Chapter 353: Ten Ancient Dragons, Is That Enough?

"Regent Duke of Rockman Kingdom?" Muria was slightly taken aback upon hearing the request, then scrutinized the king whose life force was flickering weakly. "You are a king?"

"I am Beladian Scaret, the twelfth king of Rockman Kingdom."

"How did you end up like this?" Muria curiously inspected the king, noting that he seemed to have been undermined by some foul play.

For a reigning monarch to be reduced to such a state was frankly embarrassing. Consider the neighboring continent's Aminis Kingdom, where the legendary duke made decisive, unhesitant judgments.

Of course, Muria also suspected that the duke had long intended to dispose of that mediocre legend and had simply seized the opportunity when called to account.

"We'll discuss that later," Beladian diverted awkwardly when faced with Muria's question. "Your power, it seems, might not suffice to replace your grandfather as the Regent Duke of Rockman Kingdom."

Muria glanced at the group of nobles and ministers standing far from the altar, appearing contemplative, then responded to the king's remark. Although he understood the concern, being deemed insufficiently powerful was still slightly irksome.

"What level of power do you think is necessary to qualify as the Regent Duke of Rockman Kingdom?" Muria fixed his gaze on King Beladian and, without waiting for an answer, posed another question, "Would ten ancient dragons be enough?"

"What?" Beladian was baffled again, not quite grasping the meaning behind Muria's words.

"If I wish, I can summon all the metal ancient dragons from this subcontinent to assist me," Muria's lips curled slightly. "There should be no fewer than ten metal ancient dragons living on this subcontinent, right?"

"Of course not, there are more than ten metal ancient dragons recorded living in the Nociaro Eu subcontinent alone," Beladian replied, unable to hide his elation.

His original plan had been to summon the legendary ancient gold dragon, Emperor Demos, to serve as his kingdom's Regent Duke.

An ancient gold dragon, alive for over a thousand years, would certainly possess the wisdom to govern Rockman Kingdom and, with the formidable power accrued over such an extended lifespan, could undoubtedly protect his daughter from any harm, freeing him from all concerns.

Furthermore, given the proud nature of gold dragons, once they commit to an agreement, they never renege. He wouldn't have to worry about his daughter becoming a puppet once she grew up; gold dragons simply don't engage in such acts.

Initially, when Muria appeared on the summoning altar, had Beladian not been a king who had endured numerous calamities with a fortified heart, he might not have been able to handle such a drastic disappointment.

It was undeniable that Muria emitted a strong aura and his dragonic majesty was impressive, but he was not a legend.

Just as Beladian was grappling with his profound disappointment, the situation took a dramatic turn. This seemingly youthful scion of the Dragon Emperor claimed the ability to summon metal ancient dragons. Such a revelation came so unexpectedly that it caught him off guard.

"May I ask your name?"

"Muria Iapetos Elonsas."

"From this moment forward, Lord Muria is the Regent Duke of Rockman Kingdom. Does anyone object?" After Muria announced his name, Beladian turned to the assembled ministers and nobles, declaring his decision while scrutinizing these ambiguous subjects with his dim blue eyes.

Silence fell among the bewildered nobles and ministers, who had struggled to digest Muria's declaration. They remained speechless.

This newcomer's background was too formidable. If he were human, they might question the veracity, but as a dragon, there was no doubt; his words were unquestionably true.

Thus, when Beladian proclaimed Muria as Regent Duke and questioned them, none dared to object. Muria's background was too solid for opposition to make any sense.

"Aren't you going to ask for my opinion?" Muria mused internally as he observed the silent nobles and ministers. Although he was somewhat inclined to accept the role of Regent Duke—the allure of ruling a kingdom was something Muria found difficult to refuse for the moment.

This was a kingdom, not a principality. To establish a kingdom, the bare minimum requirements include having more than ten legends, along with other criteria, to qualify as a kingdom.

Any kingdom could easily outmatch a principality; the two weren't even comparable. The gap between an empire and a kingdom was similarly vast, if not greater.

"None of you objects?" Seeing the nobles' silence, Beladian's expression darkened slightly, "Then what are you waiting for? Come forward and pay your respects to the Regent Duke of Rockman Kingdom."

Following the king's command, the nobles and ministers reluctantly looked at each other, then slowly approached the altar, bowing

 deeply in unison:

"Greetings, Duke Muria!"

Muria stood atop the altar, his golden eyes impassively overlooking these humans. King Beladian's demeanor revealed what kind of characters these individuals were.

Furthermore, during his journey across Osniro, the nobles he encountered were largely unprincipled, making it difficult for him to hold any favorable views of human nobility.

"Mhm!" Muria silently observed the nobles and ministers for several moments before responding briefly.

"Alright, you may all leave. I have matters to discuss with the Regent Duke," Beladian said without any reservation, beginning to dismiss the nobles and ministers after Muria acknowledged his new title.

Upon hearing King Beladian's order, although many nobles and ministers wanted to eavesdrop, they dared not defy the king's command—especially not with the five legendary figures still present.

Once the nobles and ministers had left the demi-plane, King Beladian's gaze turned to Muria, who was descending from the summoning altar, and he gestured towards the five distinctively dignified legends behind him.

"Duke Muria, allow me to introduce you to these five dukes."

In all human kingdoms, it was an unwritten rule: any legend who joined was to be granted the title of duke. The specific rank and whether it was a nominal or substantial title depended on the individual legend's power.

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