"They're coming, they're almost here. Everyone, get ready. No mistakes are allowed." A middle-aged man riding a giant tiger paced along the edge of a harbor, his face filled with excitement and anticipation. Every now and then, he barked orders at the knights around him, who were dressed in splendid armor, to vent his nervous excitement.
However, unlike the excitement of this richly dressed middle-aged man, the heavily armored soldiers standing in two rows on either side of the red carpet were blocking merchants, local mercenaries, and some idle onlookers. They occasionally voiced their complaints.
"Why was the port suddenly closed off? My cargo ship is still out there! It's carrying fresh goods. If they aren't unloaded soon, they'll spoil, and I'll be ruined. Who's going to cover that loss?"
"Who's coming that warrants such a blockade? Look at the crest on those knights—it's the emblem of the Tulip family."
"Tulips? I've been to ports in over ten countries, and never has a city suddenly sealed off its port without any notice," grumbled a merchant who had just arrived at the bustling harbor city.
"That's because our duchy has recently promoted a new noble family. Shut your mouth; you're just small merchants. If you dare defy them, you might not even keep your lives."
"Which member of the Tulip family is it? Why such a grand display?"
"I don't know the noble, but I do recognize the giant tiger he's riding," a leather-armored mercenary said with a grin as he eyed the Tulip Marquis's mount. "That's an Earth-Rending Tiger of the Golden class. Tsk, tsk, it's truly fitting for a great noble."
"If it's a Golden-class Earth-Rending Tiger, then there's no need to guess—it's definitely the Tulip family's Marquis who's been making waves recently."
"Seriously? Would a noble of that caliber come to a port just to enjoy the breeze? And with such fanfare?"
"Definitely. Look at those knights. The lowest among them is at least Silver-class. Look at this setup—the entire city has been cleaned, and the streets are sprinkled with flower petals. Only the head of the Tulip family could pull off something like this."
"Is some bigwig coming to our city?" The townsfolk speculated, and many of the idlers wore expressions of anticipation. Since the port's closure didn't affect them, only the merchants and dockworkers trying to ship goods were at a disadvantage. The idlers were more than happy to take this opportunity to catch a glimpse of the big shot who even a marquis had to welcome.
"It must be the Tulip family's prodigy returning. I've heard he's a Dragon Knight, exploring overseas."
"Don't guess blindly. Even a genius wouldn't have their father come to greet them."
"You must be talking about Lord Bernard. He's a Dragon Knight. If he were coming back, why would he return by sea? He has a dragon! There's no need to seal off the port."
"Look, look, there's a fleet approaching." Soon, under the eager gaze of the Tulip Marquis and his entourage, a line of dark shadows appeared on the horizon, gradually approaching the harbor.
As they drew closer, it became clear that this was a massive fleet, with ships filling the sea as far as the eye could see. The sails they hoisted blotted out the sky.
"This is my Tulip family's naval fleet." Seeing the enormous fleet slicing through the waves, the Tulip Marquis couldn't help but display a proud expression. Little did he know, the passengers on those ships were full of disdain for the vessels he was so proud of.
"What is that?" As the fleet approached, waves of exclamations erupted along the coast as the townspeople noticed the terrifying creatures from the deep sea accompanying the fleet.
"Those are Naga!"
"Tidal Giants!"
"Unicorn Whales!"
"Tide-Chasing Dolphins!"
It wasn't long before people recognized the marine creatures escorting the fleet. They were all powerful sea creatures that ruled their domains in the ocean, now all escorting a single fleet.
"Two-armed Naga, four-armed Naga, and even six-armed Naga! My God, this must be a big shot from the ocean! I've heard that the ocean has kingdoms like those on land. This must be one of the ocean's kings. The Tulip family is really something."
The crowd's exclamations drew the attention of the Naga hidden in the water. These half-human, half-serpent beings all raised their upper bodies out of the water, revealing their alluring, human-like forms. Many of the human males stared in awe, but when the Naga met their gazes with their cold, snake-like eyes, they quickly shrank back.
Soon, these numerous Naga, who seemed disorganized at first, formed neat ranks, creating a grand pathway from the harbor entrance to the largest ship in the fleet. In the middle, a passage wide enough for eight carriages to travel side by side was cleared. Then, under the stunned gazes of the townspeople, Naga sorcerers near the sea cast spells to calm the turbulent waves, making the surface as smooth as a mirror.
Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a black-haired, golden-eyed young man and a beautiful young woman clad in armor stepped off the ship, walking across the water.
As they appeared, twelve six-armed Naga followed closely behind them, along with several White Tidal Giants. Such a display left the onlookers in awe, causing them to speculate about Muria's identity. Most guessed he was a prince or king from an ocean kingdom, perhaps a merman, given that they could transform their tails into legs.
With storm giants, Naga, and the colossal sea beasts glimpsed only momentarily, Muria didn't need to announce his identity. The mere sight of his retinue commanded immense respect from the humans in the harbor. Only a fool wouldn't recognize his extraordinary background.
For this journey, Muria had summoned a thousand Naga as his personal guard. All of them carried the royal bloodline from the Naga Kingdom he had conquered. But that wasn't enough—he also brought along a hundred-man Tide Giant regiment to serve him.
For Muria, with the forces he currently commanded, this display was already very subdued. However, as he sailed along, he hadn't expected the number of marine creatures accompanying him to grow so significantly.
Muria's recent venture had earned him a new treasure—sea charts mapping the routes between the Thorn Territory and the port. The charts marked areas to avoid during navigation—places inhabited by fierce sea tribes, powerful sea beasts, or treacherous natural hazards.
But these so-called dangerous places became Muria's treasure troves. He sailed directly toward the marked perilous spots, and after each excursion, his ranks swelled.
The Naga force, which started at a thousand, had grown to thirty thousand. Along the way, he subdued countless Naga tribes and killed many who refused to submit.
Had anyone followed Muria's route from the Thorn Territory to this harbor, they would have seen that the path was stained red with blood.
After all, not every creature was willing to bow to him. As noble as the Titan and Dragon identities were, they didn't carry much weight in the ocean.
So for those sea tribes and beasts who refused to submit and even tried to attack him, Muria had no choice but to put them down.
Many sea creatures and sea tribes chose death over submission, but many more surrendered. For instance, when Muria's Naga, who boasted royal bloodlines, entered wild Naga tribes, most surrendered without resistance, bringing their families along to follow Muria.
"Are you Lord Muria? I'm Miluo, the Marquis of the Tulip family from the Sapphire Duchy." As Muria stepped onto the shore, the Tulip Marquis, who had been riding the Earth-Rending Tiger, quickly dismounted and warmly greeted him. A reserved smile hung on his face, but the crowd could see a hint of flattery in his slightly bowed posture. It was clear to everyone what his actions signified.
"Mmm!" Muria nodded and looked around. He saw the cheering crowd, the red carpet covered with tulip petals, and faintly scented the air.
"You're too ostentatious, Miluo. Didn't I tell you to keep it low-key?" Muria frowned slightly, displeased as he saw how the city's order seemed to have been disrupted, paying no attention to the fleet behind him, surrounded by massive sea beasts and intelligent marine creatures.
"Yes, Your Highness. I'll be more careful next time. This won't happen again," Miluo's face stiffened slightly at Muria's rebuke. Had the status difference not been so great, he might have wanted to yell at the young man in front of him: "Look at those monsters behind you! And you're telling me to be low-key? Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?"
"Mmm." Muria nodded and advised the marquis, "One must be humble."
"Of course, Miluo will remember this. Your Highness, please take your seat. I've prepared a banquet at my family's castle to welcome you." Marquis Miluo gestured toward a carriage at the end of the red carpet. It was drawn by four snow-white flying horses—a vehicle he had borrowed from another marquis family he was on good terms with. He had thought his own carriage was too low-class and would be embarrassing, so he had gone to great lengths to borrow this one.
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