Transmigrated with a Demon-Refining Pot: Hehehe, Refine in an instant

The day before the founding ceremony, Baiyin City welcomed another special guest.

A silver-white airship sailed in from the horizon, twice the size of all the previous envoys' ships, its hull covered with intricate runes that shimmered in the setting sun.

A dark blue flag was hung at the bow, embroidered with a silver dragon with outstretched wings and a star in its mouth.

The symbol of the Starshine Magic Empire.

The guards at the city gate were stunned and quickly rushed to report to Ron. Ron was in the Grand Duke's mansion checking the procedures for tomorrow's ceremony when he heard the words "Magic Empire." He put down the parchment in his hand and frowned.

"The Magic Empire? Aren't they in the south-central part of the continent? What are they doing here, coming all this way to cause trouble?"

"I don't know, but it's the Imperial Family's private airship that's here." Hart stood at the door, his expression somewhat solemn.

"My lord—no, Your Excellency, would you like to go and fetch him yourself?"

Ron stood up and straightened his collar: "Go, of course we're going. They've come all this way, we can't be rude."

At the city gate, the airship slowly descended. As it landed, a cloud of dust rose from the air.

The hatch opened, and two squads of knights in full armor emerged, their armor also engraved with runes, and the hilts of their longswords at their waists inlaid with blue gems.

Then came a middle-aged man wearing a dark purple robe, with a golden phoenix badge pinned to his chest, his hair neatly combed, and a smile on his face.

"Lord Ron, the Silver Duke." The middle-aged man bowed slightly, neither humble nor arrogant.

"I am Orlando Crystal Grape, a special envoy of the Starshine Magic Empire. I have come on His Majesty's orders to congratulate your country on its founding ceremony."

Ron nodded slightly: "You've come a long way, envoy. You must be tired. Please come into the city and rest."

Victor didn't rush to get into the carriage, but instead looked up at the sky. Margaret's silvery-white figure was faintly visible in the clouds.

His gaze lingered on the figure for a moment, then he looked away, smiling and nodding.

"This is the Grand Duke's Silver Dragon; it truly lives up to its reputation."

Ron didn't reply, but simply gestured for him to enter the city.

In the Grand Duke's drawing room, Ron and Orlando sat facing each other. A maid served tea and snacks, but Orlando didn't touch them. Instead, he took out an exquisite wooden box from his pocket and pushed it towards them with both hands.

"This is a congratulatory gift from His Majesty to the Grand Duke; it is of little importance."

Ron opened the wooden box. Inside lay a fist-sized crystal core, completely transparent, with pale blue light flowing within.

He sensed it as soon as he touched it—a third-order crystal core.

It's something that can only be produced by at least Tier 3 magical beasts; you can't buy it on the market at all.

"This is too valuable." Ron closed the wooden box.

"His Majesty says that Knight Ron is exceptionally talented and deserves this gift." Orlando's smile remained unchanged.

"Although the Empire and the Silver Duchy are far apart, friendship knows no distance. Your Majesty hopes that the two countries can establish a long-term friendly relationship."

Ron remained silent for a moment, unsure of the Starshine Magic Empire's intentions, and tentatively asked:

"Did Her Majesty the Queen give any instructions?"

"Haha, we'll discuss that in detail after the celebration." Orlando looked mysterious.

Ron thought to himself that something was definitely up, and wondered what they were planning to do.

"The special envoy should attend the ceremony tomorrow; he should rest today."

"Of course. His Majesty specifically instructed me to witness the birth of the Silver Duchy."

The next day, the sky was high and the clouds were light.

The central square of Baiyin City was packed with people.

A high platform was erected in the center of the square, covered with a deep red carpet, and flanked by silver-white dragon flags.

The audience was packed with people—nobles from the Silver Duchy, envoys from neighboring duchies, and merchants and commoners from all over the country.

The front row consisted of ambassadors from various countries, dressed in formal attire of different colors, with badges representing their respective countries pinned to their chests.

Orlando, the special envoy of the Starshine Magic Empire, stood in the most conspicuous position, with two rune-armored knights behind him.

Margaret lay on the right side of the platform, her silvery-white scales gleaming coldly in the morning light, her tail drooping gently on the ground.

She wasn't faking pain today. Her blue eyes scanned the crowd below the stage, and she occasionally exhaled a breath of hot air that condensed into white mist in the air.

Ron stood on the left side of the platform, behind him were Laun, Hart, Abaddon, Perrin, Gray, Erin, Selena, and dozens of other barons who were about to be granted titles.

Liulichuan stood in the VIP section holding Shirley, Elise held Nolan, and Lilith stood beside them.

The master of ceremonies stepped onto the high platform, unrolled a scroll of parchment, and read it aloud.

"The Grand Duchy of Silver, Grand Duke Ron Silver, comes from the Broccoli family. He is the second son of a baron, with no right of succession and no territory."

It was entirely due to the Grand Duke's exceptional talent that he became a pioneering lord and arrived in the land favored by knightly glory.

When the Grand Duke first arrived at the new territory, he had only thirty soldiers and a little over a thousand serfs under his command. His camp was rudimentary, and wild beasts roamed freely. With his extraordinary courage and strategy, the Grand Duke pacified the wilderness within a year, subdued the surrounding territories, and his fame spread far and wide.

......

His greatest achievement was winning the approval of Her Majesty Margaret, the Silver Dragon, through his sincerity and courage. Man and dragon embarked on a battle of wills, and the Grand Duke, with unwavering resolve, passed the test, becoming a true Dragon Knight!

Today, the territory of the Silver Duchy extends north to the wilderness, south to the Skyfall Mountains, west to the sea, and east to neighboring countries.

The officials on the stage lavishly praised Ron's achievements, embellishing various details.

Ron himself was listening with great interest, realizing how awesome he really was!

"Glory to the Duke!!"

"To Her Majesty Margaret! To the Duchy of Silver!!"

After the master of ceremonies finished reading, there was a moment of silence in the audience, followed by a deafening roar of cheers.

"Long live the Grand Duke! Long live the Duchy of Silver!"

Once the cheers from the audience subsided a bit, Ron walked up to the platform and stood under the flagpole.

The wind blew from the north, making his cloak flutter loudly. He took the rope from the master of ceremonies and pulled it down himself.

The silver dragon flag slowly rose and unfurled in the morning breeze. On the flag, a giant silver dragon raised its head to the sky, its wings spread, as if it were about to take flight at any moment.

"From this day forward, the Silver Principality is hereby declared established!"

His voice, amplified by his battle aura, resounded throughout the entire square and the whole city. A deafening cheer erupted from below the stage.

Margaret stood up, spread her wings, and with a sudden flap, soared into the air. Her silvery-white figure circled once above the square, letting out a long, drawn-out dragon roar.

The dragon's roar echoed throughout the city. Everyone looked up at the silvery-white dragon. Some knelt down, some cheered, and some were so frightened that their legs went weak.

The expressions of the envoys from different countries varied. The envoy from the Duchy of Brass, the Marquis of Cologne, wore a smile, but his eyes held a complex expression; the envoy from the Duchy of Black Iron remained expressionless.

The other envoys also wore smiles, but no one knew what they were plotting.

Ron stood on the platform and waited for Margaret to fall back to his side before continuing to speak.

"Today, as the Grand Duke of Silver, I hereby bestow titles upon the founding heroes—"

He read out the list. The titles of Earl of Lauen, Hart, and Ebadon, the title of Earl of the Broccoli family, and so on, were all predetermined.

Those whose names were called went up on stage one by one, knelt on one knee, and Ron placed his longsword on their shoulders, saying briefly and forcefully, "Get up."

The ceremony was simple and efficient. The investiture was completed in less than half an hour.

That evening, the banquet hall of the Grand Duke's mansion was brightly lit.

The long table was laden with delicacies, and the wines were vintages brought from the Oaktown cellars.

Ambassadors from various countries took turns offering him drinks, and Ron accepted them all, drinking until his face was flushed. Margaret lay in the courtyard, occasionally glancing curiously at passersby before quickly moving on.

Orlando walked up to Ron with his wine glass in hand and gave a slight bow.

"Your Excellency, today's ceremony was truly impressive. The Empire wishes to forge an eternal friendship with the Duchy of Silver."

Ron raised his glass and clinked it against his:

"Thank you for the Empire's kindness. The Silver Duchy is newly established and in dire need of reconstruction. We hope the Empire will continue to support us in the future."

"nature."

Orlando downed his drink and lowered his voice:

"His Majesty instructed me to convey to the Grand Duke that if the Silver Duchy needs magical support, the Empire is willing to provide assistance."

"What are the conditions?"

"No conditions." Orlando smiled.

"Just consider it...making friends."

Ron looked him in the eyes but couldn't detect anything amiss on his face. He nodded.

"Okay. Let's be friends."

(Requesting one day off)