The towering, austere concrete fortress stood over a vast, empty hall, its cold stone steps covered by a red carpet.
This was Norton Fortress, located at the very center of Norton City—a place where the myriad commanders gathered for deliberations and ceremonial priestly rites.
In the classical ethnic language of Norton Province, "Norton" meant conquest.
After occupying this place, the Eastern Legion built this military fortress named Norton in honor of Marshal Julius.
Over the following century, this fortress on the plains gradually developed into a large settlement with a population of over a million.
Not only did it house the Legion's oldest military and engineering academies, it was also the capital of the Eastern Legion and the place that adhered most faithfully to the Legion's traditions.
Of course, that was getting a little off topic.
At that moment, a group of Velanders clad in golden armor and scarlet capes stood solemnly before a full-body statue of Marshal Julius that stood ten meters tall. Holding candles, they silently expressed their reverence for him in their hearts.
The gleaming gold and scarlet capes did not seem particularly fitting for a funeral, yet this was the Velanders' unique way of mourning—and the highest form of ceremony.
All because their marshal had once said—
"Do not fear or grieve for death. It is the final destination of all life."
"If one day I fall into eternal sleep, you should wear golden armor and scarlet capes, raise torches to see me off, and scatter flowers upon me, as though cheering my triumphant return."
Perhaps Julius had merely said it on a whim, but for a long time afterward, the Velanders conducted funerals in precisely this manner.
It was not until several fires broke out in Triumph City that the local survivors compromised between torches