Chapter 363: During the Ceremony

In a small, unnamed town within the Lockman Kingdom, before the sun even rose, soldiers clad in leather armor and wielding short swords knocked on the doors of one civilian home after another, delivering orders from their lord.

"By the command of Viscount Roman, every civilian household must send at least one member to gather at Roland Square. Failure to comply will result in a fine of ten silver coins."

Threatened with financial penalties, even the most reluctant civilians sent a representative from each household to the square, complying with the lord's summons. Only there did these commoners learn why they had been gathered.

The kingdom's monarch was to abdicate today, and with the only heir, Princess Remilia, still too young, His Majesty Beladian had invited a golden dragon to serve as the ruling Grand Duke and govern the kingdom.

A succession ceremony was currently underway in the royal capital. King Beladian wanted all residents of the kingdom to witness this historic moment, which was why the lords had forcibly ordered them to assemble here.

"Why do we need to be here? I've got work to do in the fields. What do us common folk care about some king's coronation?"

"Exactly, and with the capital so far from here, we can't even see anything. What's the point of calling us here?"

"I need to get back to restocking my store. Am I supposed to just stop doing business?"

The lord's forced conscription of his subjects led to widespread grumbling. For these lowly civilians, kings and golden dragons were as distant as the legends sung by bards in taverns.

But the murmurs of discontent quickly ceased as a group of mages, robed and wielding staffs, appeared above the town square. They adjusted the magical devices pre-set on the square.

A 16-meter long and 9-meter wide screen formed on the square, displaying everything happening in the royal capital, Skalette, for the small city's populace.

The broadcast offered a bird's-eye view, a perspective that immediately captivated the assembled commoners. They saw their nation's capital, a place most could only dream of visiting...

The grand and exquisitely crafted buildings, nobles traveling through the skies in carriages drawn by mythical beasts, and the cloud giants currently taking over the city...

"What is this?" asked one of the previously disgruntled civilians, awestruck at their first glimpse of the epic scene.

"This is the royal capital, Skalette! The ascension ceremony of the ruling Grand Duke Muria is being held there," one of the mages, having finished adjusting the projection equipment, flew up using levitation magic and loudly explained using amplification magic.

This was part of Beladian's plan. The mages he sent were not only tasked with operating the projection equipment but also served as commentators, explaining the identities of the various dignitaries appearing on the screen to all the commoners and adventurers watching.

At this moment, in every city of the Lockman Kingdom, similar scenes unfolded as magical screens broadcast live images from the capital, adding a surreal touch.

In more populous cities, multiple projection screens were set up to ensure that as many people as possible could see Muria assume the role of ruling Grand Duke.

On this day, the Lockman Kingdom nearly came to a standstill. Farmers left their fields, merchants ceased trading, adventurers halted their quests, and worshippers stayed away from temples. Even the uninvited nobles refrained from flirting with their maids...

Anyone who could view the magical screens put aside their work to watch the ceremony unfold, a once-in-a-lifetime event that many feared they would regret missing.

As time passed, figures previously only described by tavern bards appeared on the screens, broadening the horizons of the kingdom's common folk.

There were envoys from the dark regions, composed of drow elves known for their ruthless savagery but slender figures and beautiful appearances. The Dwarven King, awakened with the bloodline of the Mountain Kings, the red dragons evolved from kobolds, and other legendary figures from distant lands invited by Beladian...

For the common folk, while it was impressive to see legendary dukes and other high nobles, their interest mostly lingered on the exotic beings like the enticing drow elves and the staunch elves who despised any tarnishing of their lineage.

Even if not focusing on these stunning elven ladies who looked as if they might start a fight at any moment, there were still sights like the legendary red dragons and the Dwarven King, who resembled a small mountain.

Human legends, though undoubtedly powerful, did not capture the commoners' attention as much as these otherworldly legends. After all, despite their strength, these humans did not look much different from any other human—none had an extra head or an extra pair of hands.

As noon approached and nearly all significant figures had appeared, over thirty legends sat in the central council hall of Skalette's

 palace, awaiting the start of the official ceremony.

The magical eyes of the high mages projected everything happening in this grand hall onto screens across the nation.

Having stood watching for half the day, the famished commoners couldn't bear to leave, fearing they might miss even a second of this monumental event. They reluctantly purchased food from opportunistic merchants who had come to sell snacks, eating while they continued to watch.

The ensuing scenes did not disappoint. They saw King Beladian leading the kingdom's sole heir, Princess Remilia, escorted by a squad of elite knights, to the stage. For the first time, these commoners saw what their highest ruler looked like.

After listening to King Beladian deliver a lengthy and ornate abdication speech, which he had pondered for half a month and crafted with grandiose yet beautiful rhetoric—though to most, it sounded like mere drivel—they were somewhat bewildered. They understood each word, but strung together, the speech was incomprehensible to many. Fortunately, this part quickly passed.

Next came the moment almost everyone had been waiting for—the appearance of the Lockman Kingdom's ruling Grand Duke.

Under the gaze of thousands, a golden dragon with six horns, escorted by nearly a hundred giants riding magnificently feathered birds, emerged from a teleportation circle that enveloped half the palace...

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