Chapter 351: The Debts of Ancestors, Paid by Descendants

Upon hearing King Beladian's words, the nobles and ministers in the great hall immediately began to stir. The dying king's intent was clear.

He was close to his end, but with the queen-to-be too young, he planned to choose someone to manage the Rockman Kingdom on her behalf until Queen Remilia came of age and could reclaim her royal powers.

Eager eyes turned toward the gasping man on the throne, and some glanced at the timid Princess Remilia standing by. Sinister thoughts began to surface in the minds of some.

With a cold chuckle, Beladian watched the reactions below. Five legendary figures, radiating immense presence, slowly emerged behind him—these were the legends loyal to the royal house.

As the five barely visible, imposing figures appeared, those nobles and ministers lost in their grand delusions were doused with a metaphorical bucket of ice water, instantly sobering up.

Some nobles began to tremble, suspecting these royal legends might be there to eliminate them, clearing any obstacles to the new queen's ascent. After all, a dying king's actions could be unpredictable.

Others were not worried about being targeted for elimination. They knew King Beladian wouldn't resort to such measures. Their concern was whether one of these legends might be appointed as the regent, which would leave them without a chance, unable to compete with a legend.

"Don't overthink it," Beladian said, seeing the shifting expressions of his subjects, his face twisting into an undisguised sneer. "I have no intention of killing you. I summoned these five legends merely as witnesses, to bear witness to the emergence of Rockman Kingdom's Regent Duke, who will rule for at least the next ten years."

"But you need not harbor any hopes," he continued, dashing the hopeful glimmers in some eyes with a harsh truth. "None of you qualify to become the Regent Duke of Rockman Kingdom. I called you here to witness this and to know whom to obey in the coming years."

"Then, Your Majesty, where is this Regent Duke you want us to meet?" asked a minister, masking his disappointment with a veneer of calm.

"Yes, Your Majesty, perhaps it's time for this Regent Duke to meet us," a noble echoed.

"He is not here right now," Beladian responded to the requests, standing unsteadily and turning his head slightly to smile kindly at his daughter.

"Not here?" Beladian's answer puzzled the nobles and ministers, who exchanged bewildered glances, struggling to understand the king's plan. They had been summoned, along with the legends, only to be told that the Regent Duke had not yet arrived—what kind of grand figure warranted such a buildup?

"No need to rush; I will now bring forth the future Regent Duke of Rockman Kingdom." Beladian reached out, taking the hand of his daughter, who seemed like a frightened deer.

Without any apparent movement, a small black point appeared just five steps away from the throne. It rapidly expanded into an elliptical portal—half a person tall.

"This is the entrance to a demi-plane."

The appearance of this spatial gate stunned the assembled nobility and ministers, who had never suspected such a thing hidden within the hall that symbolized the kingdom's center of power.

"This must be the legacy of the Scaret family. Well, let's see if the heritage left by your royal ancestors can turn the tide. If not, it might be time for a new ruler," muttered some of the ancient nobility who recognized the significance of such a portal from their own family histories.

"Come in," said Beladian, waiting until the portal stabilized. He led his daughter by the hand into the portal, followed without hesitation by the five legends.

The nobles and ministers looked at one another, unsure who would lead. One by one, they entered the portal, driven by curiosity about the future Regent Duke.

"What is this?" As the nobles and ministers stepped into the demi-plane, opened at the heart of the kingdom's power, they were blinded by the sight before them.

The demi-plane, a foundation of the Scaret family, was not large—in fact, it was among the smallest. Yet, it astonished many nobles because it was filled with elemental crystals. The ground beneath their feet was paved with countless crystals.

More striking was the central structure of this demi-plane—a five-tiered altar made of crystals, engraved with complex runes.

There, Beladian stood below the altar, activating it. The runes lit up one by one from his position at the center.

"Remilia, I won't let anyone harm you," Beladian said with a smile, relieved as the altar activated.

With the protection of the five legends and under the watchful eyes of many nobles and ministers, he extracted a scale shimmering with golden light and, using his qi, propelled it into the center of the

 altar as a medium to summon a formidable presence.

In a distant, desolate void, a dragon akin to the sun, radiating brilliant golden light that illuminated its surroundings, slowly opened its eyes, expressing a hint of resignation:

"Someone in Erathia is summoning me, sigh, it must be the descendants of an old friend in trouble seeking protection. But I can't return yet. This is a debt I owe, a promise I must keep.

Fortunately, I have a capable daughter. Let her answer the call in my place. The debt I owe, she shall pay!"

"I won't go, I refuse. Figure it out yourself," responded the Dragon Queen Atreis when Emperor Demos, using a significant amount of energy through their bloodline connection, reached out to his daughter. She refused without hesitation.

"Would you have me break my promise to them?"

"Then ask your grandson Muria. You gave him a drop of origin blood; it's perfect for him to go and repay your debts."

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