Imperial Crown.

Chapter 158 Gathering in Ironforge

Ingres' funeral was held shortly after the news of his death was announced.

In the morning light, the carriage driven by Eric stopped outside Ironforge.

Weston was the first to jump down, and Raven walked out of the car, holding Denise's hand and helping her out.

Judra, who had been waiting at the door to greet the guests, came over immediately, her eyes involuntarily falling on Denise.

She was wearing a plain dark blue silk dress and her make-up was also very simple and elegant, but she looked more radiant and charming than she had been a few months ago, just like a fresh and attractive orchid.

Looking at Raven, a hint of jealousy rose in Judra's heart, but she did not show it.

He walked forward enthusiastically, gave Raven a big hug, nodded to Weston, and gently took Denise's hand and kissed her hand.

Before he could savor the soft touch of Denise's palm, the hand had already retracted.

"Mr. Judra," Raven said, "I am deeply sorry for the death of Baron Angel."

While speaking, Raven was also observing Judra's reaction.

The eldest son of the Wharton family looked a little haggard, with his cheeks slightly red from excitement, giving people the feeling that he had not slept for three days and three nights.

Judea showed a sad expression when she heard Raven's words: "Father is too obsessed with cultivation and has completely forgotten his age. It's all my fault for not being able to persuade him..."

He rubbed his fingers across his eyes, but could not wipe out a single tear.

Raven said meaningfully, "Mr. Judra, don't be too sad. I think Baron Angel will be pleased to see that the Wharton family has a vigorous and capable heir."

"I hope so." Judra's eyelids twitched slightly.

After the greetings, Judra led Raven and the others into the castle. At the door, there was a pair of children in black clothes guarding there. When they saw everyone coming, they all bowed and saluted.

"This is my daughter, Vicki."

Judra introduced the girl and turned to the boy, with a hint of relief and pride in her tone: "This is my son, Barney, who previously studied at Asbell Academy in Mon'en City."

The boy also straightened his chest. He looked to be about eleven or twelve years old. He was tall, well-proportioned and upright, with a very military air. His eyes and eyebrows resembled his father, and he was simply a smaller version of Judra.

Asbell Academy is a well-known aristocratic school. It seems that Judra is training him as his heir.

Seeing this scene, Raven became more and more confused about Angel.

The eldest son is capable and the grandson is growing up, so why must the inheritance rights be given to Mark?

This can only be attributed to Angel's paranoid personality, his preference for Mark and his complete disregard for gains and losses.

If he hadn't been so stubborn, he wouldn't have been so at a loss at Donald's funeral, and he wouldn't have died so early.

Judra was welcoming guests outside the castle, while Mark was in charge of reception at the entrance of the hall. Even at his father's funeral, the youngest son of the Wharton family refused to lose sight of the limelight.

She wore a black dress with black lace on the chest, wrists and waist, and warmly welcomed every guest.

The moment he saw Raven, Mark smiled and bowed, "Baron Raven, I am relieved that you can put aside the past and come to my father's funeral."

Raven nodded slightly in return. Mark turned to Denise again, suppressed the heat in his eyes, and pulled Denise's finger very measuredly: "Ms. Denise, your beauty is enough to dim the stars. The Angel's Tears label you designed is simply a work of art."

Weisdong on the side straightened up, ready to meet Mark's enthusiasm.

However, Mark just shook his hand: "Welcome, Weisdong."

After saying that, Mark did not forget to nod at Eric.

"I have prepared fine wine for the Griffith family. Please take a seat."

Raven and his party entered the hall and sat down. Mark's eyes stayed on Raven's back for a long time before he retracted them.

The speed at which the Griffith family rose far exceeded his expectations, or rather, everyone's expectations. A year ago, this family was still struggling to survive in Eagle Town, but now it has become an overlord in Xuefeng County that cannot be ignored.

Raven was even a year younger than him!
That's why he was so polite to Raven and his group.

Of course, with the exception of Weisdong, if he hadn't come with Raven and the others, Mark wouldn't have let him step into the hall.

Mark even felt a little regretful that he did not show goodwill to Raven earlier, otherwise he would have received a powerful assist.

Fortunately, his brother's relationship with Raven was even worse.

Denise, Weston and Eric sat down at the round table, while Raven himself, holding a glass of wine, came to Angel's coffin.

The coffin was filled with ice, which prevented Angel's body from rotting.

His fiery red hair was disheveled like spilled blood, his huge nose was covered with frost, he was wearing fine plate armor, his hands were crossed in front of his chest, holding a long sword.

Even with makeup on, you can still see the densely packed bulging blood vessels beneath the skin.

"What a failure, old man." Raven said in a voice that only he could hear.

When Angel was alive, the sale of Angel's Tears was strictly prohibited in the entire Ironforge County, but now this wine fills the hall.

His death itself did not cause much stir, and even his family did not feel sad for him.

Judra behaved very well, but there was no sorrow in her eyes; the two children were just affected by the atmosphere and were a little depressed; as for Mark, except when welcoming guests, his eyes were always fixed on Judra and he didn't even glance at the coffin.

As time went by, more and more guests came into the hall and it gradually became lively.

From time to time, nobles came forward to chat with Raven. The topics of conversation basically started from the weather, to the arrangements for today's funeral, and ended with the drinks. Raven felt quite bored, but he couldn't save his face and refuse.

With the arrival of Viscount John, Raven's troubles were finally resolved. The nobles bowed and left, leaving the two men with space to talk alone.

"Baron Raven, how does it feel to be the center of attention?" Viscount John asked with a smile. Raven was stunned for a moment, then he suddenly realized.

He was a little confused at first, wondering why these nobles were talking about boring things without even any gossip. Viscount John's words enlightened him - there were differences in rank among the nobles. Now Raven was a baron in name but a viscount in reality. If he didn't lead the conversation, how would others dare to speak?
After figuring this out, Raven shook his head and smiled, changing the subject: "I didn't expect you to come here in person. Are you done with the new territory?"

"Almost. The serfs have been counted and will be transported here in a month or two at most." Viscount John said, "That's why I came back to attend the funeral of an old friend and to supervise the relocation of Xuefeng Territory."

Raven nodded slowly. Although Xuefeng Territory had been exchanged, it was the place where Viscount John had lived for generations. In addition to the treasury and serfs, the ancestral tombs also had to be moved, which would take some time.

"Now that Fisher is dead, his successor is not very capable and has a very poor reputation." Viscount John continued, "After I leave, you will be the most famous and powerful person in the entire Xuefeng County. The position of county governor should not fall to others."

Raven asked, "You have been the sheriff for so long, is there anything you can teach me?"

"You are smarter than me, and you will definitely do better than me in the details." Viscount John smiled and shook his head:

"But even among the five northwestern counties, Xuefeng County is the one closest to the border. External transportation is of utmost importance. There are a few people you need to pay attention to."

Raven looked at Baron Kate who was talking in a low voice. "First of all, let's take him. His territory is adjacent to Savery County and guards the trade road leading to Hovi City."

"You also know Baron Kate, so I won't say much." Viscount John showed a satisfied smile: "This is the one you really need to pay attention to."

Following Viscount John's finger, Raven saw a middle-aged man around forty years old, who was a little bloated and looked very amiable.

"That's Baron Zeyi." Raven pointed out his name. "He seemed to be the first one to retreat among the nobles who followed Fisher, and he suffered the least loss."

Viscount John said, "That's right. Baron Zeyi is known for his shrewdness. If his territory wasn't right next to Fisher's, he wouldn't have gone with him. If you want to win him over, you'll have to put in a lot of effort."

"As for the other nobles, you will have plenty of time to get to know them slowly in the future. Most of them are mediocre and not worth worrying about."

Raven gradually came up with an idea in his mind. Baron Zeyi's territory was adjacent to Hippok County and guarded the trade route leading to Monn City. Only by capturing him could the Eagle Territory develop better.

While the two were talking, Judra had returned to the hall with her two children, which meant that the funeral was about to officially begin.

The nobles who were originally wandering around took their seats one after another. Raven also said goodbye to Viscount John and walked towards his seat.

At the same time, Raven scanned the entire scene, paying attention to every detail.

Ingres's coffin was placed on a high platform at the end of the hall. As the hall was relatively small, even though the round tables were arranged in an orderly manner, it still seemed a bit crowded in front of more than 200 guests. The air became humid and turbid under the burning of torches and candles.

Since there was no temperature control array, even Raven's forehead was wet. He returned to the table, refused the wine glass handed to him by Eric on his left, took the handkerchief handed to him by Denise on his right, and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Suddenly, accompanied by the sound of calm footsteps, a figure walked out from the side corridor with heavy steps.

He has a strong physique, is at least 1.9 meters tall, has dark skin, and when he takes a step, he gives people the feeling that he is a moving rockery.

This scene not only attracted Raven's attention, but also attracted the attention of the nobles present - because he was wearing a complete set of enchanted plate armor.

The plate armor was completely black, with the wolf head emblem of the Wharton family engraved on the chest, and a broad and heavy sword emitting an enchanted light hung on the waist.

The sturdy man who was as big as a rockery walked to Ingres' coffin, bowed, and then stood aside to watch.

There was a murmur of discussion, and even Denise asked in a low voice: "Who is this man, and why is he here wearing armor?"

Having been treated differently by Mark before, Weisdong had been holding his breath and wanted to prove himself. Now that the opportunity had come, he immediately spoke up: "That's Seberon, Angel's old dog. He has followed Angel the longest, is a second-level knight, and possesses a rare shadow fighting spirit."

"He's wearing armor, perhaps for safety's sake. After all, the chaos in the Nord province hasn't completely subsided. This is understandable."

It wasn't just Visdon who made this claim, and what happened next solidified this speculation.

There are a total of four knights in the Wharton family, and two more are coming here now.

The two men were of similar age, around thirty, and were also wearing enchanted armor with the Wharton family crest printed on it.

They walked past Mark, nodded slightly in greeting, and also bowed in front of Angel's coffin. One stood next to Ceberon, and the other stood on the left side of the coffin.

This time, without waiting for Denise to ask, Weston explained, "Of these two people, the one standing next to Seberon is named Sari, a first-level storm knight. It is said that his swordsmanship is very unique, which may be the inheritance of the elves."

"The other one has a beard and uses a mace as his weapon. His name is Byram, and he is a first-level poison knight. Both of them were introduced to Mark by Angel."

boom--

The closed door blocked out the air flow and most of the sunlight, making the air in the hall even more stuffy and the atmosphere even more depressing.

The knight in charge of closing the door walked through the crowd. The smooth surface of his black heavy armor reflected the candlelight, and the long sword at his waist hit his leg armor, making a crisp sound.

Weisdong continued to introduce in a low voice: "This is Judela's lackey, named Yaden, only first level, and like his master, a flame knight."

Denise's eyes lit up with delight. She had not expected that her son could know all the knights of the Wharton family by heart. It seemed that his acting lordship for the past few months was not in vain.

She reached out to touch Visdon's head, but Visdon shrank his neck and turned his head to avoid his mother's touch. He looked past Denise and looked at Raven expectantly.

Raven stretched out two fingers and circled his temples, signaling Visdon to think more.

Weisdong was stunned, his eyes swept across the four knights again, and then looked at Judra and Mark in formal wear, with a hint of understanding in his eyes, and whispered: "I understand, brother, this time..."

"Shh." Raven put his finger to his lips and smiled. "It's good that you know."

At this moment, Aiden walked up to Byram and stood beside him, bowed deeply to the coffin, then raised his head and nodded slightly to Judra.

Judra walked to the coffin, and her eyes were red before she opened her mouth.

He looked at the many guests, took a deep breath, and said loudly:

"Dear gentlemen and ladies, I am grateful to see you come to Ironforge to attend the funeral of my dear father, the Imperial Baron, Anger Ota Walton."

……

(End of this chapter)