The son of the God-Emperor in Warhammer Fantasy

Ryan and Sulia's conversation continued. After some thought, Ryan spoke honestly to his wife, "Sulia, I think our brother Julius doesn't have much chance in this matter. I can only provide whatever support I can."

"Father doesn't want Brother to give up so easily. For the sake of the duke's family's honor, it would look cowardly if he withdrew directly. But if he goes straight into a champion duel, not only is the chance of winning low, but it would also seem reckless." Sulia felt troubled. She was worried about her brother and knew that against Federmond, the Grail Knight and first in line for the Duke of Bordeleaux, Julius had little advantage. On the contrary, he had many disadvantages.

In this kingdom, the title of a Grail Knight carried immense weight. Sulia knew one of the key reasons Francois was willing to marry off his daughter was that Ryan was a Grail Knight. However, when it came to Julius, Francois complained to his daughter that not being a Grail Knight didn't mean Julius was inferior to Federmond and that Berhemond was being unfair.

This was a double standard. Sulia could only chuckle at this thought. It was a matter of perspective. Even Francois, who embodied the eight virtues of a knight, was ultimately a father. While his daughter's marriage was settled smoothly, his son's matter troubled him.

"Sometimes, a duel can solve problems. Life and death are inconsequential; if dissatisfied, just fight." Angron, having listened briefly, realized the complexity of the situation and chose not to think deeply about it. Watching Emilia play with the two Ostland Border Collies, he laughed, "Ryan, my brother, appearance also matters sometimes. I bet that for the same diplomatic mission, Fulgrim, Guilliman, or Sanguinius would be more effective than Mortarion, Magnus, or Perturabo. Every time I see Perturabo's face, I want to skin it with my axe!"

Ryan's brothers! Sulia's eyes lit up. She clung to her husband's arm, listening intently. Emilia, too, held her Border Collie, her big eyes sparkling with curiosity about Ryan's past.

Ryan's origins were indeed mysterious.

"Fulgrim? I heard he was married once?" Ryan didn't intend to hide anything from Sulia and Emilia. He asked a question that intrigued him.

"I don't know if Fulgrim ever married." Angron, as usual, carried his beloved twin axes. He thrust a pitchfork into the ground, recalling uncertainly, "I'm not sure about our brothers' situations on their home planets. For instance, whether Guilliman had a woman when he served as the regent of Ultramar. But I know that among our brothers, only you and Russ openly keep women by your side, though in different ways."

"Different?" Ryan was curious about any secrets Angron might reveal.

"You and Russ both like women, but in different ways. You pursue quality, while Russ treats it as a way to vent. I remember he had at least a hundred conquests." Angron's face showed disdain, recalling the Great Crusade era. "That wolf-scented barbarian always surrounds himself with his wolf sons, like an old man enjoying family happiness. If he's so good, why doesn't he duel me!"

"Hahaha." Ryan and Angron chatted a bit more. Seeing the time, Ryan decided to leave. Angron didn't try to keep them and nodded.

"Emilia, let's go. We'll visit another place. You can see the dogs next time." Ryan called to Emilia.

"Goodbye, 486! I'll see you next time!" Emilia set down the Border Collie, bidding it farewell.

"Woof woof!" The Border Collie, a very intelligent breed, immediately realized Emilia was leaving. It barked a few times to say goodbye.

As Ryan lifted Emilia onto the Elven warhorse, the maid leaned against him, still murmuring, "486 is so cute. I want to see it and play with it again next time."

"So why did you name it 486?" Ryan asked, curious.

"486? Mr. Oliver said that Chairman Hadrian spent 486 gold marks to buy and transport purebred Border Collies from Ostland. So, I named the dog 486."

"Alright." Ryan just asked casually.

"Ryan, Sister Sulia, where are we going next?" Emilia, enjoying her day off, clearly didn't want to return to the winery just yet.

"Next, we're going to Alfred's Chapel of Justice." Ryan nodded. "Alfred has officially been promoted to a Knight Templar of the Church of Justice. We should congratulate him on becoming a member of the Temple Brotherhood."

"Mm!"

...

In Jean Town, there was always a place different from others, the Chapel of Justice, located at the town's corner, close to the Oracle Mountains.

When Ryan first arrived six years ago, Alfred, as a Paladin, immediately saw the potential of this place. This corner, away from the town's hustle and bustle, was at the foot of the Oracle Mountains, with abundant water sources at the mountain's base. It was here that Alfred started building the Chapel of Justice from scratch.

Initially, the chapel was just a shabby thatched hut, with a simple statue of the God of Justice and a few rows of benches. Alfred began preaching the teachings of the God of Justice here.

To uncover all truths, severely punish all crimes, correct all wrongs, uphold justice and law, maintain justice, punish lawbreakers, spread civilization and enlightenment, reason and order, and pursue unwavering justice and fairness for life.

This was the God of Justice. The deity's statue always lacked one hand, with hollow eyes, eternally battling the Chaos Gods in the Warp, perpetually wounded.

Alfred built the chapel from scratch, enduring tough times initially. The serfs didn't understand justice, only accepting and believing in "justice" that benefited them. Alfred was often ridiculed and had rotten vegetables thrown at him during his sermons. However, the Paladin never gave up, demanding the same of himself, setting an example with his actions. He upheld "justice regardless of status" and "justice requires sacrifice." He listened attentively to any serf's prayers and gave advice, but firmly rejected opportunists or vagrants who sought to exploit the church's kindness.

Through his efforts, the town's residents gradually accepted Alfred. Emphasizing "contract spirit" and "fairness belief," serfs and freemen began to let the Paladin mediate and notarize disputes, giving rise to the Court of Justice. This was a significant progress compared to the simple adjudication by village elders in Bretonnia. The serfs didn't want knights interfering, fearing the gallows, and the knights didn't want the serfs' trivial matters bothering them.

Alfred, wise to Bretonnia's unique conditions, often invited the town's Prophetesses of the Lady and Grail Knights to observe and advise on judgments.

After six years of development, Alfred's chapel had grown into a Justice Temple, housing about fifty clergy and fifteen Paladins, with thousands of followers on Ryan's estate. They competed and cooperated with the Church of Shallya among the serfs.

Ryan dismounted his purebred Elven warhorse, Grape, with Emilia in his arms at the temple's entrance. Pointing to the Justice God's emblem at the door, he said, "It's been six years, Emilia. Do you remember our time with Alfred in Marienburg during Winterveil?"

"Of course I do. Back then, you and Mr. Alfred bathed together and yelled about wanting beer." Emilia recalled those times with a smile. Following Ryan these past years had helped her forget past pains, her once introverted nature becoming cheerful and lively again. She had been a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl back then, and now, six years later, looking back at everything, the maid felt lucky.

"I heard the Church of Shallya adopts all orphans and abandoned children whenever possible. But they only raise girls, sending most boys to the Justice Temple for Alfred and his priests and Paladins to raise. These boys are then trained to become priests, Paladins, or other professions." Sulia also dismounted, her gaze sweeping over the emblem at the temple's entrance.

The emblem was a shield with a warhammer on a blue background, a balance scale above the warhammer.

"The Church of Shallya raises girls because they are suited for caregiving and nursing. Most Shallya temples are also hospitals and sanatoriums." Ryan waved away the greeting Paladins, continuing, "But the church also needs to eat. Unlimitedly adopting orphans can bankrupt the church. The Church of Justice needs warriors, so they need boys. I remember in Nordland, the White Wolf Church loved taking in orphans. Boys, accustomed to Shallya's gentle care, often tried to escape the harsh, competitive training of the White Wolf Church. If a boy managed to escape five times…"

"Would he be executed?" Sulia asked curiously.

"No, if a boy escaped the White Wolf Church's strict watch five times and endured the harsh punishment five times, he'd be considered a key talent for the church. The White Wolf God admired courage, determination, and independence." Ryan smiled.

"If a noble boy in the kingdom questioned the Lady similarly, he'd be sent to the Grail Pilgrims for lifelong penance or sent to live in the Empire or southern countries." Sulia remarked with interest. "So, Mr. Alfred is now a Templar Knight?"

"Alfred was made a Templar Knight by the Church of Justice for spreading the faith and building the temple. He joined the Temple Brotherhood not long ago." Entering the

 temple's main hall, Ryan pointed to the knight's crest on the wall. "Time flies. The snot-nosed kid who built snowmen and sledded with me is now a knight?"

"Hahaha," Sulia and Emilia couldn't help but laugh. They focused on the crests of the Templar Knights.

On a red shield was a golden warhammer, with a crowned skull emblem on the hammer. The current Grand Master of the Templars was Hans Leitdorf, a powerful knight at the legendary peak, known for his many achievements.

The Templars were one of the seven major knightly orders of the Empire, known for their strict discipline and formidable combat prowess, using white spears and sword shields, wearing silver plate armor with red and white plumed helms, and primarily fighting undead and Chaos cults within the Empire.

"Who built snowmen with you? We peed on snowmen others built, turning them yellow." A lively voice called out. Templar Knight Alfred emerged from the chapel, a sincere smile on his face. Now a mature knight, he gave Ryan a big hug, "What wind brought you here, my friend?"

As always, Alfred was in full armor, rarely seen out of his plate. Ryan, hugged tightly, felt the knight's pendant and red cross emblem pressing uncomfortably against him. He patted Alfred's shoulder, "I haven't formally congratulated you on your promotion to Templar Knight. Came to see you specially."

"Hello, Mr. Alfred." "Hello, Alfred." Emilia and Sulia greeted Alfred.

"Hello, uh… Lady Sulia, and Miss Emilia." Alfred gestured for everyone to follow him inside.

The weather was turning gloomy, as if it might rain. The sturdy granite and slate temple was complex inside, hard to navigate without Alfred's guidance.

In his room, Alfred's private quarters had a bed, wardrobe, prayer mat, several desks, a guest table with chairs, and racks for armor and candlesticks.

"Sit down, my friend. You must have a special reason for visiting," Alfred said directly.

"Yes, Alfred, I need your help with something."

"What is it?"

Updated! Sorry for the delay, but please vote!

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