"I declare you, Smith, Kim, Wang, Patel, Ivanov, and Kurosaki family heads as the new Barons. Now, if you have any questions, ask away."
As his authoritative words settled in the minds of the clan heads, they bowed, although their minds were not as pleased as they were before.
Nonetheless, they had gained many things that made it impossible for them to speak against the king.
Thinking about it, everything seemed to be under the king's control from the very beginning.
This very thought gripped their hearts. The abilities of the king were already beyond them, and now he was one step ahead in the game of politics too.
The room was filled with silence until one of the new Barons came forward and bowed.
He was the family head of the Kurosaki family, Kurosaki Ren.
"Yes, Mr. Kurosaki Daiki. What is it that you would like to know?"
Kurosaki Daiki, the head of the Kurosaki family, was the first to regain his composure after the king's announcement.
His advanced age had endowed him with wisdom and composure.
He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and posed the questions that had been swirling in his mind.
His inquiry was clear and straightforward: "Your Majesty, you mentioned that we must accumulate more contribution points in the future to advance to higher ranks.
Could you please explain the criteria upon which these points will be based?"
This question reflected not only his own curiosity but also the concerns and interests of the other family heads who had just been awarded the title of Baron.
The room was filled with anticipation as they awaited the king's response, hoping for clarity on how they could secure their positions and advance further within the kingdom.
Arion nodded in acknowledgment of Kurosaki Ren's question, recognizing the importance of clarifying the criteria for earning contribution points.
He then turned his gaze to the other family heads who stood behind Ren, all of them sharing a curiosity about how they could accrue these vital points.
With a clear and concise explanation, Arion addressed their inquiries:
"The points will be calculated based on your deeds in advancing the kingdom.
This includes your participation in various projects aimed at improving our survival rate and technological advancements.
Contributions to the development of more advanced technologies for the kingdom will also be rewarded.
The majority of points will come from contributions to the kingdom's army, specifically from those who aid in maintaining peace and protecting our realm."
These words sparked hope in their eyes, but his next words filled them with inner frustration.
"If the families below the six baron families aspire to join their ranks, they must accumulate points independently to earn those titles.
This will require time and effort; gaining a noble ranking won't come easily."
These words incited a sense of urgency among the lower-level families.
(A/N: Except the top6 families I'll call them lower level families and the rest will be upper level/Rank. If they gain rank they will become an upper ranked family.)
They wanted to earn contribution points and break free from the control of these upper families.
However, they quickly realized that amassing these points was not an overnight process; it required consistent effort and time.
The higher-ranked families were cursing the king up to nine generations as they perceived his attempt to diminish their influence over the kingdom.
They felt that the new system threatened their long-standing control and authority in the kingdom.
By giving these families hope of more power, he decreased the power of upper families.
'This crafty Bastard'
The higher-ranking families consoled themselves by believing that the lower-ranked families would need considerable time to accumulate the required contribution points.
This also provided them an opportunity to secure their own positions and strengthen their power.
Meanwhile, the Kurosaki family head, having received his answer, returned to his place among the other family heads.
It was now the Wang family matriarch's turn to approach the king.
She followed the Chinese etiquette of bowing respectfully, but her posture exuded a sense of self-assuredness as she presented herself before the king.
With her chest held slightly outwards, she prepared to convey her questions or express her family's concerns to the king.
"Your majesty, I hope you stay well~~. I was thinking if you can solve Meier's query~~.
I wanted to know what you meant by 'every rank except the duke rank can be obtained by points.'~~ "
Her words caused a small visible smirk to appear on Arion's face.
Wang Mei thought that the smirk was due to her revealing figure captivating his attention, which caused her to snort in her mind.
She silently speculated that, like many others, she might be able to capture his attention with her appearance.
However, beneath her exterior confidence, she was cautious of Arion's formidable powers and didn't want to underestimate him.
'All men are the same. I can make him fall for it too. No, I need to be careful of his powers.'
Her thoughts raced as she contemplated how to navigate this new situation while remaining wary of the king's abilities.
But the next words of the king erased all of her delusions and brought her back to reality.
"Indeed, I was waiting for one of you guys to ask this.
Listen, and listen well, because all the small families can use this chance as well to gain power.
This method is for all of you and the citizens of Solunar Kingdom."
His words resounding through the hall trembled everyone's heart.
The reactions in the room were quite diverse. Some couldn't contain their excitement, their faces lighting up as if a sudden beam of sunlight had pierced the tension.
These individuals saw an opportunity to elevate themselves to a higher status in the kingdom.
However, not everyone shared in this jubilation.
The upper families, who had enjoyed a certain level of control and dominance, had expressions as sour as unripe lemons
Giving the chance to all the citizens of the Solunar Kingdom means they had now more people to be wary of.
The prospect of granting such an opportunity to all citizens threatened their established influence and made them uneasy.
The king was not giving them a chance to relax but a method to suddenly gain the second-highest power in the Kingdom.
Which is also available to everyone, this was their nightmare.
" Duke Rank, as well as the other ranks, represents not only the power and strength of the family but also that of its leader.
This underscores why possessing power is a prerequisite for the position of Dukedom.
As the King of the Solunar Kingdom, I hereby declare that anyone—yes, ANYONE—who emerges victorious in the future battles within
'THE CRUCIBLE OF DESTINY'
will be granted the esteemed position of DUKE."
The proclamation reverberated throughout the hall, and a hushed silence fell over the assembled families and guests.
The weight of those words was not lost on anyone present.
The heartbeats of the guests were thumping like the running of wild horses.
The revelation came as a shock, akin to a bomb dropped on the assembled audience.
It was only a few days ago that the first and last battle of the Arena had concluded.
The champion who emerged victorious was a young and ambitious Ether awakener, whose unique power was related to electricity.
This distinct ability granted him a significant advantage over all the other contestants.
He had swiftly and decisively defeated every opponent in every competition, ultimately claiming the championship as his own.
The victorious champion's rise to fame had been remarkable as he blazed through each competition, ultimately claiming the championship.
However, things took a dark turn when he decided to challenge the king for the throne and his wives.
According to the Arena's rules the champion can challenge the king for anything.
The power of electricity and the newfound confidence due to easy victories back to back clouded the man's judgement.
On that fateful day, the king revealed his merciless side.
Without hesitation, he crushed the young challenger before he could even lay a hand on him.
The punishment was brutal, and the young man suffered a painful and slow death.
This gruesome display served as a chilling example to anyone who dared to challenge the king for his position.
Following that gruesome incident in the Arena, people grew cautious about participating in such battles.
While they craved the wealth and fame it could bring, they also cherished their lives.
Now, the king's announcement had rekindled their spirits.
They were eager to enter the Arena once more, but the catch was they had to wait for five years before they could seize this opportunity.
The family heads of the upper ranks were thinking differently.
'How long has he been planning all this?'
The gap of five years, the awards of the arena. Everything was as if the King had known of everything beforehand.
This mere thought caused them to tremble in fear. If he had really planned this for so long then they needed to reassess their King's mind and powers.