Evil dragon has a warm heart
Chapter 285 - 285 284 The Tacit Understanding of the Flying

Chapter 285: Chapter 284 The Tacit Understanding of the Flying Dragon Knight Chapter 285: Chapter 284 The Tacit Understanding of the Flying Dragon Knight “Roman has successfully ridden the dragon?”

Looking at the report from his subordinate, Earl Merlin narrowed his eyes, then revealed a faint smile.

“I thought Roman was up to some trick at the Council of Elders meeting the other day. Turns out, he was aiming to ride a dragon.” He lit a Misty Rain Dragon cigar and took contented puffs, “The Ghostfire Family, a bunch of sly devils.”

“Grandfather, has Uncle Roman successfully ridden a dragon?” Mel, studying state affairs, asked in surprise.

“Just a few days ago, after the trial of Ros the Clay Dragon by the Council of Elders, Roman succeeded in dragon riding… Not being able to ride a dragon until nearly fifty is really nothing to boast about.” Earl Merlin looked at the cigar ash, which remained unbroken, “He is far behind his father Rod…”

It seems that the older one gets, the more one likes to reminisce about the past, and Earl Merlin inadvertently began to recall events from long, long ago.

Back then.

He was about the same age as Rod: one the heir to a line of unbroken nobility, the other merely the son of a lord from a minor noble family.

Yet, both trained in the Dragon Blood Knights and fought side by side on the Snowfield.

Earl Merlin still remembered, at a ball at Red Castle, how Rod met the young Lady Ingrid and became smitten at first sight, making a marriage pledge—only, they were too young to marry just yet.

In just a few short years, Rod’s father unexpectedly found a Clay Dragon, which proved unbeatable against the Snow Demons. He was thereby ennobled by Quentin III Shadowflame as Baron Youguang.

Subsequently, Rod Glowshroom, who had acquired a noble surname, married Ingrid and they had Roman Youguangxun.

Later, after many years of battle, Rod’s father died ill in bed, and Rod inherited the baronial title and quickly gained the recognition of the Clay Dragon, becoming the second-generation Clay Dragon Rider. Then came the union between the two houses.

“Your aunt was the dream of countless young men in the Grand Duchy, not much less famed at Red Castle’s balls than your mother.” Earl Merlin slowly shared the tales of the past with Mel.

“I believe that.” Mel laughed, “The Rainflower Family doesn’t produce any who are less than beautiful.”

“Roman, the boy, was also a genius knight. Although his looks were somewhat rough, he was elegant and never short of honeyed words. How could your aunt resist… I couldn’t withstand Rod’s relentless pursuit either, and eventually agreed to the marriage.”

But the good times did not last, and following the disaster of the downfall, Rod followed Quentin III into oblivion, and Roman began his rise.

“I’ve been waiting left and right, and never saw the boy ride a dragon. I thought this would be it for his life, but today, Roman surprised me.” Earl Merlin stroked his beard and laughed, “It turns out my judgement wasn’t blind, marrying my daughter to a dragon rider!”

“Grandfather, should we send Uncle Roman our congratulations?”

“Congratulate what, a dragon ride that came nearly twenty years too late? There’s nothing worth celebrating.” Earl Merlin’s face turned stern, “If you think you have time to idle, then go back to your training immediately. Right now, I fear you couldn’t even beat Russell in strength.”

“How could that be, grandfather? When I fight Russell, it’s as simple as pinching him.” Mel boasted.

“With Russell’s swordsmanship, even I would have trouble, are you sure you can stand up to it?” Earl Merlin squinted at his grandson.

Mel immediately became sheepish, “I’ll go back to training right now.”

“Go then, and train hard. Don’t disappoint me… Rod’s descendants excel one after another; my son has already lost, and my grandson must not lose to them again!”

Despite nodding continuously to Earl Merlin’s words, Mel couldn’t help but feel to himself, “What does it matter who is stronger between good buddies like Russell and me… In the future, when I ride Mercedes and Russell rides Medikalun, that too will be a splendid tale of sovereign and subject.”

…

“After today, I will lead the Glowing Valley Knight Regiment to fight on the Snowfield. Firstly, to fulfill the three years of harsh battle service, and secondly to provide Ice Pellet Pearls for Rossay’s hatching.”

Inside the study, Baron Roman held a wine glass, taking small sips of red wine.

It wasn’t a formal occasion, so there was no need to adhere to any banqueting restrictions, and all three—the father and his sons—held wine glasses.

“Father, I will fight alongside you in the Snowfield,” Roland said.

“First make a pact with the Nightmare Specter Horse… I certainly don’t want an incident like Kunstan’s to occur. Just a Great Knight, but insisting on leading the charge—that’s just foolish,” Baron Roman dismissed Grand Duke Kunstan with contempt, “Now look, he’s become the butt of a joke; the neighboring Scorching Torrent Kingdom must be laughing themselves to the ground.”

Roland glanced awkwardly at the ceiling; Grand Duke Kunstan was, in his heart, a wise ruler with grand ambitions.

Baron Roman continued talking to himself: “Kunstan really ought to learn from our Fluorescent Fungi Family, learn what it means to keep a low profile. Even Russell, having advanced to Phantom Beast Knight, knew to stay at the tail end of the Knight Regiment and coast along. And here he is, a Great Knight, completely losing his head.”

“Uh, Father, although I have practiced the family’s way of surviving, maybe it’s better not to bring up such things,” Russell said, somewhat embarrassed.

In the Second Descent, he merely coasted through the entire battle as a peripheral figure, and indeed, it was somewhat shameful to speak of.

Baron Roman nodded, “Then let’s not speak of it.”

He no longer saw Russell as the once inconspicuous second son. Now seen with esteem by the Shadowflame Great Dragon and soon to become a Dragon Knight, Russell could already be considered a significant figure within the Shadowflame Grand Duchy.

So Baron Roman took Russell’s words seriously.

This was the tacit understanding between Flying Dragon Knights, something that Roland, as the eldest son, could not quite grasp yet.

He just felt that his father’s love had suddenly shifted entirely onto Russell.

So his heart felt a little desolate, but he quickly cheered himself up—sooner or later, Russell would start his own family, and everything in the Glowing Valley would still be his.

“Father, Russell, once I have made a pact with the Fantasy Beast, I will rush to the Snowfield as quickly as possible.”

“Exactly, our family of three combining forces will revive the Fluorescent Fungi Family… regardless of the surname you adopt in the future, Russell, it will be a branch of the Fluorescent Fungi bloodline,” Baron Roman raised his glass, “Let’s drink to victory.”

“To victory.”

“To victory!”

Having finished a glass of red wine, Russell said, “Father, regarding the Ice Pellet Pearls acquired by the Knight Regiment in battle, I will buy them at the rate of one Gold Coin for a common pearl and ten Gold Coins for a superior pearl… Of course, I’m short on funds for the moment, I’ll repay it once my domain yields some revenue.”

Having been granted his own estate, it was natural for Russell to settle the accounts.

This wasn’t like his mother’s dowry, which could be freely used to subsidize her son; this was about investment and returns between two families.

“Fine, but you don’t have to rush in repaying this money; return it when you can afford to,” spoke Baron Roman generously.

In the past, even the trivial trade of Rain Dragon cigars required Baron Roman to meticulously calculate the trade taxes with Russell.

Now with such a significant investment at hand, the fact that there wasn’t even a repayment date set, it could only be said that times had changed.

Or perhaps,

It was also a tacit understanding between Flying Dragon Knights, who only upon reaching the pinnacle of strength could afford to trivialize everything and act on their whims.

Roland didn’t understand; a faint sourness welled up in his heart.