This command has made Laine smell something different. Normally, after an army faces chaos creatures in battle, it cannot enter a city immediately; it typically needs time to rest and observe the effects.

But Laine still sensed something different.

As the army approached Atuo Castle, the scene before them made Laine widen his eyes.

An army was already waiting for them.

No, not one army.

Two armies.

Under the towering Atuo Castle, two elite Kingdom Knights Corps were awaiting their arrival.

On the left, the family banner of the Red Fire Dragon swayed in the wind, the golden tassels beneath it dancing in the autumn breeze.

Beneath the great banner, the fiery red Bastogne Kingdom Knights fully armored, stood ready. Their shields were uniformly engraved with yellow-red dragon emblems. Dozens of Kingdom Knights stood in a perfectly orderly formation.

Golden helmets, silver armor, and majestic feathers.

The knight standing at the forefront exuded a dragon-like presence. He had a stern, weathered face, and the space around his body was slightly sunken, with a faint red energy swirling around him.

No doubt, he was the renowned clan leader of the Red Dragon Family, Duke Bastogne, "Beast Butcher" Bohemond de Bastogne: "Salute the victorious knights!"

"Salute!"

On the right, the Pure White Pegasus in the family's emblem banner floated among the clouds, the banner held by the Pegasus Knight weaving through the golden autumn sunset.

Duke of Winford "Long Legs" Francois stood smiling before the silver-helmed and white-armored Kingdom Knights of Winford. His elegant face was full of smiles. Seeing Laine and the others arrive, the duke himself waved: "Good afternoon, soldiers, well played."

"Father!" The Antre Brothers and Sisters called out sequentially; they hadn't expected the duke to be here waiting for them!

"Father! I..." Gabriel also rushed to the Red Dragon Duke, who laughed heartily and patted his chest: "Not bad, you didn't disgrace the family."

Only Laine remained in place, awkwardly smiling as a Holy Grail Knight.

It's customary; since he came to this world, it's always been just him.

The attentive Surya immediately realized Laine's awkward situation; she quickly turned back to Laine and gently said, "Come along, Lord Laine, Father has words for us."

"Alright." Laine shrugged. Seeing the lady knight being so understanding warmed his heart.

The Red Dragon Duke came over to shake hands with him, indicating, "Thank you, young man, Gabriel has already told me everything. I won't say much else; as fellow Holy Grail Knights, I remember you."

"You're welcome, it's my duty." Laine could feel the extremely terrifying aura emanating from Duke Bohemond.

The Red Dragon Duke was even stronger than Duke Francois of Winford; among the human powerhouses Laine knew, only the Lake God Witch and Griffin Duke could rival him.

This knightly paragon, the Great Holy Sanctuary Grand Knight, has always dedicated himself to serving the Lake Fairy. His dream is to become a Holy Grail Knight and guard the Holy Land of the Lake Fairy. However, the Lake Fairy commanded him to hold the sovereign territory of his ancestors and govern the people, rather than to become a Holy Grail Knight charging into battle.

Despite this, the duke became a famous Beastman eradicator. Besides, the duke himself was disinterested in managing his territory, always handing this responsibility to his deputy, while he led his clan knights to eliminate evil. His cavalry lance pierced through the Doomsday Bull and the green-skinned Warlord; his Longsword slaughtered Vampire Counts and Chaos Champions.

The Duke firmly adheres to the teachings of the Lake Fairy. When facing human opponents, he uses his cavalry lance only to knock them off their horses without delivering a finishing blow, earning respect from countless people. Even his enemies admire his noble character. The Duke is committed to battling the evils within his territory and only returns to the castle to rest when the territory is secure.

"You've worked hard, Laine, you did well." Francois came before Laine, reaching out to pat Laine's shoulder: "Other words aren't suited for here; let's head inside Atuo Castle, arrange the army's accommodation and dinner first; the soldiers are tired."

"Alright." A designated secretary immediately responded.

Managing the accommodation and meals for over four thousand soldiers was a tiring task, but these duties didn't fall on the knights. Laine followed the two dukes and their descendants directly to the center of Atuo Castle, where attendants had already set up a sumptuous dinner to reward the returning knights.

The group walked towards the castle's interior courtyard, and Laine noticed it was an exceptionally large three-story castle built with thick hewn stones, with windows every ten steps or so where soldiers could shoot outward. The castle walls were equipped with artillery and large crossbows.

"Such robust defense. Who guards this castle now?" Laine asked with interest.

Brittania was not completely devoid of artillery.

Unlike the empire across the Gray Mountain Range, if the empire's alliance with the dwarfs was known as the Eternal Blood Alliance, Brittania's relations with the dwarfs could only be described as average.

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