Chapter 380 Grace (Part 1)
"Roar——"
Kai Xiusu lowered his head slightly, unleashing a thunderous roar that shook the very Wasteland. With a mighty sweep of his vast Wings, he hovered high above the sky, suspended in the air.
"No... no way..."
"Could it be..."
A thought so utterly Transgressive it nearly defied belief.
Deyeof lifted his hand instinctively to shield his eyes, peering through the cracks between his fingers. What he saw in the heavens was nothing short of divine spectacle.
The Red Dragon’s maw exhaled scorching white smoke. Brilliant flames erupted from the porous organs along his neck and tail, while the Dragon Crystal embedded in his chest blazed with an overwhelming radiance. Every scale across his body shimmered with rippling waves of magma, as if the very essence of molten earth flowed beneath his skin.
At that moment, he resembled a Second Sun rising in the heavens—so radiant that nearly everyone on the ground was forced to squint, blinded by the sheer brilliance.
Kai Xiusu’s deep, resonant voice echoed from above, reverberating through the sky like the utterance of a Divine Oracle.
"As Emperor of the Empire of Ashen, in this most solemn and momentous occasion..."
"I shall bestow Grace..."
"Remember—our Empire never forsakes any subject who remains loyal to us and contributes meaningfully to our cause."
This time, it wasn’t just the crowd within the hall that trembled with excitement. Even the nobles upon the Altar felt their hearts race, their breaths quicken.
Bathed in golden luminosity, the hall swelled with emotion. Former subjects of the Kingdom of Ashen—humans and Monster subordinates alike—breathed heavily, their faces flushed, their hearts pounding. They knew what this meant.
The last Award Ceremony had forged 237 Dragon-Blooded Nobles—those who had risen to become the elite of the Kingdom of Ashen, shining brightly across every realm, reaping benefits beyond imagination.
And now, with the Red Dragon Emperor’s coronation, the Empire of Ashen had claimed dominion over all of Anzeta. Messengers from every corner of Feanso Continent had gathered. The scale of this ceremony would dwarf the last—its scope grander, its rewards more abundant. The number of those granted Grace would be far greater than before.
Indeed, a dozen Half-Dragons, each clad in resplendent ceremonial robes and carrying scrolls of honor, stepped forward from the Altar. They were the Announcers for this grand event.
No longer did Lanpu need to oversee the ceremony. The Empire had grown too vast, too complex. Departments were now specialized, every detail entrusted to its proper steward.
"By the decree of King Kai Xiusu, Marshal Dolo is elevated to Second-Class Duke."
Amidst the thunderous cheers of Great Goblins and Bear Goliaths, Dolo on the High Platform sank to his knees, his face alight with ecstatic fervor.
"Your Majesty!" he cried, head bowed in gratitude.
Yet beneath his humble posture, a fierce ambition burned in his eyes. His gaze flickered subtly toward Lanpu beside him.
"Just a First-Rank Duke, clinging to seniority... Soon enough."
"I’ll catch up to you."
That was Dolo’s silent vow, kneeling there.
The Half-Dragon Attendant stepped forward with solemn reverence, fastening the Imperial Medal—adorned with a pair of Dragon Wings—around Dolo’s neck.
Lanpu, sensing the familiar, long-ignored provocation in that gaze, couldn’t help but smirk. He recognized the scent of Envy—the original sin, the same old recipe, the same old smell.
One by one, names of the mighty were called.
"Jinya Marquis elevated to Second-Class Marquis."
"Dailenna Marquis elevated to Second-Class Marquis."
"Alje Marquis elevated to..."
"Xia'er Marquis elevated to..."
Each of these powerful Dragon-Blooded Marquises waved to the crowd, then turned toward Kai Xiusu and knelt upon the Altar Platform.
But these names remained distant to the common folk. And those who followed Empire politics could already guess the reasoning behind these ennoblements.
Then came the moment that truly stirred the crowd.
"Anthony Viscount elevated to Marquis."
Silence fell—then erupted into chaos.
"What?! Skipping two ranks?!"
"Isn’t he the Judgment Knight of the Dragon Sanctuary Oath?"
"Whew... such a young Marquis."
"Indeed. Rumor has it he came from the lowest depths—rescued from the Noble’s Underground Dungeon. What incredible luck to catch the Emperor’s eye."
Under the gaze of thousands, Anthony stood trembling with exhilaration. He ascended the marble staircase step by step, climbing two levels until he reached the Marquis’s platform.
Tears welled in his eyes as he fell to his knees before Kai Xiusu. The face of his Half-Dragon transformation, once hidden in shadow, now glistened with emotion.
"Thank you, Your Majesty..."
A single, scalding tear fell onto the Altar.
Anthony was a true child of the Empire’s system. Without it, he might have spent his life as a noble’s concubine, rotting in the dark, forgotten depths of a dungeon.
Now? He held immense Power, a noble Status, and stood as a shining star of the new Empire.
Thinking of this, Anthony clenched his jaw tighter. His resolve hardened. The oath of the Dragon within him burned brighter than ever.
In truth, Anthony’s leap from Viscount to Marquis wasn’t entirely unexpected among the Empire’s inner circles. At the Marquis level, strength alone wasn’t enough. Each Marquis represented a faction of Imperial Power. And Anthony, as the representative of the Oath of the Dragon Sanctuary, was no stranger to such status.
Earlier, he’d only been granted Viscount—too late to join the Kingdom, lacking both merit and seniority to earn respect. But after the Anzeta Unification War, his contributions were undeniable. His elevation to Marquis was now inevitable.
"Promoted..."
"Promoted Earl Ake to Marquis."
With the announcement, the final ennoblement of the Duke and Marquis ranks was complete.
The Empire still held only three Dukes, but the number of Marquises had surged to twenty-four—multiples of what it once was.
"Ennobled as Baron: Steel Tide."
"Ennobled as Baron: Heaven's Steadfastness."
"Ennobled as Baron: The Overlord."
Three names, each distinct in style, were proclaimed—sending shockwaves through the audience.
All three were Players. All had earned their titles through Faction Reputation Points reaching ten thousand—no backdoor deals, no hidden agendas.
"Such fallen stars... elevated directly to Baron?!"
"Madmen, truly."
Some muttered in discontent. But others remembered the ferocity these Players had shown in battle—how they’d thrown themselves into combat without fear. A lump formed in their throats.
"Guild Leader!"
"Praise Om Misea! Ring the great bell three times!"
"Honor Royal Power, Hero Immortality!"
"AAAAAAAH!"
On the Player side, members of elite guilds roared in celebration. Baron status brought real privileges—advantages that could tip the scales in the fierce struggle for resources.
Charlotte’s expression darkened. She muttered under her breath:
"Damn it… if I hadn’t been unlucky enough to get seized by that beast, I’d be a Baron too."
Amid the envy of the common people, more Native Barons emerged—mostly promoted from First- and Second-Class Viscounts, earned through battlefield merit.
"Joining the military really is the way to go…"
"Exactly. Noble status, immense strength, longevity—what else could be more worthwhile in this world?"
A man in the crowd gazed upon the grand spectacle atop the Altar, whispering to himself in awe, his face etched with nothing but envy—pure, unfiltered envy.
(End of Chapter)
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