Returning to the Lighthouse, Rekindling Old Affections; the Young Demon General Reveals His Traces

The next morning.

After completing the unit assignments for the members under his command, John waved a hand and granted everyone except those assigned to guard duty a twenty-day leave to return home and visit their families.

Once the leave arrangements had been settled, he followed the procedures for inheriting a title and accompanied the captain of the Royal Guard to the Heraldry Court to discuss commissioning a crest for the Maslow Lineage with the herald.

For the shape of the escutcheon, John chose a classic Gothic shield, with firm lines in a style common throughout the Empire, symbolizing resilience and protection.

The shield face was divided into three sections, though not through simple blocks of color, but through a composition rich in symbolism:

The upper section had a deep blue background, representing the Empire's sky and laws, demonstrating the family's loyalty to the Empire and its new noble status.

The middle section featured a silver wavy band, representing rivers and land, the foundation that nurtured the people and a reflection of his commoner origins.

The lower section had a green background, representing fields and hope, symbolizing the vision of people living and working in peace.

The central motif was the Empire's cornflower: three blooming blue cornflowers, their roots firmly bound to the silver "land," their blossoms stretching upward toward the deep blue "sky."

Together, they symbolized resilience, loyalty, and humility.

The choice of three flowers represented the past, present, and future respectively, signifying the family's inheritance and its responsibility toward the future.

At the center of the shield were a silver longsword and a golden wooden plow, crossed together, with the sword point facing downward and the plowshare upward.

The sword blade represented defense, strength, and sacrifice.

It proclaimed his duty to defend his homeland and its people through