[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ember-dragon":3,"chapter-ember-dragon-ember-dragon-chapter-454":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},1162374,1504,"Chapter 454: Victory Banquet","ember-dragon-chapter-454",454,"\u003Cp>Chapter 454: Victory Banquet\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Brass Palace, fire dwarves played brass instruments while imperial officers and soldiers drank freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Long live His Majesty Cassius!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The great red dragon!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Invincible in battle!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire hall seemed to be filled with a lively atmosphere, carrying the scent of fine wine and roasted meat. The fire dwarves and imperial soldiers sang and danced, celebrating their shared victory over their enemy—the fire elementals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire dwarf noble Shalin accompanied Cassius, raising his glass and saying softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty Cassius, you destroyed half of the City of Iron and killed the Emir of the fire elementals. Your strength truly amazes me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shalin hesitated for a moment, revealing a bitter smile before continuing: \"You’ve done so well that you may have drawn the attention of the Fire Elemental Grand Sultan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius raised his glass, took a sip, and responded with a smile: \"Lord Shalin, I do not fear him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As long as the Grand Sultan does not act personally, no one can defeat me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With the Sacred Flame Prince still roaming the land, the Grand Sultan wouldn’t risk being killed over a minor Emir.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since you’ve brought this up, let me speak frankly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius set down his glass and gazed down at the fire dwarf with his golden eyes, a meaningful look in them: \"The ones truly in danger are you and your Brass Fortress.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shalin’s pupils contracted sharply, and the flames atop his head dimmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Emir sent by the Fire Elemental Sultan is dead. This damages his dignity, but he cannot retaliate against me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So... who will become the outlet for the Sultan’s wrath?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You mean...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shalin’s hand, gripping his staff, trembled slightly as he spoke hesitantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Brass Fortress.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius’s tone was resolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Keep in mind, the empire’s army has stationed itself within the Brass Fortress, and we’ve jointly fought off the armies sent by the fire elementals.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The empire can withdraw from the Fire Elemental Plane at any time, but you cannot. The Brass Fortress cannot be moved, and the fire dwarves cannot abandon their homeland.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Shalin, I don’t want to see the fire dwarves enslaved. That’s why I’m warning you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s a pity I didn’t kill all those fire elementals at the time, or the news wouldn’t have reached the Grand Sultan’s ears.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius gazed into the fire dwarf’s eyes, gently shaking his head and sighing with a \"sorrowful\" expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the influence of his extraordinary charisma and persuasive words, every sentence sounded believable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This... this...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shalin’s brass-formed body trembled slightly, as if he could already see a vision of the fortress being breached and his people enslaved and whipped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shalin had vaguely suspected this outcome, but hearing it confirmed by Cassius still shook him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, more fire dwarves were enslaved by the fire elementals than those who lived freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Cassius then asked a seemingly unrelated question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Shalin, how many fire dwarves were there in the Brass Fortress a thousand years ago?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shalin was confused but, after thinking for a moment, answered truthfully: \"Around four thousand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slow forging process limited population growth, making fire dwarves relatively scarce. This fortress had already gathered a considerable number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius continued his questioning:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And now? How many fire dwarves currently reside in the Brass Fortress?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Three thousand seven hundred and forty-one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shalin answered without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius feigned confusion: \"Your kind lives long lives. Have there been no new births in the past thousand years?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course there have, but...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shalin’s face turned bitter as he continued: \"The fire elementals periodically send raiding parties to abduct my people.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius calmly revealed the harsh truth: \"That’s exactly my point, Lord Shalin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The only reason the fire elementals allow the Brass Fortress to exist is because you supply them with fire dwarf slaves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shalin couldn’t help but refute: \"The fire elementals once tried to enslave our entire race, but they failed!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because once enslaved, you refused to forge new offspring, isn’t that right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius took another sip of his wine before continuing: \"They abandoned the idea of total enslavement because they wanted a steady supply of slaves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chuckled softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Shalin, do you know about a plant in the Material Plane called chives? Human farmers harvest it each time it grows, ensuring a continuous food supply.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire dwarf noble’s beard trembled uncontrollably. He didn’t want to believe it, but Cassius’s words were dangerously close to reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And now...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With the Grand Sultan’s fury, do you think they’ll still allow the Brass Fortress to stand?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius’s voice was like thunder, each word striking Shalin’s heart and breaking down his mental defenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shalin remained silent for a long time before speaking softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then, Your Majesty Cassius, what should we do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A barely noticeable smile appeared on Cassius’s face. He knew he had achieved his goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he convinced the fire dwarf noble, everything else would fall into place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Ember Empire.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius casually uttered the name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You mean...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire dwarf lowered his head, deep in thought, his expression hesitant. But eventually, he raised his head and gritted his teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shalin watched Cassius nervously and cautiously said: \"If that’s the case, then thank you for your offer, Your Majesty Cassius.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I must decline. The fire dwarves will never become anyone’s vassals or slaves. It was true thousands of years ago, and it will remain true thousands of years from now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the end, the flames on his head flickered violently, but his tone was resolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fire dwarves were famously stubborn, rarely changing their decisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bang!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How dare you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The half-red dragon Serkan, who had been listening nearby, slammed the table and shouted angrily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His Majesty is offering the fire dwarves such a precious opportunity, and you dare not cherish it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To reject His Majesty Cassius is to make yourself our enemy!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, the imperial officers and soldiers in the hall stood up, aiming their rifles at the fire dwarves with hostile expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you doing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The fire dwarves will never be slaves!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire dwarves grew angry, picking up their copper hammers and iron shields and confronting the imperial soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tension in the hall was palpable, as if the smallest spark could trigger an explosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Cassius waved his hand, calmly ordering: \"What’s all this? Put down your guns.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the emperor’s command, the imperial officers and soldiers quickly lowered their weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius nonchalantly patted the fire dwarf noble’s shoulder and said with a smile: \"Lord Shalin, I believe you misunderstood me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I meant that the Ember Empire could be a steadfast ally of the fire dwarf city-states.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1102,"2026-06-03T12:47:02.951Z","2026-06-03T12:47:07.061Z",1,"novelbin.me","02b185c0690eed7581fcb7c9397583642599c6bb8d533c9d24101401b2f1a4ad","ember-dragon-chapter-455","ember-dragon-chapter-151",603,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fember-dragon-cover.jpg"]