The late autumn morning mist had not yet dispersed. Dewdrops that had turned to autumn frost on the stems and leaves began to flow as the temperature rose. Occasionally, one or two birds flew past, but the chirping of insects had long since ceased, leaving the entire world bleak and tranquil.

  A few dark green shoots struggled to push their heads out from between the bricks and stones, proving the greatness and dignity of life in this cold late autumn. However, before they could bathe in the new day’s sunlight, they were trampled to pieces by a hoof fitted with a horseshoe.

  Three armored warhorses, stepping in a rhythm that looked somewhat comical, slowly came to a halt outside the city gates of Pramisburg. Three knights—one in front and two behind—wore full sets of magnificent armor, the mirrored breastplates on their chests reflecting the iron-cast city gates of Pramisburg. The leading knight held a banner: a triangular shield with a white background and red border, and on a red-bordered blue field, a white woodpecker was painted. The knight raised the visor of his helmet and shouted loudly, "Raise the city gates!"

  The city gates, weighing several tons and almost entirely cast from iron, were connected by ropes to equally heavy counterweights behind the city wall. When the gates were opened, if necessary, cutting the ropes would cause the several-ton gates to fall abruptly, splitting the world in two.

  Several figures appeared on the city wall. After a distant glance, they immediately had someone start turning the winch, and the city gates slowly rose.

  The guards at the city gates immediately sent someone to the city lord’s mansion to inform the city lord. In the past, such news would probably never have been delivered to the city lord’s mansion.

  Arno opened his bleary sleep-filled eyes, massaged his slightly aching temples, and quickly washed, dressed, and groomed with the help of the maids. When he arrived at the dining room, Celeste was already sitting at the table, smiling and waiting for him.

  "Morning," Arno said, sitting down opposite her. He shook out his napkin and tucked it into his collar, glanced at the breakfast on the table, and picked up a dinner roll to eat.

  "Good morning, my lord," Celeste said, sipping hot milk in small mouthfuls. Milk that hadn’t been skimmed or sweetened was especially fragrant and rich, its thick texture providing a satisfying sense of fullness. The girl’s eyes smiled into a thin slit, having slept extremely soundly last night, wrapped in a feeling of complete security. The incomparable sense of safety had given her the utmost comfort, allowing her to sleep until morning and wake up naturally.

  "Knights entered the city just now. Let me test you: a triangular shield with a red border on a blue field and a woodpecker—which family’s crest is this?" Arno asked after swallowing the dinner roll and taking a sip of black tea, turning it into a little game. He had long since despaired of breakfast and had ordered Salcomo that if any plant similar to wheat but with a different texture was found, it must be brought back. He had longed for congee and rice for a very long time.

  Celeste put down her small bowl, a trace of white milk foam leaving a mark along her lips. After thinking for a moment, she answered in an unsure tone, "Is it the Bohr family from the capital? Their family crest is a shield and a woodpecker, and their family motto is ‘Victory always belongs to those who persevere to the end.’ Am I right?"

  Looking at Celeste, who eagerly awaited Arno’s praise and encouragement, Arno finally nodded slowly. "Exactly, the Bohr family!"

  As long as one was a noble, they would have their own surname and family crest. Family crests held a great deal of knowledge. For example, the twelve Golden Families with sacred bloodlines, when displaying their crests on banners, used pure black flags with their crests outlined in gold thread—simple, solemn, and dignified! Next were families ennobled for military merit; their banners had red borders and white backgrounds, and their crests mostly featured weapons like swords, shields, and spears, related to killing.

  Finally, there were the upstart officials, including both jesters and outstanding political figures. They had no illustrious military achievements, and the reasons for their ennoblement were mostly that the emperor favored them or they had done something meritorious for the empire. The banners of such families had white backgrounds and blue borders, and their crests usually did not include weapons or anything related to killing.

  The shield on the Bohr family’s banner indicated that they had defended the royal family or a certain city in a war, thus establishing merit and being ennobled.

  To those who did not understand the noble system, banners might just be a symbol. But to those who understood the heritage of nobles, one could discern certain things through banners, at least not be completely ignorant.

  Celeste’s knowledge of this came from Salcomo’s high hopes for her. In a cold sense, she had been a chip in Salcomo’s hand to curry favor with nobles since birth, one of Salcomo’s most proud commodities.

  After chatting for a while, Arno removed his napkin, wiped his mouth, stood by the dining table, and slightly loosened his right arm. Celeste also simply tidied up, walked to Arno’s side, curtsied slightly, and then happily took hold of his arm. Noble etiquette was often a hassle because every movement had very strict standards. With Celeste holding his right arm, Arno clenched his right hand, placed his thumb on the second joint of his index finger, naturally retracted it, and held it at his waistline.

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  Celeste’s left hand passed through Arno’s arm, her fingers spread out, naturally resting just above his wrist. When walking, she slightly lagged half a step behind Arno to reflect Arno’s status and the dignity of men.

  This was just a basic etiquette, yet it damnably demonstrated how troublesome the so-called grace of nobles could be.

  In the somewhat empty living room, Arno sat on the city lord’s throne. One meter behind his seat was a smaller seat, where Celeste sat dignified and elegant, lacking her usual liveliness and cuteness, instead exuding a sense of composure.

  The three knights, having removed their armor and swords, knelt halfway to the ground. The leading knight took out a secret scroll from his bosom and handed it to the head maid. The head maid received it and passed it to Arno. Arno took it in his hand and saw that the seam of the paper roll was sealed with deep red wax, on which was the Bohr family’s crest. He gently squeezed, and the wax broke apart. He shook the paper and spread it out on the back of his left hand.

  "To the Honorable Golden Thorns, the Great Baron Arno Arkania:

  Your recent actions have deeply harmed the interests of the Bohr family. Your blockade of the border and restriction of commodity transportation have caused the Bohr family heavy losses. Over 3,000 gold coins’ worth of Dragon Island tobacco bricks were turned away by you. The Bohr family hopes you will allow this batch of tobacco bricks to pass through the border. For this, we are willing to offer 1,000 gold coins as gratitude for your leniency, and you will also gain the sincere friendship of the Bohr family.

  The Bohr family is a family with equally long historical heritage, possessing immense influence in Bell Province, which will be extremely beneficial to your rule.

  Terman Bohr"

  This was perhaps the joke of the Goddess of Fate. When everything was going so smoothly, Arno knew that something bad was bound to follow. After reading it, he folded the paper into a small piece and stuffed it into his pocket. "Besides this, does Terman Bohr have any other words for you to convey?"

  The knights did not rise. In the presence of a Golden Noble, their ridiculous status was worthless.

  The leading knight, in his thirties with short golden hair and a very handsome appearance, slightly lowered his head. "My lord, the family head asked me to convey to you that he is very interested in monopoly business and hopes to establish a long-lasting friendship with you."

  Arno immediately understood that Terman Bohr was playing both sides, waiting to sell to the highest bidder. If Arno could not offer interests sufficient to move him, then this attitude meant malice from the nobles and privileged classes in the capital city of Milin; they must be preparing to act against him, not to kill him, but to disrupt his plans. If Arno offered interests sufficient to move Terman Bohr, such as ceding a monopoly business and allowing Terman to monopolize a commodity, Terman would side with him, firmly standing with him because of interests.

  Interests, as always, were the unchanging truth of this world. As long as the price was high enough, nothing was beyond trade.

  Arno without showing emotion had the head maid bring paper, pen, and a writing desk similar to an easel. He quickly wrote something, then tightly rolled the paper. The head maid held up a golden candle that had been burning for a long time and poured out some thick golden liquid. While the liquid was still not cooled, Arno gently pressed his seal into it, revealing the shape of a thorny vine. The head maid took the secret scroll and handed it to the knight, then stepped back.

  "Take my will to Terman Bohr. He will understand after reading it."

  After the three knights bowed their heads and turned to leave, Arno looked at their departing backs, his mouth pursed in a thoughtful expression.

  A moment later, he chuckled coldly and shook his head. Did they want to disrupt his hard-won good situation? Don’t fucking joke around. For this, Arno was willing to fight a war!

  Yes, war.

  The emperor and nobles all belonged to the same class, the noble class; the royal family was just the strongest family among them. The royal family was not as sacred and inviolable as imagined. For a place like Bell Province, which was far from the emperor, royal orders were only valid if they were reasonable. If not, they were worthless!

  For interests, wars between nobles were difficult for the royal family to intervene in. At most, they would rebuke both sides and demand that they resolve the dispute as soon as possible. If the war involved too great an interest and affected the royal family’s rule, the royal family would have an excuse to intervene. But more often, the royal family acted as bystanders, smiling as nobles fought each other to the death.

  To the royal family, with over two thousand noble families now, there were simply too many. It would be great if there could be fewer!