Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start

Chapter 482 - 455: Prelude to the Grand Wedding

The Tricia Kingdom, Molten Fire Duchy.

Ever since the upstart Holy Storm Organization seized the duchy and annexed several neighboring noble territories, they had renamed the region the "Flame Holy Court."

The Holy Capital of the Flame Holy Court was Molten Fire City.

As the supreme rulers and arbiters of the Holy Court, Flame Divine Envoy Flame Wings and Storm God Envoy Serdil resided in Molten Fire Castle.

Like Mephisto, they were agents sent by the Demon God to the Orland Continent.

Inside the Holy Hall of Molten Fire Castle, the towering Flame Wings frowned, his expression grim as he spoke to the woman beside him, "Mephisto is dead!"

Flame Wings’ already immense frame, clad in a suit of golden battle armor, exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Serdil, standing before him, seemed almost delicate by comparison. But no one in the Holy Court dared to question her, for her ruthlessness was as peerless as her beauty.p>

"Hmph. I told him he should have come north with us, but he wouldn’t listen!"

Serdil sank into a nearby chair in a huff. "Now he’s dead. It’s the price he deserved to pay!"

Flame Wings turned and sat on his throne, his massive frame filling the wide, iron seat.

"Mephisto was eccentric, it’s true, but he was one of the three Divine Envoys. His death grieves me! Serdil, you shouldn’t hold such hostility toward a fallen comrade."

As the leader of this operation and the supreme decision-maker of the Holy Storm Organization, Flame Wings commanded considerable authority.

"Fine, Flame Wings. You’re right. I shouldn’t harbor such prejudice and hostility against him."

Serdil sighed and began to consider the matter seriously.

"We all know Mephisto’s capabilities. Empowered by the Witch Soul Pearl, he was extremely difficult to kill. That’s why he was so confident about heading north alone."

She asked in confusion, "So, how did he die?"

Flame Wings gestured with the letter in his hand. "This is the intelligence report from the north. There are two individuals who require our attention. One of them is an old acquaintance of ours."

"Who?" Serdil asked curiously.

"Princess Sophia of the City of Dawn. She has arrived in the Oduin Kingdom."

Serdil froze for a moment. Then, she had a good idea why Mephisto was dead.

"The leader of the City of Dawn is a Mage, and their inventions have caused us immense trouble over the years. That includes an instrument capable of locating the Witch Soul Pearl. Mephisto probably never expected them to show up."

"And the second person?"

"A native named Roning Wushan."

Flame Wings looked at the letter and elaborated, "He’s not yet twenty years old, but he’s already a Proud Sun Knight. He also has numerous powerful experts by his side, and even Sophia and her retinue have joined his camp. Mephisto died at his hands."

Serdil was also slightly taken aback. ’A Proud Sun Knight under the age of twenty... Such talent was a rare sight, even on the Crescent Continent.’

"Since Sophia has endorsed him, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to cooperate with him. In all likelihood, this Roning will become a formidable enemy of ours in the future."

"Mm."

With a flick of Flame Wings’ finger, the letter in his hand burst into flame.

"Fortunately, Sophia hasn’t secured the support of the Oduin Kingdom. Otherwise, war between the two kingdoms would have erupted immediately. But given enough time, her powerful alliance with Roning will inevitably cause trouble for us. Therefore, we must head north as soon as possible!"

Serdil frowned. "It’s the Tricia Kingdom that should be marching north. If we advance ourselves, we’ll be caught between both sides."

Flame Wings chuckled. "Don’t worry. An opportunity will present itself soon enough!"

"Oh?"

Serdil’s eyes darted as she put the pieces together.

’The Tricia Royal Family must want to ally with us to resist the powerful enemy that might march south.’

...

Roning felt that time flew by when he was busy. Before he realized it, the end of December had arrived, along with the annual New Year festival.

But this year’s festival was different. It was his wedding day.

On the morning of the twenty-eighth, long before dawn, Wushan Castle was already ablaze with lights.

His personal maid, Bella, had made a rare long journey, following Diana from Wubei Territory to the Marquis’ Castle. At this moment, she and the other maids in the castle were meticulously dressing and grooming Roning.

Roning looked at his reflection in the mirror, the corners of his lips twitching into a smile.

He was wearing a magnificent robe, exquisitely tailored in Wushan Castle. According to Bella, it was crafted from high-grade velvet and the finest silk from Wubei Territory, and was immensely valuable.

In addition to the robe, he wore a jewel-encrusted belt, a precious pearl bracelet, an exquisite necklace, and a wide-brimmed top hat.

The overall look was dazzling and magnificent, yet it didn’t lack for elegance and grace.

"My everyday clothes are definitely more comfortable," Roning couldn’t help but remark.

Diana, supervising from the side, said with a smile, "This is your wedding, after all, and one of the most important days for the Royal Family. We can’t afford to lose face."

Bretton gave a thumbs-up. "You look so handsome, Brother!"

Roning burst out laughing. He tilted his head from side to side, then clicked his tongue. ’I suppose I do look pretty handsome.’

After a flurry of activity, the sun finally rose, and the sky gradually brightened.

In the square before Wushan Castle, the Giant Dragon Carlos was already lying in wait, breathing in the Heaven and Earth Elements and exhaling them in a spectacular display of alternating wind and fire.

The sight was both terrifying and awe-inspiring to all who beheld it.

The nobles who had arrived at Wushan Castle all stood at a distance, murmuring in ceaseless wonder.

This was especially true for those who had seen the dragon before; they hadn’t expected Carlos to have grown so massive.

Around eight in the morning, Lurans, Wiggin, and the others escorted Roning to the front of the square.

Dressed in his finest, Lurans was in high spirits, his face beaming with pride and gratification. "Go on, now! A quick journey there and back!"

Over the past two months, the Royal Family and Wushan Castle had gone through numerous rounds of negotiations. Finally, with Roning’s input, they had settled on the procedure for fetching the bride.

As a member of the Royal Family, Blanche’s wedding carried great political and symbolic significance. To showcase the Royal Family’s authority and glory, tradition dictated the ceremony be held in the Royal Great Hall.

Roning did not object to this, but he did make a change regarding the evening banquet, which was supposed to be held at the Golden Feather Palace.

Thus, the plan was for him to arrive at the Golden Feather Palace in the morning, hold the wedding ceremony in the Royal Great Hall at high noon, and then, after the luncheon, bring Blanche back to Wushan Castle for a celebratory dinner banquet.

Roning nodded and with a great stride, vaulted directly onto Carlos’s back.

"Go!"

Carlos spread his massive wings, instantly blotting out the sun. A tremendous pressure radiated from him, making the legs of the distant onlookers tremble uncontrollably.

WHOOSH—

A powerful gust of wind swept through the city as man and dragon sped away, shrinking to a tiny black dot in the blink of an eye.

Lurans gazed up at the sky, a slight smile playing on his lips.

’The news that Roning had a dragon had already spread, but the vast majority of nobles had never seen a Giant Dragon in the flesh. They had no idea what kind of sensation he would cause by arriving in Golden Feather City like this.’

’Lurans had actually advised Roning not to use the dragon, suggesting a griffin instead, as the family had plenty of them.’

’But Roning had refused. To him, for a monumental life event like this, how could he justify not making it a grand and lively spectacle?’