Throne of the North.

Chapter 709 Nobles Gather in the Imperial Capital

Ryan trusted Aetria because she had managed the Frozen Territory very well over the years.

This kind of thing should have been handled by the steward, Beard, but as Ryan's frozen territories grew larger, more populous, and more prosperous, it was clear that one steward was not enough to manage it.

Etheria, however, has the ability to handle all aspects of people's lives, whether here or in another world.

Moreover, under Ryan's deliberate cultivation, the Frozen Territory has a rich system of administrative officials, which covers the entire territory like a pyramid with a population of over one million.

The vast majority of these people are wandering nobles from another world. There's no way around it; nobles always enjoy abundant knowledge and education. A small number are lucky ones who seized opportunities within the frozen tundra.

They had no opportunity to acquire knowledge, but Ryan gave them that opportunity.

However, that's not enough.

Ryan then brought in Bogeld and Signi.

"You are responsible for protecting Aetria and dealing with those unstable individuals."

Ryan looked at the two women, both with murderous intent, and said:
“I’m not just referring to the Frozen Territory, but to everyone in the North. Anyone who causes chaos and affects the war against the Orcs in the North will be killed.”

"If they are nobles..."

Ryan looked at Signy.

"You should be quite skilled by now. Don't let anyone know, but let people know that nobles can also die."

"To ensure that Aetria can manage everything outside of the war."

Neither woman was serious; one didn't care about human souls at all, and the other was completely unaware of Ryan's authority as a superior. They simply nodded and agreed.

Ryan didn't care.

He then personally went to the Northern Wall Fortress, where a Saint Realm Peak expert resided.

"Ama, do you still remember your vow?"

With his hands behind his back, Ryan stood atop the Great Wall, facing the extreme snowstorms of the North. The frigid winds did not pose a threat to the baron.

Behind him lies the former Sacred Land of the Western Sea.

“Of course, Lord Ryan, I know perfectly well why I was able to obtain this ‘Snow Dragon’s Roar’.”

Amai stood behind Ryan and answered seriously, though he was somewhat puzzled as to why Ryan asked that question.

“A legendary weapon requires legendary power, and you are clearly not yet able to unleash the full power of this sword.”

"And I will give you that strength."

"Remember your oath; even death cannot stop you from guarding this fortress."

Ryan turned around, and Amai stared at him in shock, his breathing quickening as he realized what Ryan meant.

Why did he appear in Zero Crossing City?
Legend, become a legend.

This is the end of the extraordinary, the destination of all power. Mortals cannot become gods, so legend is the end of the road.

"Lord Ryan..."

At this moment, Amai became uneasy, worried that he would not succeed.

You will succeed.

"Furthermore, I will not allow you to have the courage to betray me."

As soon as Ryan finished speaking, he stretched out his palm, and terrifying blood energy transformed into fiery red flames that swept across this icy white world. Amai, a peak Saint Realm cultivator, was easily suppressed by Ryan and forced to kneel on the ground.

As the divine blessing of the [Giant Mammoth] descended, Amai opened his eyes wide, as an overwhelming and incomprehensible power surged into his body from all directions.

An unusual phenomenon appeared in the sky, caused by Ryan. However, Amai also sensed a great aura flash by, a change brought about by the moment he ascended to legendary status.

"This……"

Is this how imperial nobles create legends?
No, that's absolutely not how it is. Amai isn't stupid or blind. He's heard about how terrible the Empire is, but he doesn't look like this.

He remained kneeling on the stone floor, feeling as if the world was cheering for him, while he himself felt utterly dazed and lost.

I became a legend just like that, without feeling... arrogant at all.

Looking at Ryan, he felt even more deeply the immense and irresistible power contained within Ryan's body.

"Ama, swear to defend the oath of the warriors of the North to the death."

Amai knelt on the ground and prostrated himself as he spoke, his body trembling slightly. Even now, he still couldn't believe that he had become a legend so easily.

"Then just do your job."

Ryan returned to Rhinoceros Horn Mountain, where Baroness Avril had already prepared everything for the trip. The magnificent and tall magic carriage stopped at the foot of Rhinoceros Horn Mountain. The warhorse, Winter, unaccustomed to its new life, put on its ropes and became the carriage's helper.

However, its power is now too great, and it is currently wrestling with Brand.

This time, they were going to attend the emperor's funeral, and soon after the funeral, the coronation of the new emperor, so they had to be solemn and formal from the very beginning.

The rules here even specify what speed the carriage should travel at.

However, Ryan didn't intend to dwell on such a trivial matter.

He did not travel south alone.

There are many nobles from the North Wind Province who will be joining us.

They feared assassins and needed to rally around Ryan to gain political influence within their small group.

"Baron Ryan, Baroness Ryan, it's been a long time."

Baron Hatton was already waiting in his territory. Ryan smiled and responded to the portly baron, then glanced at Liam beside Baron Hatton.

He remembered that when he first came to the North and inherited the Frozen Territory, he had stayed in Baron Hatton's territory.

Time has passed, and everyone is different now.

“Liam, it seems you’re about to become a Sky Knight.”

"The Ash Knight truly lives up to his name."

Ryan exclaimed in admiration, noting that with the help of resources, Liam's speed in becoming a Gold Knight was astonishing.

"Thank you for your help, Lord Ryan."

Ryan said sincerely that Ryan's help to him was real and substantial, and that his father, Baron Hatton, could not provide many of the resources.

"It's a pity you can't go to the capital city, otherwise you would have been able to meet more outstanding noble knights."

Ryan smiled and said that Liam could not go because of the war in the North. After nobles like Baron Hatton left, his baronies would eventually need to leave a successor to manage the affairs of the land.

This time, it was Baron Hatton's turn to have to leave his territory.

The procession grew a bit longer, and upon arriving at Zero Crossing City, Viscount Miles, also needing to prove his loyalty to the Emperor, joined Ryan's entourage.

Ryan traveled south from the northernmost part of the Northwind Province. Along the way, the number of noble carriages in the procession increased. Brand, who had initially led only a hundred soldiers as guards, later naturally took over the guards of all the nobles, protecting them in the middle of the road. Ryan dismissed all the excess guards, leaving only the group riding Northern warhorses—yes, these were the warhorses he had sold.

“Image is very important. We must change the prejudice that the nobles of the South have held against the North Wind Province for the past hundred years. We must make them feel ashamed and let them see the prosperity of the North Wind.”

"Therefore, those slaves and infantrymen should remain in the North and be sent to the battlefield of the Fragrant Hills Plains to gain experience."

That being said, the nobles also noticed that when their guards were all tall soldiers riding strong northern warhorses, their morale and spirit did indeed change.

"Baron Ryan's way of managing soldiers is indeed different."

Count Sauron was naturally in the group, and he said with emotion that all his Dragonblood Warrior soldiers had been driven away, leaving only a dozen or so noble members of the Sauron family.

Count Solon was not worried about safety on the road. After all, as the two counts of the Northwind Province, he and Count Winter were well aware of the sinister and evil power that Ryan possessed.

The trip went smoothly, except for a few mishaps when entering the Flying Wing Canyon.

Commander Farrell has led the Elephant Legion to support the Kingdom of Andara, leaving the kingdom without its supreme commander.

But that's not the key point. Shaya Meyers, this woman, actually brought Marquis Northwind and that little boy to block the way for the nobles.

“As the Marquis of the North Wind, my child has the right and reason to travel to the capital to attend His Majesty the Emperor’s funeral.”

"Moreover, my child is the governor of the North Wind."

Is this woman planning for her son's future power and status at a time like this?

Ryan shook his head helplessly; his carriage was at the very front of the procession.

Ryan patted Avril on the shoulder, stepped out of the carriage, and bowed to Shaya.

"Your Excellency Marquis of the North Wind is naturally the leader of the province. We should all be led by you to the capital to declare our final loyalty to His Majesty Emperor Columbus III."

Shaya glanced triumphantly at Ryan, lowered the carriage curtain, and the wheels slowly moved forward. However, Shaya soon noticed that the procession of nobles from the North Wind Province behind her was completely still.

"What do you mean!?"

Shayaton could no longer maintain his previous arrogance and angrily questioned Ryan.

"Of course, we should keep our distance from your distinguished status."

Ryan smiled and said:

“I am only a baron. According to etiquette, my carriage should be at least 500 meters away from you.”

He couldn't openly deny Marquis Beifeng's authority, so conversely, the other party could blatantly say that the rules didn't apply.
Shaya glared angrily at Ryan, her gaze falling on the noble badges behind him.

There were a lot of earls and viscounts, but Ryan's carriage didn't move forward, and none of the drivers behind dared to pull the reins.

"Damn guy!"

Saya was unwilling to give up and turned her head away, refusing to look back.

Ryan's eyes narrowed slightly. The group was still about 500 meters behind Shaya's carriage. He began to pay attention to Flying Wing Canyon.

"It seems that Lord Farrell has not fully grasped this fortress."

Logically speaking, how could Shaya so easily block the arrival of the nobles of the North Wind in the Flying Wing Canyon? No one should linger meaninglessly in the imperial fortress.

This is what's written on paper. In practice, it's clear that the royal family members in Winged Canyon who control the dragon cavalry legion are closer to that woman.

That's right, they all represent the royal family.

Columbus III amassed considerable authority as emperor, and even after his death, these people continued to carry out his orders.

"He would be very pleased if he could see this."

Ryan smiled, then the smile disappeared.

"What methods did you, Pope Dawn, use to get the Demon Dragon God to punish Emperor Columbus?"

Avril was somewhat uncomfortable with Ryan's questions, mainly because she found that Ryan seemed to have never had any reverence for the emperor of the empire.

She couldn't answer that question either; it was beyond the realm of magic.

"With the Emperor dead, Volvo is almost certain to become the next Emperor Columbus."

"The orc war in the North is still ongoing. If I were Solarion, I would destroy the Empire right now in the name of Dawn."

Throughout the journey, Ryan idly pondered the conflicts between the Empire and the Papacy.

He wondered if there was a way to resolve the problems between the two sides outside of war and destruction.

I've been thinking about it for days, but I still can't come up with a second answer.

The destruction of one side is probably the only outcome in this conflict.

Ryan wasn't that worried. Now, he was no longer powerless in the face of this huge net hanging over his head.

This time, when he goes to the capital city, he will have the qualifications and power to influence the changes in the empire for the next hundred years.

……

Imperial capital city.

"What this place has no shortage of is nobility."

Especially in these past few days, one could step on several nobles with a single step. People frequently appeared at the city gates of the capital, watching each arriving noble. If the emblem of a particular carriage was particularly dazzling and memorable, it would elicit a thunderous roar of cheers.

At this time, the nobles inside the carriage, representing glory and splendor, would grin from ear to ear and proudly raise their chests.

In contrast, other nobles who did not receive such treatment were filled with envy and longed for their badges to have the same allure.

The arrival of the North Wind Province was undoubtedly the latest.

People looked curiously at the marquis's carriage, which seemed to be separate from the procession behind it. They were also curious why the baron's insignia was at the very front of the large procession behind them.

"It's the Baron of the North!"

The exclamations weren't very loud; not many people knew Ryan, especially in this rapidly changing imperial capital.

Inside the carriage, Ryan appeared calm and collected, while Avril beside him was quite nervous.

"Don't worry about them. The common people of the capital city change because of the king's whims. There's only one reason they're cheering: I, Ryan Clayton, am currently one of the supporters of Volvo."

"That's all."

What Volvo truly embodies in the essence of Emperor Columbus III is its control over public opinion in the capital city.

As North Wind's army entered the capital city, before Ryan could even decide where to go, he heard an even louder shout coming from behind him.

Are there any nobles who are slower than the North Wind?

"Viking, it's Prince Viking the Elector! He's back! He's returned to his cradle!"

The people's heartfelt celebration had nothing to do with Volvo.

(End of this chapter)