Imperial Crown

In the meeting room, Raven leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes to rest.

No one spoke, and the whole room was very quiet.

Old Gordon, Eric, Denise, and Visdon all fixed their eyes on the sword in front of Raven.

According to the current standards of the empire, this sword is not long, and it is only a little over one meter including the blade. Although the shape is simple, the ebony scabbard locks its edge, which does not attract so much attention.

But they all knew that after Raven received this sharp sword, he immediately held this meeting, so they had to pay attention to this sword with a somewhat strange shape.

The footsteps were getting closer and closer, the door opened, and Philip appeared in the room: "Baron, I'm late!"

Raven opened his eyes and sat up, pointing to a seat casually: "Sit down."

As Philip sat down, everyone sat up straight, and Raven did not delay:

"Next, I will respond to the call of the Slater family and lead the army to fight against the Hand of Death."

"Unlike the previous attack on the Bloody Highlands, this time I may be away for much longer, two months, three months, or even half a year or a year, it is not impossible."

"So, during the time I am away, someone must take charge of the Eagle Territory on my behalf, protect the safety of the territory, and maintain the operation of the territory."

After saying this, everyone present showed different expressions.

Eric's expression hardly changed. He was destined to fight on the battlefield with Raven, and it had nothing to do with him no matter who the Eagle Territory was handed over to.

Old Gordon looked at Denise uneasily with a trace of worry in his eyes. As a butler, he could not take over this power, and he had a considerable degree of distrust in Denise, especially at this critical moment.

Denise completely ignored Old Gordon's eyes, and her expression became calm instead, revealing a calmness. Weisdong was too young, and Old Gordon's surname was not Griffith. If the Eagle Territory was not handed over to her for custody, who else could it be handed over to?

Weisdong straightened his chest, hoping that Raven would look at him more. After all, he performed so well on the battlefield before. Now he has a chance to fight for it!

Philip's mentality was quite calm. Anyway, no matter who the Eagle Territory was handed over to, he was still the political officer of Shimmering Gold Town. He just hoped that the next "boss" would not be too difficult to get along with.

Taking in the expressions of his men, Raven smiled and said loudly: "So, this person is..."

"Visdon Griffith!"

After saying this, the room was so quiet that even the sound of a steel needle falling to the ground could be heard. Everyone was stunned. They had never expected that Raven would hand over such a heavy responsibility to Visdon!

As the person involved, Visdon himself was shocked. Although he had some fantasies, he knew that it was just a fantasy. He never thought that such a benefit would fall on his head!

Doesn't this mean that he is the owner of the territory during the time Raven is away? !

Standing up from the chair, Visdon shouted in a loud voice: "Thank you for your trust, brother. I will never let you down. I will definitely manage the Eagle Territory in an orderly manner and leave the doors open at night!"

"I..."

"Okay, I know your determination." Raven stopped Visdon's long speech, stood up, picked up the eight-sided Han sword on the table, and pulled it out with a clang.

The friction between the sword and the scabbard made a humming sound like a dragon's roar, which immediately attracted everyone's attention.

The sword body, about 80 cm long, was carefully forged. Each of the eight sharp-edged casting surfaces was as smooth as a mirror, showing the depth and majesty of the night. During the trembling, dots of light flickered, as if thousands of stars were condensed in it.

Under the hilt, there was a simple and clear inscription:

The best in the world.

Eric's pupils suddenly shrank. From this sword, he could feel the thick and pure steel breath. Even if there was no enchantment, just in terms of quality, this sword would not lose its identity even if it was worn by the earl!

"This sword is called 'Number One in the World.'" Raven said in a deep voice:

"It is the first and the only one."

"From today on, this sword symbolizes the identity of the head of the Griffith family. Anyone who holds this sword has the same power and majesty as me!"

Denise showed a hint of realization on her face, and then she was a little proud - handing this sword to Visdon was no different from handing it to her.

Old Gordon's face was full of grief. If Raven gave Visdon the power to manage the Eagle Territory, he would still have certain means and capital to counterattack, but Raven gave this sword such a great meaning, then he would not have any ability to check and balance Visdon and Denise!

This is simply playing!

He took a deep breath and was about to persuade Raven to take back his decision, but he saw Raven put the sword back into the sheath.

Volaf quietly put a knife rack on the table, and Raven reached out and put the sword on it.

Visdon, who was ready to take over the sword, looked at a loss.

Raven said: "From today until I come back, this sword will remain here."

"During this period, Weisdong, as the acting lord, you should discuss things with Denise and Old Gordon more often. Any decision needs to be approved by all three of you before it can be implemented."

"At the same time, while I am away, I give you three the power to draw this sword once each. As long as it is drawn, no matter what decision is made, the other two cannot refute it."

"No one can veto the proposal of another sword-drawer by drawing his sword."

Old Gordon had a smile on his face.

As expected, the Baron will not give away his power easily. This arrangement is indeed exquisite.

Looking back now, letting Vesdon serve as the acting lord was indeed the best choice.

First of all, his surname is Griffith, and he is a man who can stabilize the hearts and minds of the Eagle Leader, both internally and externally, both in public and private matters.

Secondly, after all, Vesdon was young and had just grown up. It was when he was most rebellious that he had his own ideas and would not listen to Denise's words.

Finally, and the most important stroke of genius is this "best in the world" sword. Although it was only authorized once, Raven gave Old Gordon a chance to overturn the table. As a deterrent, Vesdon and Denise also Don’t dare to go too far!

Although she was a little disappointed, Denise was not dissatisfied with Raven's decision. After all, even if it was only one-third, it was real power.

Only Vesdon was not in a good mood. He thought he could be a baron in a practical sense, but in the end, the power was still divided.

Raven didn't pay much attention to Vesdon's thoughts. He said loudly: "The day after tomorrow is the day of departure. This time, in addition to the militiamen recruited previously, I will leave a ten-man team."

"Link, come in!"

The door opened, and Link led a group of soldiers into the room.

"Lord Baron!" Link thumped his breastplate and saluted solemnly.

Raven said: "Starting from today, you will temporarily take Eric's position and serve as the captain of the Eagle Territory guard. You will also serve as Vesdon's guard. You will obey his orders and protect his safety at all times."

"Understood, sir!" Link nodded heavily, turned around and saluted Vesdon.

This made Vesdon's originally depressed mood instantly rise again!

He also has his own soldiers!

In fact, Simon was the best candidate, but Raven knew the importance of scouts, so after thinking about it, he put this responsibility on Link's shoulders.

This man has seniority, a stable character, and has been on the battlefield with Vesdon. With him around, Vesdon will not cause too much trouble.

"That's all the orders. Do you have anything else to say?" Raven glanced at the whole place.

Fili stood up: "Lord Baron, I heard that you are going to fight against the Hand of Death. The Goldsmith Town Chamber of Commerce has been deeply moved by your selfless spirit and has jointly raised a batch of supplies, hoping to help you!"

"I accept your kindness." Raven smiled and nodded to Fili: "But now the Nord province is in chaos, trade routes are cut off, and everyone is not living a good life. I will not accept these supplies. If it is really for me, If you share your worries, you can use this material for the defense and people’s livelihood of Jinjin Town.”

"Yes, Lord Baron!"

After confirming that there were no other problems, Raven announced the adjournment of the meeting, but stopped Vesdon as everyone was leaving.

Dismissing the guards, Raven led Vesdon up the wall of Eagle Castle.

Raven walked in front, and Vesdon walked behind Raven with his head slightly lowered, feeling uneasy, not knowing what Raven was going to say to him.

The two of them walked to the top of the city. Raven motioned to the soldiers standing guard to step back and made sure that no one could hear their conversation. Then he asked: "Vesdon, are you a little dissatisfied with my decision today?"

"No!" Vesdon shook his head repeatedly, but when he saw Raven's scrutinizing gaze, he admitted with a smile: "... Yes, there was at first, but I figured it out soon."

"After all, I am not your biological brother. I have done so many wrong things before, so it is right for you not to trust me."

"You!" Raven put his hands on the city wall and looked at the scenery in the distance: "I knew you would think wrong."

Weisidong was a little surprised: "Eh? Brother, don't you think so?"

"Of course not. If I didn't trust you, why would I let you be the acting lord?" Raven rolled his eyes at him.

Vesdon became even more confused: "Then... why did you keep that 'No. 1 Sword in the World' instead of giving it to me directly?"

"Because you are only fifteen years old." Raven said: "You need experience and tempering. If I give all the power to you at once, I believe you can achieve some achievements, but you may also step into a big pit! "

"Once you step into this pit, your self-confidence will inevitably be dampened and you will fall into self-doubt. This is something I don't want to see."

"That's why I left the sword and asked your mother and old Gordon to assist you. I hope you can walk on the road of becoming a lord more steadily and longer!"

Just a few words made Vesdon's mood surge, just like before he left for the Bloody Highlands: "Brother, do you mean to say that I have a chance to become a real lord?"

"Of course!" Raven said: "You may have also heard that this time the Slater family made a promise to give the Griffith family a fiefdom - I can't live in two places and have another fiefdom. Someone has to be sent to take care of it.”

Vesdon's heart became even more heated: "You mean... you mean...!"

"I didn't say anything." Raven's voice was calm.

"I understand, it won't work if you say it!" Weisidong nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, I will definitely lead the eagle to you!"

With a noncommittal smile, Raven's face turned serious: "I'm not worried about anything else, except for one thing, I have to remind you."

Weston also corrected his attitude: "You say it!"

Raven turned around and stared into Weisdong's eyes: "No matter who it is, as long as they ask you to meet with Angel and promise to guarantee your safety, that person is a traitor. Remember this."

Wesdong was stunned. Raven's words were too profound for him, as if there was a layer of fog in front of his eyes, but he could clearly understand the earnest teachings in his words: "Brother, don't worry, I will never forget it!"

"That's good." Raven smiled and turned to walk towards the castle.

Wesdong stood there for a while, looking at the Eagle Town and the Shining Gold Town on the vast land, and his heart suddenly began to beat rapidly. Only then did he realize why Raven brought him here and said what he had just said!

The scenery that almost jumped into Weisdong's eyes told Weisdong that the responsibility on his shoulders was much heavier than he had imagined before!

Raven hadn't walked far yet, Weisdong took a step and ran behind him, panting: "...Brother!"

"Anything else?" Raven stopped.

"I...I..." Weisdong took a breath slowly: "I just don't know what to do next!"

"I feel more relieved that you can say this." Raven looked up at the sky: "You need to think about what to do specifically."

"However, since you are not sure, I will leave you one last word."

He paused and said in a deep voice: "Women and children can make mistakes, but men can't."

Wesdong stood there in a daze, savoring Raven's words, with confusion in his eyes, and then slowly became resolute, clenching his fists little by little: "...I, I seem to understand, brother!"

He looked up, but found that Raven had disappeared long ago.

Two days passed in a flash, and it was finally time to set off again.

This time, the number of people dispatched was far less than that of the attack on the Bloody Highlands, but the supplies carried were no less than the last time.

Also, although the number of people was small, both the momentum and morale were much higher than the last time.

Especially when they saw the statue standing outside the Eagle Castle.

The monument has not been completed, but its outline can be roughly seen. From the front, it can be clearly seen that it is a soldier charging with a gun.

The base has been completed and is about two meters high. There is a sentence engraved on it: All the soldiers who sacrificed for the peace and tranquility of Eagle Territory will be immortal.

This lets them know that their sacrifice will not be forgotten. Although their names will not be passed on, as long as they are still a member of the Eagle Army, they will live forever in the memory of the people of Eagle Territory.

The sculpture will not fall, the memory will not be extinguished, and they will also live forever.

After the short speech, Raven glanced at the crowd, but he did not see the blond figure he had been thinking about, and he felt a little disappointed.

Yes, this time his safety is uncertain, why add to the worries?

At a command, Raven galloped on his horse, followed by Eric and thirty-five personal soldiers in shining helmets and armor.

The "Fool" rode his horse and ran towards the future called "Death", and the uncertain "Wheel of Destiny" began to turn.

Following the main road around the foot of the mountain, when the view was no longer blocked by the mountain, a white horse suddenly jumped into Raven's sight.

On the horse's back was a blonde girl with blue eyes.

…