Chapter 794: Chapter 34: Ian Silverpeak (6400, seeking double monthly tickets~)
For Elder Prude, hearing even countless rumors from the outside world was no match for Ian himself speaking to him directly.
Although it was true that Ian had not skimped on sending messages to Harrison Port and reporting good news, this time, the good news was undoubtedly the greatest.
"Noble title and awards!"
When Elder Prude heard Ian utter these words on the other end of the communication device, he felt his heart skip a beat for an instant.
This elder of the White Folks, bearing the characteristic traits of the Dwarves, stood numbly by the window of his Elderâs Hall. For some reason, Elder Prude suddenly felt a gust of autumn breeze, accompanied by the warm midday sun, making him feel slightly tipsy.
The end of the year was approaching.
The old man gazed hazily out the window at Harrison Port. When he had first arrived, the city was nothing but a small wooden fortress on the edge of South Ridge and a few scattered settlements. Back then, the stench of the sea tides had nearly made him vomit.
But now, whether it was the emerald sea in the distance or the azure sky above, everything felt familiar and nostalgic, even giving him a sense of warmth like that of home.
He had lived here for too long, longer than in the Imperial Capital, and even longer than in his own family home. Harrison Port had become his second hometown. The gentle sunlight of the coastal city flowed on his windowsill, changing with the clouds in the sky and the wind, and the thriving community of the White Folks with sturdy buildings provided comfortâall of which he had built himself.
But soon, he would have a third hometown.
A distant one, but representing an even greater hope.
âCould it be that, finally, his family could rise to greatness again?!
[Elder?]
The old man heard Ianâs somewhat confused voice, which carried a teasing smile: [Youâre not crying, are you? Thereâs no need. My achievements will grow even greater in the future. If youâre this excited now, how many more times will you have to be in the future?]
"Nonsense!"
The old man rubbed his eyes, scolding this usually blunt-speaking junior: "A mere piece of good news wouldnât have you contacting me. Speak, how many more people do you need?"
Elder Prude understood Ian very well. The latter was extremely rational and certainly did not require the Elderâs help with planning for the territoryâif he went out of his way to make contact, it was definitely not just to report good newsâthis guy didnât have any sense of ceremony anyway. Everything to him was taken for granted, and failures intrigued him more than successes.
After all... thatâs just how a Prophet can be so disagreeable.
[We do need a number]
Ian said: [But more importantly, we need a family crest and a surnameâshould we use âChehalorvoâ again, or should I come up with a new one? As for the crest, Iâm not good at designing such things, nor do I want to bother thinking about it.]
"Do not use it."
The Elder steadied himself, and said in a grave voice: "Chehalorvo was a common name used by several White Folks clans in the Northern Silver Peak when they formed an alliance. It didnât represent much, and that surname already carries stains from the past. Using it again might not be good for you."
Although the old man had sought his familyâs Glory all his life, he was not foolish. He still had clarity on who truly represented the future and essence of the family, and Elder Prude understood this well.
Thinking it over, the old man offered a compromise: "If you donât mind, you can use âSilverpeakâ directly, since thatâs our familyâs origin. As for the crest... it generally reflects the landmarks of the familyâs initial territory. Our original crest was âFive Peaksâ, representing the five White Folks clans that first joined to form a family. Of course, they eventually fully integrated."
"As for now, I recall that your Leyan Territory has both lakes and mountains, so it should be a mountain peak, encircled by a lake below..."
In fact, this was how many of the surnames among the nobility of Terra were derived.
For instance, in the Setar Empire, âSertarâ means something as common as âHeavenâs Lightâ or âThousand Sunsâ, referring to âall sources of light in the skyâ, in other words, it could also be called âEmpire of Heavenly Lightâ, âEmpire of Eternal Dayâ, or âThousand Suns Empireâ.
And the Azure Sky Royal Court could also be called âXimor Royal Courtâ, with the Khan Family being the Ximor Family. This term conveys meanings of âAzure Skyâ, âeverything between sky and earthâ, and âexpansiveness without boundariesâ.
Silverpeak likewise, pronounced âAljomunâ, carries significances of âimposing and unassailableâ as well as âmountain that supports the Firmamentâ, which is a famous peak in ancient Terra mythology, fitting the young manâs vision perfectly.
Using it as a surname, Ian did not find it disagreeable.
Remembering oneâs origins is the key to having a future, without the support of the White Folks, he wouldnât even have had his initial troops.
Besides, this was undoubtedly something Elder Prude had longed for all his lifeâsince Ian himself did not mind, of course, he would just listen to the old man.
"Iâll follow your guidance."
Standing on the third floor of the city hall, Ian gazed out at the verdant layers of the Bison Mountain Range, where the moist air mixed with a cool breeze felt slightly damp upon the skin. But as the sunlight bathed the earth, the air became dry and comfortable.
It was now deep autumn, the green of the mountains already taking on shades of brown-red and tan-yellow, hinting at the coming of a new season and the dawn of a new era.
The development of the territory was on the right track. The total number of people who had registered for the tax officer examination had already exceeded five hundred, from all walks of life and various statuses. Essentially, any domain resident with some confidence in their mathematical and cultural level and a bit of strength at home had signed up.