Galaxy's First Ruler

Sigh!

This sigh was waiting at the tip of Aldrich's tongue for quite a while.

It wasn't unexpected for Aldrich to hear something like this from a higher Ranked Dreamer. Only he knew the reason for him to portray himself as a Bastard of House Venomous Rose and not its ancestor. There were certain things that he could only do with his identity in question, but credible enough to be accepted by an Earl, like Drago Goranov.

One of those reasons was to attract the attention of the coming Marquess. But even Aldrich seemed to have underestimated the lure of the bait he had thrown into the sea for him to catch the biggest fish. A personal student wasn't a position that could simply be earned or taken. It was a pure luxury that could only be given.

Since ancient times, high Ranked Dreamers had been choosing children of nobles as students. It used to be considered a great honor and a ceremonial thing for a newly Initiated Dreamer to get chosen. But then, at one point, this ceremony died out. The only thing that got left behind was its traces, which certain Houses persistently followed up to this day. House Star Dust was one of such Houses.

The only thing that baffled everyone was why Aldrich.

Earl Drago had a massive frown on his face, and by Aldrich's side, Trifon kept squinting his eyes, trying to find the scheme behind all this.

Even though Trifon had already become a Count and he was a black spot in the name of Nobles, for others, he was still a legitimate heir to an ancient House. None could have dared to feel disgusted if Marquess Harold had chosen him as a personal student.

Aldrich could calculate what would be the impact of him being accepted by Harold. Even if the name of his mother would remain taboo among nobles, after this, he would become a legitimate Goranov. None would have the audacity to call him a bastard. How can a personal student of a Marquess be a bastard, they would think?

'But why? Why does he want to legitimize my claim in House Venomous Rose?'

Aldrich was still thinking about the possible hidden meaning behind this announcement when his eyes fell on Amalia's face. She was looking at him, and seemingly for quite some time. There was a heavy blush on her face, and her peacock-like eyes were brimming with expectation and anticipation.

'This…'

Aldrich got to know why Marquess Harold hadn't rejected or accepted the proposal of engagement between Trifon and Amalia. Rejecting the offer would have come as an expected outcome to Aldrich, but things seemed to have developed beyond his plans. The bait had caught the fish, but not the one he wanted.

All were silent, and none waited for Aldrich's response on the matter. This announcement was a declaration and not a question. Only a fool would go against it, and if a bastard was to reject it, then he would be the biggest fool. But before Aldrich could give any response, there were some already opposed to this.

Someone harrumphed from one corner of the Hall, breaking the ever reigning silence.

"Huh! What a bold statement! Are we still living like cavemen, Harold?"

Marquess Nicholas stood up from his chair and took out a cigar. As he lit it up, he climbed onto the stage and stared down into the eyes of the 10-year-old boy.

"Don't make me lose my temper, Nicholas. This is my sector. These are my Dreamers. YOU have no say in this."

HAHAHA!

Nicholas was a tall and lean man, and though he looked a little older than Earl Drago, in age he was even older than Marquess Harold. The hearty laugh that had come out of him was shrill and ear scraping. Before the laugh could die out, a scroll had appeared in his hands. But it didn't stay with Nicholas for long. It lifted, hovering high in the air for all to see, and glowed bright gold.

A shiver ran down in the spines of Dreamers, regardless of their Rank. For the first time in Aldrich's life, he felt non-existent compared to a single scroll. It was the same feeling he used to get from the Being behind the Black Veil and the Banished Golden Devil. But this was reality, and its pressure was also much real.

Runic Symbols appeared all over the scroll and even in the surrounding space. Aldrich didn't take long to analyze that they were related to judgment. Soon a Divine Sense came out of the Scroll, like Perception but unimaginably powerful. And before anyone could blink, it covered the entire planet VR-252. The Everlasting Tower shuddered, and in the next moment, the Ancient Oracle appeared near Drago.

Aldrich calmed himself and muttered the Ancient Sayings under his breath. He observed Tyra and Amalia's faces getting horrified by moments while the pillar on his back thrummed with soundless vibrations. As the scroll opened by itself, all Dreamers fell to their knees with no need of any command.

And starting from Marquess Harold, Earl Drago, and the Ancient Oracle, the voices of many resounded on planet Rosalia.

"LONG LIVE HIS MAJESTY, THE KING."

This scroll was handwritten by a KING himself. The Divine Sense palpating the hearts of Dreamers was nothing but a minuscule part of him.

This scroll's presence was equivalent to a King being present in person.

Only one person was not subjected to the pressure of the King's Perception and that was Marquess Nicholas. There was a smirk on his face, and as he looked at the kneeling Dreamers, he proclaimed out.

"I am here not only to congratulate Earl Drago but also on an official business. I was going to announce this message to Harold personally, but hearing his announcement, I had to make some changes in plans."

Aldrich could feel the falseness of Nicholas' words. All Dreamers stood up, but their heads still lacked the sternness of before. Marquess Harold's teeth were clenched hard, and even he said nothing at this moment. As the scroll came down in front of the tall marquess, Nicholas gave Aldrich a look and then read out loud.

"Dreamers of the Galaxy. I, Supreme Commander of the United Galactic Front, have a wonderful opportunity for all of you…"

Aldrich saw Harold narrowing his eyes as he heard the word 'opportunity'. Not everyone could imagine what the scroll could be related to, but Aldrich still didn't hesitate to make a guess based on the time and place.

Nicholas continued in a heavy voice.

"The 3 Year time limit for the selection of a new Supreme commander is upon us. In another seventeen months, there will be countless new Dreamers coming out of Barren Earths. To handle this surge of Dreamers efficiently, I am creating a brand new unit called Barren Earth Overseers. Regardless of their kingdoms, all Count and Earl ranked Dreamers will be eligible to become a part of this unit. The selection process will comprise a tournament after 5 months, the details of which are yet to be finalized."

Aldrich was calm, but there was anger buried deep in his eyes. All his plans would come to nothing if this tournament would go as stated. He saw Nicholas skimming the bottom part of the scroll and waited for him to finish.

"The top Dreamers of this tournament would be given the privilege of being under the tutelage of Dukes. I hope for healthy participation."

As Aldrich watched the scroll vanishing, he got to know why there was a mocking tone in Nicholas' voice when Harold gave out the second announcement.

Who would settle to be the personal student of a mere Marquess, when there was an opportunity to be with a Duke?