Warhammer Divine Throne

"Yes, I’m not very optimistic." Laine shook his head: "Female attendants have never been ideal pursuits, especially those serving in such State Guesthouses. Fidmund, if you pursue it, that’s fine. Alfred, however, can’t."

"Why? Can you tell me the reason?" Fidmund, troubled by marriage, was chosen by Duke Bodric for his granddaughter, Eva, by Duke Bohemond of Bastogne. However, the Holy Grail Knight himself didn’t want to marry so soon and was resistant to marrying a woman he had scarcely met.

"Different vision." Laine closed his eyes, smelling the scent of carnations: "Think about it, Fidmund. If this female attendant at the State Guesthouse just works at the front desk for a year, what kind of people does she get to see?"

Fidmund immediately understood as he thought about it, and the Holy Grail Knight walked over to Laine’s side: "Without a doubt, the Great Nobles of the Human Realm, mercenary leaders and adventurers with immense reputation, wealthy merchants commanding several trade routes, and elves and dwarves."

"That’s right, female attendants, especially those in State Guesthouses, often have this problem, which is that they’ve seen too much, and their vision is too high." Laine turned his head to look at Fidmund, giving a hint to Bohemond Duke’s eldest son: "If it were you, that’s one thing, but Alfred is just a Temple Knight of the Templar Order under the Justice Church, without even a fief. So, the possibility of this female attendant taking a liking to Alfred is not nonexistent, but very minimal."

"Even if she has nothing notable besides her beauty, she would still feel Mr. Alfred does not meet her standards?" Fidmund fully grasped Laine’s point, smiling: "That’s too harsh."

"But that’s the reality, and we won’t and can’t criticize her because it’s her choice. I can only say I’m not optimistic." Laine nodded: "This is called a threshold. Due to years of receiving various important figures, the emotional threshold of such female attendants is very high. Sending flowers and having dinner is unlikely to move them, because they’ve seen it all. Winning a tournament champion would barely impress them."

"Just like when Marchioness Surya won the knight tournament and pursued you?" Fidmund suddenly joked: "Everyone says that your love with Marchioness Surya blossomed and bore fruit at that time."

"Hahahaha~" Laine laughed heartily: "You know what it took for me to win Surya’s heart. What I’m trying to say is that a wife like Surya is worth all your effort to pursue."

"You are always admirable, Lord Laine." Fidmund reflected, learning a lot during his time with Laine: "If it were me, perhaps I would have already gone to war with Estalia. I wouldn’t have taken a whole day just to come to Margaret to have dinner with the nobles here; before, I would have thought, clearly, I lost the Sea God Trident..."

"You did nothing wrong. Truth is also on your side, so you can rightfully reclaim your belongings by force?" Laine leaned against the garden’s railing, smiling at Fidmund.

"But you taught me that sometimes the problem isn’t so simple." Fidmund nodded, feeling a bit frustrated: "Dealing with local nobles is always painful, especially when I feel like I am the victim."

"Yet it’s very necessary." Laine raised his chin, gazing at Margaret’s thriving market and wide streets, and the War Goddess Square with the goddess statue in the distance.

The afternoon sunlight and breeze, along with the garden scenery, were refreshing and relaxing.

"Indeed... it’s very necessary. If not for you, I think I would have clashed with Duke Bilibali Silva, clashed with the Vampires, and then come here to clash with the Empire’s Great Alchemist, ultimately falling out with the War Goddess Church and the Margaret Knight Order." Fidmund shook his head: "But not only did you perfectly find the culprit, you also fostered good relations everywhere. In Bilibali, you smoothly gained Duke Silva’s support; in front of the Imperial Army, you were warmly received by the Great Alchemist; in Margaret, you are an honored guest."

"Fidmund, listen, I’ll only say this once." Laine checked to ensure no one was around before deciding to speak: "In a complex environment, we need to understand who our enemies are, who our friends are, who can be won over."

"Enemies should be firmly defeated and completely destroyed. Friends should be bound to our chariot, advancing and retreating together. Those who can be won over should be brought to our side as much as possible, or at least prevented from siding with our enemies."

"For centuries, the system established by order is a place requiring individuals to suppress and restrain their personalities. Within the system, personal likes and dislikes are secondary. The biggest taboo is that many young people, thinking they hold the truth, challenge authority." Laine spoke earnestly: "Regardless of whether they truly possess the truth, rashly challenging authority in such cases never ends well. We need to wait for the right opportunity."

"Then when is the right time?" Fidmund humbly asked for advice; the fifty-something Holy Grail Knight was like a junior before the thirty-something Divine Chosen Champion.

"That is..."