Celebration

Sean, clad in armor and with a longsword at his hip, sat high on his horse, flanked by the equally armed Torr and Sergeant Donnie. Behind the three of them stood the entire squadron of soldiers, marching toward the South City Dock area where the festival was to be held.

"Torr, once we reach the destination, your squad follows me," Sean ordered, turning to Torr beside him.

"As you command, Young Master," Torr replied. He had always addressed Sean as Young Master, even after joining the garrison.

"Sergeant Donnie, you're in charge of the specific guard duties in the area. Assign three squads to watch duty, and have the remaining squads rotate for rest. Understood?" Sean considered for a moment, then directed his order to Sergeant Donnie.

"Understood, sir!" Sergeant Donnie barked back loudly. Sean had grown accustomed to Donnie's booming voice.

Sean nodded and fell silent. Soon, the unit arrived at their post in the South City district.

"Get the barricades set up first. All soldiers on duty, stay sharp. Keep an eye out for anyone looking nervous or carrying weapons. If necessary, detain them first..." Once at the post, Sean shouted orders to the soldiers. After they chorused their acknowledgment, he turned to Sergeant Donnie. "Sergeant Donnie, you're in charge here from now on..."

Sean watched as the soldiers moved on their own, quickly setting up checkpoints according to his commands. Sergeant Donnie's distinctive loud voice soon rang out, barking orders as he directed the troops to begin their watch.

"Torr, take your men and follow me to scout the surrounding terrain." Sean nodded in satisfaction, approving of Sergeant Donnie's competence. Then he turned to Torr, who was behind him, and gave the order.

With that, Sean spurred his horse forward. Torr immediately directed his squad to follow closely behind. The South City district of Linshui was known as the commoner's quarter, crisscrossed with winding roads and countless alleys—a complex environment by any measure. Sean wanted to ensure no one could use these alleys or side paths to bypass their checkpoints, a crucial but time-consuming task.

Over an hour later, Sean had roughly patrolled the area with Torr and the soldiers. Only then did they head toward the festival square for a sweep.

"Young Master, what festival is being held today?" Torr asked curiously, riding beside Sean.

"Heh, you're new to Linshui, so of course you wouldn't know," Sean said with a smile at Torr. After a pause, he continued, "Since ancient times, the Dorosun River has flooded heavily in summer and autumn, destroying farmland. At the same time, many commoners in Linshui make a living by fishing. So ever since the city was founded, at the start of every March, countless commoners have spontaneously offered sacrifices to the Dorosun River. It's their wish for a peaceful and prosperous year ahead, hoping the river will be kind. Over time, the ritual grew bigger and bigger, with more participants, and it evolved into the grand festival we have today."

"The Linshui authorities only officially recognized the River Festival a few decades ago. Now, every year, the city lord personally presides over the ceremony. The nobles in the city also attend—partly as a formal social occasion, and partly to get out and relax." Sean paused, giving Torr a moment to digest, then added the explanation.

"Ah... so that's how it is," Torr replied, scratching his head with a sheepish grin.

"Once the festival officially starts, you can go ahead and take a look," Sean said with a smile, then added, "There's usually acrobatic performances and plenty of activities for nobles and commoners to enjoy. You could give them a try."

"Thank you, Young Master," Torr said happily. Then his expression turned a bit downcast. "Better not... Young Master, I need to stay by your side. If anything happens, I can help you..."

"Haha... it's fine. The city lord and the big nobles are all on the Main Viewing Platform. It's heavily guarded—who could break through? Even if they did, there are plenty of noble guards. Don't worry..." Sean laughed heartily at Torr's words.

Hearing Sean's laughter, Torr sheepishly patted his head and joined in the chuckling.

Soon, Sean led Torr and the squad on a patrol around the area, checking for anything suspicious. After greeting the commanders of neighboring checkpoints, they returned to their own post.

By then, a lane had been cleared in the middle of the checkpoint for noble carriages to pass, while soldiers stood on both sides of the road, inspecting the commoners passing through.

"Sergeant Donnie, well done. Make sure no one carrying a bow or arrows gets through..." Sean said approvingly, seeing the orderly scene, and added with a smile. After a pause, he told him, "Tell the soldiers that lunch today is on me..."

"Thank you, sir," Sergeant Donnie replied with a grin, then relayed Sean's words to the other soldiers on duty. A low cheer rippled through the ranks, and each soldier smiled and nodded toward Sean.

Time passed slowly, and the streets grew crowded with pedestrians. Wagons carrying ingredients for the noon banquet—prepared by the city lord for the attending nobles—also passed through Sean's checkpoint one after another.

Just then, an ornate noble carriage caught Sean's eye. Four cavalry guards rode ahead and four behind. The carriage slowly approached the checkpoint, and a leading guard presented a Noble Emblem to Sergeant Donnie.

Sean looked over from a distance and saw a metal shield-shaped emblem embedded on the carriage's outer wall. It bore the pattern of a rose and a sword—exactly the emblem of Sir Hall's family, whom Sean had met once at a banquet hosted by his uncle, Baron Horton.

Sean rode forward with a smile, Torr and his men following close behind. Sergeant Donnie, standing by the carriage, spotted Sean approaching and reported loudly, "Sir, it's Sir Hall's family carriage and guards."

Sean nodded at Donnie and looked toward the carriage. "Is it Sir Hall himself? I'm Sean. Winchester."

"Sean? Baron Horton's nephew?" A surprised voice came from inside the carriage. The wooden window slid open, revealing Sir Hall in splendid noble attire. He studied Sean with a hint of curiosity. Beside him sat a young girl in an exquisite dress, her wine-red hair tied with a bright yellow ribbon. Her big, adorable eyes blinked as she stared at Sean with a curious expression—she couldn't have been more than ten.

"It's me, Sir Hall. Long time no see," Sean said with a smile, then winked at the cute little noble girl staring at him. Startled, she quickly turned her head away.

"Haha... indeed, it's been a while," Sir Hall said, recognizing Sean. He looked at Sean in full armor, raised an eyebrow, and asked in surprise, "You've joined the garrison? Weren't you still at the academy..."

"Honorable Sir, I received a recommendation from the academy... As you can see, I'm now a Second Lieutenant Officer in the garrison." Sean kept smiling, his tone devoid of any pride. After a pause, he asked, "Are you here for today's festival? And this is your daughter?" He smiled as he glanced at Sir Hall's side.

Sir Hall nodded with a smile, looking tenderly at the girl beside him. "This is my youngest daughter, Amy. Hall." He then pointed at Sean and introduced him to his daughter. "My dear little Amy, this is Sean. Winchester of the Viscount Winchester family, and also Baron Horton's nephew."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Sean. Winchester. You can call me Sean..." Sean greeted her with a smile, taking the lead.

"Pleased to meet you, Brother Sean. I'm Amy. Hall. My friends call me Amy." Amy. Hall greeted him in her distinct childish voice, then wrinkled her nose, looking very cute.

"Sir, the festival grounds are just ahead. Allow me to guide you..." Sean smiled and nodded at Amy, then addressed Sir Hall. He rode up beside the carriage and signaled for Torr to lead the way.

Sir Hall nodded with a smile, his fondness for Sean growing. The carriage moved forward slowly. He had been pleased to see Sean and his young daughter exchange polite greetings. At the moment, he had no other thoughts—after all, his daughter was far too young.

"Sean, do you plan to develop your career in the military?" Sir Hall asked with a smile.

"Yes, Sir. My dream is to become a glorious Imperial General... to command thousands of troops and fight for the Empire on all fronts." Sean's expression turned wistful, his voice filled with longing as he spoke. Then he added with a smile, "After I was promoted to Rookie Knight, the academy recommended me for military training. I was overjoyed..."

"Oh... you're already a Rookie Knight. Congratulations," Sir Hall said, visibly moved.

"Thank you. It was just luck... sheer luck," Sean replied modestly, then caught a curious glance sweeping over him.

"Haha, Sean, becoming a Rookie Knight at such a young age—your future is boundless." Sir Hall was impressed by Sean's humble and cautious demeanor, and he praised him with a hearty laugh.

"You flatter me. The road ahead... is still long," Sean replied humbly, smiling at Amy, who was watching him curiously. Then he added, "But I still thank you for your kind words, Sir."