Knight and Wand

Chapter 175: Promotion to a higher position
King Ledwin and the nobles left one after another. The flying dragon took off into the sky, taking away the endless royal army outside the city of Archers.

But not long after, the atmosphere inside and outside the banquet hall, where the decorations had not yet been removed, became grand again.

The person sitting on the throne in the hall was the current owner of this county from Ledwin III.

He holds a scepter, wears a ring of authority, wears a fur cloak, and wears a lord's crown on his head, which symbolizes the Count of Orlando's accession to the throne.

In fact, thanks to the cessation of the previous monarchs' politics, for the hundreds of thousands of people under the current territory of the Farolis family, Elifer's power in the earldom is not much different from that of the "king".

Trumpeters on both sides of the hall blew solemn music, and dozens of ministers who had made great contributions in expanding the territory knelt on one knee in unison, waiting for the family steward to read out the long article of enthronement.

It was obviously impossible for Elifer to hold a conferring ceremony for so many people individually, which was one of the reasons why he tried to summon all the vassals to gather in the city of Aches.

The grand collective enthronement ceremony officially began as Count Thornflower stood up.

The many servants who had followed Elifur on the battlefield were now recognized and granted official knighthood titles.

The Knights of the Flower of Thorns, whose merits did not meet the standards for promotion to nobility, either received generous rewards or owned territories that were several times larger than their previous fiefs.

But the highlight of the ceremony, of course, is the birth of the ten barons within the family's territory.

Not surprisingly, Leon heard that he was among them.

During the entire ceremony, he was also the last one to be crowned by Elifer himself with a sword.

".Leon Pendragon, I hereby appoint you as the Baron of Avalon in my name, and grant you eighteen fiefs across the two hundred territories of the original land, from Avalon Castle in the west to Riverbend in the east, from Borivor in the north to Mineral Bluff in the south."

?

Castle Avalon?!
The barons and knights who were originally quiet around couldn't help but open their eyes wide.

We have come all the way to Glade County, and everyone present has seen the majesty of the fortress.

Even though Leon had made sufficient preparations due to the other party's generosity and repeated appreciation, his heartbeat still accelerated slightly.

He didn't expect that Elifer would so easily give him the valley pass at the node of the avenue, a fortress with extremely important location and immeasurable value?
You know, the area of ​​​​the two hundred "Orland Original Territory" alone is not small.

Converting the large area units commonly used in the Northern Kingdom, it is roughly equivalent to more than 500 square kilometers on Earth in the previous life.

Just by looking at the data on paper, Leon realized that the scope of his territory had increased five hundred times in one go. Even though it was estimated that the actual controlled area was less than one-tenth of what was on paper, and more than half was still located in the deserted Nightmare Forest, there were more than a dozen places in the documents that clearly stated that the villages and towns of Orland and Kantadar that had long existed outside the forest were not false.

With such a large territory and a population that has increased at least tenfold, Leon would have felt satisfied even if he had not been granted Castle Avalon.

However, since the other party had already spoken the words of enthronement, Leon had no reason to refuse.

Who complains about having too much land? The more the better.

It's just that the ancient fortress that he had weighed the pros and cons and sent away with sincerity has now returned to his hands after a circle. It would be a lie to say that he is not excited.

A castle. Or a large fortress with complete and advanced infrastructure.

If he were to build it with his own money, let alone whether he could afford it, even if he could afford it, he probably wouldn't be able to see the day it was completed even when he was in his seventies or eighties.
What made him even happier was that he no longer had to sneak around to see Laura and have a secret meeting. Intending to move as soon as possible, he did not dare to neglect the etiquette of canonization and immediately spoke out, swearing allegiance to Elifer and Farolis again.

Elifer nodded, very satisfied with the unconcealable joy in the young man's eyes.

This is also what he hopes to see.

As for the decision to grant Avalon to the other party, it was not a sudden decision.

He had already had this plan in mind when he asked the other party to name the ancient land in the family legend.

After sheathing the dwarf steel sword, Elifer took the long sword that was almost identical to the "Blade of Thorns" from the waiter beside him and handed it to Leon.

"This is the sword I once ordered to be made to replace the 'Blade of Thorns'.

You became connected with the thorn flower because you returned my family heirloom. Today, now that it has completed its mission, I will give you this sharp blade that has been inseparable from me in the past. From this moment on, you are not only my warrior, but also the protector of thousands of people.

I hope you will continue to use justice as your banner and courage as your sword to defend this land that has brought you glory."

Holding the noble sword, which was not made of dwarven steel but was equally valuable, Leon stood up and replied, "I will live up to your trust."

The next day, the king and his ministers took a leisurely stroll in the garden of Achesne Castle.

During the conversation, Elifer heard Leon's doubts and shook his head and laughed, "Are you wondering why I am so generous?"

Leon lowered his head and looked at the "fake Thorn Sword" on his waist that replaced the original spare long sword. Then he looked up and flattered sincerely: "I am very grateful for your generosity, but Avalon Fortress is now an important pass connecting the kingdom to the south, and it is also your 'ancestral land'. Why would you trust it to a young boy like me?"

"How many young men as lucky and brave as you can be found on the continent?" Elliver laughed and patted Leon on the shoulder: "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have the chance to expand my territory like today. If I don't trust you, there will be no one in the Thorn Flower family that I can trust.

As for the ancestral land, remember what I said, let the past return to the dust of time. I have decided to leave the past behind, so why should I cling to something that has bound the descendants of Farolis for generations? Although the fortress is valuable, to me, it is no different from any other town on Farolis. "

Elifer put down his hand and suddenly asked Leon: "Is the boy from the Wolf family still in your territory?"

"He's helping me look after the territory in Selva," Leon said calmly, even though Canis was actually in his pocket.

Count Thornflower nodded, and then expressed more practical considerations: "Avalon is the most important pass on the north-south road, but it is also located just south of the Wolf Territory. Such a large fortress cannot hide it. I am always worried that the Wolf Family will take advantage of it in the future.

I gave it to you not only because of your outstanding performance in defending Longka, but also because you have no deep grudge against the Wolf Family, and you were able to convince the young master of Gunnar. With this kind of relationship, I think no one is more suitable than you to guard the western border for the Thorn Flower Family and guard against the Wolf Family's covetousness."

Leon was a little surprised when he heard this.

"But having said that, it is also true that your foundation is still shallow. Until your army is established and can ensure the defense of Avalon, I will not immediately withdraw the garrison in the city. But you don't have to worry about anything. They will not interfere in your territorial affairs." Elliver reminded.

Leon nodded: "I have soldiers under your command to help me defend my territory, so why should I worry about it?"

Elifer raised his eyebrows and said, "Hey! Don't be too happy too soon, kid. Although you don't have to pay the soldiers, you still have to provide them with food and fodder after you take over the territory. Don't let my brave and capable young men starve."

Leon smiled at the Lord's joke and said, "You're joking. This is my duty."

(End of this chapter)