiet, with no war… I heard you're planning to muster an army during winter's farm downtime to prepare for a new war?"

"A small war aimed at clearing out the Beastman and Green Skin Tribes in the Charon Forest. I plan to reclaim some lost lands, then establish villages and cultivate farmlands." Laine said, holding his wine glass, "There won't be too many people involved, around a thousand or so soldiers, a few dozen knights, and I won't personally participate in this war; my standard bearer, Armand, will lead this army."

"Then please let me join." Julius earnestly asked, "I need the war to hone myself."

"Alright, it's possible, but..." Laine furrowed his brow.

"I will follow Lord Armand's commands." Julius quickly added.

"Very well, but be careful. I hope to see you alive at my and Surya's official wedding."

"I will definitely be there."

......

With a few heavy autumn rains, winter arrived in Brittania much earlier than usual. The fierce cold wind swept across the land, and people had to don thick clothing and Beastman skin cloaks to fend off the chill. With the wheat fully sowed, the peasants entered their downtime.

In the early winter afternoon, with rain pouring down from the sky, Laine sat in his master bedroom quietly reading a book. He gazed out at the heavy rain outside the castle; winter had arrived. This rain brought a bone-chilling cold, and even knights would pause their activities to warm themselves by the fire indoors.

The new Count was dressed in casual clothing, lounging comfortably in a soft reclining chair. Laine didn't feel very cold, so he wore minimal clothing, but Ollica by the fireplace couldn't say the same. The Dark Elf was heavily wrapped in a maid's long skirt, exhaling cold air.

"It's really cold, Master." Ollica focused her attention on the fireplace, carefully adding logs, "The firewood is running low, let me fetch some more."

Sparks from the fireplace crackled prettily, as Ollica donned her white bear cloak and went out to gather more firewood.

The master bedroom was carpeted with exquisite Wood Elf rugs, and Laine had a rule that anyone entering his room must change into slippers. He breathed out with some boredom; ever since getting engaged to Surya, their chances to meet had decreased. One reason was that Helunhilde would soon be cut off by heavy snow, and in the few opportunities they had, the Lake Fairy would immediately find an excuse to whisk Surya away to her tower for "pre-wedding studies".

She's doing it on purpose! Laine thought, exasperated.