Chapter 102 : Chapter 102

Chapter 102. I Want to Command All the Armies Under Heaven!

Eli’s fingertips tapped unconsciously against the tabletop. The various calculations surrounding his trip to Thorne were still circling through his mind when a light knock came at the study door.

Old John pushed the door open and entered, weariness from his recent busyness visible on his face.

“My lord, the venue and supplies are all prepared. You may go over now.”

He stepped forward and placed a thick parchment list on the desk.

“This is the list of those who have met the standard this time and are about to be promoted to freefolk.

“Everyone has been working very hard lately, and the number who qualified... is quite a bit higher than expected. There are over a hundred of them.”

Eli’s gaze swept over the list, which was plainly no light bundle, and he gave a slight nod. “You have worked hard.”

He rose to his feet, straightened his robe, which had hardly a wrinkle on it, and calmly followed Old John outside.

In the open ground at the center of the valley, a massive bonfire had already been piled high.

Though it had not yet been lit, the dry firewood had been stacked like a small mountain.

The raised platform was crude but sturdy, and below it the ground was packed with a sea of people—slaves, freefolk, soldiers, craftsmen...

Nearly all the territory’s inhabitants had gathered there. Heads filled the square as a humming tide of discussion merged into a deafening wave of noise.

The moment Eli appeared, every gaze instantly focused on him.

He drew a deep breath, his expression calm, and stepped onto the wooden stairs of the platform one step at a time.

His appearance immediately drew attention, and the noise began to subside.

As he climbed higher and higher, his figure gradually revealing itself before the crowd—

“Pendragon!!!”

At the front of the crowd below the platform, the quick-witted Chief Intelligence Administrator, Aika, used all his strength to let out a hoarse yet incomparably excited shout.

In the next moment, Hadi and Old John, who were standing a little farther forward beneath the platform, also suddenly came to their senses.

They cursed themselves for being slow-witted, then almost instinctively raised their arms and shouted along with him.

“Pendragon!!”

That cry was like a spark cast into boiling oil, instantly setting the entire crowd ablaze!

“Pendragon!!”

“Long live the lord!!”

The heartfelt cries of nearly three thousand people merged together like a thunderclap exploding across the plain.

The very platform beneath his feet seemed to tremble slightly from the force of it.

The voices were filled with relief, hope for the future, and an almost blind, fanatical devotion.

Eli stood on the platform. He had thought his heart had long since become calm, even somewhat cold.

Yet beneath the assault of that mountain-shaking, sea-churning roar, ripples surged through him all the same.

A wave of heat rose uncontrollably into his chest, and the corners of his mouth lifted despite himself, revealing a smile.

He looked at the flushed faces below, reddened with excitement, and at the endless sea of heads stretching outward in ring after ring.

The huge unlit woodpile in the center looked more like a torch waiting to be set aflame.

A surge of heroism he had never felt before instantly smashed through every trace of caution and calculation, churning violently within his chest.

He thought of Emperor Taizong’s ambition from his previous life—I want to command all the armies under Heaven!

The thought was so clear, so domineering, that it almost escaped his lips.

But he abruptly bit the tip of his tongue. The sharp pain jolted him back to himself.

He forced down that dangerously swollen ambition, drew several deep breaths of cold air, and firmly suppressed the storming emotions within him.

Then he raised both hands and slowly pressed them downward.

Once. Twice.

As though they carried some kind of magic, the deafening cheers gradually began to subside.

At last, they became a silence heavy with restrained excitement, every pair of eyes fixed on him with burning intensity.

Eli’s gaze swept over the entire crowd, and his voice rang out clearly, steady and powerful.

“Everyone!

“We have gathered here today to celebrate our hard-won victory!

“This victory does not belong to any one person. It belongs to every one of you who labored diligently. It belongs to every soldier who dared to raise his sword in defense of his home!

“This is the result that all of us forged together with our sweat and our courage!”

He paused, and his voice abruptly rose.

“Then let us cheer for ourselves!

“Cheer for Obsidian Territory! Cheer for the better days that await us in the future!”

“OHHHH—!!!”

The noise that had only just subsided erupted once more, even fiercer and more frenzied than before.

People waved their arms with all their strength, venting their emotions to their hearts’ content.

When the uproar finally eased a little, Eli picked up that thick list.

Looking at the densely packed names written across it, the corner of his mouth twitched faintly despite himself. How long was this going to take to read?

But his expression remained composed.

“Now,” he said, raising his voice, “I will announce the list of those who have gained freefolk status this time!”

The square below instantly fell silent. Countless gazes turned incomparably tense and expectant, especially those of the slaves, who nearly stopped breathing.

“Aidis!”

“Layas!”

“Vilus!”

“Atos!”

...

Eli read out the names one after another in a steady voice. Each time he called a name, an explosion of incredulous joy erupted from the corresponding part of the crowd below.

Those whose names were called often leaped to their feet in excitement, embracing the people around them, some even weeping with happiness.

The people nearby responded with cheers of envy and congratulations.

Every name that rang out was like a stone cast into a lake, sending ripples of happiness across the crowd.

At last, the long list was finished.

Eli set it down and turned his gaze toward the soldiers maintaining order, whose eyes were equally full of expectation.

“And finally!” His voice carried across the entire gathering. “Let us give thanks to the strongest shield and the sharpest sword of Obsidian Territory!

“It is our brave soldiers who bled and sacrificed themselves on the battlefield, who shattered the enemy that came against us.

“They protected your peace and safeguarded everything we now possess!”

The soldiers’ chests rose a little higher of their own accord, pride shining on their faces.

Among the crowd, warm cries of thanks and cheers for the soldiers immediately burst forth as well.

Eli gave his final conclusion, his words entering every ear with perfect clarity.

“Everyone, I will say the same thing once again!

“In Obsidian Territory, loyalty and ability are more glorious than empty bloodlines!”

“Now!” He swept out one arm. “Those newly made freefolk whose names were called, report to Steward Estor afterward for registration!

“Each squad leader, bring your men forward in order to receive your allotted food!

“As for my soldiers, each captain is also to come forward and collect your extra rewards, along with wine and meat!”

He drew a deep breath and declared with all his strength, “Let us—eat!”

“OHHHHHH—!!!!”

For the third time, a thunderous roar shook the skies above the valley, the sound seeming almost ready to overturn the night itself.

Every face was filled with pure enthusiasm, satisfaction, and longing for the future.

Below the platform, the scene instantly became busy yet orderly.

The slave overseers shouted themselves hoarse as they called out each squad number and distributed food.

The rich aroma of baked bread and meat soup soon spread through the air.

“Where is the Third Squad? Over here!”

“We’re here, my lord! Hold on, there are too many people—we can’t squeeze through!”

“Eighth Squad! Hurry up, Eighth Squad!”

“We’re coming, we’re coming!”

The fragrance of food, the noisy human voices, and the happy laughter all intertwined together, forming a living picture brimming with vitality and hope.

Eli stood atop the platform, watching the fervent chaos below.

Yet in that scene overflowing with vigorous life, the faint curve at the corner of his mouth still had not fully faded.

Even the gloom and anxiety surrounding his journey to Thorne seemed to have been scattered, at least for the moment, by the bustling warmth of mortal life.