I Am Lucia-Do I Qualify to Become the Emperor of the Farolyn Empire?

On this day, all the clergy and temple knights of the Martial God Temple within the Farolyn Empire had this Divine Decree Divine Decree in their minds, accompanied by the luminous image of a girl.

The Divine Decree's contents were simple: one must not interfere in the affairs of the Farolyn Empire, nor show disrespect to the girl of light and shadow that appeared in one's mind.

Some clergy members who used the power of the God of War for personal gain, who used the name of divine authority to forcefully suppress local governments, and who even made local governments serve them, were Divine Punishment to varying degrees on this day. The clergy members who committed heinous crimes died on the spot under the thunder.

Cardinal Floyd of Ansel City knelt because the three-word Divine Decree still lingered in his mind. "You are guilty."

The God of War judged him guilty, but did not Divine Punishment. Cardinal Floyd, who was kneeling on both knees, instantly understood the God of War's meaning.

How to punish him is up to the girl in front of him.

If the girl in front of him wanted him dead, he definitely wouldn't live tonight.

The girl in front of him gave him the chance to live, so he could see the sun rise tomorrow.

Even the God of War couldn't withstand the force of this girl's bow. Just who is this girl? She clearly has no divinity, so why could she actually disturb the Martial God Statue? I thought the girl was joking when she said she wanted the God of War to punish her, but I didn't expect her to actually disturb the God of War.

In fact, even as the bishop of the Martial God Temple, he might not be able to get the God of Martial God to issue Divine Decree.

"I am guilty. From this day forward, I am no longer a Cardinal of the Martial God Temple."

After Cardinal Floyd finished speaking in front of the Martial God Statue, he respectfully kowtowed three times to the Martial God Statue, then stood up and took off the Fire-red Robe that symbolized his status as a cardinal of the Martial God Temple of Martial God.

"Your Highness can now send me to the Tribunal or to the prison of Ansel City. Your appearance will surely alarm the entire Farolyn Empire. If you are truly the Emperor of the Farolyn Empire, then from this day forward, the Farolyn Empire will never again see a struggle between divine and imperial power."

"I am not the emperor of the Farolyn Empire yet, but I will be soon. Oh, no, you... you're admitting your guilt already?"

Cardinal Floyd wore an expression of certainty; he knew this girl was definitely not the emperor of the Farolyn Empire.

She wasn't the emperor of the Farolyn Empire, so why did her existence alarm the God of War?

A question popped into his mind.

He probably won't get an answer to this question anytime soon.

"You"

Asking who it is now seems pointless.

"What about me?"

"What does Your Highness intend to do with me?"

"I have no right to punish you, after all, I am not a clergyman of the Martial God Temple. However, if I were you, I would put aside my past honors and glories, and with my faith in the God of Martial God, I would start as an ascetic and travel throughout the Farolyn Empire."

Use your abilities, knowledge, and strength to help those who need help. Asceticism is also a way to refine your mind, allowing you to better understand yourself and the God of War you believe in. You will have witnessed the suffering of all beings, the pain of separation and death, and the birth of a newborn baby. When you become a cardinal of the Martial God Temple again, and look back on the struggle between divine and imperial power, you may find yourself quite naive today.

Now, you can neatly fold your bishop's robe and place it in front of the altar of the Martial God Statue. If the robe symbolizing your cardinal does not mysteriously fall off the altar, it means that the God of War is willing to give you such an opportunity.

This also shows that the God of War is waiting for your rebirth and return.

After saying this, the young dragon Lucia stepped aside, making way for Cardinal Floyd to reach the altar.

Cardinal Floyd stared blankly at the young dragon for a while, a look of shame appearing on his square face. If he had won, given his temperament, he would have definitely sent the girl in front of him to the Tribunal or even the gallows. The God of War is brave, resolute, protective, and compassionate! The protection is not only for the God of War, but also for the believers who worship the God of War, and the people of the Farolyn Empire.

He seems to have completely forgotten that.

The so-called protection was reversed in his case; it became about having believers, the people of the empire, and officials serving the imperial power protect him. "It turns out I've really gone so far down the path of losing my faith. It turns out I've forgotten my original intentions."

As he murmured a few words, Cardinal Floyd's eyes grew clearer, his previously stern expression softened, and his domineering aura quickly dissipated.

"By the God of War, I have forgotten the path I came from, and my mind has been corrupted by my lust for power and greed. I have lost my way in the glory that comes with my status."

Today, thanks to His Highness's guidance, I have been Your Highness a chance to start anew. I am willing to begin as an unknown nobody, burdened with guilt, and traverse the Farolyn Empire on foot, cultivating my character and mind, enduring a lifetime of arduous practice. I hope that when I return, I will not have failed the red robes I once wore.

Cardinal Floyd knelt again, holding up the "red robe" with both hands, and bowed three times to the Martial God Statue.

After the ceremony, he stood up, carried the red robe to the altar, and gently placed the folded red robe in front of the altar.

Then, he took a few steps back and bowed to the statue of the Martial God Statue again.

After the final bow, Cardinal Floyd smiled and approached the young dragon Lucia. "Before, what I saw in Your Highness was arrogance, hubris, ignorance, and rudeness. But now, I see kindness, courage, perseverance, and the precious qualities Your Highness protecting Your Highness, who, though not worshipping the God of War, possesses the doctrines of the Martial God Temple. Your Highness, if we meet again in the future, I hope that I will be worthy of your guidance today."

Cardinal Floyd stepped back and bowed to the young dragon Lucia. "Your Highness, it is fate that we will meet again."

"Oh? You're leaving already?"

Cardinal Floyd smiled and nodded, bowing to the clergy and knights in the temple hall. "It has been an honor to spend so much time with you all. Farewell."

After bowing once more, Floyd, under the watchful eyes of numerous clergy and worshippers outside the temple, stepped out of the temple and disappeared into the crowd. "No, it's not this cracked Martial God Statue. What should we do?"

The young dragon looked at Floyd's carefree figure with a pained expression. So, she's the one to deal with the cracked Martial God Statue? The clergy and knights of the Martial God Temple had already regarded the young dragon Lucia as their Martial God Temple's "Saintess." Someone who could alarm the God of War was fully qualified to be their Martial God Temple's "Saintess."

"Your Highness."

"Rest assured, I will carve the statue of the God of War. As for who will preside over the daily affairs of the Martial God Temple, that is up to you. The Empire will not interfere with the succession ceremony of the clergy of the Martial God Temple. Of course, if the clergy of the Martial God Temple violate the laws of the Empire, then it will naturally be handed over to the local government to handle."

The Empire also has the authority to deal with clergy who violate Imperial laws. Similarly, if anyone in the Imperial government blasphemes against the gods, the Temple can report it to the Empire, which, after investigation, will hand over the blasphemous official to the Temple.

Having made her stance clear, the young dragon took out drawing paper and paintbrushes from her Lucky Coin and looked up to carefully observe the Martial God Statue. She had never seen the real God of War, and the only way to carve the Martial God Statue was to recreate it by looking at the statues in the Martial God Statue Martial God Temple.

As for whether the carved Martial God Statue is as beautiful as the one enshrined in the Martial God Temple, Youlong thinks that the statue she carved is definitely more divine than the one on the altar.

She took out the easel and stool, held her breath and focused her mind, closing her eyes to purify her thoughts. When there were no distracting thoughts in her mind, she slowly opened her eyes, took out her paintbrush, and began to paint the Martial God Statue.

The Martial God Statue on the altar gradually transformed in her eyes.

To be precise, a phantom of a deity appeared automatically before her eyes. Without investigating whether it was an illusion or a manifestation of a martial god, she was completely immersed in the transformation.

The clergy and knights inside the temple dared not disturb her or make a sound. The believers surrounding the temple entrance also knew that the girl sitting in the center of the temple was someone even the God of War was unwilling to provoke, yet was willing to accept with kindness.

After an unknown amount of time, just as the young dragon put down its paintbrush, the roar of a giant dragon echoed outside the temple.

"Your Highness Lucia, we have brought you the highest-ranking official of Anselm Province."

The silent world was filled with sound again. The believers outside the temple were all shocked when they heard Dragon Knight Hella's words. Even the highest-ranking official of Anselm Province had followed that Your Highness's Dragon Knight and brought him here.

The humans gathered at the temple entrance automatically made way for the Dragon Knight Hella and several officials dressed in the official uniforms of the Farolyn Empire.

Gabriel, the highest-ranking official of Anselm Province, and several other officials followed the Dragon Knight Hella into the temple and came before the young dragon Lucia.

Dragon Knight Hella glanced at the Martial God Statue on the altar, her eyes widening in astonishment. The Martial God Statue... how did it crack?

The heroes Leion and Evelyn were also stunned by the cracked statue. What had happened here while they were away? Why had even the Martial God Statue cracked? They wanted to ask, but dared not, and bowed to the Martial God Statue.

We should maintain the most basic respect for the gods.

Gabriel, the highest-ranking official of Anselm Province, gasped when he saw the cracked statue. Yesterday, when he came to the Martial God Temple to see Floyd, the Martial God Statue was perfectly fine. How could it be cracked today? Could it be that His Majesty has really come? Where is he? I can't see him.

The girl sitting in front of the easel was not the emperor of the Farolyn Empire. He had met the new emperor when he ascended the throne.

"Your Excellency Hela, where is His Majesty?"

After scanning the room and not seeing the emperor he served, Gabriel asked the Dragon Knight Hella.

Dragon Knight Hella reached out her left hand and pointed it at the Spendthrift Little Ancestor.

???

Gabriel's eyes were full of doubt.

"What does Your Excellency Hela mean by this?"

"It's very simple, this is the emperor of the Farolyn Empire."

The middle-aged man Gabriel, was taken aback at first, then his face darkened. "Please don't make such a joke. I have met His Majesty. If you want to obtain the Anselm Province by impersonating His Majesty, then I can tell you all clearly."

Even if you are Pure-Blooded Dragon or Dragon Knight, don't even think about suppressing and subjugating the Anselm Province by force.

The soldiers and people of Anselm Province will not yield. Anselm Province is loyal to only one person: Her Majesty Her Majesty Asina!

Even if we die in battle, we will never betray Her Majesty Asina, nor will we betray the Farolyn Empire!

Gabriel straightened up and looked directly at the young dragon.

Oh, so this must be what Lance meant by "Unyielding to Force"?

This statement was brought to life by the highest-ranking official of the Anselm Province.

"May I have your name?"

Gabriel.

"Gabriel, is that right? Well, let me make it clear to you now, I'm going to be the emperor of the Farolyn Empire. So, what are you going to do about it?"

The young dragon Lucia calmly rolled up the portrait of the God of War and put it into her Lucky Coin before turning to look at Gabriel.

Gabriel was about to rebuke the young dragon, but when he met her gaze and saw her features, a look of surprise and uncertainty appeared in his eyes. Why did this girl's features resemble those of Her Majesty Asina, who was far away in the capital?

As a high-ranking official of the Farolyn Empire, he knew that the royal family had three heirs, and the first in line to the throne was taken away by a temple when he was very young.

The second in line to the throne is His Majesty the present.

The third in line to the throne has not appeared in the capital for nearly three years.

I heard that ever since the Black Dragon passed through the capital, the third in line to the throne has not made a public appearance.

His eyebrows and eyes resembled those of that emperor, and he also had purple hair. He immediately declared his intention to become the emperor of the Farolyn Empire. There were rumors that the third in line to the throne had competed with the new emperor for the title of "emperor."

The third in line to the throne had not appeared for nearly three years, and some scheming nobles and ministers were secretly speculating whether the Your Highness had been imprisoned by the new emperor or had already been murdered. Swallowing the curse that was about to come out of his mouth, Gabriel composed himself and stared at the young dragon for a while longer. The more he looked, the more alarmed he became.

So alike, so very alike. "Um... could you tell me your name?"

"Lucia."

!!

Gabriel's eyes widened instantly, his face filled with shock. It really was that Your Highness!

He said that, given the new emperor's personality, it was impossible for him to secretly murder his own sister. After all, they had grown up together, and she was the rightful heir to the throne. There was absolutely no reason for her to do something that would damage her reputation.

Oh no! This Your Highness has appeared in Anselm Province. Could it be that she's really planning to send troops from Anselm Province to help her attack the capital? To be honest, given this Your Highness's current power, she could indeed forcibly take control of Anselm Province, with Nine Pure-Blooded Dragons protecting her.

The Martial God Statue in the Martial God Temple inexplicably cracked and fought to the death?

That's impossible.

Even if he supports the Your Highness before him, the new emperor will not make things difficult for him afterwards. "Gabriel, the governor of Anselm Province, greets Your Highness Lucia."

Gabriel knelt on one knee and bowed to the young dragon.

"Am I qualified to the Farolyn Empire?"

"."

"Have"