[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ember-dragon":3,"chapter-ember-dragon-ember-dragon-chapter-381":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Ember Dragon",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1162147,1504,"Chapter 381: Grace (Part II)","ember-dragon-chapter-381",381,"\u003Cp>Chapter 381: Grace (Part II)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One name after another was announced by the heralds, and nearly fifty people had gathered on the platform designated for Counts of the Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those whose names were called were overjoyed, celebrating with their families and the factions behind them. Meanwhile, those not called could only clench their fists and grieve bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The half-dragon heralds cleared their throats and began reading the next list.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Charlotte is granted the title of Viscount.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Singo is granted the title of Viscount.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ernie Baines is granted the title of Viscount.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Viscount level, the number of players on the list increased significantly, including many familiar names—either members of major guilds or professional solo players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike others, [Magic Coin] guild leader Charlotte ascended the platform with a forced smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My Count position...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charlotte wailed silently in her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heralds continued reading from the list, summoning one imperial citizen after another to the altar. By the end, the number of Viscounts had grown to over a hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For ordinary civilians, the positions of Count and Viscount were far too lofty. However, the title of Baron represented a tantalizing step into the dragonblood nobility, breaking through social barriers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, many held their breaths, praying fervently to hear their names.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——George was one of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing among the ranks of soldiers below the altar, George’s hands trembled slightly as he gripped his spear. His uniform was soaked with sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After months of battle, George had become a squad sergeant and earned a few medals for killing enemy commanders, but he remained anxious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George muttered under his breath:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bless me, Cassius...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please make me a dragonblood noble...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jockley Raymond is granted the title of Baron.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brinton Landry is granted the title of Baron.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With each name announced, murmurs spread through the crowd, while George strained to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The herald’s voice echoed again from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"George is granted the title of Baron.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave of euphoria overwhelmed George, nearly causing him to faint before he could collect himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this real?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... I’m becoming a dragonblood noble!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George’s legs shook as he staggered onto the platform under the guards’ supervision. Kneeling before the altar, his eyes brimmed with tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd erupted into commotion, with exclamations rising from all sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That... that’s a serf’s mark!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Him again, that guy favored by the gods of fate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s become a dragonblood noble? I’m so jealous!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s Lord George! I used to work alongside him! Look at him now, Baron George!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George’s story had become legendary among the working class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ministry of Propaganda had framed him as the embodiment of the \"Empire’s Dream.\" While some revered him as a role model, others dismissed him as merely a lucky man unworthy of admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless, George had crossed the threshold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to enter the ranks of the Empire’s elite, joining the so-called \"great figures.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From now on...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am a dragonblood noble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the gaze of tens of thousands, George’s face was streaked with tears of joy—tears born of the sweet realization that he had climbed the social ladder through effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Praise Cassius!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George whispered his prayer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, it was a prayer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the high and mighty Emperor, George felt only gratitude, even reverence bordering on worship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the old Northern Lands, as a serf, he had no hope, destined to die aimlessly in the cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius’s rise and the establishment of the Empire had granted him freedom and allowed him to become a dragonblood noble—a man who could control his own destiny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As an absolute beneficiary of the imperial system, how could he not be grateful?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this ennoblement, even if Cassius commanded him to die, George would not hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything he had—status, honor, even life—was granted by the Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"May His Majesty live forever, and may the Empire endure eternally.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the final name was read, over three hundred Barons now stood on the platform. Most had been fearless soldiers in wartime, earning their status through valor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For ordinary citizens, Barons were an accessible ideal, close enough to grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the ennoblement ceremony complete, the event seemed to conclude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, it had just truly begun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It can begin now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suspended in the air, Cassius slowly flapped his wings, gazing down with golden eyes at the kneeling subjects on the altar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Roar—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A prolonged roar echoed, as the dragon crystal on Cassius’s chest emitted a blinding radiance, illuminating the entire sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The intense light compelled the tens of thousands gathered to shut their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the night over the Anzeta Wasteland was as bright as day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Imperial Grace]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Streams of glowing fire descended from the sky like meteors, landing on the bodies of the kneeling subjects below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky was adorned with hundreds of fiery tails, creating a breathtaking spectacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who had previously received the dragonblood blessing felt the scorching energy coursing through their veins, waiting silently for their lives to ascend further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Langpu, the ogre archmage, knelt motionless, eyes closed, as his body underwent a transformation, growing ever more perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Langpu raised his head, his golden eyes ablaze with fire, a look of uncontainable excitement flashing through them—he felt the bond with his soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who had never received the dragonblood blessing began their transformation amidst agonizing screams, stepping toward a higher essence of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This... this is grace.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve endured so much hardship; I must hold on!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George’s frail body trembled violently as scales began to form beneath his skin. He instinctively threw his head back and roared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Awoo!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His bloodshot, inflamed eyes transformed into golden slitted pupils—the most iconic trait of dragonblood nobles, revered as \"Golden Eyes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... I’m a dragonblood noble now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George stared at the scales forming on his hands. His final thought before losing consciousness was this realization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the altar, hundreds of subjects underwent similar transformations, becoming true magical dragonline creatures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The grand altar, adorned with flowing firelight, resembled a realm beyond the mortal world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the sky, the red dragon flapped his wings, showcasing his might as he bestowed the Empire’s grace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s truly an ascension ceremony.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daryev gazed up at the spectacular scene on the altar, his expression dark and grim.\u003C\u002Fp>",1036,"2026-06-03T12:47:02.952Z","2026-06-03T12:47:07.061Z",1,"novelbin.me","021d37ca987e1ddab4db6330ca7fe9e24a399319e602f558435a8e1a252482a2","ember-dragon-chapter-382","ember-dragon-chapter-380",603,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fember-dragon-cover.jpg"]