Page 254

"Everyone, quiet!"

The plaza fell silent once more.

Cassius began his brief address.

"Regardless of your origins, your race, or your past deeds—if you contribute to the development of this kingdom, you will become part of the grand vision. You will gain great power and a long life."

As soon as his words fell, the crowd erupted in an uproar.

"Could it be that humans also have this opportunity?"

"This isn't just a privilege for the draconic followers?"

The murmurs were telling—in recent years, the divide between the monster followers and humans had only grown starker.

As the ruling class, the privileges held by the monster followers were vast. In the eyes of many followers, sparing the humans had already been a considerable act of mercy, let alone treating them as equals.

Naturally, they reaped the benefits in all aspects of the kingdom's operations, while humans were relegated to a lower status—a perfectly normal state of affairs.

By holding this "conferment ceremony," Cassius was not only bestowing greater power upon his subordinates but also making a political statement.

He aimed to leverage his influence to bridge the gap between the followers and humans, guiding the Ember Kingdom closer to becoming a true multi-ethnic empire.

Cassius pressed down hard on the altar.

With a rumbling noise, hundreds of stone platforms emerged.

The most striking of these were the three platforms at the very top, ornately carved and just a few meters away from the red dragon.

—Those were the dukes' seats of the kingdom.

They symbolized long life, immense power, and authority.

Cassius called out a familiar name first.

"Langpu."

The ogre mage eagerly flew up to the platform, kneeling.

As the kingdom's prime minister, Langpu's position was unchallenged.

With the kingdom's steady growth, Langpu's influence had only solidified, making him nearly untouchable. Challenging him was no longer an option; coexistence was the only path.

Hobgoblin commander Dolo had resigned himself to this fate. After a series of failures, his influence among the followers, who revered strength, had plummeted, making it hard for him to challenge Langpu.

Now, all he could do was bide his time, keeping his ambitions hidden—though his scornful gaze and the smoke snorting from his nostrils gave away his discontent.

"Medrolash."

The Tiefling Oathbreaker drew his sword and gracefully leapt onto the platform.

This announcement stirred considerable noise below.

Outside the Tiefling community, other followers had many grievances regarding Medrolash's special status.

He oversaw both the Tiefling guards and the covert "Nocturne" unit, wielding considerable power both overtly and in the shadows.

His role inevitably brought him into conflict with some of the followers.

One such enemy was Ari Skullcrusher, the leader of the bear goblin tribe. This hulking, hairy bear goblin glared at the Tiefling on stage, his hand clenching his spiked mace, muscles bulging.

During the notorious "Bear Goblin Murders," it had been Medrolash who led the arrests of over a dozen bear goblins, marking a lasting grudge for Ari.

Medrolash, however, seemed indifferent.

To him, it was just his duty. As long as the red dragon trusted him, no one could shake his position.

"Dolo."

The hobgoblin commander hurriedly climbed onto the platform, kneeling.

He deliberately glanced at his subordinates below, snorting hot air from his nostrils as if asserting his unshakable status.

Despite some murmurs, the appointment of the three dukes was largely expected and set in stone.

The real point of interest for the gathered humans and followers was the allocation of the marquis, count, viscount, and baron titles, as these were directly tied to their own futures.

The announcements for the count titles were not made by Cassius himself but by Langpu, reading from a prepared list.

Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands, the ogre solemnly read out the names of seven marquises.

" Alger."

"Chimera."

"Gold-Fang."

"Smaug."

The giant eagle knight descended in spirals, while the chimera let out a triumphant howl, its three heads roaring in unison. The kobold draconic-born flapped its wings wildly, while the kobold pups below yapped in excitement.

These figures were all founders of the Ember Nest and represented key factions within the kingdom—naturally, there was little dispute about their positions.

However, when Langpu calmly announced "Darenna," the crowd below erupted once again.

"Lady Darenna was chosen!"

"This is incredible news!"

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

"My god, a human can actually become a marquis!"

People cheered and celebrated. Seeing Darenna achieve the title of marquis, they saw a glimmer of hope—perhaps one day, they could reach that level too.

As the kingdom's diplomatic official, Darenna had kept her identity as a serpentfolk hidden for the past three years, instead cultivating an image of a "wise, gentle lady," earning much support and praise from the human populace, who called her the "Flower of Northwind."

She had even published an autobiography, fabricating parts of her journey from an "ordinary maid" to the kingdom's diplomat, embellishing stories to win sympathy and admiration.

With her intelligence, Darenna had long noticed the red dragon's desire to integrate humans. Thus, she had prepared meticulously to become a shining example, and today, she reaped her reward.

The elegant and beautiful lady waved to the crowd, her face beaming as she ascended the platform with the help of her attendants, perfectly embodying the people's champion.

The monster followers, however, had a different reaction.

The hobgoblins, ogres, and half-orcs were red-faced with jealousy, snorting heavily in rage.

"How could such a weak creature become a marquis?!"

"I challenge her!"

"Only the strong should stand above me!"

"Weakling, get off that platform!"

Even after all these years, the law of the Storm Highlands remained deeply ingrained in their minds—the strong ruled over the weak, unshakably so.

These creatures repeatedly hurled challenges, shouting provocations, but Darenna on stage ignored them, maintaining her gentle smile.

"Fools, you still don't understand—our master's will is the only true law of this kingdom."

Darenna gazed down at the "furious" monster followers, her lips curling slightly, her eyes flashing with a subtle hint of disdain.