The son of the God-Emperor in Warhammer Fantasy

Ryan and Suria rode their pureblood elven horses to the commercial street in Nuln's affluent district, arriving just about an hour before the daily "afternoon tea" hour.

The entire wealthy district was bustling. Nearly every noble mansion sent out opulently decorated carriages adorned with flowers, portraits, and fine silk, moving back and forth on the streets. Each carriage carried a noble lady or young noblewoman, dressed in fur coats or shawls over low-cut silk gowns, wearing wide-brimmed hats with many feathers, stockings, and high heels. The lively scene was a feast for the eyes, if not for the many guards and servants following behind the carriages.

In this regard, Nuln differed from Altdorf. Altdorf was crowded, even in the wealthy district. Noble ladies couldn't act so ostentatiously without obstructing traffic and drawing the attention of the capital's military and the Emperor. Imperial military nobles were quite annoyed by such displays, so noblewomen in Altdorf rarely organized large gatherings.

Nuln was different. Firstly, Nuln's rulers, the regent Schroeder family, and later Duchess Emmanuelle (Emilia), didn't strictly regulate such activities. Emmanuelle, a woman herself, participated little but understood them. Secondly, Nuln's streets were much wider and more orderly than Altdorf's, making traffic jams rare.

Thus, the city's noblewomen gained some autonomy, constantly organizing various activities to pass the time.

In Nuln, the entertainment options for noblewomen were diverse, including art gatherings, university events, reading clubs, dinners, horse riding picnics, watching city tournaments, shopping, and, most importantly, the noble tradition of afternoon tea parties.

A large number of noblewomen's carriages headed directly to Nuln University, where a reading club was likely being held, offering lectures, socializing, and afternoon tea.

This was a circle countless women aspired to join. When Old World women talked about the refined lives of Nuln's noblewomen, they were always filled with longing, often taking a long time to wake up from their dreams.

Because of this, Ryan never blamed the maid at the Margarethe Grand Hotel; everyone needs dreams, after all.

Against this backdrop, the Duchess of Bastonne, Suria, riding a pureblood elven horse, seemed rather out of place.

Suria herself felt it. Today, she wore a satin mocha embossed shirt, a vintage cherry red autumn coat, a white lace striped pencil skirt, black opaque thick stockings, and black high-heeled boots. Her skirt fluttered slightly as her pureblood elven horse moved.

Even without a noble dress, no one would doubt that this beautiful knightess was a true noblewoman. Her distinguished presence combined feminine heroism, nobility, intelligence, and motherhood so perfectly that she drew the attention of some male nobles in the affluent district. However, seeing the obvious sign that the Grail Knight beside her was her husband, they dared not approach.

Suria's fair, delicate face carried a hint of blush. She rode her horse and spoke to her husband. "Thinking back, Ryan, we don't often get to spend time alone. The most interesting time I recall was at the mill and windmill in Couronne, but we didn't get to be alone for long before Mathieu Bard and Fiona interrupted us... and now we have Devonshire."

"What, do you want to join an afternoon tea party?" Ryan's reply carried a hint of suggestion.

"Ryan, you know that's not what I want," Suria chided, pulling her reins to slow Richt down. "You did that on purpose!"

"Hehehe~" Ryan glanced down the clean, orderly cobblestone street, sighing slightly. "I've been too busy... with women as well. I haven't spent enough time with you. That's my fault."

"That's a common trait of exceptional men, Ryan," Suria shook her head. "Father was the same way, rarely having time to spend with Mother when he was busy... But that's the hero in my heart."

Then, as if thinking of something, Suria changed the subject. "Alright, enough about that. What's next, Ryan?"

"Let's go to the Von Lac family mansion first to see if we find any clues," Ryan agreed. "Then you can plan the rest. We can talk about what to do next."

"Go to the Lac mansion now?" Suria thought briefly and quickly agreed. "Then we can visit that famous café in Nuln. I also heard there's an event at Nuln University tonight? How about we have dinner outside?"

"Of course, my dear, it's all up to you," Ryan smiled and nodded.

Without further ado, the two rode their pureblood elven horses directly to the Von Lac family mansion.

Located on the outskirts of Nuln's wealthy district, the mansion wasn't as grand as one might expect. It was a three-story building with a basement and a small garden, featuring only five rooms and a narrow structure, with a ground floor of just seventy to eighty square meters.

Despite its modest size, the mansion was valued at five thousand gold marks. Considering a common Imperial farmer earned fifteen gold marks a year, it would take over three hundred years of savings to buy this house.

Ryan often had the feeling that things were similar everywhere.

After Baron Werner's tragic demise, the mansion became the center of a fierce inheritance dispute. Two distant relatives of the Von Lac family fought over the inheritance, eventually taking the matter to Nuln's court and city council, waiting for Emilia's decision.

Consequently, the small house was currently locked and unvisited. The high, darkly painted door bore the address "6 Ruben Street" and the name "Von Lac."

Dismounting, Ryan walked over to help his wife down from her horse in the cold February air. He then knocked on the door. "Is anyone there?"

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Is anyone home?" Ryan continued knocking but received no response.

Suria reached for her Leonase sword at her waist, nodding to Ryan.

Ryan called out again. "Is anyone there?"

After waiting a minute without an answer, Ryan took out the mansion's key, which he had received from Emilia, and unlocked the door. "Excuse us!"

The small garden, no more than thirty or forty square meters, contained simple flowers and plants. Leading their horses inside, the high walls quickly obscured their view.

The garden was covered in snow, clearly having been neglected for some time.

The couple walked into the garden, Suria releasing Richt's reins. The pureblood elven horse, annoyed by the small space, snorted and shook its head, communicating its displeasure through body language.

Similarly, Ryan's horse, Grape, lifted a hoof to indicate the wall, suggesting they knock it down for a proper stroll.

Ryan had to use Elvish and his psychic abilities to calm Grape, assuring the horse they wouldn't be long and asking it to be patient.

Yes, Grape and Richt had already produced several pureblood elven foals.

After giving the horses a mixture of carrots, beans, honey, and corn, the pureblood elven horses finally settled down. Grape snorted again, lifting a hoof as if to say, "Hurry up, we'll wait here."

"According to your calculations, this garden alone is worth a thousand gold marks, enough to buy a pureblood elven horse in Bretonnia," Suria said, standing on the steps. "I think the land value in this city could buy half of Bretonnia."

"Hence the prohibition on exporting pureblood elven horses," Ryan released the reins and joined his wife on the steps, holding her small hand gently. "You understand, land value is speculative; real goods have tangible value. If we allowed exports, Nuln would empty Bretonnia of its pureblood elven horses, leaving us with worthless land."

Suria, with her intelligence, grasped the implications of Nuln's high land prices.

Such impacts would be devastating to Bretonnia's manorial economy and in-kind taxes.

"But why are Nuln's land prices so high?" the knightess still couldn't comprehend the exorbitant land value.

"It's not hard to understand," Ryan smiled. "Industrial and commercial prosperity creates agglomeration and centrality effects, driving up land prices. Nuln's trade and guilds have long made arrangements with local nobles to hoard land, causing prices to rise over time. Both Altdorf and Nuln are key cities that radiate throughout the Empire and receive resources from across it. Remember, only these two cities have munitions factories."

"Additionally, safety is crucial. Nuln's military and defenses are formidable, providing a sense of security, which is vital in the Empire."

"Well, for the citizens and nobles with land, rising prices benefit them. These individuals own most of Nuln's real estate, so opposition from outside is powerless. As for your maid, she's the largest landowner in Nuln, naturally against falling prices. They use their power to prevent land price drops."

"You plan something similar for Mousillon, don't you?" Suria, having understood, shook her head in resignation.

"You're so smart, my lady," Ryan held her small hand, smiling. "Then, I'll be Mousillon's biggest landowner, and you'll be the lady of the manor, with Devonshire the little landlord."

"Who wants to be your lady of the manor? Such an awful title!" Suria blushed, lowering her head. "I once thought I'd be a countess, a duchess, but I never expected..."

"Isn't this better?" Ryan placed her hand in his, sincerely saying,

 "You deserve the best in the world, my lady."

"Ryan..." In the cold February air, Suria gazed lovingly at her husband, her cheeks flushed.

Until Grape snorted.

The horse neighed and pointed its hoof, as if saying, "Go in already, why are you standing there? We're waiting!"

Feeling embarrassed, Ryan quickly opened the mansion door with his psychic abilities, hearing a spring mechanism click as the door unlocked.

A rush of warm air hit them, making Ryan and Suria's expressions change. Ryan gripped his Thor's Hammer, and Suria's Leonase sword ignited with platinum flames as they cautiously stepped inside without removing their shoes.

As mentioned earlier, the mansion was narrow, with only a dining room and kitchen on the ground floor. The floor was covered in fine carpets, and the decor combined Altdorf's antique style with Nuln's steel and gunpowder elements, including cannon sculptures and golden griffon emblems.

"The kitchen shows signs of recent use, but it's not recent," Ryan noted, observing the thin layer of dust due to the open window. "Strange, even if Baron Werner and his men died in Altdorf, the mansion in Nuln should still be maintained. An empty mansion deteriorates quickly."

"Maybe the inheritance dispute led to a temporary standstill?" Suria speculated, examining the dining room's silverware and some wine. "No one seems to have entered. If I were a thief, I wouldn't leave this behind."

"What if they didn't know its value?" Ryan checked the dining room, smiling at his wife's suggestion. "Not every thief knows wine as well as my lady."

"But they would've taken the silverware," Suria held up a silver spoon. "This is easily sellable. Melt it down, and no one would know its origin."

"Hahaha, I'm convinced by my wife," Ryan said playfully. "Let's check upstairs."

Finding nothing on the ground floor, the couple decided to explore upstairs.

As they cautiously reached the second floor, their expressions darkened at the sight before them.

An elderly man in a butler's suit lay dead at the sitting room door, a purple dagger in his back.

"Looks like we're late," Suria examined the corpse. "He's been dead for a few days, preserved by the cold."

Ryan also knelt to inspect, quickly noticing something unusual. "Suria, look, he's holding a handkerchief."

"Let me see," Suria retrieved the handkerchief, gently unfolding it.

Embroidered on it was an intricate pattern: a green siren surrounded by forked tails, with coffee stains.

"This is... a siren emblem?" Suria pondered the pattern.

"Wait, this emblem is?!"

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