"That girl... is too presumptuous," Nightingale said discontentedly as she emerged from the Mist. "What does she mean by that?"
Indeed, ever since he had talked to the Pearl of the Northern Region about how Iron Axe dealt with the nobles, her attitude had changed slightly. She seemed to have let go of herself. Although for Roland, this was not a bad thing.
"Hmm..." He thought for a moment. "Can you tell if she's telling the truth?"
"It's true." Nightingale curled her lips. "At least she didn't lie about wanting you to take care of your body. Otherwise, I would have taken control of her and interrogated her."
"In that case, let her be." Roland laughed. "If I have to guess everyone's thoughts, it'll be too tiring. I don't have that much energy."
Nightingale, who had been indignant, suddenly froze. Then she pretended to look away and said, "You're, you're right... I only have to worry about one or two people."
"Hmm, you're so good at hiding it. You're really showing your thoughts on your face." Roland tried his best not to smile. He cleared his throat and said, "Then let's go back to the office. There's a lot of work to be done."
For example, putting into use the two internal combustion engines that had passed the prototype test. Having a power source was only the first step. How to mass-produce them and manufacture the corresponding mechanical equipment were all difficult problems. In addition, there was also the design and assembly of armored trains, the production of biocolloids, and the expansion of more factories and armies...
However, compared to another thing, he could put these work aside for a while.
Although it did not have much significance, it was necessary to gather the people's support.
The moment Olivia arrived in Neverwinter, it meant that all the conditions for the coronation were in place.
*****
A week later, the Castle District of Neverwinter was opened to the public for the first time. Under the guidance of the police and guards, thousands of screened people gathered in the courtyard, excitedly waiting for the coronation of the new king. Outside the Castle District, the streets were decorated with lanterns and streamers. Even the sporadic snowflakes in the sky could not dampen the enthusiasm of the people for the celebration.
For this grand ceremony, the Lord's Castle was also temporarily remodeled.
The outer wall of the vestibule was removed and replaced with a fence that did not obstruct the view, and the yard was removed and replaced with a flat lawn. As long as he ascended the long slope to the castle area, he would be able to have a panoramic view of the entire ceremony.
Both sides of the castle were hung with red banners with black edges. The banners hung from the roof all the way to the ground. The color combination was particularly eye-catching in the snow-covered background, and it also added a sense of gravity to the not-so-grand castle.
The biggest change came from the second floor of the castle.
It was as if overnight, a diagonal support had been built on the bare facade, causing a half-empty balcony to appear on the second floor. The front of the terrace faced the vestibule gate, where the King would undoubtedly receive the blessings of his subjects.
Only the designer, Minister Carr, knew that the platform structure, which was completed quickly, was created by the witches. After Ms. Agatha extended the ice wall on the castle wall, Ms. Soroya "drew" a brick layer, and it became a part of the castle that was indistinguishable from the real one.
In such weather, the thick ice wall could last for a few days.
...
At this moment, there was another scene in the castle.
"Your Majesty, are you ready?" Vendy's voice came from outside the bedroom. "All the ministers and guests have arrived, and we're just waiting for you."
"I see. I'll be ready in a minute." Roland responded and turned to look at the girl in a pure white dress. "What do you think?"
"Wait a minute... I'm still a little nervous." The girl was Anna. She stood in front of the window and looked down at the noisy crowd through the curtain. Her blue eyes were obviously rippling. "Do you really want to go on the stage with me? The ceremonial officer said that such a thing has never happened in previous coronations. "
She was not as fearless as he thought. Roland realized that although Anna had always been smiling at him, when the moment really came, she would still be worried and confused. Her excellence in learning and love for new knowledge made her full of confidence most of the time. When she devoted herself to creation and manufacturing, she shone like a genius. But apart from these halos, she was just a girl in her early twenties who grew up in a remote village.
Now that she was about to face the eyes of tens of thousands of people, it was impossible for her not to be nervous.
Thinking of this, Roland smiled and said in the softest voice, "Then I'll be the first person to make an exception. Or, do you want me to crown myself alone? "
"Of course not," Anna shook her head. "I just..."
Roland walked up to her and hugged her. "Then I'll put it another way."
"Put it another way?"
"Well." He took a breath and pretended to be serious. "Miss Anna, I want to hire you as my wife. Are you willing?"
"Pfft." Anna could not help but laugh. "No way! I'm not a prisoner in a cage now, and... "
"And what?"
"The engagement time is too short." She hammered Roland's shoulder hard and then reached out her right hand, which was wearing a white veil. "Thank you, Roland. Take me down. "
Roland held her palm firmly. "Yes."
...
Opening the door, they slowly walked through the corridor, went down the stairs, and entered the hall on the first floor.
The noisy hall immediately quieted down. Everyone stood in two rows and slightly bowed their heads, welcoming Roland's arrival.
He walked along the line. On the left were the witches of Neverwinter. He saw Tilly, Ashes, Nightingale, Vendy, Lightning, Agatha... One by one, familiar faces came into view. Compared to the refugees who had nowhere to go three years ago, they had now reintegrated into the new social order and gradually became an inseparable part of the human kingdom.
On the right were the officials of City Hall and representatives from various places, such as Barov, Edith, Iron Axe, Carr, Kyle, Theo, Yorko, and so on... Together, they formed the power structure of the Kingdom of Graycastle. They had turned from ordinary people into rising political stars.
According to tradition, the coronation was an extremely complicated process. However, for the witches and the officials of Neverwinter, Roland's throne had long been established, so the process was greatly simplified.
He took Anna's hand and walked to the center of the hall. There was a stone table there, on which stood two golden crowns.
The church of Wimbledon III and Hermes no longer existed. He declined the ceremonial officer's request and decided to wear the crowns together with Anna.
It was unprecedented for Graycastle to have a coronation and a queen at the same time.
Of course, the ceremonial officer expressed his objection, but it was not binding on Roland, who held great power. Unexpectedly, Barov also stood on Roland's side.
Roland bent down and let Anna put the crown on his head. Then he gently put the other crown on her head.
When the two of them turned around, everyone knelt down on one knee in unison.
"Long live the king!"
Amid the cheers of the crowd, Roland held Anna's hand and walked step by step toward the staircase at one end of the hall. They passed through the overhead dome and went up to the castle's balcony.
Suddenly, there was a raging wave under the courtyard!
Before he raised his hand to signal, the crowd, who had been waiting for a long time, had already expressed their respect.
"Long live His Majesty!"
"Long live the king!"
"Long live the City of Neverwinter!"
The deafening cheers went straight to the sky. The crowd seemed to be in an uproar. Ribbons and petals fell from the balcony and danced with the cold wind. For a moment, the momentum of the snow and ice was overshadowed.
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