"We greet the Successor! We pay respect to the ancestor!"
Ashen nodded in satisfaction at their show of reverence.
Only after drinking in the scene did he gesture for them to rise.
"You have all shown me sincere courtesy. I ask you, noble ministers, to rise and be seated comfortably."
Many of them took those words as a subtle display of authority. It was clear that only with his permission could they sit in their own seats.
Even the matriarch allowed him to speak without interruption. That alone was enough to make everyone present realize that, despite appearing for the first time today, Ashen held a position far above their own.
From this moment, none of them could afford to underestimate him. They would have to show him proper courtesy from now on.
Moreover, the matriarch had already promised to officially proclaim him as the successor of the Beast Sovereign. That promise alone placed him on equal, if not higher, footing than the matriarch herself.
