Chapter 511: Chapter 511: New Year’s Eve and Its Festivities (2)

"New Year’s Eve has arrived. It is time to wreak havoc upon the Great Velmora Empire."

Floating high above the sky, the Demon Emperor Zerathos gazed at the horizon with a cold stare.

Behind him stood two hundred figures clad in black cloaks, members of the Underworld Gate.

Among them were the surviving cardinals. They shared a single goal: to help the Demon Emperor exact his revenge and rule the continent.

"Well then, let’s go!" Zerathos commanded.

Whoosh!

His body turned into a streak of black light and shot into the distance.

The two hundred figures behind him followed at once, vanishing from sight.

...

"Thank you, Sisters! Coincidentally, I really like candy!"

In the city square, Eliza held four small packages of colorful candy.

Her eyes sparkled with happiness as she imagined eating candy every day.

The ten young women standing before her couldn’t help but smile.

They hadn’t expected Eliza to be so cute and innocent.

"If you want more, just tell me, okay? I’ll send some again," said a beautiful brown-haired woman.

She patted her ample chest, as if showing confidence in her words.

"That’s not fair! Me too, Princess! Please tell me!" another woman interrupted at once, making the same promise.

Not wanting to lose, the others quickly joined in.

Eliza didn’t understand why they were suddenly arguing, but she felt she had to stop them.

"Don’t fight!" she exclaimed in her adorable, melodious voice.

All the women gasped and quickly covered their mouths.

Eliza nodded in satisfaction, then spoke softly, "Thank you for your attention and kindness. But Brother Nolan taught me not to take advantage of other people’s kindness."

She shook her head with a stern expression, making her look like a little hamster.

The women’s hearts melted at the sight of her endearing face. If not for Eliza’s status as a princess, they would have pinched her cheeks.

"You are very kind, Princess," the brown-haired woman praised. "I truly admire Prince Nolan for teaching you to be so kind. By the way..."

She leaned closer to Eliza and asked in a soft voice, "Does Prince Nolan already have a fiancée?"

The others were stunned by her bold question. Matters concerning the imperial family were not something ordinary people like them should meddle in.

Even so, it would be a lie to say they weren’t curious.

Ever since Nolan appeared before the public during the announcement of the succession to the throne, their negative views of him had completely changed.

He was far more handsome than Adalen, whom they had previously considered the most handsome man in the empire.

For young women like them, it was like a deadly weapon that instantly captured their hearts.

"Eh? Brother Nolan?" Eliza rubbed her chin before replying. "He doesn’t have a fiancée yet. But he’s quite close to Sister Rafine."

When the name "Rafine" was spoken, all the women froze.

Rafine was known as the most beautiful woman in the empire. Compared to her, they were no more than specks of dust.

Sensing the atmosphere turn strange and heavy, Eliza felt puzzled.

She didn’t understand why the moment she mentioned Rafine’s name, all the women around her seemed to lose their energy.

’Did I do something wrong?’ Eliza tilted her head, a question mark seeming to float above her.

Dong!

Dong!

Suddenly, the sound of bells echoed throughout the town square.

Everyone was startled and instinctively raised their heads toward the giant clock nearby.

The time showed 11:59 p.m., meaning there was only one minute left before the new year arrived.

Excitement spread through the crowd as they anticipated the spectacle Nolan had promised.

Nolan quickly walked to the center of the square, followed by Seira, Eliza, and Isabella.

"All right, everyone. There’s only one minute left before the new year arrives. I want you all to count down with me!" Nolan shouted.

Smiles spread across the crowd as they nodded in agreement.

"Ten," Nolan began, and everyone immediately joined in.

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

"Seven!"

"Six!"

Nolan smiled broadly as he watched everyone counting down with such enthusiasm.

"Five!"

"Four!"

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

The moment the count reached one, the massive clock rang out with a far louder chime than before.

Dong!

Dong!

Dong!

Clap!

Nolan clapped his hands, and the massive dragon statue behind him suddenly began to emit a faint white light.

All eyes fixed on the scene, filled with hope.

Under their gaze, the statue slowly raised its head, and a ball of fire formed between its jaws.

"It’s magic!" a man exclaimed in awe.

"No, it’s not magic. I don’t sense any magical essence," a mage replied in surprise.

If it were magic, there should have been fluctuations. However, he sensed none from the fireball.

Whoosh!

The fireball shot into the cloudy night sky. And it wasn’t just one—fireballs from other statues across the square also soared upward.

Boom!

All the fireballs exploded at once, creating a dazzling blaze of light that formed the words "Happy New Year."

The spectacular sight left everyone staring in disbelief.

However, it didn’t end there. Another fireball emerged from the dragon’s mouth and exploded just like before.

After ten minutes, the fireballs finally stopped, and everyone snapped out of their shock.

"That was... amazing!"

Someone’s exclamation sparked excitement among the crowd.

"Right! That was really amazing, damn it! I didn’t expect the dragon to shoot fireballs that explode and form the words ’Happy New Year!’ The idea was truly genius!"

"Damn! I was so mesmerized by the beauty that I forgot to record it!"

Everyone chatted happily. For those who usually spent New Year’s Eve at home, the scene was clearly something extraordinary.

If only they had known New Year’s Eve could be this festive, they would have asked the palace to hold an event like this long ago.

"Don’t get too excited, everyone. The event isn’t over yet," Nolan’s voice snapped them out of it.

"Not over yet?" The crowd was taken aback and turned to Nolan with curiosity.

Nolan glanced at Seira, who immediately understood his intention.

Seira clapped her hands once, and a group of orchestra members suddenly appeared from the left side of the square.

They carried instruments such as drums and trumpets. Behind them, another group followed, bearing a giant dragon statue with the words "Happy New Year" written on its back.

Their appearance stunned the crowd. Parades like this were usually held only during major festivals. No one expected Nolan and Seira to prepare one for New Year’s Eve.

"Dad, I want to join them!" a boy exclaimed, pointing excitedly at the parade.

Other children soon followed, eager to take part. Seeing no harm in it, the parents allowed them to join.

Even the young people joined the procession.

Everyone looked cheerful, a clear sign that Nolan and Seira’s plan was unfolding perfectly.

But suddenly, Malverna’s cold voice echoed in Nolan’s mind.

"He has arrived—with his forces."