"The ceremony begins——"
After Cassius finished speaking, hundreds of half-red dragon readers wearing red-gold attire and holding animal skin scrolls appeared at the foot of the altar.
Looking at the scrolls filled with names, the citizens of the empire crowded around held their breath, closed their eyes, and prayed softly.
Whether they were humans, tieflings, ogres or hobgoblins, they were all extremely nervous at this moment, with anticipation in their pupils of various colors and hearts of different sizes beating thumpingly.
"Cassius on top"
"It must have my name."
"Your great Majesty, please give me charity and let me become a dragon-blood noble."
"I killed twenty-one demons alone. The adults in the Supervision Department will definitely see my performance. I am at least a first-class citizen."
"What does this mean? I killed seventy-five! If you could be made a baron, wouldn't I become a count?"
"Hmph, another guy who takes advantage of the evil monsters."
Today's empire has a population of nearly ten million. Its system has gone through several reforms and has become tightly integrated. It is no longer the simple aggregation of monster tribes it was before.
The bonus period in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China has also passed. Gone are the days when catching spies and making some inventions can get you a knighthood. Every position requires fierce competition.
Even for the lowest position of Dragon Blood Baron, hundreds of thousands of imperial citizens with military exploits are eyeing it and vying to grab it.
Moreover, the empire has always given priority to ability, even to the point of exaggeration. Almost any position is filled by capable people, and rewards are meticulously distributed according to merit.
Under such a system, it was almost impossible to become a dragon-blood noble without risking one's life and death for the empire.
Especially after experiencing this tragic abyss war, almost everyone who can make it onto the list is an ambitious person who has his head tied to his waist and his life behind him.
Only the most loyal, brave, and powerful citizens are qualified to stand on the altar of Isdalia and become the envy of millions of people.
Suddenly, the large altar slowly rotated, and brand-new seats emerged from the white marble.
"Boom——"
"That is."
"Look, the altar has changed!"
"It's the Duke! The position of the Duke has been increased! No, the quota of all the titles has been increased!"
At this moment, at the top of the majestic altar, the number of Dukes has changed from three to nine - that is to say, six new Dukes will be born in this investiture ceremony.
Suddenly, hundreds of thousands of eyes focused on the nine exquisite seats engraved with dragon reliefs. Many people swallowed their saliva, and their eyes showed endless desire.
Although they know that they are absolutely not qualified to sit in that position, that is the Duke of the Empire!
Within the Burning Ember Empire, the Imperial Dukes are the most noble beings under the Emperor. Almost every Duke has a power comparable to that of a dragon, a long lifespan, and unparalleled power.
For example, the current three Dukes, each of them can decide the fate of millions of people, and even affect the structure of the entire empire.
Rumple is in charge of the administrative system of the entire empire, Doro commands a large army, and Metrorash controls special forces such as Nocturne and Imperial Guard.
Duke Doro once said that a soldier who does not want to be a general is not a good soldier. How can such power and status not be coveted?
The half-dragon reader standing at the forefront took another step forward. He was wearing a standard crown shaped like a dragon's horn - a symbol of his right to read out the content of the gift on behalf of the emperor.
"Duke Rumple."
"Duke Doro."
"Duke Metrolash."
"These three people were in charge of logistics, military, and intelligence work in the war against the Abyss. They were the chief planners of the victory of the war. For this merit, they were promoted to the rank of special Duke."
"As expected"
"It's so enviable."
"Yes, they are the three leaders who initially followed His Majesty, senior figures. They are different from us northerners."
"They are indeed the three pillars of the empire. Even if they are crowned dukes, their status is still the highest."
"Well, if I had joined the Ember Nest early back then, would there be four people who have been named special Dukes now?"
Amid the envious, admiring, or adoring eyes of the audience, the three dukes stepped forward, half-knelt in front of the red dragon, lowered their heads, and spoke respectfully.
"Thank you for your gift, Your Majesty."
Then, they walked to their respective positions and stood on the highest level of the altar.
"If I can stand in that position one day, even death will be worth it!"
"Yes, that is the supreme glory."
Trump looked down at the crowd of people who were crowded together in anticipation. Listening to the noisy and noisy sounds, he suddenly felt a little emotional, as if he was in another world.
"I didn't expect that the empire would turn into this without knowing it."
Although he has long been accustomed to such bustling scenes, he still thinks of the fortress and the original monster lair more than ten years ago that seems to be extremely crude now.
After more than ten years, his status is no longer what it used to be, and many of the Burning Embers who once fought side by side have died in successive years of war, or there is a huge gap between them and him.
For example, the Chimera still lives like a wild beast in the cave on the high slope of the storm. However, it does have more than a dozen chimera mates, giving birth to a steady stream of chimeras for the empire.
Maybe for this beast, this is also a kind of happiness?
The former leader of the kobolds, Gold Tooth, died in a battle with demons a few days ago. It is said that he was surrounded by hundreds of cunning vlo demons in the air and was torn into pieces by them.
Now, after experiencing bloody internal fighting within the family, the kobold army is mainly controlled by the 33rd child of Jin Ya, the kobold Bao Ya who inherited the blood of the dragon family.
However, for the current imperial prime minister, Trump, this is no longer a major event worthy of his attention. After all, in his eyes, the priority of the kobold tribe is very low.
The empire is developing too fast, and His Majesty Emperor Ranjin, his master, has grown even more terrifyingly.
Rumple witnessed with his own eyes that Cassius had grown from a fledgling young dragon with a body length of only five or six meters, to a being whose wings could cover the sky and the sun, and even the ancient dragons were frightened.
Although he has been left far behind, the cannibal magician is very satisfied to be able to help His Majesty.
Beside Trump, the usually taciturn Metrorash suddenly chuckled. The tiefling looked at the various forms of living beings at the foot of the altar and said in a rather relaxed tone:
"Ambition, desire, desire.
It’s such a vibrant, vibrant image, that’s what the Ember Empire is, isn’t it? ”
Doluo also turned his head and grinned ferociously, revealing his jagged fangs and spitting out streams of hot white smoke. "Only such a country can help His Majesty complete the great cause of conquering the world. Fiansuo is already close at hand."
Despite the tit-for-tat confrontation and constant friction between their respective forces, in these exciting days, the three dukes rarely maintained a superficial peace.
Trump's ugly face also showed a smile, and he whispered: "I wonder who will become the new Duke?"
As the highest level of the empire, Trump actually already has accurate answers in his mind, and he even drafted some of the drafts himself.
It's just that he doesn't know what kind of revisions and changes His Majesty will make.
The second half-red dragon reader stepped forward holding the scroll and recited loudly to the impassioned music of the satyr military band.
"Marquis Alger, led the red scale conquerors and the imperial dragons to fight bravely against the enemy, defeated the abyssal dragon army, and repeatedly performed extraordinary feats on the battlefield.
Promoted to Duke. ”
"It is indeed Marquis Alger. He is the commander of the Redscale Conquerors! He is also a veteran of the Ember Nest era!"
"But I heard that he was once a close associate of the old vampire."
"What does this mean? Count Fried was once a servant of Leo, who turned into a demon. The empire never cares about family background, only ability."
"唳——"
Accompanied by the loud eagle cry, Alger held the ever-burning sword and controlled the dragon-veined giant eagle to circle in mid-air for several times before landing on the altar and kneeling in front of the red dragon.
"Thank you for your gift"
The half-dragon announcer's voice continued, echoing in the noisy venue, but reaching everyone's ears clearly.
This is not a simple magic effect, but the magic loudspeaker of the Ministry of Science and Technology, which has been widely used throughout the empire, including but not limited to steam locomotive broadcasts, public squares, and bounty missions.
"Count Anthony, led the Dragonborn Holy Warriors to resist the demonic attack and stop the Balor Fire Demon, with great military exploits
Promoted to Duke. ”
As soon as the words fell, the crowd was in an uproar. This young dragon-born paladin had been promoted to several major levels in a row, and he was directly promoted from earl to duke!
But it seemed that he was like this last time, being directly promoted from a commoner to an earl. After all, the dragon-born holy warriors were the scales and claws of the emperor, and his loyal sword.
"Great Red Dragon, this new Duke is only twenty-one years old! This, this is too young!"
"Yes, haven't you read the report in the "Empire Daily"? Anthony was a child rescued by the imperial army from the basement of a noble in the North. Unexpectedly, in just a few years, he turned into a noble duke!"< br>
"Isn't this strange? Lord Anthony is the leader of the Dragonsworn Temple, and he has hundreds of Dragonborn Holy Warriors under his command."
"My lord Cassius, it would be great if my child could do this well. I will let him take part in the temple trial when I get back!"
Antony's rise was part of Cassius's plan, and the imperial officials had long since molded him into a model for civilians to reach the top, becoming the sustenance of countless people's "imperial dream."
His promotion sent a message to people that even a former aristocratic boy servant could become a high-ranking duke as long as he put his head on his waist and worked hard for the empire.
Can't you?
The answer is obviously no.
In the fortress-like neat square formation of the Dragon-affiliated Holy Warriors, the two rows of Holy Warriors moved aside to the left and right, leaving a straight road in the center of the square.
Just like this, Anthony held his sword and shield, surrounded by all the paladins, strode out of the team, and half-knelt at the foot of the altar.
He ignored the rumors around him, his eyes were determined, and he waited calmly. The thick armor on his body was stained with blood and covered with scars - it was a symbol of battlefield glory.
Cassius winked, and Lumpton, who was standing at the top of the altar, immediately understood and raised his staff.
Suddenly, an invisible force field appeared out of thin air at Anthony's feet, lifting him up easily, but in an instant it climbed nearly a hundred meters to the high altar of Isdalia.
"Dragon Lord."
Anthony took a few steps forward, knelt down in front of the red dragon, buried his head deeply in the ground, his eyes filled with piety.
After receiving Cassius's personal consent, he slowly got up from the ground and came to his position without saying a word - but the sweat on his forehead, the pounding heartbeat, and the slight The trembling legs still revealed the tension and excitement in his heart.
Although he has endured many hardships, managed the Dragonsworn Temple with Fried's assistance, and experienced bloody battlefields, in the final analysis, this Anthony is just a young man.
On such an occasion, no matter how excited or nervous he was, it was not exaggerated.
"Misha, who once killed several high-ranking demons who tried to cause chaos in the city, defeated the Balor Balrog on the battlefield
Should be made a Duke. ”
Suddenly, more heated discussions broke out among everyone, and the venue suddenly became noisy.
"She, she was directly made a duke!"
"Cassius is here!"
"I have heard her name, she is the daughter of dragon fire!"
This is the Dragon Blood Duke! This is the highest status that a mortal can achieve within the Burning Ember Empire, and this time he was directly awarded it!
Although many people have heard about this "Daughter of Dragon Fire" who has killed high-level demons several times from the war section of the "Empire Daily", this is just hearsay.
After all, Misha's rise has only happened in recent years. Compared with those familiar heroes, she is still far behind.
But soon, soldiers from the military stood up. Their expressions were excited and their voices were particularly admiring.
"You won't understand. I have witnessed Lady Misha's power with my own eyes!"
"Without her, our entire legion would have been killed by the Balor Demon! She is a veritable Duke of the Empire!"
"Chi——"
Accompanied by the sound of the air exploding, the scorching wind blew, sparks and flames flew, and the space was suddenly torn open with a burning fissure.
And the tall girl just walked out of the crack in space.
Misha was wearing an exquisite robe with a giant dragon pattern, her red hair flying behind her, gorgeous dragon flames swirling around, and invisible pressure descending.
She looked around, her beautiful golden eyes flickering, revealing the pride of being a member of the emperor's family.
"Is this the woman of dragon fire?"
"No, you are indeed His Majesty's family member."
Under this momentum, people who originally raised questions were speechless and shut their mouths obediently
Misha tapped her toes, and two broad dragon wings spread out from her back. The wings flapped, setting off a hurricane, allowing her to climb a hundred meters into the air and land on the altar.
"Master."
She folded her dragon wings, half-knelt on the ground, and spoke softly. (End of chapter)