That day, the entire Green Town became bustling.
Knights in shining silver armor were everywhere on the streets.
They drove away the common people, shouting loudly, "Clean up the streets to welcome the Lord Emissary!"
"Whose slave is this? Quickly put them away; no more selling today."
"You, you, you, and all of you, no serving guests today! Get back to your little dark rooms!"
On this island, a mix of barbarism and law, the words of the Knights often had more deterrent power than the law.
All the common people fearfully hid back in their houses; they only dared to pray to the walls and did not dare to insult the new higher-ups.
No matter one's identity, if overheard, it would result in exile at best, or having one's tongue cut out and being hanged at worst.
"Thump, thump, thump~~"
"Clip-clop, clip-clop~"
After the main street was cleared, the originally crowded and muddy street became much wider.
A troop of cavalry, with white, unknown feathers on their helmets, galloped swiftly on their horses.
Their date-red warhorses, capes fluttering in the wind, and gleaming longswords at their waists all hinted at their extraordinary status as Knights.
They were Jonaf's personal cavalry guards, usually responsible for protecting Jonaf's safety.
Now, following Jonaf's instructions, they were going to deliver a dinner invitation to the last Count in Green Town.
"Neigh~~"
Before long, the Knight Order appeared at the entrance of Count Ruijin's manor.
Just standing at the entrance, one could smell the faint fragrance of roses, and inside the manor, maids in black and white maid uniforms guarded the gate.
However, behind this seemingly peaceful and harmonious facade, the Knight Order felt something was amiss.
Where had all the elite cavalry in the manor gone? It was impossible for there to be no patrols.
The Knight Order did not dare to enter directly, fearing an ambush, so they dispatched a brave Knight to ride in.
"Please deliver this dinner invitation to Count Ruijin. Our Jonaf hopes Count Ruijin and his wives can appear at the dinner."
The petite, blonde maid lowered her head, not daring to look into the Knight's eyes, fearing righteous judgment.
The Knight in shining silver armor sat on horseback, looking down at the maid and growling, "Take it!"
The maids knelt with a thud beneath the Knight's horse, sobbing, "Mighty and extraordinary Sir Knight, you would never casually slaughter common people, would you?"
"Count Ruijin has already fled with his wives, leaving us here to await our fate."
"Please go back and tell Jonaf that Count Ruijin is a royal noble. Now that he has fled, he will definitely return in the future."
Looking at the several maids with tearful eyes before him, the Knight felt a ripple in his heart.
But he knew very well that women, food, cloth, and gold were the Lord Emissary's private property; he could not touch any of it, and even looking at it too much was sacrilege.
Therefore, the Knight immediately turned his warhorse around and returned with the news to the castle, which was currently being rebuilt.
After listening, Jonaf murmured to himself with some confusion, "Fled? That fellow Ruijin actually fled."
"Why would he flee? Is it because he fears the Lord Emissary?"
"No, although Count Ruijin is a royal noble and doesn't dare to have too many troops around him, he shouldn't have fled."
"Then why did he flee in such a hurry?"
Jonaf looked at Hiccup with a questioning gaze.
At this moment, one man and one Dragon were looking out at the pirates working in the distance.
One was waiting for order to be restored, the other was waiting for dinner.
Feeling the gaze from behind him, Hiccup looked at Jonaf with his back to him and said, "Fleeing is indeed a wise choice."
"Secondly, he believes that if we were to engage in a conflict, even if he won, it would be a matter of life or death, or at least serious injury."
"After returning, they can just find a random excuse to send troops to attack us."
"How could the King's land remain safely in the hands of you outsiders?"
Jonaf's eyes widened suddenly as he said, "Lord Emissary, Count Ruijin might really have gone to get reinforcements."
"Should we directly send Dragon Knights to pursue him?"
Hiccup turned around and shook his head indifferently, saying, "We'll have to fight the Kingdom's soldiers sooner or later."
"Let him go back and inform them, and set up an ambush in advance."
"Yes, Lord Emissary."
Jonaf respectfully hammered his breastplate with his right fist.
Then he maintained his original posture and asked, "Lord Emissary, what about tonight's dinner?"
Hiccup said calmly, "Let's hold it at Count Ruijin's manor."
"Yes, sir."
Afterward, Jonaf personally led the Knight Order down the castle walls.
After all, tonight's dinner was not just a simple meal, but to let all the noble Counts in Green Town know.
It was the Lord Emissary who was unifying Green Town.
At the same time, this dinner was also to put pressure on these nobles and make them choose sides in advance.
A war between the Lord Emissary and the King would break out sooner or later; it was best to prepare in advance to prevent spies from secretly informing or even suddenly betraying.
Jonaf quickly took over Count Ruijin's territory.
The maids, jewelry, and various magnificent and grand furnishings in the manor were all left untouched.
Jonaf secretly smiled and said, "It seems Count Ruijin fled in a great hurry, only taking his wives."
"He must be fantasizing about one day reclaiming everything he lost."
"He's dreaming! How could the power of the Lord Emissary be fathomed by weak and backward nobles like you?"
Then, Jonaf waved his hand and said, "Place the most precious gold vessels from the treasury on the dining table."
"Also, re-wax all these armors nearby. We absolutely cannot let the Lord Emissary lose face."
"All maids, pay attention! If you don't want to die, work hard, and never harbor any ill intentions toward the Lord Emissary."
"You are merely lowly slaves; you are simply unworthy of the Lord Emissary's noble status."
The entire manor, inside and out, began to bustle.
Outside, the sky gradually darkened, and the temperature continued to drop; the small puddles on the road had even begun to form a thin layer of frost.
Luxurious carriages creaked their way towards Count Ruijin's manor.
The Viscounts and Barons sitting inside the carriages were all on tenterhooks.
Although they were nobles, they were facing powerful pirates and the last Count of Green Town.
Tonight's dinner would definitely not be a simple exchange of songs and dances; they might lose their territory, or even their lives.
Of course, they dared not flee their territories.
Firstly, it was easy to be pursued and completely cut off.
Secondly, if the war between this pirate riding a Dragon and the Kingdom ended, their territories would also be annexed by the victorious side.
Therefore, they had no choice but to attend this dinner…