Quite a number of people frowned.
The breathing of the White Blade Guards and the palace guards gradually grew heavier, and they even clenched their fists.
In response, the warriors of Black Sand Region pressed down on their weapons, and their gazes were cold as a warning.
The two groups of people were ready to fight again. Their nerves were taut, and the atmosphere in the hall became very oppressive.
As the people involved, Lampard and the other archdukes remained calm, as though they did not see this frightening scene.
Only people like Nicholas and Tolja kept warning their subordinates with their gazes.
"It's really full of Northland characteristics."
"In the corridor outside the hall, there are not enough nobles to attend the ceremony, and no foreign guests are invited. There are only two groups of soldiers who can't wait to kill each other, and schemers with ulterior motives." In a remote corner, Putray sighed and whispered into Thales' ear, "This is probably the most I've seen in my life …
"The simplest, simplest, most time-saving, and most soul-stirring coronation ceremony."
Thales' eyebrows twitched.
"You can't say that.
"There are six archdukes present, and us, the 'foreign guests'.
"As for the simplest, most time-saving, and most thrilling?" The prince repeated the vice diplomat's words. Recalling everything that happened today, he could not help but shake his head. "Alright, I suspect that no one will be able to break this record in the future."
Fortunately, the conflict that many people were worried about did not happen.
Lampard stood in front of High Priestess Holme and nodded slightly at the priestess.
The priestess' emotionless voice rang in everyone's ears again. "I, Juwle Holme of Bright Moon Temple, am here to inquire on behalf of the gods, on behalf of the Dragon Queen, and on behalf of all previous kings!"
Everyone immediately became serious.
Thales was no exception. Due to the several strange encounters with the representatives of the gods, he was even more anxious than the others.
"As the suzerain of Black Sand Region, one of the ten glorious and majestic Eckstedt archdukes, and the candidate of the King Selection Congress, Chapman Solon Holme Lampard," the High Priestess' voice was indistinct but clear.
Her voice was solemn, and her gaze was solemn.
Lampard stared at her eyes through the veil solemnly.
High Priestess Holme said calmly, "Are you willing to swear on your honor and life …"
All the Northlanders pressed their palms against their hearts in unison. Their expressions were respectful and solemn.
Just when Thales looked around, wondering whether he should imitate them, Putray shook his head and dismissed the idea.
The priest's words were solemn and steady, but they seemed to be filled with an indescribable power that struck everyone's heart. "As a Northlander, bear this heavy responsibility. As the king of the entire territory, rely on your wisdom and breadth of mind to stand at the forefront of the kingdom."
"I swear to defend Eckstedt and Northland with my life."
"The glorious and noble spirit of defending the kingdom will not be buried."
"To ensure that the legitimate and natural rights of the vassals are not violated."
"To protect the lives and property of the Northlanders from being harmed."
"From now until the end of your life?"
The Officiator's voice fell.
All the Northlanders held their breaths and turned their gazes towards the archduke, who was dressed in military attire and who did not smile.
Lampard took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
No one knew what he was thinking.
At that moment, as he listened to the oath, Thales suddenly remembered the Archduke of Black Sand Region's ideals and wishes.
'He hasn't given up,' Thales told himself with certainty as he looked at the archduke's expression.
'No matter how many restrictions there are, how great the obstacles are, how difficult the road ahead is, he will stick to it and never regret it.
'For his Eckstedt.'
In the next second, Lampard suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze was like steel!
The archduke's palm, which was pressed against his heart, suddenly clenched and pressed his fist against it.
"I, Chapman Solon Holt Lampard of the Lampard Family," the Archduke of Black Sand Region's voice was majestic and his expression was firm.
"I swear on my honor and life."
He spoke resolutely, enunciating each word. It was shocking.
"As a Northlander, I will bear this heavy responsibility. As the king of the entire territory, rely on my wisdom and breadth of mind to stand at the forefront of the kingdom."
Thales listened to his oath quietly and frowned slightly. Saroma watched Lampard nervously and did not move.
"I swear to defend Eckstedt and Northland with my life."
Archduke Olsius subconsciously clenched his fists.
"I will uphold the glorious and noble spirit of defending the kingdom will not be buried."
Archduke Roknee gritted his teeth.
"I will ensure that the legitimate and natural rights of the vassals will not be violated."
Archduke Lecco sighed.
"I will protect the safety of the Northlanders' lives and property, and will not be harmed."
Archduke Trentida rolled his eyes and seemed to be deep in thought.
"From this moment until the end of my life."
After Lampard said the last word, he raised his head resolutely and looked around.
He was like the leader of a pride of lions.
Wherever his gaze landed, everyone averted their gazes to avoid eye contact.
When his gaze swept past Thales, the prince did not know if it was an illusion, but he only saw the archduke's eyes widen slightly.
High Priestess Holme nodded slightly. She turned around again and faced the archdukes.
"As one of the ten glorious and majestic Eckstedt archdukes, the co-candidate of the King Selection Congress …"
The priestess read out each person's name in alphabetical order, causing all the archdukes to become serious.
"Archduke of Prestige Orchid, Reybien Olsius …
"Archduke of Defense City, Rogers Lecco …
"Archduke of the City of Faraway Prayers, Kulgon Roknee …
"Archduke of Reformation Tower, Porpheus Trentida …"
Under everyone's gaze, High Priestess Holme turned to the last person.
The bespectacled little girl wanted to pout, but in the end, she clenched her fists, puffed out her small chest, and withstood everyone's gazes stiffly but resolutely.
Lampard looked at the girl from afar and could not help but narrow his eyes.
In the next second, the priestess softly uttered a title that had never appeared in the past six hundred years.
"Archduchess of Dragon Clouds City.
"Saroma Walton."
There was still a small commotion in the crowd.
But the Star Killer and the Fire Knight walked into the crowd together and suppressed their objections with murderous gazes.
"Are you willing to swear on your honor and life …
"As a Northlander, accept this oath. As the king's vassals, offer your treasured swords and shields, and stand by the king's side …
"Swear to defend Eckstedt and Northland to the death.
"Uphold the glorious and noble spirit of the kingdom, and not be buried.
"Ensure that the legitimate and natural rights of the vassals are not violated.
"Protect the safety of the Northlanders' lives and property, and not be harmed.
"From this moment onwards, until the end of your lives?"
Thales mulled over the archdukes' oaths in his heart. He suddenly realized that other than the first sentence, it was almost the same as the king's oath.
This made him suddenly realize that the Joint Ruling Pledge — at least, the people who made it valued it since the beginning — was not a contract between the king and his vassals.
Instead, it was a sacred contract between the rulers and this land.
"I am willing to swear on my honor and life." Olsius paused for a moment and furrowed his brows tightly before he said, "I am willing to swear on my honor and life.
"I am willing to swear on my honor and life." Archduke Lecco's expression was calm, as if this was just a small wave in the long river of his life.
"I am willing to swear on my … honor and life." Archduke Roknee gritted his words. His expression was unhappy, but he still finished speaking while suppressing his anger.
"I am willing to swear on my honor and life." Trentida appeared much more relaxed. He swept his gaze over his colleagues before he said in a composed manner, "I am willing to swear on my honor and life.
"I am willing to, I am willing to swear on my honor and life." Mimicking him, Saroma stuttered in the beginning. Thales could not help but worry for her. But the girl still finished the oath fluently.
Recalling the words and the promise he made with the girl, Thales sighed silently in his heart.
"As a Northlander, I will accept this oath. As the king's vassal, I will offer my sword and shield, and stand by the king's side …" The four archdukes and an archduchess pressed their right hands on their chests. Although their expressions were different, they still repeated the oath just now respectfully.
Everyone waited for the priestess' reaction anxiously and expectantly.
A few seconds later, the High Priestess nodded slightly.
She turned around and stood beside Lampard, facing the crowd.
Tolja's tall figure moved past the crowd and arrived beside the priestess.
He was extremely respectful, holding something with both hands at his chest.
Everyone's gazes were focused on that item. Their gazes froze!
Thales stared fixedly at Tolja's hands.
He recognized it.
It was a hollow iron crown with a dark golden luster. It looked inconspicuous and even plain and shabby. There was only a dark red gem embedded in the forehead.
That was the crown King Nuven wore before he died.
'Wait a minute.'
Thales was slightly startled. His gaze focused on the dark red gem. He felt that it was unusually familiar.
In the crowd, Nicholas snorted softly. Under Viscount Kentvida's threatening gaze, he slowly walked forward, removed the Severing Souls Blade from his back, and stood side by side with the Fire Knight.
Two of the Five War Generals turned their heads and looked at each other at the same time. It was as if lightning flashed in the air.
High Priestess Holme nodded slightly. She reached out to take the crown from Tolja's hands and turned to look at Lampard.
The other archdukes also looked at him with different expressions.
Lampard took a deep breath and knelt on one knee while facing the outside of Heroic Spirit Palace.
His gaze was firm.
Thales took a deep breath. He could not help but notice that there was an irregular black mark on one side of the crown in the priestess' hands.
Thales' heart sank.
It was the blood splattered on King Nuven when he was assassinated. After a few hours, it had already dried and could not be wiped off.
Under everyone's breathless gazes, the High Priestess raised the crown high.
"In accordance with this, in the name of the Bright Moon, I bear the light of the Holy Sun, Errol, and in accordance with Raikaru's Joint Ruling Pledge …"
High Priestess Holme moved gently towards Lampard and held out the blood-stained crown. "I crown you, the Archduke of Black Sand Region, the descendant of the Rebellion King, Quiso Lampard, Chapman Lampard …
"For the first Chapman in the genealogy of the common-elected kings …
"For the heir of the King of Dragon Knights and the hero Raikaru.
"For the common ruler of the Northlanders in the Western Peninsula.
"For the Sentinel of the Glacier Defense Line.
"For the defenders of the humans in the North."
With each title that was mentioned, the Northlanders' expressions became a little more solemn.
"For the Kingdom of Eckstedt and Quiquer Glacier." Finally, the High Priestess finished saying the four customary titles and gently placed the crown on Lampard's head. She then said the last title, which was also the most important one.
"The thirty-sixth common-elected king."
Everyone's eyes were glued to this scene.
The man under the crown slowly raised his head.
High Priestess Holme took the Severing Souls Blade from Nicholas' hand and handed it to him. "As the symbol of the king's authority and status, may the Dragonscale Crown remind you of your identity, and the Severing Souls Blade remind you of your duty.
"The Bright Moon bears witness here. May the light of Errol bless Eckstedt forever."
High Priestess Holme performed the Bright Moon Goddess' salute and retreated gently. "Your Majesty Chapman."
Hence, in the most oppressive and solemn atmosphere, Eckstedt's new king, Chapman the First, slowly stood up with the blood-stained crown on his head and the Severing Souls Blade in his hand.
His gaze, which was as sharp as a blade, swept across the entire hall again. It was even more imposing under the crown.
He was like a Great Dragon who had slowly awakened from a long slumber in a cave and opened his eyes.
This thought flashed in Thales' mind, and he gave himself a shock.
King Chapman turned around and looked at the four archdukes and one archduchess.
With different expressions on their faces, starting from Archduke Lecco, the archdukes bowed their bodies one after another and bowed their heads in greeting.
At the same time, Viscount Kentvida looked around and spoke in a timely manner.
"The old king has passed away …"
He slowly bent his body and knelt on one knee. Solemnly and loudly, he said, "Long live the king!
Long live King Chapman! "
His voice echoed in the palace.
In the next second, with Tolja as the leader, the Black Sand Region warriors in the corridor knelt on one knee in unison. They pressed their right hands against their chests and lowered their heads deeply!
Heroic Spirit Palace instantly erupted with the ferocious and orderly roars of countless warriors.
"Long live the king!"
"Long live King Chapman!"
Amid the repeated shouts, even those who were willing or unwilling, such as Nicholas, Justin, Mirk, the White Blade Guards, and the Archduchess' Guards, had no choice but to kneel on one knee and salute the new king.
King Chapman only stood coldly in the middle of the crowd. His expression did not change as he listened to their shouts.
"Long live the king!"
"Long live King Chapman!"
Among the people who saluted the king, the four archdukes stood out the most. They only pressed their hands against their chests and bowed slightly.
"No, my lady." Count Lisban stopped Archduchess Walton, who was about to kneel subconsciously. His expression was solemn and his tone was fierce. "Remember, you are not us. You only need to bow.
"As an archduke who also rules Northland, you will never have to kneel to the king."
Saroma stared at him in a daze and nodded. Then, she imitated the archdukes and bowed to King Chapman.
They were not the only ones who were special. In the corner of the corridor, the people of Constellation stood on the spot with their backs against the wall. They watched the Northlanders who knelt on one knee around them with complicated emotions. They watched this special coronation ceremony with great sorrow.
"Tell me, my prince." Putray stared at the overbearing King Chapman and sighed softly. "When you first saw him, did you imagine this scene?"
"No," the prince answered without hesitation.
"But when I was captured by him for the second time," Thales' gaze stopped on King Chapman amid the shouts that filled his eardrums, and he frowned slightly. "I suddenly thought …
"Perhaps this man."
Thales remembered the scene when King Chapman, who was still an archduke, stood outside the carriage and spoke to Stake of Shadow Shield with anger and dignity.
"This man's face was as calm as water, but his eyes burned with raging flames."
The prince said absentmindedly, "He is the most suitable king of Eckstedt."
Putray narrowed his eyes.
"What a pity," the vice diplomat said faintly.
"Yes." Thales nodded with complicated emotions. "I'm starting to regret it a little."
At this moment, while the people saluted and shouted, King Chapman's gaze suddenly swept towards him!
It startled Thales.
King Chapman slowly raised his left hand.
Some people noticed the new king's gesture. They gradually stopped shouting and saluting, and stood up one after another.
More than ten seconds later, the corridor became quiet again.
Chapman the First looked around and said coldly, "As your new king, I hereby issue my first order."
Thales was shocked. 'It can't be.
What does he want to do the first second he becomes king? '
But the other archdukes' gazes were very calm and their expressions were indifferent, as though they had expected it.
Only Saroma looked at Thales worriedly. This made the prince feel uneasy.
Everyone was solemn as they waited for the king's words.
Eckstedt's new common-elected king, Chapman the First, slowly turned to the corner of the Constellatiates and said coldly, "In the name of Eckstedt's common-elected king, I hereby invite …
"The honorable Second Prince of Constellation, Thales Jadestar, as a witness to the friendship and relationship between the two kingdoms, to live permanently in Dragon Clouds City."
At that moment, Thales felt as though he was struck by lightning!
The Constellatiates looked at King Chapman in shock, then at the prince.
'Live permanently …
'Dragon Clouds City?'
Just as Thales was about to speak subconsciously, King Chapman said in an unquestionable tone, "And he will accept this kind offer. He will live together with the people of Eckstedt in Northland and bathe in the snow and ice.
"Until this honorable prince …"
At that second, Chapman Lampard stared at Thales with a cold gaze.
"To be crowned king."
Thales stared blankly at the aloof King Chapman.
His emotions were in turmoil.
A few seconds later, the prince lowered his head subconsciously and sighed softly.
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