Chapter 380: Grace (Part I)
"Roar—"
Cassius slightly lowered his head and let out a roar that shook the wasteland, flapping his massive wings and hovering in midair.
"No, it can't be..."
"Could it be..."
An audacious thought crossed many minds.
Daryev, shielding his eyes with his hand, cautiously peeked through his fingers at the sky above—
The red dragon exhaled searing white smoke from his maw. Brilliant flames erupted from vents along his neck and tail. His chest's dragon crystal radiated dazzling light, and every scale on his body rippled with molten brilliance.
At that moment, he resembled a second sun rising in the sky, so bright that nearly everyone present was forced to shut their eyes.
Cassius's resonant voice descended from the heavens, sounding like a divine decree in the ears of the people.
"As the Emperor of the Ember Empire, on this momentous occasion..."
"I shall bestow my grace..."
"Remember, the Empire will never forsake those who pledge loyalty and contribute to its cause."
This time, not only the crowd in the venue but even the nobles on the altar became visibly excited.
Bathed in the golden light, the humans and monster vassals from the former Ember Kingdom in the audience began breathing heavily, their faces flushing red, and their hearts pounding wildly.
They understood the significance of this moment.
At the last ceremony, 237 dragonblood nobles had been created. They had become the elite of the Ember Kingdom, shining brightly across various fields, enjoying privileges beyond ordinary comprehension.
This time, with the crowning of the Red Dragon Emperor and the founding of the Ember Empire encompassing all of Anzeta, with envoys from across Feanso gathered, the scale of the honors would undoubtedly surpass the previous ceremony. Many more would receive the Emperor's grace.
As expected, a dozen elegantly robed half-dragons appeared on the altar, holding scrolls. These heralds would officiate the ennoblement ceremony.
Langpu no longer needed to micromanage such events. The Empire's vast scale had led to highly specialized departments handling even the smallest details.
"By the decree of Emperor Cassius, Duke Dolo is promoted to Second-Class Duke."
Amid the enthusiastic cheers of goblins and bugbears, Dolo knelt on the platform, visibly moved.
"Your Majesty!"
Dolo expressed his gratitude with a display of humility, bowing his head low.
Yet, deep in his eyes burned a fierce ambition, occasionally glancing toward Langpu.
"Just a First-Class Duke riding on seniority... soon."
"I'll surpass you soon."
Kneeling, Dolo thought to himself.
A half-dragon attendant approached respectfully, pinning an imperial medal adorned with dragon wings onto Dolo's chest.
Langpu, noticing the long-familiar yet challenging gaze, couldn't help but curl his lips into a faint smile—detecting the familiar sin of envy, just as he had anticipated.
One by one, renowned names of influential nobles were announced.
"Marquis Gold-Fang is promoted to Second-Class Marquis."
"Marquis Darenna is promoted to Second-Class Marquis."
"Marquis Alger is promoted to..."
"Marquis Charles is..."
Each noble of considerable standing waved to the crowd before turning to face Cassius, kneeling in reverence on the altar.
Yet these honors remained distant from ordinary citizens, and those attuned to imperial politics could predict these promotions.
Finally, a truly unexpected bestowal of grace occurred.
"Viscount Anthony is promoted to Marquis."
The crowd erupted in astonishment at the herald's proclamation.
"What? A double promotion!"
"Isn't he the Judgement Knight of the Dragon-Oath Paladins?"
"A young marquis like that..."
"Yeah, I heard he had a humble origin, rescued from a noble's basement. Such immense fortune to catch the Emperor's eye!"
Under the watchful gazes of the crowd, Anthony ascended the marble steps, climbing two tiers to stand on the Marquis platform.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he knelt before Cassius, his half-dragon face drenched in emotion.
"Thank you, Your Majesty..."
A scalding tear fell onto the altar.
Anthony was a clear beneficiary of the Empire's system.
Without its establishment, he might have lived and died as a noble's plaything in a dark, dismal basement.
Now, he wielded great power and held a noble title, emerging as a star of the Empire.
Gritting his teeth, Anthony solidified his resolve to dedicate his life to the Empire, the Dragon-Oath's power within him growing even stronger.
Internally, some had anticipated Anthony's promotion—his double leap to Marquis was not unexpected. By now, at the Marquis level, political influence often outweighed personal strength. Representing the Dragon-Oath Paladins, Anthony naturally qualified.
Initially granted Viscountship due to his late entry and lack of contributions, his promotion to Marquis after Anzeta's unification was inevitable.
"Promote..."
"Promote Count Ark to Marquis."
After the herald announced Ark's promotion, the Duke and Marquis positions were fully awarded.
The Empire still had only three Dukes, but the number of Marquises increased to 24, a massive expansion.
"Grant the title of Count to Steel Surge."
"Grant the title of Count to Skywalker."
"Grant the title of Count to Overlord."
The herald read three distinct names in succession, sparking another uproar.
These were players, promoted based on achieving 10,000 faction reputation points without any manipulation.
"These Starfall players... Counts?"
"Those maniacs."
Some grumbled in dissatisfaction, while others, recalling the players' reckless combat style, swallowed nervously.
"Guildmaster!"
"Praise Omnissiah! Ring the bells three times!"
"Glory to the Crown, immortality to heroes!"
"Ahhhhh!"
Player guild members erupted into celebration, knowing the Count title would bring privileges advancing their resource competition.
Meanwhile, Charlotte wore a dark expression, muttering bitterly:
"Damn it... If only I hadn't lost that monster, I'd be a Count too."
Among the admiring citizens, noble-born Counts emerged. Most had been Viscounts elevated for their wartime achievements.
"Enlisting is the way to go..."
"Yeah, noble status, power, long life—there's hardly anything more worthwhile."
Watching the unprecedented grandeur atop the altar, murmurs of envy and admiration rippled through the crowd.