Ashen Dragon-Chapter 385 - 308: Coronation (Part 4)

Chapter 385: Chapter 308: Coronation (Part 4)

“Carry it to the top of the altar!”

“Heave-ho! Heave-ho!”

Accompanied by heavy breathing, eight strong Ogres struggled to carry a massive, heavy metal box, appearing at the end of the road.

Step by step, they ascended the stairs, climbing to the top of the altar. With combined effort, they opened the box and then knelt down.

Instantly, golden light burst forth from the box, prompting gasps from the admiring crowd. There lay the Crown, fully made of Mithril, inlaid with various exquisite gems, shimmering under the sunlight.

That was the Supreme True Dragon Diadem.

Suddenly, a question arose in the hearts of the onlookers. According to tradition, the emperor needed someone to crown him; even the “Sun King” Aragon the First of the Holy Fadlan Federation was crowned by the Archbishop of the Amanata Church at that time.

Who here had the qualification to crown this “Ashen Empire’s Emperor” Cassius?

Thinking of this ruler’s nickname, “Dragon Prince,” people immediately thought of a familiar name but dared not speak it out loud.

At this moment, a huge shadow appeared in the sky over Isdalia, an unimaginable pressure filling everyone’s hearts, causing instinctive fear.

“Gods…”

“That is…”

People looked up to the deep sky, only to discover a nightmare-like figure enveloping the earth.

It was a monstrous dragon body, with dragon wings like dark clouds, twisting and writhing five necks and five heads, and those terrifying vertical pupils focused on Cassius.

This was merely Her projection on the Prime Material Plane, yet it made everyone present tremble.

“It’s Her!”

“Tiamat.”

Someone screamed out that name in terror.

The crowd was in an uproar again; they hadn’t expected Tiamat to favor the Red Dragon to such an extent, descending personally in projection form.

“Her Majesty the Dragon Queen! She has come in person!”

Christina raised her head, gazing at the sky, her expression extremely excited.

“As expected…”

Cassius looked up without hesitation, meeting Her gaze directly and thought this.

He had anticipated this situation.

With Tiamat’s nature, once he crowned himself, She would definitely appear immediately. It seemed She bestowed Cassius with “divine grace” while actually binding the Empire firmly to the chariot of the five-colored dragons.

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If Tiamat indeed crowned him, it would be tantamount to declaring allegiance, waging war against the Metal Dragons and other benevolent forces.

Thinking of this, Cassius slightly bowed and tightened his wings to show respect to the deity.

“Good day, Your Majesty the Dragon Queen.”

“Cassius, you have done well.”

All five heads of the Dragon Queen grinned menacingly, revealing a chilling smile.

“So well… that you deserve my personal congratulations.”

“If there were more outstanding offspring like you, there would be no fear of the five-colored dragons’ revival, and the ruling of giant dragons would once again grace the earth.”

“You praise me too highly.”

Cassius replied with neither humility nor arrogance.

He sighed inwardly. In a few words, Tiamat had turned the Ashen Kingdom, or rather the Empire, into the shared property of the five-colored dragons.

So, he politely responded, “My realm cannot compare to Your great achievement.”

In his words, Cassius once again distinguished these two concepts.

The projection of Tiamat in the sky showed no visible emotion, merely narrowing Her eyes slightly, and said, “Cassius, you need a formal, grand coronation ceremony.”

“For instance, one personally conducted by a deity.”

For this seemingly tempting suggestion, Cassius did not respond immediately. He merely nodded slightly, lowering his head in contemplation.

In fact, he was waiting, waiting for a special guest to arrive.

The cold north wind suddenly howled.

Tiamat’s expression changed drastically.

People looked up again, seeing the cyan glow of a midsummer sky flickering on the horizon. The long, slender, platinum dragon shadow also appeared in the sky.

“This is…”

“Is it His Majesty Bahamut?”

The Silver Dragons, Olivia and Cruzre, cried out in unison, their spirits lifted.

Olivia was especially excited, even fantasizing about Cassius mending his ways and worshipping Bahamut after this.

The Blue Dragons’ expressions turned particularly complex.

The onlookers were dumbfounded, some even numbed. They never imagined that the legendary “Five-Colored Dragon Queen” and “Platinum Dragon King” would appear simultaneously at this ceremony.

But people from across Fianso deeply felt the importance of this giant dragon.

“Good day, Your Majesty Bahamut.”

Even Evil Dragons often respected Bahamut’s wisdom and strength, and Cassius was no exception.

Tiamat roared angrily, “Bahamut! Your Chosen One has been defeated by my offspring, how dare you appear here!”

Bahamut spoke calmly, “I rejoice at any powerful dragon who wishes to turn over a new leaf.”

“You are spouting nonsense!”

Two immense divine forces clashed in the sky, creating turbulent waves that caused the wind and clouds to surge.

Cassius gazed at the chaotic sky, his expression unperturbed.

Months ago, when he erased Bahamut’s presence from the gem, he sent a certain signal to the other party—a kind of invitation.

The other party understood and arrived as promised. Perhaps the Platinum Dragon King did not truly intend to co-opt Cassius but merely wanted to disgust Tiamat—but that was enough.

The older and more powerful the dragon, the better it could perceive the true nature of these dragon gods. Very few of the oldest dragons followed them blindly.

Cassius did not want to become Tiamat’s pawn, nor did he want to be completely under the Dragon Queen’s control. He preferred to oscillate between various factions, seeking the greatest benefit for his Empire.

But due to Cassius’ past victories over Silver Dragons and Tiamat’s deliberate guidance, more and more people on the continent viewed him as Tiamat’s Chosen One, even Her direct descendant.

He did not want to see such a situation unfold.

In the past, with insufficient strength, Cassius might have used Tiamat’s influence to intimidate enemies.

Now, with enough strength, that identity would only bring him more enemies and troubles.

Not to mention a stingy deity like Tiamat, who rarely bestowed grace but instead used followers to achieve Her goals as much as possible.

In the sky, clouds churned, lightning crackled. The mere projections of the two deities brought unimaginable intimidation.

In the venue, Blue Dragons and Silver Dragons were also at each other’s throats, muscles tensed, ready for battle.

Amid this tense and chaotic atmosphere, Cassius finally broke the stalemate by speaking first.

“To be crowned under the witness of both Your Majesties—”

His tone paused slightly.

Under the gaze of hundreds of thousands, the Red Dragon strode briskly to the metal box, reached out his claw without hesitation, and swiftly placed the diadem on his head.

“Is indeed my greatest honor.”

At this moment, Cassius’ voice was exceptionally steady.

The presence of the two deities elevated the prestige of the Ashen Empire to new heights.

In fact, before this coronation ceremony, Cassius had made up his mind. As the new emperor of the Ashen Empire, the supreme ruler, he needed no one to crown him—not even a deity.