Chapter 521 - 405: The Bustling Black Stone Territory
Chapter 521: Chapter 405: The Bustling Black Stone Territory
Through his own power, in less than a year, he had risen from an obscure minor noble to a powerful Count of great influence throughout the Duchy—and even its future Crown Prince.
His deeds had long been woven into heroic epics by Minstrels, sung in every tavern across the Duchy.
He was the idol of all Knights whose talents had gone unrecognized, the Lord they most yearned to follow.
Ed and Alex were already waiting in the plaza.
"Lord! You’ve returned!"
The two strode forward and performed a standard Knight’s salute.
"Mm."
Raylo nodded and leaped down from Baofeng’s back.
"Did anything happen in the territory while I was away?"
"All is well, Lord," Ed replied.
"It’s just..."
He glanced at the ever-growing crowd of Knights, a wry smile on his face.
"There are simply too many people. The camps we prepared are already almost full."
"That’s a good thing."
Raylo chuckled.
"The more people there are, the more talent we’ll have to choose from."
He turned to face the Knights gathered at the edge of the plaza and declared in a booming voice.
"Welcome to Black Stone Territory, brave Knights!"
"I know why you have come."
"I promise you, the glory, wealth, and status you desire—here, you will have the chance to obtain it all!"
"As long as you have the strength!"
"The Knight Tournament will be held as scheduled! I look forward to seeing your spectacular performances in the arena!"
"ROAR!"
Raylo’s words were like a flame, completely igniting the passion of every Knight present.
They raised their weapons high, letting out a cheer that shook the heavens.
The wave of sound surged together, rocketing toward the heavens as if to shatter the very clouds above.
The night was black as ink, but the study in Black Stone Castle remained brightly lit.
The flame in the fireplace burned quietly, casting the contours of Raylo’s profile into sharp relief.
"Lord, according to the latest count, the number of Knights who have arrived in Black Stone Territory to register for the tournament has reached seven hundred and eighty-six. The vast majority are Free Knights and Mercenaries from all over the Duchy, with a small portion being second sons or overlooked members of minor noble families."
There was a hint of excitement in Ed’s voice.
’Seven hundred and eighty-six...’
Raylo muttered to himself. The number exceeded his expectations.
"And that’s just the ones who have arrived," Ed added.
"Dozens more Knights are arriving from all over every day. I estimate that by the time the tournament officially begins, the total number will likely surpass one thousand."
’A thousand Knights!’
If this force could be brought completely under his command, it would be enough to elevate Black Stone Territory’s military strength to a whole new level.
"What about the strength of the participants?" Raylo asked. This was his main concern.
"Their strength varies greatly."
Ed’s expression grew serious.
"Most are between Tier One and Tier Two. We have seventeen registered who have reached the level of a Tier Three Earth Knight. As for Tier Four Sky Knights... we haven’t found any yet."
This result was within Raylo’s expectations.
A Tier Four Sky Knight was a truly high-end combatant anywhere, powerful enough to serve as the Knight Commander in a minor lord’s territory or be treated as a guest of honor by a major noble.
They wouldn’t easily choose to pledge allegiance to a new lord unless the incentive was great enough.
The autumn wind of Black Stone Territory, carrying a chill from the mountains, swept past the castle’s towering stone walls.
But outside the castle, on what was once a wide-open field, the atmosphere was like a midsummer Melting Furnace—scorching hot and thick with the explosive tension of a powder keg.
As the date of the Knight Tournament drew closer, the once-peaceful lands of Black Stone Territory transformed in a matter of days into the most clamorous place in the entire Northern Territory.
Like a swarm of bees drawn to honey, Knights converged from all directions.
They brought with them their pride, their ambition, and an equally potent, restless energy.
When hundreds of hot-blooded men, accustomed to letting their swords do the talking, were crammed together, alcohol became the perfect fuse to light the powder keg.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.
The study door was rapped on urgently, and Ed pushed it open and entered without even waiting for Raylo to speak.
His face was etched with exhaustion. His fine Armor was stained with a few patches of dried blood—whose, it was impossible to say—and he reeked of strong ale.
"Lord."
Ed’s voice was hoarse. He placed a piece of parchment covered in messy script on Raylo’s desk with a dull thud.
"This can’t go on."
Raylo put down his feather pen and looked up, calmly regarding his most capable subordinate.
He said nothing, merely motioning with his eyes for Ed to continue.
"Three days, Lord. In just three days, there have been over twenty brawls between Knights within the territory."
Ed said, "Most were just superficial injuries. We threw them in the dungeons, and they quieted down after missing a couple of meals. But just half an hour ago, at the ’Roaring Giant’ tavern, two Knights drew swords on each other over a dispute about a prostitute."
Ed took a deep breath, suppressing his anger.
"Two Free Knights. One was from the Western Territory, a Tier Two Peak. The other was from Red Leaf Territory. The result... the Knight from the Western Territory ran his sword through the other’s throat. The man died on the spot."
A brief silence fell over the study, broken only by the soft CRACKLE of the flame in the hearth.
’Over a prostitute, a life was lost.’
’This was the world of Knights. Honor was paramount, yet it could also be laughably cheap.’
’These Knights, drawn by his reputation, were the future wealth of Black Stone Territory, the cornerstone of his military expansion.’
’But now, if left unchecked, this force could even turn on itself and negatively impact Black Stone Territory’s development.’
"And the killer Knight?"
Raylo finally spoke, his voice betraying no emotion.
"Our men captured him on the spot. He’s locked in the dungeon now," Ed replied.
"He’s still shouting that it was a fair duel between Knights and that we have no right to punish him."
"A fair duel?" Raylo said.
"Did they sign a life-and-death waiver?"
He stood and walked to the window, looking down at the camp below, which had already descended into some chaos.
Squads of Knights were on patrol, but you could still see shoving and arguing break out in corners every so often.
"Ed."
"Yes, Lord."
"Relay my orders. Effective immediately, double the number of Knights on patrol. Anyone who engages in unauthorized brawls within the territory—regardless of the reason or their status—is to be stripped of their eligibility to compete and imprisoned until the tournament is over."
"Yes, Lord," Ed immediately responded. This order would effectively curb most of the conflicts.
"Also..."
Raylo turned, his decision made.
"Tomorrow morning, in Black Stone Town’s Knight Plaza, hang that killer Knight."
"What?"
Ed’s head snapped up.
"H-hang him?"
He had thought Raylo would, at most, punish the Knight severely or perhaps expel him from the territory.
He had never expected his Lord to issue such a harsh command.
’After all, the killer is a Tier Two Peak Knight.’
’Talent like that would be considered elite in any territory.’
’To just kill him... isn’t that too much of a waste?’
’And won’t this cause panic among all these visiting Knights?’
"Lord, doing this... won’t it..." Ed began hesitantly.
"Won’t it what? Incite public outrage?" Raylo said, seeing right through him.
"Ed, you must remember. What we need right now is not a mob of lawless brutes, but a disciplined army."
"I understand, Lord."
Ed accepted the order.
He knew that when his Lord made a decision, the only thing he needed to do was execute it without fail.
After Ed left with the orders, silence once again returned to the study.
The autumn days in Black Stone Territory were crisp and dry, with high, clear skies.
However, for Evan, the Scribe of Black Stone Territory, this autumn was proving more frantic than any scorching summer.
Inside the study, Evan’s forehead was beaded with sweat as the feather pen in his hand flew across a sheet of parchment, making a constant scratching sound.
In front of him was a mountain-high pile of registration ledgers, each one densely filled with the names of Knights from all across the Duchy.
"Lord, this is the latest tally as of this morning."
Evan handed a summary report he had just finished to Raylo with both hands.
His voice was somewhat hoarse from several consecutive days of intense work.