The Boss King actually disguised himself as a novice village chief?!
Chapter 284 - 238 Duke of Lions

Chapter 284: Chapter 238 Duke of Lions

As Recorder Officer Doris was preparing to document the scene she had just witnessed with her own eyes.

She believed that this would be a scene that people would marvel at for countless years to come.

The lord who returned from the north in such a furious haste disrupted Her Majesty the Queen’s wedding, only to be honored by the Queen with an ennoblement, transforming from the son of a noble into a duke.

Before the apocalypse, the Queen would have been vilified as foolish, and there would have been a group of people who maligned Lind, claiming he had used shameful tactics to charm the Queen. They might have even added insulting titles such as "Succubus of the North" before his name.

Or else, it would be rumored that both parties had some dirty secrets, and a series of stories would be concocted from that.

But after the apocalypse, facing the only lord willing to assist her, a duke’s title, and the Mountain Demon Castle she couldn’t control or manage, were the greatest chips she could offer.

Even everyone would praise Lind for his loyalty.

Even if Lind were not granted the title, Mountain Demon Castle had already become his, and the Queen was utterly unable to defend the castle.

What she could give was only the title of a duke.

The title of a duke, ironically, became something dispensable.

Just like the "Baron Red Mushroom" of the Red Mushroom Village, who occupied a place on his own, gathered residents, and now proclaimed himself a baron, receiving recognition from almost everyone. Even the deceased Lord Baya had conducted transactions with him.

And after recognition by Raven City, the status of Baron Red Mushroom was even more solidified.

Lind’s "old-fashioned" nature endowed him with a different kind of charm in the eyes of Doris.

Doris quickly thought of another point, that this note absolutely must not be lost; she must ensure that the "Recorder Officer’s talent for losing notes" does not come into play at this time.

Lania turned to the soldiers, "You all go out first, the duke and I have matters to discuss."

She spoke in an even tone, her Queenly demeanor left no room for refusal.

It wasn’t just the Royal Guard but also the Star Dragon soldiers who had followed Lind, all of whom turned and departed.

Their expressions were excited, and one could imagine that what they had seen today would surely spread from their mouths.

The Rand Kingdom had gained a new duke, who now controlled the territories of the northern Red Dragon Foothills and the central Mountain Demon Castle area. Mounted sentries would need several months to cover this entire land, and even traveling back and forth just between towns and other concentrated areas took close to a month.

Lind was undeniably the lord with the largest fiefdom in the Rand Kingdom now. If Snake Catcher Fortress could be fully secured, he would occupy the whole region to the west of Frozen Soil Mountain Range and east of the Great Rift, bringing a quarter of the Rand Kingdom’s land under his domain.

Before the apocalypse, no one would have dared to imagine such a level, where the power of one man could easily divide an entire country.

But now, after the apocalypse, with a large reduction in population and the disappearance of villages, most of the territories have become wilderness, the foothold of the Calamities. Communication between settlements has become difficult. In name, the territories belong to Lind, but in reality, he needs to rely on his own power to reclaim those lands.

But this was enough to excite the soldiers who heard of it, as those who remained here were still loyal and reverent towards the Rand Kingdom, and only they could understand what the duke represented.

Inside the hall of Thorn City, the space adorned primarily in gold suddenly became empty. When the doors were closed from the outside, only the flickering flames cast their glow within the Golden Hall.

Lania looked at Doris, who didn’t move.

After the old Recorder Officer’s death, every word and action of Her Majesty the Queen went unrecorded. Doris should have been the Recorder Officer suitable to follow by her side, but unfortunately, that chaos forced Lania and many others to be scattered. She didn’t just lose a Recorder Officer but also some loyal knights who had stayed by her side.

Afterward, Her Majesty the Queen no longer needed a Recorder Officer. She was struggling to survive and didn’t have any notable quotations to be recorded.

Who would have thought that Doris would end up at Lind’s side?

As the Queen’s gaze swept over, Doris took the initiative and said, "I am the Recorder Officer for the Duke, and I must record this moment full of glory."

Her heartbeat was completely out of control as she spoke.

Doris believed she must have lost her mind to have talked back to the Queen, no... the Queen hadn’t driven her away, was her speaking up first merely a provocation? It seemed even graver now.

"Let her stay," Lind said, "Besides, her ears are very keen. Even if you send her away, she’ll find a way to hear what we’re talking about."

Doris looked at Lind in surprise, his acknowledgment buoying her up, making her stand as proud as a little swan.

She approached Lind on her own, stood by his side, and made ready to take notes with paper and pen, lest the Queen should speak again to send her away.

In truth, she had little to write about; Lind had spoken so sparingly today, mostly maintaining silence.

But no matter, she had already chosen her words for the scenes earlier, and she polished them over and over in her mind to ensure that the sense of the epic was captured on paper.

She would reference the works of Artist Boyd, whose portrayal of the noble knighting ceremony was as exquisite as artwork. She thought the image of the Lord standing together with the Queen was as thrilling as a painting to make one’s whole body tremble with excitement.

The arrival of each Duke signified a transformative change for the Kingdom.

How should she write it? Within the dilapidated Thorn City, the muddy land scattered with hoofprints, the Cavalry dressed in gleaming golden Armor raised their lances high under the sun. People watched the ceremony with admiration, choosing with one accord to witness the great moment with intent hearts and to call out for the Duke of Lions in their minds.

Duke of Lions, Duke of Lion, Duke of the Lion-Heart, she paused her writing, tasting each term for tone and making sure none would result in a displeasing or awkward nickname.

Even she herself did not notice her subjectivity creeping in, maybe related to Lind’s recent approval and allowing her to stay; she too, hoped that when Lind’s name was proclaimed, it would leave a strong impression.

Doris even wanted to include Lind’s battle in the Dark Night Orchard, "The Knight, enveloped in orange-red flames, vanquished the decaying beasts that crawled out from below, his wrath igniting piled mountains of rotten corpses, just as the sun dispels the night!"

That oath should be accompanied by more dramatic intonation, of course, and some side descriptions, but not too many.

The invincible Lord pledging unwavering loyalty to Her Majesty the Queen was indeed the grandest event she had encountered since officially becoming a Recorder Officer.

What was more important was the conversation that would follow.

She could imagine what awaited the Duke next, even having predicted in her mind the substance of the forthcoming conversation between Lind and the Queen.

A campaign for restoration that had finally ignited.

But how should the enemy choose? Would they bare their fangs at the "New Nobility," or would Goliath be their next target?

Either option was fraught with danger yet filled with anticipation.

Emerald Hill had been quiet for nearly two years, yet she had never felt as inflamed with fervor as she did now.

"Lind, how are you?" Lania asked.

The conversation didn’t develop in the direction Doris imagined; Lania’s tone was full of concern, and it was only then that Doris noticed the moisture in the crevices of Lind’s Armor.

Sweat!

Lind looked as if he had just been fished out of a pool.

The Lind who had been strong and undefeated since his appearance now appeared somewhat bedraggled.

Wrapped in flames as he was all the time, Lind seemed weak, as if he was a candle flame flickering, about to go out.