Twenty-four years later, the 2024th Howmen year.
The Howmen Dynasty, the reign of Emperor Gerrad Eighth.
The sacred bells rang thirteen times over Angelham church. On the roads of the King's Lands, people poured out in all directions. For a whole week they would just have fun and do nothing. Children wear new clothes, the family can eat delicious dishes that they normally cannot afford to do. The jubilant atmosphere was filled with joy. People scattered flowers, sang and danced in all directions. This is a rare time of the year when they can be so relaxed. Why? Because on this day more than two thousand years ago, Emperor Lapunta was defeated, marking the end of a tragic 118-year reign, opening a new future for Arglohandre. On this day, Arglohandre was liberated and officially entered a new chapter.
The gates of Glamgmar opened, and a group of guards on the backs of royal steeds marched ahead. The people huddled to one side, making way for the royal chariots. The stoic guards in silver armor held the reins of their horses in one hand and the iron spears in the other hand. They stood fully assembled in front of the palace gate, lined up on the path to extreme perfection. All celebrations must postpone. Everyone kept an atmosphere of silence, so much so that the person standing next to them could clearly hear their heartbeat and slow breathing.
The bell tower on Angelham's peak knocked once more, and the guards spurred their horses, causing them to stomp their right feet in a loud, even rhythm. The shockwave could be felt through an entire shaking ground. People held their breath to look forward to that special moment.
Another bell rang, and at this time, the general of the royal army, Sir Peter, rushed out from the palace. He in golden armor and a mighty sword appeared before the crowd. Then, from the east of the palace, Sir Fulbert, the infantry general also appeared in silver armor and warhorse; Sir Althalos, the cavalry general, also appeared. Of course, not forgetting Sir Eddard Lancel, the commander of the chariots and weapons. The four stood side by side, politely greeting each other with military gestures. Now, out in the Namir strait, Sir Rauffe and his men on the Aristotospe warship and a fleet of thirty-six other ships were gathered around Flezard, waiting only for orders from the mainland. They were preparing for the firecracker ceremony.
Sir Peter looked at his three comrades and nodded, all spurring their horses into upright positions, straight backs, chests out and eyes fixed on fifteen statues placed in the heart of the city. Of these thirteen statues are the Thirteen Warriors, who bravely fought Lapunta, the other two are the boy Jon, son of Reind and Victoria, who played a key role in the decisive victory. The last one was Dannish, the only surviving warrior in the battle and became the Emperor who founded the glorious Howmen dynasty. The reign of Darren the Great is known to be the most prosperous in Arglohandre's 74-Emperor Dynasty history.
The nine lords of the nine territories of Gaversia were also present. They were in silver armor, sitting on steeds standing around the statues, facing out. Standing facing the palace was the lord of Ubberst, Frankie Swift. He was the hundred and forty-sixth lord of Ubberst and master of the castle Breezewind.
To his left was Lord Robert Lamento of the Moon Lake, Strone. Next came the youngest lord of them all, Simon Blackmyre, the lord of Lanchester, the only son of Hand of the Emperor Walter Blackmyre. Simon Blackmyre is known as the Knight of the Morning Mist because of his dignified appearance.
The fourth was Lord Karrth Marshall of Dorse, the smallest territory in Gaversia but one of the richest regions due to possessing the largest gem mine in the entire Valerya continent. The only woman among them was the lordess Adelie of Werrick, whose fortress in the sky stood over four thousand years of history.
Lord Ragnar Lancel of Varros was the oldest and most numerous of them. He fathered twenty-four children, of which eighteen sons and six daughters. This year Ragnar is also ninety-four years old, his eighteen sons must be extremely looking forward to his demise.
Lord Americ lifted his helm and brushed his golden hair back, then put it back on. He is the Queen's older brother. Americ also was the ruler of North Sandringdom, the low-lying marsh region among the others. It is also the region of a dispute with Borcilia, the natural border of which is the Floral river and the edge of the Ghost Forest.
Lord Adam of the Hog Islands and Lord Wilson of the Wiscard Islands were also present early. They are descendants of the royal family, given the royal title and the right to rule in the two archipelagoes. They acted as kings, with a lower status than the Emperor but higher than the rest of the lords.
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The preparation ceremony begins. Everyone remained seated, holding their breath so that the solemn atmosphere could continue. Bishop Clarembaut Lancel walked out with his disciples from the Angelham Sanctuary. They stood on the royal steps, adjusting their costumes before the ceremony. They will all sing an Arglohandre national anthem entitled The Beginning of the End. This is an epic song of gratitude to the fallen warriors and the joy of liberation from Lapunta. That's why the sound of the first half song is strong and slow, but towards the end the melody is faster and fresher. Bishop Clarembaut and all his disciples took a sip of holy water to clear their throats and prepare to sing. The people below are also looking forward to this epic. Some kids try to get to the front so they can babble along.
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Once again the bronze bells of the Angelham rang, and Bishop Clarembaut began to sing, followed by the voices of his disciples. Asteroid pel Peroldise is extremely majestic, the variation in the melody shows the pain and suffering to the extreme. The lyrics somehow still hear the sound of widows crying, the sharp clash of weapons, the gurgling of blood, the moss growing green on the fallen historic walls...
“Mother… how brave you are to give birth to me!
Father… how brave you are to fight the endless wars!
God please mercy! Let my soul, my heart and my body burn for my kingdom…
To keep you and your embodiment everlasting!”
The last verse of the song just started, a flock of pigeons of unknown numbers were released into the sky from all sides of the palace. The people below cheered and cheered. How many festive seasons have passed, but this bird release still makes them most excited. It seems to be a symbol of liberation, freedom, pride when independence and sovereignty are regained. When the last bird flew away, it was also the signal for Sir Rauffe to fire three cannonballs into the air. The three shots fired added to the majestic atmosphere.
They are not just celebratory shots, but also of pride in military might. The cannon was a great military invention by Gaversia. This is the invention of the scholar Franco, he currently resides at the Scholar Tower in the Kingdom. This is a great achievement that means a lot to Gaversia. The shots had a high range of sixteen meters and a range of thirty-four meters. Only warships are equipped with these cannons. Because warships with a range can fight even at sea and on land. The difference is in the life force, which cannons use to destroy it. Stronger, more destructive than archers, and more effective than ordinary troops. Therefore, it was not natural that Borcilia had kept her fangs hidden for so long, mainly because they didn't have someone good enough like Franco.
The focus of National Day has finally come. Led by the Hand of the Emperor, Walter Blackmyre of Lanchester. Next to it was the Voice of the Emperor, Timon Hummingway of Ubberst. Finally, the Heart of the Emperor Herveus Howmen, the younger brother of Gerrad VIII. The three of them led to the most important appearance of the entire ceremony: the Howmen Royal Family.
The Seventy-Fourth Emperor Gerrad Eighth of the Howmen Dynasty appears in royal armor and a crown with an eagle motif, as well as the royal crest. Gerrad Eighth is sixty-six years old this year, but his demeanor is still far ahead of the rest of them. Following him was Queen Ymelda on her white horse. Ymelda thought she would never get this position, because her sister was the one that the Gerrad loved and married. If it weren't for her sister's death when giving birth to a son, and Ymelda's unmarried, the person sitting on the horse, marching in front of the people would have been another woman right now.
Following her and the Emperor were his children. The first to appear were his eldest son and his wife. Prince Augustus appeared with a dazzling expression. That serious face without a smile caused the crowd to cheer. Even with the name Prince of Sorrows, Augustus is still extremely loved by that handsome face. Next to him was his newlywed wife, Princess Andriandel. She was the daughter of Walter Blackmyre, sister of Lord Simon Blackmyre. Having said that, this royal couple is the definition of perfection. The husband looks dignified and handsome, the wife is pure like fresh water. Anyone who dares to say that they are not suitable for a couple is surely jealous of this level of beauty.
Following the royal couple were the two remaining children of the Emperor: Prince Abel and Princess Anna. Different from his brother, Prince Abel appeared with a pompous face: his head was raised too high, his half-smile looked extremely mean, his eyes were constantly wandering over the village girls who are tenderly youthful. He was twenty years old, but he had the character of a royal child of fifteen or sixteen years old. They called him the Prince of Infamy, hardly anyone was happy with this prince. On one occasion, Abel and his musketeers raced across the street, nearly trampling a civilian. Yet Abel thought that he was the one who scared his horse and had someone beat him up on the street in front of everyone.
And as opposed to her two older brothers, the youngest princess Anna seems like a jewel in the royal family. She leads a closed life, almost if there were no national affairs like today, she would just shiver in the splendid palace, writing poetry, embroidering and playing chess. Anna is known by the people as the Shy Princess, because whenever she appears in front of a crowd, this princess also shows an invisible fear and amazing embarrassment. Even now, the sixteen-year-old princess's hands holding the reins of the horse were not steady, and her legs were shaking as if she were afraid of the feeling of falling.
In addition to his three eldest children, Emperor Gerrad the Eighth still had another son, the youngest prince Aaron, but he was only three years old, so there was no need to attend the ceremony. Thus, the entire royal family was present. Lord Walter Blackmyre shouted "Arglohandre," and the whole army spurred their horses to stomp the ground at the same time. A loud echo spread everywhere, creating a heroic spirit. The people also shouted "Arglohandre" in unison with pride. Then Sir Peter, Sir Fulbert, Sir Althalot and Sir Eddard began marching, leading the parade and the royal debut. The people huddled to the sides, anxiously waiting to see the tall people up close.
When they saw the Emperor and Queen, the people cheered with great excitement, reaching out their hands in the hope of being touched but could not. Yet they still do so, clinging to the vain hope of a lifetime. Next is Prince Augustus and Princess Andriandel, perhaps this is the couple most supported by the people. As the two passed by, people greeted them with joy and excitement. Augustus also put aside his cold and stern expression for a moment, but smiled in response to that welcome, and made everyone love it even more.
But contrary to the welcome of the people, Prince Abel and Princess Anna were like pouring cold water into the fire. Only a few people applauded, but very coldly, as if making a tear. Abel looked annoyed at the dirty people he thought so, and Anna just kept her head down and silently followed the group ahead. Just like that, go all the way around the city, and then come back to the four boring familiar walls. The people enjoyed a week of celebration filled with joy!