Outside the palace.
The Protector stood outside the palace gate. His robe was blown tightly to his body by the wind, outlining his old but still strong body.
The black dragon's horns glowed with a dark golden luster in the sunlight, and his eyes were half-open and half-closed. He looked like he was taking a nap, but Duke Luer Yas knew that he was looking - not with his eyes, but with his nose, ears, and the instinct for danger unique to an old monster who had lived for thousands of years.
"Your Majesty the Lord Protector." Duke Luer Yas stood beside him, his voice was very low, "Don't be surprised when you come to see me later."
The Protector's eyelids twitched. "I know, I know," he agreed, "I'm not that stupid."
Duke Luer Yas didn't answer any more. He turned around and glanced at the person behind him - the commander of the Forbidden Army stood two steps behind him, wearing silver armor and a sword on his waist. He was not wearing a helmet, revealing the face of a middle-aged man with sharp edges.
Commander-in-Chief of the Forbidden Army, commander-in-chief of the empire's most elite military force, Red Dragon Emperor's most trusted general.
There was no expression on his face at this moment, but his right hand was hanging by his waist, with his fingers slightly bent, only a punch away from the hilt of the sword.
Several Grand Dukes stood behind the Commander-in-Chief of the Forbidden Army, wearing attires of their respective family colors and with gold family crests on their chests.
Their expressions are different, but the anxiety in their eyes is the same - their families have been in this country for hundreds of years, and have existed since before Red Dragon Emperor came to this land.
They have experienced countless changes of power, wars, and famines, and each time they have been able to survive by relying on the family's connections and wealth. But this time is different.
This time, their enemy was not humans, not neighboring countries, not plague, not famine, but a golden, three-headed, ridiculously big dragon that they couldn't even name.
The servants behind them were carrying several heavy wooden boxes. The surfaces of the boxes were carved with exquisite patterns and the corners were wrapped with copper sheets. The boxes contained gold coins, gems, and rare treasures that they were not willing to take out when Red Dragon Emperor was in office.
"The development of things is really beyond imagination." Duke Luer Yas looked at the palace gate and sighed, "Our future depends on this time."
No one answered him, because the person had already come out to deliver the message.
The palace door slowly opened, and the sound of the door shaft turning was dull and long, vibrating back and forth in the empty corridor. A guard came out and bowed slightly towards them.
"Your Majesty summons you."
The Lord Protector stepped in first, Duke Luer Yas followed behind him, the commander of the imperial army followed, and several grand dukes filed in.
The servants walked at the back carrying the box. The box was so heavy that the wooden bars creaked under the weight.
The main hall was still the same main hall, but when they walked in, they felt completely different. The dome was still as high, the gems were still as bright, and the ground was still as smooth, but the air had changed.
There is an indescribable smell in the air - not a fragrance, not a stink, but a more primitive and animalistic pheromone that can make people feel nervous from the very core.
Lord Protector knows what it is, it is the breath of a dragon, a very dangerous dragon...
The Protector raised his head.
Sitting on the throne was a huge, golden dragon with three heads.
He had never seen this kind of dragon before. There was no record of this kind of dragon in any known classics, and no ancient legend mentioned a three-headed, golden dragon with wings that could cover the sky.
He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say. He just stood there, looking up at the one on the throne.
Duke Luer Yas reacted the fastest. He knelt down on one knee, lowered his head, spoke in a steady voice, at a moderate speed, and spoke every word clearly - "Meet the great Majesty Caesar."
Several Grand Dukes also knelt down one after another, some moved quickly, some moved slowly, and the sounds of their knees hitting the stone floor were uneven, like a band without a conductor starting to play chaotically.
The Protector knelt down, and the sound of his knees hitting the ground was louder than anyone else's, muffled and thick, like a huge stone falling to the ground. He lowered his head and looked at his rough, scaly fingers, and his dark golden eyes reflected the lines of the stone floor.
"Hmm. Tell me, who are you?" King Ghidorah's telepathy sounded in everyone's consciousness at the same time.
Duke Luer Yas was the first to answer. "Your Majesty, I am Luer Yas, Duke of the Empire, Senate Senator, Governor of the Eastern Province."
His voice was very steady, as if he was reading a prepared resume.
"I am the commander-in-chief of the imperial army, the commander-in-chief of the imperial army." The voice of the commander-in-chief was lower than Luer Yas, and his speaking speed was also slower, as if he was reporting military affairs.
"I am Olus, Duke of the Empire, Senate Senator, Governor of the Southern Province."
"I am Corneli, the Duke of the Empire, Senate Senator, and the Governor of the Western Province."
"My name is Fabiu, Duke of the Empire--"
"Okay, okay, that's enough." King Ghidorah interrupted him. He knew that these few dukes were enough, and there was no need to hear their titles one by one.
The Protector raised his head. "I am the Protector."
His voice was hoarse and low, like sandpaper rubbing against an iron plate. He did not say "Imperial Protector", he did not say "Black Dragon Protector", and he did not add any title. He just said these three words, as if these three words themselves represented everything.
King Ghidorah glanced at the boxes next to them. The boxes had been opened by the servants, and the lids were lifted, revealing that they were filled with gold coins, gems, pearls, and several artifacts that shone with magic.
He withdrew his gaze from the box and fell on the Lord Protector and several dukes.
"Then, what are you here for?"
Quiet. Not the kind of quiet where "no one dares to speak", but the kind of quiet where "everyone wants to talk but no one knows what to say".
Duke Luer Yas had prepared a large paragraph of beautiful statements before he came - from "The people of the empire respectfully welcome the new king" to "I am willing to serve your majesty with all my hard work", from "The empire is very fortunate" to "I am very fortunate to be waiting for you".
He recited it more than a dozen times on the road, making sure that every word was just right, neither appearing too flattering nor too cold. But at this moment, when he opened his mouth, he uttered an incoherent syllable.
King Ghidorah asked not "Why did you come to see me?" but "What did you come to do?" - too simple, too direct, and too unlike a question that an emperor should ask.
"We..." Duke Luer Yas hesitated for a moment, "We want to come and see you."
"Hmm." King Ghidorah nodded, "Then what?"
"Uh..." Duke Luer Yas was at a loss for words. The sentences he had memorized repeatedly before coming were not used. The new emperor did not play according to the routine at all.
Just as Duke Luer Yas was organizing his speech, the Protector of the Country spoke.
"I want to know," Lord Protector raised his head and said, looking at the golden beast on the throne with his dark golden eyes, "Valerirus... Your Excellency, how are you doing now?"
King Ghidorah looked into the eyes of the old black dragon. There was anger, vigilance, and something more complex in those dark golden eyes - maybe loyalty, maybe fear, maybe it was the instinctive obsession of Old Dragon, who had lived for thousands of years, to confirm the safety of his old master when faced with an existence that was completely beyond the scope of his cognition.
"Oh, him. Voraksa!"
King Ghidorah's telepathy spread again. There was a sound from the distance that was heavier than before, more like something was being dragged.
Voraksa flew out from the arch of the side hall, holding Red Dragon Emperor's neck with his right front paw. Red Dragon Emperor didn't struggle, not because he had no strength, but because he was used to it.
Voraksa threw Red Dragon Emperor to the ground and took a step back. Valerirus got up from the ground. His movements were not fast, but very steady. His scales regained their luster and his wings spread out.
The long gash on the membrane of both wings that was scratched by gravel has healed, leaving only a faint, white scar on the surface.
His eyes are open and his pupils are no longer dilated. Although his throat is still recovering and he can't speak yet, he can at least stand up.
The Protector lowered his eyes and said no more.
Then, Sangis used her ever-changing expression and tone, as if she were reading a text, and unfolded a golden document with red edges and stamped by King Ghidorah's paw prints.
"The great Caesar Your Majesty--"
"Now life--"
"Valerirus·Red Dragon·Founder of the Empire--"
"For--"
"Governor Valerirus."
It was quiet in the main hall. It was not the quiet of "no one said anything", but the quiet of "no one knew what to say".
Valerirus was kneeling there, his eyes still looking at the ground, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
The Protector was the first to raise his head. He looked at the scroll of documents in Sangis's hand, and then at King Ghidorah. His lips moved, but he made no sound.
Governor. The provincial governor of the empire is appointed by the emperor and is responsible for managing the administration, finance, and justice of a province. The provincial governor is a very high position in the imperial system, but Valerirus was once the emperor and the master of the entire empire.
From the supreme ruler of an empire to the governor of a province, this is a huge step down.
"Also." Sangis swallowed and opened another larger volume of documents.
"Your Excellency Voraksa--"
Voraksa's ears--even though he has no ears--he still raised his head.
"For--"
"Chief Guard."
The hall became quieter.
Chief of Guards, the emperor's personal guard, the security manager of the palace, and the executor of daily affairs.
But Voraksa doesn't know this.
He was just silent for a moment.
Then he said something in a solemn and solemn tone, as if he was taking an oath in front of the gods.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Red Dragon stood beside him, his neck slightly lowered. His dark red vertical pupils moved away from the document in Sangis's hand and landed on Voraksa. There was no trace of emotion on his expression.
But the Lord Protector noticed - when Valerirus looked at Voraksa, his eyes were very calm, so calm that he didn't look like he was looking at an enemy who had just beaten him seriously.
The Protector looked at Voraksa again, at the black dragon whose power was far greater than his.
His expression didn't change, but his eyes were saying... Do you seem quite satisfied with the result?