Chapter 309: The King's Great Gift

Two mornings later, Romon arrived at the City of Golden Feathers accompanied by Tom and David.

The Kingdom of Alduin had been established in the year 738 of the Imperial Calendar, and more than two hundred and thirty years had passed since then.

Over these years, the royal capital of Golden Feathers had undergone countless renovations and expansions to achieve its current grandeur.

Romon had traveled to Horse-Pasture City, Black Mountain City, and had even caught a fleeting glimpse of Horn Bay just yesterday, but compared to the City of Golden Feathers, they all paled in comparison.

The city walls here were towering and formidable, standing in multiple layers from the interior to the exterior, guarding the peace of the metropolis and the royal capital.

The city gates stood wide open, welcoming merchant caravans and travelers from all directions, with shops lining both sides of the streets, presenting a dazzling array of goods such as jewelry, spices, and medicinal herbs.

"How magnificent!"

"How bustling!"

Tom and David kept looking around endlessly, their expressions long since lost in this sea of prosperity.

"When will our North-Black Territory ever have a city like this?"

Hearing these words, a sharp glint flashed through Romon's eyes.

The City of Golden Feathers was indeed prosperous; judging by the bustling crowds on the streets, there were at least several hundred thousand people living here.

If one were to include the population of the manors and small towns outside the city, it could probably reach the million mark.

To build such a city in the North-Black Territory, population was an issue; after all, how could there be construction of such scale without people?

However, Romon possessed great confidence in the future.

He believed he could create a city even more prosperous and cleaner than the City of Golden Feathers.

The three of them walked and observed along the way, and before long, they arrived at Golden Feather Avenue.

The Golden Feather Palace crouched at the very end of the avenue, its immensity, solemnity, and majesty becoming more palpable the closer one approached.

"Halt, newcomers!"

As they drew near the main gate of the Golden Feather Palace, a squad of guards blocked Romon's path, dressed in uniform silver-white armor and bearing longswords, looking exceptionally martial.

As guards of the royal palace, they possessed sufficient breeding and courtesy; though they called a halt to the three men, they bowed while inquiring about their identities.

"This is the eldest grandson of the Marquis of Black Mountain, Count Romon Black-Mountain of the North-Black Territory, who has come specifically to audience His Majesty the King and to attend the birthday banquet of Her Highness Princess Blanche."

Tom introduced politely, while David displayed the medal recorded with identity and title information that had been prepared long ago.

"Welcome, Count of the North-Black Territory!"

One of the guards made a gesture of invitation: "I shall escort you to the reception office, please follow me."

The Golden Feather Palace was vast, and the security around the periphery was actually not strict.

Under the guidance of the guard, Romon met the receiving official, who was a woman.

"My Lord Count, His Majesty has instructed that if you arrive, you may go to see him first."

The receptionist's voice was exceedingly gentle, "Would you prefer to rest for a moment, or go to audience His Majesty the King first?"

Since Bruno had given such instructions, there was no need for Romon to rest first.

"Then I shall trouble you to lead the way."

Led by the receptionist, Romon traversed through the immense Golden Feather Palace.

The deeper they went, the stricter the security became, and the more knights they encountered.

After walking for a long time, they finally arrived outside a magnificent palace.

Following further announcement and reporting, Romon stepped into the palace alone.

Inside the grand hall, a red carpet extended inward for nearly a hundred meters, ending at the council chamber where the throne sat upon high.

At this moment, apart from His Majesty the King in the palace, there were six guard knights outside the council chamber, and standing on the right side of the throne inside the chamber was a figure familiar to Romon—Broll Geller.

This man was the vice commander of the Gryphon Knights, the very person who had led the team to escort Blanche to Black Mountain Castle back then.

While he was observing, Bruno above was also observing Romon.

"Tall and handsome in appearance, carrying a trace of Rulance's demeanor from back in the day."

Bruno praised silently; whether in height proportion or inherent temperament, he was indeed worthy of the princess.

"Romon pays respects to Your Majesty!"

Coming to the front, Romon knelt on one knee in accordance with etiquette to offer his greetings to the King, who was also his future father-in-law.

"Rise, Romon."

Bruno raised his hand slightly: "I have heard of your leading the allied noble forces to defeat the enemy. Seeing you today, you indeed possess excellent composure and poise."

Meeting the King alone for the first time, some children of the nobility would suffer from stage fright, but he could not discern the slightest panic from Romon's body.

"Your Majesty overpraises me."

Romon responded politely, while taking out Rulance's handwritten letter from his breast pocket and presenting it, "This is a letter my grandfather wrote to you."

"How is Rulance's physical condition?"

Bruno had someone take the letter, inquiring while reading, the smile on his face growing wider, though it was unknown what the contents of the letter were.

"The same as always, he is currently convalescing."

Romon exchanged pleasantries with the King, mentioning neither Blanche nor the matter of the marriage alliance.

"I heard that you encountered pirates at sea and single-handedly slew a Golden Knight?"

Broll interjected, his tone carrying a hint of curiosity, "What exactly is your current strength, Silver or Golden?"

Romon was not surprised that this matter had reached the royal palace.

After all, the people of the Beluga Pirate Group had already been handed over to the relevant officials at Horn Bay for trial.

Faced with this question, it was inappropriate for Romon to describe himself as too weak, nor could he describe himself as too strong.

He could only say that he had just become a Silver Knight, and that his victory was due on one hand to the opponent's poor performance, and on the other hand to his mastery of a highly powerful combat technique.

"Hahaha, Broll, since you are so curious, why don't you test the power of Romon's combat technique."

Bruno put away the letter, speaking as if fanning the flames, though in truth he also wished to witness what level Romon stood at.

"As you wish, Your Majesty!"

Broll stepped to one side: "Come, attack me with all your strength!"

Romon knew this was a test from His Majesty the King; after all, such an occasion was like facing a lady's parents during a matchmaking meeting, where what needed to be displayed must be displayed.

"Then please forgive my offense."

Romon drew the Flame Stream Sword from his waist, channeling his battle qi to light up the runes upon the blade; in an instant, a massive silhouette of a flaming sword manifested, abruptly raising the temperature of the entire grand hall.

Bruno's eyes lit up; his talent for cultivation was mediocre, and even now he was merely a novice Silver Knight. However, his vision was unique, and he could sense the distinctiveness of Romon's combat technique.

At the same time, he also noticed the longsword in Romon's hand; it was clearly an enchanted extraordinary weapon, and one of very high quality at that.

"I did not expect Rulance to possess such a collection."

Without almost any doubt, he attributed both the combat technique and the Flame Stream Sword to Rulance's collection.

"Here I come!"

Lo Ning spoke up as a reminder, though he knew that despite the formidable power of the Inferno Slash, Brool—a legendary Meteor Knight—would have no trouble blocking it.

“Come on, Lo Ning!”

As the Flame Flow Sword descended, a colossal shadow of fire surged toward Brool, the howling wind generating a searing wave that swept through the entire hall.

Brool narrowed his eyes slightly, and a wind-elemental aura formed before him—an impenetrable barrier.

The Inferno Slash slammed into the wind barrier, unleashing violent tremors and shockwaves—but ultimately, it was absorbed without flaw.

To prevent the residual force from damaging the hall, Brool also encased the lingering energy in his aura and gently released it toward the palace gates.

“Meteor-class knights truly have mastery over aura manipulation,” Lo Ning thought to himself.

At that moment, Brool began to clap.

“Lo Ning, your technique compresses aura and detonates upon contact, amplifying its power exponentially. Even at my level, blocking a sixth-tier technique like Wind Barrier required effort—ordinary Gold Knights couldn’t possibly handle it.”

Clearly, this was modesty. The way he had intercepted the strike had been effortless, almost casual.

Lo Ning smiled. “The Inferno Slash is powerful, yes, but it drains the knight’s aura tremendously. Two or three uses in a single battle is already the limit.”

“Inferno Slash…” Brool murmured the name. “Lo Ning, I have a peculiar hobby—I collect martial techniques, magical tomes, and secret arts. I even have copies of your grandfather’s unique secret technique, ‘Flame Dance, Thunder Strike.’”

“Flame Dance, Thunder Strike?” Lo Ning had never heard of it. And what exactly was a “secret art”?

Brool explained: “It was an original technique developed by Rulans after he ascended to Meteor rank. It fuses fire and lightning elements—its power far surpasses ordinary techniques! I suspect that had your grandfather not fallen ill and trained normally, he might now be capable of wielding it even without reaching Silver Moon rank—and even Silver Moon Knights would have to tread carefully against it.”

Brool continued: “Secret arts are generally the domain of Meteor Knights alone—each possesses immense power or unique properties. But your Silver-tier Inferno Slash also has special characteristics? That’s exceedingly rare.”

Lo Ning’s heart stirred.

The man had just declared his passion for collecting martial and magical texts—and now he was lavishing praise on Lo Ning’s Inferno Slash.

Though Brool hadn’t said it outright, Lo Ning had no trouble hearing the implication.

“If Your Majesty desires it, I can compile the Inferno Slash into a book and present it to you.”

A look of satisfaction flickered in Brool’s eyes.

He truly loved collecting rare tomes, and since he himself wielded fire affinity, the Inferno Slash technique would suit him perfectly.

But to ask outright for such a gift from a man he’d just met? That would be improper—and beneath his dignity.

Fortunately, this young man was astute enough to grasp his unspoken meaning.

“Hah! I’m deeply pleased by your thoughtfulness!”

Brool chuckled. “Then let’s not say I’m taking advantage of a young viscount. Tomorrow, I’ll have Branqui escort you to my library. Choose any two books you like.”

At those words, even the nearby Meteor Knight Brool couldn’t suppress a flicker of envy.

He had served the king for decades—and only after becoming a Meteor Knight had he been granted the privilege of selecting a single seventh-tier technique.

Yet Lo Ning, still at Silver rank, was being offered the chance to choose two.

Lo Ning was overjoyed.

Rulans’s collection of martial and magical texts was limited. After seventh tier, only one technique—‘Flame Serpent’s Wild Dance’—was suitable for Lo Ning’s cultivation, and not a single wind-elemental technique or spell existed among them.

He had been at a loss, unsure where to acquire such rare and precious knowledge—when suddenly, the king himself offered him two priceless gifts. (End of Chapter)