After warning both his partners and the gang leaders of Peace Haven, Henwell turns his attention to the Midsummer Festival preparations.

  This year, the Midsummer Festival passes without any bloodshed, at least within Peace Haven.

  Every faction understands just how much this wedding means to Henwell. Anyone foolish enough to stir trouble now would face the full force of Peace Haven’s retaliation. Targeting Henwell at this moment would not only mean making an enemy of the Phoenix family but also publicly humiliating Duke Marcus.

  No one is reckless enough for that, and no one wants to give Henwell an excuse to start a war.

  A month after the festival passes peacefully, Jansen’s wife, Grace, arrives at Blood Hill Manor in Peace Haven, accompanied by a rge entourage.

  For the next month or more, every department in Peace Haven coordinates with the duchess.

  Everyone takes Henwell’s wedding seriously, with department heads eagerly heading to Blood Hill Manor.

  Victor, as Peace Haven’s governor, practically becomes Grace’s personal secretary, managing all wedding-reted affairs.

  Henwell, meanwhile, turns into a hands-off boss. Every day, he checks in to see if there’s anything he can help with, only to be firmly ordered by Duchess Grace not to wander around. She insists he personally write every invitation and occasionally tries on his wedding attire.

  The busiest department is the Supervisory Bureau. Chief Overseer Marnes personally selects the best overseers and workers to build a massive banquet hall in a short time.

  This banquet hall, located beneath Blood Hill Manor, actually began construction before Henwell’s westward journey.

  The main structure is now complete, leaving only decoration and fine-tuning.

  The building has six floors, shaped like a pyramid. Even the smallest sixth floor covers nearly a thousand square meters. The first floor is enormous—over ten thousand square meters—able to accommodate most of the wedding guests.

  Henwell originally thought auxiliary buildings like kitchens could be housed within the banquet hall, but his subordinates unanimously opposed this, insisting the event should be grander.

  So, several additional buildings spring up around the Blood Hill banquet hall—guesthouses for visitors and dedicated kitchens.

  The second floor of the banquet hall was initially pnned as guest accommodations but is now converted into a leisure area, showcasing many of Peace Haven’s famous products.

  Henwell firmly opposes the idea of buying up rge quantities of artwork. Buildings still serve a purpose, but spending money on art right now is nothing short of a waste, an insult to Peace Haven’s current needs.

  During the wedding, the banquet hall’s third floor will house the bride’s party, then ter be converted into small meeting rooms. The fourth and fifth floors are transformed into guest accommodations, while the sixth floor remains closed off for now, mainly reserved for covert defense forces.

  For the wedding, the sixth floor is outfitted with dozens of finely crafted heavy Rapid-Fire Crossbows and Mighty Crossbows. A rge number of elite crossbowmen are stationed there, guarding this strategic vantage point.

  Above the sixth floor is a small attic, which holds Peace Haven’s rgest metallurgical creation to date—a massive metal bell.

  Besides the banquet hall, some very distinguished guests will stay within Blood Hill Manor itself. Representatives from various nations, dukes from Vorry, Henwell’s two brothers, and the entire Jansen family.

  Housing them in Blood Hill Manor isn’t just a mark of respect for their status. It’s also for their safety.

  While no one dares provoke Henwell at this time, that doesn’t mean everyone is afraid to cause trouble. Take the Veil Organization, for example.

  For a continental-level event like this, the Veil—a notorious terror group—loves to stir up chaos. If they send assassins to cause havoc, Henwell’s reputation would be ruined.

  With their capabilities, Veil could easily dispatch two or three Iron Knights against Henwell.

  Though Henwell commands many skilled fighters, only he himself can realistically fend off an attack by multiple Iron Knights.

  Peace Haven’s defenses, especially its elite forces, remain insufficient.

  They’re even hoping their Punishment Hunt squads will arrive soon to help shoulder some of the defense burden.

  After a long day, Henwell returns to his bedroom and barely sits on the bed before springing up like he’s been shocked.

  In midair, Henwell not only draws his longsword but also fires two poisoned darts from his sleeve.

  He gres at Newwood, who’s crawling out from under the bed in pajamas, still holding two poisoned darts in his mouth.

  Henwell scowls, “Can’t you give me a heads-up next time? Didn’t I give you my contact info?”

  Newwood spits out the darts, “Henwell! You’re an Iron Knight now. How come your fighting style is still so sneaky? By the way, the poison on your darts this time is different from st time. Last time was spicy; this time it’s sour.”

  Henwell snaps, “You can’t just hide under my bed every single time! I’m about to get married, you know? I’m going to have a wife, and you still sneak under my bed every visit?”

  Newwood crawls out fully and pulls out a tray of food. “What, worried your wife will think you’re hiding a pretty boy… uh, I mean a handsome middle-aged man? Or scared I’m secretly filming your ‘making babies’ videos? I’m not that low, I promise I’d knock first.”

  ”Speaking of which, you haven’t had any spicy food yet, right? Want me to throw you a bachelor party? Don’t gre at me! I’ve got some rare interdimensional movies with elf heroines! There’s even a priestess! Want me to share? These memory crystal stones are expensive, especially in HD. I don’t share them with just anyone!”

  Seeing Newwood ramble on, Henwell rolls his eyes. “Cut the crap. You being chased again? Who pissed you off this time?”

  Newwood puts his hands on his hips. “I’m a Glory Knight now! As long as I don’t run into the really tough ones, I’m walking tall across every continent! If anyone talks down to me again, I’ll blow up their ir! Oh, by the way, I used up all my explosives st time. Got any left? I need more for a big job!”

  Henwell’s eyes widen. “That was over ten tons of explosives. Who did you blow up? The pope of the Holy Spirit Church?”

  Newwood sighs dramatically. “That old guy wasn’t home! I didn’t waste any bombs. I went to visit an old friend. His house hadn’t been renovated in hundreds of years, you know me, I’m a kind soul, so I gave his pce a little ‘makeover’.”

  Henwell asks, “How extensive was the renovation?”

  Newwood grins, “Heh heh… I turned it into a ft piece of nd!”