Chapter 197: Untitled
"Sir Ethen Algar, come forth and receive your decree!!"
At the top of his lungs, the high-ranking noble called out, his deep voice carrying across the entire camp.
He stood proud and upright in front of the private quarters, surrounded by heavily armored ceremonial bannermen.
The bright morning sun reflected off their golden armor, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
The leadership had no intention of blowing up Ethen's status as a Messenger of Karth out in the open.
Revealing that divine title to common foot soldiers and foreign spies would only invite chaos and unwanted complications.
Still, the high command couldn't simply pretend they were blind to it or treat him like a regular recruit.
A person who carried the direct favor of a God Almighty commanded immediate, unquestioned respect.
Inside the quiet room, Ethen slowly opened his eyes as the loud summons echoed through the heavy door.
He calmly rose to his feet, smoothed out the folds of his dark coat, and stepped out onto the open field.
His face was steady and sharp, his dark eyes taking in the entire formation without showing any surprise.
Everything unfolding before him was technically part of the plan, but he hadn't expected them to move so fast.
The high-ranking officer held up an ornate golden scroll and broke the wax seal before the gathering crowd.
"By order of high command, you are bestowed the title of Special Envoy of the Grand Dragon, and appointed diplomat between both sides!"
The man's loud declaration boomed across the open clearing, easily reaching the ears of every spectator.
Dozens of Dracontis family members began pouring out of their tents and quarters to witness the strange spectacle.
Whispers immediately broke out among the watching soldiers and cultivators, rippling through the ranks like wildfire.
'I hear that's the new in-law of Lady Liana,' an older warrior muttered, leaning on his heavy spear.
'Wait, he's with that branch that only has women? How on earth did they get so ridiculously lucky?'
'A diplomat at that age? He must be an untouchable big shot sent straight from the inner sanctum.'
Even Lady Liana herself was visibly taken aback, her sharp eyes widening slightly as she watched from the veranda.
She knew Ethen had successfully entered the Bastion, and she had witnessed his brutal combat strength firsthand yesterday.
Yet receiving this level of direct, formal treatment from the supreme Dragon Council was entirely unprecedented.
To grant an outside youth diplomatic authority over the active border war made absolutely no sense on the surface.
Of course, none of the deeper political context made sense to the ordinary members standing in the yard.
Before departing, the presiding noble gave a deep, formal salute and assigned a full guard unit to Ethen.
A dozen elite dragon knights clad in dark silver plate stepped forward, planting their heavy polearms into the earth.
Seeing those veteran guardians fall into rank behind him was more than enough to silence any remaining skeptics.
"Sorry about the sudden commotion," Ethen said smoothly, offering a polite bow to the Dracontis members.
His humble gesture stood in sharp contrast to the terrifying military authority currently flanking his back.
Without lingering under their stunned stares, he turned on his heel and walked straight toward Liana's living area.
The twelve dragon knights followed him in lockstep, their heavy boots thudding against the stone in unison.
Arian watched the procession with wide eyes, feeling an overwhelming headache blooming right behind her temples.
"Hela, what is actually going on with him?" she asked her daughter, a clear tinge of exhaustion in her voice.
She had spent years navigating family politics, but this young man consistently shattered every rule in the book.
Every time she thought she understood his limits, he returned with another layer of impossible backing.
"His position in the Bastion changed drastically quite recently," Hela answered, a knowing smile spreading across her lips.
She glanced playfully toward Ella, who was standing quietly by her side, thoroughly enjoying their family's total confusion.
The two sisters shared an amused look, well aware of the earth-shattering secrets they were currently sitting on.
There was simply no casual way to explain the madness their husband had just dragged them through.
How was Hela supposed to casually explain that Ethen had survived a direct, full-force attack from a God Almighty?
How could she tell her mother that the mortal summoner she once questioned had already ascended into a Demi God?
What would happen if she dropped the truth that he was now recognized as one of the twelve Messengers of Karth?
If she laid all of that out in plain words, wouldn't the sheer shock drop the family elders dead where they stood?
"Must be something really special…" Liana remarked, her wrinkled face curling into a broad, thoroughly satisfied smirk.
She crossed her arms and took deep pleasure in watching the bitter, envious looks plastered across the other branches.
For decades, her all-female lineage had been pushed to the sidelines, forced to endure endless condescension from the main houses.
Seeing the proud elders of the family grit their teeth in jealous silence was sweeter than the finest vintage wine.
The noble society of the Bark Empire was always viewed as inherently inferior by the elite powerhouses behind the Great Wall.
No matter how desperately outside clans struggled to prove their worth, the high rulers of the Bastion rarely looked their way.
Rare S-Rank summons, decades of dedicated battlefield service, and exceptional prodigies were all treated as commonplace before the true titans.
The core factions of the Bastion held all the cards, looking down upon regional families with cold, aristocratic indifference.
Yet the unquestionable authority backing Ethen right now was not something the snooty inner-wall elites could ever ignore.
He walked with the direct favor of supreme beings, cutting through imperial red tape with absolute ease.
Watching the other branches squirm while trying to figure out how her branch had secured such a monstrous connection made Liana thrilled.
This single diplomatic appointment carried enough raw political weight to shift their entire standing in the clan hierarchy.
"You two, go and keep your husband company," Liana commanded, suddenly spinning around and waving her hands at the girls.
She didn't waste a single breath, immediately nudging both Hela and Ella straight toward Ethen's private quarters.
Her eyes practically gleamed with shameless ambition as she practically pushed them out the door without a second thought.
She was a veteran of noble clan warfare, and she knew when to strike while the iron was scorching hot.
It honestly wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if both of these girls came out of this war heavy with child.
With the terrifying talent and boundless upward momentum of that young man, their bloodline would reach unimaginable heights overnight.
A child inheriting his frightening potential alongside the Dracontis dragon heritage would secure their branch's absolute supremacy for centuries.
Liana was more than ready to throw all traditional decorum out the window if it meant securing that glorious future.
"Mother…" Arian groaned, burying her face in her hands as she witnessed the breathtaking shamelessness of the older woman.
Her cheeks burned with sheer embarrassment, completely mortified by how brazenly Liana was pushing her own daughters forward.
It was painful to watch the matriarch act like an opportunistic matchmaker in front of the entire compound's watching guards.
Yet underneath the exasperation, even Arian couldn't deny the cold, ruthless logic driving her mother's actions.
"Don't act like you don't secretly want to trample over all their arrogant heads too, so shut your mouth and join me," Liana snapped.
She smoothly straightened out the fine fabric of her dark robes, lifting her chin high in the morning air.
With proud, deliberate steps, she marched forward, bathing in the stunned, envious gazes of the entire Dracontis household quarters.
She made sure to hold her head higher than ever before, relishing every single drop of bitter resentment directed her way.
Meanwhile, on the far opposite side of the contested mountain range, a completely different atmosphere hung over the enemy trenches.
Dark, jagged stone towers rose like jagged teeth from the canyon floor, marking the forward boundary of the dragon forces.
While the human side was buzzing with fresh political decrees and noisy clan gossip, this camp was dead quiet.
Massive draconic warriors stood motionless along the perimeter, their amber eyes scanning the rocky horizons for human scouts.
A solitary figure moved with quiet grace through the heavy camp, his long cloak trailing softly across the bloodstained earth.
He made his way past lines of crouching drakes and heavily armored beast-kin without uttering a single word of greeting.
His tall frame radiated an eerie, otherworldly presence that naturally forced the surrounding soldiers to part before his path.
He continued unhurried until he reached the edge of the forward flight deck, where a sleek, black battleship rested.
The young man stepped onto the boarding ramp and strode into the central command cabin of the private vessel.
His eyes were deep and dreamy, reflecting a faint, starry brilliance that seemed entirely detached from the mortal world around him.
Despite his completely unscheduled departure, not a single officer or sentry moved an inch to question his strange movements.
Instead, every veteran warrior stationed along the runway dropped to one knee, lowering their horned heads in profound reverence.
Nobody dared to challenge the quiet authority of an imperial prince hailing from the supreme bloodline of the Dragon Clan.
The vessel's heavy engines roared to life with a deep, subterranean rumble, vibrating through the cold bedrock of the valley.
Within moments, the dark battleship lifted cleanly off the stone platform, shooting straight into the turbulent skies of the ridge.
The prince stared out into the vast horizon, his thoughts turning toward the human side of the contested border.