"Unfortunate for brother? Laine, what are you talking about?" Surya first felt sweet inside after hearing the first part, but felt something odd with the second part.

"Your wisdom, as Francois' heir, is perfectly fine," Laine lay down as well, embracing Surya in his arms, teasingly saying, "Yuri doesn't have that level, he seems to be preparing to start the Holy Grail Trial."

"Don't you speak ill of my brother! Brother is just rather cold and obsessed with the way of the Knight. It's not that he doesn't understand some things, he just doesn't want to spend time thinking about them!" Surya pinchingly retorted at Laine's waist, "Father was the same when he was young, only after completing the Path of the Holy Grail and inheriting the Duke title did he become gradually stable... Father even dueled other knights over a dancer in his youth!"

"Oh oh oh! Tell me more!" Laine grinned mischievously, who would've thought the wise and elegant father-in-law had such a past?

"Ah! Laine, you rascal!" Surya just realized she said what she shouldn't, her face turning red: "It's time to rest."

"Indeed, it's time to rest." Laine's hand gently undid the waist tie of Surya's white nightgown.

…... 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Two days later, Sirik Territory, Hemgart.

In the midst of snow and wind, Laine and his party arrived at the foot of the Gray Mountain Range. In the distant mist, a grand city built on the mountainside appeared before their eyes.

Hemgart is a very important trade town in Rick Territory. It's both a city and a fortress, with around 3,800 permanent residents. The Empire stations over a thousand troops here, guarding Axe Bite Pass, dealing with frequent bandits and Green Skin, and also defending against potential invasions from Brittania.

The entire fortress city is composed of three walls, carved out from the mountainside made of granite. From a distance, the city seems suspended in mid-air, with a wall extending from the city to the other side of the valley. No trespassers can sneak past those high walls and the single gate.

"Hemgart's ruler is Count Reinhardt von Markensen. His count title is quite special, being a Border Count, half a level higher than an ordinary Earl. The Emperor has granted him relatively independent financial and military power, but if he can't hold Hemgart, this Border Count might be replaced anytime," explained Rudolph to Laine. "Hemgart is said to have 3,800 permanent residents, but in reality, it's over five thousand, with the floating population reaching beyond ten thousand. This city has always had rich tax revenue, but military pressure is equally heavy. Not long ago, the Battle of Hemgart broke out."

Laine shrugged, he witnessed that battle, where Emperor Carl relied on a perfect side confrontation to finally break Duke Paragon Casvan's army.

"Hemgart's garrison exceeds a thousand, most famously the Mackensen Musketeers. Those over three hundred musketeers are all great people, constantly battling Gray Mountain Range Green Skin, bandits, and the Beastman Tribe," explained Wagner as well. "This musket team is equipped with the best long-barreled fire cannons produced by the Nuer Armory."

The group gradually approached Hemgart, as usual, upon seeing the Rick Guard Knight Order crest, the guards didn't dare slack off and immediately signaled to let them through.

Not long after entering the town, a group of Dwarves selling their wares caught Laine's attention.

"Selling all kinds of iron gloves, shields, picks, axes! Selling all kinds of two-handed axes, two-handed hammers, and hand cannons! Custom making Dwarf arm armors, Dwarf helmets, Dwarf plate armors!" A group of Dwarves was shouting in the Hemgart market. Hemgart's market is known as the border trade market, selling Brittania-produced wine and brandy, exquisite fabrics, and fine war horses, while Dwarf merchants here sell iron ingots, lead ingots, silver ingots, and Dwarf-made weapons, of course, not forgetting Rick Territory merchants selling Imperial Black Beer and food.

"Eh, isn't that????"