Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 331 Baron
"For your valiant deeds, you are hereby granted the title of Baron, a reward for your loyalty and courage. Never forget this moment."

The cumbersome and tongue-twisting words of praise made the speaker frown.

But this actually gives the young noblewoman more dignity, at least in the eyes of onlookers. The young princess uses sophisticated language, has a serious expression, and her every smile and frown has the air of a monarch.

The words rang out from above, and Rean, who was kneeling on one knee, was starting to lose his composure.

He had originally thought that, like the last award ceremony, it would be quite brief.

But this time, the result was not just a simple awarding of medals, but also a declaration of victory.

"Will this ever end?"

Most autumn harvest festivals involve ordinary people, farmers, and dwarfs (who like to drink heavily during the festival). This is probably the first time that the government has taken the initiative to organize an autumn harvest festival.

This is also part of the Victory Day propaganda, where, under the guidance of the organizers, harvest and victory have gradually become synonymous.

"Your fiefdoms are the guardians of the underground, and the pioneers of the front lines."

Rean's title was not awarded separately as before, but rather as part of a series of speeches and commendations.

He wasn't the only one to receive the medal; the "Red-Haired Demon" of the Radiant Guard also received his viscount title at this time, but he was destined to be the most watched, which meant he had to obediently stand on the stage and be watched by everyone.

Some might see it as an honor, but Rean does not.

The knights around Rean were all flushed and excited, their excitement bordering on ferocious.

For them, this may be the most glorious moment of their lives, a heroic story they can recount to their grandchildren after retirement.

A city guardian's medal, and the very few noble title medals, are already the ultimate goal for too many warriors who would risk everything.
"Too insignificant."

A sudden thought flashed through my mind.

This is not arrogance, and there is not much emotion involved; it is simply a statement of reality.

He lamented that these people were looking too close, their vision clouded by fame and fortune, unable to see what was truly important.

"Tsk, the vision of a hero's spirit, huh?"

Rean knew that this was not his own emotion, but perhaps the lament of the heroic spirits of that dreamland.

He, it seems, disdains the honor that mortals value?
No, it's not that simple. It's an overly nonchalant emotion; it's not contempt, but rather indifference, even feeling that these mortals are wasting their lives.

"Is it the indifference of the ancients?"

The awarding of medals continued on stage, but the internal drama that had been unfolding in Rean's mind vanished in an instant, and his anxious heart calmed down.

"The battlefield will be your fiefdom, and its name will be..."

Dania placed her sword on Rean's shoulder, drawing envious glances from all around, and cheers erupted from the audience.

Your Highness, while awarding medals to heroes, you also plan to grant them fiefdoms.

"This is a fiefdom! A fiefdom that can be passed down to future generations!"

Although it's a bit small and the risks are a bit high, it's still a fiefdom. A fiefdom where the lord can sit back and collect rent, and also do whatever he wants.

She was asking about the name of Rean's fiefdom; the frontline town had a temporary name but no official designation.

"Danya Town".

When Rean spoke, the princess instantly showed a surprised expression. However, the performance was so fake that the expressions of some of the nobles on stage were quite subtle.

They were either trying hard to suppress their laughter or trying to control their anger. If they laughed or yelled at this moment, their lives would probably be over.

"Is this favoritism no longer an act?"

A name is neither important nor unimportant. A name without meaning is certainly unimportant, but the very existence of a name is an attitude.

"I remember that this victory in the war was due to the wisdom of the decision-makers and leaders."

Rean forced himself to read the prepared statement from the royal family. He didn't mention a word about where the name "Denia Town" came from, and Dania herself pretended not to know that some people behind it were probably already cursing the adulterous couple.

At this time, the name becomes very important. No one says where "Danya" comes from, but everyone knows where it comes from.

Rean has completely surrendered, but from another perspective, if Dania herself knows this name and does not officially deny it, then it is equivalent to directly using her own reputation to vouch for it.

This is quite rare and full of political implications. If a small town or city is named after a leader, and it doesn't develop well or makes a mistake, it's like slapping the leader in the face.

Even slow or mediocre development is not allowed, because it is destined to receive top-tier political resources.

"I'm protecting that town and its residents!"

Dania pretended not to know and pointed the sword of her title at the next person. This tacit approval was tantamount to declaring that she was completely bound to the honor of the town.

Anyone who tries to harm this town, or even cause trouble in the shadows, will face relentless retaliation from Dania, who is essentially crowning them with a royal decree.

To strike at the "crown" is to slap Dania in the face.

This is actually a double-edged sword for Dania; the gains are small, but the risks are huge. If Rean or that town runs into trouble, it will become a stain on their reputation. But she doesn't care. Maybe in two years, there will be nothing left. Why think so far ahead?

She distrusted the town and its inhabitants, but trusted the "new lord."

She used this indirect way to say, "This is my dad. Anyone who crosses him is going to fight me to the death." This irrational choice, however, is like a wild beast voluntarily revealing its head, showing its weakness while also indicating its willingness to risk everything.

Dania was indeed going all out.

If the city can't handle the situation below within two years, it's destined to be finished, and the kingdom will come to an end. A few days ago, she realized that among her relatives, she seemed to be the only one who still valued the kingdom as if it were her own life.
"Mother has completely given up on this. If my sister weren't a hero's successor and Rean wasn't here, she'd probably be wandering the world long ago."

In the royal family, the youngest princess became the sole pillar of support.

The only lifeline she could grasp was the man before her, and she decided to risk everything for him, including honor, profit, and status.
"Hasn't the next inheritance of heroic souls started yet? Didn't you say you were going to take over the church to balance the influence of the Mirror Maiden? What's going on?!"

The moment the Mirror Woman's chosen ones opened their mouths, they uttered words that seemed to betray the gods, while the snake ring concealed any possible spying.

This was a secret meeting following the awarding of medals and speeches. Rean was dragged into Dania's secret room in full view of everyone. She was currently short of people and hoped to have more candidates for heroic spirits to choose from.

The previous successors of the heroic spirits have increasingly demonstrated their potential and abilities, which makes Dania yearn for more.

"There's been a slight problem this time. I don't quite understand the human incarnation of that deity. I'll wait a while; I'll definitely make a decision in two or three days at most."

Rean couldn't understand the deity with the three names, and couldn't even assess whether it was a benevolent or malevolent god. Its "I don't care" attitude was so different from the heroic spirits who were generally very attached to their beliefs.

Rean had originally intended to see some of his life through the "Heroic Dream" and learn something about his past, but apart from the memory of being hanging upside down on the city wall, Rean gained nothing.

It seems that if the spirit of the hero doesn't want to tell you, then there's really no way they can keep it all a secret.

This only exacerbated Rean's hesitation and unease. If you have no secrets, why do you have to hide them?

Rean planned to delay for two more days, and if things really didn't work out, he would have a showdown with them.

The little incident passed quickly, and Rean, now officially adorned with the title of Baron, became a member of the kingdom's nobility. The biggest difference between him and a knight was that he had the right to inherit his title.

Moreover, a baron having a fiefdom is a sign of being "favored by the emperor."

After attending the ceremony and rituals, and having a private conversation with Dania, requesting her intelligence support regarding dragons, Rean decided to return.

But he didn't stay at home for long before a flood of invitations came. Some came from the Church of Benevolent God, some from high-ranking nobles, and some even from his former enemies.

Some of these were things Rean couldn't refuse, if he didn't want to inexplicably gain more enemies.

"Ugh, more overtime."

When Rean returned after wandering around for a while, he was already reeking of alcohol and looked drunk. As soon as he entered the house, he sobered up. These ordinary drinks were just wishful thinking to "get the dragon drunk," but if he didn't act like he couldn't hold his liquor, he probably wouldn't have been let go.

"We meet again."

This time, while he was still sobering up on his own sofa, Rean was first caught by the spirit of the hero and dragged into his dream.

(End of this chapter)