Imperial Crown.

Chapter 205 Knighthood
As Raven's birthday was approaching, everyone in Eagle Castle was on high alert and carried out a comprehensive cleaning. The flowers in the vases had to be changed every half a day, and even the rooms that had been uninhabited for a long time were re-cleaned more than once, for fear that anything might go wrong.

Although the Baron is magnanimous, the butler, Mr. Gordon, is a very hard-working person.

So Raven became the one with the most free time.

As the protagonist of this birthday party, he only needs to dress elegantly and appropriately, and appear at the right time to enjoy everyone's blessings and admiration.

He sat in the study, his feet on the desk, the gold thread used for decoration hanging from his trousers, swaying back and forth with his movements: "If I were to say that my life was all built from scratch..."

Fiona, who was sitting opposite him, frowned and lowered her head to hide her eye roll.

After more than ten minutes, Raven's voice gradually stopped, and he still felt a little unsatisfied.

"The Baron's energy is really up and down." Fiona finally had the opportunity to interrupt: "But Baron, in one hour... no, in half an hour, your birthday party will officially begin."

Raven waved his hand nonchalantly, "Got it, go out and call Petey in."

Fiona left, and as soon as she closed the door, her face fell, and then she let out a long sigh.

The torture is finally over!

She walked to Petty and said weakly, "Sister Petty, the Baron wants you to come in."

Seeing this, Petty covered her mouth and smiled: "Did the Baron scold you?"

"No, I just listened to his story of how he made his fortune..."

"What's this?"

"But this is the sixth time!! The sixth time!!!"

"A lot?" Patty blinked. "I've heard it thirty-seven times."

Fiona was speechless for a moment and gave Patty a thumbs up.

Raven had no special purpose in asking Patty to come in, and he didn't support her in such a short time. He just wanted Patty to touch up his makeup.

According to Raven's own thoughts, he would call up three or five good friends, find a place they often go, order a few dishes, a few bottles of good wine, eat, drink, chat, and go to a restaurant, sing, barbecue, and sauna. That's what it means to celebrate a birthday.

Now this banquet is more for political purposes. Since it is a political task, of course we have to present ourselves in the best possible way.

This can be regarded as a little helplessness of being a lord.

Wearing a formal suit, Raven came to the hall.

It can be seen that old Gordon put a lot of thought into this birthday party.

Unlike the cocktail party, there were no magic lamps. Instead, hundreds of lanterns were hung. These lanterns were connected together, filling the entire space with dim yellow light, without any shadows.

Solemn, serious, yet with a hint of warmth.

The tables and chairs were arranged in a crescent shape, with the center of the circle falling right on Raven's seat, like a shield protecting Raven. It was not only beautiful, but also highlighted Raven's dignity as a baron.

With a light cough from old Gordon, the originally noisy hall suddenly became quiet. All the guests stood up straight, the men took off their hats, and the women nodded:
"Lord Baron!"

The neat sound echoed between the walls.

Raven walked to the seat and stood still, looking around:
"Everyone, welcome to my birthday party - although common sense says that I should introduce myself, I don't think it's necessary, right?"

This sentence itself may not be funny, but it conveyed Raven's thoughts, so a low laugh was heard, relaxing the originally serious atmosphere a lot.

Raven said with emotion: "Two years ago, Eagle Town was still a ruin, and the so-called Baron Griffith was just an empty title."

"Two years later, it is no exaggeration to say that Eagle Town has become the most prosperous town in the five northwestern counties, and I, Raven Ota Griffith, have become a member of the Nord Province that cannot be ignored."

“All of this is inseparable from the efforts of everyone here. It is because of your help that I can achieve what I have today.”

"I have never forgotten your contributions, and today is the day to redeem them."

As he spoke, he clapped his hands lightly, and two of his personal soldiers came over to him with a wooden frame and put it down. On the frame was the sword "Number One in the World" made purely of star iron.

"Today, I will confer titles on four people."

Holding the hilt of the sword, Raven pulled it out. The humming sound from the dark sword edge, from high pitch to low, also touched everyone's heartstrings.

"The first person to be canonized is a young man. He joined the Eagle Army at the age of seventeen. After only two months of training, he stood on the front line and suffered the baptism of blood and fire."

"It was he who risked his life to open up a path to the bloody heights. It was also he who worked tirelessly as the eyes and ears of the army, working tirelessly and executing every order."

"He is friendly to his comrades and has good intentions, but he can also use ruthless methods against his enemies."

"Simon, come forward!"

Simon was a little dazed when his name was called. He swallowed and looked around in disbelief.

Volav smacked him hard on the shoulder, and Link raised an eyebrow at him.

Simon was then certain that the Baron was really calling him. He rubbed the corner of his clothes nervously - the touch from his fingertips was not as rough as usual, but smooth.

Yes, this was his first time attending a banquet as a guest and his first time wearing silk clothes.

It seems that I will wear this outfit for a long time.

He walked up to Raven and knelt on one knee, the heavy sword pressing on his shoulder.

Raven said, "Today, as the head of the Griffith family, the lord of Eagle Territory and Snow Maple Territory, and the Imperial Baron, I grant you the status of a knight, as well as 2000 acres of land and 100 households of people."

Simon took a deep breath, and with trembling lips he uttered the oath that he had secretly memorized for a long time but never thought he could actually say:
"I swear to be kind to the weak and to resist violence; I swear to fight against all wrongs and to fight for the defenseless; I swear to help anyone who asks me for help and not to hurt any woman; I swear to help my brother knight, treat my friends sincerely, and be loyal to my love until death."

"I wish to be the Baron's unbreakable sword and indestructible armor!!"

Simon stretched out his hands, and a red and white knot fell between them, which was the proof of his knighthood.

From today on, he is no longer a serf and is qualified to be called "Master". His mother and grandmother will be respectfully called "Madam" and his sister will be called "Miss".

There is still a fiefdom waiting for him to manage.

2000 acres of fiefdom, or 1 square kilometer, can be said to be the bottom line for a knight.

But it was a fiefdom after all. He could build his own castle, have his own servants, and pass down his name as a surname!
After bowing and thanking Raven, Simon staggered back to his seat from the stage in a daze, as if he was walking on clouds. Everything seemed so unreal.

There were many looks from all around, some of them were envious, some were jealous, and some were even full of sour contempt.

This made Simon wonder if his performance just now was too embarrassing.
But this feeling did not last long, because Link, who was sitting not far from him, was also called.

This senior didn't perform any better than him.

He was so excited that he almost fell down in front of Baron Raven. When he swore the oath, his voice was out of tune and he almost said "Lord Baron" as "Lord Gay". Watching Link walk back from the stage, Eric became more and more anxious.

Simon and Link were both his old subordinates, but now they were knighted before him. This was not a very good experience, and it also made his confidence begin to waver.

He even began to wonder if he had done something wrong and was hated by the Baron.

Raven continued, "The third person to be canonized is a warrior."

"When Eagle Castle was at its weakest, he supported the remaining military force and deterred the villains from making any rash moves."

"It was him who put all his energy into the development of the Eagle Army, allowing me to improve myself without any worries."

"It was him who bravely fought on the bloody plateau, beheaded strong men of the same level, chased down the traitors of the Iron Legion, and even defeated many enemies with fewer people, achieving a stunning result!"

"Eric Dyson, move forward!!"

Eric slowly stood up and saw the smile in Raven's eyes. At this moment, he thought of Donald.

Donald had the same smile when he recruited him.

Over the next decade or so, as the Griffith family declined, Eric would often dream of this scene. Every time he woke up, he would feel more and more regretful and sad, lamenting why he had stepped into this endless quagmire.

He stepped forward to Raven, as if he had walked out of a quagmire, then knelt heavily, breathing heavily.

Two years.

It only took Baron Raven two years to give him the wealth and honor that he had never obtained in more than ten years of following Donald, allowing him to proudly declare to the outside world that he was a knight of the Griffith family!
"...I grant you the status of a knight, 6000 acres of land, and 300 households!"

Hearing this, Eric pounded his chest with his right hand and recited the oath aloud.

He poured all his emotion into this oath, and he had a feeling that his fate was firmly tied to that of the Baron.

Becoming a knight is not the end, but the beginning!

His name, Eric Dyson, will be passed down forever with the Baron!
When Eric returned to his seat, he could clearly feel the difference in the atmosphere. Except for Simon and Link, everyone was looking at Raven eagerly.

Fili, Kuman, Volaf, Poirot, and even the two gray dwarves, Sohei and Bowell, were like this.

Yes, the Baron said that he would confer titles on four knights, so who would be the fourth?
The gray dwarf is impossible, and Poirot’s hope is not great either. Could the last one be Volaf?

However, it seems inappropriate to give all the quotas for knighthood to the army.

It’s impossible for Kuman, so... this advantage will fall on Philip’s head?
Under everyone's expectant eyes, Raven said slowly:
“The last person to be canonized has worked hard and done great things.”

"He has served in Eagle Castle since he was fourteen years old. He witnessed the decline of the Griffith family and watched the Griffith family rise again."

"He maintained the finances of this ancient family and its remaining dignity with great effort; and after seeing hope, he burned his remaining body without hesitation."

"Gordon Ramsay, come forward."

Astonishment was everyone's first feeling. No one thought that a steward would be canonized.

But after the astonishment, there was a continuous applause.

Indeed, there are very few precedents in history of canonizing butlers as knights, but Gordon is different. His hard work is seen by everyone.

He was in charge of the planning and construction of Xiongying Town and was in charge of the logistical supply of the army.

In fact, since Denise left, he has been involved in almost every financial matter, but he has never pocketed any of it, as everyone present can attest.

Old Gordon was overwhelmed with emotions and even forgot how to move.

"Go ahead, Grandpa." Fiona gently pushed his shoulder: "You deserve it!"

Deserve it?

In fact, the exact news that Raven was going to be knighted had been circulating for nearly a week. Old Gordon had tried to ask for the spot several times, but in the end he was unable to do so.

In his opinion, it is a natural duty for a butler to devote himself to his master. How could he seek credit from the Baron just for doing what is within his duty?

He really didn't dare to overstep his duties as a steward.

Unexpectedly, the Baron always remembered his contributions and hard work.

He walked up to Raven and knelt down. When the tip of the sword was placed on his shoulder, old Gordon's tears flowed.

His hard work was not forgotten and brought him rewards far beyond his expectations.

He also obtained a piece of territory and could build a manor, so that even if he died, Fiona would have the capital to survive.

All four knights were canonized, and Raven put away his sword.

When the world's number one sword was carried down, the banquet officially began, and it was a lively climax from the very beginning.

After celebrating Raven's birthday together, people began to gather around the four new knights and toasted them. Old Gordon couldn't hold his liquor, so the young man Simon was pushed to the front.

The air was filled with the aroma of wine.

Those who were canonized were jubilant, while those who were not canonized were full of motivation.

This ceremony made it clear to them that no matter who you are or what your identity is, as long as you work hard for the Baron, you will be rewarded. He will see every bit of your effort and contribution!
Lord Raven is a baron in name but a viscount in reality. He can legitimately confer titles on more than a dozen knights.

There are still many vacancies and the future is still long. These four people are the ones today, but they may not be the ones in the future!
Raven sat on his throne, watching the lively banquet with a smile on his face.

He could understand the misconduct of the canonized ones, and he could also understand the desires and ambitions of the rest.

That feeling is like after working hard for a long time, not only did you get material rewards and own your own house, but you also got a promotion in your position.

From an employee, he became the boss in charge of an independent subsidiary.

Raven felt the same way as they did when they first acquired the new territory.

Patty walked through the bustling crowd, approached Raven, and whispered in a low voice.

Raven's eyes lit up, he quietly stood up, changed into his formal attire, and left Eagle Castle.

Ten minutes later, he knocked on the side door of the church.

The door opened and Lux's voice sounded softly, "You're here."

"I told you I'd give you a birthday present."

……

(End of this chapter)