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At the tail end of April, Colin led his army back to Ice Rock City.

By this time, spring was in full bloom in the North Territory, with misty greens visible everywhere along the road.

Rich, green grass swayed in the spring breeze, stretching with a comfortable pride that blanketed the earth in layers of green.

What gratified Colin even more, however, were the fields of wheat that had already been mostly cultivated.

Even though the other parts of the North Territory were in chaos, the land belonging to the Angler family was peaceful. The presence of the thirty thousand Silver Moon Guards, the ample supply of food reserves, and the geographical location far from the center of the storm, all kept the war from easily spreading to this territory.

Occasional sporadic slave revolts and invading marauders were swiftly suppressed, so this year’s spring planting was not greatly affected.

A messenger had already sent news of the great victory back to Ice Rock City in advance. Thus, when Colin arrived, a large crowd had already gathered outside the city to welcome him.

The band timely played the triumphant tune.

Colin rode his horse through the crowd, and noticed a figure rushing towards him on horseback among the welcoming crowd.

It was Vera.

The young lady had specially worn a white military ceremonial dress today, and on her chest was the golden lion badge of the St. Hilde family. Her golden hair was tied into a ponytail, swinging freely behind her as the warhorse jolted.

“Colin, welcome home!” As she neared, Vera slowed down, caught her breath a little, and presented Colin with a beautiful smile.

Colin rode up to Vera, wrapped his arm around the young girl’s slim waist, lifted her onto his horse, and they rode together.

Vera did not resist Colin’s actions, only blushing slightly in embarrassment.

“The last time we rode the same horse was a year ago,” Colin whispered, leaning close to Vera’s ear and savoring the fragrance from her body.

Vera felt the warm breath by her ear, and her whole body softened into Colin’s embrace, a nostalgic look in her eyes:

“Yes, time flies! From being an unknown baron’s son back then, you’ve now become a great hero who has obliterated a hundred thousand-strong troll army and slain the Troll Emperor!”

Colin laughed heartily, then shook his head, “What good is being a great hero? Duke St. Hilde still refuses to marry you off to me.”

Vera’s eyes dimmed at these words.

To this day, the envoy Colin sent to Winterfell City to propose a marriage had yet to be granted an audience by the Duke.

Colin really couldn’t understand why at this time, did the Duke still believe he could quell the rebellion in the North Territory with just the Golden Lion Legion and without Colin’s help?

Was he not worried about Colin turning to the rebels’ side?

The military force now under Colin’s command made him a significant military power in the North Territory.

Nevertheless, as if turning a blind eye to this, Duke St. Hilde showed no indication of his intentions.

Still, Colin was not in a hurry.

The main target of the St. Sean family was definitely not the Angler family. Therefore, Colin didn’t see how they could cause him trouble, not after dealing with the trolls.

Now was the best time to watch the unfoldings from the sidelines.

“Hold tight to your chips!”

This family motto of the Modewen family was quite suited to Colin’s current situation. He was in no hurry to gamble, the further he delayed, the heavier the chips he held would weigh.

Amidst these thoughts, Colin had already entered Ice Rock City, surrounded by a crowd.

The streets were thronged with locals who had come to greet them, their cheers for Colin rising louder and louder.

Colin greeted them with a cheerful wave, a sense of pride welling up within him.

His journey to the Troll Empire had significantly boosted his reputation, so much so that with the further spread of his exploits, Colin’s stature in the North Territory might even rise to a level just below that of Duke St. Hilde.

This was no exaggeration.

Although Colin’s surprise attack took advantage of the Troll Empire’s inner vulnerability, the major blow to the Troll Empire’s strength came from Marquis Garcia unquestionably. But the common people in the North Territory couldn’t distinguish between the two.

They were unaware of the true extent of the hundred thousand troll army that Colin had annihilated, or of how it compared in combat strength to the elite army once led by Prince Gambick.

In their view, although the number of the troll army that Colin annihilated was less than that vanquished by Marquis Garcia, he had nevertheless cut off the head of a troll emperor, forcing the Troll Empire to sign a humiliating treaty.

Such exploits were already not inferior to Marquis Garcia’s.

Moreover, after the Battle of Shadow Gorge, Marquis Garcia had fallen from his pedestal.

There was a palpable trend of Colin potentially replacing Marquis Garcia to become the foremost general in the North Territory.

With a beauty by his side and a large army behind him, and surrounded by enthusiastic locals cheering him on, with all their earnest praises ringing in his ears, this must be a scene every man sought after.

With the warm breeze of spring around him, Colin could not help but feel a little elated.

Upon returning to the Red Fort and having a chance to freshen up and rest, Colin began to host a celebratory feast for his accomplished heroes.

Today, the banquet hall of the Red Fort was showing its most beautiful side in celebration of the victorious return of these warriors.

Butler Emon, with an expression of pride, welcomed the arriving guests at the entrance of the hall.

The footmen of the Angler family were also spirited today. Their Lord’s achievements also gave them a sense of honor, making them stand even taller than usual.

As the banquet guests were officers who had participated in the expedition to the Troll Empire, and most of them were not nobles by birth, the protocols during the banquet were relatively relaxed.

Moreover, having just returned from the battlefield, these officers still seemed to carry with them a strong smell of blood, their gazes tinged with a hint of killing intent, making the entire banquet hall tinged with an atmosphere of battlefield heroism.

The guests talked and laughed freely, their voices quickly overpowering the performance of the orchestra.

This was an internal celebration. Colin had not sent out many invitations, so there were no guests sent by other families. The only “outsider” was a dwarf envoy who had arrived at Ice Rock City a month earlier.

Having waited so long for Colin at Ice Rock City, the dwarf messenger was filled with resentment. Seeing these officers, who had little to do with elegance and nobility, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of contempt.

In his view, the Angler family, having risen not too long ago, lacked depth and still bore a trace of barbarism.

At this moment, Colin and Vera hand-in-hand appeared at the entrance of the hall.

Colin had changed into a Viscount’s ceremonial dress, bearing a badge with a roaring white bear on his chest, and carried the Blade of Judgment at his waist. With the momentum of great victory, he walked with a confident stride, radiating heroism.

Next to him, Vera was wearing a blue backless dress. Her dazzling golden hair was tied up with a thorny headdress and scattered down from the top of her head. Her soft hair formed curly lines on her fair shoulders. The sea-blue eyes were glowing brighter under the matching dress.

Her height of one meter and seventy, coupled with the silver stiletto heels she wore, not only accentuated her tall and slender figure but also perfectly highlighted her golden proportioned body.

When the two entered the banquet hall, the hall suddenly fell silent.

All the officers saluted and greeted Colin almost synchronously without anyone directing them, making the dwarf messenger stand out and feel incredibly awkward.

Nevertheless, he slightly let go of his contempt and had a better understanding of Colin’s revered reputation in the military.

Of course, Colin also noticed the dwarf messenger, but paid him no mind. He just smiled and saluted back at the officers, and then officially commenced the banquet.