NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 96: Starting Today, Become a Noble
Chapter 96: Starting Today, Become a Noble
As the fervor rose in Loren City, ten days later, with five days remaining until the ennoblement ceremony, Thor arrived in Loren City with Ryan and twenty official knights.
Compared to his last visit, the city was noticeably more bustling, almost rivaling the atmosphere during the previous auction. However, unlike before, where most pioneering lords wore excited smiles, this time, many faces were devoid of joy, replaced by a heavy sense of worry.
As time passed, the situation in the Northern Province hadn't improved much. Particularly in the northern regions, yet another barony had fallen, the third one in three months. To put this in perspective, in the past three years, such a loss had never occurred at this frequency. But now, in just three months, three baronies had been wiped out.
Moreover, these were just baronies; the number of other pioneering lords' territories that had perished was alarming. Even those not directly affected had begun to worry.
"It seems the situation is worse than we imagined," Thor sighed softly, observing the expressions of those around him.
Before setting out, Rachos Assad had completed another trade mission and brought back some relevant information, so Thor was somewhat aware of the situation. But now, it seemed things were even more dire than he had anticipated.
"Sir, should I go gather more information?" Ryan asked Thor in a low voice.
"Alright, go ahead," Thor nodded after a brief hesitation.
"Understood!" Ryan nodded and then rode off, while Thor led the rest of the group into the city.
As they entered, the heavy atmosphere became even more palpable to Thor. As he walked through the city, his mind churned with thoughts, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the place where he had previously stayed. This place had long been purchased by him, so settling in was easy.
Not long after Thor settled down, Ryan returned.
"Sir!" Ryan greeted respectfully.
"What's the situation?" Thor asked, looking at Ryan, who had returned with a similarly worried expression.
"Sir, I’ve gathered the information. It’s said that the kingdom’s Dragon Knights have been attacked by five third-tier orc tribes, and the Flying Eagle Knights are also facing two third-tier orc tribes. Currently, there are more than twelve orc tribes in the northern part of the province, and seven in the west. Although most of them are only first or second-tier, they’ve still caused the destruction of many noble territories."
Ryan spoke solemnly, relaying the information he had just gathered. Compared to the information Rachos had obtained, what they learned in Loren City was far more detailed. Even Thor couldn’t help but furrow his brows.
The Dragon Knights were the kingdom’s elite, and the Flying Eagle Knights were the most formidable force under Marquis Raymond. That both groups were under siege and unable to spare forces was a major event. Additionally, the appearance of twelve orc tribes in the north and seven in the west, totaling nineteen, was shocking. Even if these orc tribes were mostly low-tier, they could still wreak havoc on human territories.
Furthermore, these weren’t just first-tier orc tribes—there were also second-tier orc tribes, and possibly even third-tier ones, like the minotaur tribe they had previously encountered. The crisis was indeed greater than Thor had imagined.
This situation could potentially wipe out a large portion of the Northern Province’s nobility. Most pioneering lords, except for a few powerful ones, wouldn’t be able to withstand a second-tier orc tribe. This wasn’t good news for Thor. He needed a relatively stable environment to develop. Though the Northern Province was never truly peaceful, it couldn’t be this chaotic.
"Has Marquis Raymond taken any action?" Thor asked with a frown.
Thor could only hope that the Marquis would step in. Although the Marquis had been somewhat indifferent before, he couldn’t possibly ignore something that threatened the stability of his territory.
"Marquis Raymond has invited several powerful noble lords to help clear out the orc tribes in the Northern Province. Additionally, he’s reportedly dispatched five hundred Flying Eagle Knights to Autumn Leaf Territory. Beyond that, we don’t have more information," Ryan replied.
"He’s invited noble lords to clear out the orc tribes?" Thor raised an eyebrow, surprised. He hadn’t expected any noble lords to dare take on the orc tribes.
Having encountered minotaurs before, Thor understood the strength of orc tribes. Even if most second-tier orc tribes weren’t as formidable as minotaurs, they were still beyond the capability of an average baron to handle. A baron typically had, at most, two knights, usually just one, while a second-tier orc tribe likely had at least two second-tier orcs, possibly three or more.
Moreover, ordinary orcs were also dangerous. While goblins were weak, most other orcs, even those below the first tier, were more than a match for ordinary people. Clearly, some pioneering lords in the Northern Province were far stronger than Thor had imagined.
But after a moment’s surprise, Thor quickly understood. The Dresrosa family had only been a count family for three hundred years, while some of the oldest noble families in the Tulip Kingdom had histories stretching nearly a thousand years. Even among counts, there was a vast difference between a family with a history of seven or eight hundred years and one with only three hundred years. Not to mention marquises and dukes, who had vast resources.
In such a situation, even pioneering lords supported by these noble families would possess resources far beyond the ordinary. Some pioneering lords might even have the strength of a viscount, or greater.
Just like that foolish Emerson family, who had two knights in their service. How many more powerful figures were there? The gap between people sometimes began at birth. While there were many paths to success, some people started in Rome, while others, after a lifetime of struggle, barely reached where others began.
In this era of relatively rigid class structures, this disparity was all the more apparent.
Thor quickly suppressed these thoughts. His immediate concern wasn’t this, but completing the ennoblement ceremony. Only after that could he truly call himself a noble. Only then would the name "Thor Dresrosa" truly belong to him. Otherwise, after three years, he would only be known as "Thor," not "Thor Dresrosa."
Time continued to pass. Two days later, the other two soon-to-be ennobled barons also arrived in Loren City, and the preparations for the ennoblement ceremony were declared complete. The Loren City official personally came to invite them to participate in tomorrow’s ceremony. Marquis Raymond would personally bestow the noble medals upon them, declaring them members of the kingdom’s nobility under the witness of the Goddess of Life.
This night was destined to be sleepless, not only for Thor but also for the other two noble lords, and even other pioneering lords in Loren City were affected.
As the night slowly passed, the dawn’s light began to shine. Thor rose early and began quickly preparing his attire, thankful that he had started early, or he might not have finished in time. Once he was ready, it was almost time for the ceremony.
Thor mounted his white horse and slowly rode towards the city center. The square in front of the city hall was already crowded with people—free citizens and pioneering lords alike had gathered there.
Bathed in sunlight, the statue of the Goddess of Life emitted a soft and gentle glow. A large red carpet extended from the base of the statue to the distance.
Ennobling a noble was a grand event. Even three court counts had come to witness. The three counts stood smiling, while Marquis Raymond stood tall on the high steps beneath the statue of the Goddess of Life.
Thor and the other two noble lords, dressed in traditional knightly attire and bearing knightly swords, approached slowly from three directions. As they walked, flowers were scattered across the ground, and a band played stirring music. The three lords’ expressions were solemn, their every movement in perfect accord with noble etiquette.
When they reached the steps, Marquis Raymond and the three court counts turned slightly, and the three lords knelt on one knee, facing the Goddess of Life.
As they knelt, one of the court counts opened a holy book.
"Young knights, do you swear, under the witness of the Goddess of Life, to uphold the eight virtues and the nine principles of knighthood?"
The soft voice echoed, and the entire square fell silent, the atmosphere turning solemn. In this serious setting, the three lords’ voices rang out.
"I, Thor Dresrosa, swear to uphold humility, honesty, compassion, bravery, justice, sacrifice, honor, and spirit. I vow to protect the weak; I vow to bravely confront oppression; I vow to fight against all wrongdoing; I vow to defend the defenseless; I vow to help anyone who seeks my aid; I vow to harm no woman; I vow to support my fellow knights; I vow to be true to my friends; I vow to remain faithful to my love until death."
"I!"
"I!"
"Young knights, under the witness of the Goddess of Life, do you swear to loyally defend your territory, fight for your honor, and fight for the glory of the nobility?"
"I do. I will loyally defend my territory, fight for honor, and fight for the glory of the nobility," the lords responded firmly.
There was no dazzling light, only a solemn atmosphere. As the words fell silent, Marquis Raymond stepped forward and handed the three noble badges to the three lords.
"From today, you are fledgling eagles of the Tulip Kingdom. Congratulations on becoming barons. May the Goddess of Life bless you," Marquis Raymond declared.
"May the Goddess of Life bless you!" The three of them also saluted.
Then the three slowly rose.
The enfeoffment ceremony was thus concluded.
Compared to the ancient rituals of enfeoffment, the oath-taking had undoubtedly become a mere formality, transforming from a binding contract into something that no longer required the assumption of any real responsibility.
But this was only natural.
As time passed, the virtues of nobility had dwindled to almost nothing. Forget the Nine Codes; even the Eight Virtues were upheld by few nobles. To make a covenant with the Goddess of Life once again would be akin to wishing for an untimely demise.