Chapter 513: Impacting the Legendary Realm

The victory banquet at Mist Castle commenced precisely as scheduled.

It was the King's grand reward for the victors of the war; from dukes and marquises down to nameless knights, any who had distinguished themselves and received a nomination were bestowed with honors.

Ronin did a casual tally and found that the number of honorary knights dubbed in this single battle alone had already exceeded thirty.

Those lesser nobles who had answered the call to arms, though not elevated in rank, received bountiful rewards of gold and material wealth.

As for the main forces, such as Earl Eben of Twin Peaks and the late Viscount of Black Jade Bay who fell on the battlefield, they were granted the very strongholds they had captured from the Kingdom of Tricia as their fiefs, much like Watch Castle.

Naturally, the most dazzling luminary of the banquet was Ronin, who, as the Marquis of Moonlight Valley, was predictably elevated to become the fourth duke of the Kingdom of Alduin—the Duke of Conquest.

It was worth noting that this investiture was exceptionally formal and grand; besides the oath, Bruno had prepared a formal pact and publicly expounded on the title of Conquest, ensuring every noble present understood that Ronin would fight for Alduin and carve out a vast territory for the kingdom.

By the early hours of the morning, the banquet had drawn to a close.

Rulance and Ronin conversed in the study, the former reading through the appointment letter over and over again.

"His Majesty remains deeply concerned that you might harbor ulterior motives."

He said with a chuckle, "Whether in his public declaration or within this very letter of appointment, it is heavily emphasized that your loyalty must lie with the Alduin family."

"Since he cannot bind me through sheer strength, he naturally has to resort to moral constraints."

Ronin accepted the two cups of hot water brought in by Blanche and handed one to Rulance, "This is a brew concocted by Elrond called Mind-Clearing Dew. Though it possesses no extraordinary effects, its taste—bitter at first, then sweet—is quite delightful."

Rulance took the cup, took a sip, and nodded approvingly, "It is far better than the spice-infused drinks I usually have. Send me some more when you have a surplus."

Blanche smiled and said, "Moonlight City has plenty. Once we return, I will have someone deliver it to you."

"Then you have my thanks!"

Once Blanche stepped out, Rulance cleared his throat and murmured, "Some words are best not spoken in front of Blanche, but you two must hasten to have a child. I hear that the greater the disparity in strength, the lower the probability of conceiving."

"Uh, there is such a thing?" Ronin was slightly taken aback, never having heard of this before.

Rulance straightened his posture and stroked his beard, "It is merely something I heard from others."

He shifted the subject, "Now that you are a duke, what are your long-term plans?"

Ronin fell into a brief silence.

After becoming a duke, his daily sign-in rewards were five times the original amount, yielding him 695 attribute points and 575 energy essences each month.

Having achieved the duke-tier milestone of Renowned Worldwide, the next tier required Ronin to become a King.

"His Majesty has already promised me that after the Kingdom of Tricia is annihilated, I will be permitted to establish my own nation. That is the goal of my next phase."

A spark gleamed in Rulance's eyes.

Though he cared little for the elevation of titles, seeing his own grandson become the sovereign of a nation one day was something he would be exceedingly glad to witness.

"How shall I aid you?"

Rulance inquired, "Though I chose not to participate in the Battle of Mist Castle, I will definitely march in the subsequent campaign against Tricia. Since His Majesty has appointed you as the Grand Marshal of the Campaign and the frontline commander, both I and my forces are at your disposal."

"I intend to deploy McCain to the frontline, but doing so will leave the defensive forces of the Purple Thunder Territory lacking a top-tier combatant, so I would like you to keep an eye on that region for me."

"Do you still intend to deal with Andrea?"

At the mention of that name, a cold glaze washed over Rulance's face, "Regrettably, there are few opportunities. Terrified of your might, he has ceased his provocations."

"Though I may appear amiable, I harbor deep grudges."

Ronin replied, "What he and Screaming Island, and even Ference Castle, did to me, as well as what they did to you and the Wushan family, I remember it all."

"Though there is no justification or opportunity at present, I believe there will be in the future. Even if there isn't, we can create one."

Bruno had only stressed Ronin's loyalty to Alduin, but he had never forbidden Ronin from clashing or developing conflicts with other nobles.

Back when he was a mere baron, he had faced assassination by the Skeleton Society, and later endured several perilous situations in the Colosseum and the Screaming Sea; though the direct culprit was Earl Orson, the man's collusion with the Principality of Vera was plain for all to see.

That Ronin chose not to pursue it for the time being did not mean he had forgotten those deeds or wiped the slate clean.

"Very well, I will oversee the Purple Thunder Territory for you. Conveniently, Black Pine Mountain is quite close to it, and that place, occupied by the Black Gold Brotherhood for so many years, is overdue for development."

Rulance stood up, "I shall not disturb your rest any further. If there are any matters or arrangements, have someone fetch me from Wushan Castle at any time. Though you are a duke now, Wushan Castle will always be your home. When you have the time, come back and visit."

"I will, Grandfather!" Ronin rose to see him off.

After a short while, Blanche walked in, saying with a smile, "My impression of Grandfather had always matched his title, like a raging tempest, making me think him a short-tempered, violent man. Yet in truth, he feels incredibly gentle."

"He is only like this to those close to him. Besides, he has changed a great deal."

Reflecting on their time together over the past few years, the old man had been of immense help to him, and his heart was filled with profound gratitude.

"Very well, Blanche, we shall be quite busy for a while, and I will need your assistance."

Ronin steered the conversation away.

Blanche gave a playful bow and smiled, "Speak, my revered Lord Duke of Conquest. Your commands are the beacon that guides my path, the direction of my journey!"

Ronin stepped forward and pinched her fair cheek; she was truly becoming more mischievous by the day.

"First, I need to complete a detailed population registry for Mist City and Watch Castle with the utmost speed."

He walked over to the desk; he was now the master of Mist Castle, but judging from the records gathered from Earl Ural, a vast amount of information was missing.

"No problem, I can manage that with my people."

Ronin nodded, adding, "Just arrange for others to do the heavy lifting, you need not exhaust yourself. Once this is done, we shall see how many people Watch Castle lacks to reach one hundred thousand, and I will transfer the remainder from Mist City."

Blanche blinked, her curiosity piqued, "Why must Watch Castle be brought to exactly one hundred thousand people?"

Ronin offered a mysterious smile and patted her head, "It is a stairway to power."

Blanche could not comprehend it, but that did not stop her from sensing its profound depth.

Beyond these two matters, Ronin also needed to redistribute the lands of Watch Castle and Mist City.

The nobles, knights, and freemen who previously inhabited this land had all become captives, with the sole exception of Placido.

The lands of the captives would naturally be confiscated entirely into Ronin's possession.

From the moment he became the lord of Mist City, private ownership of fields ceased to exist; everything was to be allocated by him, followed by the implementation of new farming techniques and a new tax system.

Naturally, the first two tasks remained the most critical.

Ronin could not help but glance at his status panel.

He already possessed 18,868 attribute points, leaving him 5,764 points short of breaking through to become a Legend.

As long as he transformed Watch Castle and Mist City into grand metropolises with populations exceeding one hundred thousand, his Conquest of Land achievement would be fulfilled.

At that time, not only would he break through to the Legendary rank, but even Rydal would be elevated alongside him.

Legendary status was well within his grasp! (End of Chapter)