Chapter 610: Chapter 610: The Emperor’s Proclamation

Chapter 610: The Emperor’s Proclamation

The choice of the Empire’s people.

Hearing Cassius’s words, Olivia’s heart trembled violently. She wanted to turn away, but couldn’t help looking down at the people on the ground—especially at their faces—

"How could this be..."

The imperial citizens who heard the news of war showed none of the expected fear, panic, or disgust. On the contrary, every one of them was flushed with excitement, their various faces radiant with bright smiles. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

The workers in the armories were delighted, because war brought them a flurry of orders.

Though the overtime was exhausting, it also brought them richer rewards, letting them buy a home in the city sooner and become true citizens of Isthalia.

The soldiers in the army were pleased, for war meant honor and status.

In their minds, sheltered by the Ember Emperor, the symbol of power and victory, they were invincible; war was merely a ladder to higher rank, a trial for the brave.

Tavern owners and waiters were also glad, for war would bring booming business.

After the war, soldiers flush with pay and loot would flood the taverns, spending freely, partying all night, even scattering gold coins everywhere.

As for the players, they were even more ecstatic—popping champagne and even streaking through the streets to celebrate this long-awaited good news.

In their eyes, was there really such a thing as cruel war? To them, this was just a massive dungeon to farm for experience and loot!

After seeing these imperial citizens of different identities and statuses, all cheering and rejoicing for the coming war, Olivia was left in deep self-doubt.

For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

Why—why was it that, on the eve of war, all the citizens were celebrating? Was she the only one who was wrong?

Was this war of aggression truly just?

Olivia recalled Cassius’s recent words: "War is a means, not an end." "The Empire will bring true order to the Fianso continent." "This isn’t my selfish will, but the collective choice of the Empire’s people..."

The red dragon’s words seemed to have a strange power, making Olivia subconsciously agree, dragging her thoughts deeper and deeper.

For an instant, countless images flashed through Olivia’s mind like oil paintings: Fadlan citizens wailing in the bombardment, a red dragon circling the sky, imperial workers toiling day and night in the factories.

Finally, the scene rested on the image of an ancient silver dragon—symbol of the old order—falling from the sky.

Olivia shook her head abruptly, whispering to herself, her eyes blurred: "No, it shouldn’t be like this. The future order shouldn’t look like this. It’s too cruel, too brutal."

Cassius lowered his head, smiling as he leaned closer to the silver-haired girl, his hot, sulfurous breath washing over Olivia’s pale face.

There was something strange in the pale golden slit eyes of the red dragon, as if he were looking at a newborn child, making Olivia quite uncomfortable.

"Olivia, you’re still too naive."

Cassius looked up at the sun and sighed: "The old order is already on the verge of collapse. All outdated economic forms, all relationships and political systems adapted to them, will be crushed.

And when the old order collapses, a chaotic era will arrive, and from darkness and turmoil, a new order will emerge.

Like any transformation in nature, this process must inevitably be bloody and cruel, accompanied by countless deaths and the destruction of countless families—no one can stop it."

Cassius lowered his head again, staring intently at the tiny Olivia in his claws, and said gravely, "Olivia, I thought you would understand me. I only want to use the Empire’s strength to accelerate this inevitable process, to make people’s suffering briefer—like using a scalpel to cut the skin and deliver the newborn."

"Cassius, you..."

Olivia looked up, stunned at the hint of sorrow on that majestic face, unsure for a moment if this was genuine feeling or just another deception.

Although she still couldn’t fully understand Cassius’s words, she was vaguely being persuaded.

Perhaps—this unusual red dragon truly was saving the world?

Olivia felt the world spin, her vision distorted, and when she came to, she had been released from the red dragon’s claws, staggering onto the top of the Isthalia Grand Altar.

Looking up, she saw the red dragon emperor displaying his imposing, majestic form to his people, spreading his vast wings, casting a great shadow over the city.

"Roar—"

The red dragon slowly lifted his head, letting out a long, earth-shaking roar that echoed across the entire Anzeta Wasteland.

Olivia looked down. The people of the city gazed upward, piously—almost fanatically—at the red dragon in the sky.

"It’s really His Majesty Cassius! It’s truly him!"

"Praise the great red dragon!"

"With His Majesty here, we will surely win!"

They surged forward, like fanatical pilgrims, some kneeling to kiss the ground, feeling blessed just to stand in the shadow of his wings.

The roaring crowd’s voices rose in waves, never ending, as if their passion would never die and their strength would never fail.

For the emperor in the sky was their spiritual pillar and source of strength, granting them endless power.

"Long live His Majesty Cassius! Praise to Anzeta’s one and only, supreme emperor!"

"Wings broader than the sky; back greater than the earth; tail longer than the mountains—let all worship the great red dragon in the heavens!"

The knights of the Dragon Oath Temple solemnly recited prayers, while the priests of the order sang the grand ’Hymn of Cassius.’

In such a fervent atmosphere, even Olivia was infected, an unexplainable excitement rising in her heart.

Looking up again, she saw the sun’s rays on the crimson scales, the red dragon backlit, spreading his wings—the golden lines outlining his nearly perfect form.

Accompanied by stirring music, a sacred and solemn atmosphere spread. In her blue-gray eyes, Cassius seemed a divine statue—holy, dignified, untouchable.

For a moment, Olivia was lost in confusion, her delicate face showing bewilderment. She could no longer tell.

She couldn’t distinguish between the sharp-tongued red dragon from before and the godlike emperor before her—who was the real Cassius?

Or perhaps, both were simply different faces of the Ember Emperor.

Olivia couldn’t help murmuring, "Cassius, who are you really?"

Meanwhile, high above, the red dragon beat his wings, overlooking the multitude, basking in the feverish gazes of the people.

With his high divinity and constant spells like [True Seeing Eye], Cassius could already perceive the nectar-like power welling from the souls of his people—faith, pure and undiluted.

"Good, just like this. Once I truly possess divinity, they will all become the source of my strength."

"But for now, what’s more important is awakening them, igniting their passion for war—making the Ember Empire, this resting beast, truly awaken."

Cassius looked down on the masses, thinking to himself.

In the next instant, the Supreme True Dragon Crown appeared on his head, sparkling in the sunlight, further adding to his majesty.

"My beloved subjects—"

The red dragon opened his mouth, and a thunderous voice rolled through Isthalia, amplified by the Empire’s domain, sweeping across the entire Anzeta Wasteland.

In that moment, whether it was Barto City or Northwind Fortress in the north, or Strathfort and Blackstone Castle in the south—wherever the Ember Empire ruled, a giant illusory dragon head appeared in the sky.

It was their sovereign—Ember Emperor Cassius.

As Cassius spoke, those illusory dragon heads opened their jaws in unison, emitting the same solemn words.

At this moment, not just the people of Isthalia, but nearly ten million citizens of the Ember Empire—be they human, bugbear, tiefling, ogre, wyvern, or chimera—all looked up together at their emperor in the sky.

"My beloved subjects, greetings."

"I am Cassius Clawbau Norixius, sole ruler of the Anzeta Wasteland and emperor of the Ember Empire."

The red dragon’s tone barely fluctuated—simply stating his identity, though within the empire, none were unaware.

Yet even such simple words sent the empire into an uproar, with millions cheering and shouting.

"Long live!"

"Long live His Majesty Cassius!"

"Praise the great red dragon! May His Majesty grant us victory—invincible and unyielding!"

No further rhetoric was needed; the Ember Emperor’s presence alone was already the symbol of victory and hope, an inexhaustible wellspring of strength for his people.

Of course, there were also Chapters of the "Dragon Fans’ Association"—the players—shouting treasonous slogans, wanting to touch His Majesty Cassius’s tail or claws, or even...

In the end, these were reported by indignant citizens and justly arrested by the empire’s tiefling guards.

Suspended high above Isthalia, Cassius paid no heed to such trifles, continuing in a steady, commanding voice:

"Today, I send you to war—not merely for battle, but to defend justice, to challenge all that is unjust!"

With the power of [Silver-Tongued] at full blast, Cassius’s rhetoric reversed right and wrong, painting invasion as the defense of justice, and millions of imperial citizens failed to notice any flaw.

"Those southerners, they have far richer and more fertile land than we do. As the old Fadlan Emperor said—this is a land of milk and honey, filled with gold, granted by the gods.

And yet we have been confined to the remote, barren Anzeta Wasteland, enduring millennia of poverty. Only with the empire’s founding did things improve."

Cassius swept his wings, stirring fierce winds, his voice rising in fervor, tinged with indignation.

"But—they did not cherish it! The foolish godborn fought among themselves for Fadlan’s legacy, greedily occupying the entire central continent, turning what should have been paradise into hell!

Are the citizens of the Ember Empire not worthy of such lands? Are we to stand by as the arrogant Fadlanese fight each other?"

"No—!"

Countless imperial citizens were roused by Cassius’s words, shouting in anger, their voices rising like a tidal wave.

Seeing the crowd’s emotion at its peak, Cassius declared firmly, "As emperor of the Ember Empire, I will not allow this to happen!

I want my subjects to have lands in the sun, to stand tall with pride as Ember Empire citizens!

Only when our banners fly high in victory over North Aether’s soil, and the Fadlan remnants embrace peace, can I truly rest, truly find peace.

We must make the name of the Ember Empire renowned across Fianso, so that the despicable southerners fear us and never again dare to look down on us!"

"Conquer—!"

"For the grand blueprint of the Ember Empire!"

"We will build a new order! We will make the Ember Empire their nightmare!"

This torrent of declarations sent the people’s fervor higher and higher, their fists pumping as war cries swept across millions of square kilometers of Anzeta.

Though Cassius’s speech was riddled with sophistry and logical flaws, swept up in this fanatic atmosphere, the imperial people had long lost their reason—even their sense of self—becoming part of the rampaging war beast.

Workers, officers, citizens, merchants alike were caught up in this strange war frenzy, further stoked by imperial order.

This was exactly the effect Cassius sought. Compared to the Anzeta Wasteland, Fianso was too vast—a single halt by the empire could provoke disaster in retaliation.

Thus, once war began, the Ember Empire could never stop conquering—until the whole continent was theirs.

Now, at the call of its master, the Ember Empire—this terrible beast—was fully awakened, its sights set on southern prey.

Atop the Isthalia Grand Altar, Olivia looked at the frenzied crowd, feeling out of place—lost, as if she simply could not belong.

Maybe... maybe it was truly she who was wrong.

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