Welcome Ceremony and Honored Guests

On October 21, 1635, autumn was in full swing, and a chill was in the air. However, in stark contrast to this cool atmosphere, Silver Maple City was bustling with activity and excitement.

More than half a month has passed since Silver Maple City fell to the Northern Alliance Army.

Today, the city bears no trace of the past ravages of war, as if it had never suffered the ravages of war.

Early this morning, Victor couldn't wait to get to the dock outside the north gate of Silver Maple City.

Meanwhile, the senior generals and key allies of the Northern Alliance Army, along with the independent nobles from the eastern and Southern Region who had voluntarily submitted, followed closely behind, forming a neat and orderly line on the dock.

He had already received word that the new Count Iron Birch, the guardian of the northern territories, Alex Iron Birch, would arrive in Silver Maple City today, along with an envoy from the Raine Kingdom.

In order to make Alex stand out among the many unruly independent nobles in the East and Southern Region and quickly establish his supreme prestige, Victor went to great lengths! He meticulously prepared for everything.

Victor specifically instructed Gaita to find a batch of bright red cloth dyed with Crimson Blood Grass, and ordered it to be spread all over the road from the city gate to the dock outside the city.

Moreover, he selected a large number of battle-hardened elite soldiers from the Northern Alliance Army and ordered them to stand guard on both sides of the road as the honor guard for this grand ceremony.

The weapons and armor carried by these soldiers were carefully wiped and polished, and even coated with a layer of varnish mixed with tung oil, making them shine brightly in the sunlight, making them appear even more majestic, imposing, and heroic.

Victor not only fully utilized his past life's experience and wisdom, but also cleverly leveraged local resources to successfully plan a unique welcoming ceremony.

He sent people to farms and villages around Silver Maple City to carefully select a large number of villagers. Victor specially prepared clean and tidy clothes for these villagers, making each of them look brand new.

He arranged the villagers, dressed in new clothes, neatly behind the honor guard, waving flowers and cheering continuously.

Although it was already late autumn, fortunately, many beautiful chrysanthemums and hibiscus flowers were still blooming in the vast forests near Silver Maple City, so the flowers for the honor guard were mainly yellow and red, making them appear both warm and solemn.

However, mere outward appearances were far from enough. To ensure that each participant could genuinely express heartfelt joy, Victor not only gave away the clothes to the villagers who formed the honor guard for free, but also decided to reward each person with 5 kilograms of wheat and 5 copper coins.

It's important to understand that such a generous gift was especially precious given that the Civil War had just ended, the market was in ruins, and the economy was sluggish.

For these ordinary people, such a quantity of grain was enough to sustain them for several days; and those few copper coins were equivalent to the wages earned from two days of hard work at the docks.

This is why the villagers enthusiastically signed up to participate in the welcoming ceremony, showing exceptionally high levels of interest.

To the many independent nobles who were invited to witness the ceremony, the genuine and radiant smiles on the faces of this group of people from who-knows-where seemed to be proclaiming to the world that they harbored deep hatred for the Silver Maple Family and longed to see it replaced by the newly rising Iron Birch Family.

At this moment, although Alex has not yet appeared, merely witnessing this unique and extraordinary arrangement has already stirred an indescribable sense of awe in the hearts of the nobles present, and they have begun to feel a sense of anticipation and curiosity about the newly Count Iron Birch who is about to make his appearance.

Victor, who was observing the reactions of the crowd from the sidelines, secretly breathed a sigh of relief after noticing the changes in the expressions on the faces of these nobles.

After all, since successfully conquering Silver Maple City, the days he had experienced were anything but easy! On the contrary, he had been extremely busy and overwhelmed.

Whether it's cleaning up the traces of battle in Silver Maple City, maintaining order in the city, or personally leading troops to wipe out the remnants of the Ducal House and their armed forces who are hiding in the shadows and resisting to the bitter end—all these complicated, trivial, and crucial tasks are not unbearable for Victor. At most, it just requires more effort and energy!

However, what truly worried him were some independent nobles from the eastern and southern regions.

No matter when or where, there will always be some ill-intentioned people who sneak up on you when no one is looking, offering you all sorts of rare and priceless treasures, trying to persuade you to start your own business and establish your own unique style.

Without exception, they all pointed the finger at Count Colt, who had died a heroic death, and the Iron Birch Family, which had suffered heavy losses, using this as a pretext to incite Victor to declare independence.

After all, at this moment, Victor holds military power in the Northern Alliance Army, and can be said to be at the height of his power and influence. It is the perfect opportunity to achieve great things!

Moreover, these guys even confidently declared that as long as Victor came to his senses and decided to rise up in rebellion, the many nobles in the eastern and Southern Region would undoubtedly become Viscount Golden Sunflower's right-hand men, working together to support him in ascending to the throne of the new Grand Duke.

What's even more despicable is that, besides openly encouraging Victor to become independent, this group of people also secretly colluded with each other and worked together in concert.

If it weren't for Victor's effective military leadership, the strict discipline and absolute obedience of his troops, and his conscious deployment of troops to monitor these unstable elements' armies, they would probably have been surrounded by troops in the middle of the night and had to put on extra clothes because of the cold weather!

Victor was also quite annoyed by this, after all, these people had extraordinary backgrounds and identities, and dealing with them in the same simple and brutal way as dealing with ordinary enemies would probably cause a lot of trouble. So, despite feeling somewhat helpless, Victor chose to be patient for the time being and silently wrote down the names of these people one by one.

He knew perfectly well that only by handing over this hot potato to the most suitable person could he truly ensure that nothing went wrong.

And that person, naturally, is Alex is about to arrive here.

Victor breathed a sigh of relief at the thought of finally getting rid of this mess.

He had been overwhelmed and exhausted by these trivial matters lately. Now that he could finally get rid of this mess, it couldn't be better!

Just as Victor was deep in thought, suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar.

He looked closely and saw several fine horses galloping towards him, with solemn-looking messengers riding on them.

In the blink of an eye, these men had rushed up to Victor and quickly pulled on the reins, preparing to dismount and pay their respects.

However, Victor did not hesitate to raise his arm, signaling them to stop.

Upon seeing this, the messengers quickly clasped their hands in a respectful salute and then reported loudly, "My lord! According to our scouts, Count Alex's fleet is only a dozen minutes away from here!"

Upon hearing this news, Victor nodded slightly to indicate that he understood. Then, he turned to the crowd around him and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Attention everyone! The Count is about to arrive. Please stand in orderly rows and refrain from making any noise, so as not to disturb our distinguished guest!"

Before he finished speaking, the previously restless crowd fell silent. The high-ranking officers and nobles of the Allied Army sprang into action, lining up orderly behind Victor in formations they had practiced countless times beforehand.

At that very moment, the military band, which had been waiting for a long time, began to play its stirring and majestic music. In an instant, drums and horns sounded in unison, and strings and bamboo instruments intertwined, creating a beautiful and moving melody that flowed like a clear spring, invigorating the spirits of everyone present.

Before long, Victor and his men spotted a large fleet slowly approaching the dock in the distance, getting closer and closer.

As the distance closed, one could clearly see that each ship's masttop was topped with a brightly colored flag, and in the center of those flags was an emblem—a tall Iron Birch.

When the boats finally slowly docked on the pier, the people who had been waiting on the pier for a long time quickly got to work.

First, a designated person placed a large wooden plank across the space between the boat and the pier to serve as a passage connecting the two. Then, someone carefully unrolled a roll of red silk and laid it on the plank to connect it with the red carpet that had been laid out on the shore.

Once everything was ready, Alex led a team of fully armed guards, clad in Iron Birch Wood armor, down the red cloth-paved path, and filed off the ship.

Alex was dressed to the nines today: he held a magnificent scepter tightly in his hand, wore an exquisite hunting outfit, and had a crown on his head, exuding an unparalleled aura of majesty.

Everyone present who witnessed this scene paled in shock, casting awe-inspiring glances at Alex and becoming increasingly respectful and submissive.

At the same time, Victor also noticed another person closely following Alex. This person walked steadily, keeping up with Alex closely. The two walked side by side, but always kept a half-step difference, as if deliberately highlighting Alex's status.

Victor realized that this man was the special envoy from the Raine Kingdom. As the two approached, Victor was able to get a better look at the man: a middle-aged man with blond hair and red eyes, sporting a mustache. Although his appearance was not outstanding, he exuded an air of nobility.

Based on his knowledge of the Raine Kingdom, Victor immediately understood the man's identity. If he was not mistaken, this person must be Royal Family Members of the Raine Kingdom. Blonde hair and red eyes are not uncommon in this world, but the coexistence of both features is only found in the Royal Family Golden Oak Family of the Raine Kingdom.

Although the person's exact identity is unknown, since he is walking alongside Alex at this moment, he must be an important Royal Family Members the Ryan royal family.

As expected! The atmosphere instantly became tense as Alex steadily approached Victor. Victor led all the nobles in a deep bow to Alex, after which Alex spoke without hesitation, "Gentlemen, please allow me to introduce you. This is Marquis Gelorge, son of King Bulshard III!"

These few short words were like a thunderbolt ripped through the sky, leaving everyone present speechless.

You should know that the name Bulshard III is familiar to everyone; he was the former king of the Raine Kingdom!

This Marquis Gelorge is of exceptionally high status; he is not only the son of the former king, but also the brother of the current king!

Such a distinguished family background is truly beyond everyone's imagination.

The fact that Marquis Gelorge humbly allowed Alex to go first speaks volumes about the deeper meaning behind it.

Victor, who already knew the inside story, naturally didn't show the slightest abnormality, but the other nobles seemed to wake up from a dream, their expressions uncertain. Their heads, which had been lowered due to bowing, were now buried even deeper, as if afraid that others would discover the surprise and awe on their faces.

As expected, Marquis Gelorge's words completely confirmed their guess. "Esteemed independent nobles who have recently Raine Kingdom of Ryan, it is a pleasure to meet you all."

Today I have come here with Duke Alex to bestow upon you the King's decree to confer titles upon you who have rendered meritorious service in this rebellion against the tyranny of the Silver Maple Family!

His words immediately sparked a murmur among the people behind Victor: "Duke! Has Count Iron Birch been promoted to Duke?"

"It seems so. Didn't you see that the Marquis from the kingdom say the same thing?"

How lucky!

Do you think we can be promoted to a noble title?

"Don't even think about it. You joined halfway through and haven't even made any contributions, yet you're dreaming of this!"

"However, that Viscount Golden Sunflower is probably about to take a huge leap forward!"

"The Count the Golden Sunflower?"

"More than!"

Wow! He's so young!

"Yes! What's most impressive is that he achieved all these military exploits on his own!"

Seeing that the discussion behind him was getting louder and louder, to the point that it could no longer be ignored, Victor quickly coughed twice, trying to get everyone's attention and successfully interrupting their incessant chatter.

With a smile, he said respectfully, "Your Excellency Duke Alex, Your Excellency Marquis Gelorge, please come with me into the city!"

Soon, a magnificent and exquisitely decorated luxury carriage slowly approached from a distance. This carriage belonged to Grand Duke Mora's collection and was perfect for this important day.

Victor quickly stepped forward, opened the car door himself, and then stood respectfully to the side, waiting for the two distinguished guests to board.

Alex and Gelorge exchanged a glance, nodded knowingly, and then stepped into the carriage.

After the two were seated, Victor gently closed the car door, his movements elegant and swift.

Having done all this, he quickly turned and leaped onto a warhorse, gripping the reins tightly, ready to lead the caravan forward.

At the same time, Alex's guards mounted the warhorses that Victor had prepared in advance and stood guard around the carriage.

As for the other nobles, they followed closely behind, keeping pace with the carriage as it moved forward.