155: parade

When the bronze horn sounded for the third time, the Kedas City Lord and Burning Flame Kewenruide stood on either side of High Lord Ryan Black.

On the road extending from the north side of the Eastern Panther Market, newly ennobled officers were leading their subordinates into the plaza in sequence.

Ruth Mo Ying, captain of the First City Guard Team, led 15 Flame Fist Soldiers into the plaza first.

The metallic clatter of the fifteen Flame Fist Soldiers' armor was as precise as a concerto, and their red cloaks surged like waves with their synchronized steps.

The group walked in perfect formation to the foot of the high platform, saluted High Lord Ryan Black, and finally positioned themselves at the southernmost edge of the plaza.

When this disciplined team performed the chest salute, there was not a single discordant sound from their armor joints.

The Second and Third City Guard Teams followed closely in parallel military formation.

Sha Ruiwen, the two mage siblings, walked side by side.

Wesley, captain of the Second City Guard Team, commanded three veteran Flame Fist Soldiers and twelve selected militiamen, while Lucy, captain of the Third City Guard Team, led fifteen similarly equipped selected militiamen.

Although their steps were not as precise as the first team's, the shoulder plates embroidered with sword and shield crests already displayed an elite temperament, distinguishing them from ordinary militiamen.

Both teams simultaneously crossed their longswords and shields over their chests, saluted Lai'en and the other two Allied Forces commanders on the high platform, and then arrayed themselves to the right of the First City Guard Team.

Following them was Damon Iron Oath, commander of the First Expeditionary Regiment, with five captains behind him, each leading their respective soldiers into the plaza.

Adeline Silver Ember, the Dragon-blooded Sorceress and captain of the First Guard Team; Kou Duo Ironanvil, the Rune Knight and captain of the Second Guard Team; Grom Frost Howl, the Barbarian and captain of the Third Guard Team; Grim Shadowblade, the Sword Saint and captain of the Fourth Guard Team; and Shaman Prima, the captain of the Fifth Guard Team, each led thirty militiamen to the foot of the high platform.

Five thirty-man militia phalanxes knelt on one knee before the high platform, the roar of their weapons striking the ground transforming into the most unadorned declaration of loyalty.

The medical team led by Vera, the Water Sprite, caused a stir of admiration.

Four Forest Nymphs carried stretchers woven from glowing vines, another Water Sprite and two Water Elementals held a floating barrier within which therapeutic water spheres with diamond-like radiance floated, and nine translucent Forest Wolf spirits patrolled around them like guardians.

As this mixed team of living beings and elementals approached the platform, Vera offered an ice rose condensed from her palm as a tribute to the commanders.

Vivofenson, the Druid's team, brought with them the fresh scent of earth and pine resin.

A falcon stood on his shoulder, and the bear companions of the other two Druids deliberately brushed off fallen leaves from the shoulders of the Treants behind them, eliciting soft laughter from the watching children.

After performing the ancient forest ritual, this eight-combat-unit squad quietly retreated to stand beside the medical team.

The entry of Gorebest's Noble Second Son Regiment stirred a chorus of armor rubbing.

Although the equipment of the six teams, totaling fifty-four individuals, was uneven, the surcoats embroidered with family crests and their deliberately straightened backs proclaimed the young nobles' eagerness to achieve great deeds.

Their oath of allegiance was delivered with a deliberately suppressed tremor: "By the name of our ancestors' blades, we pledge loyalty!"

The Halfling adventurers' entrance was entirely different.

These four mercenaries bounced and tossed daggers to complete their salute, finally even arranging three stalks of rice into a simple lucky formation at Lai'en's feet.

Only after being lightly tapped on the back by the Druid team's vines did they playfully return to their positions.

As the sound of hooves from the Eileen Village cavalry approached from the southeast, Titan Evonwood, the Elite Guard, restrained his mount to avoid trampling the crowd.

Fifteen Flame Fist cavalrymen drew arcs of salute with their sword tips, while six militiamen mimicked their captain, holding their long spears horizontally over their shoulders.

This clumsy loyalty earned a slight nod from Lai'en.

Kliir, the Shadow Knight's unit, appeared like shadows extracted from the twilight.

The leather armor of thirty masked warriors reflected no light, and as they marched silently to the platform, they suddenly simultaneously drew daggers—not pointed at an enemy, but to cut their fingertips and drip blood into a clay bowl.

When Kliir raised the vessel filled with blood drops above her head, Lai'en's action of accepting the bowl formally embraced these blades of darkness.

As the Redemption Team, formed from prisoners of war, entered, the commotion in the crowd was instantly suppressed by a dragon's roar from the top of the mage tower.

The majority of the more than one hundred warriors captured during the attack on the former Duke's Mansion had been incorporated by Lai'en.

Human shieldbearers, archers, assassins, and even Orc warriors, totaling one hundred and nine individuals.

They, along with one hundred and fifty-six Kobolds, humans, and Goblins captured half a month prior, uniformly snapped the fletching off their arrows, a vow of eternal loyalty.

Last to enter was the Holy Knight Order led by Randall.

As sixteen reserve militiamen followed five white-horse knights to the platform, Randall's greatsword and massive shield burst forth with golden light.

The oath of twenty-one individuals materialized as glowing text in a sacred resonance, wrapping around Lai'en's scepter like a ribbon before dissipating.

This loyalty ceremony, witnessed by the divine, completely silenced all previous whispers.

These were the majority of the troops Lai'en intended to take to attack the Gnoll fortress, totaling six hundred and twenty-six individuals.

After Lai'en's army completed its entry ceremony, the Allied Forces assembled by the Kedas City Lord streamed in from the northeast.

First were twenty individuals from the Morning Glow Temple: priests, priest apprentices, knights, and artisans.

Then came the City Lord's personal guard team of twelve.

Next were the guard teams formed by various nobles of Gorebest, eighty-eight individuals.

Militiamen from three villages near the Old City, twenty-six individuals.

Finally, one hundred Flame Fist Soldiers under Burning Flame Kewenruide entered; they were also part of the Allied Forces plan.

Additionally, Baron Alexander, representing Baldur's Gate, sent one knight, one knight attendant, and one guard.

Lai'en noticed the Old City Lord and the Ranyan commander exchanged a meaningful glance.

The northern merchant caravan in the market contributed ten guards, and several merchant caravans from Amn also contributed twenty guards.

Lai'en mentally calculated the formations before him:

Six hundred and twenty-six direct subordinates, plus two hundred and forty-six from Kedas and thirty-three from other Allied Forces, totaling nine hundred and five warriors whose shining armor seemed to raise the temperature of the plaza by several degrees.

This was far more than Lai'en had anticipated; after a few battles, his army kept growing.

It was also because he was wealthy enough to support them; despite winning battles and taking captives, the armies of the Kedas City Lord and Burning Flame Kewenruide had not expanded much.

Including Tyrantier and the four unarrived Candlekeep mages, as well as the three commanders Lai'en, Kedas, and Kewenreid, the total reached one thousand and three individuals.

The system's minimum requirement of one thousand troops was now met!

At this moment, the dragon's roar from the top of the mage tower sounded.

The Dragon King spread its wings, soared into the sky, flew over the heads of thousands of people, circled three times above the high platform, and then landed beside High Lord Ryan Black.