Chapter 817: Farewells and the Victory Banquet

Chapter 817: Chapter 817: Farewells and the Victory Banquet

The majestic closing ceremony came to an end beneath the echoing blast of imperial horns and a rain of golden petals showering the plaza. Following the official announcements and the cheers of the crowd, the leaders of the various delegations began to disperse to prepare for their journeys back to their respective territories.

The blind monk walked over to the couple, leaning on his staff of mystic wood. He offered a respectful bow with his palms pressed together against his chest.

"It has been an honor to share the battlefield with you, Your Excellency," said the blind monk in a serene voice. "I sense our paths will cross again very soon. I wish you a prosperous journey."

"Safe travels, monk," replied Ethan, nodding calmly. "Make sure you take good care of those eyes."

The monk offered a faint, knowing smile before turning away and vanishing peacefully into the surging crowd.

Shortly after, the princess of the Frost Dragon Kingdom approached with hesitant steps. Keeping her hands clasped tightly against her robe, she appeared shy as her cheeks flushed pink.

"Great Hero Ethan...", whispered the frost princess, lowering her gaze briefly before summoning her courage. "If you ever find yourself with free time... you will always be welcome in the Frost Dragon Kingdom."

Beside him, Isabella crossed her arms and locked a disdainful glare onto her. However, she didn’t utter a word, remaining calm and keeping her chin raised high so as not to lose her composure in public.

"Thank you for the invitation," Ethan said with a relaxed smile. "If the opportunity arises and I have the time, perhaps I’ll take a trip over there."

Upon hearing his words, the frost princess’s eyes lit up with joy, and genuine excitement washed away her shyness.

"Really! If you decide to go, please let me know in advance!" she exclaimed with a dazzling smile. "I assure you I will personally show you the very best places in the entire kingdom!"

After parting ways amid polite laughter and courteous bows, the frost princess departed alongside her royal guard.

The moment she was at a safe distance, Isabella’s calm demeanor crumbled instantly.

"Wow, look at that bitch...", Isabella muttered under her breath, gritting her teeth as she watched her leave. "A total shameless whore..."

Ethan couldn’t hold back a short laugh at the sight. Without wasting a second, he reached out and pinched both of her cheeks softly, bunching her lips up like a fish.

"Look at you," Ethan teased, gazing at her with amusement. "Are you still not over your jealousy?"

"Le’ me go, e’io’! (Let me go, idiot!)", Isabella protested, her voice distorted by his grip as she tried to pull away, swatting weakly at his wrist.

Leaving the colosseum’s uproar behind, the Soaring Dragon delegation gathered at the main entrance. King Alaric, Ethan’s father-in-law, and Great General Vaelen stood waiting with beaming faces full of pride. The overwhelming victory in the imperial tournament had not only secured their faction’s prestige, but had also thrust them to the very pinnacle of political power across the continent.

"A sublime performance, my boy!" exclaimed King Alaric, giving Ethan a firm pat on the shoulder. "Today, the entire empire knows the name of Soaring Dragon!"

"Tonight, glory belongs to us," added Great General Vaelen with a satisfied smirk. "I have reserved the main pavilion at the finest restaurant in the imperial city. No one retires to rest without celebrating properly first!"

Escorted by luxury carriages and guards, the group made their way toward the capital’s most exclusive establishment, where a banquet fit for kings—filled with spiritual delicacies and ancient spirits—awaited to kick off a night of unrestrained celebration.

The banquet unfolded in a private hall with panoramic views overlooking the night lights of the imperial capital. Servants continuously entered and exited, pouring vessels of jade wine and serving dishes prepared with the meat of high-tier spiritual beasts.

King Alaric raised his goblet of golden wine, offering a toast toward Ethan and the prominent warriors as joy gleamed in his eyes.

"This tournament grants us far more than just glory, my boy," said King Alaric, taking a sip of the elixir before continuing in an impassioned tone. "In the political structure of this empire, our placement in the Imperial Tournament directly dictates the allocation and distribution of strategic resources for the next ten years."

"Indeed," Great General Vaelen chimed in, resting his elbows on the table with a satisfied smirk. "The spiritual stone veins, mystic iron deposits, and the quotas of elixirs from imperial alchemy... Everything that lesser kingdoms and empires dispute year after year will now be assigned to us with absolute priority. Thanks to your performance, the Soaring Dragon faction will receive nearly thirty percent of the empire’s total resource quota."

Isabella, who had already freed herself from Ethan’s cheek-pinching but still retained a faint blush on her face, listened intently while taking small sips from her goblet.

"That means our kingdom’s influence along the borders will increase dramatically," commented Isabella, looking over at Ethan. "The other sects and tributary realms will have to account to us directly before negotiating with the imperial capital."

"Precisely, my daughter," King Alaric nodded with pride. "Ethan hasn’t just crushed the prodigies of enemy realms on the battlefield; he has granted Soaring Dragon economic and military hegemony for the coming decade. The Emperor himself will have no choice but to formally back us."

Ethan listened to the explanations serenely, maintaining a relaxed smile while swirling the goblet in his hand. He knew full well that political power was essential to maintain stability, but what truly interested him was the freedom these resources would give his own faction to operate without external interference.

"As long as they give us what’s ours and don’t meddle in my business," said Ethan in a measured tone, "they can divide the rest however they please."

"That is the mindset of a true leader!" King Alaric exclaimed with a laugh, raising his goblet once more to kick off the banquet. "A toast to the future of Soaring Dragon and to our champion!"

The banquet continued filled with laughter, endless toasts, and discussions surrounding the kingdom’s future plans until late into the night. As the moon reached its zenith in the firmament and the vessels of spiritual wine began to run dry, the exhausted yet euphoric delegation finally brought the celebration to a close. Exchanging warm farewells, everyone retired to their respective luxury suites in the imperial pavilion to rest and recover their strength after the intense day.