Ryan received the news much later because the nobles of the Sera Kingdom wanted to wait for the outcome of the Church. Before that, no one passed on any information to Ryan. Only after they saw no signs of the Church taking military action did the nobles finally send word.
However, Ryan was not surprised by what happened in the Sera Kingdom. He had long suspected that there would be a clash with the Church there, but he was not sure how it would happen.
What truly surprised him was that the Church had not assembled an army to approach the empire's borders in the name of the Dawn after the Three Days of Miracles had ended.
War may not necessarily break out, but the power of action under Miracle can put considerable pressure on the empire.
Adriana seems completely unconcerned about this, a stark contrast to the previous Pastor Soto, and the Sera Royal House is probably quite pleased with this outcome.
The Church did not interfere with their power.
This gave the nobles of the Sera Kingdom confidence, and they began to focus their efforts on clashing with the nobles of the Andara Kingdom.
However, the outbreak of external conflicts often indicates that internal conflicts are irreconcilable. The clash between the nobles of the Sera Kingdom and the Andara Kingdom did not begin in a day or two, but because the dissatisfaction among the nobles had existed for a long time and could not be resolved by means other than war.
The nobles within the Sera Kingdom are divided into three factions. One faction consists of loyal followers, the first nobles who followed MacReynolds to establish the kingdom. Although they are few in number, they are gradually becoming more important in the Sera Kingdom – the King prefers to let them control key kingdom policies.
The second part is about the original nobles of this land, such as the four major noble territories. Why did they gradually become dissatisfied and have frequent conflicts after the birth of the Sera Kingdom?
The answer is simple: after the Sera Kingdom was established, their territory shrank significantly.
They once owned a hundred mountains, but now only ten remain. However, the transfer of territory cannot be completed in a short time, and disputes over land interests have led to constant conflicts.
The third group of nobles in the kingdom were those who had come from the Andara Kingdom. They missed the first wave of the war and, as latecomers, were given new lands because the Sera Kingdom needed their support.
These lands came from the shrunken territories of those great nobles.
The conflicts among the nobles are driven by desire and ambition. The Sera Kingdom appears peaceful on the surface, but in reality, it is already full of cracks. After a simple analysis, Ryan saw through the Sera Kingdom.
"To resolve such a conflict, one must join in."
Borgeld's team was just the first step, and Ryan's desire to resolve the conflicts within the Sera Kingdom was certainly not to curry favor with the King of the Sera Kingdom.
It's all for their own benefit.
Within the Sera Kingdom, the Church does not blindly obey the Papacy, nor does it overly align itself with the Empire. Perhaps in their own eyes, the Sera Kingdom is a land that seeks survival in the cracks and tries to please both sides.
However, in Ryan's view, such a path was too precarious, which was exactly what the Sera Kingdom least wanted to see.
In the early days of the kingdom, everything was in disarray and needed rebuilding. The treacherous and corrupt were bound to clash in a bloody and fiery conflict at some point.
The Legendary Wind Emperor suppressed the hidden dangers alone, but he could not make them disappear.
Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing for the Sera Kingdom is unknown, and Ryan cannot see the future either, but he can see his own opportunity in this turbulent Sera Kingdom.
Of the three major factions of the kingdom's nobility, none of them were truly powerful.
"To defeat them, we need a spark, we need 'soldiers' to charge into battle."
On Rhino Horn Mountain, Ryan placed an ice block on the table. The dense carvings completely surrounded the center, each carving depicting a simple outline—a noble's emblem, which also included the outline of Ryan's Rhino Horn Mountain.
The ice sculptures were stuck in their positions, unable to move, until Ryan pushed new sculptures over from a distance, sending many of the remaining sculptures flying.
They were carved from ice blocks. Although they stood still for a moment, the bottom was too smooth. After being hit by a huge force, they flew off and many of the carvings even fell onto the table and broke into pieces.
In Ryan's eyes, these carvings represented the very foundations of the nobles of the Sera Kingdom at this moment—fragmented and unstable.
And what do those carvings on Chuangfei represent?
Ryan raised his head, having already made plans for many things in the Sera Kingdom.
"Only those who have experienced the fear and courage of destruction and rebirth can forge ahead and risk everything with their lives."
Outside the Royal Palace of the Sera Kingdom.
The establishment of the royal city was in full swing, and all the conflicts and contradictions within the kingdom could not affect its construction, because everything revolved around the nascent civilization of the Sera Kingdom.
Recently, some strangers have appeared in the still largely undeveloped Sera Royal City.
Commoners and slaves could not look these strangers in the eye, but they also had little contact with the nobles of the Sera Kingdom.
They seemed to be caught in the middle between the nobles and the common people, struggling with a difficult situation.
They were nobles, nobles of a fallen kingdom, or rather, nobles who had lost their land, their glory, and everything else, leaving only a broken flag and emblem to commemorate their ancient honors, an identity recognized by the nobles, yet not accepted by them.
"Wandering Nobles" is a way of describing these people, while "nobles of a fallen kingdom" is a satire of them.
Enduring strange looks and a life completely out of place with their illustrious status, countless nobles like them died silently in some unfamiliar night, in some remote corner.
What killed them was the force called dignity, or perhaps impotent rage, because many Wandering Nobles, after acknowledging their noble status and the glory of their ancestors, simply could not accept the lowly process of having to work to make a living.
Some nobles of fallen kingdoms were left to fend for themselves, while others relentlessly pursued the opportunity to restore their family's glory.
For example, that ancient bloodline Descendant who now leads the Imperial Army in the Andara Kingdom.
For example, these strangers who are now appearing in the Sera Kingdom.
They sought every possible opportunity, and the birth of the Sera Kingdom presented a rare opportunity for some nobles of a fallen kingdom.
Kaeld Valencia, who was in charge of building the wooden houses on three streets of the Sera Royal City, was such a Wandering Nobles had lost his country. He came here to restore his family's glory and regain a piece of land that belonged to Valencia.
The newly formed Sera Kingdom is full of opportunities that will enable him to do all of this.
But the first problem standing in his way was that he could not meet the ruler of the kingdom. The noble Monarch would not easily receive a nobleman without territory. They were wanderers, without their own property and land, and therefore had no right to sit at the same table with the nobles.
Through some means, Kaeld Valencia became one of the managers in the construction of the royal city. He did not ask for any reward, but only wanted an opportunity to meet the King after completing his work.
Behind him, the Valencia people were filled with resentment. It was only natural for nobles to meet the Monarch, without any complicated procedures. But now, in order to see the Monarch, they had to work constantly, supervising the construction of slave houses day and night, and living together in muddy and smelly dwellings.
"This is our only chance. In the Empire, we can't see the emperor, or even any powerful nobles. With the emergence of the Baronet System, the revival of the Valencia Family seems to be an unattainable dream."
"But we cannot give up."
Kaeld said this to the Valencia Family members, but someone couldn't help but ask a question that he couldn't answer either.
"But Kaeld, even if we meet the King, what promises can we make?"
" The King has no shortage of loyal followers, and our loyalty is worthless in his eyes. But apart from that, we have nothing left."
The Valencia tribesmen looked at Kaeld and covered up their patched clothes.
The patch is located inside and is difficult to detect, thanks to the excellent knitting skills of the Valencia Family. However, no matter how well it is concealed, the fact that the patch exists cannot be erased.
The nobles were dressed like this. The Valencia held their heads high in front of the commoners and slaves, but when they got close to the nobles, they shrank back like little people who dared not walk big.
They are proud, yet also insecure.
Those who are able to appear here in public are already considered to be members of the Valencia Family who have a correct understanding of themselves.
So their problem was fatal. Even Kaeld fell silent. He didn't know the answer. He only wanted to see the Monarch and ask for an opportunity, but as the question itself said, he didn't know what to say when the time came.
Kneeling on the ground and kissing the land before the King? If this would grant him a return to the ranks of the nobility, he believed that not a single patch of soil would remain around the Royal Palace of the Empire and the Great King on the Norris Continent.
The King never lacked loyal followers; he only needed to speak, and thousands would fervently swear allegiance and follow him to the death.
A person who only has one life left has this one and only asset.
Valencia could not have acquired the land in this way.
But what else can we do?
Kaeld Valencia was bewildered; he didn't know how to resolve his tribesmen's doubts. Just then, a tribesman ran up to him and said:
" Kaeld, a few people have arrived outside. It seems a nobleman wants to invite you to dinner."
The Valencia people were overjoyed to be invited by the nobles, which was a recognition of their status for the Wandering Nobles.
It can only be said that a drowning person will desperately grasp at any straw to save them. When they are nobles, they don't feel anything, but after becoming Wandering Nobles Wandering Nobles, even the smallest act of kindness can be remembered for a long time.
One by one, the clansmen urged Kaeld to leave quickly, saying that nobles should not stand on such filthy land.
So, that evening, dressed in his finest attire, Kaeld Valencia appeared in a building on the outskirts of the Royal Palace, where a gathering of people of mixed social standing was taking place.
Why is it neither high nor low? Because when nobles arrive, this place becomes high-class; when no nobles are present, it becomes a group of wanderers boasting about their family's past glories.
The Valencia family wasn't the only one to come to the Sera Kingdom; they had many competitors, which naturally led to the formation of cliques.
Led by his servant, Kaeld arrived at the top floor of the three-story stone house. It was rather deserted, but this only made Kaeld straighten his back and tidy up his noble clothes meticulously.
A nobleman would certainly not associate with too many commoners. He raised his head, his eyes firm, daring not to compromise the dignity of the Valencia Family.
The more you lack something, the more you care about it. At least that's how Alberto sees it, because that's how he is. And he hasn't seen Lord Ryan or any of the nobles in the Northwind Province who care so much about the perfection of their attire.
"Mr. Kaeld Valencia, welcome. My name is Alberto, Alberto Reis."
Alberto performed aristocratic etiquette with Kaeld, and the two equally meticulous people seemed to have found kindred spirits.
" The Obres Family."
Kaeld smiled and nodded, saying:
"I heard about the family's glory and prestige in the family history when I was very young, but I was too young at the time and did not listen carefully to the teacher's story."
Alberto felt somewhat helpless upon hearing Kaeld's flattery. "His family is in another world that's already dead. You've really heard of them? If they had that kind of ability, why would they be wandering here?"
He didn't expose him, but instead smiled and said:
"I have also heard of the Valencia Family's great reputation, but my family's glory is all in the past. Now, I am here to meet you on behalf of Ryan, Mr. Kaeld."
Kaeld's expression froze on the spot. He looked at Alberto, a man who was clearly a nobleman, yet he wasn't a nobleman.
Did he flatter the wrong person with his words?
" Ryan? Is this the Baron Ryan of the Northlands that I know?"
"That's right, but in the Sera Kingdom, Mr. Kaeld can also address Count Ryan. On this land, Ryan's name is inscribed together by two dukes and four earls."
"Just like the construction of this city, His Majesty King Sera also consulted Lord Ryan's opinion that there will be a street named Ryan in the future."
Alberto spoke of Ryan's power in this land, which shocked Kaeld so much that his face flushed. He had always dreamed of having such power, but dreams are just illusions. Now, however, he had actually seen a nobleman whose dream had become a reality.
"I used to be a nobleman too, but now I'm a wandering nobleman like you. However, I'm perhaps a little luckier than Mr. Kaeld. On the verge of death, I met Lord Ryan, who saved my family. Alberto is now Ryan's follower."
Alberto said calmly that the difference between him and the person in front of him, Kaeld, was that he had truly experienced the death of the world, the Dead Silence of Eternal Winter, and the boundless cold and despair, which was far more disorienting than any noble dignity and honor.
Therefore, he is more accepting of everything now, because he has experienced even more desperate and cold situations.
"I heard that Mr. Kaeld's Valencia Family has come to the Sera Kingdom from the Empire?"
"I don't think your goal is to become the overseers of this royal city. You want to see the King and ask him to grant you a piece of land so that the Valencia Family can continue to exist and thrive."
"Only..."
Alberto looked at Kaeld and asked a question that made the latter feel uneasy, yet was also familiar.
"I wonder what bargaining chips the Valencia Family has that could sway the King?"
The scales are always balanced; to acquire valuable land and Noble Title, one must pay a price on the other side.
Alberto believed that the Valencia Family had nothing left, just like when they entered the Frozen Earth Territory through the Planar Gate. Apart from the wealth they could carry, all their remaining wealth would be given to Ryan in exchange for a new opportunity.
For the Valencia Family, all they possessed was meager wealth—their own relatively noble destiny.
There is nothing else.
Sera King wouldn't take their lives because the cost-benefit ratio was too low, but this was the Valencia Family's only bargaining chip.
This bargaining chip can't buy a piece of land, but it can be used to make a deal with Baron Ryan.
" Lord Ryan is the only nobleman in this land who recognizes what you possess."
"I just don't know if the Valencia Family is willing to pay this only price for a chance to become nobles again."
"Before we arrived, Lord Ryan told me that you are not without choices. On the contrary, if you are willing to humble yourselves, you have many options. Nobles are willing to accept Wandering Nobles like you as members of their families in order to expand their family's influence."
"You have many choices; Lord Ryan is only giving you one of them."
Kaeld did not agree with Alberto's words. It seemed that there were thousands of paths in front of them, these Wandering Nobles, but in reality, they were already standing on the edge of a cliff.
Now, as the cliff teeters on the brink of collapse, a rope finally appears in front of them.
"Please convey to Lord Count Ryan that Valencia accepts his kindness, and we will repay him with our lives. I swear by the name of the family, by Kaeld Valencia, the sixteenth patriarch of the Valencia Family."
Kaeld looked intently at Alberto, who looked surprised.
"I haven't yet said what Lord Ryan wants you to do."
"On this path to becoming a lord or nobleman—whatever you do."
Kaeld's voice remained terrifyingly firm, just like the look in his eyes when he walked in.