Awarding Ceremony (II)

"Silence, everyone!"

The square fell silent once again.

Then Keosius began his brief remarks.

"Regardless of your origin, race, good or evil, as long as you can contribute to the development of the kingdom, you will become part of the Great Blueprint and gain great power and long life."

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in a commotion.

"Is it possible for humans to have such an opportunity?"

"This isn't a privilege Dragon Vein Kin?"

Such discussions clearly demonstrate the increasingly obvious antagonism between the monster's companions and the human class in recent years.

After all, as the main ruling class of the kingdom, the privileges of the monster followers were simply too great. In the eyes of many monster followers, it was already a great act of mercy that they had not slaughtered all of humanity, let alone any talk of equality.

They naturally benefited from every aspect of the kingdom's operation, and it was perfectly normal for humans to be the subordinates.

Keosius held the so-called "Awarding Ceremony" not only to grant his subordinates greater power, but also to make a political statement, using his powerful influence to eliminate the gap between his followers and humans, so that the Embers of the Burned Kingdom would move closer to a true multi-ethnic empire.

Keosius pressed down hard on the altar.

With a rumbling sound, hundreds of stone platforms appeared on it.

The most eye-catching feature is the three stone platforms at the top, which are carved with exquisite patterns and are only a few meters away from the Red Dragon.

—That is the title of Duke of the Kingdom.

This position symbolizes longevity, great strength, and power.

Keosius called out a familiar name first.

"Lang Pu."

The Ogre Mage gladly flew onto the stone platform and knelt down.

As the kingdom's chief minister, Lang Pu's position is naturally undisputed.

After all, with the kingdom's booming development, Lang Pu's position has become increasingly stable, even unshakeable. Rather than rashly offending him, it's better to maintain peace.

Dolo, the leader of the Hobgoblin, had somewhat resigned himself to his fate. After several defeats, his prestige among his followers, who revered strength, had greatly diminished, making it difficult for him to compete with Lang Pu again.

Now he can only lie low and hide his ambition deep in his heart—although his eyes still involuntarily reveal disdain, and smoke billows from his nostrils.

"Mezhuolash".

The Tiefling Oathbreaker drew his sword and nimbly leaped onto the stone platform.

This time, there was much more noise and commotion below.

Aside from the Tiefling clan itself, almost all the other clans had reservations about Mezhuolash's special status. After all, he was in charge of both the Tiefling Guard and the "Nocturne" troops, and he controlled both overt and covert defense forces. In the course of his duties, he inevitably offended some clans.

For example, the chieftain of the Bugbear clan, Ali.Skull Crusher, a strong Bugbear covered in thick fur, stared at the Tiefling on the stage with gritted teeth, his hand gripping the spiked club so tightly that it left an indentation.

In the infamous "Bugbear Murder Case," it was Mezhuolash who led the hunt for more than a dozen Bugbear who committed murder and robbery, which made Ali remember this grudge deeply.

But Mezhuolash on stage didn't care.

This was just his job, and as long as Red Dragon continued to trust him, no one could shake his position.

"Dolo".

The Hobgoblin leader couldn't wait to climb onto the stone platform and kneel down.

He also glanced at his subordinates below the stage, seemingly unintentionally, as he exhaled hot white smoke from his nostrils, as if to declare his unshakeable status.

Despite some mixed opinions, the positions of the three dukes were largely as expected and were considered a foregone conclusion.

The subsequent allocation of Earl, marquises, viscounts, and even Baron was the focus of attention for the humans and their families present, as it was closely related to their own interests.

The Earl's proclamation was not made by Keosius himself, but by Lang Pu reading it from the list.

Under the expectant gazes of tens of thousands, the Ogre solemnly announced the seven marquises to be chosen.

"Alger".

"Chimera".

"Gold Tooth".

"Smaug."

The giant eagle rider swooped down, and the three heads of the Chimera let out a joyful howl in unison. The Dragonborn Kobold flapped their wings wildly, and the pups below the stage barked and cheered noisily.

Most of them were veterans who had served since the time of the Ember Nest, and each represented a faction within the kingdom, so there was little controversy.

However, when the Ogre calmly uttered the name "Darena," another uproar erupted in the crowd below.

"Ms. Darena has been elected!"

"This is truly a joyous occasion!"

"Finally, there's a human among the marquises of the kingdom!"

"My God, humans can actually become marquises!"

People cheered and jumped for joy. Seeing Darena become a marquess, they saw the future and secretly hoped that they could sit in that position themselves.

As the official in charge of the kingdom's diplomacy, Darena never revealed her Yuan-ti identity during these three years. Instead, she deliberately cultivated the persona of a "wise, intelligent, and gentle lady," which earned her a lot of support and admiration from humans, and she was praised as the "Flower of North Wind Fortress."

She even published an autobiography recounting how she rose from a lowly maid to become a diplomat for the kingdom, creating many fascinating stories through fabrication.

With her intelligence, Darena had long ago discerned the Red Dragon's desire to accept humans. Therefore, she made thorough preparations beforehand, aiming to become a prime example today, and she indeed achieved her goal.

The beautiful and elegant lady waved to the crowd below the stage, revealing a bright and gentle smile. Supported by her guards, she walked up the high platform that symbolized the position of marquis, looking every bit the expected successor.

The monster's familiars, however, reacted quite differently.

The Hobgoblin, Ogre, and Half-orc were red with envy; they were panting wildly, exhaling puffs of white smoke.

"Such a weakling is unworthy of being a marquis!"

"I challenge her!"

"Only the strong can stand above me!"

"You weakling, get out of here!"

Even after several years, the laws originating from Storm Highlands remain deeply etched in their minds, and the dominance of the strong over the weak seems unshakeable.

These monsters, eager to seize power, repeatedly provoked and clamored, but Darena on the stone platform pretended not to see them and continued to smile.

"Foolish fellows, you still don't understand this point—the master's will is the only rule of this country."

Darena looked down at the "enraged" monster retinue, a slight smile playing on her lips, a barely perceptible hint of contempt in her eyes.