Warhammer Divine Throne

The defense of Sharp-Top Palace finally ended in victory for the Brittania Army led by Laine. After a full day and night of ferocious assault on the castle, Musillon’s Undead Army once drew close to triumph, but in the end was still beaten back and forced to withdraw from Sharp-Top Palace, marching north.

Leofric-Karal, the brave Kingdom Knight from Winford, under the Divine Art blessing "Goddess’s Favor" cast by Lake God Witch Mogiana, fought a great Champion duel against the already-deceased former Duke of Atuo, successfully defeating Zilfroy and the Black Knights who served as his rearguard.

Mogiana used the curse of the Lake Fairy, "Fake Report of Misfortune." She foretold that Leofric-Karal would successfully behead the Undead Duke Zilfroy in close combat. This curse directly multiplied Leofric’s strength several times over, but this Kingdom Knight also had to face Zilfroy head‑on and fight until victory or defeat was decided, otherwise his Goddess would be disappointed in him—something the Knights of Brittania could never accept.

The former Duke of Atuo, Zilfroy, was tall and imposing. In life he had once been a very powerful Holy Grail Knight, but after completing his Holy Grail Expedition and returning to Atuo, his brutal rule plunged the entire Atuo Duchy into misery. Zilfroy was an excellent War Leader, brave and repeatedly victorious in battle, yet in Internal Affairs he was terrifyingly incompetent and insisted on personally handling matters. In the ducal court, Zilfroy would always immediately declare the higher‑status party the victor once the session opened, then inflict extremely cruel punishments on the loser, including but not limited to impalement, forcing them to swallow live coal, sawing, breaking on the wheel, and smashing the head.

It was said that only when he saw the condemned scream out their wretched pleas for mercy would Zilfroy finally show a smile.

His savagery made him notorious as a ruler; even the Lake Fairy was alarmed by his cruelty. The Goddess decreed these punishments abolished, and only then did Zilfroy desist in disappointment. This Holy Grail Knight ultimately died in the civil war following the Dor Tower incident and was resurrected as a Vampire, then was defeated and slain again by the punitive force led by Knightly Path Taylor.

Leofric spent his very last ounce of strength to defeat the once‑more resurrected Duke Zilfroy, while the Knights, with hearts united as one, threw in their final reserves to smash the rearguard left behind by Mathew Bade.

Yet this army no longer had the strength to pursue the Undead Army. After forced marching, hauling supplies, and then repeated brutal engagements, both Peasants and Knights alike were exhausted to the extreme. Laine immediately declared that the Knights were forbidden from continuing the chase, and ordered the castle gates repaired and everyone to seize the time to rest.

By the end of the war, almost all the soldiers were too tired to stand, and the Knights lay sprawled in all directions upon the ground. Yet their faces were filled with pride; they were proud to have taken part in such a glorious battle. Many Ranger Knights could not help feeling smug, thinking that the feat of charging under Lord Laine’s Lake God Battle Banner would become the most beautiful, most glorious, and most precious memory of their lives.

"Leaving the castle to pursue at this moment would be far too dangerous. The vast majority of the troops don’t even have the strength to stand." Resting on the Goddess of Revenge, Laine said to Mogiana, "We need at least two days to recuperate, and at the same time to keep gathering supplies and build solid defensive positions in Sharp-Top Palace."

"In this battle, artillery played a tremendously important role. As expected, Father’s steadfast advocacy for introducing artillery was correct." Holy Grail Knight Fidmund, legitimate son of Duke Boldro Bodrick, wiped from his face the turbid mixture of sweat, mud, and blood with a towel. Fidmund felt no fatigue at all; this Holy Grail Knight was instead flushed and invigorated by a victory grand enough to go down in history.

Beasts! lying on the stone slab beside him, Juan thought indignantly. The young Flame Sun Knight felt as if he were coming apart, and that his whole body was floating in the clouds—that was the sign of extreme exhaustion.

"I had gathered over a hundred pieces of artillery, and in this war we lost more than half." Speaking of this, Laine felt real heartache. He sighed. "Thankfully most of the artillery is merely damaged and can be recast. If those guns had been taken away by the Vampires, I’d be heartbroken for a long time."

The Lake God Prophet tallied the casualties. Thanks to Mogiana’s large‑scale group Regeneration Technique, there were many wounded among the Knights and soldiers but few dead. This battle cost roughly more than twelve hundred men.

"My brothers, you have borne hard toil in this battle." Laine delivered his final address. "Count Kuileu Antelme will soon arrive with reinforcements and more supplies. Everyone, please rest well!"

"Yes!"

The entire army continued to garrison inside Sharp-Top Palace to rest, repair the gates, and arrange their vigilance.

Laine exchanged a few words with Teresa. The female sorcerer, her Magic Power spent, was utterly exhausted; supported by her apprentices, she went off to rest.

Laine’s room was naturally the chamber atop Earl Ocasen’s Inner Castle tower in Sharp-Top Palace. He took a fine bath, easing the superficial wounds of continuous battle as well as the minor injuries sustained while fighting Mathew Bade. Mogiana helped scrub his back; the Lake God Witch was also very tired. She bathed and changed after Laine, and when Laine had donned his night robe and lain down, she slipped straight into the covers without his permission and wrapped her arms around his neck.