The enfeoffment ceremony was still going on in the hall.
The royal orchestra played celebratory and solemn music as the nobles stepped forward to receive their titles. Scrolls of orders and appointments representing the supremacy of the royal power were distributed to the nobles in an orderly manner.
"Baron Cardoj!" The king's attendant called out Cardoj's name. It was finally his turn. The baron took a deep breath and strode out of the line of nobles, standing in the middle.
"The army led by Cardoj has made great contributions in the battles of Gordon Heights, Felmo Grand Canyon, Shalor and Audis. He is hereby conferred the title of viscount!" The attendant's voice wasn't loud, but Cardoj could hear every word clearly.
Holding back his excitement, Cardoj calmly took the silk book handed to him by the attendant.
This light silk book contained nearly a lifetime of struggle for Cardoj.
More than half of the nobles present hadn't been conferred their titles yet. The Faustian king, who was sitting at the highest point of the hall, didn't show any signs of fatigue. All the appointments of Faustian's nobles were signed by the king. It was his right and his duty.
Outside the hall, Locke and a group of would-be knights stood quietly. The sun was shining above their heads. It was already noon.
Droplets of sweat rolled down his neck. The sun in July was a little harsh. Locke quietly circulated his impetus. He didn't want to enter the hall drenched in sweat.
Even so, there was still a small patch on his back. Fortunately, Glace had chosen a good dress. It was pure black with white cuffs. If one didn't look carefully, they wouldn't be able to notice such a small detail.
The others weren't so lucky. Although they had changed out of their military uniforms and were wearing noble attire, the style was a little out of place. Many of their clothes were already wet. It wasn't that their impetus wasn't up to standard, but no matter how strong they were, they couldn't evaporate all the water in the air.
When the sun was setting in the west, they finally heard the summons from the hall.
Nearly thirty officers entered the hall in an orderly manner under the guidance of the attendants.
Perhaps it was because they came from the military, but their pace was surprisingly uniform when they entered the hall. They swung their arms forcefully, giving off a visual effect of vigor.
The king nodded unobtrusively. Compared to most of the old nobles in the hall, he admired the new nobles more. Motivation and energy were synonymous with these new nobles. The rise of Faustian required the efforts of these nobles.
Kenzir straightened his back. Most of the knights below him were people he had promoted. With the addition of these new blood, Kenzir's authority would greatly increase.
Ever since he entered the hall, Locke's intuition had always been very accurate. He could feel several pairs of eyes staring at him.
Cardoj in the corner of the hall, Marmen in the front row, Kenzir on the steps, and even their great king.
Their gazes lingered for a moment before quickly dispersing. Only then did Locke let out a sigh of relief. His back had been sweating more than it had been outside.
Powerful people had been in high positions for a long time. No matter how strong they were, they would always feel pressured when they looked at others. Locke had experienced this pressure many times from Cardoj. If the pressure before was like a trickle, it was like a waterfall now.
Locke's expression didn't change much from the beginning to the end.
Or maybe it was because he was too careless. From the commendation to the conferment and finally receiving the appointment letter that represented his noble title, Locke thought that it had just begun. He didn't expect it to end so quickly.
Holding the silk book in his hand, Locke followed the crowd to a banquet hall in the palace.
There would be a grand ball and dinner in the Faustian palace tonight.
Along the way, most of the surrounding nobles gathered together and chatted. Socializing was a necessary lesson for a qualified noble.
Only Locke and the new nobles looked a little stiff. They seemed to want to blend in with the other nobles, but didn't know how to do it.
"Locke! Cardoj walked to Locke's side and patted his shoulder to congratulate him.
"Thank you, Viscount!" Locke's expression softened. It felt good to meet an acquaintance.
Cardoj was no longer a baron. His current title was viscount. In addition to the promotion, Cardoj also owned two new towns in the southwest of Shalor.
Among the many nobles who were conferred titles today, Cardoj's harvest was one of the best.
Locke calling him viscount put Cardoj in a good mood.
"Where's Wyr?" Locke asked curiously.
Cardoj pointed to the front right. Wyr was chatting and laughing with a group of nobles. It seemed that this knight wasn't as bad at socializing as he appeared to be. Of course, from now on, Wyr was no longer just a knight. His new title was Wyr.
The lively banquet didn't attract much of Locke's interest. He had attended several banquets so far, and the feeling of being out of place had mostly disappeared. As for why he didn't fit in, it could only be said that he didn't like it very much.
This was a common problem among all new nobles. There was only one way to be promoted in Faustian, and the ancestors of all nobles were originally soldiers in the army. It would take these 'newbies' years, decades, or even generations to learn about the intrigues and confrontations between nobles that couldn't be seen by the naked eye.
Shaking his wine glass, Locke had nothing to do. He leaned against a railing by the window of the banquet hall and looked at the well-dressed nobles below.
It was a good place. Not only was it quiet, but it was also on the second floor. Locke could easily see every corner of the hall. The moon was bright, and the stars were sparse. Locke felt that he had the potential to be a bard, although he couldn't recite a decent poem.
The King only appeared after the banquet had started for a while. His Majesty was probably getting on in years. He rarely participated in these kinds of social activities between nobles. He only raised his glass and took a sip before leaving with the help of his servants.
The nobles respectfully sent their king off.
Although the king had left, Kenzir and Kent, who came with him, became the focus of the banquet.
Not only was Kenzir young, but he was also the future heir to the kingdom. Wave after wave of nobles came up to toast him, and Kenzir didn't refuse any of them.
This kind of red wine, which was exclusive to nobles, tasted sweet and only had a little kick. Even Locke could drink a whole bottle without batting an eyelid, let alone Kenzir who was stronger.
As tonight's banquet was more official, the nobles didn't bring their families. Only a few Faustian nobles were present.
The charming Princess Kent was the center of attention. She was the younger sister of a marquis from the Ligia Alliance, and she had the charm of a princess from a southern family. Coupled with the mature charm of the king's wife, she attracted the attention of many nobles, both openly and secretly.
It was a pity that Angelina didn't come. Locke lowered his head in disappointment.
The Faustian king had more than a dozen children. Kenzir and Angelina were the ones the king cared about and doted on the most. Kenzir could only attend the banquet because he was the actual leader of Lion. Angelina, on the other hand, wasn't qualified to be in charge of the caster army.
As he drank, Locke's mood changed from the initial excitement of becoming a noble to the emptiness and bitterness of being away from his family.
He would leave Faustian in half a month and embark on an unknown journey to the Aomar Empire. Locke had always been a person who preferred stability. He couldn't say that he regretted it now, but he was a little hesitant when he was about to leave.
"I hope everything will be better." Locke sighed softly and drank the red wine in his glass in one gulp.
After adjusting his mood, Locke walked into the hall with a smile on his face. He needed to greet the nobles he knew and make friends with them.
This included Kenzir, Margrave Marmen, Cardoj, Wyr, and a few new knights that he had just met. Locke noticed that Viscount Melson and his uncle, Count George, were also in the banquet hall. He needed to toast them one by one.
People would change, including Locke. He didn't like to socialize, but he had to do it.
Everything was for survival.
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Today, I happened to find out that Xiao Dou's book was doing pretty well. Well, I can't stop my brothers from reading pirated copies. I just hope that the readers who read Xiao Dou's book can come to Zongheng and add Xiao Dou to my collection. Also, I'll reward Xiao Dou with two free recommendation tickets. This will give Xiao Dou endless motivation to write.
Thank you, thank you!