In the northern part of the Aker Continent lies Peaceful Town, nestled in an area brimming with life. The trees are lush, the grass is abundant, and flowers cover the ground.

It's a summer afternoon, and the sun mercilessly radiates heat, causing even the air to shimmer with warmth.

To welcome the imminent arrival of Baron Heijiwei, outside Peaceful Town, five to six hundred women and girls clad in vibrant clothing stand under the scorching sun, blocking the entrance to the town completely.

Meanwhile, under the shade of trees thirty meters from the town's outskirts, several men, full of resentment, curse and slander a nobleman's family.

What makes them envious and helpless is the fact that the nobleman at the center of attention indeed possesses a handsome appearance. His fair skin combined with a mature face elicits cheers from the town's women and girls.

It turns out a noble's skin can be so purely white, and that golden curly hair symbolizing noble lineage, even men would be jealous. The men under the shade look at each other's rough, dark skin and greasy, nest-like hair...

In preparation for Baron Heijiwei's welcome ceremony, under the mayor's orders, every corner of the town has been cleaned thoroughly. The streets on both sides of the town are filled with various flowers and fruits, having kept the town's youth busy all night.

All the effort put into these formalities is deemed worthwhile, as this is Baron Heijiwei's first visit to Peaceful Town.

Generally, the relationship between most nobles and their subjects is fraught with difficulties, as annual taxes cause widespread discontent.

In the eyes of some nobles, commoners are no different from livestock, mere servants to them.

However, Peaceful Town is distinctly different from other places. The people adore Baron Heijiwei, not just because he has a face that makes men jealous and women fall in love, but most importantly, because he has waived the town's taxes for three years!

Calculated per capita, an adult is supposed to pay at least ten copper coins annually, so in three years, that saves thirty copper coins! Thirty copper coins could support a family of three for more than a month! Everyone in the town has done the math.

And with over five thousand people in the town, how much would three years of taxes amount to? The townspeople dare not imagine, as they have never seen so many copper coins in their lifetimes.

So, even if their wives and daughters are enthusiastically cheering for another man, what more can they say? After all, they too are residents of Peaceful Town, beneficiaries of Baron Heijiwei's generosity.

Of course, they have never considered why they should pay taxes to the nobility...

The continent's nobility system has been in place for thousands of years. Their fathers paid taxes all their lives, as did their ancestors. The habit of paying taxes annually is ingrained in their blood.

Thus, when they learned that Baron Heijiwei waived three years of taxes, they were filled with gratitude, regarding him as the most generous nobleman on the continent.

As the afternoon sun begins to set, Baron Heijiwei's caravan slowly makes its way into the crowd.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

At this moment, cheers pierce the sky. Unmarried girls from the town throw fresh flowers at Baron Heijiwei, and fruits at the butlers and servants driving the carriages.

They wink and cheer passionately, not minding that Baron Heijiwei is already a man in his forties. In fact, to these young girls showing signs of adulthood, such a neatly bearded middle-aged man appears even more charming.

The slogans of the middle-aged women become even more "passionate," evolving from "Welcome! Lord Heijiwei!" to "I love you! Lord Heijiwei!"

Some even shout: "Lord Baron! See you at our usual place!"

Of course, everyone understands the flirtatious meaning behind this joke, but the competitive nature of women truly exists in every corner of the world. Eventually, some are crying and shouting: "Lord Heijiwei, our children miss you, come home early tonight!"

Many lose their shoes in the commotion, and many are injured in the legs. Their enthusiasm is almost to the point of offering their chastity... oh no! They are indeed eagerly willing to offer their chastity.

The noble of the Aker Empire, Baron Heijiwei, sits atop a majestic purebred Odin horse. His posture is upright, his face stern, exuding an aura of elegance and nobility.

This forty-five-year-old imperial noble, a hereditary baron, wears his most splendid attire, a classic black felt hat, and holds a wooden cane across his front. A golden medal, the noble family emblem, undoubtedly made of gold, adorns his chest.

Lord Baron shows no expression, his gaze not lingering on the cheering girls. If one observes closely, they might notice a slight frown under his black felt hat.

Damn, what nonsense are these vulgar women shouting.

Baron Heijiwei instinctively looks back at the carriage behind him. The carriage is covered with thick curtains, seemingly isolated from the outside world.

The procession moves slowly through the crowded streets into Peaceful Town.

Hmm, where did that statue come from?

From a distance, the baron notices a statue resembling himself by ninety percent, and soon realizes its origin.

That brown-nosing mayor has really outdone himself... Noting the statue's material, it appears to be made of bronze.

Accustomed to valuing everything, Baron Heijiwei silently estimates the bronze statue's value—two thousand copper coins!

Of course, two thousand copper coins are insignificant to Heijiwei, even when combined with the town's three years of taxes, roughly one hundred thousand copper coins, equivalent to ten thousand silver coins or one thousand gold coins.

A thousand gold coins are not much to a hereditary noble. A common feast among nobles costs far more than a thousand gold coins.

His domain includes three towns and a small city, showcasing the wealth accumulated by a noble family over hundreds of years, unimaginable to ordinary people.

Before coming to the town, Baron Heijiwei had no particular expectations, considering it merely a trip to the countryside with his beloved daughter. However, upon closer inspection of the exquisite statue, he feels secretly pleased. In his view, this welcome ceremony is not as crude as before, with the bronze statue's craftsmanship being quite delicate, worthy of being displayed as an art piece at home.

Being adored is a delightful thing.

However, Lord Baron does not find today's welcome ceremony appropriate, as in a noble's eyes, elegance is the highest form of expression.

The women are simply too loud, turning the event into a vulgar, crude spectacle. If other nobles were to see this, they would surely laugh.

As the wave of cheers reaches a climax, Lord Baron dismounts, his deer-skin camel-colored soft boots touching the firm ground.

He smiles politely at the cheering crowd, then accepts the mayor's chest-touching gesture.

The mayor signals for silence, and then, takes out a thank-you letter prepared overnight, ready to read it aloud.

This part is the most important aspect of the welcome ceremony. The mayor has specially learned the noble's official tone for several days, and now it's time to shine.

Thank heavens, those noisy women finally quiet down... Baron Heijiwei thinks to himself.

Just then, a bizarre voice cuts through the town's atmosphere.

"Ahoh! Ahoh! Ahoh"

The men under the shade are astonished; they can no longer bear to see their wives shamelessly screaming, so they had turned their heads away early.

But to welcome someone with such a strange sound? You'd think they were in bed at home... Hearing this bizarre shout, curiosity gets the better of everyone, and they turn their gaze back to the crowd, wondering which wife is shouting so "passionately."

But when they turn their heads back to look...