Since the Emperor of the Empire, Karl Franz, had personally taken the field, it stood to reason that Louen should come as well. Batonians were famed for their martial prowess—or, perhaps more accurately, for being stronger than the people of the Empire. And as Grail Knights, they had taken the Lady of the Lake's insult especially hard. In every sense, King Louen had to make an appearance.
So Louen came, bringing more than thirty Grail Knights. They had arrived full of passion, even fury, but now... they could do nothing. Or, rather, there was nothing they needed to do.
That left them feeling miserable.
But there was nothing to be done about it.
In truth, aside from matters of faith and politics, King Louen had come in person for other reasons as well. For instance... to ask Marienburg for a loan.
After all, much like Karl Franz, Louen had only just begun to bring the entire kingdom under his control. And on top of that, a Chivalric War had broken out not long ago, leaving Batonia a little short of funds.
But now, that was clearly out of the question.
Still, it wasn't as though they had gained nothing.
Today, they had won a great victory and returned in triumph.
The common folk of Marienburg were in an uproar. They poured out of the city to welcome the Imperial troops returning from the Blood War, lining the roads to greet them. The elderly, women, and children did everything they could to offer the soldiers their humble thanks. They brought out plenty of drink and food, along with blankets, and the soldiers did not refuse. After the fierce fighting, they truly needed them.
But... most of the common folk didn't know the truth.
The real heroes of this victory weren't the