Three days later, Jiang Jie returned to Lordaeron.
He went to the palace immediately to meet Queen Calia and tell her everything that had happened during this time.
When she heard that the human expeditionary force had defeated Archimonde, gained the friendship of the Night Elf, and had begun building a new city called Theramore, a joyful smile appeared on Calia's face.
But when Jiang Jie told her the approximate death toll, the smile on her face vanished.
Finally, when Jiang Jie told her the details of Southshore, her face was filled with only anger and sorrow. " Arthas, my brother... what are you doing to your people...?"
" Arthas is no longer the prince of Lordaeron, Your Majesty," Bishop Isillien, standing to the side, reminded her.
He was nominated to be the Bishop of Lordaeron Cathedral, but not the Archbishop. Although Lordaeron needed an Archbishop of the Holy Light, he was not yet qualified, nor was anyone else, so the position remained vacant for the time being.
"I know, Isillien." Calia's expression was somewhat displeased. Without even glancing at Isillien, she continued, " Nicholas, there will be a knighting ceremony in two days. Marquis Lawrence is currently drafting the selection of the knights, but only you truly understand the contributions of the Fenris People's Army... Isillien, please ask Marquis Lawrence to come. Also, you don't need to come anymore."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Isillien turned and left.
Marquis Lawrence arrived quickly, along with several other royal dignitaries and nobles.
A long, drawn-out meeting ensued, filled with wrangling and bureaucratic wrangling.
Two days later, the celebration took place as scheduled.
Early in the morning, the residents of Lordaeron were excited and discussing it.
"Have you heard? Earl Nicholas is back! He brings news of victory on another continent! Also, I heard that Earl Nicholas defeated the Scourge once again, right here in Southshore!"
" Earl? Not long now! I think he'll be Marquis Nicholas soon enough!"
"Or... the Duke?"
"That's impossible! Earl Nicholas's merits aren't enough, and his seniority is a problem. Those damned old nobles will definitely object. By the way, I heard that besides Earl Nicholas, many other people will be rewarded this time, at least two or three hundred!"
"Her Majesty is stabilizing morale; it's a very clever tactic! I heard from a relative of the Marquis Lawrence that everyone in the Fenris People's Army will receive a reward this time! The biggest reward will go to Darion! Not only will he be granted a title, but I heard he'll also receive a large fiefdom and several chests of gold!"
"That Darion Mograine? Right, the one that's been making headlines lately, isn't it the bet between Earl Nicholas and Highlord Mograine? I wonder who won and who lost."
"I think Earl Nicholas will definitely win, poor Old Mograine... You don't know yet, do you? Young Mograine is dead! There's supposedly more to the story. People at Tirisfal Monastery are all saying that Young Mograine actually assassinated Old Mograine, just three nights ago..."
"Shut up! Look who's here!"
Old Mograine has arrived.
He arrived on horseback, accompanied by a dozen guards and his chief advisor, " Fairbanks."
Hearing the murmurs from the people on both sides, Old Mograine's face turned very ugly.
The Mograine family's reputation cannot be ruined because of Renault; he secretly made a decision.
Old Mograine soon went to the palace, and the people who had suddenly fallen silent resumed their chatter.
But before they could discuss it for long, they saw two rows of more than fifty soldiers marching in formation.
Members of the Fenris People's Army!
Every member was in high spirits and exuded confidence.
Because of their internal energy cultivation, they all had well-proportioned figures and were full of vitality.
Especially the three standing at the very front— Darion, Sven, and Ivan —were not wearing the most luxurious ceremonial attire, but rather armor covered in scars!
It was even visible that many of them had scars on their bodies.
They're on his face and hands. What might be disfiguring flaws for a woman are, for a man, blood-stained badges of honor, coveted by many women and alluring to them.
Men were envious, women were shouting, and even some noble girls or ladies were screaming wildly, throwing flirtatious glances, clearly interested in some of them, hoping to win the favor of a certain martial artist, or at least have a night of tenderness or a night of madness.
The oldest, Sven, had long since tasted the joys of adulthood, so he was relaxed and at ease, occasionally greeting some seemingly respectable ladies and noblewomen. The younger Darion and Ivan even blushed, having never seen anything like it before. They were still young and not yet at the age to think about such things, unable to resist the teasing of the girls and women.
If nothing unexpected happens, many of the women here will end up in the beds of some martial artists tonight.
As the sun slowly rose, the investiture ceremony officially began.
Uther the Lightbringer was unable to return from Southshore, the investiture ceremony was presided over by Queen Calia herself, with Marquis Lawrence in attendance.
First, Her Majesty the Queen will speak.
The old king had been dead for several months, and this was Her Majesty the Queen's first public appearance and such a grand celebration; one can imagine the emotions of the people.
But the first thing to do at the celebration was not to rejoice, but to grieve and remember.
Only three days had passed since the Battle of Southshore, and many people had not yet heard the news. Her Majesty the Queen's holding of the investiture ceremony under these circumstances was indeed intended to stabilize morale and boost spirits.
Half an hour later, the conferment of titles officially began.
The era of war is the time when heroes emerge in the most chaos, and it is the best time to make a name for oneself. Although many soldiers died in battle, many outstanding soldiers survived, and the Undead and demons they killed have now become the proof of their merits.
Today, a large number of new nobles are destined to emerge, and the vast lands of Tirisfal Glades, the Eastern and Western Plaguelands, and even Hillsbrad Foothills await their new masters.
Those who received the reward were overjoyed, while those who did not were filled with envy. They secretly resolved to join the army, achieve merit, and build a legacy for themselves and their descendants, so that their lives would not have been in vain.
At this moment, a questioning voice rang out:
"Where is Earl Nicholas?"
Yes, where is Earl Nicholas?
People looked around with questions, but no one saw Jiang Jie.
Logically, he should definitely be present on such an occasion, but he hasn't arrived yet.
Some speculated that he went to Stratholme to see the Half-Elf female knight, while others guessed that several noblewomen had knocked on his door yesterday, which was why he was still lying in bed.
Of course, some people also speculated that he was dragged around drinking by four Pandaren until late at night.
But as everyone knows, these are just speculations; they're actually impossible.
So, where did Jiang Jie?