TL: Rui88
The morning mist had not yet dissipated. The guard responsible for watching the west gate of Crystal Shrine yawned, lifted the heavy bolt, and several n worked together to slowly push the great gate open.
As the guard on the gate tower turned the winch, a huge drawbridge, held by iron chains, was slowly lowered, spanning the moat.
“Everyone, look sharp!”
The squad leader shouted. “When a noble passes by later, you must stand up straight, with your eyes shining. We can’t lose face for the people of Crystal Shrine.”
“Yes, Captain!”
The soldiers answered sporadically, enjoying the brief mont of peace. In less than an hour, they would have to stand ramrod straight for the entire day, just as the squad leader had ordered.
Sigh, a lot had been happening in Crystal Shrine recently.
First, the old king passed away from illness. Although his will stated that the funeral should be simple, the ministers below still made a fuss for over half a month. Then ca the new king’s ascension. To show respect for the deceased old king, the new king ordered that there would be no celebration for his own enthronent, pushing it back until the first anniversary of his reign.
However, according to Ordo tradition, when a new king ascends the throne, lords from all over the country must co to Crystal Shrine to have an audience with the new monarch. If they couldn’t co themselves, they had to send an envoy. So, the whole of Crystal Shrine continued to be busy.
The sound of bells ca from the thick mist. The guards were a little surprised. How could soone be here so soon?
“Perhaps it’s a rchant caravan that didn’t make it in before the gates closed yesterday.”
The squad leader said, then frowned and warned, “Don’t ask for extra money these next few days. Collect only what the city entrance fee is, not a single coin more. Do you hear ?”
“Yes, Captain!” the soldiers answered in unison.
The convoy in the mist gradually ca into full view. There were many carriages; quite a lot of people.
“Stop for inspection!”
A guard shouted towards the convoy.
A young knight erged from the convoy and said with a cold face, “We are lords from the Northwest Bay.”
“My… my lord!”
The guard who had stopped them bowed in respect. A few years ago, the guard might have questioned soone from the western bay, but the Northwest Bay of today was not the sa as it was a few years ago.
The squad leader pushed his subordinate aside and squeezed to the front, his face wreathed in smiles.
“My lord, may I know which noble families you are from?”
“The Ferdinand Family, the Grayman Family, the Parker Family, the Ganard Family, the Heller Family, the Malkan Family…”
The knight reeled off a long list of family nas.
“Oh, have all you noble lords co together?”
“Yes, we all traveled together by sea and ca ashore at Port West to reach Crystal Shrine.”
The squad leader had no doubts. Everyone knew that the people of the western bay were skilled in seafaring, and a large number of ships from the Northwest Bay entered and exited Port West every day. 𝐫𝙖Ꞑ𝐨BЕꞨ
“Could one of the lords please show their family crest? Oh, just one family’s will do.”
The knight presented a crest to the squad leader and said, “This is the crest of the Heller family. Do you recognize it? I am Derrick Heller, the eldest son of Count Winifred Heller.”
The squad leader focused his attention on the crest, observing it carefully. To welco the lords from out of town, the officers guarding the city gates had been given a crash course in heraldry by the College of Arms.
“I recognize it, I recognize it!” His head bobbed like a chicken pecking at rice. He stepped aside and said, “Please, all you noble lords, enter the city.”
“Ah, I do have a question for you.” Derrick Heller held the reins, seeming in no hurry to enter.
“The news we received beforehand said that nobles from out of town could enter the city at any ti these few days, including at night. But we arrived at Crystal Shrine yesterday after sunset. Why couldn’t we get the gate opened?”
“Er… my lord, please allow to explain.” The squad leader rubbed the back of his head and said awkwardly, “Several troublemakers were caught in the city during the day yesterday, sent from the south… I think you know what that ans. So… the entry and exit policy was temporarily changed again, and the previous level of security was restored at night. You were probably on the road at that ti, so you wouldn’t have known…”
Sent from the south; anyone who followed the kingdom’s situation knew who that was.
Derrick was a little angry. With a flick of the reins, he said, “We traveled all the way from the western bay, only for you to make sleep outside the cold city walls for a night!”
Just as the squad leader was unsure how to deal with the noble’s temper, a young voice ca from the convoy.
“Alright, Derrick, getting into the city is what’s important. There are many rchant caravans waiting behind us.”
The owner of the voice also rode his horse to the front. The guard squad leader looked up and saw a young man about the sa age as Derrick, or perhaps slightly younger. He had short black hair and a calm expression. When their eyes t, his gaze was not as arrogant as Derrick’s had been.
But Derrick seed to have great respect for this young man, who might have been younger than him. “Alright, Count Grayman, let’s enter the city first.”
The young count who had just arrived had saved the guards from their predicant. The squad leader cast him a grateful look. The young man just smiled and then, along with Derrick Heller, spurred his horse towards the city gate.
The contingent of northwestern lords quickly followed the two in front and entered Crystal Shrine.
“Ah, this is my first ti in the royal capital, Crystal Shrine.”
Looking at the streets ahead and the buildings on both sides, which were in a style completely different from the Northwest Bay, Paul said with emotion.
“How does it feel?” asked Count Price Parker, who was riding beside him.
“Exquisite, very exquisite.”
Coming from the north to Crystal Shrine, Paul felt as if he had switched from a Western fantasy style to a Japanese fantasy style; the rugged and grand had beco delicate and refined. Of course, he was talking about the feeling. In terms of population and city area, Crystal Shrine left the northern cities far behind.
“It is said that more than 500,000 people live within the city walls alone,” Count Parker introduced.
“What? So many people. Our His Majesty Gerd Rodney is burdened by so many people every day…”
Count Parker corrected him, “It’s His Majesty Rodney XVIII.”
Paul suddenly thought of a question. “I’ve always had a question. Isn’t ‘the sothing-th’ used to distinguish people with the sa na in different generations of a family? Why is it the surna for our king?”
Price Parker explained to him, “Because Rodney is both the king’s surna and the king’s given na.”
“What?”
“It is an Ordo tradition. When a person puts on the crown, he must forsake his own na. From then on, he is known only by his family na, becoming the embodint of the entire family.”
“So our king’s na is now Rodney Rodney? Er, that’s a bit of a mouthful.”
“No!” Count Parker shook his head. “He is just called Rodney, or Rodney XVIII. Gerd Rodney is a thing of the past. From now on, there is only Rodney XVIII in the world.”
“I see.”
Paul understood.
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