Commendation Ceremony

A full month had passed since Louis arrived in the Red Tide Fief.

Now he stood on a hastily built wooden platform, looking down at the gathered crowd.

Twelve knights clad in iron armor stood in two rows on either side. They deliberately maintained identical postures, lending their lord an even more imposing presence in the firelight.

"Bwooo!"

As the horn's call pierced the night sky, the Red Tide Fief's commendation ceremony officially began.

More than thirty knights of the Red Tide Fief dropped to one knee.

With their left fists pressed against their chests and their knightly swords in their right hands, they recited in unison the oath Louis had written beforehand:

"We believe in the Dragon Ancestor and follow the Lord of the Red Tide!

We pledge our loyalty to Louis Calvin and swear to defend the glory of the Red Tide with our blood and sweat!"

Their powerful oath rang across the square.

Then the entire square erupted in deafening cheers. Soldiers beat their shields, farmers raised hoes and wooden staffs, and even the children joined in the excited shouting.

Louis raised a hand slightly, signaling for silence.

The clamor gradually subsided, and every gaze settled on the young lord.

Only then did Louis begin to speak slowly. "We arrived in the Red Tide Fief a month ago. Back then, this was still a barren wasteland.

We faced poverty, hunger, blizzards, attacks by wild beasts, and other trials."

He paused, sweeping his gaze over the people gathered before him.

"But now we have weathered that first crisis, and we owe that to you.

You built the first houses to shelter us from the cold, so our children and elders no longer had to sleep out in the wind and snow.

You caught the first fish from the river and filled the bellies of our brothers and sisters.

You reclaimed the first field and sowed the first seeds, bringing hope to this barren land."

"All of this was because of you!" Louis declared passionately. "Your sweat has brought this frozen ground to life!"

Most people in the crowd clenched their fists at his words, their eyes reddening with emotion.

When had they ever heard a lord give commoners credit? In the past, simply escaping a whipping had been a blessing.

Louis swept his gaze over the crowd in the square. "Of course, achievement deserves reward. In the Red Tide Fief, no matter who you are, if you work hard enough and remain loyal enough, you will receive your due.

Now I will honor the heroes who have made outstanding contributions to the Red Tide Fief."

As his words fell, the entire square went silent. Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the figure atop the platform.

"Agricultural Officer Mick."

The perpetually stooped middle-aged man stumbled forward, his old, mud-spattered leather boots slipping on the wooden steps.

Yet when he looked up at his lord, his back straightened for the first time in decades.

"Mick, you improved our farming methods and brought this barren land to life."

Louis pointed toward the fields in the distance, which were already beginning to take shape.

"Therefore, I formally promote you to chief agricultural steward, grant you authority over more farmland, and award you an additional plot for experimental planting."

Tears rolled down Mick's face. "Thank you, my lord."

The crowd burst into enthusiastic applause, and many farmers cheered excitedly.

"Craftsmen's representative, Mike."

An old man with skin darkened by the sun strode onto the platform, his face brimming with pride.

"You have shown extraordinary talent in building design, making the Red Tide Fief's houses sturdier and warmer and laying the groundwork for the fief's development."

Louis pointed toward the rows of communal dwellings partly dug into the ground around the square.

"Therefore, I have decided to give you authority to lead the craftsmen's team, along with greater financial support."

Mike trembled with excitement. "I will not disappoint you, my lord!"

"Fisheries Officer Luke."

Over a dozen more people were called onto the platform. They came from all walks of life: knights, craftsmen, hunters, farmers...

Most were of humble birth, and some were even slaves.

Louis stepped forward and personally hung a specially made labor medal around each recipient's neck.

With resources limited, each was merely a wooden medal Louis had commissioned a carpenter to carve with care.

Yet the recipients cradled them gingerly, terrified of dropping them.

Once the awards had been presented, Louis called to the crowd below, "These people have given their sweat and blood for the prosperity of the Red Tide Fief and made tremendous contributions. Let us thank them with applause!"

Clap, clap, clap!

Thunderous applause suddenly rang out, echoing throughout the square.

The recipients stood tall, their eyes filled with tears of excitement. The medals on their chests gleamed brilliantly in the bonfire's light.

They were only ordinary fishermen, hunters, craftsmen, and even lowly slaves.

Yet now they stood before everyone's eyes, receiving the Red Tide Fief's highest honors.

They had never experienced anything like this in their lives.

Had Louis asked them to brave blades and fire at that moment, they would have done so without hesitation.

"Of course, there are others who have worked just as hard. Let us applaud them as well."

As soon as he finished speaking, applause rose again. This time, it was not merely for those on the platform, but for everyone present.

For each of them was making the Red Tide Fief stronger in their own way.

Then Louis slowly swept his gaze over the people in the square whose clothes were ragged and whose bodies still bore slave brands.

Their heads were lowered, a faint light flickering in their eyes, their hearts full of unease and anticipation.

"Today, I will also fulfill another promise."

The slaves' hearts suddenly raced, and for an instant, the air seemed to freeze.

"The following people..."

Louis began reading a string of names, all belonging to slaves who had excelled in labor, construction, land reclamation, and other work over the past month.

Disbelief filled the faces of those whose names were called.

Only when the people beside them gave them a nudge did they come to their senses and walk trembling onto the platform.

"Today, you are officially granted your freedom."

Louis waved his hand, and the knights stepped forward to burn their slave documents.

Tears streamed down their faces as they fell to their knees and kowtowed, thanking Louis for his kindness in the only way they knew.

Meanwhile, complex emotions flickered in the eyes of the slaves who had not yet been freed.

There was envy and regret, but above all, hope.

If I do a little better, it will surely be my turn next time.

"Loyalty and ability matter more than bloodline." Louis's voice echoed across the square.

"From this day forward, the Red Tide Fief will establish a regular reward system. Anyone who contributes to the fief will receive a fitting reward!"

Those words sent the square into an uproar, and hope shone on every face.

Rising beyond their social class was no longer an unreachable dream, but a reality they could achieve through hard work!

"To the prosperity of the Red Tide Fief!" Louis raised his cup.

The strong liquor caught the bonfire's glow, taking on a fiery sheen.

"Cheers!"

Everyone raised their cups and let out deafening cheers.