Chapter 586: The Emperor’s Reward

Under Princess Celeste’s suspicious yet curious gaze, Marcus found himself being examined from head to toe. Her eyes, bright as twin moons beneath a clear autumn sky, blinked several times as she studied him. The sight of the formidable, broad-shouldered knight clad in pitch-black armor had clearly caught her attention, and the longer she looked, the more familiar he seemed.

"Ah! You’re a Golden Wolf Guardian, and you carry the Dragon Dynasty Command Flag..." A startled cry escaped Celeste when she finally noticed the Golden Wolf Badge on Marcus’s chest, as well as the golden emblem of the Dragon Dynasty Command Flag displayed prominently on the pauldron of his armor. Her expression immediately changed from simple curiosity to open surprise.

"You’re the one who retrieved the Divine Artifact, the Dragon-Horse Lyre, and opened Mist Veil Palace..." Her eyes widened as the pieces suddenly fell into place. "So you’re the top-ranked knight on the Experts Leaderboard! Your name is Stonehaven! Which means, aside from the sealed Dreamland Temple, you’re the only Temple Knight on the entire Dreamland Continent..."

Once she started, Princess Celeste could hardly stop talking. What Marcus didn’t know was that the lively young princess had been curious about the knight who occupied the highest position on the Experts Leaderboard for quite some time.

Unfortunately, whenever she had asked her father about him, the Emperor had always hidden behind the excuse of military confidentiality and refused to reveal anything about the mysterious knight.

Now that she had seen the Dragon Dynasty Command Flag, one of the highest honors of the Dragon Dynasty, she had immediately connected Marcus to the anonymous knight she had heard so much about.

Just then, Alana finished her daily work. The green radiance surrounding her gradually faded as she put away the Divine Artifact, Asclepius’ Herbal Staff, and caught the tail end of Princess Celeste’s excited exclamation.

"Yes, that’s my master." There was unmistakable pride in Alana’s voice. She walked over to Marcus with a bright, delighted smile, then slipped her arm around his with the easy obedience of someone completely accustomed to staying at his side.

A fresh, comforting fragrance immediately surrounded him, rich with the scent of a hundred flowers. Alana was especially fragrant at the moment after channeling so much Floral energy.

’Clever girl.’ Marcus couldn’t help remembering something Alana had once told him. The higher his level and the stronger his abilities became, the more the Dreamland Continent would value him, and the greater the rewards he would receive. Judging from how smoothly things were progressing, Alana had clearly already begun using her charm to secure the best possible treatment for him from both princesses.

"It really is the Blood-Fiend Fruit!" Princess Phoenix examined the pale-red fruit she had received from Dr. Harrison, genuine astonishment hidden beneath her composed expression. Her gaze shifted toward Marcus as she considered what she knew about the Experts Leaderboard. It was difficult to believe that a level fifty-three knight had actually managed to obtain such a rare treasure.

He truly was worthy of being the top-ranked knight on the Experts Leaderboard, and worthy of being the genius who had opened the thousand-year-old Mist Veil Palace. Even Princess Phoenix, who was accustomed to being proud of her own abilities and accomplishments, couldn’t help feeling a measure of admiration toward him.

"Princess Phoenix, my master has turned in the Blood-Fiend Fruit. Will there be a generous reward?" Alana continued her campaign without the slightest hesitation. Since Princess Phoenix needed her assistance, Alana saw no reason to be modest, especially when it came to securing the greatest possible benefit for her master.

"Yes." Princess Phoenix nodded. "This is a kingdom-wide quest personally issued by His Majesty. The reward will certainly be either a noble title and official rank, or gold and treasure. Once I’ve restored some of the Phoenixwood Tree’s energy, I’ll personally introduce Knight Stonehaven to His Majesty."

’The reward will certainly be generous.’ Princess Phoenix was confident of that.

Anyone capable of obtaining the Blood-Fiend Fruit was undoubtedly a powerful warrior, and the timing couldn’t have been more significant. With the Demon Lord on the verge of awakening, the Ghost Race and Arcane-Beast Race becoming increasingly active, and the Half-Beasts attempting to unseal their Beast King, another great war was slowly taking shape on the horizon.

The Dragon Dynasty was facing more than just those ancient enemies. Powerful guilds were also rising throughout the continent, and their growing influence posed an increasingly serious threat to the dynasty’s authority.

To preserve the glory of the Dragon Dynasty and maintain its dominion over the Dreamland Continent, it needed to gather as many capable warriors as possible, especially those strong enough to withstand and repel the coming demonic invasion.

This was the brilliance of the intelligent system. It served the players and helped them grow stronger, yet at the same time, it carefully maintained the balance of power so that those same players could not overthrow the Dragon Dynasty’s rule.

More importantly, it prevented the demonic forces that were gradually awakening from using the players’ growing strength to conquer the Dreamland Continent.

Princess Phoenix stole another glance at Marcus, quietly studying the man who stood at the very top of the Experts Leaderboard. His physique was powerful and imposing, his posture steady while an unmistakable sharpness seemed to radiate from him. He appeared relaxed, yet there was a weight and authority in his presence that made it difficult to ignore him.

His abilities were clearly formidable. He looked every bit like a heroic knight, someone with both an indomitable fighting spirit and the vigor of a true warrior.

Princess Phoenix’s heart began beating a little faster. She genuinely hoped this formidable Temple Knight would continue growing stronger. More than anything, she wanted to see what he would become once he reached level ninety.

Would Knight Stonehaven eventually surpass her, the Phoenix Knight? The thought alone stirred a competitive excitement within her, and before she realized it, she found herself wanting to cross blades with this fellow knight and personally test the strength of the man who had claimed the top position on the Experts Leaderboard.

Yet none of those thoughts showed on her face. Her regal features remained calm and dignified, carrying the proud composure expected of a princess of the Dragon Dynasty. She merely said, "Please wait a moment."

After having Marcus and the others retreat more than ten yards, Princess Phoenix lowered her voice and began chanting an incantation toward the small red phoenix fluttering beside her. The creature was no larger than a house cat, and its delicate appearance made it difficult to imagine that it possessed the power of a Divine Beast.

"Phoenix Dance of the Nine Heavens!" A brilliant crimson light suddenly erupted.

A clear phoenix cry rang through the garden as a wave of heat rolled outward. The tiny phoenix spread its wings and gave a gentle flap. In an instant, its body began to expand, its delicate form transforming into its true shape.

A magnificent bird covered in brilliant red feathers appeared before them, eternal flames flickering across its body as it spread its enormous wings.

This was the Divine Beast Phoenix, the Immortal Phoenix.

In its true form, the phoenix gave another gentle cry before spreading its wings and soaring gracefully around the Phoenixwood Tree. As it flew, crimson flames streamed from its fiery wings, drifting downward in great waves that resembled scarlet clouds as they descended toward the tree.

Then something miraculous happened. Although the Phoenixwood Tree was engulfed by the phoenix’s crimson flames, it suffered no damage whatsoever. Instead, its leaf-like fronds swayed gently as they began absorbing the flames and converting their energy. At the same time, the tree released a peculiar fragrance, a scent that the Immortal Phoenix evidently loved above all others.

The phoenix seemed delighted by it. Its flames immediately grew stronger.

For a full ten minutes, the Immortal Phoenix continued releasing its fiery energy into the Phoenixwood Tree until the young tree had absorbed all it could possibly contain. Only then did the phoenix finally stop. With a few graceful movements of its wings, it shrank back down to its house-cat-sized form and happily nestled itself into Princess Phoenix’s proud embrace.

Marcus couldn’t help feeling envious. When he looked toward the Phoenixwood Tree again, he could clearly see the difference. The faint red glow that had previously surrounded it was now considerably brighter, and even the tree itself appeared to have grown slightly larger. It was an encouraging sight, and Marcus couldn’t help looking forward to the day when the Phoenixwood Tree would finally mature into a truly lush and magnificent tree.

With Princess Phoenix and Princess Celeste leading the way, they soon left Phoenix Garden and headed toward the heart of the Dragon Dynasty, the Dragon’s Peak Throne Hall.

The moment Marcus entered the magnificent hall, he was struck by its sheer grandeur. Nine enormous golden dragon pillars supported the vast structure, while the polished marble floor gleamed beneath their feet.

Intricately carved patterns covered the latticed windows and doors on every side, their elaborate designs further enhanced by gilded bronze fittings. Every detail seemed designed to convey the immense power and authority of the Dragon Dynasty.

Beneath an enormous golden dragon carving sat the Dragon Throne, a magnificent masterpiece covered in intricate carvings and gilded ornamentation. A dignified man in his fifties sat upon it. Elevated above everyone else and surrounded by the splendor of the throne hall, he possessed an imposing majesty that immediately marked him as a ruler accustomed to commanding an empire.

He was the current Emperor of the Dragon Dynasty. At that moment, the Dragon Emperor was discussing matters of state with several court officials.

Since it wasn’t the formal morning court, the atmosphere was considerably more relaxed than it might otherwise have been. When he saw Princess Phoenix and Princess Celeste approaching, however, his attention quickly shifted toward them, and the gentleness in his expression when he looked at Celeste made it obvious how much he doted on his youngest daughter.

"Celeste, what brings you to court?"

"Father, this knight has obtained the Blood-Fiend Fruit and has come to turn it in."

Princess Celeste walked straight to the Dragon Emperor and, without the slightest hesitation, perched herself beside him on the Dragon Throne. The throne was enormous, large enough to comfortably accommodate three people, so there was more than enough room for her.

"The Blood-Fiend Fruit?" The Dragon Emperor’s expression immediately changed as his gaze settled on Marcus. He understood perfectly well how rare the Blood-Fiend Fruit was, and he was especially surprised by the knight standing before him. Marcus’s level wasn’t particularly high, yet he had somehow managed to acquire an item that even powerful warriors found extremely difficult to obtain.

Several military officers nearby also turned their attention toward Marcus, curiosity appearing on their faces. None of them could quite believe that this seemingly low-level knight had actually obtained the Blood-Fiend Fruit. The fruit was notoriously difficult to acquire. In fact, despite the generous reward attached to the kingdom-wide quest, none of these officers had personally gone searching for it.

"Your Majesty." Princess Phoenix, standing beside Marcus, spoke calmly. "This knight’s name is Stonehaven. The Blood-Fiend Fruit he has turned in is genuine, and it was harvested recently. It is less than half a year old."

She gestured toward one of the attendants, and a eunuch immediately stepped forward, carefully presenting the Blood-Fiend Fruit to the Emperor.

"Stonehaven..." The Dragon Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Knight Stonehaven. You’re Stonehaven..." He repeated the name almost to himself, staring at Marcus with increasing curiosity, as though the name had finally connected to something he already knew.

After personally confirming the authenticity of the Blood-Fiend Fruit, the Dragon Emperor nodded in approval. He looked directly at Marcus and said, "So you’re Knight Stonehaven, the one who obtained the Blood-Fiend Fruit. According to the original proclamation, you shall be richly rewarded."

He paused, considering the matter for a moment. "What should I give you as a reward?"

After a brief moment of thought, the Dragon Emperor made his decision. "Very well. According to the original proclamation, I shall reward you with a noble title and an official rank. Not only will you be promoted, but you shall also receive a fiefdom, a territory at the town level or below."

The offer was far better than Marcus had expected. Before he could even fully process what the Emperor had just said, however, a sharp voice suddenly rang through the hall.

"Your Majesty, you must not!" A stern-faced elderly official stepped forward, his expression filled with righteous indignation. "Your Majesty, you must not! This knight, Stonehaven, merely obtained the Blood-Fiend Fruit, yet you intend to reward him with an entire territory? Such a reward, and such a decree, are far too rash..."