I'm not a lord

Chapter 352 Lynn, the New King of the North
The main hall of Golden Deer Fortress had long been decorated in a solemn and luxurious manner, and the stone walls that were originally used to hang spoils of war were now covered with traditional blue and white silks from the North.

A long red carpet stretched from the entrance to the high platform in the center of the hall, with officials, nobles and city representatives standing on both sides of the carpet.

The old and new nobles of the Marshland stood on the right side of the red carpet, dressed in various luxurious coats, with gleaming family crests and medals of honor bestowed by Lynn on their chests.

The representatives of the municipalities stood on the left, generally wearing black or brown wool robes and felt hats. Although these urban nobles usually dressed in 'colorful' clothes, they were still inferior to the real nobles.

At this moment, everyone looked intently at the high platform at the end of the red carpet with a mixture of trepidation and awe.

On the high platform sits a golden crown made by artisans from Three Rivers City. It is cast entirely in gold, with twelve gemstones of various colors mined from the Valley Territory at the bottom, and four spires at the top, symbolizing the four large territories of the Northern Kingdom.

To the left of this crown is a smaller, similar crown, which was used for the queen's coronation.

On the wooden shelf to the left of the crown, there are also a scepter and a precious orb, which symbolize royal power.

The scepter is still made of pure gold and is about the length of an adult male's forearm; the orb is made of gold-plated copper, with a spherical base and a golden scale symbolizing fairness and justice cast on it.

An old nobleman from the Northland County stared at the complete set of coronation ritual objects on the high platform and whispered to his friend beside him, "This isn't Amber Harbor. Who will preside over the coronation ceremony for the new king?"

According to the traditions of the North, the coronation ceremony of the king was usually held at Amber Harbor Cathedral and presided over by the Archbishop of Amber Harbor.

Although the religious tradition in the North is not strong, it still has some influence, especially in the Crown Territory, where the vast majority of citizens in the municipalities are believers, and more than half of the nobles and commoners also follow the Trinity.

Kings of the North throughout history have always given the Church face and therefore have chosen to accept the coronation of the Archbishop.

Lynn, on the contrary, would confiscate church land and property extensively in every place he conquered, strictly limiting the expansion of church power.

However, Lynn did not prohibit people from practicing religion, and a small number of churches were still preserved in the municipalities or towns.

In the eyes of this new king of the North, the job of clergy was to preside over religious ceremonies and ensure the pure propagation of doctrines, and they must not spread any nonsense or distorted ideas, much less meddle in the authority that belonged to the lord.

Under his rule, the church was strictly controlled and monitored, and could only return to its most primitive function, which was to bring a little spiritual comfort to the lower classes.

As a result, the senior clergy of the swamp territory either fled or died, and only a small number of young, junior clergy are still maintaining the operation of churches in various places.

Given their qualifications and reputation, it was naturally impossible for them to shoulder the heavy responsibility of presiding over the coronation ceremony.

The nobleman's companion covered his mouth and whispered, "There's a rumor that Princess Chloris's mother will preside over the ceremony. Her status and prestige are barely enough. Shh, don't say anything more, the ceremony is about to begin."

As the chief steward Carol shouted, "The coronation of the King in the North shall begin!", the slight noise in the hall immediately disappeared.

Two guards clad in plate armor pushed open the hall doors, and Lynn slowly entered. He wore a close-fitting white linen blouse, a light blue robe over it, and a heavy white velvet shawl draped over his shoulders.

The ceremonial attire of the King of the North is usually in light shades of blue and white, subtly reflecting the snow-covered landscape of the North in winter and echoing the first King of the North who crossed the sea to establish the kingdom.

Behind Lynn were Queen Chloris, her mother Katharina, and her four brothers who were also present at the ceremony.

The band beside the platform played the coronation music, and Lynn and his entourage slowly walked along the red carpet, passing through the guests, and arrived at the foot of the platform.

When Lynn stepped onto the platform and stood in the center, turning his gaze to sweep over the officials below, the once noisy hall was now filled only with the crackling of candlelight and the suppressed breathing of the crowd.

Even the old nobles of the swamp territory who had met Lynn several times still shared the same thought: this new king is far too young!

Young kings are not uncommon in the North and even on the continent of Dievas; many kings are crowned in their infancy.

But Lynn was different from them all. He truly started from scratch, conquered a large territory, and possessed the strength and confidence to become king.

Like Lynn, the first King in the North also rose from humble beginnings, but when he was Lynn's age, he was probably still flirting with young girls in the South.

Queen Katarina, the former queen, then ascended the stage, holding a copy of the "Coronation Declaration," and read in a steady voice: "Count Lynn of the White River, having quelled the chaos of the Marshlands and driven out the evil enemies from the South, has married Princess Chloris of the Urenis dynasty and inherited the legitimate claim to the Kingdom of the North. From this day forward, he is the one and only rightful King of the North!"

This coronation declaration is brief and powerful, summarizing Lynn's major achievements to date and demonstrating the source of the legitimacy of his claim to the throne.

Then, Katarina closed the parchment scroll, looked at the tall and imposing new king before her, and asked in a slightly trembling voice, "Your Majesty, are you willing to grant and abide by the laws and customs that you previously bestowed upon your subjects in the North?"

Lynn placed his right hand over the parchment and replied solemnly and respectfully, "I grant and promise them."

Katarina then asked a few more formulaic questions, to which Lynn responded positively and made promises.

Then came the final coronation ceremony.

If it were inside Amber Harbor Cathedral, the archbishop would have placed the crown on the new king's head.

However, Lynn will not accept anyone's coronation this time.

Under the watchful eyes of the guests, the young king picked up the dazzling crown from the table with both hands and then easily placed it on his head.

The guests below the stage were all speechless with astonishment, but they all refrained from making any unnecessary noise.

Then Lynn picked up another, slightly smaller crown and turned to gesture for Chloris to come forward.

Dressed in a pristine white gown, the equally young and radiant princess slowly ascended the high platform, then knelt before the new king, offering him her utmost loyalty, and allowing her king, her husband, to complete her final coronation.

Soon, the king and queen were both wearing brand-new and dazzling crowns.

Lynn stood on the high platform, his gaze sweeping over his brothers, Victor and other key officials such as Caleb, a group of young military officers present, the old nobles led by Count Gae, and the mayors and councilors of various municipalities.
As he and the Queen stepped forward, thunderous applause erupted from the audience, and all those present rejoiced at the coronation of the new king.

Even the old nobles of the Marshlands, such as Earl Gae, had to admit that Lynn was more deserving of the crown of the North than Lord Lothair, the Marshland Duke, had been a few years earlier.

Moreover, the North is now facing an unprecedented crisis. An invader from the South has seized the throne, and the native powers of the North desperately need a king to save the North.

Lothair actually had the opportunity to be crowned. Many nobles advised him to be crowned king before fighting Otto, which would surely unite the people and boost morale.

Lothair hesitated at the crucial moment, which ultimately buried his political career and his life.

Unlike him, Lynn never hesitated to declare himself king when the time was right, without caring about the opinions and attitudes of others.

In fact, even without Chloris's claim, Lynn, who conquered the Swamp Territory, would have crowned himself.

Looking at the expectant faces below the stage, Lynn smiled and said, "Do you want to hear my speech?"

His response was met with thunderous cheers.

Lynn smiled and nodded slightly, signaling the audience to be quiet. Then he began his impromptu speech: "I only have one thing to say to you, and I would say it even if we weren't in this hall where the coronation ceremony is being held, even if we met by chance on the street or in the fields."

As he spoke, Lynn removed the heavy crown from his head and showed it to everyone. "I have always had only one wish, one dream, which is to see the entire North united under this crown."

The breathing in the audience suddenly quickened, and Chief Secretary Victor had even guessed what Lynn was going to say next.

Lynn paused for a moment, then continued, “We all know that people will eventually face death. If you die today, or I die tomorrow, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we should all understand that we are the North, every one of you is the North, and the paving stone you are standing on is the North!”
We should not fight only for ourselves, but for this land! We must unite the entire North into one fist, one sword, making it invincible and unconquerable! The North must belong to the people of the North! The damned invaders must be driven utterly from the North! Great men will fight for this goal, for the North!

In the end, Lynn held the crown in his left hand and raised his right fist high, his voice echoing in the spacious hall like a booming bell.

At first, a few scattered responses rang out from the audience: "For the North!"

Soon, everyone realized what was happening.

The shouts of "For the North!" gradually shifted from scattered and disorganized to unified and coordinated.

This isn't a coronation ceremony; it's clearly Lynn's formal declaration of war against Otto!
Indeed, Lynn was in a hurry to be crowned king in order to wrest the legitimacy of the North from Otto.

Legitimacy is like propaganda; if you don't occupy the high ground of public opinion, your enemies will.

Otto has been King in the North for a year since his coronation in Amber Harbor.

Given enough time, the common people of the North will know of his existence and consider him the only legitimate king.

Meanwhile, the remaining native forces, such as Lynn, Vasa, and Samuel, would naturally turn into rebels.

To completely reverse this situation, Lynn must become the King of the North this year.

The so-called coronation ceremony was nothing more than a formality.

As for becoming king, any noble in the North who is willing and can establish a blood relationship with the Urenis family can do it.

But whether he can keep his title after becoming king is another matter entirely.

Lynn was able to become king not because he married Chloris, but because his strength and his army could protect the title and prevent him from being attacked by other forces.

This is the core factor in whether he can secure his throne.

Even a legitimate king can be overthrown when he lacks power.

When you are powerful, you can sit on the throne or even become an emperor, let alone a bandit.

All stable regimes are always supported by military power.

Of course, Lynn has no shortage of legitimacy right now.

The queen of the previous dynasty presided over the ceremony for him, and the princess of the previous dynasty even married him.

In terms of legitimacy, isn't he far superior to Otto, who seized Amber Harbor?

Who is the rightful King of the North?

As for the final impromptu speech, Lynn had been preparing it for a long time.

His slogan, "Let the North be the North of the North!" was intended to solidify Otto's identity as an invader and undermine his legitimacy.

The slogan was indeed successful, quickly igniting the atmosphere in the hall.

As time goes by, people throughout the North will surely hear Lynn's cry and, to varying degrees, come to accept his ideals.

At the end of the coronation ceremony, Lynn stepped down from the platform and embraced his brothers Hugh, Young, Joseph, Timo, and others in turn. These loyal and fearless generals were key to his ability to become king.

Of course, Lynn did not overlook important officials such as Victor and Caleb, and he embraced all the officials, including those from the newly formed Imperial Council and Secretariat.

After the ceremony, a grand feast was prepared in several restaurants inside the castle.

Golden-roasted lamb, steaming beer, and sweet jam pies were served one by one on the long table. A group of farmers and city representatives were also allowed to enter the castle to share the joy of the new king's coronation with the guests.

As evening fell, Lynn stood on the castle terrace, listening to the commotion below, and gently embraced Chloris's slender waist.

Chloris held her husband's hand tightly and whispered, "Now, you are the true King of the North."

When Chloris first met Lynn, she knew he was the man who could become the King of the North.

As it turned out, her judgment was correct; the man who held her in his arms completed the leap from count to king in just over a year.

Of course, the territory this king officially owned was not very large.

But so what? Lynn now commands more armies than any previous King in the North had ever controlled.

Chloris also firmly believes that her man will completely defeat Otto and fulfill the bold declaration made at today's coronation ceremony.

Lynn smiled without saying a word, but simply turned his gaze eastward.

That's the direction Otto is in.

Lynn knew very well that this coronation was not the end, but the beginning of a new war.

Otto must already be assembling troops and supplies, waiting for the spring snow to melt before launching a large-scale military operation.

According to news from Amber Harbor, Otto borrowed a large sum of money at exorbitant interest rates from wealthy merchants in order to pay his troops' salaries.

Furthermore, various forces in the southern region are also stirring, including King François of Dawn and King Maurice in exile, who seem to be building an encirclement against Otto.

Lynn might still be able to afford to delay, but Otto really can't.

As darkness fell, heavy snowflakes drifted down like goose feathers, quickly covering the ancient Golden Deer Castle with a new white coat.

The first heavy snowfall of the winter in the North has finally arrived.

(End of this chapter)