Dancing on the golden ashes

The three people around me—Kim Min-Jae, Park Ji-Hoon, and Lee Seo-Yeon—looked in awe at the dragons, their faces lit up with amazement. It was honestly quite funny and even a little cute to watch.

"Mount up, choose any dragon," I said, flapping my wings and rising effortlessly into the air. "I'll fly myself."

Their eyes lit up as if they were witnessing the coolest thing in existence, making me blush slightly. It felt good to see their admiration—it even made me feel a little proud of my abilities.

"Empress, shouldn't you fly on a dragon as well?" Lee Seo-Yeon asked cautiously, her gaze flickering between me and the massive beasts.

I shook my head with a small smile. "Don't worry about me. I want to stretch my wings a bit. They're quite useful, you know."

Before they could respond, I flapped my wings powerfully and disappeared into the sky, leaving them flabbergasted. I chuckled to myself as I watched their stunned expressions from above.

Soon, the dragons took to the skies. Kim Min-Jae and Park Ji-Hoon shared the golden flood dragon, their auras harmonizing perfectly with its majestic energy. Meanwhile, my little slave and Lee Seo-Yeon mounted Scaelvorix, the molten dragoness. As for Malrang, I descended briefly to pick her up—she looked a bit sulky, but a few gentle pats on her soft fur calmed her down. She curled up in my arms, falling asleep almost instantly.

We moved swiftly, crossing the borders of my empire. The journey was spectacular—I saw many new landscapes and visited several of my own cities along the way. One stop, in particular, stood out: the city of Zeltra, a border city adjacent to the Empire of the Golden Fist.

As we approached the small, worn gates of Zeltra, the commotion began. The sight of dragons descending from the sky caused a wave of panic among the guards stationed at the battered walls, which showed clear signs of recent battles.

"Who goes there?" one of the guards shouted, bows and crossbows raised. Their wary gazes darted between us and the towering dragons, and I didn't blame them. It was good to see they were maintaining a strong defense, even in these conditions.

Before I could respond, Lee Seo-Yeon stepped forward, her voice sharp and commanding. "The Empress Lee Gaon has come for a visit! How dare you aim your weapons at her? Do you have a death wish!?"

Her words sent visible shivers through the guards. They hesitated, glancing nervously between her and me, clearly unsure of how to proceed.

They've never seen me before, I realized with mild irritation. Of course, they wouldn't recognize me. I really need to create some kind of token or emblem to identify myself. This is getting ridiculous...

I stifled a laugh at the thought, inwardly amused by the absurdity of the situation.

"Nice to meet you, people of Zeltra City," I began, my tone calm yet commanding. "I'm Lee Gaon, the Empress of the Empire of the Undying Flame. I've come uninvited, and I hope you don't mind this sudden visit." I kept my words polite, hoping to ease the tension and lift their mood.

But then, one of the guards barked out, his voice dripping with disdain, "If you're the Empress, then why the hell do you have that piece of shit Han Seungho with you?"

The moment he said that, the guards snapped into defensive postures. Without hesitation, they shouted, "Kill those impostors!" and launched a volley of arrows in our direction, no warning whatsoever.

"Well, that is definitely not how you treat your Empress, is it?" I muttered, snapping my fingers before anyone could even move. Instantly, golden flames erupted midair, consuming the arrows in a fiery blaze. The intense heat illuminated the skies, leaving only ash to rain down.

The guards froze in terror, their weapons slipping from their trembling hands.

"This power... the golden flames from the stories... that's the Empress's flames..." they whispered amongst themselves.

Some of the guards fell to their knees, bowing in submission, while a few stubborn ones kept their defensive stances, though their fear was evident in their wide eyes.

"You fools!" Kim Min-Jae roared, his massive violet blade materializing in his hands, his aura flaring as if he were ready to go berserk. Before he could act, I raised a hand to stop him.

"It's okay," I said firmly. "This is just a misunderstanding. We don't harm our own people."

"But Empress, that disrespect..." His voice was filled with frustration, and his violet eyes locked onto mine with a mix of anger and confusion.
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"We'll deal with that later," I assured him calmly. "I don't blame them. After all, it's my fault for not creating something to identify myself properly. And his presence," I pointed a finger at my slave Han Seungho, "only made them think we're enemies."

"T-That's right," one of the guards on the wall stammered, his voice shaky but loud enough to reach us. "Why do you have him with you if you're really our Empress?"

The others nodded their heads in agreement, murmuring among themselves.

"How about you introduce yourself to them?" I said, flying up to the dragon where Han Seungho was seated. Without giving him time to respond, I kicked him off the dragon.

He tumbled through the air, landing face-first on the ground with a dull thud.

He pushed himself up from the ground but remained on his knees, his face contorted with unhappiness. I could almost feel the curses swirling in his mind, as if they were tangible. Strange... perhaps this was a side effect of my skill.

"I... I'm Empress Lee Gaon's most loyal dog," he said reluctantly, his voice trembling with humiliation. "I have devoted my life to her and am forbidden to disobey her commands. I deeply apologize for the past atrocities, and I promise my country will compensate you all for the harm caused. There will be no more attacks from my empire..."

He paused, his words catching in his throat, his body trembling with barely contained rage or shame.

"Continue," I said softly, though the urgency in my tone was clear.

His teeth ground together audibly as he forced the words out. "My empire, the Golden Fist, will forever serve the Empire of the Undying Flame..." His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white as he stared at the ground, utterly defeated.

The guards on the wall stood frozen, their jaws slack and their eyes wide with shock. The man who had once wreaked havoc in their city was now on his knees, pledging his loyalty to us.

It was... satisfying to watch. So very satisfying.

"That's... that's Han Seungho, the self-proclaimed handsome emperor, now kneeling before us. I can't believe my eyes!" Many of them began mocking him openly, their laughter echoing off the walls. I let it happen—I wanted them to completely shatter any lingering pride in this dog's heart. He didn't deserve pity. Honestly, he was lucky I hadn't cut off his 'thing' and fed it to the dogs.

Suddenly, I saw his body shiver as if he could hear my thoughts, which made me giggle.

"So that's our real empress? Wow, she's so beautiful—exactly like the tales said."

"You're right. General Kim Seong-Hoon wasn't lying; there's no one as pretty as her."

My ears perked up. Just what kind of nonsense had that fool been telling these people? And when did he even have the time to do so...?

"Please come in, Empress! We are sorry for our actions earlier. We promise to make it up to you!" the guards shouted, hurriedly pulling open the half-standing, half-collapsed gate. It had clearly endured significant damage, likely from numerous attempts to defend against intruders.

As I stepped into the city, a grim scene unfolded before me. Countless people wandered the streets, their appearances ragged, their eyes hollow. It was as if life itself had been drained from them, their morale utterly crushed. They looked like beggars, barely surviving in the ruins of their home.

At that moment, I knew I couldn't leave this place as it was. No matter how ruthless or detached I might seem, I understood that if I wanted to lead this empire well, I had to take care of everyone under my banner. Only by lifting these people back to their feet could I truly earn their loyalty and respect.

"We will stay here for five days before heading to the neighboring empire," I announced as we walked through the main street. My voice was calm, but my words carried the weight of authority. Turning my gaze to Han Seungho, I continued, "You will go alone from here and prepare for my arrival."

The crowd's hateful glares bore down on him, and I knew keeping him here would only cause unnecessary tension. "Any funny business, and I will kill you from afar. I hope you understand that," I added coldly.

I paused for a moment, stepping closer to him, my tone dropping to a dangerous whisper. "If you can't deal with your people and convert them to serve me... I will kill every single one of those garbage excuses for humans. And as for you," I grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanking him closer until his face was mere inches from mine, "I'll make sure your death is the worst they'll ever witness. Understood?"

His trembling lips barely formed a response. "Y-yes, Master," he stammered.

"Louder," I commanded, my tone laced with menace.

"YES, MASTER!" he yelled, his voice echoing across the street.

"Good dog," I sneered, shoving him away. With a swift kick, I sent him stumbling out of the city.

The people around us stood in stunned silence, their awe-struck expressions turning to murmurs of approval. My first step here was complete.