After breakfast, Clobber quickly sprang into action, gathering his belongings and preparing for the long journey to the capital, Saint Golden Fortress.
The decision was made to travel light for this journey. The Duke's summons had come in with great urgency, and according to Baron Daniel's calculations, war was likely imminent. Clobber needed to reach the Knight Order's headquarters as quickly as possible, so as not to waste any time and risk being forced to swear allegiance on the front lines, which would only complicate things unnecessarily.
They carried only enough food and water to survive the journey, and without hesitation, they set off.
The road from Flower Crown City to Saint Golden Fortress was usually well-patrolled, with few bandits to worry about, so Clobber dismissed the idea of bringing extra soldiers. The group consisted of just Clobber, Foster, Will, and Sam.
Traveling light and fast, they spent nearly fifteen hours a day on the road, leaving only time for rest and meals. In order to make better time, they didn't even stop in any cities during the first night. They camped out on the plains, cutting down on precious hours of travel.
Saint Golden Fortress was a long way from Flower Crown City, especially for a border city like theirs. Even with their fast pace and two horse changes through Golden Rose's merchant caravans, it took nearly a week to finally arrive at the gates of the fortress.
Saint Golden Fortress sat nestled in a fertile valley, surrounded by towering mountains. There was only one road leading in and out from the southwest. Legend had it that the Duke, when she was still a princess of the Emerald Kingdom, had chosen this location because of its strategic defensibility. The surrounding mountains also made it a perfect home for the Golden Dragons, the kingdom's prized beasts. The wild monsters living in the mountains were the ideal prey for the Golden Dragons.
It was for these reasons that the Duke decided to establish the capital here. While the city's location was militarily advantageous, its transport links were not as convenient, though the Duke didn't mind.
The city's architectural style was unique, blending Gothic and Baroque elements. The towering spires and ornate decorations were enough to catch anyone's eye. In this world, however, the style was known as the Emerald Relief style, a distinctive design that was all the rage in the Emerald Kingdom.
The streets were paved with neat cobblestones, and bustling crowds moved through the thoroughfares. The air was filled with the scent of fresh-baked bread from the bakeries and the savory aromas of cooked meals drifting out of nearby restaurants. The sounds of merchants hawking their goods, the rhythmic clop of hooves, and the hum of cheerful chatter formed a lively city symphony.
On the outskirts of the city, on a peak of the northern mountains, stood a grand castle—the seat of the ruling class.
It's worth noting that Saint Golden Fortress wasn't literally golden; the name was simply a reference to the Duke's residence and the place where the Golden Dragons made their home. The walls of the castle were tall and imposing, occupying nearly the entire top of the mountain. It looked as if the mountain itself had been cleaved in half to create the fortress, a feat that could only be described as a masterpiece of craftsmanship.
When the Duke established the borders and expanded the Golden Duchy, nearly all the nobles and common folk aspired to live within the castle's walls. There were even rumors that the Duke, back when she was still a princess, had only built the fortress atop the northern mountain peak. The city below, which was referred to as the capital, had been built by her followers and simply became part of what everyone called Saint Golden Fortress.
By the time Clobber and his companions arrived, it was already dusk. Exhausted and drained, the group decided to find an inn to rest and recover before reporting to the castle first thing in the morning.
Clobber settled into a wooden tub filled with warm water, feeling the soothing heat seep into his tired muscles. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he allowed himself a moment to relax.
The days of eating on horseback and traveling through wind and rain had taken their toll on him. By the time they neared the fortress, Clobber had barely had time to eat, and his sleep had been cut down by several hours just to make better time. Now, finally able to relax, he sank into the tub, planning what would come next.
According to Baron Daniel, the Dragon Breath Knight Order's headquarters was located inside the Duke's castle. All training took place within the castle's walls.
The Duke's castle didn't have any guards. The members of the Dragon Breath Knight Order were tasked with both patrolling and defending the castle. As such, the only people who could move freely within the castle, aside from the Duke and her servants, were the knights of the order.
For Clobber to officially join the order, he would need to report to the Duke's castle, go through a series of checks and tests, and only then would he be able to take the oath and truly become a member of the Dragon Breath Knights.
The Golden Rose family had members serving in the Dragon Breath Knight Order, though most of them were getting on in years and would likely be considering retirement within a year or two.
The number of knights in the Dragon Breath Order often played a significant role in determining a family's standing with the Duke.
To Clobber, the role of the Dragon Breath Knights was something like the relationship between a king and his most trusted advisers—or perhaps more fittingly, the relationship between Robert Baratheon and the Lannisters during his reign. During Robert's time as king, the Lannister family's soldiers practically controlled the Red Keep. Robert himself once said that when he opened his eyes, the first thing he'd see was the Lannister gold in the hair of his guards. Even though he despised them, he had no choice but to allow Lannister family members to move freely in his castle, as they occupied all the important positions. The Queen was a Lannister, the royal guards were Lannisters, and even the servants pouring wine were Lannisters. This was the benefit of holding such a crucial position at the king's side.
Of course, this world was different. The power of the Dragon Knights was such that they could easily rule a kingdom. With such a vast power disparity, rebellion was virtually impossible. And more importantly, the Duke was the most beloved sister of the Emerald King. He had even allowed her to avoid an arranged marriage and venture south to the kingdom's frontier to settle and cultivate the land. That was a kind of brotherly love, after all.
With such immense power, both personally and from the backing of a kingdom with several Dragon Knights, it was clear that no matter what the Duke did, the nobility would have no choice but to support her. They'd praise her every move, just to stay on her good side and secure more favor for their families.
Fortunately, the Duke was no fool—she was widely regarded as a wise and capable ruler. Under her governance, the Duchy's power had been growing steadily.
In order to secure more advantages, the nobles were quick to place their suitable family members in the Dragon Breath Knight Order, hoping to build relationships with the Duke. They hoped that by doing so, they could win more influence over the Duchy's national-level decisions.
If it weren't for the Duke's strict requirements, the Dragon Breath Knight Order would have long since filled the entire castle, rather than having just a handful of knights to make up the numbers.
Rumor had it that the nobles had begun to consider marrying into families with metal-type battle qi, hoping that their descendants might inherit this rare and powerful affinity. However, no one was sure if it was the Golden Dragons that had absorbed all the golden elemental power, but even those noble families who had married into metal-affinity clans still found that their offspring inherited their original elemental battle qi instead.
Only families with naturally metal-type battle qi could reliably produce children with the same trait—like the Golden Rose family.
But here was the catch: Almost every family in the Golden Duchy with this rare golden affinity also seemed to suffer from a strange trait—fewer children. Most of these families only had one or two offspring, if any.
Clobber, towel in hand, wiped down his body, considering how likely it was that he'd succeed in joining the Dragon Breath Knights. Once he did, he could present himself to the Duke, flaunting his loyalty and patriotism. Perhaps he'd even get a fief of his own, something far more prestigious than being given a mere plot of land from the Duke.
After all, being granted a piece of the Duke's territory was a different matter entirely from being granted your own lands.
Dressed in comfortable sleepwear, Clobber placed his weapons next to his pillow and laid down in bed. He knew he needed to conserve his energy for the Dragon Breath Knight Order's initiation test tomorrow. As the moonlight streamed through the window, he drifted off to sleep, his thoughts already on the challenges and rewards that awaited him.