"Ready!"

A richly dressed courtesian dragged his voice and raised his right hand high.

At his signal, dozens of musicians raised their trombones and played a cheerful tune. Then, the people in the main hall turned to the door at the same time.

Sophia, dressed in a splendid robe, appeared in front of the temple gate, followed by Lorna, dressed in fine knightly armor, followed by several maids in holy white robes.

Accompanied by them, Sophia walked slowly along the red carpet in the main hall to the high throne.

At this time, the musician's melody changed from cheerful to solemn, and Sophia's pace became slow and solemn, and the people on both sides of the hall were infected by this solemn atmosphere, and silently watched her march without anyone speaking.

Walking up the steps, Sophia came to the throne. At this moment, a priest with white beard, accompanied by two nuns, walked up to Sophia.

The influence of religion in the kingdom of Gaspard was not as strong as that of the Krot Empire. However, the royal succession ceremony had to be presided over by a priest in the temple to show that the king's throne was blessed by the god-king.

Sophia knelt on one knee before the priest, who took the crown of royal power from a tray held by a nun behind her and placed it on Sophia's head.

"In the name of the god-king Tyrann, I bestow upon you the throne of Queen of the Kingdom of Gaspard. ”

With that, the priest slowly gestured above Sophia's head to represent the god-king.

Then, the crowd below immediately erupted in an earth-shattering cheer.

"Queen Sophia!" "Long live Your Majesty!"

Richly dressed aristocrats, neatly armored generals, merchants with thousands of pockets, gray-haired scholars... They were all cheering for the birth of the new King Gaspard.

The war-torn Gaspard was finally able to stabilize, which was a common expectation in everyone's hearts.

In fact. At this time, half a month had passed since the capture of Orat City. After executing Duke Charles and other rebellious nobles, Sophia was busy putting things in order, pacifying the people, and urging Gaspard to change the flag and return to her rule.

In this way, I have been busy for half a month. I finally got the most important thing done. At least superficially, Gaspard has reunited, the troops on the sidelines have surrendered, declared allegiance to Sofia, and the city of Orat has been lifted from martial law and is beginning to regain its vitality.

Thus, Sophia's official succession ceremony was held.

Although the greatest threat has not yet been removed, the kingdom of Dirk is still eyeing the tiger and fighting one after another. The people's livelihood in China is withering, the economy is sluggish, the cities and towns are seriously damaged, and the people are displaced... In front of Sophia is one problem after another.

But at least for this moment, everyone is hopeful and excited about their new queen.

Sophia sat on the throne, looking at the cheering crowd below. Moment. She raised her hand slightly, signaling for everyone to be quiet.

"This time we were able to successfully restore the country. In addition to the blessing of the God King, more importantly, there is a group of brave and loyal people who have always been by my side to defeat one enemy after another for me. I can sit here, and they are the ones who have the most credit. ”

"So, I want to reward these brave men. Kingdom of Gaspard. Their exploits will never be forgotten. ”

As she spoke, Sophia pronounced out the names of one Gaspard after another, including generals such as Bryce and Macudi, as well as loyal attendants like Lona. There are also merchants who finance Sophia, soldiers who have contributed to the war, scouts, spies, and officials who have helped Sophia settle the displaced people or surrender the city.

They all contributed to Gaspard's recovery in this war. Sophia rewarded them handsomely, some with knighthoods, some with important official positions, and others with the promise of rich rewards in the future.

And those who were rewarded also showed their allegiance to Sophia. It may not be ruled out that there are speculators who fish in troubled waters, but Sophia's rule must be stabilized by these people.

Finally, when Sophia's commendation of the Gaspards was completed, her gaze turned to a corner of the main hall.

Sophia said slowly: "In addition to those loyal men of Gaspard just now, there is another group of people. They rescued me from Orat when I was in the most perilous, they took in countless exiles from Gaspard, they saved me from the clutches of the necromancer, they defeated Duke Charles and Renard, and they liberated Gaspard. ”

"It can be said that without these people, there would be no Gaspard today, and there would be no queen like me. Without them, I might have been framed and killed like my father and uncle, and I don't know how many of Gaspard's people would have died. ”

"These men are the true deliverers of Gaspard, and their merits, no matter what reward is given, cannot be exaggerated. ”

Sophia's words were a bit exaggerated, but none of the people present thought it was inappropriate, because what she said was the truth.

Immediately, the eyes of the entire hall were focused on that group of people.

"Ladies of Headington, please come forward. Sophia said to them.

Those people were the people of Headington. Sophia's restoration was successful, and Haydington's help could be said to be the greatest, so when she held the enthronement ceremony, Haydington's people were also invited to attend. Among them, Freddy, Charlotte, Rickett and others all came from Headington.

Because next, Sophia will reward them for their deeds.

When Raymond rescued Sophia from Dakota Island, in recognition of their merits, Sophia held a knighthood ceremony.

It's just that at that time she was just an exiled princess, and the so-called knighthood was just a symbol.

But this time it's different, Sophia is already a real queen. The title she bestowed on her would make Headington and the others a true nobleman in one fell swoop.

This was the most attractive reward for Headington, who had so far been only a confederation of towns, for they were not a real nation and could not have knighted themselves. Therefore, even though Headington has a vast territory, it is powerful. Raymond: They're just a bunch of ordinary people.

Among them, the most excited are naturally Freddie and Rickett, one of whom wants to become a nobleman, and the other wants to restore the glory of the family. Although the last honorary title somewhat compensated for this thought, it could not compare to the actual knighthood.

As for the native residents of Headington such as Charlotte, Headington has grown from a small and weak town to where it is today. It has long exceeded their imagination. Therefore, although today's knighthood is also a great joy, the impact on them is not so strong.

"Then Mr. Raymond. Sophia's gaze first looked at Raymond.

"In recognition of your selfless service to me, and for your meritorious service in my war against Gaspard, I confer upon you the title of Duke of Gaspard. ”

"Wow-"

Although he had expected that Raymond would be greatly rewarded, Sophia directly made him a duke, which still made everyone present in an uproar.

The Duke is the highest title that ordinary people can get, and beyond that, only the king's relatives can be crowned princes. You must know that if a commoner can be knighted, he will nominally enter the aristocratic class. And this is also a luxury that most people cannot achieve in their lifetime.

And from the lord upwards, viscounts, barons, counts, marquises, dukes... The promotion of each level is even more difficult because of the gap in titles. It represents the absolute level of status.

Thor almost died in the Orc Empire before he got the title of Earl. He later saved the kingdom of Dinar in the Rulin War, and was finally made a duke. His sworn enemy, Cliff, never became a duke in his life.

From here, you can see how rare this title is.

And now, Raymond almost ascended to the sky in one step and was directly awarded the title of duke. I don't know how many people present were envious.

Gaspard may be small, but it is also an orthodox kingdom with a long history, and Raymond is a real duke.

However, as Sophia said, Raymond has helped her unequally, and without Raymond there would be no queen today. There was no emancipated Gaspard, so although everyone was surprised, no one felt that it was inappropriate. In fact, only Feng Gong is worthy of Raymond's merits.

Not to mention Sophia, Harlot and others, who know Raymond's true origin, don't think Raymond is high at all, others used to be the prince of an empire!

"Besides, I want you to assure you that as long as I live, Gaspard will always be Beddington's staunchest ally, and nothing will change. Then, Sophia said these words word by word.

These words, which are tantamount to political declarations, naturally attracted a burst of exclamation. However, whether it is Sophia and Raymond's personal friendship, or Gaspard's current situation, this is their only choice.

If it weren't for Beddington's support, even if Sophia returned to the country, I am afraid it would not last long.

Raymond fell to one knee and accepted Sophia's reward. With Raymond's ambitions, and the power he now wields, this title didn't help him. In a sense, it can also be troublesome.

However, this is Sophia's sincere gratitude, so he still chooses to accept it.

"Raymond, thank you. ”

When Raymond stood up, Sophia looked him in the eye and said sincerely.

Subsequently, Sophia went on to reward the rest of Beddington. Compared with Raymond's calmness, Freddie and the others seemed much happier.

And Sophia did not hesitate to reward everyone, from Freddie to Harlott and others, everyone became noble. In the end, even Ackerman, who had been undercover by Duke Charlie's side for a long time, also received the title of a lord.

Finally, the reward for meritorious deeds was completed, and Sophia's enthronement ceremony ended successfully.

The night's banquet was filled with joy and celebration of the birth of a new queen. The huge banquet hall was full of clouds and temples, and it was very lively.

Sophia sits in the king's seat, accepts the audience of various important people in turn, and takes the opportunity to contact feelings, this is the helplessness of the king, even on such occasions, it is not easy.

In contrast, the people in the banquet hall are much more casual. People gather in twos and threes, drinking, talking and laughing, and enjoying the laid-back atmosphere.

Naturally, the people of Headington came together, and they behaved differently. Charlotte and the others were all from small places, and had never participated in such a formal and large banquet, so they seemed very reserved, while Harlot and Baste were naturally rough nerves. Rickett's personable manners, and the aristocratic tutor he had been brought up with good childhood, made him comfortable on such occasions, and Aishta was not at all interested in such a noisy place, and Hirness ran after her to the garden outside.

"Lord Duke", "Grand Duke Raymond", "Your Excellency Grand Duke"...

In the banquet, the only person who can compare "popularity" with Sophia is Raymond. There was a large group of people on the three floors inside and the outer three floors around him, and they were noisily paying homage to the new duke.

Especially when I heard that Raymond is still single. More than half of this group of people were women, from 15 to 50, all dressed up in fancy clothes, singing and singing, trying to attract Raymond's affection.

Raymond grew up in the Orc Empire since he was a child, and he is used to seeing the simplicity and directness of orcs, and he is really not used to such scenes. But he knew that this was a necessary communication, and he could only brace himself to deal with it.

"Meow. The young master is really hard. Baste sighed as she stuffed the fish into her mouth.

Harlot grabbed a bottle of wine from a passing waiter's tray. In the stunned gaze of the waiter, he poured directly into his mouth: "Of course, our boss is now a serious nobleman, and it's strange that those guys don't pat their ass... It's a really good wine. ”

"Look, Freddie is there. Baste pointed to the other side.

Freddie, who was still dressed in black at the banquet, was standing alone in a corner. Coldly looked at the happy crowd around them.

Among all the people in Headington, except for Raymond's duke, it is his earl who has the greatest title. It's just that Freddie's intelligence work has always been low-key and not well known. Plus he has a dead face, dressed in black at the banquet. Even if others have the heart to make friends, they will be scared away.

Charlotte exclaimed, "Lord Freddie is really not shocked, it is really admirable. ”

"Cut, that guy is just pretending to be reserved. Harlot scoffed: "Maybe I wish someone was going to slap him." ”

Charlotte's face was full of disbelief: "How is it possible." Apparently she didn't believe Freddie could be so superficial.

"Don't believe me?" Harlot smiled, "That's good." ”

With that, he threw his head back and took the last sip of his wine, put down the bottle and walked towards Freddie.

"Your Excellency Earl Freddy, congratulations, your wish has finally been granted. ”

Walking up to Freddie, Harlot said with a grin.

Freddy, still with that half-dead gloomy face, said lightly, "What is there to congratulate, it's just an earl." ”

"Hey, how dare you say it? Harlot said in his heart: "I don't know who it is, I used to want to be a nobleman and I was going crazy." ”

On the surface, he leaned over and said, "It's finally here, why are you still like that dead man." Look, no one dared to come over. ”

I don't know if it's because I'm in a really good mood or what, Freddie didn't care about Harlot's sarcasm, he said coldly: "It's just a group of incompetent nobles, and there is nothing to say to those people." ”

The secret path was really unashamed, and Harlot deliberately asked, "You really don't want to pay attention to those people?"

"Of course. Freddie said without hesitation: "Except for the title of a nobleman, those guys are just a bunch of metrics." ”

"Then why do you want to be a nobleman?" asked Harlot, coldly.

"Uhhhhh It's a bit unreasonable to become a nobleman, but he refuses to communicate with other nobles.

Freddie can't say that the title of top earl is very stylish.

Suddenly realizing that Harrot had something to say, Freddie's eyes were cold: "What do you mean?"

"Aha..."Under his forced gaze, Harlot laughed dryly, and suddenly pulled a passing noble man: "This... Who, Count Freddy would love to befriend you, he has something to say to you. ”

The man's eyes lit up: "Your Excellency, is it really?"

"Uh? I..."I didn't expect Harlot to come out so suddenly, and with Freddy's quick wit, he was speechless for a while.

The man was so excited that he immediately pulled Freddy to express his admiration. Now Haydington and others are all hot upstarts, Freddy's knighthood is second only to Raymond, I don't know how many people want to befriend him, but because of Freddy's appearance of rejecting people thousands of miles away, no one dares to act rashly.

Now I heard that Freddie actually wanted to take the initiative to make friends with him. The aristocrat was flattered by the accident.

No matter how indifferent Freddie is, he still understands the sophistication of human feelings. In desperation, he had no choice but to talk to the nobleman, who sent flattering words one by one in order to curry favor with Freddy. After a while, Freddie had a faint smile on his face.

"Well, although these guys are mediocre, they are still quite good at talking. Freddie thought so, and suddenly he felt that these people weren't so bad either.

"See. Harlot walked back and said triumphantly to Charlotte and the others: "That guy is actually so sullen. ”

"Hara, so that's it. The crowd was only impressed. I really didn't expect that the person who knew Freddie would be Harlot.

The banquet of some rejoicing and some sad is over. A few days later, everyone's lives returned to their original trajectory. And began to face the problem of another reality.

"How's the situation in the Kingdom of Dirk?"

While Sophia was busy with her duties as queen, major generals such as Raymond and Bryce also got together for a meeting to discuss how to deal with Renard's problem.

Since Sophia's accession to the throne, Bryce and others, as well as the original Gaspard soldiers of Headington, have returned to the command of the Kingdom of Gaspard.

The original "Headington Restoration Army" naturally ceased to exist, and the two sides of Headington and Gaspard naturally became two different systems.

It's just that in the face of the threat of the Dirk Kingdom, they have to continue to cooperate. and remained temporarily under Raymond's command.

Hearing Raymond's question, Freddie said, "According to the information sent back by my people. Prince Denard's army and supporters had been driven into a small area, and Reynard's victory was imminent. ”

No one was surprised, and it was almost doomed. In fact, Denard's ability to delay Renard until now is remarkable.

"How much time do we have left?" Bryce asked the crucial question.

"Two months... It won't take more than three months at most. Freddie affirmed.

"Two months. Everyone in the room let out a sigh. Other words. The last battle was just two months later.

However, even in these two months, Raymond fought desperately for it. He defeated the necromancer as fast as he could, and took Orat City at his own risk, in order to take the decisive battle with Renard. Gain as much time as possible to prepare.

Otherwise, if you use conventional tactics, a big city like Orat will casually drag on for a year and a half, and there will be no time to deal with Renard.

Zhilu Dao's two months of time were not easy to come by, and everyone knew that they must not be wasted.

Bryce said, "Lord Raymond, I have already discussed it with His Majesty. His Majesty intends to scrape together as much money as possible, and we have decided to build a defensive line near the border with Dirk to defend against Renard's attack. ”

"Well, that's a good idea. Hermmy nodded: "Defensive warfare is always greater than field warfare, and if you can use the defensive advantage to keep Renard at the border, Gaspard will be safe at home." ”

The others nodded in agreement, they were well aware of the difference in strength between the two sides, and no one had the confidence to engage Renard head-on, so defensive warfare became the only way.

"If Gaspard is short on manpower, we can also provide a group of goblin laborers. Rikitt said, "It just so happens that the fortress of the Giant's Seal is preliminarily completed, and those goblins can be dispatched at any time. ”

"That's great, two months is a little shorter, but it's better than doing nothing. Makudi said happily.

Everyone immediately began to discuss where to build a defensive line, and then Bryce suddenly noticed that Raymond had not spoken, so he said, "Lord Raymond, how do you think the defensive line should be repaired here?"

As he spoke, he gestured to a location on the map.

However, Raymond frowned and shook his head slowly.

"Isn't it possible here?" Bryce was stunned, "Then what do you think is the right place?" ”

"It's not a matter of location. Raymond finally spoke, and he said, "But I'm afraid this plan won't work at all." ”

"For what?" At this moment, not only Bryce, but everyone else was taken aback.

"Lord Raymond, the army of the Dirk Kingdom is far stronger than ours, and we will not be able to defeat them without taking advantage of our defenses. Makudi said.

"Yes, we finally have a buffer time of two months, so we should seize the time to strengthen our defenses. Others said the same.

At this time, Freddy sneered: "Don't you still understand what Lord Raymond means? Do you really think that the defense line that was built in a hurry in only two months can stop Dirk's army?" (to be continued......)