Chapter 348 – Dissent

When Punk and Ben Lajie entered the Maple Leaf Royal Palace one after another, the large-scale court assembly of the Maple Leaf Kingdom had already been underway for quite some time. Nearly a hundred influential nobles, including the aged King, were following Joni in awaiting the arrival of Punk and Ben Lajie.

Perhaps because Joni had convened the court assembly too early, when Punk stepped into the luxurious palace, he saw a group of gloomy, silent nobles and… a Joni Zordas whose eyes were filled with the word “anticipation.”

“Welcome, both of you… Now that everyone is here, I believe the final pre-expedition meeting can finally begin!”

…It seemed Joni was still brooding over the incident at the city gate tower. Even as he watched Punk and Ben Lajie approach him, he only offered a brief remark before launching into this seemingly discordant expedition meeting on his own.

However, Punk paid no mind to Joni’s attitude. He was curious to see what kind of “expedition mobilization” Joni Zordas would come up with, so he said nothing more and expressionlessly stepped aside.

“Very well! Under the protection of Tyr, the God of Justice, under the gaze of His Majesty the King, and under the watchful eyes of all our ancestors who shed sweat and blood to establish this nation, I—Grand General Joni Zordas—hereby officially declare the commencement of the Maple Leaf Kingdom’s 427th ‘Dragon Slaying’ campaign!”

Joni’s voice was resolute and forceful, each syllable as unyielding as a nail. His impassioned tone imbued these declarative words with a stirring power, enough to make any young listener’s blood boil and rally to the cause…

But… in this Royal Palace, after Joni’s fervent declaration of war, he was met not with cheers and fervor, but only… a dead, silent stillness.

The nobles seated in their chairs remained as motionless as statues, indifferently watching Joni Zordas as if he were performing a solo act. Even as Joni’s booming war declaration made the glass in the palace dome tremble, not a single one of the hundred nobles in the hall stirred.

For a moment, the war council fell into utter silence, with only the Old King’s wheezing breaths standing out as particularly conspicuous and ironic.

“Esteemed lords, this marks the beginning of yet another glorious campaign. Do none of you ‘dignitaries’ present have anything to say?”

Faced with such overwhelming silence, Joni seemed somewhat awkward and… angry?

“Fine, very well! Since none of you have any objections, I will proceed with outlining my arrangements.”

As the silence remained unbroken, a chill began to emanate from Joni’s eyes. He swept his stern gaze over the several high-ranking nobles seated in the front row, all while continuing to elaborate on his “grand” war plans.”Three hundred years ago, our nation lost vast territories to an evil black dragon, plunging our people into the suffering inflicted by the malevolent realm known as the ‘Dragon’s Roar.’ We must admit that the enemies of the Dragon Roar Kingdom are formidable, but… we, who bear the honor of our nation, will never yield. Now, the war horn has sounded once more, and the torch of vengeance is reignited. In the name of the Grand General of the nation’s defense, I command—all Nobles must dispatch every non-disabled individual aged ten to eighty from their domains to join the army. All Nobles must donate, without compensation, sufficient armor and weapons to equip the Kingdom Army. In three days, all Nobles must personally lead their troops to the Battlefield. We shall commence this war of glory in Mohawk Valley, where…”

Facing the sunlight, Jiaoni raised his Greatsword high:

“…we will defeat the evil legion of the Dragon Roar Kingdom, slay the wicked black dragon Ovakain Acidmaw, wash away our humiliation with blood, and… reclaim the untainted glory!”

Jiaoni’s words were impassioned and vivid. Bathed in a shaft of sunlight, his plain yet sturdy Greatsword gleamed with a golden hue, and standing in the beam, Jiaoni appeared as majestic and unyielding as a true Hero of honor.

Yet, against this backdrop reminiscent of a Hero’s departure, the Nobles in the audience showed no inclination to support Jiaoni. Perhaps his repeated mentions of “glory” had finally provoked some, or perhaps the Nobles had already conspired in private… In any case, after Jiaoni’s fervent and stirring speech, a well-maintained but feeble hand trembled as it rose from the first three rows of Nobles:

“Lord Jiaoni, I… I have an objection!”

Though abrupt, the voice cut through the silence of the Royal Hall like shattering glass—distinct and resounding.

“Lord Bangs, what did you say?”

Jiaoni slowly lowered his raised Greatsword, his sharp gaze fixed on the dissenting Lord Bangs. A murderous aura began to emanate from him, thick and menacing.

“Bangs, do you realize what you are saying? According to the Kingdom’s laws, those who disrupt morale before a campaign—shall be executed. Have you truly… thought this through?Instead of the anticipated fervor, his impassioned speech had been met with dead silence. What was most unbearable was that this ironic scene unfolded before two foreign powerhouses. Jiaoni was already feeling awkward, and just as he concluded his solitary, awkward address, someone had the audacity to voice dissent in full view of everyone…

At this thought, the killing intent in Jiaoni’s eyes toward Bangs intensified. This war of glory had consumed too much of his effort and hope; he would not allow anyone to interfere with his vengeance at such a critical moment.

The wrath of a Master-Level powerhouse was terrifying. Under Jiaoni’s murderous glare, the noble named Bangs trembled like a leaf. Though he still stood shakily in place, his trousers were already soaked through.For a moment, the atmosphere in the Royal Hall grew tense, with all the Nobles not even daring to breathe loudly. Judging by previous situations, Jiaoni would likely have been preparing to “execute” anyone who disrupted military morale at this point.

Indeed, Jiaoni was ready to take action. Thick earth-attribute divine Battle Aura had already begun coiling around his blade. If nothing unexpected occurred, following the usual script—the next second would see Jiaoni unhesitatingly behead the Noble who dared “disrupt military morale.” Then, the other Nobles would be thoroughly intimidated by Jiaoni, and finally, the progress of the Glory War would be set back on track…

But this time, events unfolded contrary to Jiaoni’s expectations.

Instead of scrambling to flatter and obey as before, the hundreds of seated Nobles exchanged glances with their “companions” beside them in response to the enraged Jiaoni. Then, they unexpectedly and simultaneously raised their right hands:

“I also object…”

“Seconded.”

“Objection.”

“……”

Within seconds, all 136 Nobles in the Royal Palace had raised 136 hands—some aged, some pale—high above their heads. The silence was finally broken!

(End of Chapter)