Chapter 570 - 542: Crowned King
Chapter 570: Chapter 542: Crowned King
After Giant Dragon City fell, Ronin paid little attention to the subsequent conquest of the Tricia Kingdom’s remaining territories.
Now that the threat of Flame Wings and his cohort was gone, there were few opponents left who could rival the likes of Macken and Petro.
Moreover, Ronin’s prestige was at an all-time high. Some enemy nobles didn’t even put up a fight, simply opening their gates and surrendering the moment they heard his army was approaching.
These surrendered nobles were handled according to the plan previously established by Ronin and Ridder. Suitable candidates were recruited into the various Knight Orders, while those with administrative skills were appointed as officials in different regions.
After all, with his territory now so vast, Ronin was in desperate need of talent in every field.
These men, with their noble upbringing, possessed knowledge and experience inaccessible to the common person. They could still be of great use in non-critical positions.
Time flowed by, and before long, the height of summer had arrived.
The wars on the Orland Continent had all concluded, from the western front where Duke Valgis fought to the central-eastern fronts overseen by Ibn and Gushan.
Even the war on the main front against the Tricia Kingdom was drawing to a close.
For the nobles of the Oduin Kingdom, despite some losses, the spoils of war—money, supplies, and other plunder—not only compensated for their sacrifices but also made them fabulously wealthy.
Building an enterprise could never make one rich as quickly as plundering one.
And with the war’s end came the time to divide the spoils of land.
In their eyes, regardless of who the next King was, they—the nobles who had shed blood and sweat for the Kingdom—would undoubtedly be rewarded. Titles would be raised, and land would be granted.
「Soon, September 9th arrived.」 Having accepted Ronin’s invitation, a great many nobles gathered at Mist Castle to attend the founding ceremony of the Star Kingdom.
Despite the short timeframe, a willingness to spare no expense in gold and manpower had brought about noticeable changes to Mist Castle.
In particular, a massive porcelain statue of a Giant Dragon in the central plaza lent an air of elegance to Mist Castle, elevating the porcelain craftsmanship of the Wubei Territory to new heights.
The vast hall was now filled with magnificently dressed nobles. They sat in reserved silence, their eyes fixed on Ronin, who stood on the ceremonial platform before them.
Their apprehension stemmed from more than just him becoming a king. The key was that this young monarch had reached an inconceivable level of power.
The image of the ruined Royal Palace in Giant Dragon City was seared into their minds.
Presided over by Minister Randall of the Ministry of Rites, the coronation proceeded at a stately pace, following the planned schedule.
Randall’s voice boomed as he extolled Ronin’s great deeds in the war of conquest, elaborating at length on the ferocity of the final battle.
As he concluded with a passionate cry, "Let us welcome His Majesty Ronin, the Duke of Conqueror and first King of the Star Kingdom!" the hall erupted in thunderous applause.
In a side hall, Ronin, who had been waiting for the ceremony to start, rose to his feet. Beside him, Blanche held their son’s hand and gave him a look of encouragement.
He smiled faintly. An occasion like this was thrilling; ’after all, my dream of becoming a king is finally coming true.’
However, his mental fortitude was now immense. Despite the excitement, he felt not a trace of stage fright.
Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, Ronin walked slowly into the great hall and ascended the ceremonial platform.
"Thank you all for traveling far and wide to attend the founding ceremony of my kingdom."
Ronin gave a slight bow, forgoing a lengthy speech. As he spoke, Randall, who had been standing to one side, approached with a magnificent wooden box in his hands.
Inside the box was the Crown, crafted by Sophia and Simon from gold, mithril, and other magic materials. A faint magical light perpetually flowed across its surface.
There had been some debate over who should perform the crowning.
Most had argued that someone of Oduin’s bloodline—either Princess Sharon or Princess Blanche—should be the one to place the Crown on Ronin’s head.
Ultimately, Ronin made the final decision: he would crown himself.
He reached out, lifted the Crown, and looked out at the assembled nobles. Then, he slowly raised his hands and placed it upon his own head.
"The Star Kingdom is hereby founded!"
"And I, here and now, am crowned its King!"
Instantly, every noble in the hall rose to their feet, applauding with unbridled excitement.
Lurans, who had watched Ronin’s rise from the very beginning, had eyes filled with pride. Ronin’s subordinates, meanwhile, all looked upon him with pure adoration.
The applause continued for a long time before finally subsiding.
Next came the swearing of fealty by his retainers.
Ridder led this part of the ceremony, followed by Elron, Macken, Sophia, Karda, and even Carlos, in his miniature Dragon form.
In addition to them were Wilson and Chahar, as well as those who had pledged their loyalty to him early on, such as Rogner, Reis, and Yusuf.
Randall announced each of their names in a loud voice, deliberately proclaiming their ranks as well.
Legendary Knight, Legendary Giant Dragon, Proud Sun Knight, Great Mage...
These individuals and the Magical Beast deliberately unleashed their auras, filling the hall’s nobles with a mixture of shock and terror.
’They knew Ronin was strong, but they never expected his subordinates to be this powerful.’
This was, in fact, precisely the effect Ronin had intended.
With the kingdom established, it was time for Ronin to bestow titles and rewards.
He turned, seated himself upon the throne, and began to announce his plans for enfeoffment.
"Ridder is hereby named Flame Duke, granted one hundred thousand mu of farmland, and appointed Governor of Giant Dragon City and Commander-in-Chief of the Star Kingdom’s armed forces."
"Elron is hereby named Light Count, granted ten thousand mu of farmland, and appointed Governor of Wubei City and President of the Star Kingdom Magic Research Association."
"Macken is hereby named Guardian Count, granted ten thousand mu of farmland, and appointed Governor of Oslo City, the former capital of the Villa Duchy."
"Sophia is hereby named Crescent Count, and appointed Governor of Moonlight City and Vice President of the Star Kingdom Magic Research Association."
"Karda is hereby named Viscount, granted over ten thousand mu of farmland, and appointed Governor of Screaming Island and Navy Commander-in-Chief of the Star Kingdom."
The remaining followers were mostly named Barons, with appointments such as Minister of State Affairs, Minister of Transport, and so on.
Listening to these appointments, Ibn and the other foreign nobles keenly sensed that Ronin was changing the very nature of the aristocracy.
Simply put, nobles had always been granted fiefdoms. Ronin himself, for example, had begun as the Baron of the Forest, with Mountain Forest Town as his personal domain.
Yet at this ceremony, not a single one of the nobles Ronin enfeoffed was a true Lord in the traditional sense.
Even Flame Duke Ridder, with his one hundred thousand mu of farmland, was only granted cultivated land; his grant did not include mountains, forests, rivers, mines, or any other resources.
Ibn couldn’t help but clutch the joint letter in his pocket. ’If we also swear allegiance to Ronin and support his bid to become the Continent’s Overlord, will our own noble rights be redefined in the same way?’
’Isn’t this just a way to weaken our power in disguise?’
’But what will happen to us if we don’t submit to him?’
As Ibn watched Ridder and the others accept these new titles and swear their fealty without hesitation, his heart grew heavy with conflict. He no longer knew if he should present the joint letter.
Ronin’s thinking was simple. ’My kingdom will implement a new system, and redefining the power of the nobility is the first step.’
This new model might cause some grumbling in private, but as long as Ridder, Macken, and his core followers had no objections, the others wouldn’t dare to cause trouble.
Then, before the assembled nobles, he announced his intention to establish new departments in addition to the traditional Six Ministries: a Supervision Ministry, a Ministry of Transport, a Ministry of Education, and the Courts.
Furthermore, he announced the abolition of slavery within the borders of the Star Kingdom and a host of other policies designed to guarantee the livelihood and protect the rights of the common people. This new nation would begin to operate according to the blueprint he had designed.
Although he was certain to face difficulties and resistance, as long as the upper echelons remained loyal and the lower classes were kept stable, there should be no major issues.
’It’s changed. Everything has changed. This is no longer the system of kingship that I’m familiar with.’
"Your Majesty Ronin!"
As the ceremony drew to a close, Ibn could no longer contain himself and rose to his feet. As the primary author of the joint letter, he knew he had to be the one to inquire about the fate of the Oduin Kingdom.
"According to the plan decided upon at the noble assembly in the Golden Feather Palace more than two years ago, the time to discuss who would inherit the throne of Oduin was to be after the Tricia Kingdom was defeated."
Ibn paused, then asked, "I wonder, what are your intentions now?"