Chapter 358: Invitation

Excluding the legendary Titans, the Storm Giants are the most formidable of their kind. An army composed of Storm Giants is something even emperors dream of. After all, they are capable of unleashing their full combat potential in the skies, on land, at sea, and across most of the world.

"I remember when I left, I already had over five hundred Storm Giants under my command," Muria looked towards Terence. "As for now, you'll have to ask my commander about that."

"Currently, your personal guard includes me, and we have a total of five hundred and eighty-seven Storm Giants," Terence reported accurately upon seeing Muria's gaze.

Due to Muria's unique presence, various giants receive news each year and do everything they can to cross thousands of miles of ocean to join him, so the number of giants under Muria's command has been continuously growing without pause.

"The Legion of Storm Giants." Hearing that Muria had nearly six hundred Storm Giants under his command, Beleradin's face lit up with uncontrollable joy. Having such an army to guard the frontiers meant that no side would dare act rashly.

Thinking of the marvelous scene of giants guarding the frontiers, Beleradin immediately said to Muria, "Summon all your Storm Giants here. I will bear the cost of their transportation."

"I'm afraid you can't afford it." Muria glanced at the altar that was continuously extracting elemental energy, and the array spread across the entire demi-plane was continuously draining those elemental crystals, turning dozens of them into semi-transparent waste crystals every moment.

The cost of summoning giants from the Titan Isles to the subcontinent was extremely terrifying. The cost for one or two giants was bearable for Muria, but summoning hundreds or thousands of giants was beyond his own capacity.

However, now that a true king, willing to bear the costs, was present, Muria naturally wanted to take the opportunity to summon more, especially since he wouldn't have to pay.

"Although my Skarlet family is somewhat fallen now, we still have some savings," Beleradin watched as one after another Storm Giant walked out of a space gate that had expanded to nearly thirty meters high.

Then, looking around at the now somewhat cramped demi-plane, he frowned slightly and turned to give new orders to a servant following behind him.

"Activate the palace's defense array, open the entrance to the Wild Beast Forest demi-plane. The existence of these giants must be kept secret for now. You take people to patrol the palace, and anyone found trying to communicate outside can be executed on the spot."

"As you command, Your Majesty!" The servant immediately took the order and left.

"What are you planning?" Muria asked, curious.

"Just like with those ancient dragons, have these giants make an appearance at your accession ceremony to intimidate the nobles and the other races.

Before that, the giants' tracks need to be temporarily hidden. I will open a large demi-plane where your giants can be temporarily transferred to hide. This demi-plane is too small to accommodate all the giants you've summoned."

"How many demi-planes does your Skarlet family control now?" Muria asked, intrigued by the king's generous statement.

Holding a kingdom, one wonders how much intangible heritage a royal family can accumulate over hundreds of years. From the demi-plane Muria was currently in, which was used to summon Demos but was no longer able to due to Demos's strength, it was evident the accumulation was impressive.

"Not many, excluding the one we're standing on, my Skarlet family controls fifteen demi-planes of various sizes," Beleradin said calmly. "In the next few days, I will transfer the control of these demi-plane's space cores, the loyalty of thirteen secret forces of my royal house, and systems like the intelligence network to you."

"That sounds troublesome." Hearing that Beleradin intended to transfer so much authority to him, Muria instinctively responded, finding it too burdensome.

While he was in the Titan Isles, although he had tens of thousands of giants under him, he rarely managed things himself, letting his giant commanders be responsible to him, reporting only once a month. Even so, those giants were extremely respectful and well-behaved.

Listening to Muria's words, Beleradin's face twitched. These rights were part of the royal authority, something many coveted, yet this scion of the dragon lineage found them bothersome.

"It won't be too troublesome. You have absolute military power. If anyone or any race causes trouble, just suppress them with force. Anyone who dares to create chaos will be easy to deal with."

"I understand!"

...

In the southern frontier of the Lockman Kingdom, in a dark region without daylight, stood a newly constructed black and red castle in the center of a city adorned with various luminescent ferns. The castle's color resembled the dried hue of blood.

Inside this castle, which seemed to emit a scent

 of blood, a regal and untouchable Dark Elf queen lazily leaned on her throne. Her beauty was unparalleled, with the only flaw being her overly dark skin.

"Is there something you need?" the Dark Elf queen asked impatiently, her eyes flickering with a hint of gold as she looked down at a male Dark Elf groveling below.

"Your Majesty, the Lockman Kingdom has sent you an invitation," the male, who held a very low status within his tribe, replied quickly, his body trembling.

"In fifteen days, King Beleradin will abdicate, and his youngest daughter, Princess Remilia, will ascend the throne. However, due to the young age of the human princess, a Gold Dragon has been invited to govern in her stead.

The Lockman Kingdom invites you to attend the governance ceremony of this Gold Dragon."

"What?" Even the ambitious Dark Elf queen sat up straight in surprise upon hearing this explosive news.

"Has the news been confirmed?"

"It has been confirmed."

"Ha, Beleradin is really interesting, preferring to entrust the royal power to a dragon rather than trust his own kind."

"Your Majesty, if Beleradin handed over the royal power to the nobles, it might never be returned. But giving it to a Gold Dragon, with the dragon's reputation, there's no worry about that issue."

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