I am on the Ark, a succubus, pure and innocent.

Given a little time, this place will truly be a gathering of the most talented people.

Witte remained calm, first looking at the crown and scepter and saying, "His Majesty is here." Then he pointed to himself: "The recorder, the noble representatives, and the civil officials are also here."

Then he looked at Wei Yanwu: "The foreign observers are also here."

Finally, looking at Bai Yue again, he managed a stiff smile: "You, as the protagonist, are here too. You see, although this ceremony is simple in every way, it is not lacking in anything, and the scale is exactly the same."

It really is.

Bai Yue nodded slightly: "When will it start? We won't have to wait until some auspicious time to start, will we?"

Vitter tapped his cane, making a crisp sound, and said, “No need for that. Your very existence is auspicious. Right now, at this very moment, I can bestow this title upon you on behalf of the Emperor. Are you ready?”

"Hmm." Bai Yue nodded slightly, glancing at the exquisite ceremonial objects on the table. She felt a little dazed, realizing that her life as an ordinary person was about to end.

noble...

Hehe, bullying men and women like crazy!

Chapter 114 Glory and Prominence

"In the name of His Majesty Fyodor, the supreme Emperor of Ursus! By the laws of the Empire and the glory of a thousand-year legacy!"

"According to the certifications of the Royal Archives, the Imperial Diet, the Duma of the Lords, the Imperial Academy of Sciences, and other institutions, Bai Yue, a citizen of Yan State, is the great Empress, the fourth-generation descendant of Her Majesty Catherine. In accordance with the royal naming rules, his real name is [Dmitri Ekaterinanovich Ulrich].

"......"

"According to the late Emperor's will, Ulrich's descendants are granted the title of Duke and the honors of a Grand Duke... He is granted sovereignty over the Catherine Palace and to inherit all of Her Majesty Catherine's estate... Ulrich is granted the coat of arms and the seal of office, and is reinstated to the imperial genealogy... This is a confirmation of the legitimate lineage of the Empire and a continuation of the glory of our ancestors..."

Witte's solemn voice echoed in the spacious hall.

While Bai Yue, the person involved, was still unmoved, Wei Yanwu was a bit bewildered. Wait, no, did that emperor really dare to promise such rewards? Wasn't he afraid that the weather was too cold and the water too cold?

He took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent thoughts, and looked at Bai Yue, who still seemed somewhat indifferent. He was speechless at this unlucky kid.

Froststar stood a few meters behind Bai Yue, witnessing this moment. Her lips puffed out and then deflated, and she looked at him as if he were a class enemy.

Tsk, he clearly said he was an orphan who lived off his wife when we first met, ugh! ...How did he suddenly become royalty? Is there anything more absurd than this in this world?!

Huh? That's all!

Vishdale's eyes were glazed over. Um... what emperor, law, bloodline, duke, coat of arms? I don't understand!

But she can understand one thing!

That means the little guy I love so much is all better! Haha, our Sarkaz are really producing capable people. We Sarkaz folks used to be displaced and bullied all the time.

And now?

Haha, finally a big shot has appeared who can bully people from other countries! Long live Wuhu!

Wittna's solemn voice continued, but the remaining rewards, compared to the previous heavyweights, were insignificant, merely simple wealth.

...

"This edict shall be promulgated immediately and shall be effective throughout the entire empire and all its vassal territories! It shall be proclaimed to the world so that all may know of it!"

After uttering this last sentence, he paused, carefully rolled up the edict, and placed it on the gold tray that already contained the document and seal. Then, with both hands holding it high, and with steps precise to the millimeter, he walked meticulously to Bai Yue and solemnly said:

"Your Highness Dmitry, please accept this."

"..."

Bai Yue blinked, somewhat puzzled: "Where should I put it?"

Vittor remained unfazed and reminded him, "Normally, in the palace, these tasks would be handled by dedicated servants. We don't have that here, so please do as you please."

Bai Yue nodded in understanding, supporting the bottom of the tray with one hand and taking it from Witt's hand. While feeling the slightly heavy weight, she used her other hand to stroke the documents and rings inside.

Just as he was about to pick it up and examine it closely, Witte quickly stopped him: "Your Highness Dmitri, please don't rush, His Majesty's edict has not yet been read!"

"Oh." Bai Yue turned around and beckoned to Shuangxing: "Shuangxing, can you hold this for me?"

Although she hated the things he was holding and hated that Witt said it was a waiter's job, Frostnova still instinctively stepped forward the moment she heard his request.

When she came to her senses, the golden tray was already firmly in her hand and back in its original position.

Vishdale curiously peeked out, but found he couldn't recognize a single word of what was on it, so he withdrew his head in boredom.

'Then let the little one read it to me...' That's what she thought.

Standing in the viewing area, Wei Yanwu puffed on his pipe in a daze. Such an important thing was handed over just like that? Could it be that the Emperor of Ursus also had a bomb under his butt, waiting to find someone to take the blame?

Witte returned to his seat, which protected him from the crown and scepter, picked up another edict, and solemnly began to speak:

"In the name of His Majesty Fyodor, the Supreme Emperor of Ursus!"

"The Duke of Belga has passed away suddenly, leaving behind a will that has been notarized by the Duma and confirmed as valid in the presence of the Royal Archives, the Imperial Parliament, the Duma, and other institutions."

Bai Yue became somewhat interested and wanted to hear what this old man, who was still trying to trick her even on his deathbed, had to say.

Wei Yanwu absentmindedly smoked his pipe. He had a rough idea of ​​what was inside. Hmph, what a pity. If Belga hadn't committed a crime, this will would have been valuable enough to start a war.

Now... well, all I can say is "heh."

Froststar didn't pay attention. She just looked down and silently flipped through the cursive script on the document, looking at the rare items she had never heard of before, and deeply felt the diversity of the world.

And... it turns out that palaces used 'seats' as a unit of measurement.

I used to think that only the emperor's residence in Ursus was called a palace, but I didn't expect it wasn't the only one... Tsk, how can the names of these twenty-odd palaces be so jarring!

*Ursus profanity*, what's with all these countless manors?!

These grooved aristocrats!

Froststar's murderous intent began to rise.

But Witt's voice did not pause for her, and continued smoothly: "The Duke of Belga voluntarily bestows all his fiefs, wealth, titles... and the title of Duke of Belga, upon Duke Dmitri Ekaterinanovich Ulrich."

Bai Yue's lips curled into a sneer. "Damn it, that sounds nice, but you still have to actually get it!"

My cheap uncle has already made clear arrangements for the fiefdom and everything, saying that he will give me the wealth left by Belga after he settles things, but who the hell believes that? Damn it, do parents ever return the money they take from you?

Oh well, it's a freebie. At least I got a title, right? It'll make me look better when I introduce myself to people later. So it's not too bad.

Wei Yanwu took a deep drag on his cigarette. The situation was within his expectations, but he really didn't expect that old man Belga could be so decisive. He was dead, but the Belga family still had many collateral branches. Why didn't he leave them any property?

It's almost like a newborn!

Witt continued, “The Grand Duke said: He was loyal to the Empire throughout his life, but his bloodline is broken and there is no successor. Only Prince Dmitri, who carries on the glory of his ancestors and is of pure heart, can carry on his will and continue his achievements. Therefore, he entrusted this task to his descendants, hoping that His Highness will live up to expectations and protect the peace of the northwest of the Empire.”

"laugh..."

Bai Yue couldn't hold it in and quickly turned her head to cover her mouth. Hehe, is this old Deng trying to be funny? Loyal to the Empire? Protect the Empire? I really don't know if he laughed out loud when he wrote these things.

"Your Highness Dmitry, please accept this."

"Um."

"Weiwei, come and get this."

Chapter 115 The Weight of Power

Witte picked up the third and final edict.

Bai Yue watched his leisurely movements and was almost whistling with boredom. The contents of this edict had already been revealed to her when he was on Rhodes Island, so she had absolutely no expectations.

He'll probably just find some excuse, dump this good-for-nothing Chernobog on him, give him a title, and some insignificant rewards, or maybe that third-class civil service position he mentioned—probably just a nice-sounding but sinecure.

It's all been spoiled in advance! That's so boring.

Witt opened the edict and then solemnly read, "In the name of His Majesty Fyodor, the Supreme Emperor of Ursus!"

"In view of the resilience and unyielding spirit of the people of the Empire in the Chernobog incident, despite the natural disasters and man-made calamities, and the need to rebuild local order, in order to demonstrate the glory of the Empire, comfort the loyal and good people, and boost local morale, the following decision is hereby made."

Ha... Bai Yue laughed, speechless. They were still separated by the unwavering resilience of the Imperial people; the citizens of Chernobog were either dead or had all fled!

Rebuilding order?

Yes, it really needs rebuilding. Chernobog, that unfortunate mobile city, has been ravaged by natural disasters. Regional order... ha, sounds like a joke. Let's take it slow.

Wei Yanwu was also somewhat surprised. "No way, I thought you were just going to give me a core city as a token gesture. Judging from this, could it be..."

"Firstly, because Dmitry played a crucial role and made a decisive contribution in this incident, Dmitry Ekaterinanovich Ulrich is hereby conferred the title of Count of Chernobog, and is granted ownership and jurisdiction over the core city of Chernobog and its main attached mobile areas, ruling over the entire territory of Chernobog and its attached territories. He is also awarded the Order of the Golden Eagle to recognize his outstanding achievements and his ability to turn the tide in times of crisis!"

"We hope that you will shoulder the responsibility of reconstruction and live up to the glory of the empire."

Are you trying to dump this mess on me?

Bai Yue was absolutely furious at this point.

Originally, it wouldn't have been a problem; rebuilding was fine, since it would all be their own property eventually. But! After he consulted Kal'tsit about the reconstruction costs, well... this was beyond a mess.

It's practically like northern Myanmar, no, it's practically like India!

Bai Yue rudely raised her hand to interrupt Witt's speech, and said with dissatisfaction, "You want me to rebuild Chernobog? Are you serious?"

"..." Witt paused for a moment, clearly having never been interrupted while reading the emperor's decree before, but his years of being relentlessly attacked in parliament allowed him to quickly recover and calmly say:

“Your Highness Dmitri, Chernobog now belongs to you. Whether or not to rebuild it is your choice, but if you wish to rebuild it, the Empire will give you its full support.”

Full support?

It's probably a cash recovery plan!

Bai Yue twitched the corner of her mouth, then waved her hand weakly, signaling him to continue. Well, rebuilding Chernobog isn't necessarily all bad, at least...

He glanced back at the grinning Vishdel, feeling somewhat comforted. At least he could provide this silly girl... well, and the Sarkaz warriors who followed him with a safe place to live.

Besides, money is something you can't take with you when you die, let alone find it for free, so just spend it.

Even if it's just to help her achieve her dream, it's still a way to support her.

Wei Yanwu observed silently from the side. Seeing Bai Yue's reluctant yet somewhat tempted expression, he immediately had the idea of ​​competing with Ursus for business. Repairing mobile cities was just one thing, but Lungmen would work too!

Not only that, but I can also get some discounts for this cheap nephew-in-law!

When the time comes, Longmen will get the order, Chernobog will be rebuilt, and I, as his cheap nephew-in-law, will be able to save some money.

At the very least, it will prevent him from squandering this windfall he hasn't even had a chance to enjoy before rebuilding a mobile city, and then having Huijie go back to her 'parents' home' crying and complaining.

This is a sure win for N!

Witt glanced warily at Wei Yanwu. Having known him for many years, he had a fairly good understanding of this Governor of Longmen, whose shamelessness was no less than his own. As long as the bottom line of war was not crossed, this old fellow was not to be underestimated.

But the imperial edict in his hand drew his attention back; he couldn't neglect his duties.

He continued reading: "Secondly, to highlight the glory of the royal family and to assist His Highness Dmitry in fulfilling his responsibility for reconstruction, Dmitry Ekaterinanovich Ulrich is hereby promoted to the position of Third-Class Civil Advisor and granted the position of Special Plenipotentiary Representative of the Chernobog Reconstruction Committee, with the authority to requisition peacetime reserves from the surrounding areas to meet the needs of reconstruction."

"Whoa." Bai Yue's eyes widened. Was he really crazy? But he immediately realized that his cheap uncle was up to no good!

What area is around Chernobog?

This is almost the most unruly border region in the entire Ursus Empire. There are countless nobles here, and the vast majority of them belong to the old nobles... that is, the so-called military nobles.

Requisition supplies from them?

That would truly be a reversal of the natural order.

If we really did that, Terra might have it on the front page the next day:

[Breaking news: Yesterday, the mansion of a duke in Ursus was tragically destroyed by an explosion. The scene was one of rubble and heavy casualties. The duke's condition is currently unknown. Please stay tuned for further reports...]

Such reports.

but...

Bai Yue's eyes darted around, and she glanced back at the anxious Shuang Xing. An idea immediately formed in her mind. Hehe, there's still her father-in-law here. He's such a good fighter, so it's perfect to send him to beg for alms from the old nobles.

When the harvest comes, we'll split it 30/70. Let him take 30% first, and I'll suffer a little grievance and take the remaining 97%.

Thinking this way, he felt no pressure to accept the appointment and quietly watched Witte continue reading the edict.

What followed was nothing pleasant; it was all material rewards, things you could look at but couldn't use, or even sell. The meager 2000 million Cervin was more useful than that.

Finally, after reading the edict aloud and going through the formalities, Witte placed the edict on a golden tray and handed it to Bai Yue.

Bai Yue glanced at the two women behind her and, feeling there was nowhere else to put it, placed it directly on the table piled with various ceremonial objects, and also took the ones from the two women's hands while tying them up.

Then, suppressing the urge to yawn, Bai Yue asked Victor, "Is there anything else?"

Watching his almost... no, rather impolite actions, Witt was exhausted and made up his mind that once he returned to Saint-Germain Castle, he must embellish the trip a little in front of his emperor.

Otherwise... hehe, given all those almost blasphemous actions he just performed, it's hard to guarantee that His Majesty wouldn't blush and send the Imperial Guards to drag this young prince back to the palace overnight to teach him manners from scratch.