Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 219 Do we really have a regimental commander?
The next day, as the setting sun cast a golden glow on Stoneville's ancient towers, everything was ready.

Dozens of knights clad in silver armor stood in a line; they were Stoneville's last remaining elite warriors. Behind them, exiled soldiers formed a solemn battle formation.

Their armor gleamed, their weapons planted firmly on the ground, like a silent steel forest, a sense of both menace and anticipation permeating the air.

Lu Mingfei stood in the shadows of the passageway, wearing the armor of the knight who had lost his homeland, except that he had an extra heavy gray-white fur cloak over his shoulders.

He awkwardly adjusted the position of his cloak and asked Edgar beside him in a low voice:
"Just this? Don't you need to change into something more formal? Like... a gold-plated suit of armor?"

Edgar paused for a moment, then slowly replied:

"You will be leading a knightly order. A knight's armor is the most solemn formal attire."

He paused briefly and added:
"As for the armor decorated with gold... that's Rodel's tradition."

Lu Mingfei was slightly surprised:
"There really are armors made of gold?"

Seeing that Lu Mingfei seemed genuinely interested, Edgar had no choice but to explain:
“The Golden Tree reveres gold, and its nobles and demigods love to adorn themselves with gold. But you… are probably not suited to this style.”

Seeing that Lu Mingfei wanted to ask more questions, Edgar interrupted him in time:

"The ceremony is about to begin, please follow me."

A desolate yet powerful horn sounded at the right moment, echoing between the castles.

Led by Edgar, Lu Mingfei passed through the silent military formation and walked towards the high platform in front of the square.

The old knight and General O'Neill stood in the center of the altar, both wearing full armor.

Ingwell and Oreg's spirits stood on either side, one wielding a halberd, the other with two swords at his waist. Their forms solidified in the twilight, white aura replacing flesh and blood, silent yet awe-inspiring.

O'Neal stepped forward, his voice, though aged, still booming:
"Children of the storm, today we do not mourn the dead, but rather, under the witness of the heavens and our ancestors, renew the broken lineage."

The old knight stepped forward, his gaze fixed intently on Lu Mingfei, his voice deep and powerful:

"Lu Mingfei, come forward."

Once Lu Mingfei had stopped, the old knight straightened his back and spoke in a firm and powerful voice:

"This man once slew the evil omen demon beneath the city walls, ended Grek's rule in Stoneville, participated in the battle festival of Red Lion City, and faced off against General Rataen of Shattered Stars."

"He is the one who possesses two great runes, a hero who hunts dragons and demigods."

"He was an apprentice of the knight Harald and a warrior whom General O'Neill wholeheartedly supported."

"He is the one who has won the approval of Ingwell and Oreg, the 'Storm Wings,' who are willing to follow him with their souls."

"Today, here, before the storm, before our ancestors, and before all warriors who still wish to follow the Stormhawk—"

The old knight's voice became impassioned:
"We, the last knights of Stoneville, will, with the ancient Storm Ceremony, proclamate you, Lu Mingfei, as our new commander, to inherit the name 'Storm,' and to lead us to reunite under the Eagle Banner!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the old knight and General O'Neill simultaneously knelt on one knee, their armor striking the ground with a thud.

Next came Ingwell and Oreg on either side, their spirits bowing slightly in greeting.

All the knights who had lost their homes and the exiled soldiers lined up behind them knelt down in unison, bowing their heads like toppled dominoes.

The sounds of metal rubbing and colliding merged into a torrent that swept across the entire square.

Hundreds of soldiers knelt in silence, their eyes lowered, their breathing synchronized.

The golden rays of the setting sun fell upon their kneeling figures, outlining their silhouettes in a play of light and shadow, silent and solemn.

Lu Mingfei stood in the center of the platform, in front of everyone, in the sudden silence that had descended upon him.

Edgar had also retreated to the side at some point and knelt down on one knee.

He was the only one still standing. He was awestruck by the grand and silent ceremony.

My heart was pounding in my chest, pounding against my eardrums.

He had never experienced anything like this before.

To be entrusted with one's fate so solemnly by so many people.

Is this really good?

He recalled the days and nights he had spent walking along the border, the sandstorms of Nimgford, Galid, the old knight's teachings, and O'Neill's expectations.

Forget it.

he thinks.

It's not like he's becoming king or ascending the throne; he's just the leader of the so-called "Storm Knights," a group that has been missing for a long time and is now practically just a name.

Lu Mingfei, what do you have to be afraid of?

You have slain dragons and killed demigods, possessing the power of both dragon's bounty and storms, and wielding two great runes.
He hesitated no more.

He suddenly raised his right hand and grasped the hilt of the Knight of the Lost Home's greatsword.

With a clang, the greatsword was drawn, its heavy tip slicing through the air with a low whistle.

He raised the greatsword high, its cold blade reflecting a dazzling golden-red light in the afterglow of the setting sun, as if the blade itself were on fire.

"I……"

He spoke again, his voice echoing clearly in the silent square:

"I accept!"

Three simple words.

After a brief silence.

"Woo-wu-wu-"

The even more desolate and majestic bugle call sounded again, this time, continuous and piercing the sky.

The brief ceremony was completed in the afterglow of the setting sun.

In a place where Lu Mingfei couldn't hear, two old people were whispering to each other.

O'Neill lowered his voice and said:
"Is this really a good idea? We've never had a guild leader before, have we? Isn't it always the Storm King and the generals who directly command us?"

The old knight glanced at him sideways and lowered his voice:
"Do you want this kid to become the Storm King right away? Are you crazy! We might be happy, but he'd be even less so. You tell him the minute, and he'll sneak out the back door of Stoneville, you believe me?"

O'Neal paused for a moment, then thought about it and realized that this kid actually seemed capable of doing it.

“That’s true,” he whispered, “but this ritual isn’t legal either. You didn’t just simplify and copy Storm King’s ritual, did you? Is that legal?”

"What kind of laws are these!"

The old knight glanced at the figure in the radiance:
"As long as 'Storm Wings' are here, everything we do today is legal. They're ashes, they can't speak, so what's traditional and what's not is just a matter of a word from us."
"Didn't we already agree on everything? Stop talking nonsense. As long as we can appease this kid..."

O'Neal shook his head:
"I still don't understand why you insist on making this kind of thing. If you ask me, wouldn't it be enough to just put him in the position of city lord?"

The old knight snorted coldly:
"Do you understand this kid better than I do? If you don't put something behind him, do you think he'll even move forward?"

(End of this chapter)