Chapter 258: The Founding Ceremony (1)

Last night's rain had not drenched Oqi City, but it inevitably left the air heavy with moisture, deepening the bitter chill of the early spring morning. Yet the severe cold could not extinguish the fiery enthusiasm in the hearts of the citizens.

Today was the first day of spring in Nordhill, and more importantly, the official founding of the monster kingdom—Yafiavi.

As the sky revealed the pale fish-belly white of dawn, enthusiastic crowds packed Royal Capital Avenue, filling the thoroughfare that spanned the entirety of Oqi City so tightly that not a drop of water could slip through.

At the end of Royal Capital Avenue lay the venue for the founding ceremony: Kingdom Square. Above the square rested a massive, rectangular stone platform. Two symmetrical flights of stairs wrapped around its ends before merging into a single grand staircase that led directly up to the gates of White Castle at the mountain's peak.

The White Dragon Lord stood front and center on the platform, flanked by his three younger dragon siblings. Behind the four dragons stood Gurgalu, Hogger, Bucky Darkscale, and a host of other thralls, while dignitaries and guests from various nations gathered on either side to watch the ceremony.

The thrall leaders had played an indispensable role in the founding of Yafiavi, naturally making them the most qualified to stand behind the white dragons.

Old Blind and Old Jimmy—two veteran subordinates who had not been seen in some time—certainly would not miss this grand event. Currently pushing to break through to the Legendary Rank, both had traveled to the new White Fort.

The White Dragon Lord glanced back at the two veteran Murlocs, feeling a faint pang of sorrow. Their lives were nearing the end. This was especially true for Old Blind; the White Dragon Lord could already smell the scent of decay clinging to him, like a withered old tree.

Old Blind likely would not live to see a second spring, but he was ecstatic to witness the land he had fought for his entire life become a true kingdom. He had even donned his long-retired battle armor for the occasion, his single eye gazing excitedly at the grand spectacle below.

The White Dragon Lord suppressed his faint sorrow. Today was a day of great joy for Yafiavi. With everyone's eyes fixed upon his every move, he needed to maintain a strong, positive demeanor.

Standing on the high platform, the White Dragon Lord surveyed the majestic scene below. One end of Royal Capital Avenue connected to the main gate of Oqi City, while the other met Kingdom Square at the foot of the royal palace mountain.

Now, along both sides of this five-thousand-meter-long and fifty-meter-wide stone-paved thoroughfare, temporary barricades had been erected to separate the enthusiastic crowds from the avenue reserved for the military's passage.

Stationed along the inner side of the barricades stood line after line of soldiers. There were Murlocs, kobolds, Ogres, trolls, gnolls, Gray Dwarves, and, naturally, no shortage of Harpies.

The soldiers stood tall with their chests thrust out, clad in ornate white armor and capes of blue embroidered with a four-dragon ring emblem. Armed with long spears and with swords at their waists, they were spaced exactly one meter apart. Arranged symmetrically by height from shortest to tallest starting from the city gates, they served both as guards maintaining order and as honor guards representing their respective races.

This was not limited to Royal Capital Avenue. The streets forming a "T" intersection in front of Kingdom Square had been given the exact same treatment, lined with temporary barricades.

White Castle had long since announced the itinerary for the founding ceremony. The schedule was quite exhaustive, but the highlights were clear: first was the founding speech delivered by the first king of Yafiavi, the White Dragon Lord—Amos Aldrich. Next was the military parade, and finally, Gurgalu would deliver the closing remarks on behalf of the major races.

The military parade—a concept appearing for the very first time on the Nordhill Continent—was naturally the main event the citizens were looking forward to. The soldiers' entry point was the main gate of Oqi City. They would march the length of Royal Capital Avenue, split into two columns in front of Kingdom Square, march down the intersecting T-shaped streets, and finally exit through the gates on either side of the city.

Because of this, those who failed to secure a spot along Royal Capital Avenue had to settle for the next best thing: finding a suitable vantage point along the sides of Kingdom Square. However, those areas were just as densely packed. Left with no other choice, many resorted to climbing onto the roofs of the shops lining the avenue.

The roofs offered an unobstructed view, naturally making them prime real estate for the ceremony. Latecomers quickly followed suit, and faced with the overwhelming will of the masses, the shop guards had no choice but to turn a blind eye.

A troll weighing at least a thousand pounds attempted to do the same, only to be immediately shooed away by the shop guards. The troll could only stand helplessly on the street, roaring its frustration.

Up on the second-floor balconies of the shops, rows of chairs had been set out. Successful "individuals" from all over sat comfortably, chatting and laughing cheerfully with those around them.

Word had it that for the shops with second-floor balconies, the profits from auctioning off those seats alone matched their usual revenue for an entire month.

Out on the streets, a human woman who had arrived late finally squeezed her way out of a congested alley. Seeing the endless sea of bobbing heads before her, despair washed over her. Yet, having traveled here specifically for the founding ceremony, she was unwilling to just give up and leave.

Then, she noticed a towering Ogre nearby, leaning comfortably against the wall of a shop and grinning at the guards across the street. Ogres generally stood over four meters tall; as long as they could find standing room on the street, they were guaranteed a fantastic view. Staring at the Ogre's broad shoulders, her eyes lit up.

"Hey, big guy."

"..."

After some communication, she got her wish and ended up perched upon the Ogre's shoulders.

With so many gathered in a single place, the noise was unavoidable.

The White Dragon Lord did not mind. At a time like this, the clamor was a symbol of popularity. He looked up toward the eastern sky; the sun was about to rise.

"We may begin."

A telepathic transmission drilled accurately into the ears of the human administrator.

This human talent brought back from the Madilan World swiftly relayed the orders down the chain of command.

Woooooooo—!

A horn blew from some hidden location, and the crowds instantly quieted down. They knew the founding ceremony was about to begin.

The Ogres out on the streets heard the familiar, desolate blare and instantly recognized it as the traditional instrument of their tribes: the ox-horn trumpet.

Blown from hollowed-out ox horns, these blasts were an essential part of the Ogres' most important activities, from hunting and warfare to grand celebrations. The ox-horn trumpet carried their heritage and pride.

The Ogres proudly puffed out their chests, listening intently to the sound that represented their people.

Soon, the blare of the ox-horn trumpets reached a crescendo before gradually fading away.

Immediately after, a distinctly different sound replaced the ox-horn trumpet.

The Murlocs listened quietly to the familiar call of the conch shells, reminiscing about the ebb and flow of the ocean tide under the night sky.

Gradually, the conch shells faded to silence as well.

...

A succession of different instruments echoed through the skies above Oqi City. Every monster present could pick out their familiar sound and felt deeply moved by it. In their hearts, these different instruments were far more than just music; they represented the White Dragon Lord's formal recognition of the major races, proving they were acknowledged as inseparable members of this newborn kingdom.

Finally, the instruments of every race rang out in unison, swelling into a magnificent climax before simultaneously cutting off.

Everyone was still immersed in the lingering echoes of that magnificent symphony when the White Dragon Lord's voice boomed outward.

"Citizens of the Overseas Archipelago! I am the White Dragon—Amos Aldrich! I am the Master of the Overseas Archipelagos! And I am the master of you all!"

The White Dragon Lord raised his head high, his gaze sweeping over the monsters below. Not a single person dared to meet his eyes.

That was true.

In the beginning, nearly all the monsters of the Overseas Archipelago had bowed their heads only after being conquered by the white dragon's overwhelming might. Those who had willingly submitted were an extreme minority.

After submitting to his rule, their material and spiritual lives had improved beyond measure. Because of this, virtually every monster had come to accept the White Dragon Lord.

As for their children, they received ideological education in schools from a young age to pledge loyalty to White Castle, making them die-hard supporters of the white dragon.

Yet, none of that could mask the fundamental truth: the White Dragon Lord had descended upon these lands as an outside conqueror.

The White Dragon Lord surveyed the crowd; the venue was completely silent.

"I was!"

The dragon's deep rumble echoed in everyone's ears. The monsters out on the streets collectively froze.

"From today onward, you are free! You are no longer my slaves!"

The crowd immediately erupted into an uproar. Panic seized the hearts of the monsters, who thought the White Dragon Lord was abandoning them.

They were once a conquered people, but after so many years, the monsters of the Overseas Archipelago had grown thoroughly accustomed to his rule. They cherished the peace and rich lives his order provided, and not a single monster wanted to return to the barbaric days of the past.

"Because! From today onward! You possess a new identity! You are! The citizens of the newborn Kingdom of Yafiavi!"

The White Dragon Lord's impassioned roar rang through their ears. As the monsters finally realized what he meant, their panic instantly transformed into unbridled joy, and the atmosphere in the square erupted into a fever pitch.

Watching from the sidelines, a dignitary from a foreign nation marveled inwardly. This maneuver by the White Dragon Lord was incredibly brilliant.

In the past, the White Dragon Lord had been the nominal master of the archipelago's monsters. But in reality, his direct control had only extended to the small fraction of thralls who had undergone dragon bloodline transformation, and the die-hard soldiers under their command.

Now, by voluntarily granting them their freedom, it seemed as if he were giving up a multitude of slaves. In truth, he lost absolutely nothing. Instead, this single gesture elevated his standing in the hearts of the monsters to unprecedented heights.

As for the monsters who had just shed their slave status, their daily lives would not change one bit. They would simply continue to serve White Castle in the name of citizens.

Of course, this was purely the perspective of a schemer.

In reality, for the White Dragon Lord, legally declaring the monsters as free citizens was an absolute necessity.

A kingdom where only four dragons were free was not fit to be called a kingdom at all. It would be nothing more than the private plantation of four massive slave drivers.

Technically, the White Dragon Lord did lose something, though the cost was minuscule.

Previously, the monsters of the Overseas Archipelago had zero right to refuse his orders because they were a conquered people. Although the White Dragon Lord had never truly exercised this absolute authority, it did not mean the power did not exist.

Today, by formally granting them their freedom, he was voluntarily relinquishing that power.

Of course, Gurgalu and the rest of his thralls—the core foundation of his rule over the Overseas Archipelago—had all been transformed by his dragon bloodline. They would not be affected by this in the slightest.

If the White Dragon Lord capriciously ordered a thrall to commit suicide, they would execute it without a moment's hesitation.

As for the rest of the monsters who were not thralls, given the White Dragon Lord's sheer prestige, they would never refuse a legitimate command. And given his Lawful Neutral alignment, he would never issue any excessively outrageous commands anyway.

Thus, the loss of power was incredibly minor, while the long-term benefits of this decision would be overwhelmingly positive—though that was a matter for the future.

The most immediate effect was that the atmosphere on the scene reached a fever pitch. It was so intense that the soldiers maintaining order had to physically brace themselves against the barricades to stop the frenzied public from breaking through.

The White Dragon Lord struck while the iron was hot.

"Yafiavi was forged through the tireless efforts of every single one of us! Whether you are a general leading foreign expeditions or a guard watching the city gates, whether you are a merchant sailing the distant seas or a laborer hauling cargo!"

"Your labor! Your sweat! All of it has helped build this mighty kingdom! It is the unified effort of us all that has forged this great nation!"

He looked down at the masses desperately trying to suppress their overwhelming excitement, and paused.

"I hereby declare! The Kingdom of Yafiavi! Is officially founded today!"

On the streets, a deafening ocean of jubilant cheers exploded.

At this moment, the sun bashfully revealed a corner of itself on the eastern horizon. The very first golden rays of spring sunlight struck the massive crystal atop the White Tower, refracting a cascade of dreamlike light and shadow.

Suddenly, the crystal flared with a bright yet soothing radiance, projecting a shifting cascade of kaleidoscopic colors across the sky. This was the power of magic—a massively amplified Illusion spell designed to elevate the festive atmosphere to even greater heights.

The cheers of the citizens doubled in intensity.

Amidst the celebration, the ceremonial cannons on the city walls roared to life, firing shells high into the distant sky for a grand total of ninety-nine volleys.

He let the crowd revel for several minutes. Once the White Dragon Lord sensed their jubilation beginning to wane, he turned toward the city walls five thousand meters away and gave a nod to a Mage observing through an Eagle Eye spell.

Catching the signal, the Mage hurriedly ordered the drummers atop the gatehouse to sound the advance. Outside the city, the stars of the military parade stood at the ready.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The deep cadence of war drums gradually sounded out. The citizens suppressed their lingering excitement, standing on their tiptoes as they craned their necks toward the city gates. Even the human foreigners stared wide-eyed, waiting eagerly for the military parade to begin.

A military parade was a completely novel concept for the Nordhill Continent; this was the very first time such a spectacle had been held. It was the heavily advertised centerpiece of White Castle's founding ceremony.

The guards lining the streets ceased their crowd control duties and turned in perfect unison to face the center of the avenue. Standing in immaculate formation, they began slamming the butts of their spears against the stone pavement in time with the thumping drums, producing a thunderous, rhythmic crashing.

The relentless rhythm of the drums and the crashing spears soon synchronized with the beating hearts of the crowd. Staring fixedly at the towering, sealed gates, their heartbeats quickened as their anticipation soared to its absolute zenith.

Under the expectant gaze of the masses, the titanic ironwood gates were hauled open by a team of Ogre strongmen, revealing three heavy iron portcullises within the deep gatehouse tunnel.

Directed by the war drums, soldiers atop the walls cranked the massive winches. One by one, the three iron portcullises were hauled upward, clearing the path and finally revealing the grand army waiting outside.