Ashen Dragon-Chapter 478 - 400 The Empires Situation
Chapter 478: Chapter 400: The Empire’s Situation
Chapter 478 -400: The Empire’s Situation
On the Isdalia Grand Altar, hundreds of Imperial Court Mages gathered together, raising their Magic Wands in unison.
Accompanied by intense vibrations, a massive spatial rift, hundreds of meters long, appeared at the top of the altar.
A colossal and majestic red head emerged from it, followed by a thick neck, then broad wings and powerful forelimbs.
The supreme Emperor of the Ashen Empire, the dragon ruling over the Anzeta Great Wilderness—Cassius Klaubow Norixius, arrived today at his loyal Isdalia.
“Aoooo—”
Cassius slowly closed his eyes, savoring the long-forgotten sensation of controlling everything within the Imperial Region, letting out a satisfied, soft roar.
“Master, welcome back.”
Ramp stood on the penultimate level of the altar, respectfully welcoming the return of the Red Dragon.
As the Imperial Prime Minister, he was the only one who could stand in this unique position to be the first to greet the Emperor.
Behind him were Duke Mezulash and Duke Dolores, each leading the elite Imperial Army and the Tiefling Guards respectively.
“Welcome back, Your Majesty—”
The hundred or so Court Mages behind him echoed in unison.
The soldiers on the altar half-knelt neatly, their rifles touching the ground with a crisp sound.
“Master—”
The White Dragon ran and flew from afar, but this time she didn’t dare to approach too closely, excitedly lying on the ground, her thick tail wagging.
Yet, the commotion from her nearly twenty-meter-long body caused the ground to tremble slightly.
Cassius surveyed the surroundings, finally fixing his gaze on the Imperial Prime Minister, Ramp.
“Ramp, you should have received the news about the Empire’s colony in the Fire Elemental Plane.”
“Yes, Master. Congratulations on another great victory. I have already sent someone to record your deeds in the ‘History of the Ashen Empire.’
The Ogre knelt on the ground, his tone becoming increasingly excited.
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“You subdued the Fire Dwarves, defeated the Pasha of the Kingdom of the Fire Giants, and made the Sultan sign a treaty with us, bringing enormous benefits to the Empire. All citizens should remember your achievements and be grateful for your grace! I will immediately create a new monument…”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
Cassius’s mouth twitched, unable to help but interrupt.
With just a glance, Mezulash whispered something to Dolores.
Under their orders, the surrounding soldiers, guards, and Court Mages withdrew in an orderly manner, leaving only a few high-ranking officials—and the clueless Tiniya.
“Did you send manpower and supplies to the colony? The living conditions there are extremely harsh, and ordinary clothing and food will soon be scorched.”
“Of course, Master.”
Ramp hurriedly responded.
“We have already dispatched an envoy team composed of players from the Mechanical God Cult to the Brass Fortress, bringing many high-temperature resistant supplies.”
“Additionally, the Department of Technology is also researching weapons, clothing, and food for the unique environment of the Fire Elemental Plane, expected to yield preliminary results in about a month, significantly reducing Spell costs; you needn’t worry.”
“Good.”
Cassius nodded slightly.
“The burning war is also a rare opportunity. I appointed Selcan as the Governor of the Fire Elemental Plane colony. Ensure he stabilizes his position and profits from the chaos.”
“Moreover, special weapons targeting elemental creatures should be prioritized, as this war will last a long time.”
Ramp grinned, showing an ugly smile.
“You can rest assured, Your Majesty. The people in the armament group are the greediest; they have already tasted the sweetness of selling arms, with many having amassed great wealth. This has created an atmosphere where they will stop at nothing in pursuit of profit.”
Ramp chuckled.
“In such an atmosphere, any opportunity to profit will see them swarm like hungry wolves, vying for every Gold Coin.”
However, as if remembering something, he furrowed his brow and said, “But, to cut costs, some have started concealing the number of workers, exploiting legal loopholes, and even evading taxes as per regulations…”
Cassius’s expression turned slightly severe—these were the bloodthirsty monsters he had personally nurtured.
They now began to reveal their hideous faces, showing them to the entire Fianso Continent.
Though he didn’t see individual strength as a catastrophic threat, viewing them instead as fierce dogs aiding in the Empire’s expansion, he had to prevent these monsters from turning into parasitic vermin gnawing at the Empire’s foundation.
Evil dogs required discipline.
They must not only taste flesh and blood but also feel the power of the stick, to ensure they remembered who their master was.
“It seems it’s more than just a sprout already…”
Cassius squinted his eyes slightly, thinking to himself.
“Ramp, have the Department of Legal Affairs work overtime to patch the loopholes, increase the penalties, and bring several typical offenders to trial as a warning to others, leaving no room for them to exploit any gaps.”
“Yes, Master.”
Seeing the Emperor’s serious attitude towards the matter, Ramp quickly bowed his head in agreement.
Cassius continued, “Remember the story I told you?”
“Of course, Master, even a thousand-mile-long dike can collapse due to a small ant hole.”
Cassius nodded in satisfaction and then turned to Mezulash, “It seems the country has been too peaceful lately, leading some to lose control of their ambitions.”
“Let ‘Nocturne’ taste blood; they haven’t enjoyed fresh blood in many days.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Mezulash’s expression remained unchanged, simply responding with a crisp and forceful half-kneel.
“Alright, having just returned from the Fire Elemental Plane, I need to rest in the Royal Palace for a while.”
“Remember, during this time, no one is to disturb me.”
Cassius yawned and casually tore the space in front of him with his claws, creating a massive flame portal, through which he returned to the long-separated Royal Palace.
After several battles, he indeed needed to rest, and at the same time, he planned to assimilate the new strength he had gained.
Meanwhile, within the Empire, an upheaval was about to unfold.
…
A month later, the ‘Imperial Corporation Law’ was solemnly promulgated and applied retroactively, causing an immediate uproar within the country.
Soon, several leading Dragonblood Nobility who had violated regulations were beheaded publicly, and some enterprises skirting the edges of the law received a “cordial” visit from Nocturne.
Even some “clever” players had all their assets confiscated and were imprisoned for long-term labor reform.
For a time, the Empire fell silent, and the trend of “violating imperial laws for Gold Coins” was curbed, shifting to a wave of “abandoning humanity for Gold Coins.”
In the official eyes of the Empire, the latter was considered a normal phenomenon, while the former was unforgivable.
Soon, some discovered that within Anzeta, they had to adhere to the law, no slavery, no tax evasion, no lethal exploitation, but in the South, things were different…
Though they still had to pay taxes to the Empire, they had far more freedom in other unspeakable aspects.
Thus, they began to connect with the “priests selling their souls for Gold Coins” of the Wojin Church, and a grand expansion movement targeting external territories commenced.
