“Third Merit — Baron Calvin, Louis Calvin.”As the adjutant's voice fell, the entire banquet hall instantly became as if a Magic Bomb had been thrown into it.The solemn atmosphere was broken, and low whispers spread like an avalanche, sweeping through the entire banquet hall in an instant.“Him?! What a joke!”“How old is he? Eighteen? nineteen? And he can be ranked third in merit?”“Did he… pull some strings?”“Don't forget his surname is Calvin; that’s one of the Empire's Eight Great Families.”“People from the south, they haven't even settled in the North for half a year, and they already got a medal this time? Who would believe that?”“It's a fix, it must be a fix.”Even though everyone hadn't explicitly stated it, the suspicion and hostility in their eyes almost condensed into a rain of arrows, shooting towards Louis, who was seated in the front row.However, the young man remained composed throughout.Until an angry roar exploded above the hall: “Silence!!”This was Edmund’s voice.All whispers and murmurs immediately ceased.But he didn't say another word, merely raised his hand slightly, signaling the Military Affairs Officer beside him to continue.The Military Affairs Officer cleared his throat, unrolled the battle achievements scroll, and read aloud:“Baron Calvin, ordered to scout Qingyu Ridge, discerned enemy movements, and took the initiative to attack.He stealthily advanced fifty li at night, leading one hundred thirty knights to capture the enemy stronghold and seize Qingyu Ridge.Then, he set an ambush, using Magic Bombs combined with the terrain for an ambush tactic, severely damaging eight hundred elite wolf riders of the enemy, annihilating their entire army, with no casualties on his side.”A collective gasp of cold air filled the hall.Many nobles widened their eyes in shock.“One hundred thirty against eight hundred? And not even one casualty?”“Elite wolf riders? Aren't those the elite troops of the Snowsworn?”“He only brought one hundred thirty men?”The Military Affairs Officer did not pause, and continued to announce: “The Qingyu Ridge battle successfully defended the crucial choke point leading to Ice Sea County, completely frustrating the enemy's plans.This action directly kept the enemy's main force out, allowing the northern defense line to stabilize.According to Ministry of Military Affairs's assessment, although the scale of the battle results is not as grand as the previous two noble Earls.However, under the premise of extreme resource scarcity, insufficient troops, and isolated and unsupported forces, Baron Calvin achieved the most outstanding results in this campaign.”The nobles exchanged glances, many with complex expressions.They put themselves in that battlefield, in the shoes of this young noble.To be honest, if it were them, they probably wouldn't have been able to achieve this much.Gradually, the whispers changed their tone.“…He really has some skills.”“This merit ranking third is not unfair.”“Although he is young, his courage and judgment… are not simple.”“Indeed, if Qingyu Ridge had been lost, who knows how much longer the entire war would have dragged on.”More and more nobles looked towards the young man standing at the front, their eyes now holding a hint of respect.Meanwhile, those who had initially been dismissive quietly shut their mouths and put on a smiling face.They began to ponder, should they approach this young Baron at the evening party later?After all, truly capable nobles, as long as there's no enmity, are welcome everywhere.Of course, there were still a few sour voices muttering quietly.“Hmph, in the end, it was just good luck,” a certain young noble sneered softly, “If I had that opportunity, I might have done even better.”But before he could finish his sentence, an elderly Earl with white hair beside him gave him a cold glance: “Don't boast. Would you dare to lead your hundred men to charge the Snowsworn?”The young noble's face immediately flushed, and he dared not speak again.The Military Affairs Officer waited until the crowd was slightly quieter, then continued to read aloud:“Baron Calvin, for demonstrating extraordinary courage and strategy in the Qingyu Ridge battle, the Duke hereby bestows the following rewards—One ‘Shield of the North’ battle merit medal.Twenty thousand Imperial gold coins.An additional one thousand square kilometers of fief, located near his existing territory.Eight hundred military warhorses, one thousand five hundred standard infantry spears, five hundred heavy shields…”As this announcement concluded, the entire hall fell silent.Even those who had already witnessed the awards given to the previous two meritorious Earls couldn't help but gasp.“This is too much…”“A new fief of one thousand square kilometers, that's a scale even a Viscount might not have.”“And the Shield of the North? He got that at this age?”And Louis, standing at the front, listened as each reward was read out, his expression outwardly as calm as water.But his hand, hidden in his sleeve, quietly clenched once.A thousand square kilometers of fief, this was three times larger than his Red Tide Territory, practically equivalent to directly receiving the potential package of a quasi-Viscount.As for the gold coins, warhorses, and weapons, they directly equipped him with a lean and effective force in terms of actual combat power.And that Shield of the North was no ordinary war souvenir.It was only awarded to nobles and generals who had achieved outstanding military merits on the battlefield.The recipient's family banner would be hung in the North's Battle Flag Corridor, permanently remembered.It was a symbol of honor dreamed of by all nobles and officers in the North, one of the highest honors in the North.Its practical uses were also numerous; holders of this medal could directly attend and observe wartime noble councils held in the North, and even had the right to speak, with treatment equivalent to an Earl-level advisory representative.At the same time, the Empire would provide preferential supply rights for military equipment to his fief.In addition, he could receive an annual annuity of two thousand gold coins from the Imperial treasury, for fief development or personal use.Perhaps it was not very useful for the previous two Earls, but for Louis, it was the highest honor and reward.Even if he was already mentally prepared, he had to admit that this reward was truly too significant.No matter how turbulent Louis's inner world was, as he stepped onto the stage, his expression remained as calm and composed as ever.In the back rows, some nobles who were seeing him for the first time couldn't help but gasp in low voices.“So young?”“He looks even younger than my youngest son.”“How did he do it?”Lord Yoen was seated in the front row, and hearing these whispers, he couldn't help but show a hint of pride: “Baron Calvin is nineteen this year.”Everyone's expressions changed slightly.nineteen years old, and he had achieved such military merit…On the stage, Edmund personally pinned the “Shield of the North” medal onto Louis's chest.This silver and blue shield-shaped emblem shimmered under the lights.“Well done, Baron Calvin.” Edmund patted his shoulder, “You have proven yourself with your battle results.”He paused, then added: “I have already submitted an application for bestowal to His Majesty the Emperor, requesting the title of Viscount for you.”Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent once more.Louis bowed slightly: “Thank you, Duke.”He didn't show too much {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} emotion, as if all of this was simply as it should be.

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