Amidst the ruins of the Giant Tower, the expedition army was tallying its gains and losses. Nearly a thousand soldiers had fallen in this battle, but considering the destruction of thousands of savage greenskins, the loss was deemed worthwhile.
Both the knights and the serfs looted considerable wealth. Greenskins loved shiny objects, even if most of it was junk. Yet, their strongholds were always filled with piles of it. The treasures looted from the Tomb Kings' tombs, the precious metals and weapons taken from the dwarfs, and various other valuable items excavated by the greenskins were completely plundered by the expedition. Even as Ryan ordered his soldiers to withdraw from the fortress and Veronica prepared to summon flames to burn the entire stronghold to ashes, many soldiers still lingered inside, unwilling to leave, searching for any last treasures, with some even digging through greenskin latrines.
The items the greenskins considered their most prized possessions were utterly bizarre to the human soldiers: a pile of delectable mushrooms (to the greenskins), deliciously roasted snotlings (again, in their view), sun-dried lizards packed in salt, and peculiar, round, foul-smelling puffball fungi. These were delicacies in the greenskin diet.
One of the greenskin's favorite dishes involved stuffing a snotling inside a puffball fungus after the fungus had released its noxious odor, then roasting it with goblin-brewed mushroom beer. This dish was said to be so irresistible that even the legendary Grommash Ironhide, the chosen of Gork and Mork, could not refuse it. However, greenskins would rather destroy these delicacies than let humans enjoy them… not that any human would want to.
Belegar, with his centuries of experience fighting greenskins, shared these amusing facts with Ryan. The dwarf king had become an expert on both greenskin and skaven culture. He knew exactly how to deal with them, just as his old enemies—Skarsnik, the warlord of Eight Peaks, and Queek Headtaker, the skaven warlord—knew how to deal with him.
Standing together, Ryan and Belegar watched the flames consuming the entire Giant Tower in the distance. The Knight King nodded in satisfaction. He hadn't personally fought in today's battle. Dressed in his full Grey Knight power armor, with Mjolnir in his hand and Nemesis hanging at his waist, Ryan knew his role as commander. There was no need for him to lead every charge. "This victory is important for us, Belegar, my brother. We needed this win."
"Perhaps you're right," Belegar pondered. "The Giant Tower was our first target, but there are at least a dozen more greenskin strongholds along the entire Blackwater Bay. We may not plunder as much wealth from each one, but victories like this will boost your soldiers' morale… But, to be honest, Ryan, your infantry is rather fragile. They almost crumble at the first sign of battle."
"You can't compare your dwarfs with our troops. Every dwarf is a natural warrior," Ryan retorted with a smile. "Even your most basic warriors train for over a decade. Most of our serf infantry spends most of the year farming. They only train during brief off-seasons, so of course they can't match your forces."
"Hoho, you've got some self-awareness, Ryan!" Belegar stroked his white beard, clearly pleased with Ryan's admission. "That's right, humans are a bit of a subpar species, no match for the mighty dwarfs. But no worries, leave the foot battles to us! You just let your knights charge in, and we'll work together for a sure victory!"
"..." Ryan rolled his eyes in secret, knowing that Belegar had been fishing for this statement all along. Since it didn't cost him anything, Ryan decided to humor him.
Before the two kings, their vast army was now sharing the spoils.
Groups of knights gathered together, loudly displaying their loot. Some bragged about their martial prowess, boasting of the number of greenskins they had slain and the heads they had collected. Others reveled in the gold and treasures they had plundered. Judging by their expressions, nearly everyone was in high spirits.
Freed from the constraints of chivalry, the Bretonnian knights plundered even more ferociously than the Empire soldiers or dwarfs. They greedily scavenged everything in sight, using swords and shields to slaughter any greenskins they encountered. They toppled and smashed statues of Gork and Mork, even borrowing pickaxes from dwarven miners to pulverize Gork's face, all to pry out the diamonds embedded in its eyes.
The entire expedition army greedily looted everything, reminiscent of the fiery great expedition centuries ago.
According to regulations, half of the spoils had to be turned over. As for the rest, merchants from the Oliver Trading Company and the Hadrian Trading Company were eagerly awaiting the loot. Both companies had sent many representatives to participate in the war, and they bought up everything the soldiers had pillaged. The plunder was then loaded onto ships to be transported to Seagate, Lucini, Miragliano, Estalia, Bordeleaux, Le-Angoulême, and Marienburg to be fenced. Only the gods knew how much profit Oliver and Hadrian would make, but judging by their expressions, fencing the loot was a highly profitable business.
The camp was filled with the noise of merchants, knights, and soldiers arguing over the value of the plunder. Many serfs, who had never seen so much gold and silver in their lives, were haggling with merchants over how much their loot was worth, how many gold coins they could get, and how much they could send back to their families in Bretonnia.
Thanks to Ryan's efforts over the years, a postal system had been established throughout Bretonnia, thanks to cooperation between the Church of the Lady of the Lake and the great nobles led by François. Unless a region was extremely remote, most places could receive mail.
It was no wonder the merchants from Marienburg weren't interested in the Eight Peaks bonds, which only offered a 10% return. That was nothing compared to the 50% or more profit margins from fencing loot. Ryan noticed Count Anthelm of Quenelles, Sulia's uncle, overseeing his gains nearby. Anthelm had profited greatly from the pillaging, having filled dozens of sacks with gold and jewels alone.
But Ryan didn't mind. He understood that the merchants of Marienburg wouldn't dare oppose him directly. At most, they might stir up a little trouble with the Eight Peaks bonds. They wouldn't dare confront him openly, and they certainly wouldn't leave Marienburg.
Ryan knew these capitalists well. The bourgeoisie had their own unique weaknesses and tendencies to compromise. They would never directly challenge him. Ideally, the merchants would back a powerful rival to fight Ryan openly while they operated from the shadows, pulling strings and providing financial support.
But who could stand against Ryan? Whom could the Marienburg merchants back to challenge this Knight King, human hero, and sanctuary-level warrior?
The old noble regent, Luan?
Impossible. Luan was a Holy Grail Knight, the most devout follower of the Lady of the Lake. Opposing Ryan would mean facing the Lady herself, and Luan would never agree to that. It was for this reason that Ryan trusted him as regent.
Grand Duke Schultz of Marienburg?
Heh, not likely.
Emperor Karl Franz of the Empire?
Obviously not.
Even if the merchants pinned their hopes on Archaon, the Everchosen of Chaos, it wouldn't work. Chaos didn't negotiate with merchants. Unpredictable and without any sense of contractual honor, Chaos would tear up any agreements on a whim, making them the group merchants feared the most.
If these merchants couldn't see the reality of the situation, Ryan thought, they wouldn't even get a taste of the profits.
That night, the camp was buzzing with activity. In the Old Guard camp, the veteran soldiers, dressed in their finest, gathered in groups around fires to enjoy dinner. As the elite unit Ryan had personally assembled, the Old Guard's rations and supplies were the best. Tonight's meal consisted of chicken stew and whole-wheat bread, along with several other extras. Their food was even better than what some dukedom knights received. Many errant knights couldn't help but feel envious, seeing the Old Guard's fine weapons and splendid uniforms.
Raymond, captain of the Old Guard and a ranger knight, sat by the fire with a tin plate, eating dinner with his fellow Old Guard soldiers. During the Battle of the Giant Tower, the Old Guard had not been deployed, serving only as a reserve force. Thus, they had not had a chance to show their strength. They had also joined the looting late and hadn't seized much. These proud soldiers were quietly seething.
"Captain, look at those soldiers showing off!" one Old Guard member complained after a few bites. "Damn, what's there to brag about? We've got tens of thousands of men, and they only faced a few thousand greenskins. Sure, a thousand of us died, but it's just one greenskin stronghold. Why didn't His Majesty let us handle it?"
"Exactly!" another Old Guard member added. "Damn, we were too slow. I only grabbed a few silver ingots, and they'll barely be enough to blow off some steam at the merchants' camp!"
Everyone glanced toward the merchants' camp, which was bustling with activity. The serfs and knights, flush with gold from the looting, were spending their newfound wealth wildly. Many merchants, small vendors, and even cooks had followed the army on the expedition, and some ser
fs were now indulging in beef noodles—luxuries they'd never dreamed of eating before.
In addition to the merchants, there were also a hundred or so women doing business in the camp.
"Blow off some steam? I heard the prices have gone up to three silver coins for the cheapest option, and you only get thirty minutes!" one Old Guard member joked. "With the little you've grabbed, you won't get much relief. Better save it, or send it home with the Oliver Trading Company to the kingdom!" someone else grumbled. "Damn, are we just going to watch these serfs get rich while we sit here?"
"No way," Raymond finally spoke up. As a ranger knight and a renowned officer in the Old Guard, he had a commanding presence. "This expedition will be harder than any before. Just because things started easy doesn't mean they'll stay that way. His Majesty will need the Old Guard soon enough. We just have to be patient."
"Yeah, you're right," the others nodded in agreement.
At that moment, a group of Old Guard soldiers entered the camp, carrying several large crates. Bertrand, the Old Guard's commander and a knight of the realm, banged on one of the crates. "Everyone, listen up!"
"Yes, sir!" Instantly, all the Old Guard soldiers stopped what they were doing and stood at attention, their discipline impressive enough to surprise the knights and serfs nearby.
"By the order of His Majesty, King Ryan: the best soldiers deserve the best rewards!" Bertrand thumped the crate again, then drew his sword to pry it open. Inside was a large wooden barrel, which he set down. "This is beer! Imported from the Empire!"
"Yeah!!!" The Old Guard cheered.
"And these are footballs and rugby balls!" Bertrand announced, his expression stern. "Enjoy tonight, Old Guard, that's an order!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Long live King Ryan!"
The entire camp buzzed with excitement. People celebrated the victory, counted their loot, and prepared for the next campaign. Through this victory, the expedition army had announced its presence to the entire Badlands.
For the whole month of December, the expedition army continued its campaign along Blackwater Bay, raiding and pillaging greenskin strongholds and fortresses along the coast.
Over a dozen greenskin strongholds were destroyed, and all the wealth and resources within were seized. The knights unleashed their fury, slaughtering every greenskin in sight and claiming everything of value. Wherever the expedition passed, they left only scorched earth in their wake.
By late December, with Winter Veil approaching, Ryan and his army captured the last greenskin stronghold on the Blackwater Bay coast: the Stone Mine Watchtower. The savage orc warlord Snak and his eight thousand orcs, along with tens of thousands of goblins, were slaughtered. Facing their ancient enemies, the Bretonnian knights and the dwarfs of Clan Angrond showed no mercy. Once again, after looting everything of value, they burned the entire fortress to the ground.
The expedition had suffered over three thousand casualties.
Now, Seagate lay before them.
One after another, victory reports and news of triumph were sent from the Badlands, reaching Seagate, the Border Princes, and the southern kingdoms. The news crossed the Black Mountains and Grey Mountains, reaching the Empire and Bretonnia. Ship after ship carried loot back to the kingdom, each haul a testament to King Ryan's victories and the success of the expedition. It was a victory for the Lady of the Lake and a triumph for Bretonnia!
The news stirred the entire kingdom, as people poured into the streets to celebrate. The vast wealth and resources being brought back benefited not just the knightly nobles, but also the serfs. Even Duke Hubald of Carcassonne couldn't hide his smile when he saw the mountains of salt and the bags of gold and gems being returned to the kingdom.
Meanwhile, deep within the Badlands, the greenskins—especially those in Eight Peaks—had also heard the news of Belegar and the Bretonnian army's return.
"Damn those tin-can humies! Killin' my snotlings, ruinin' my fun, wreckin' my tribe so we can't waaagh no more!"
—Greenskin rumors from the Badlands
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