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The Red River dock has been expanded. Since the dock is downstream from Fort Qingcheng, even if someone wanted to attack it, they would face the fortress built on the high cliffs overlooking the river. Therefore, there wasn't much defensive fortification at the dock itself. The several miles of open land between the dock and the fortress have been enclosed by a wall four zhang high, which will serve as the main body of the city in the future.

The War God Temple and the War God Altar have already been established. Normally, such high-level buildings require professional architects, but my old architect specializes in fortresses and couldn't handle this task. So, I dispatched a team of laborers to directly move most of the building materials and sculptures from the Pig Clan's temple, using what we could and replacing what was necessary. We managed to build a refurbished temple through this makeshift approach. Fortunately, four hundred years ago was the era when the Beastman Empire was declining, yet its temple architecture was at its most luxurious. This haphazardly constructed temple actually looked quite decent and passed muster.

With the temple completed, the Holy Maiden and the Temple's Magic Armor Knights naturally moved in, and the subsequent ceremonies required no further effort from me. However, the five hundred Golden Lion Knights were not part of the temple's official roster and thus could not move in together. Since my residence had already been relocated to Fort Qingcheng, I decided to give our original headquarters to them, turning it into a military camp.

Among all the tasks, only the recruitment of soldiers was progressing slowly. As the Heavenly Wolf Tribe is the leader of the wolf clans, they have long since mobilized all their idle forces to maintain their status. The Red, Gray, and Black Tribes were determined to see me fail and provided no troops either. At such a time, I should have sought support from the Snow Wolf Tribe's chief, but unfortunately, the Snow Wolf Tribe, known for their cold resistance and combat skills, along with the White Bear Tribe, Silver Fox Tribe, and Snow Eagle Tribe, have been stationed in the northern polar regions for years, fighting against the Icefield Barbarians. This has caused the tribe's center of gravity to shift entirely northward. Now, most of the Snow Wolf Tribe's leadership and seventy percent of its members have relocated to the northern polar regions. Consequently, this birthplace of the Snow Wolf Tribe, the Snow Wolf Grassland, has gradually been occupied by other wolf clans. Even if I wanted to seek help, there was nowhere to turn. In the two months since capturing Fontainebleau, I've only managed to recruit a few hundred Snow Wolf warriors. If not for the half-beastmen warriors I'm training, having Fort Qingcheng might be useless.

---

With the New Year arriving, the fortress and the temple both newly completed, and everyone fatigued from continuous battles and work over the past few months, I decided to hold a grand New Year celebration to let everyone relax.

Beastman customs differ from those of humans. Although in recent years, elegant balls inherited from elves have become popular among the upper nobility, in the lands under my rule, celebrations involve holidays, feasts, singing, and dancing. Not only do the overworked wolves get a break, but the half-beastmen laborers also enjoy better food and drink, resting well.

As for other invited guests, such as the Holy Maiden Catherine and her followers, the three beautiful girls, the leader of the Temple's Magic Armor Knights, the leader of the Golden Lion Knights, and representatives of human merchants in the city, they were gathered for a small banquet. Afterward, the guests gradually took their leave to join the festivities in the city.

By then, the city's defensive magic array, "The Twelve Star Palaces Gate," had been calibrated. I called upon the female mage Hai Ruo to activate part of the magic array to create magical fireworks that would enhance the atmosphere.

"Aren't you worried about revealing secrets?"

"Rest assured, everything is under control."

Hai Ruo nodded, took the eight crystal orbs controlling the magic array from me, and entered the castle. Soon she appeared on the highest tower.

Although Fontainebleau's winter isn't as harsh as the polar regions in the far north of the alliance, it is still more severe than any human country. The human and half-elf girls aren't as cold-resistant as the beastmen, so I had prepared coats made from the fur of an iceberg Beamon to keep them warm. At that moment, Hai Ruo stood atop the castle tower, wearing a white coat, manipulating the central control of the magic array, "The Key of Star Gates," to create dazzling lights in the night sky.

Behind her, across the vast expanse of the sky, golden auroras swirled like glass curtains, transforming into seven-colored rainbows that spanned the horizon. Soon, these became blooming fireworks, continuously exploding and releasing colored meteors that scattered throughout the city. On the ground, spectators, whether beastmen, humans, or half-beastmen, cheered and chased after the falling lights, filling the city with joy.

After the magical fireworks display ended, I turned to leave but noticed the Holy Maiden Catherine standing alone in the dim light, gazing at where the fireworks had disappeared. She was not wearing her armor, weapons, or battle robes, and her followers were not around. Without the initial aura of authority, she appeared to be just a lonely woman.

I approached her and nodded in greeting.

"Your Holiness, why are you here alone? The residents of the city are rough people; such a crude celebration must disappoint you."

Seeing me approach, Catherine, who had been lost in thought, turned and bowed.

"No, Sir Xuanfeng. Such a fireworks celebration is something Catherine hasn't seen since childhood. As an adult, I've attended countless banquets and celebrations, but none have brought genuine joy to everyone like this one. Today, I am very happy to relive my childhood memories."

"I see... That's good. In the future, Fontainebleau will become a true metropolis, gathering countless races. Then, the celebrations will be even more lively."

"Yes... Regardless, this city will always remember the deeds of Knight Xuanfeng."

"Then, I have some work to attend to, so I'll take my leave. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Exchanging meaningful words, I left the city area and entered Fort Qingcheng. While others could rest, I still had piles of documents to handle. With no capable staff, I had to manage most things myself.