Mistaken Match: Marrying the Enigmatic CEO
Chapter 2333; National Recognition!
With the Tocvale War God leading his forces into Zovince, the long and grueling rebellion was officially brought to an end.
The following morning, Ethan presided over a high-level national assembly in Congress. Only civil officials of the third rank and above, as well as military officers ranked 4-Star General and higher, were permitted to attend.
As the President of Chamber of Commerce, Mackenzie, and the 5-Star Honored Battle General, Emmanuel, naturally attended as well.
The first agenda item was determining the classification of rebellion and sentencing its leaders.
Salem was sentenced to death without question, and the stronghold of Ancient Woods was ordered to be dismantled.
Ezra, the mastermind behind the conspiracy, was stripped of his position as Zovince’s mayor. However, since only the Zelinsky family’s Zovince branch had participated in the rebellion while the other branches across Chanaea remained uninvolved, a total purge was unfeasible.
As a nation ruled by law, Chanaea could not afford to uproot the entire Zelinsky family’s political network overnight, as doing so would destabilize the country.
The strategy for gradually dismantling their influence would be a matter for Ethan to resolve after assuming office, and thus was not included in the current discussion.
As for the Lannister family, Gwain had claimed they were were merely onlookers who had taken “a few steps too far.”
Since they had not actively engaged in combat, merely boasting for a moment before being beaten into retreat by the Silver Dragon Spear Saint, there was insufficient evidence to prosecute them. Most of those who had acted recklessly had already perished, making further charges difficult to justify.
With the rebellion dealt with, the next topic was the allocation of rewards and recognition.
“Who do you all believe deserve the highest merit?” Ethan posed the question to the gathered officials.
Ken immediately stood up, eager to advocate for Emmanuel. “Everyone knows it was Commander Lowe who led the 5000 strong Wolf Warrior Unit, holding off nearly 100 thousand rebel soldiers for three days and nights! Many warriors sacrificed their lives to protect Zovince. This is undoubtedly the highest achievement!”
However, many officials exchanged uneasy glances before turning their eyes toward Dragonicus, who sat at the upper-left seat.
Ahem… Dragonicus cleard his throat lightly.
As expected, a sycophantic official promptly stood up and declared, “Victory is not about effort, it’s about results! Commander Sheffield-Grey, as the Tocvale Commander, led the army to Zovince, delivering the decisive blow that crushed the rebellion and captured the enemy leader. That is undeniably the greatest contribution!”
The moment moment he finished speaking, many officials nodded in agreement.
Everyone understood the situation Dragonicus and his army had effectively occupied Zovince. If they displeased him, he could stage a coup at any moment, slaughter the officials in the room and declare himself ruler.
For the majority, whether out of self-preservation or consideration for national stability, it was wiser to align with Dragonicus.
Dragonicus glanced smugly at Emmanuel as if to say, “Now do you see who holds the greatest prestige in Chanaea?”
“Commander, if you don’t accept this, I’ll challenge Dragoncus myself!” Gavin, sitting beside Emmanuel, muttered in a low voice, but Emmanuel simply shook his head.
Seeing that Emmanuel had no intention of competing for credit, Mackenzie let out a subtle sigh of relief.
She wasn’t sure why, but although she found Dragoncus irritating, she did not hate him. More importantly, she didn’t want Emmanuel to clash with him, whether for personal reasons or for the greater good. A conflict between the commanders of Northern and Southern armies over war merits would be disastrous for Chanaea’s unity.
The global geopolitical situation was already tense, like a compressed spring ready to snap. A world war could ignite at any moment. As Chanaeans, they could not afford internal strife now. They had to stand together against the looming storm.
Besides, Emmanuel had already stated that he was willing to yield the credit to Dragonicus as repayment for bringing Mackenzie back, Going back on his word now was out of the question.
With Emmanuel and Gavin remaining silent, no one else dared to challenge Dragonicus’ claim. After all, everyone knew that power ultimately lay in the hands of the strongest.
Ethan, however, cast a glance at Emmanuel and Mackenzie, deeply admiring their composure.
They understood the importance of prioritizing the bigger picture over personal gain, a true display of leadership and wisdom.
“Very well, Since the consensus in that the Tocvale Commander and the Wolf Warrior Commander made the greatest contributions, I will now officially confer their rewards!
“Tocvale Commander, Dragoncus Sheffield-Grey, for your service in defending the nation, you are hereby granted the title of War God of Chanaea. You are awarded on billion in gold and promoted to 6-Star Honored Battle General!
“Wolf Warrior Commander, Emmanuel Lowe, for your bravery in defending Zovince, you are appointed Northern Region Commander, placing you in command of the Northern Region’s one-million-strong army, effective immediately!”
What?!
The entire hall was stunned.
At first glance, it seemed like the greatest honor had been bestowed upon Dragonicus after all, no on in Chanaea’s history had ever been granted the title of 6-Star Honored Battle General. It was an unprecedented title reserved for only the most significant figures.
Of course, having safeguarded Chanaea from falling into chaos, such recognition was not undeserved. However, the title was purely ceremonial.
In contrast, Emmanuel’s appointment was real transfer of power, Ethan had used this opportunity to grant him full authority over the Northern Region’s forces.
Chanaea’s total military force consisted of just over two million soldiers, and the Northern Region alone accounted for half of that. In other words, Emmanuel now held greatest practical power than any 6-Star General title could ever offer.
Mackenzie couldn’t help but admire Ethan’s brilliance, he had both preserved Dragonicus’ pride and Seamlessly positioned Emmanuel as Chanaea’s most powerful military commander.
Of course, she wasn’t sure if her husband would be pleases with this outcome. She turned to look at Emmanuel, only to find his expression unreadable.
With the fate of the general still uncertain, having the responsibility of the Northern Region suddenly thrust upon him was no small burden. Yet, as the direct disciple of the general, he knew he had no choice but to shoulder this responsibility.
Before the assembly could recover from the shock, Ethan continued his announcements. “The successful defense of Congress was also due to the invaluable contributions of three martial saints, the Dragon, the Tiger and the Phoenix.
“Therefore, I hereby recognize them under the authority of the Chanaean state: Santiago is formally granted the title Dragon Saint of Chanaea; York Dotson’s Chanaean citizenship is reinstated, and he is granted the title Tiger Saint of Chanaea; Liora Sheffield-Grey is named Phoenix Saint of Chanaea. The three of them will be given the status of first-rank officials, and tomorrow at Golden Ivy Hall, we will hold a banquet to celebrate their official recognition!”
The hall erupted in another wave of astonishment.
Surprisingly, the first person to applaud was none other than Dragonicus, showing his support for Ethan’s decision.
Emmanuel also clapped, this was a great victory for both himself and Chanaea.
Mackenzie smiled as she joined in the applause.
As an enemy, Yorick was terrifying, But if he accepted Ethan’s official recognition, he would become an ally. And with a war on the horizon, Chanaea had just gained another formidable warrior in its ranks.
Meanwhile, at Divine Mountain, after the battle at Congress, Santiago and Yorick had quietly returned to their mid-levels, bringing Xylie along with them.
Isabella, as their host, had prepared a banquet of fine wine and tea to welcome her three old friends.
Though the wooden pavilion they sat in was similar to the one they had gathered at in Eldoria years ago, the atmosphere was completely different.
“Reunited beneath the ancient pine, sharing drinks under the moonlit sky of the West Lake,” Isabella recited a verse before raising her cup. “Who would have thought that after thirty years, the four of us would sit together once more, not just as comrades, but as warriors standing side by side? This brings back memories of our youth. So tonight, let us drink to old times!”
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