Grace (Part 1)

"Roar--"

Keosius lowered his head slightly, let out a roar that shook the wasteland, flapped his broad wings, and hovered high in the sky.

"No, no way..."

"Could it be..."

An extremely presumptuous idea.

Dayev, looking up, couldn't help but shield his eyes with his hand, barely able to make out the light in the sky through his fingers—

Scorching white smoke billowed from the Red Dragon's mouth, and dazzling flames shot out from the pores on its neck and tail. The dragon crystal on its chest emitted a dazzling light, and every scale on its body shimmered with ripples of magma.

At that moment, he was like a second sun rising in the sky, blinding almost everyone present.

Keosius's resounding voice came from the sky, sounding like Divine Revelation to the people.

"As the emperor of the Embers of the Burned Empire, at this incredibly solemn moment..."

"I will bestow my grace..."

"Remember, the Empire will not mistreat any subject who is loyal to the Empire and has contributed to it."

This time, not only the people in the hall, but even the subjects on the altar were extremely excited.

Bathed in this golden light, the humans and monsters from the former Embers of the Burned Kingdom in the venue became breathless, their faces flushed, and their hearts pounded.

They knew what this meant.

The last Awarding Ceremony produced 237 Dragon Blood Noble, who became the best in the Embers of the Burned Kingdom at the time, shining brightly in various fields and gaining benefits that ordinary people could hardly imagine.

This time, with the Red Dragon Emperor's coronation, the newly established Embers of the Burned Empire, which now occupies the entire territory of Anzeta, has attracted a large number of envoys from all over Fei An Suo. The scale of the investiture ceremony is definitely more grand than the last time, and the number of people fortunate enough to receive the honor will be no less than the last time.

Sure enough, a dozen or so Half-Dragon, holding rosters and dressed in magnificent robes, appeared on the altar. They were the speakers for this award ceremony.

Lang Pu no longer needs to worry about the Awarding Ceremony, because the empire is now so large that each department is increasingly professionalized and every detail is handled by specialists.

"With His Your Majesty Keosius's approval, Duke Dolo is promoted to Second Duke."

Amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the Hobgoblin and Bugbear, Dolo, standing on the high platform, knelt down with an excited expression.

"His Majesty!"

Dolo bowed his head in gratitude.

However, a fierce ambition shone through his eyes, and his gaze occasionally drifted towards Lang Pu beside him.

"He's just a first-class duke who got the title based on seniority... It'll be soon."

"I'll catch up with you soon."

Dolo, kneeling on the ground, thought to himself.

The Half-Dragon servants respectfully stepped forward and pinned the Imperial Medal with a pair of Dragon Wing on Dolo's head.

Lang Pu seemed to notice the long-lost, provocative look in his eyes, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips—he had sensed the original sin of jealousy, the same old formula, the same old taste.

One by one, the names of those who were highly respected in the country were read out by the announcer.

"Promote Marquis Gold Tooth to a second-class marquis."

"Promote Darena to the rank of Marquis of the Second Class."

"Promote Marquis Alger to..."

"Marquis Xia'er..."

A high-ranking Dragon Blood Marquis waved to the crowd, then turned to face Keosius and knelt on the altar platform.

However, these were still too far removed from ordinary citizens, and those who paid close attention to imperial politics could guess what these rewards were.

However, what followed was a blessing that spanned several levels.

"Promote Viscount Anthony to the rank of Marquis."

After the official finished speaking, the crowd erupted in uproar.

"What?! Jumping two levels!"

"Isn't that the Judgment Knight from the Dragon Oath Temple?"

"Tsk tsk, such a young marquis."

"Yes, it is said that he came from a very humble background and was rescued from the basement of a nobleman. He is incredibly lucky to have been chosen by His Majesty."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Anthony was extremely excited. He stepped onto the marble staircase, climbed two floors, and finally arrived at the platform where the Marquis was.

He knelt before Keosius, tears welling in his eyes, his half-dragon face brimming with tears.

"Thank you, Your Majesty..."

A single, scalding tear fell onto the altar.

Anthony was a beneficiary of the complete imperial system.

Without the emergence of the empire, he might have spent his entire life as a nobleman's male concubine, dying in a dark and gloomy basement.

Now, however, he possesses immense power and a noble status, making him an outstanding rising star of the empire.

Thinking of this, Anthony gritted his teeth, becoming even more determined to serve the empire to the death, and the power of the "Dragon Oath" in his heart grew stronger.

In fact, Anthony's leap of two ranks to be named a marquis was not unexpected by some insiders in the empire. At the level of marquis, it is no longer just about one's own strength. Almost every marquis represents the imperial power behind him, and Anthony, as the spokesperson of the Dragon Oath Temple, naturally has the qualifications to become a marquis.

The viscount title was previously conferred only because he joined the kingdom too late, lacked sufficient seniority, and had no outstanding achievements, making it difficult for him to gain popular support.

After the Anzeta Unification War, it was only natural to bestow upon him the title of Marquis.

"Promotion..."

"The Earl Ake is promoted to Marquis."

Once the announcer finished reading the name, the bestowal of the two top titles of Duke and Marquis was finally completed.

The empire still has only three dukes, but the number of marquises has increased to twenty-four, several times more than before.

"Let the Steel Frenzy be crowned Earl."

"Feng Tian Xingjian was granted the Earl."

"The Overlord shall be granted the title of Earl."

The announcer read out these three very different names in succession, which once again caused a huge uproar.

They were all players, and the settlement was directly triggered because their faction Reputation Points reached 10,000; there was no behind-the-scenes manipulation.

"These Starfallers can actually become Earl directly?"

"These... lunatics."

Some people were dissatisfied with this, but others couldn't help but swallow hard, recalling the players' reckless attitude in battle.

"President!"

"Praise be to Omnissiah! Ring the bell three times!"

"Glory and Royal Authority, heroes never die!"

"Aaaaaaah!"

On the players' side, the members of these powerful guilds began to cheer. They knew that the status of Earl brought many privileges, which could help them gain an edge in the competition for resources.

Charlotte, however, had a gloomy expression and muttered to herself:

"Damn it... if I hadn't been unlucky and had my monster stolen, I would be Earl too."

Amidst the envious gazes of the Imperial People, one after another, native Earl appeared. They were mostly promoted from first or second-class viscounts, having earned their Earl status through military achievements.

"Joining the army is really great!"

"Yes, there are few things in this world that are more worthwhile than a noble status, great power, and a long life."

Some people in the hall looked at the unprecedented grandeur on the altar and couldn't help but mutter to themselves, their faces full of jealousy and envy.