222 Chapter 221: The beginning of the ceremony

The following week went by relatively quickly. The only thing to take note of was the arrival of the royals, followed by the 'spectators'. The peak where the church and my platform were located was blocked from the public's access.

It would only open on the day the ceremony officially starts. But for now, however, the spectators had to settle in the surrounding peaks, turning the once-desolated mountain range into one full of life.

There were two other peaks that remained undisturbed, one belonged to my first three disciples, and the other belonged to Halbor and his people. Speaking of which, once he found out I came, the old elf rushed to pay his respects. My other apprentices did the same.

The meeting between both sides went better than I expected. Jon didn't seem to care much about Halbor's identity as an elf, he simply nodded to him in acknowledgment. Morena was even more so, uninterested. The only one that had some problems accepting him was the youngest, Wane.

The duo seemed to hate each other at first glance. Due to their respect for me, they tried to keep their conflict and discontent with each other away from my sight, but I could still see it all. I had no intention of getting involved in their petty squabble, and so I simply ignored their antics.

I slowly stood up, a yawn escaped my mouth. I could feel a rush of energy flow through my veins. The warmth of the sun's rays envelops me, and I stretch my wings, feeling the powerful muscles flex beneath my scales. With a deep breath, I inhale the crisp morning air, the scent of fresh food filling my nostrils.

It looked like the servants were already up and busy setting everything up. Today was the day everything starts. I turn my attention to the open coliseum, the arena was directly below me. A bit lower to my left side was a set of booths, which I assumed the royals would use to watch the show.

Just as I was thinking of all of that, a servant dressed as a butler with short grey hair approached my platform. Behind him were three groups of people, each group dragging a large cart with a massive piece of meat on top.

A smile made its way across my face as I saw them approach. It looked like breakfast was served.

"My lord, today's breakfast comes from the east. The meat comes from a Supreme Dawn serpent, mixed with spices from the Yadour empire. Please enjoy."

I simply nodded and used my mana to make the meat float toward me. I had no idea what a Supreme Dawn serpent was, but it sure had a grandiose name.

The warm meal fills my mouth with a burst of flavor. The meat is tender and savory, and I can feel the juices dribble down my chin as I savor the taste. I take my time, relishing every bite of this delicious meal. I didn't know what the serpent looked like before, but it sure stands up to its name in terms of tastiness. Not to mention the mixture of spices was just perfect. Truly, a bliss.

It didn't take me long, however, to finish my meal. That seemed to be the cue to begin the ceremony. The doors to the church opened with a loud creak. Knights adorned in blue armor that covered their entire bodies walked out and stood in a row on both sides of the road.

The knights, I was already familiar with. They were the church's personal army. They apparently chose the blue color because of me. As I watched in amusement, the old priest followed by a group of younger priests, all donned in ceremonial attire walked out.

Loud holy music began to play across the mountain range as they made their way toward me. Once they arrived by my platform, the group of church members gave me a deep bow of respect.

"We ask for your blessing, my lord," the old priest spoke, to which I simply nodded.

"Hmm."

A wide smile extended across his face as he made his way toward the coliseum along with his group of people. They took their seats in one of the VIP booths.

Right after that, the royals walked out of the church one after another, followed by a small entourage of people. The first was Lumia's emperor, followed by Yadour's emperor, then Zasal's emperess, and finally Rimor and Tinada's kings.

They all walked all the way from the church between the rows of blue-armored knights and bowed to me in respect and asked for my blessings before they made their way to their respective booths.

Once done, the blue-armored knights turned and faced me in synchronized movement. Under the leadership of one particular knight, they all dropped to their knees with a loud thud and cried out, "We ask for the lord's blessing!"

I nodded in satisfaction. After which, the group of knights moved into smaller groups to continue with their tasks. Some were in charge of security, others guided the spectators to the stands.

Not long after, the entire coliseum was packed. I was a bit surprised since I did not expect this many people to come. I could feel all the eyes on me, my large form casting a massive shadow on the arena.

For a moment, the entire coliseum fell silent. It seemed like they were all waiting for me.

I took a deep breath before speaking, my loud voice thundered through the entire mountain range;

"Greetings, citizens of the realm! Today, I stand before you to announce the beginning of a tournament that will determine the fate of your plane. For far too long, you have lived in ignorance of the damage you have been causing to the world. Today, I give you a chance to change that, I give you a chance to right your wrongs, and I give you a chance to live! This tournament will be a test of strength, skill, bravery, and will. So let the games begin! May the best warriors emerge victorious!"

The crowd remained silent for a second as my voice resounded like thunder in their ears before they burst out into loud cheering. Did they know what the tournament really stands for? Did they understand the importance of it? I wasn't sure, only time could tell.