The Sera Royal City wasn't exactly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers; this world wasn't as flashy as it used to be, and the magic of the Mages was so noble that it was harder to see than the Sun in the sky.
The bustling crowds best illustrate that the establishment of this royal city has completely united the hearts and minds of the people of the Sera Kingdom.
The kingdom will no longer be scattered, and whatever happens, the Sera Kingdom will become a page in history.
The nobles were naturally the happiest. When war and disaster were not a concern, their extravagant enjoyment was the art and culture of an era.
" Count Ryan, it's been a long time."
The Sera Kingdom was established, and the demeanor of Crown Prince Otto changed. Beside him, Mihai, the daughter of Count Fragoso, followed.
Roland, as always, wore Mages's robe. He seemed to have become the leader of the Mage Corps in the Sera Kingdom, and the number of Mages in the Sera Kingdom had been increasing recently.
"Your Highnesses, it's been a long time."
Ryan bowed, Avril did the same. They stood in the most scenic spot in the royal city, looking at the newly built city.
The Sera Royal City is quite different. In the sky, Griffin fly majestically, and many people can see Griffin circling when they look up. From their current location, they can see that the entire sky above the Royal City has become the territory of the Griffin.
The flags and emblems of the Sera Kingdom are even shaped like Griffin, showcasing the kingdom's unique characteristics.
In the royal city, the laborers, coming and going, dared not look up casually; they remained busy, especially when large numbers of nobles arrived in the royal city.
Ryan's eyes were sharp enough to spot the Dawn Believers in white robes walking through the streets of the royal city, speaking to the surrounding commoners and slaves as if they were proselytizing.
"Speaking of which, now that Archbishop Adriana has left the Sera Kingdom, who is in charge of the Church of Dawn here?"
Ryan's relationship with the Church was not good; he had not forgotten that he had once killed a high-ranking the Church official with a single sword strike.
" The Church of Dawn didn't send anyone, or rather, it wasn't that they didn't send anyone, but the Dawn Believers here don't listen to that Archbishop."
Roland said with a smile:
"Although Archbishop Adriana is not in the Sera Kingdom, her words are as powerful as those of the Pope in the hearts of these believers. As Archbishop Adriana travels to the Northlands, the kingdom's believers will donate a large amount of supplies to help her."
Otto, standing nearby, snorted coldly and said:
"Those are all the kingdom's treasures."
The two princes of the kingdom had different attitudes toward the Church. Otto preferred the Empire's approach and hoped to drive the Church out through war. As for what would happen next... he probably hadn't even thought about it.
Roland was a pure Mages. As long as the Church didn't provoke him, he simply ignored the Church and treated them like bystanders.
The Church is unlikely to target a noble Mages, even if the Church wins the war against the Empire.
King MacReynolds's two sons each adopted half of his attitude.
The Griffin descended from the sky, the bells sent into the clouds were rung, and then flocks of Griffin fell from the sky. The group heard the bells and headed towards the Royal Palace.
"It's time to go see the King."
The etiquette of the nobility was so elaborate. From entering the Royal Palace to meeting the King King showing loyalty, Ryan watched for a full six hours and stood for six hours straight.
If it weren't for his strong physique, Lord Ryan would have fainted. He had seen many nobles do this, pretending to faint and then being helped up by servants to sit on the back of the kneeling servants.
No wonder so many of these nobles are prone to dizziness; their skill is astonishing.
After demonstrating their loyalty, the nobles offered tributes to the King. Every nobleman had to present the King with precious wealth. This scene left Ryan speechless. From this alone, he saw that the King had received no less than three million Gold Coin.
This process was equally lengthy, but fortunately the nobles no longer had to stand or kneel. They chatted and laughed, because as long as they showed loyalty to the King, the King had little way to control these nobles who had absolute power over their own territories.
The only point of contention between Monarch and nobles is loyalty.
By the time everything was finished, it was already evening. All that remained was the banquet, a favorite activity among the nobles. During the day, the noble ladies had already become acquainted with each other. When the nobles arrived, they would talk about which family had suitable partners for marriage, and which family was now in financial trouble and should reduce contact to avoid being asked for money.
Don't underestimate this step, because it often determines the relationships between nobles, especially the political alliances and friendships formed through marriage, which directly affect the nobles' influence in the Sera Kingdom.
Indirectly, this affected the future development of a noble territory.
This is especially important because the Sera Kingdom has just undergone a major reshuffle, with too many nobles falling from power and too many rising to prominence. The entire Sera Kingdom is in a state of chaos. Therefore, the understanding and perception that nobles gain among themselves at this banquet will determine the political landscape of the Sera Kingdom for the next few decades.
Which nobleman would want to have fewer friends and thus suffer losses in terms of benefits? None.
This also confirms another point: why nobles tightened their belts and indulged in extravagant consumption rather than cut back on food and clothing.
It's not just a matter of saving face; you might also lose money at such a banquet.
They couldn't let others think that this noble family was failing. They used to ride in magic carriages, but now they could only ride in ordinary carriages. This would make other nobles think that this family was not wealthy enough and that their future was uncertain.
Originally, they could have married into a higher-ranking noble family, but now they can only marry into a lower-ranking noble family. Isn't that a loss of benefits?
It has had an impact for decades.
The significance of Peacock displaying its tail feathers is not only aesthetic, but also for attracting mates.
As Mages, Avril, Baroness Ryan, was naturally surrounded by admirers. Ryan had left behind too much power in this kingdom, and those nobles who had once been Wandering Nobles could only flock around him. This led to Avril becoming the center of attention among these noble ladies.
Ryan's arrival was a lifesaver for her. Looking at Avril's somewhat stiff and tired expression, Ryan smiled and said:
"I guess they asked you a lot about your children and siblings."
Avril nodded, blushing.
"Their territory seems to be in turmoil, and they need wealth and people; marriage is the quickest way."
Ryan was not surprised by these words.
He helped many people establish themselves in the Sera Kingdom, linking their interests together, but he couldn't help them secure all their interests. The development of the nobles' territories was always fraught with difficulties.
The nobles were uneasy, and the noble ladies were naturally just as uneasy. As women, they were actually more afraid of losing the title of noble lady.
As the banquet began, nobles naturally came to chat with Ryan.
"In a couple of days, His Your Majesty will hold an adventure selection for the heroes of the Northlands in the arena. Any hero who wins a single victory will be able to become a registered hero."
"I think that's also an opportunity for the nobles to demonstrate their power."
Ryan told the nobles this, believing they would understand that, given the increasingly tense relationship with the Andara Kingdom, there was no more dazzling way to display the fighting strength of their territory.
The banquet lasted for three days. On the last day, King MacReynolds invited the nobles to the newly built arena for a competition exclusively for the nobles. This was partly to inform all the nobles of the power of the Empire, namely the Northern Kingdom's Braveheart Guild.
Another factor is that the three hundred warriors who ultimately win the competition will be selected to join the Griffin Legion and become soldiers in the King's army.
This is not surprising, after all, in this world, it is impossible for slaves to be strong, and it is rare for commoners to see a strong man, but the knights of the rulers are all as strong as oxen.
The reason is simple: 99% of these knights were not slaves or commoners, but nobles who were related to the rulers.
This applies to the soldiers and knights under nobles, and it applies to Monarch as well. In fact, most soldiers in a Monarch's army are of noble blood, such as the brothers of Baron and viscounts, whose surnames are all noble.
This was how nobles showed their loyalty to the Monarch, and also because they were well-fed and well-trained, making them stronger than the commoners and slaves who were starving, poorly clothed, and forced to work hard with hunched backs.
Before the War of the Deities Across Planes, when nobles provided knights and soldiers to the Monarch, they also had to provide their own weapons, equipment, and even warhorses.
Loyalty is not a derogatory term, but rather an honor, a proud adjective, so the nobles naturally spared no effort in it.
Thus, in the Sera Royal City, every nobleman put in their best efforts, arranging for the most powerful knights from their own territories to enter the arena.
Seeing this, Ryan finally understood the true composition of the Sera Kingdom. No nobleman would think about King; whoever had the strongest army would become king.
In reality, Ryan's idea was completely unnecessary. More than 99% of the nobles in this world were greedy for Noble Title and did not realize that they could also become King.
The Andara Royal House was so weak that the nobles never even considered this matter. Even MacReynolds never thought of seizing the Andara Kingdom, but instead wanted to establish a new kingdom.
Hereditary, inheritance, rational... all these ingrained habits are firmly pressed down on the depths of the human soul, making them never even think about it.
The royal family of the Andara Kingdom can only be formed with Andara bloodlines. If another bloodline is used, the nobles will never approve of it.
Inside the arena, the noble knights fought fiercely, even resulting in deaths, but this did not dampen the nobles' cheers in the slightest.
For many, pledging allegiance to the King is the best option.
"I believe it won't be long before the Griffin Legion is once again renowned Norris Continent."
Ryan smiled and exclaimed that his position was not far, very close to the King.
"Raising Griffin isn't something that can be done in just a few years, but Count Ryan, if you want a cub, that's not a problem."
King MacReynolds smiled and gave Ryan his answer.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Ryan expressed his gratitude, and soon a knight led a small Griffin, about knee-high, to Baron Ryan and his wife. They were quite rough around the edges, but Ryan actually liked it.
"There's also a Azure Lion at home, so now they'll have company."
With the arena's conclusion, the King gained hundreds of powerful knights to fill his Extraordinary Legion, while Ryan gained a large number of adventurers from the Northlands.
Most of them would travel to the Northlands, returning with stories of adventure and wealth, thus making the Northern Kingdom's Braveheart Guild a part of the Sera Kingdom.
"When the year ends, I'll send a gift to His Elector. He'll be very happy to have earned ten times his initial investment of ten thousand Gold Coin, won't he?"
"After all, he is also a shareholder of the Northern Kingdom's Braveheart Guild."
On the way back, Ryan couldn't help but laugh as he thought about what he would be doing.
With the arrival of spring, the merchants in the Frozen Earth Territory have begun to take action again, and the Northern Territory Merchant Guild is no exception.
"Lord Raglov!!!"
In the freezing cold, Worby, bundled up in heavy clothing, shouted again. Behind him, dozens of people guarded the sled, which was laden with supplies.
All winter, the Frozen Earth Territory's forces were unable to enter this area, but now that the weather is better, Frozen Earth Territory interpersonal relationships are starting to improve.
The Frost Giant ' territory is, of course, the place where Ryan needs to raise his favor level.
"We are the people of the Frozen Earth Territory."
The weather was sunny and bright, but the world was covered in ice and snow. Worby, who was in charge of this matter, kept shouting, mainly because he was worried that the Frost Giant wouldn't hear him.
" Worby, are they not home?"
"Ah?"
Worby stared wide-eyed back at the young man. "I've been calling for so long and you're telling me the Frost Giant isn't home? Then all my calling was for nothing?"
Worby felt uneasy staring at the young man and scratched his head.
"Um... I was just talking nonsense."
"Go in and take a look."
"Huh? Me?"
The young man reluctantly entered the canyon. Walking alone on the wide snowfield, he felt quite overwhelmed, even though he knew what kind of creatures lived there.
He was terrified that a giant hand would reach out from under his feet, grab him, and shove him into the Frost Giant's gaping maw.
"There's really no one here."
The young man gradually relaxed and came to a high place. Looking at the distant mountains, he saw tall shadows.
Frost Giant?
Worby frowned as he heard the young man's description.
" The Frost Giant left their tribe? And now they're back?"
Worby stood there, unsure whether to wait, but while he was thinking, the Frost Giant had already arrived on the hillside not far away.
These Frost Giant are much faster than I imagined.
"Lord Raglov?"
Worby called out tentatively, mainly because he really couldn't tell the difference between these Frost Giant; they all looked the same to him.
"It's you, human."
The towering Frost Giant lowered their heads. They had long lifespans, so even though they had only met Worby once or twice last year, it felt like yesterday to the Frost Giant.
"I am a subject of Baron Ryan of the Frozen Earth Territory."
Worby relieved; it was fine as long as it was the familiar Frost Giant.
"This is the food we sent to you this year. Last winter, our lord harvested a batch of seafood. We hope you will like it, Lord Raglov."
Worby instructed the people behind him to bring over the sled, which contained food from Nidhogg. The world of Nidhogg had a large population of wild beasts, and now it was a good deal for Ryan.
"Thank you for your help."
Raglov accepted the gifts, saying:
"Tell your lord for me that you thank him for helping us get rid of those damned gray Goblin."
"If the Frost Giant needs our help, we will help him too."
Worby surprised; was it really that easy to raise favorability? However, he still asked with some doubt:
"A gray-skinned Goblin?"
"In winter, the Great Being that the gray Goblin served awoke, and under His power, we had to leave the tribe for a while. Later, we found that the gray Goblin had died in front of your human army. I recognize the banner of that human army."
The Hobii, the Great Being who has been resurrected, was originally an enemy of the Frost Giant Goblin, who were often harassed by the goblins in the crypts. With the return of the Hobii, the Frost Giant began to fall into a disadvantageous position, and even the power of the Deities caused the Frost Giant to migrate in winter.
Frozen Earth Territory.
Ryan held the ice-blue gemstone token in his hand, somewhat unexpectedly gaining something.
The Frost Giant Raglov was probably referring to the incident where he sent troops into the Northlands to help the Frost Dragon Arryris clear out the Goblin goblins. During that time, Brandt led the Stag Legion in a frenzied massacre of Goblin in the icy wilderness, and with the pressure from the Frost Dragon, they eliminated a large number of Hobii's followers.
"This Frost Giant village, driven away by those Goblin, probably isn't that powerful, right?"
Ryan held the token in his hand, pondering the difference between the Frost Giant and the Dragons, and whether it could help him fight the Dragons.
"He told you that if I need help, he'll only send one Frost Giant?"
Ryan looked at Worby and asked, and the latter nodded to indicate that he hadn't misheard.
I increased my affinity with the unit and obtained a Frost Giant.
Hmm... it seems pretty good.