Prince Alan stood solemnly in front of the tent, the wind blowing his star-patterned cloak and the snow falling on his golden armor. Behind him was the Count of Todd, followed by several nobles with titles—the sword-wielding eagle, the horse-riding girl, and the fish leaping out of the water—on either side.

Siegel stood across from the prince, looking slightly nervous. He had never seen the knightly canonization ceremony with his own eyes, and the only knowledge he had gained was from the plays, most of which were exaggerated or romantic. He straightened the straps of his breastplate and wiped the non-existent dust with his hands. He saw Janet hiding in the crowd watching him and smiling at him.

Sir Bill, as Siegel's knightly mentor, led Siegel to a good stand. Siegel was about to get down on one knee when he was grabbed by Jazz. "It's not time yet. He said, "Listen to Your Highness." ”

"You have done a very heroic job, and the Star Royal Family appreciates your efforts. The prince said, "Will you become a royal knight and continue to write your history with honor and bravery?"

"It will be my pleasure, Your Highness the Prince. Siegel replied.

Prince Aaron nodded, drew his sword, stuck it on the ground, and held the hilt of it in his hand. "Get on your knees, Siegel squid. ”

Siegel landed on one knee with his head bowed, exposing the back of his neck.

"Siegel squid, born above the sea, walking under the stars, heroic and loyal, humble and upright. In the name of all the good gods of the world, and with the authority bestowed upon me by King Asta III of the House of Stars, King of the Stars Nation, Guardian of the Free People, I, Aaron Stars, heir and guardian of the throne, promote you to knighthood and bestow upon you the title of Baron Nova that you may pass on to your eldest son and then to your eldest grandson. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Highness the Prince. ”

Then Prince Aaron picked up his sword and touched Siegel's shoulders and then the back of his neck. His hand trembled a little, leaving a shallow wound on Siegel's neck, and a few drops of blood oozed out. Sir Bill, who had leaned closer, frowned at the sight. Being stabbed with a sword during the canonization ceremony is a bad omen, symbolizing that there will be a bloody calamity between the lords and ministers. Fortunately, the others were far away and didn't see it. The cold blade of the sword slid across his skin, and Siegel did not move, still kneeling honestly on the ground. He originally thought that he was just getting a knight or a knight's commoner, and he didn't think that he would enter the baron sequence. From now on, he was a new nobleman, qualified to become a lord if he could get another fief.

"Get up, Baron Siegel. His Royal Highness thrust his sword back into the ground and reached out to lift Siegel up. "If you have any ideas about titles and territories in the future, just report directly to the Star Royal Family. There are aristocratic offices in Waterdeep, and they will serve you. ”

Count Todd took a step forward and continued: "Baron Siegel, you need to confirm your badge and seal ring as soon as possible, and I will notarize and file it for you, so that you can complete the whole process." ”

"It's all necessary formalities. His Royal Highness said with a smile. "Go ahead, there's going to be a party in the evening to celebrate this. ”

After saying this, Prince Aaron turned and walked back to the tent, quickly unbuttoned the collar of his cloak, poured a glass of wine, and drank it. The bright red liquid slid down his mouth and into his abdomen, making him feel better. I just need to refuel, fight this damn cold weather, and won't get drunk. He thought as he poured himself another glass, poured it into the warm fur cushions of his chair, and took a sip.

"My badge wants to use the squid's logo. Siegel pulled out a piece of paper on which a black twenty-tentacled squid was clearly drawn in ink. In the process of learning the magic circle, all mages will gradually become good painters, especially for the grasp of lines and composition, which is more precise and beautiful.

"There are too many tentacles, it's okay to put them on the flag, but it's too difficult to make a seal ring. The Count squinted his eyes and examined the drawing. "I suggest that when you make a flag, add some stars to the squid to show that you belong to the royal knights of the Starry Kingdom, and then add a shield to signify the guardian knights and serve the royal family. ”

"Heraldry?" asked Siegel.

"Yes. The Count looked Siegel in the eye, touched his mustache, and said with a smile: "Although your barony can only be passed down for three generations, you are still very young and have a lot of room to grow. As long as you continue to serve the royal family and make meritorious contributions, it is possible to obtain a higher title or permanent hereditary succession. The New World is full of opportunities, and it's a good time to make a difference. What do you think?"

Siegel nodded, "Yes, Lord Count. ”

"What do you think of the orcs of the Walled Mountains?" the Count asked suddenly.

"I think they're pathetic. Siegel replied without thinking.

"Pitiful? Only peasants who have no harvest in the face of natural disasters are called pitiful, and those who do not farm at all are called self-inflicted. The Count pursed his lips and summoned his attendant, telling him to go to his luggage and find a document wrapped in a blue sleeve. The emaciated retinue opened his legs, hurriedly found the document, and handed it to the Count. However, Count Todd raised his hand and asked his retinue to hand the papers directly to Siegel.

"This is an amnesty from the Starry Kingdom, conscripting orcs as lifelong militia and allowing them to enter the human territory of the Lord of the Starry Kingdom to live as civilians. Each militia could bring four of his orc relatives into the town. This matter will take too long, and His Royal Highness the Prince's body needs to recuperate, and he cannot continue to delay in a hostile place like the city wall mountain range. Can you get this done?"

"Lord Earl, I would be happy to share the worries of the royal family, but I don't have a territory, so I can't arrange the life of an orc. ”

Earl Todd nodded, spread out a piece of paper, and wrote on it with a white quill pen: "Sir Bill is right, you are a sympathetic man. I will give you an order to allow your Half-Beast militia to receive forty percent more of the spoils of war for daily use after fighting for the royal family and the humans. Baron Siegel, as long as you bring the orcs well, then the local lords, especially the pioneer lords in the south, will be happy to take in these orcs, don't you say?"

"I think that's how it should be. Siegel could only nod his head.

The Earl of Todd finished writing the paperwork, stamped his ring and seal, and later used the personal seal of His Royal Highness the Prince as circumstantial evidence. He asked Siegel to keep the two papers, and if he didn't understand, he could ask Baron Bill. "You should talk more and continue to have a good relationship. Count Todd taught him: "The nobles should support each other, especially the new nobles, and they should watch over each other." You can either develop in the New World or return to the Kingdom of Stars. The two of you are not very young, your martial arts are good, and you are also very good-looking, and you may soon be able to have a territory through marriage and really improve your status. How about I, do you need to introduce you to it?"

"Uh......" Siegel never considered marriage, in fact, mainly because he was completely unable to adapt to the change of status. Baron, and Baroness?Siegel was stunned for a moment at the thought of these two titles, and suddenly felt that everything was a little unreal. Earl Todd was still looking at him, waiting for his answer, so Siegel hastened to respond, "Sir Bill is my mentor, and he is not yet married, so I don't think about it yet." Thank you Lord Earl for your concern. ”

"It's fine. The Earl didn't say much: "I will remember this matter, you better do the coat of arms and seal ring first." ”

"It can be done in no time. "Siegel isn't just any knight, he's a mage. The familiarity of holding a black wand in his fingers dispelled the strangeness of the title "Baron", and the excitement of magical energy flowing through his veins was more real than being canonized. Under his spell, the squid pattern on the paper seems to come to life, and the ink flows in the background, forming a shield with a round top and a pointed bottom, and the squid's head becomes fatter than the original picture, leaving room for three six-pointed stars to be painted as a tribute to the starry royal family. Siegel then took out five silver coins, placed them in a cauldron and melted them with magical flames, and then made them into rings with shaping spells. With subtle variations of the spell, Siegel can precisely control the shape of the ring. Count Todd was right, the squid with twenty tentacles was indeed difficult to represent in the ring, so Siegel only carved nine legs. The Count was amazed by such a tactic, "My advisor has never had such a spell, he can only fix the broken mirror, and that's it." The Count said.

So the banner and the seal were registered, and Count Todd wrote down the reason and process of Siegel's canonization, and sealed it as proof. This document also needs to be stamped by His Royal Highness the Prince and witnessed by several knights present. However, these trivial matters did not require the Count to come out himself, he called his retinue and told him to run errands.

"Alright, Baron Siegel, I won't keep you. The Count stood up, and Siegel followed suit. "Go and celebrate, it's supposed to be your happy day. ”

After Siegel saluted, he went out to see people walking around the camp constantly, looking very confused. But these people all had happy smiles on their faces, because they had just heard the good news. Evan Kingquay has borrowed the endless basket from the prince and will prepare good food for everyone. While the basket can't conjure up enough food for a banquet, it can provide some goodies that the walled mountains don't have. The freelancers (mercenaries) had almost had enough of dried meat, potatoes and carrots, and longed for chicken, fish, and wine that only the nobles could enjoy. It was thanks to the evening feast that everyone remembered the name of Siegel Squid.

"Baron of the Squid House, Siegel. That's what they called him. Some people heckle purely for fun, others think more. A baron was not uncommon, and he sailed south from Creek Town across the swampy area, where many of the southern lords were barons. However, Siegel does not have followers around him, he is so young, and he seems to have a good relationship with His Royal Highness the Prince, and there will definitely be room for development in the future. Furthermore, Siegel can also spell, and while the mercenaries have a hard time telling the strength of two mages' spells - other than looking at the size of the fireballs - they understand the importance of strength. Some of the mercenaries had already begun to consider whether they could find a lucrative job from the new baron, if he had a decent wallet.