Chapter 148: Dragon Rule

Chapter 148: Dragon Rule 

The residents of Northwind Fortress would never forget that morning. 

Cassius, the " Hellish calamity," stood atop the centuries-old city wall, his massive wings blocking the sunlight. 

The Red Dragon gazed down at the 30,000 townspeople gathered below, proclaiming the establishment of the Ember Kingdom and declaring the fall of the nation they and their ancestors had called home. 

"Who approves? Who opposes?" 

The gleam of the hobgoblins' spears left no room for negotiation. 

It was not a discussion, merely a cold announcement. 

Thus began the era of dragon rule. 

At first, the people were filled with fear and uncertainty, barricading themselves in their homes, terrified the monsters would commit atrocities—just as described in the "Song of Ember": defiling and devouring wives and daughters, burning down homes. 

However, events did not unfold as feared by the people or as anticipated by the nobles outside Northwind Fortress. 

Duke Brad Lackman's crimes were exposed, with indisputable evidence found in the castle's dungeons. Over his two centuries of rule, tens of thousands were tortured to death, and countless disappearances were his doing. 

"This is utter slander!" 

"They're trying to destroy our history!" 

The residents were in an uproar, their initial reaction being to dismiss these claims as fabricated lies by the Ember Kingdom. 

But as more evidence emerged, revealing the skeletal remains and mounds of corpses beneath Lackman Castle, even the most stubborn and anti-dragon citizens had to admit their once-revered duke was truly an evil tyrant. 

Only the northern nobles remained defiant, claiming the evidence was falsified by the Ember Kingdom, or even that the Red Dragon had killed these people—despite the fact that the Ember Kingdom had occupied Northwind Fortress for mere days. 

Panic and regret followed. 

After the Ember Kingdom's takeover, disciplined tieflings had become the main force of Northwind Fortress's defense, and many residents bore bloodstains from past acts against the tieflings. 

Judgment indeed came. The tieflings arrested nobles who knew the truth but continued to assist in the atrocities, conducting trials in the council square and beheading dozens. 

That day, blood stained the square. 

Yet, for ordinary residents unaware of the truth, some of whom still harbored hatred and sought revenge, the tieflings did not pursue further actions. 

Contrary to his outward appearance as a vengeful extremist, Medrolash was a pragmatic leader focused on his tribe's survival and willing to employ any means necessary. 

During the war-torn days at the Storm Highlands, he promoted hawkish supporters of revenge to maintain the tribe's strength and ensure resistance. But after reclaiming Northwind Fortress, he chose to integrate the dovish faction advocating peaceful coexistence with humans, balancing the hawks. 

Medrolash stood atop the city wall, overlooking the now-operational Northwind Fortress. 

The bustling streets were filled with humans, tieflings, and even hobgoblins. Though harmony between humans and tieflings was impossible, open hostilities and racial slaughter were avoided. 

" Lerisha, you should have understood this long ago." 

"War." 

"Only war can bring peace." 

Medrolash murmured as he observed the scene. 

The blue, lake-like eyes of a certain someone seemed to appear before him, filled with innocence and goodwill. 

He often felt regret and pangs of conscience, but he did not regret his choices—they had been rational at the time. 

Only rationality could save his people. 

Medrolash never let irrelevant emotions control him. He also knew that indulging in the hawks' vision of brutal retribution against humans would leave the tieflings without a place in the Ember Kingdom. 

The dictatorship of the Red Dragon would not tolerate any race disrupting his order—even the tieflings, who were becoming a crucial pillar of the kingdom. 

...… 

"Fresh meat for sale!" 

"Large-sized leather pants, exclusive for hobgoblins!" 

"Selling pre-Lackman Duchy standard silver swords!" 

The streets, dormant from the war, finally regained some activity, though far from their former liveliness. 

For the 30,000 residents of Northwind Fortress, life had to go on, regardless of whether their rulers were vampires or a Red Dragon. 

To their surprise, the draconic monsters weren't as cruel and terrifying as expected—at least not after satisfying their greed by dividing up the nobles' stockpiles of wine, meat, and treasures. 

The future, however, remained uncertain. 

"Theft is prohibited in the city." 

"Unauthorized brawls are prohibited in the city." 

"Murderers will be sentenced to death." 

Cassius, residing temporarily in the council hall, issued a series of brief "dictatorial decrees." 

Though he couldn't enforce "violators will die" on the native residents as he did with players, his influence gradually made them subconsciously adhere to his rules—and that was enough. 

Under Cassius's laws, even the draconic monsters temporarily suppressed their inherent brutality, refraining from excessive violence and instead creating absurd situations: 

For instance, an ogre named "Big Head" devoured a tavern's entire stock and fled without paying, only to be caught by the city guard and sentenced to three years of unpaid labor at the tavern, without food or lodging. 

To the residents' amazement, the "Ember Claw" security forces and "Nocturne" units rigorously purged the criminal organizations that had thrived in the nobles' power vacuum. Groups like the "Nine-Finger Guild" and "Devil Gang" were eradicated, significantly improving public safety. 

Formerly arrogant nobles had fallen from grace under the Ember Kingdom's new system, losing their power to oppress the common folk and even facing trials. Slaves gained their freedom, and even a boy was rescued from a noble's basement. 

Players flooded into the city, eager to seize opportunities. The "Cult of the Machine God" guild built a steam-powered engine and began constructing mechanized factories. The "Magic Coin" guild used spells to provide services to residents, earning gold and bringing spellcasters closer to daily life. The "Royal Authority" guild bought a hall and declared themselves open to all mercenary work. 

Some viewed these developments as mere facades by the Ember Kingdom to win over the people while secretly plotting rebellion against the empire's tyranny. Others gradually adapted to this new life, abandoning old traditions...