Pioneer Lord: I Have Conquering System

White Castle also held a grand trial for the usurpers.

Nearly all the participants were nobles, from both the Southern and Northern Territories.

The location was White Castle’s Endless Garden.

The ground in the center was paved with marble tiles, surrounded by blooming tulips. They were all a captivating shade of gold, making the entire area shimmer with splendor.

Shrubs trimmed into various shapes by gardeners, along with exquisite sculptures, added a grounding, lifelike quality to the scene.

Nobles in formal attire, their hair meticulously styled, stood on the left and right, leaving a space in the middle covered by a red carpet.

The highest dais was arranged with a throne and two exquisite chairs, but for now, only two Noble Ladies who looked strikingly similar were seated in the chairs.

"Where’s the boss?"

Zat stood on the castle wall, holding a simple spyglass and occasionally scratching his butt.

His eyes scanned the crowd, but he didn’t see the imposing figure of his boss.

"My brother-in-law said he was asked to be some kind of Etiquette Knight," Mier said, also holding a spyglass, his tone a little uncertain.

Ever since the Lord started looking so impressively stylish carrying a spyglass tucked into the back of his belt every day, the various leaders of High Cliff Castle, big and small, had all followed suit, having artisans craft simple versions for them to carry.

"Are you done yet? You’ve been looking for ages."

Sophia bounced up and down beside them. She had been waiting for a long time, but neither of them showed any intention of letting go.

As a Silver Dragon born on Dragon Island, she knew a great deal, but it was all from books. Now that she had the chance to witness a duke’s ennoblement ceremony with her own eyes, she was naturally filled with curiosity.

After all, the ceremony for a Duke was said to be not much different from that of a King.

"Hang on, hang on, I’ll give it to you after I watch a little longer," Zat said placatingly, but he kept twisting away to dodge Sophia as she jumped up to snatch the spyglass, showing no intention of handing it over.

Finally, Sophia lost her patience. She raised a small, fair fist and threatened, "You big oaf, if you don’t give me that spyglass, watch out or I’ll punch you!"

She even hopped up onto a crenellation and aimed a couple of mock-punches at Zat’s lower back. Standing only one and six-tenths blades tall, she was terrifyingly small compared to Zat, the Tri-Blade.

A threat delivered in a girlish voice would, to any other big man, sound like a cute, playful flirtation.

But when Zat heard it, his body couldn’t help but tremble. He blustered weakly, "Alright, I’ll give it to you! Why do you always resort to hitting people? It’s not like I’m scared of you, you know."

He grumbled in dissatisfaction.

In the end, he could only reluctantly hand over the spyglass.

He’d once impulsively challenged the girl—this Giant Dragon in human form—to a one-on-one duel, only to get thoroughly thrashed by her in her human form alone.

Her flurry of punches had no technique whatsoever—a farmer from the countryside could have fought better. But as the saying goes, a wild flurry can beat a skilled master. Her fists were fast and vicious, and Zat simply couldn’t withstand them.

Besides, whenever she was about to lose, she would use all sorts of Magic, which made him suffer terribly.

From then on, the Giant Dragon no longer feared him. She would pester him every day for no reason, driving him crazy with frustration.

"Big Brother Zat, you can use mine," Mier said from the side, watching the aggrieved Zat with a smile as he handed over his own spyglass.

"Mier, I knew I could count on you! You’re really my best brother!" Zat grinned, throwing an arm around Mier’s shoulders.

Mier winced in pain. "Big Brother Zat, let go! Your grip is way too strong."

"Wow, Leia is so beautiful! And Levi is so majestic!" Sophia’s gasp of amazement rang out.

Zat hurriedly raised the spyglass to watch. After all, they had never seen such a grand spectacle before.

Through the lens, a Knight in Golden Armor was leading a young lady in an exquisitely tailored Duke’s Robe down the red carpet to the foot of the dais.

It was Levi and Leia.

The Lord had been sleeping in, but he was suddenly notified that he was to serve as an Etiquette Knight, which meant following the Duke and taking care of certain matters.

Seeing it as a great opportunity to be in the spotlight, Levi agreed without a second thought, hastily got himself ready, and entered White Castle.

After the two reached their position, a white-bearded old man wearing a yellow Pope’s Robe and a Pope’s Hat approached from a distance, followed by three Earth Priests carrying square Golden Discs.

"That’s Saint Smode, the Pope of the Earth Mother Goddess Church. He’s one hundred and ninety years old, and his Magic Cultivation is profound. If he had participated in this conflict, taking Kolon would have been many times more difficult for us."

Today, Leia was dressed in a luxurious Duke’s Robe with gold-thread embroidery and adorned with cat’s-eye-sized gems, making her look priceless. Her lips moved slightly as she explained to the ramrod-straight Knight beside her.

"Then why didn’t he participate?"

"The Pope is generally not allowed to participate in factional disputes. Those Priests were the most Damon could mobilize by leveraging the Iseley Clan’s reputation," Leia explained, schooling a certain someone on some of the Church’s rules.

"Furthermore, the title of Duke of the South must be conferred by this Pope. Penny and the others were not ennobled by him, so strictly speaking, they can’t be considered Dukes at all. They’re just flattering themselves."

Levi wasn’t surprised. In a world with Gods, the divine right to rule was a principle shared by all.

However, he hadn’t figured out how Leia had managed to persuade this Pope to recognize her as the heir and perform the ennoblement.

After all, even Penny hadn’t succeeded.

Soon, Saint Smode arrived before them. The old man’s face was serene, like the still water of an ancient pool. He slowly opened his downcast eyes, revealing a pair of deep, golden irises.

He glanced at the Lord, then took a scepter made of pure gold from the Golden Disc held by a nearby Priest and gently rested it on Leia’s shoulder.

"I, Saint Smode, current Pope of the Earth Church, by the will of the Earth Mother Goddess and in her name as her proxy, bestow upon Leia Isely the title of Duke of the South."

"All territories of the Southern Territory shall be yours to rule, and all its people yours to protect.

"May you always hold humility in your heart!"

After speaking, the Pope gently placed the scepter on her other shoulder.

"May you always hold honor in your heart!"

He continued in the same manner.

"May you always hold justice in your heart!"

...

Only after he had recited all twelve virtues, by which point the Lord was about to yawn, did he hand the scepter to Leia, take a Crown set with a Sapphire in the center from the Golden Disc, and place it on her head.

"Now, to wear the crown, you must first bear its weight." His tone suddenly turned solemn, causing everyone to hold their breath.

Finally, he took the Ring from the Golden Disc and placed it on Leia’s finger.

"The coronation is complete."

He intoned softly.

Under the watchful eyes of all, the coronation ceremony concluded with his pronouncement, and Leia had finally become a Duke.

With the Pope himself having conferred her title, not even the King could change the outcome if he were to appear.

The Pope’s coronation not only certified Leia as a Duke but also validated her legitimacy.

It acknowledged that Damon’s line were all usurpers, and that hers was the side with the true right of succession.

This was irrefutable, whether by the laws of Debei or any other.

’The King probably didn’t intervene personally in this dispute over the dukedom partly because of this Pope,’ Levi thought.

’After all, Penny and her faction were never granted the title of Duke. If the King had personally intervened for their sake, he would be, in a way, denying his own legitimacy. So he could only try to smooth things over, and when he saw that wasn’t working, he just washed his hands of it.’

The Pope, having concluded the investiture, led his Priests away without another word.

This was because the Pope was forbidden from participating in political affairs—a law observed by all nations.

Taking the new Duke Leia’s small hand, Levi helped her to the throne, then walked down from the dais to stand guard at the side.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!