As the bronze bell's hum reverberated through the stone walls of Summergreen City, old Raffer was changing the bandage on his thigh.

This bandage had been boiled in hot water and doused with foul-smelling garlic alchemical potion.

This alchemical potion was a product of alchemically refined allicin, which had a better anti-inflammatory effect than ordinary allicin.

In Horn's opinion, it was still inferior to penicillin, but in old Raffer's eyes, it was a divine medicine.

After all, the Holy Grandson cared about ordinary soldiers like them.

Since these alchemical potions had been transported from the rear, there were far fewer soldiers with chopped-off hands and feet.

Having changed the bandage, he looked up towards the clock tower.

The setting sun shattered into gold leaf on the battlements, as if someone had scattered gold coins.

From behind the stone wall came countless noisy sounds, as well as the soldiers' loud shouts of loyalty.

"Hurry, hurry!" An officer of ceremonies rushed over and supported old Raffer, "The ceremony is about to begin, don't keep the Grand Duke waiting."

Leaning on his crutch, old Raffer staggered through the city gate passage, the sound wave that hit him head-on startled him, making him take half a step back.

"In the name of the Holy Spirit and the Ancestors—"

The sound of the horn ripped through the clamor. Melia Tey appeared at the top of the arch, her black armor setting off her white hair as if it were an icicle.

Old Raffer noticed that she had changed to a ceremonial sword inlaid with amethyst at her waist; her previous old sword was probably lost in the surprise attack.

Twelve halberd-bearing guards marched down the steps to the beat of the drums, the sound of iron boots hitting the stone slabs reminding old Raffer of the roar of a spring-loaded cannon.

When the captain of the guard unfurled the sheepskin scroll, he clearly saw the coat of arms outlined in gold powder—a golden iris.

"Raffer Hunt Ironstream!" The guard's deep voice echoed in the square, "Step forward to receive your award!"

Old Raffer's knees suddenly felt weak.

It wasn't the first time he had been awarded a medal, but in front of so many people, especially in front of the plainsmen who hated the mountain people, he couldn't help but feel nervous.

He saw the citizens in the front row standing on tiptoe, and a girl with copper earrings even climbed onto her mother's back.

"We meet again, Raffer. You did a great job in Gravel Field before." Patting him on the shoulder, Melia Tey pinned a medal on his chest.

The Autocratic Duke actually remembered his name?! Old Raffer's eyes widened.

The officer of ceremonies next to him shouted loudly: "Awarded 300 mu of paddy fields in Black Serpent Bay, a bounty of 3 gold coins, and a tax exemption for 100 mu!"

A gasp of cold air immediately swept through the crowd.

The reward of three hundred mu of paddy fields in Black Serpent Bay, although not as good as Thousand River Valley, was enough to elevate an ordinary soldier into a small landlord and country gentleman.

"Your arrows have won Summergreen City a respite. These fields will be cultivated by the Serpent People and will be realized within two years." She suddenly lowered her voice, "If you don't want them, you can exchange them for stocks."

As the light but heavy land deed fell into his palm, the sudden burst of cheers in the square startled the pigeons in the clock tower.

In the setting sun, soldiers were awarded medals one by one, boasting of their achievements in public.

Even old Raffer, who wasn't very interested in this, couldn't help but puff out his chest at this moment.

As the last mountain knight walked down, Melia Tey suddenly lifted her scarlet cloak and stepped onto the battlements.

Her figure looked particularly thin on the wall, but her voice smashed into the crowd like a fire bomb launched by a trebuchet:

"The failure of Gravel Field is my shame!"

The noisy square instantly fell silent.

The originally noisy crowd actually slowly quieted down.

"I naively believed other people's news and underestimated the ferocity of Duke Winghive." Melia Tey's fingernails dug into the moss on the battlements, "This is a war I launched, I lost, and I accept the defeat.

But that is another war, related to this war and yet unrelated, because the Leia people standing here today—"

She suddenly pointed her sword north: "What they want is not submission, but to crush the wheat seedlings in every field! It is to kidnap the infants in your swaddling clothes!"

The crowd began to stir, and people began to talk to each other.

This news had been circulating in the streets and alleys for a long time. The Truth Newspaper only mentioned it vaguely, but did not reveal any solid evidence.

But it was rumored everywhere—"After the Leia people led the plainsmen to kill the mountain people, because they lost the protection of the mountain people, the Leia people began to slaughter the plainsmen again."

Although the rumors were detailed and vivid, everyone was afraid to believe them until Melia Tey spoke.

An old man wearing a scholar's cap raised his hand tremblingly: "Your Excellency, the envoy of the Church said that as long as we hand over the King Slayer..."

"Are you blind? Look at the charred corpses floating on the river! How many are plainsmen, and how many are mountain people?" The roar startled more birds, and Melia Tey's sword tip turned southwest, "Twelve fifteen- or sixteen-year-old teenagers were in the grain transport team attacked three days ago. Raffer nailed them to the ship's mast as a flag.

We finally managed to retrieve their bodies, they are at the docks, can't you see them?"

Amidst the exclamations, a peasant woman in the front row suddenly collapsed to the ground—her only son was a civilian laborer in the grain transport team.

Several washerwomen wearing blue headscarves began to weep, not knowing whether it was for their sons or brothers.

Then monks began to chant requiem prayers in low voices, and the sound quickly spread to half of the square.

Melia Tey inserted the ceremonial sword into the stone crevice, leaned forward with her feet on the battlements: "Now I want to make it clear—I will defend this city for at least 3 months!

Those who want to leave can take their belongings and leave from the south gate, except for food.

I guarantee in the name of Duke Hema Stone that the arrow towers will not aim at your backs within three days."

"But those who stay—" Pointing the sword at the sun, sparks burst from the blade, "If I find anyone slacking off on the city wall, or putting fewer tail feathers on the arrows..."

She suddenly cut off half of the battlements with a backhand, and the gravel crashed into the moat: "I will build him into the city wall to block the enemy! Hema Stone never goes back on his word!"

The crowd burst into a frenzy the moment Melia Tey sheathed her sword.

"Your Highness, Your Highness! Please stay!"

"Your Highness, what did you say those who stay should do?"

As the captain of the guard waved his halberd to disperse the crowd who wanted to ask questions, Melia Tey walked into the shadows of the capstan room behind her.

Raffel, who had been waiting for a long time, clapped his hands and said: "A powerful speech, Your Highness."

On Melia Tey's iron-faced pale face, her eyebrows furrowed: "Didn't I specifically ask for Duvalon to come?"

Compared to Raffel, whom she didn't have much contact with, she still preferred to interact with Duvalon and the other Gulag child soldiers she was relatively familiar with.

Although Raffel was a Gulag elder, he was not from the child soldier corps.

"His Majesty thinks that Lord Duvalon is not suitable for such a complex environment, so he asked me to cooperate with you." Raffel extended his hand to Melia Tey.

"Three days later." Melia Tey shook hands with him with her iron fist, "Summergreen City will enter a state of military control."

"The Loyalists will arrive tomorrow." Raffel put his hands behind his back, "With your help, we will definitely be able to catch the traitors and spies."

"Hmm... Starting tomorrow, publicize that the Leia people are not only slaughtering the mountain people, but after killing the mountain people and losing their protection, they will kill the plainsmen." Melia Tey gave Raffel a deep look before leaving.

The city gate square, however, was still boiling.

Merchants wearing felt hats crowded towards the side door of the city hall to apply for travel documents, and tailor shop apprentices fought for carriage seats.

More people were still hesitating. They didn't want to believe Melia Tey, but they were afraid of encountering Leia attacks if they left the city.

As the setting sun plated the battlements of Summergreen City with a bloody edge, the city hall posted Melia Tey's latest order:

"All those who remain in the city must register with the centurion of each neighborhood within three days, which will affect the food ration quota. Please be sure to be present."

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