Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence-Chapter 236 - 230: Investiture Ceremony
BOOM!
The words struck the Golden Dragon Sunβs mind like a bolt of lightning.
Its massive body froze. Its golden eyes went wide, staring in disbelief at the tiny human before it.
βEnnoblement...β ππ£πππππππΌππ²πΉ.ππ π
βA Knight?β
βA human noble wants to make a Giant Dragon a Knight?β
βThis... how is this possible?β
βAm I dreaming?β
In its long life, it had never heard of something so absurd, and yet so...
So thrilling!
Raylo didnβt give it much time to think. He struck while the iron was hot, his voice growing more impassioned.
"And thatβs not all!"
"In your name, I will establish a brand new Knight Order in Black Stone Territory!"
"Its name will be the βSun Knight Orderβ!"
"And you, Sun, will be this Knight Orderβs first and only supreme commander! The Grand Master!"
Rayloβs gaze seemed to pierce straight into the Golden Dragonβs soul.
"You will no longer have to fight alone, nor will you need to trouble yourself with the betrayals of those beasts. Behind you will stand an absolutely loyal and well-trained human legion!"
"Wherever your Dragon Wings point, there the lances of the Sun Knight Order shall follow!"
"That despicable black mud-loach, and its filthy beast tide of tens of thousands, will all be ground to dust beneath the iron hooves of the Sun Knight Order!"
Silence.
A dead silence.
The crackling of the bonfire, the rustling of the wind through the grassβat this moment, it all seemed to vanish.
The Golden Dragon Sun was motionless, as if it had turned into a golden statue.
Its breathing stopped. Its enormous golden eyes were first vacant, then they began to tremble violently. Finally, an unprecedented, brilliant light, like two true suns, suddenly flared to life!
"ROAR!"
A world-shaking roar erupted from the depths of the Golden Dragonβs throat without warning!
This roar held none of its previous anger or resentment. Instead, it was filled with irrepressible ecstasy and excitement!
The sound waves materialized into a furious gale, whipping the bonfire on the ground sideways until it nearly went out.
Sun violently unfurled its massive, sky-blotting Dragon Wings, completely ignoring the freshly healed wounds on its back.
Its golden scales reflected the dazzling Moonlight. With a powerful push from its hind legs, its colossal body shot up from the ground, kicking up clouds of dust and debris as it soared into the heavens!
It circled and rolled wildly in the night sky, venting a centuryβs worth of pent-up frustration and desire in the most primal, unrestrained way.
One high-pitched draconic cry after another echoed throughout the entire Black Stone Territory.
The birds and beasts in the forests scattered in terror. Even from the distant Black Dragonβs Nest, an uneasy growl seemed to answer.
Raylo stood on the hillside, letting the fierce wind whip his black hair and robes. He raised his head, smiling as he watched the golden Lightning in the night sky.
He knew he had made the right gamble.
Sun lacked neither wealth nor Power.
The only thing it lacked was "status"βa status recognized by the "Knight World" it so admired.
And Raylo had given it that status.
After circling for a dozen or so times, Sun finally descended again.
With a loud RUMBLE, the ground trembled.
It carefully folded its Dragon Wings and landed before Raylo. Its massive head lowered slowly, its golden eyes, brighter than ever before, fixed upon him.
Its breathing was still heavy, releasing scorching blasts of air from the exertion, but the emotion contained within was completely different.
"A Knight..."
"My Knight Order..."
Sunβs voice trembled. It tried to say more, but found that any words seemed pale and powerless at this moment.
It had wandered the wilds for a century, misunderstood for a century, lonely for a century. Never had it imagined that its greatest wish would be fulfilled today by a young human.
In the end, all its complex emotions were distilled into the simplest and most sincere words.
"Raylo..."
Its voice was low and solemn.
"Thank you."
"From this day forward, you are the eternal friend of me, Sun."
γThree days passed in the blink of an eye.γ
Stunning news, as if carried by a Griffin, flew from the Lordβs Castle, spreading swiftly through every street and village, even drifting over the border mountains and rivers.
The Lord, Count Raylo, was going to make a real Giant Dragon a Knight!
At first, everyone who heard this news thought some Alcoholic was talking nonsense.
A Giant Dragon?
The kind of terrifying creature that always occupied the front pages of epics and legends?
Made into a Knight?
That was even more preposterous than hearing that Master Barnaby had combed his hair.
But when the official decree from the Lordβs Mansion was posted in black and white, and when craftsmen began working day and night to build an unprecedentedly tall ceremonial platform in the Central Plaza, doubt turned to astonishment, and astonishment quickly fermented into a fervent anticipation.
On the day of the ceremony, Black Stone Town was already abuzz with activity at the crack of dawn.
Townsfolk, merchant caravans, Mercenaries, and adventurers who had rushed over from the surrounding areas packed the Central Plaza so tightly that not even a drop of water could get through.
The city guards had to use all their strength just to maintain a clear path to the ceremonial platform.
People craned their necks, their faces a mixture of excitement and unease, whispering amongst themselves as they hoped to witness this spectacle that would surely be recorded in the annals of history.
On the Lordβs Castle terrace, Lillian stood with her arms crossed, her eyes gazing at the surging crowd below, her expression complex.
When she heard Raylo was going to make a Giant Dragon a Knight, she was so excited she hadnβt slept all night, rushing to Black Stone Territory immediately.
She had come to witness this historic moment.
"Brother, are you sure about this? Isnβt this causing too much of a stir?"
she asked softly.
"Making a Giant Dragon a Knight is unprecedented in all of human history. Iβm afraid it will attract unnecessary attention from those old hardliners."
Raylo stood beside her, his gaze calm as he watched everything unfold.
Today, he was dressed in a new, formal lordβs attire. The black fabric was embroidered with the crest of Black Stone Territory in gold thread, making his figure appear even more upright and imposing.
"Itβs fine. By the time they react, Sun will already be an inseparable part of my Black Stone Territory."
"Alright, youβre always right."
She shrugged, a playful, girlish smile appearing on her face.
"But, have you prepared the ceremonial sword? Are you going to need an extra-large, extended Knight Sword?"
"Itβs not that exaggerated."
Raylo shook his head with a laugh.
"The ceremony is important, of course, but the core of it is respect."
The midday sun cast its rays down perfectly, bathing the entire city in a golden hue.
"DONG! DONG! DONG!"
The bells of the Lordβs Castle chimed twelve times, their sound distant and solemn.
The noisy plaza instantly fell silent. Everyone held their breath and, as one, raised their heads to look at the sky.
