On the appointed day of the founding of the city, Roland got up very early.
He shaved off the stubble on his cheeks, tied his long gray hair into a simple bun, and finally trimmed his eyebrows with a pair of small scissors – after living here for a year, he was already very proficient in this kind of grooming work, and no longer needed the help of a maid.
Looking at himself in the slightly blurred silver mirror, he still had a rather sage-like appearance. If he were to put on a loose robe, with this kind of appearance, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was a cultivator hidden in the city.
Roland nodded with satisfaction, got up and went to his office.
Barov was already waiting for him in the room.
"Your Highness," he saluted and said, "The flying messenger to Longsong Stronghold has been sent out, and it is estimated that it will arrive at the Stronghold Castle in half an hour."
"Well, how is the layout of the site?"
"Everything was completed yesterday afternoon, and at present, it seems that it is enough to accommodate the entire population of Border Town," the director replied.
"Well done," Roland praised, and slowly walked to the French window.
In the distance, the Impassable Mountain Range and the Concealing Forest were still snow-white, and the first rays of the morning sun reflected on the snow, reflecting wisps of golden light. In the nearby streets of Border Town, he could already see the figures of people moving in groups of twos and threes towards the west, heading towards the area of the stone wall.
As a line of defense against the demonic beasts last year, this stone wall could be said to have played an indispensable role, but now, it had become the dividing line between the inner and outer city areas of Border Town. Roland didn't like this kind of clear division between the rich and the poor, so apart from the memorable gap and the city building area, it was only a matter of time before it was completely demolished. But before that, it could still be put to good use – the number of people in the front and back of the wall far exceeded the number of people in the square, so Roland decided to announce the founding of the city in the middle of the stone wall.
According to the plan, in order to strengthen the influence of the construction of the city on the residents of the two places, Longsong Stronghold would also announce the construction of the city at the same time. The synchronization between the two places would be achieved by flying messengers. When the first messenger flew to Pérot, it would also be the time for Roland to make a speech on the stage.
Now, this gray falcon carrying the news should be soaring between the mountains and the Redwater River, and as usual, it would pass the note tied to its claw to the two places, Roland thought. But it didn't know what kind of news it was carrying, and what kind of meaning it had — the moment it landed, Border Town and Longsong Stronghold would become … history.
"Let's go," he said, gathering his thoughts and turning his head.
"Yes, Your Highness." Barov smiled.
…
Pérot Hull stepped onto the wooden platform and looked around.
There weren't many people in the square, at least not as many as a week ago when the porridge was being distributed.
This was not surprising. People cared little about things other than food and clothing. Compared to the free oatmeal, a ceremony like the city building ceremony did not sound like it had much to do with ordinary people.
Even he himself felt that His Highness's actions were somewhat superfluous.
After the end of the Months of Demons, the number of people applying for jobs in the City hall was less than he had imagined. The recruitment notice for handymen and construction workers had been posted for a week, but the number of people recruited was less than half of the planned number. Moreover, the rats seemed to be showing signs of revival. At least the police department received more and more reports, and just checking the authenticity of the reports gave them a big headache. His good friend Rennes Medde complained to him that the arrest team had to at least double the number of people to be able to cope.
This was in line with Pérot's expectations.
People are like this, lazy, greedy and ignorant … His Highness spent so much effort on them, but how much will he get in return? What puzzled Pérot the most was that Roland Wimbledon was obviously a member of the royal family, so where did his inexplicable confidence in the people come from?
But no matter what, he was already firmly tied to the Prince's chariot, and the only thing he could do was to follow him to the end.
An eagle's cry came from afar, and a gray figure appeared in the sky.
Pérot unfolded the prepared speech.
…
"Your Highness, it's almost time," Barov reminded him.
The sun had risen in the middle of the sky, and the shadow on the sundial pointed to the position of nine o 'clock. Roland nodded and walked to the fence of the city tower. Seeing the Prince appear, the noisy chatter below quickly turned into a unanimous enthusiastic cheer. The townspeople raised their hands one after another, and the crowd seemed to set off a wave.
Both sides of the city wall were full of people, and the total number was estimated to be more than 20,000, which meant that most of the town's residents had gathered here at the moment. Roland was glad that he did not hold the city's founding ceremony in the central square, which simply could not accommodate such a large and enthusiastic crowd.
He waved to both sides to suppress the cheers, "Hello, my subjects."
The amplified voice echoed over the town.
"I believe that all of you are already aware of what is going to happen today. This small town built for the North Slope Mine will soon become a real city. "
"In the past, the Months of the Demons were a nightmare for Border Town. In order to survive, everyone had to leave this place and flee to the stronghold. Now, we are firmly stationed here. Osmond Ryan, who wanted to destroy the peace of the Western Region, has fallen, and the Church, who deliberately murdered witches and enslaved people, has rolled out of this land. Even Timothy Wimbledon, who tried to destroy me, has failed – even if he turned the southern and eastern regions of the kingdom into a sea of fire, the town is still safe and sound. This, I think the people who fled here have a deep understanding. "
Roland's words were quickly echoed by the crowd.
"Yes, he burned down Eagle City, and the Port of Clearwater was also looted!"
"The new King swept through Valencia, and the Knight's actions were no different from those of bandits, or even worse!"
"He took my son away, saying that he would become the King's Guard, God … He is only fifteen years old!"
The prince stretched out his hand and pressed it down. "And these tragedies will not happen again, the new city is built for this purpose! Only by uniting more people, can we keep the vicious enemies away and let them taste the price of recklessness. " He paused and said, "And this is also my city – I hereby promise that Roland Wimbledon will never abandon any of his people, even if Graycastle is unified, he will not leave here!"
There was an uproar under the city wall.
"Your Highness, you …" Barov behind him said in surprise.
Roland made a silent gesture. "Yes, this will become the new King's City of Graycastle, and the kingdom will be reborn here! I believe, even if the endless cold comes, this city will still be as warm as spring! " He paused for a moment, then raised his right hand. "From today on, Border Town and Longsong Stronghold will be one, and its name will be —"
"Long live Neverwinter!"
"Long live Neverwinter! Long live —!"
Everyone was excited, and the deafening slogan rang through the sky. Snow mist rose from the side of the mountains, and the rolling echoes rose and fell along the mountains, lingering for a long time …
Looking at the cheering subjects, Roland's heart was filled with excitement. The seeds of reform had been sown, and one day, he would see this cluster of sparks turn into a prairie fire, sweeping the whole continent.
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