The Albrecht Family literally had an impromptu parade escorting them into the city.
Crowds swarmed them and the roads were literally lined with white Chrysanthemums and daisies. Petals carpeted the road.
It very much, to Rick, resembled the kind of welcome one would expect from the city receiving the Hero's party after a successful return form the journey that led to the slaying of the demon king.
He assumed that magic had to have been used, because they travelled a distance that reached almost a kilometer and for the entire distance, flowers rained onto the family.
They had their own knights marching and bearing the Bright standard of course, but some bards had apparently came together and were singing and dancing, making up a singing marching band with over a hundred members.
It was basically a huge party. The taverns along the way opened their doors and beer was being served non-stop.
The Baron laughed heartily when he saw the fanfare. It was almost sunset, and most working commoners had already clocked out, hence the huge turnout.
They reached a plaza that was jam packed. It was in front of a military garrison, and in the garrison were supposed the teleporting formations. The path, however, was blocked.
The Albrechts stayed in their impromptu parade floats. They had to wait on the Baron's word to get down.
The Baron stood up, Ossenia still clinging to his body like a koala, and adressed the people.
For a slender man, his deep baritone voice really carried well.
Quite a few maidens in the crowd blushed at that. A couple even fainted.
"People of Valenthir! Oh how I've missed you!" He announced.
Somehow he had perfect warrior energy, despite looking like the quintessential mage. He gave of the aura of someone huge, heart and jacked like Jeff, which was quite an attractive dichotomy. The mystery of his being just drew you in.
The man was built out of charisma.
"We've missed you too Lord Baron!"
Shouted a random passerby.
The crowd chuckled.
"Well you all know that I'd just love to stay here and hang with you all, but I got the pesky Noble stuff to deal with." He said.
"Going to chill with the swells and leave us out in the cold!?" Another shouted.
A chorus and hubbub of agreement jeering and good humored teasing followed.
"Duty calls when it calls, and I gotta serve my kingdom, as do you all" He replied.
"Nonsense, none of those hoity toity nobles care like you do Lord Baron. Might as well be beasts in their opinion. The Royal's are better, but not much." An thick, Matronly woman shouted. She had thick arms and legs and was shaped like a barrel.
The crowd murmured with sounds of agreement. Some even harbored the sentiment of wanting to be under the rule of the Albrechts instead.
"Sheryl, come on, you know better than that." Said the Baron.
He smiled, and tried to diffuse the situation. A part of him felt grim though. The anti-noble sentiments in the people were stronger than he had thought.
Sheryl snorted.
"Bah, you boys are all grown up. You and that brother of yours think you're all that now, never visiting these old bones anymore. Ever since you got those kids, you all changed. That brat even lives close by too, but I never even seen one of his brats."
The crowd yelled in agreement.
The Baron's lip twitched.
"Oi! Old lady! You can't call the king a brat. No matter how true it may be."
The crowd laughed out loud.
That comment earned him a pinch at the waist for the Bright Matron.
His wincing face made the crowd howl even louder, with jeers that he was whipped coming from all over the Plaza.
Sheryl chortled.
"I'll call him what I damn well please! If he has a problem with it, he has to come here to say it to my face, and then I can conk him over the head for being such a brat!"
That earned another cheer from the crowd. Some of them started chanting for the king to come.
The Baron laughed.
"Well our Illustrious leader can't exactly come right now. nor can I hang out, sadly, but I got the next best thing! Free food ands drink tonight! For the South Region only!, Party like the old times my friends. My big Bro the king will pick up the tab to make it up to Sheryl!"
That got the entire crowd buzzing. This was why they love the Baron. Dude knew how to party!
The party animal in question though was rubbing his shore shins. Both of his boos had kicked him for that stunt.
It only served to make the crowd rowdier.
The Baron the proceeded to wave, disembark and then walk down.
They had a nice formation, the Baron at the head, his attendant half a step behind to the right.
The Baronesses were a full step behind him with their attendants half a step behind them as well. and then came Rick, and his Attendant, and Esme, and then the rest in their order of Eligibility for the Noble Seat.
The throngs filled the entire station. even up until the portal, so Rick didn't get to see much of it.
by the time he got actual space to breathe and was able to see more than a meter around him, he was on a platform with the rest of the family.
The platform was made of a blood-red metal, with green runes all over. There were also dark green pillars supporting the roof of the building.
The building looked familiar to Rick in fact, but he couldn't for the life of him place it.
Before he could think deeper about it, a bright white light flashed.
For a split second, there were all sorts of colors all around him, making him sick to the bottom of his stomach, and then he experienced an euphoria that felt like he was drunk of the sweetest wine ever.
It was brief, only lasting for a second, but it also felt like an eternity. The joy was so intense that it got imprinted into his memory like a brand burned.
And then the colors returned, and because he was so oversensitive, the feeling of being sick hit him like a sledgehammer.
Before he knew what was happening, he was grabbing the nearest container, and then emptying the contents of his stomach into it.