Chapter 1075: Children Want It All, Adults Must Choose

Under the winter clouds, amidst the forest, heavy snow fell, and all was silent.

Ryan and the Lady of the Lake strolled through the woods. The Lady still wore her Winter Festival fluorescent velvet gown, yet no stain or snow could touch her clothes or her golden waterfall-like hair. All snowflakes automatically flew away as they neared her.

Ryan couldn’t help but reminisce about his adventures in Nord, which had already passed over twenty years ago.

The two said nothing, simply holding hands as they walked through the heavy snow. The forest path led to more forest, and the dense thickets gave way to yet more dense thickets. Nothing had changed.

“I told you, you absolutely cannot make a move on the Everqueen,” the Lady of the Lake said with a smile, her voice melodious. “You know, the Everqueen is Isha’s first chosen. Each generation of Everqueens marries the Phoenix King and gives birth to a daughter who becomes the next Everqueen, symbolizing the cycle of inheritance.”

“I promise I won’t make a move on the Everqueen, my Lady. Do you really not trust me?” Ryan sighed slightly, the Knight King clearly a bit annoyed with the Lady of the Lake. “I’m a man of my word. Don’t forget, I’m your chosen champion.”

“Do you know how irresistible you are now? You smell like a top-tier feast at the court of the Phoenix King Beo-Khan during the height of the elven empire,” the Lady of the Lake couldn’t help but chuckle, her emerald eyes sparkling. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I don’t trust your charm.”

“That’s enough,” Ryan couldn’t help but smile bitterly, the Knight King looking up at the sky. “The End Times are approaching. I have no interest or energy to pursue new women now. Besides, with all of you, it’s already more than enough. Before I married Sulia, I promised her I wouldn’t court any new ladies of the court.”

“Including Hilda Trovik?” the Lady of the Lake teased, her slender finger tracing Ryan’s palm.

Ryan’s face twitched. Since Hilda Trovik’s appearance, Sulia had been the most upset, followed by Morgiana. It had taken him several days to fully appease the Knight Queen and the Lady of the Lake, especially Morgiana, who had been inseparable from him during those days.

So, it really was enough. Ryan was very satisfied with his current life. In fact, he was starting to feel overwhelmed by the number of women in his life. Even though Veronica was busy as the Council Chairwoman, Theresa was engrossed in research and meditation, Emilia was in Nuln, and Sylvia was practically invisible, dealing with Sulia, Morgiana, Olica, and the occasional appearance of Lilith already filled up his private time.

Moreover, as his status grew higher, Ryan’s private time became increasingly scarce. When he was a baron or count, he could spend an entire week hunting. But now, as the Knight King, he was lucky to have a day or two to soak in a hot spring.

Since his ascension, there had been a major war every year or two. The endless wars were exhausting.

“You’re just too greedy!” the Lady of the Lake couldn’t help but chide. “The key is, you’re not just greedy—you’re also a very responsible person. Now you’re paying the price for your youthful greed.”

Greedy, perhaps. Ryan couldn’t help but nod slightly. He was a man who valued his promises. Humans naturally have a tendency to seek novelty, and often, most men’s greed for women was just about tasting something new. But Ryan was someone who took responsibility, which led him to gradually shoulder many obligations.

Ryan often liked to say, “Children make choices, adults take it all.” But in practice, Ryan deeply understood that trying to be responsible to everyone was essentially being responsible to no one.

The reality was, “Children can say they want it all, but adults are often forced to make choices.”

Choosing one meant giving up others. The Emperor had already taught him this lesson, so there was no need to repeat it.

After pondering for a while, Ryan suddenly smiled. “So, the same logic applies to the Everqueen?”

“Yes,” the Lady of the Lake’s figure shone brightly in the snowy forest. She couldn’t help but cling tightly to Ryan’s arm, shaking her head. “To Mother Isha, the Everqueen Alarielle is her Lady of the Lake, Morgiana. And the Everqueen is like the child of you and Morgiana. Among the High Elves, you are undoubtedly aligned with me, Teclis, and the Hoeth faction. If you dare to touch the Everqueen, the fragile balance among the elven gods will surely be broken.”

“I really don’t plan to,” Ryan frowned. Why was the Lady of the Lake emphasizing this so much?

“I believe you. Let’s not talk about this anymore, dear,” the Lady of the Lake stopped at that. She thought for a moment, then added, “In any case, you need to be careful.”

Ryan pondered for a while, then tentatively asked, “What’s the relationship between the Everqueen and the Wood Elf Queen Ariel?”

“Theoretically, there’s no relationship,” the Lady of the Lake smiled. “But in reality, Ariel is the mortal incarnation of Mother Isha, or you could say she’s a part of Isha. If you touch the Everqueen, Ariel will definitely summon the Asrai armies to wage war against you.”

The entire kingdom rests on my shoulders. Is this what it feels like to be the state? Ryan brushed the snow off a tree branch.

This feeling wasn’t bad.

“The Everqueen Alarielle inherited her mother’s charisma and powerful magical abilities,” the Lady of the Lake continued. “She can turn the most ferocious beast of the Annulii Mountains into a cute pet that lets her pat its head. As long as the target can communicate, Alarielle has never failed. Therefore, the Asur believe sending the Everqueen to negotiate with the dwarves is the best choice. The War Lord Tyrion has a terrible temper and is actually very unsuitable for diplomacy. The Everqueen Alarielle cannot leave Avelorn, and Teclis is only good at dealing with humans. Alarielle’s schedule is quite tight. Even if she visits Bretonnia, she’ll only stay for a week at most.”

“I understand,” Ryan nodded. There were too many things to do, and it was making him dizzy.

Sometimes, the Knight King really wished he hadn’t been transported to such a terrifying world. What if he had been transported to a more laid-back world with fewer conflicts? Wouldn’t life be easier?

For example, what if he had been transported to a world of shipgirls as an admiral? Finding all the shipgirls who had left after being offline for too long? Searching for the lost shipgirls?

Or, from another perspective, being a lamb among wolves, waiting for the girls to take the initiative and push him around? A survival guide or survival manual, spending every day in laughter and daily life?

That didn’t sound bad either. Ryan remembered that someone had already written about Azur Lane. What if he transported into that world?

Wuwuwu, Enterprise, Illustrious, Formidable, and Belfast—white hair is the best.

No, that seemed too lazy.

Believing that with great power comes great responsibility, as the chosen one, he had to shoulder the burden. Ryan shook his head. What was I thinking? Now, gather strength to survive the End Times first.

After thinking it over, when Ryan came back to his senses, the Lady of the Lake had already taken out two pieces of chocolate imported from Ulthuan from her chest. “What are you thinking about? Here, I have two pieces of chocolate. One is dark, and the other is milk. Which one do you want?”

“I’ll take the milk chocolate,” Ryan took the milk chocolate from the Lady of the Lake and gently bit into it.

The strong milky flavor and the sweetness of the chocolate made Ryan nod slightly. The price of chocolate from Ulthuan was as high as 330 gold crowns per 500 grams, making it a super luxury item. Only high-ranking noblewomen like Emilia and Sulia would keep some on hand.

The two walked a bit more. As she ate the dark chocolate, the Lady of the Lake’s emerald eyes sparkled, and she suddenly said, “By the way, I’ve never tasted milk chocolate. What does it taste like?”

“It’s just dark chocolate with a bit of milk flavor,” Ryan said casually. He had already eaten half, leaving the other half.

“Milk flavor comes in many types—cow’s milk, goat’s milk, and horse’s milk,” the Lady of the Lake stared at the chocolate in Ryan’s hand, her radiant face showing a hint of cunning. “How can you know without tasting it?”

“If you don’t mind, we can swap?” Ryan immediately understood the Lady’s meaning. The Knight King couldn’t help but smile. This trick was a bit too obvious.

“Swapping sounds good!” the Lady of the Lake said, but she didn’t reach for the milk chocolate Ryan offered. Instead, she took a big bite of her dark chocolate, stood on her tiptoes, and planted a fiery kiss on Ryan’s lips.

Ryan was caught off guard by the sudden attack, but he quickly accepted it, gently holding the Lady’s waist.

Following the small tongue came the taste of chocolate.

The taste of dark chocolate, slightly bitter, quickly filled Ryan’s mouth.

The slight bitterness soon disappeared, replaced by a faint iris fragrance and a sweet, cloying taste.

Ryan felt it getting sweeter and sweeter, as if melting into sweetness.

So sweet!

After a few minutes, the Lady of the Lake gently released Ryan. The goddess shyly touched her lips. “Swapping like this is enough. How does it feel, dear?”

“It feels really good,” Ryan was uncharacteristically shy. The Knight King looked at the smug goddess, his face slightly red. He quickly understood. “You’re jealous of Sulia, aren’t you? Is it about the chocolate workshop?”

“You’ve given Sulia the most genuine feelings. It’s not fair. What she has, I must have too! I’m also your wife!” the Lady of the Lake couldn’t help but poke Ryan’s lips lightly, speaking with authority. “Your heart and your person, I want it all!”

“Are you sure?” Footsteps sounded in the forest.

“Wait, what are you planning? No, not here!” The Lady’s voice instantly became panicked. In the wilderness, amidst the snowy forest, absolutely not!

“Then where?”

“Let’s go back, back to the cabin, okay? Call Sulia. I like it when the three of us are together.”

“Good idea.” The goddess was swept off her feet by her husband and chosen champion. A blinding flash of teleportation light, and the two disappeared from the forest, leaving only the howling cold wind.

…………I am the “I want it all” dividing line…………

After about two weeks, a messenger from the Wood Elf Lord Araloth brought news.

With the Forest King Orion turned to ashes in the fire and the Queen Ariel asleep in the Oak of Ages, Araloth, as Ariel’s chosen champion, presided over the Council of the Forest Lords in Athel Loren.

Indeed, Ryan still had some face with the Wood Elves. The Council of the Forest Lords passed the request to jointly invite the Everqueen to Bretonnia with a vote of 8 in favor, 3 against, and 1 abstention.

Thus, a formal invitation was sent to the Everqueen Alarielle, who was currently on the high seas near Ulthuan.

On the deck of the High Elf Phoenix ship, the Everqueen Alarielle stood by the railing, gazing at the vast blue ocean. A giant eagle stood beside her, allowing the Everqueen to stroke its feathers.

“A strange invitation from the Old World. The famous Sun King Ryan Malcador, who once visited Ulthuan, has joined forces with our Asrai kin to invite us to visit the Knight Kingdom when we pass by,” the Everqueen’s handmaiden, a High Elf noblewoman named Yspharil Daltryen, handed the letter to Alarielle.

Her long, slender legs were clad in high-denier white stockings, complemented by a form-fitting pencil skirt that accentuated her graceful curves. Her waist-length, thick, golden hair cascaded like a waterfall, enhancing her charm. Her simple yet elegant white blouse, adorned with a bow, framed her delicate features. Over it, she wore a white ceremonial coat. The Everqueen Alarielle closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the ocean. “The world is wailing. Rhana Dandra is destined to come. The gods have all chosen their mortal incarnations, even the Moon Goddess Lilith has descended in person. Only Khaine and Asuryan are still hesitating…”

Compared to her mother Alarielle, Alarielle the Everqueen had a youthful vivacity and a touch of innocence, lacking the maturity and allure of her mother.

“My Queen?” The one who spoke was the Dragon Prince Torondil, an elite from Caledor, as arrogant and aloof as ever. “We won’t be passing by Bretonnia or Athel Loren. It’s best not to stop.”

“I disagree. The Eight Winds of Magic are becoming increasingly chaotic and violent,” the Archmage Alarielle from the White Tower of Hoeth shook his head. He could already feel the Chaos Winds from the Northern Wastes challenging the world’s order and affecting everything. The Great Vortex was also fluctuating wildly. “This is the time to gather all forces.”

“My Queen, what do you plan to do?” the Everqueen’s handmaiden Yspharil Daltryen asked.

Alarielle took the letter and read it.

The Wood Elves claimed that Queen Ariel would arrive after awakening. King Belegar Ironhammer of Eight Peaks said he would definitely come. There was also Lady Emmanuelle of Nuln from the Empire, and a host of minor nobles from the southern realms. Naturally, there was also the Sun King Ryan Malcador and the Bretonnian knights, who were already preparing to welcome the Everqueen in Bretonnia.

But Alarielle was still hesitant. The Everqueen’s political acumen was something countless mortals could never hope to match. She looked at the letter, weighing the pros and cons of the action.

The Knight Kingdom had been militarily strong in recent years, and the Sun King Ryan had achieved countless military miracles. He was also a very capable fighter (Tyrion’s words), a leader particularly skilled at managing his monkey mountain (High Elf court’s evaluation). His Grail Knights and Old Guard were considered the pinnacle of combat prowess in the Old World. If his combat strength and diplomatic influence could be leveraged, perhaps the chances of persuading the dwarves to set aside their grudges and disputes would increase by a small margin.

But as the heir, if she publicly accepted this invitation, it would mean that the Sun King could also use her status as the Asur heir and her influence to back him. Ryan was already powerful, and the High Elves had always adhered to a policy of “glorious isolation” and “continental balance” in diplomacy. Even though the End Times were a special circumstance, the Everqueen was reluctant to set this precedent.

What to decide?