Evil dragon has a warm heart
Chapter 203 - 203 202 The Barons Fantastical Time

Chapter 203: Chapter 202: The Baron’s Fantastical Time Chapter 203: Chapter 202: The Baron’s Fantastical Time Fluorescent Castle, Russell stood in the corridor, gazing at the sky filled with fluffy white clouds in the distance.

Mr. Ross was not around, probably out on a stroll, which made the atmosphere of the Fluorescent Castle much more relaxed.

“Eat eat eat eat eat, not tasty, eat eat eat eat eat…” The strange whispers began the moment he set foot in this castle and would rise intermittently.

This annoyed Russell somewhat.

The reason was simple; these were the private whispers of a Fantasy Beast, specifically, the Glowing Valley Black Scorpion belonging to Fluorescent Castle. It was the same Fantasy Beast that Roland, his older brother, described as having a lower intelligence. Not only was it less intelligent, but its character was also rather obstinate.

Several Great Knights had tried to engage and form a contract with it, to no avail.

However, Russell could tell from its attitude toward Roland that if Roland wanted to make a contract, he probably could succeed, yet Roland did not want the Glowing Valley Black Scorpion.

Besides, Roland was waiting to secure Mr. Ross’s approval with his virginity intact.

“Stealing the show a bit, aren’t you, scorpion?” Russell sighed, exasperated, “Since entering the castle, you’ve whispered to yourself countless times, always about eating. Stop it and give other Fantasy Beasts a chance to whisper to me.”

Today, he had brought Charles here to discuss the serf trade with his father.

It was already the afternoon.

Baron Roman had summoned several lords and vassals, and they were discussing matters related to the serf trade: the allocation of serf trading quotas, the base price for the trade of serfs, and the safe escort of trading caravans by Thunderbeasts, including subsidies for the caravans.

These were all trivial matters, so Russell delegated the authority to Charles and stepped out for some fresh air.

Partly it was to escape from the incessant low muttering of the Glowing Valley Black Scorpion.

“That ability to extract essence is completely passive, and it’s really annoying when there are many Fantasy Beasts around… Also, I must never contract with insect-type Fantasy Beasts in the future, low intelligence and too much babble… If you’re going to eat, just eat, why keep muttering incessantly!”

As he muttered to himself under his breath,

Another round of strange whispers floated by: “Eat eat eat eat eat, tasty, eat eat eat eat eat…”

Russell rolled his eyes.

He walked back to the meeting room, where everyone was enjoying the clouds of smoke, puffing on experimental sample cigars sent over from the Cigar Factory.

Of course, the magical Rain Dragon cigars of the Cloud & Frost series had not yet been produced; everyone was currently smoking the ordinary tobacco-filled White Dew series Rain Dragon cigars.

“This White Dew cigar really hits the spot, Russell, does the Cigar Factory have any stock left? Send me twenty boxes to enjoy on the Snowfield, how about it?” Lord Utreras, with a White Dew cigar clamped in his teeth, asked with a chuckle.

Russell answered unapologetically, “No.”

“Just twenty boxes, don’t be so stingy.”

“This year’s warm season production is already fixed; only three hundred boxes of White Dew cigars can be produced. One hundred boxes for the Archduke, one hundred boxes for the Grandfather, and one hundred boxes for the Father, not even a single box left for myself.”

“Really, that little?” exclaimed Lord Utreras.

A box of cigars held ten packs, and a pack contained ten cigars, each packaged in a wooden box. All accounted for, this year’s Cigar Factory’s capacity was only thirty thousand cigars.

Russell said, “Lord Utreras, if you want tobacco, the factory can send you plenty. But as you know, the Rain Dragon cigar uses only the finest tobacco leaves, hand-rolled by virgin cigar rollers, leading to a very low yield of final products.”

Lord Sally stroked his two sideburns and suddenly asked, “What about the rejects? The fine products are for the Archduke, the Earl, and Lord Baron to enjoy; we can make do with some rejects.”

“There are no rejects,” Russell shook his head, “We don’t keep any rejects; all of them are immediately destroyed and turned into ordinary tobacco for sale… It would be unreasonable to deny the citizens of Glowing Valley even tobacco to buy, wouldn’t it?”

“That harsh?” Baron Marcus frowned, “Directly destroying inferior goods? The citizens can smoke less; it won’t kill them.”

“It’s to ensure the brand’s reputation; I must make sure everyone knows that Rain Dragon cigars don’t produce inferior goods,” Russell said with a smile, “Of course, if the warm season’s share is gone, everyone just wait a bit. When the ice season arrives, there will be a big batch of tobacco ripe for the picking.”

“Haha, indeed, you now have a Tobacco Sprite!” laughed Lord Uterras heartily.

Russell also laughed, “When the time comes, I will give each of you lords twenty boxes of White Dew, no, twenty boxes of Misty Snow Cigars!”

“Good!”

“Russell, you are generous!”

“Under the watchful eye of the Great Dragon, this is what a young and promising knight looks like!”

“Mr. Ross would be blind not to let you ride,” Lord Sally said unabashedly, given his old age.

Baron Roman smiled faintly without a word, but his eyes on Russell were somewhat complex. He could never have imagined that his inconspicuous second son, upon coming of age, would encounter such consecutive strokes of fortune, ceaselessly acquiring sprites and fantasy beasts.

He had only been back to his estate for a few days when he discovered a Bamboo Spirit Insect.

Could it be as Earl Merlin said, that the Shadowflame Dragon might have taken a liking to Russell? If that were the case, he really had to give it some serious thought.

When to propose to Princess Anxia so that Russell could marry Princess Kunlaya?

“If he could ride a Great Dragon… hiss, that would be terrifying!” The more Baron Roman thought about it, the more excited he became. His reason told him it was impossible, but he harbored some unrealistic hopes—just in case, just in case!

“Sir, what do you think?” Marcus’s query snapped Baron Roman back to reality.

“What?”

“We’ve just discussed it, and decided that for the twenty Thunder Beasts in the castle, the cost of all their carriage services will be borne by us lords, two beasts each. That makes ten Thunder Beasts. The remaining ten will be your responsibility.”

“Fine,” Baron Roman had no objections.

He even thought matters like the serf trade to be trivial compared to becoming a Dragon Knight; they didn’t evoke the slightest enthusiasm in him.

So once the serf trade was nearly settled, he said, “Russell, this year as the Thunder Beasts pull the carriages, you and your Knight Commander should also go along for the run. Visit the Volcanic Oasis and, better yet, go to Red Castle to see the world.”

Princess Anxia’s daughter, Kunlaya Shadowflame, lived in Red Castle. Although Kunlaya was still young, what if she took a liking to Russell?

As he spoke, Baron Roman took a careful look at his second son.

While he had always felt that he did not inherit the family’s essence of survival—being low-key—now it seemed that being good-looking could be advantageous as well, at least potent enough to impress young girls.

“Alright, Father,” Russell did not refuse, wishing for more opportunities to travel across the Snowfields.

The green-skinned and blue-skinned creatures of the Snowfields were the growing staples for the Little Dream Dragon. Merely relying on the meager output from farming the estate was not sufficient to raise a Great Dragon.

“Let’s settle on that,” Baron Roman rose from his seat, “It’s getting late, and everyone should head back early, to avoid travelling at night.”

“Yes, Sir!” The lords, along with their confidant officials, rose and bid farewell to Baron Roman with a bow.

Subsequently, they all left Fluorescent Castle.

On the way back, Charles reported some details of the previous discussions to Russell.

“Currently, the market price for serfs may range from 20 silver coins to 30 silver coins; female serfs command a higher price, reaching 50 silver coins each; as for skilled serf craftsmen, the price varies from 80 silver coins to 150 silver coins.”

“That’s a bit expensive,” said Russell.

His plan was to spend five hundred Gold Coins on serf trade, but with the current market prices, those five hundred coins could only buy a thousand female serfs.

“So, the conclusion of the discussion is to purchase half male serfs and half female serfs. If children are cheaper, we can buy more children. They are just right for the training of knights that you also need, Sir,” said Charles.

“Hmm.”