Imperial Crown

Just as they were about to step into Eagle Town, Savannah rode up to Raven:

"Lord Baron, thank you for your care during this period. Now that we are back in Nord Province, I will take my leave."

Raven was a little surprised: "We will be at Eagle Castle soon, why don't you stay a little longer? I can also do my part as a host."

"I appreciate your kindness, Lord Baron." Savannah's tone was as cold as ever: "But I have been delayed in the Bloody Highlands for too long and need to report back as soon as possible."

"In that case, I won't stay any longer. "Raven asked politely, "But it's not safe for you to go alone. Do you want me to transfer a few soldiers to go with you so that we can take care of each other?"

Sawanna refused decisively: "No, I owe the Baron too much."

At this point, she glanced at Nancy who was following Raven, and continued meaningfully: "Your support for the great cause of the Church will definitely be rewarded!"

"May the Lord of Light bless you." With her hand on her chest, Savanna turned her horse's head and galloped towards the direction of Shining Gold Town.

After a short interlude, Raven led his troops slowly approaching Eagle Town.

Finally returning to their hometown after a long absence, the Eagle Army soldiers did not have the joy of returning victorious, but their mood became more complicated.

Homesickness.

When the people of Eagle Town heard the news and rushed over, the atmosphere became heavy and solemn.

Especially when they saw the bodies carried on the horses.

The war was won, as can be seen from the number of war horses when they returned.

But the price paid was too heavy.

Even Eric couldn't bear to look into the eyes of the people.

Although the roads in Eagle Town had been rebuilt and were smooth and solid, they were not very wide. Even if the people restrained their desire to rush over, the speed of travel still slowed down.

Bobby rode on his horse and swept his eyes over the crowd, hoping to see his family.

He didn't get his wish, but he found some new details.

Even in the cold winter, the residents of Eagle Town no longer shivered like in previous years. Their clothes were much thicker, and some even wore gloves and hats. Their faces were red from the cold, but there were no cracked wounds from the cold as before.

Perhaps it was because the sound of horse hooves was too noisy, or perhaps it was because the voices were too noisy, the chickens and ducks raised in the yards and backyards of each family flapped their wings and cried.

Looking at the smoke coming out of the roof, a smell called fireworks wrapped Bobby, making his originally low mood a little more uplifted.

Bobby was not the only soldier who felt this way. Each of them was deeply poisoned by the horse thieves. Now that they had rescued a group of women from the scorpion nest, they understood the evil of the horse thieves more intuitively and clearly.

When they saw their families in the crowd, they saw that they were still alive and living better than when they left, and that sense of relief surged in their hearts.

The peaceful life of the people in the territory was the meaning of their fighting.

The sacrifice of their comrades was not in vain!

The soldiers were observing the people in the territory, and the people in the territory were also observing the soldiers.

Their eyes would stay on the face of each soldier, and only after confirming that it was not their relatives or children would they fall on the next person's face.

The people in the territory who found their families breathed a sigh of relief, with a look of joy and fear on their faces.

The faces of the people in the territory who did not find their families became more and more stiff and heavy, so heavy that water could drip out. Looking at the corpses wrapped in horse skins, their expressions were different.

Some were extremely disappointed, with empty eyes and lifeless eyes; some immediately began to cry in a low voice, wanting to rush to the front but being stopped by the people next to them; others talked and laughed with the people next to them, deceiving themselves that they might be dazzled, but tears still kept flowing from the corners of their eyes.

As a priest of Eagle Town, Lux was also in the crowd. In her expectant eyes, Raven's figure finally appeared.

Lux's heart lifted.

Compared with when he left Eagle Town, Raven's face was a little more cold and resolute, his cheeks were a little thinner, and he looked more angular.

Because he hadn't taken care of it for a long time, his chin and mouth were full of short beards, making the whole person look more mature and stable.

Seeing Raven's outfit, Lux felt a little worried.

Before leaving, the bright black leather armor that Raven wore had disappeared, replaced by a set of scale armor that didn't fit him very well.

At this moment, Raven's eyes also moved over. When their eyes met, Raven's mouth curled up a smile, nodded gently at her, then turned his face and continued to move forward.

Lux let out a long breath.

It seemed that Raven was not seriously injured.

The team slowly passed through Eagle Town, and the people who came with the team also had their own ideas.

The women looked at the people on both sides, thinking that they would be looked down upon or scrutinized, but they found that no one cared about them at all.

At the same time, they also keenly noticed the difference between the people in Eagle Town and those in other places.

For example, the clothes they wore were new and old, but they were all washed very clean, not as sloppy as the people under the rule of other lords. This was not something that the lord could force to be implemented.

It can only mean that the people here have a good life, so they have the energy and financial resources to boil a pot of hot water to wash clothes in the winter.

Moreover, it is cold in winter, and it is difficult to dry the clothes after washing, which means that every family and every person can have a change of clothes!

This made them realize a fact.

Baron Raven was not being hypocritical, but under his rule, the people in his territory could always live a prosperous life.

The expectation for the future quietly grew in his heart.

In contrast, the focus of the gray dwarves was completely different.

Sohei and Bowell were tied to the same warhorse, Sohei at the back and Bowell at the front.

All the way, Sohei was traveling during the day and sleeping at night, but he was bored. Now that he was in the town, he finally couldn't help but open his mouth and arched his shoulder to Bowell: "Hey, don't sleep, look at that girl over there!"

"Which one?" Bowell asked in a low voice.

Sohei said impatiently: "It's the one with golden hair. Look at her skin and figure. Not only can't the dwarves compare to her, even the drow can't compare to her!"

"Are you an idiot?" Bowell wanted to cover Sohei's mouth: "Look at her clothes, she is a priest of the Church of Light. Do you want to betray the Lord of the Forge!?"

"Hey, why don't you say that she will betray the Lord of Light?" Sohei licked his lips.

Bowell rolled his eyes: "This is the territory of humans. If you don't want to be pushed into the cesspool like in the Bloody Highlands, shut up!"

"Also, you know that this priest is so beautiful. Don't others know it? Baron Raven, a noble who has to take a woman with him when he goes to war, doesn't know it? If you want to drink again, don't come up with such a bad idea!"

The first sentence didn't move the thick-skinned Sohei, but the second sentence was fatal. Sohei immediately closed his mouth and lowered his head.

The Eagle Town is not large, and the team will eventually pass through even if they are slow.

When they arrived in front of Eagle Castle, Sohei's eyes lit up again: "Oh, there are beauties!"

But Raven's next sentence almost made him swallow his tongue.

"Aunt, I'm back." Raven said on horseback.

At this time, the gate of Eagle Castle was wide open, and a group of maids and servants, led by Denise and Old Gordon, lined up outside the gate to greet them.

Old Gordon had a smile of excitement and relaxation on his face. For him, as long as Raven was fine, it didn't matter if the others died.

His granddaughter Fiona was holding a book and timidly looking at Raven from behind Old Gordon.

In her eyes, in less than two months, Baron Raven had become more terrifying than before.

Jenny looked at Nancy, her eyes suddenly reddened, and she felt unfair for her young lady.

Although her young lady was as cute and beautiful as before, she looked obviously more haggard and tired than before, and she was still wearing the same clothes she wore when she left! When has Miss Nancy ever been wronged like this? ?

Denise's mood was more complicated. She looked at Weston with a look of relief, and looked at Raven with a gentle look of admiration.

She spoke softly, her voice full, loud and pleasant: "Welcome the head of the Griffith family, Raven Ota Griffith, to return triumphantly!"

Led by Raven, the soldiers on horseback all knocked on their chests:

"Invincible!"

A bowl of wine was given when they set out, and another bowl of wine was given when they returned.

The former was to wish the soldiers bravery and fearlessness, and the latter was to wash away the dust of the journey for the returnees.

Raven came back without any sign, and the wine had been prepared long ago, but his family members had no time to gather them, so this bowl of wine was served by the maids and servants.

Denise walked to Raven's horse with the wine in her hand, looked at Raven who was obviously weathered, and whispered: "You are finally back."

"I said I would definitely come back." Raven picked up the wine bowl and drank it all.

The hot wine flowed into his throat, dispelling the coldness in his chest.

Throwing the wine bowl on the ground, Raven turned his horse's head, faced his soldiers, and said only one sentence:

"Eagle Army, listen to the order, take a three-day vacation!"

The soldiers saluted in unison: "Yes!"

But there was no action.

It was not until Raven turned his horse's head and slowly drove into the castle that the soldiers dispersed.

Jumping off the warhorse, Raven walked towards the castle while issuing orders.

The first thing was to immediately let Old Gordon organize people to return the bodies of the fallen soldiers and the pensions to their relatives as soon as possible.

The second thing was to settle the women. Since there were more than 30 people, Old Gordon suggested to clean up the vacant warehouse first for them to stay temporarily.

Next is the gray dwarves. There are only seventeen of them. Just put them all in the riverside workshop. It is convenient to watch over them and they can be isolated so that Raven can't see them and won't be bothered.

Finally, there is the inventory and classification of the spoils and the placement of the horses. This can't be rushed.

After issuing these orders, Raven just entered the castle and tore off his helmet and handed it to Petty. White air immediately came out of his head.

Raven's fatigue can be seen with the naked eye. Old Gordon hesitated a little, but still reminded:

"Baron, during your absence, some things have accumulated and need to be dealt with."

...