Mount and Blade System: Start from Pioneer Lords.

Chapter 474 The men of Gaoyabao are as handsome as mountains, and the women of Gaoyabao are as beautiful as water.

"Gentlemen," Li Wei raised his glass, breaking the slightly somber atmosphere in the banquet hall, "a toast to the friendship between the North and High Cliff Fortress!"

His voice was loud and clear, with an undeniable infectious quality.

Tina smiled, raised her glass, and echoed, "To friendship."

Flina also raised her wine glass, her gaze sweeping over her vassals and generals below, her voice clear: "For the future of the North."

With both the commander-in-chief and the future marriage partner having spoken, the nobles of the North, no matter what their own thoughts might be, could only raise their glasses and shout in unison, "For the Duke! For the North!"

With the clinking of glasses, the atmosphere finally became a little more lively, but an indescribable sense of distance and scrutiny still lingered in the air.

An elderly count from the North, his face scarred, took the opportunity of offering a toast to look at Li Wei, his tone revealing the straightforwardness characteristic of the North, even bordering on rudeness: "Lord Li Wei, please forgive my bluntness. The North respects the strong, and we all admire your resolution of the undead calamity. However, marriage is no small matter. According to Northern tradition, a duke's husband must be a valiant warrior..."

"Oh? You want to have a duel with me?" The lord's eyes lit up, and he asked with great excitement.

If he could win the favor of these northern nobles through martial arts competition and prevent them from becoming alienated from High Cliff Fortress, he would be more than happy to play along with them.

These guys will become his subordinates sooner or later. I wouldn't say I'd go too far, but they'll definitely need to stay in bed for a few days to recover.

The scarred man froze, and the nobles around him immediately lowered their heads, staring intently at their wine glasses, as if it had nothing to do with their mere copper coins.

Everyone knows that this dragon knight's martial arts skills are exquisite and his cultivation has reached a state of perfection. He has killed countless famous and powerful figures. The only outcome of fighting against him is being mercilessly beaten like an old farmer selling vegetables.

With their rudimentary skills, they wouldn't stand a chance even if they all attacked together.

“Ahem…” The scarred nobleman coughed twice and said sincerely, “Your Majesty, your valor is like the Andes Mountains standing in the North. It doesn’t need to prove its existence to the world, because it is already there.”

"What I'm trying to say is that the North has its own culture, and High Cliff Fortress has its own culture. Why don't we let each other see each other's cultures?"

Frena maintained her smile.

Li Wei glanced at her and instantly understood everything. This was just a social dance party, and he burst into laughter.
"You want a debate with words, not a fight, right?"

“That’s not wrong.” The scarred nobleman nodded with a smile.

"Actually, I'd also like to see what kind of culture the Northern Territory has. Our men of High Cliff Fortress are skilled in both singing and martial arts, and I especially remember the 'Blood Boiling' war dance of the orcs, which originated from the ancient orc empire. Why don't we compare them with yours and see what your respective cultural atmosphere is like?" The lord glanced around, a smile on his face. "What are your thoughts, everyone? This isn't a one-man show; you're welcome to offer your opinions."

Lords always have great patience when dealing with newcomers.

Moreover, he firmly believed that the hostility and estrangement were temporary, and once these guys were added to the system's team, they would soon understand what the thrill of leveling up was like.

This can be seen from the barbarians of Gaoyabao.

"No problem." Most of the nobles smiled and raised their glasses, many of whom were acquaintances of the lord.

A small number of people reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Li Wei laughed loudly, picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, "Then let's drink until we drop tonight for tomorrow's dance!"

This completely ignited the atmosphere of the banquet.

The people of the North revere the strong, and they see drinking as a battlefield. Li Wei's bold and unrestrained drinking perfectly hits their sweet spot.

Regardless of tomorrow's outcome, at least in all fairness, this future duke is indeed a perfect fit.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and lively conversation, the original barriers seemed to have melted away considerably.

After the banquet ended, everyone dispersed.

Li Wei accompanied Frena through the somewhat dilapidated palace corridors, where moonlight streamed through the not-yet-fully-repaired window frames.

“Li Wei, although I am the Duke of the North, I also represent the interests of many families and nobles,” Freyna said softly. “Many old nobles with rigid thinking do not agree to this political marriage because they are worried about becoming a complete vassal of High Cliffs and losing some benefits in the process.”

Li Wei stopped and leaned against a pillar, the moonlight illuminating his smiling profile: "Of course I know, but in the rolling torrent of our progress, everyone has to give way, or they will be crushed to dust."

"Don't worry, I'm not a bloodthirsty devil. I will give them the fairest choice." Li Wei chuckled. "Perfect, it will also let you and your proud knights and nobles see that your future husband is not just a brute. My artistic talent is enough to easily amaze even the elven girl."

He reached out and gently brushed aside a strand of red hair that had been ruffled by the wind from Freya's forehead, his movement natural.

Frena rolled her eyes at him, her cheeks seeming to flush slightly, but thankfully the darkness concealed it.

"Get some rest, my dear Frena." Levi withdrew his hand, his tone becoming lighter. "Remember to come and cheer me on."

After saying that, he waved his hand casually and turned to walk towards his residence.

Flina stood there, watching his figure disappear at the end of the corridor. After a long while, she let out a soft breath, touched the hair on her forehead that had just been touched, and turned to walk in the opposite direction.

The night breeze blew by, carrying a chill, but it couldn't dispel certain emotions that were quietly growing, emotions that she herself hadn't fully realized yet.

……

Back in the spacious palace courtyard, Tina and the other beauties were lounging on velvet sofas in the hall, idly looking at the memory crystals.

It was Digen who recorded the Lord's battle in Gonda last time.

"How was your chat with Frina?" Tina suddenly asked with a smile.

The lord, who had tiptoed in, immediately felt like he had caught his lover in bed with someone else, but with his thick skin, he would have been dead if he had actually thought about it.

"It's alright. Anyway, even if some people are unhappy, they can't cause any major trouble." Li Wei plopped down in the middle of the group and grabbed an apple from the table to eat.

"Are we confident?" Tina couldn't help but ask. "Actually, Darling, you can postpone the time. As long as Elder Tang Jin and the others arrive in Gundar, with the elves' graceful dances and Tiffany's beautiful singing voice, we have no chance of losing."

This ball may appear to be just a social gathering, but it's definitely a place where the loser loses face.

The beauty of elves is universally acknowledged as unparalleled, not to mention their dancing, but now Li Wei is inviting orcs to the ball, like inviting an old farmer selling vegetables to the stage to sing poetry.

Otherwise, how could those northern nobles have agreed so quickly?

"When have you ever seen me fight a battle I wasn't confident of winning?" Li Wei laughed: "I'm going to completely change the world's perception that the men of Gaoyabao are all all-rounders with both martial arts and superb skills."

"Only losers have this kind of overconfident arrogance. I can hear that arrogance in your tone," Sersney said sarcastically from the side.

“I also see something in your eyes.” Li Wei glanced at her. “What?” Sersney frowned.

"Admiration." The lord smiled.

Sersney immediately shut her mouth, but her eyes flashed with a piercing light.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm so afraid you'll fall in love with me," the lord continued to tease her.

He had never tolerated the sharp-tongued Black Dragon Queen.

"I'll fall in love with you?" Seresne rolled her eyes. "Your narcissism and shamelessness are indeed directly proportional."

Tina stood to the side, smiling.

"Thank you for the compliment." Li Wei said nonchalantly.

Sersney choked on her words, looking utterly dejected, which only made her feel more suffocated.

Tina covered her mouth and chuckled: "Then we'll wait and see. But, darling, I remember the orcs' 'Blood Boiling' war dance is more of a dance to show strength and wildness. Is it really appropriate to use it at a ball to compete in culture? Isn't it a bit too fierce?"

“That’s exactly the effect we wanted!” Li Wei finished his apple in a couple of bites, clapped his hands, and said, “Don’t the Northerners pride themselves on their bravery and strength? We’ll shock them with the purest power and wild beauty. Besides, who says culture can only be gentle poetry and elegant swan dance? The ancient war dance of the orcs, with its rich history, is itself a very high art.”

He stood up and stretched: "Alright, you guys keep watching. I have to go and take charge myself to make sure they don't just focus on yelling and pounding their chests tomorrow and forget about rhythm and formation. Especially, they can't let their true beast blood boil and tear the place down."

In the ancient orc empire, the priests, besides their various powerful curses and blessing spells, were most skilled at war dances, commonly known as shamanic dances.

They can often exert various group support capabilities.

Because of the war, the Orc Empire has lost its former glory, and many things have been lost, including the war dance. The war dances that remain now are all incomplete and, apart from being beautiful, have no special abilities whatsoever.

As he spoke, he hummed an off-key tune and swayed as he walked toward the courtyard next to the palace, which had been temporarily allocated to the soldiers of Gaoyabao for their encampment.

Tina and Sersney exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of curiosity in each other's eyes.

“He’s always like this; he can make the most outrageous things sound perfectly reasonable, and he often succeeds in the end.” Tina shook her head, her tone tinged with pride and affection.

She remembered when she first met Li Wei.

Some things that seemed impossible to her were always accomplished by the other party in the end.

Sersne snorted and turned her gaze back to the memory crystal, but the corner of her mouth seemed to twitch slightly: "Hmph, I hope we're far enough away when he makes a fool of himself tomorrow, so we don't get a glare from him."

The lord is a man of action who does what he says, and that very night, the High Cliff Fortress Grass Stage Boy Band was formed, consisting of High Cliff Fortress orcs and centaurs.

To deepen their sense of identity and facilitate better rehearsals, the lord thoughtfully gave the two boy groups names: "Fruit is Super Sweet" and "Seawater is Extremely Salty."

But after thinking about it carefully, the lord realized that this was a name only women would use.
You must know that the warriors of Gaoyabao are worth a hundred men in battle. Even if they are covered in blood, they will not flinch. It is a great disgrace to have such a name attached to them.

The lord was immediately terrified and broke out in a cold sweat.

Change it! Change it immediately! Change it right away!
Forget about boy bands, let's just call it the Gaoyabao Opera Troupe.

And so, the rehearsal quietly came to an end, with results even better than Li Wei had imagined.

These remnants of the orcish empire learned war dances from a young age, and their discipline was impeccable. Thanks to daily training in formations, even the lord could not find fault with the barbarians' uniformity.

Tina and Sersney had somehow arrived at the edge of the courtyard and were leaning against the pillars watching.

Watching Li Wei, like a busy worker bee, running around among a group of muscular men, sometimes jumping up and down cursing, and finally standing at the front and howling like a banshee.

The two people had different expressions.

Tina covered her mouth, laughing so hard her shoulders shook: "I've never seen Darling like this before, and what kind of songs are they singing? I've never heard them before, but they're actually quite good."

Sersney crossed her arms, a hint of disdain on her cold, beautiful face: "Like a Munk directing a bunch of even bigger Munks, is this what he calls art?"

Despite saying that, her gaze never left the busy figure.

Only after the full moon hung in the branches and the soldiers dispersed did Levi finally breathe a sigh of relief and walk over to Tina and Sersney.

"How was it? Judges, was the preview acceptable?" he asked with a grin, looking quite pleased with himself.

Don't say that sometimes fighting all the time isn't enough; we also need to cultivate our minds through art.

He feels incredibly energetic right now.

Tina gently handed over the handkerchief: "Very powerful. I believe you will make a lasting impression on everyone tomorrow."

She spoke from the bottom of her heart.

The two people in front of them were laughing simply because it was the first time they had seen Li Wei singing while holding a tree branch, so they found it particularly funny.

But to be honest, the barbarians' powerful and perfectly synchronized war dance was truly awe-inspiring.

Even Sersney couldn't bring herself to say something insincere: "Not bad."

"Those Northern nobles will be utterly astonished," Li Wei said with a smug smile, confidently putting his arm around Tina's shoulder as they walked back, as if he could already see the dumbfounded looks on the Northern nobles' faces the next day.

……

The Opera House Maria is the most magnificent stage theater in Gonda, and its overall shape resembles a sail.

It was originally built by a great duke in ancient times for his beloved opera singer mistress. It was later repaired and expanded many times after being destroyed by war.

The overall style is a blend of Viennese style and the pursuit of ultimate luxury.

Because it was located south of Gundar and far from the royal palace, it escaped the calamity of the dead.

Opera was actually first introduced to De Beers from the Holy Sith several hundred years ago, and later became the most popular form of entertainment. Apart from the most primitive bloody hand-to-hand combat in the Colosseum and Gladiator's Arena, no other program could compare with it.

(End of this chapter)