Page 100

"It wasn't always like this. According to ancient etiquette, the enfeoffment of a lord would only take an hour to complete. However, after the establishment of Lion Heart City, a large influx of humans brought with them their luxury goods and decadent lifestyles, which also continuously entered the Alliance. Many of the lion nobility gradually became assimilated to human customs, becoming extravagant and decadent. Although not everyone underwent such changes, since the orc kings of every generation were of the lion tribe, some habits gradually permeated into the rituals of the Orc Alliance as well." Catherine explained to me in this manner, with a hint of shame on her face, for most of these changes occurred within the Fang family she hailed from. Her father was an active proponent, and her three elder brothers were complete admirers of human customs.

"Ah, I see. Then I shall leave these troublesome tasks to you, as I myself cannot make sense of these regulations."

"My lord need not worry. In fact, aside from the nobles of Lion Heart City, many lords from other regions are also entirely unfamiliar with these regulations. Thus, the royal palace has dedicated protocol officers to accompany them at all times, to prevent any mishaps."

Certainly, please provide the text you would like translated into English.

On the morning of the third day, the investiture ceremony was officially held, and I was escorted into the Beast Palace by a group of palace officials.

The Beast Palace has been the seat of office and residence for the successive kings of the Beastmen, standing grand and historic in opposition to the War God Temple. However, it is a well-known fact that all the kings of the Beastmen have originated from the Lion tribe. Due to the power struggle with the War God Temple and the increasing prosperity of Lion Heart City, the focus of the Beastmen kings' lives has gradually shifted towards Lion Heart City. Consequently, the Beast Palace has become a place that is only opened and utilized during significant festivals and ceremonies.

Nevertheless, the Beast Palace remains a grand palace adorned with luxury. From the moment I entered the Beast Palace, I was greeted by layers upon layers of gorgeous curtains, lifelike reliefs and portraits, and dazzling crystal chandeliers. The honor guards and attendants on both sides, hailing from the more comely races of the beastmen, were also dressed in splendid attire and conducted themselves with utmost politeness, making one feel as if they had not stepped into the realm of the beastmen, but rather found themselves in the palaces of humans or elves.

I had no interest in the myriad of complex rituals, only knowing that after more than two hours of fuss, I finally met the Orc King in the afternoon, known as the Alliance's once-in-a-millennium genius monarch—Samantha.

As Samantha entered the hall, all sounds within it ceased, leaving only the resounding footsteps of the Orc King and his retinue echoing through the space. Similar to Catherine, Samantha belonged to the lion tribe with hardly any beastly markings, possessing nothing but a head of lush golden hair and a towering stature over eight feet, she was the very image of a majestic emperor with a dragon's stride and a tiger's gait. In contrast to the opulent style of the entire Beast Palace, Samantha was clad in military attire. Her face, past the age of forty, bore few wrinkles. It was said that in her youth, she was known as the "Sun God," and now, well into middle age, her charm remained undiminished, only adding a sense of gravity and composure to her presence.

Following closely behind Samantha were two individuals, one of them was Prince Doss, whom she had encountered that day, and the other was a young officer from the Lion Clan, holding in his hands a massive and heavy crescent-shaped blade, the size and shape of which perfectly matched Samantha's legendary divine sword, "Dragon-Rending Lion's Fang."

Upon seeing Samantha and the large blade, Catherine's expression beside me changed instantly, radiating a fierce aura of lethal intent. Though it vanished as quickly as it came, my significantly enhanced spiritual senses, now heightened, keenly detected it. Its sharpness and determination surpassed even the time when Catherine was resolved to kill me, and it was not present when she faced the three followers who betrayed her. It was a mixture of cold, steel-like sorrow and bottomless rage.

"... Catherine, it seems this girl has a deep-seated grudge against Samantha. Anyway, I've already completely offended the Orc King. If I could thus completely win Catherine over to become my strength, the help for the future would be immeasurable."

After Catherine swore to become my follower, I have never doubted her loyalty. Perhaps for the humans of this world, an oath is something that can be reneged upon at any time, but for the orcs, especially the lion tribe who cultivates the "Emperor Martial's Dominant Technique," a promise is as weighty as Mount Tai. However, there is a limit to everything. Even my master Huang Yaoshi, who was once bound by an oath and confined to Peach Blossom Island, unable to venture into the Central Plains to pursue us, I believe that if there had been a way to cure my master's wife, he would have immediately broken his vow and left the island to seek medical help. In life, there are often things that are more important than dignity and beliefs. Thus, although I trust Catherine, I still need to eliminate any possibility of her betraying me, including her family, friends, and race.

At that moment, the voice of King Samantha reached my ears, and I shifted my focus to the ceremony.

"In the name of the Alliance's Beast King, I acknowledge Xuanfeng, Blizzard Wolfe's merits in the campaign of reclaiming Fontainebleau, as well as in the defense of Fontainebleau, and grant him the eternal right to govern that realm. Sir Xuanfeng, please step forward to receive your enfeoffment."

I raised my head and met the emerald eyes of Queen Samantha. From the moment she made her entrance, the orc queen had been radiating an immense psychic pressure, making everyone in the room tremble with fear, her presence far more formidable than the pressure Catherine had once exerted upon me. However, my cultivation has greatly improved, and I have withstood the trials of the "War Saint" Leimen; such a level of mental oppression is no longer a concern to me, and I met Samantha's gaze without flinching.

Taking two steps forward, I stood the ceremonial sword upright, adopting a posture of prayer. In the investiture rituals of the Orc Alliance, there is no such etiquette as kneeling to express gratitude, as in the courts of the past or among humans in this life. This is because the Orc King is chosen based on merit, an affirmation of ability, rather than a leader of supreme bloodline. Therefore, there is no need for prostration. Fortunately, that is the case; otherwise, I would rather turn my back than kneel.

"Xuanfeng Knight, from this day forth, you shall bear the solemn duty of guarding the realm of the Alliance, and pay any necessary price to earn the eternal right to rule over Fontainebleau. Are you willing?"