The celebrations still continued. On this day, the king didn't just raise the commoners to knighthood but also promoted Dickon to the rank of Baron. Unlike a knight, a Baron is a real noble who can hold territory and subsequent authority over it. This gave the people the belief that the king was not doing it as a show but was actually serious. Solidifying people's trust in the benevolent king gave them hope that if they were good enough and earned enough merits, they could also become noble, regardless of their origin. This started a military culture in the kingdom of Roge, motivating people to participate actively in military activity. Not only people from humble backgrounds but also the current nobles actively contributed, thus gaining an even higher standing.
In just 2 years, the small kingdom has grown significantly. After the major defeat of Albania, Roge launched an offensive on Albania, claiming most of its western territories. They captured all the minor territories near Bali and kept marching on. The army finally faced severe resistance at Belladom and was finally stopped at the river of Bella. After the battle turned to a standstill, the two kingdoms finally sat down for negotiation.
After a long negotiation, a treaty was finally signed between Albania and Roge. Roge returned most of its captured territory and only reclaimed its original village of Peru and Poli, situated at the entrance of the mountain pass. This gave complete control of the mountain range to Roge. The vast area from the city of Bali to the river Bella was returned to Albania, in exchange it had to pay large amounts of war penalties and hand over its northwestern port to Roge. Which gave Roge direct access to the Golden Sea and to the Eastern continent. The harsh penalties and the loss of a port city were major economic setbacks for Albania. This led to increasing dissatisfaction among the masses on the Albanian side of the border. The two nations signed an armrest for 2 years. Albania started rebuilding its western borders during this time with a false sense of peace.
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Meanwhile, the kingdom of Roge concentrated its military on its western border, which has been constantly at war with the barbarians of Kari. With the full support of its people and multiple rigorous battles, the kingdom of Roge managed to push the barbarians out of its western borders, reclaiming its coastline. The barbarians of Kari suffered heavy losses and retreated back into the forest down south. The southern forests are the forbidden line separating Kari and Roge. Even after a great victory, Roge still didn't dare attack the home turf of Kari and left it alone. Roge has taken back its western coast again, enabling its maritime trade. After winning two major wars one after another, the kingdom of Roge enjoyed peace for the next 2 years. While the forces of Kari lay dormant in the south, the Albanians were busy recovering from their losses. Meanwhile, Roge flourished with massive agricultural harvests and prosperous sea trades with the eastern continent. Transforming from a small kingdom in the countryside to a territorial superpower.
