Evil dragon has a warm heart
Chapter 298 - 298 297 The Red Castle Banquet Invitation

Chapter 298: Chapter 297: The Red Castle Banquet Invitation Chapter 298: Chapter 297: The Red Castle Banquet Invitation After lunch, Russell spent time drinking tea and chatting with his mother and sister, and before he knew it, it was already two o’clock in the afternoon.

“I must go,” he said, glancing at the clock on the wall as he rose to his feet.

“Won’t you stay at the castle for the night?” Lady Meryl inquired.

“No, with father and my elder brother still fighting on the Snowfield, how can I afford to relax?” Russell stretched languidly. “By the way, Mother, when the family’s caravan sets off, could you send someone to let me know? I want to dispatch some people to follow them.”

“For what purpose?”

“I’ve entered into a partnership with Golden Top Castle, concerning a new type of Primordial Beast we’ve discovered in our territory, the Dark Gold Pig, which we’ve now successfully bred. According to our agreement, we need to deliver one-tenth of this batch of pregnant piglets to Golden Top Castle.”

“The Dark Gold Pigs have been bred successfully? That’s good news,” said Lady Meryl with a smile. “Your aunt recently wrote, wanting to come and visit your grandmother and your father… But her health is too frail after your cousin was born. She’s left with a predisposition to illness and can’t withstand the cold.”

“Aunt and cousin, they are actually quite…” Russell wanted to say pitiful, but on reflection, their lives were already millions of times better than those of ordinary people.

“Indeed, the two of them are quite pitiful,” Lady Meryl agreed with a nod. She quickly added, “If only she would write fewer letters, meddle less in our family affairs, then people would really have more sympathy for her.”

It was said that Russell’s aunt Roby would send dozens, if not hundreds, of letters every month to Lady Ingrid.

Even though transportation was inconvenient and the caravan could only make the round trip once a month and the messenger knight could only travel back and forth once a month, that did not hinder Aunt Roby and Lady Ingrid from writing dozens of letters and then having the messenger knight deliver them all at once.

Russell preferred not to comment on such matters, as he had no desire to interfere in the business between the elders.

He smiled and was ready to leave.

Just as he reached the main entrance,

a castle guard, the protector knight, came over quickly to announce, “My lady, Mr. Russell, a messenger from Red Castle has arrived.”

“A messenger from Red Castle? Let them in,” Lady Meryl instructed.

Then she called to Russell as he was about to leave: “Stay for a moment. Let’s see what message Red Castle has sent. With your father and elder brother away, you can help your mother assess the situation.”

“All right,” Russell agreed, deciding that his return could wait.

The messenger knight arrived and handed over an invitation from Red Castle: “In the grand hall of the elves at Red Castle, a new Emissary Elf has been born, Emissary Elf Latchenis of Chant Autumn. Red Castle extends a special invitation to the Grand Duchy’s nobility to celebrate the birth of Lord Lechtinis.”

Upon finishing,

the messenger knight pulled another invitation from his tunic: “As Lord Russell is also present, this saves me a trip to your estate. There is an invitation for you as well from Red Castle.”

“I have one too?” Russell was surprised.

He was just an ordinary knight with the title of lord; it would have made sense if he’d been invited as an aide to the Volcanic Minister.

He had not expected that even after declining the position of aide to the Volcanic Minister, he would still receive an invitation from Red Castle.

“Thus it is with the Little Sprite of Chant Autumn, within the Great Dragon’s gaze, transcending the ordinary to ascend as Emissary Elf Lechtinis. To honor Lord Lechtinis’s awakening, a banquet will be held in the Grand Duke Yingyan’s Palace, and Lord Russell Glowcap is specially invited to attend.”

The invitation specified the nature of the banquet and the name of the invitee.

The invitation was signed by Regent Lady Anxia Sunfire, and not by the ruling Council of Elders of Red Castle—the birth of an Emissary Elf was a family matter for the Flamecrest Dragonblood Family, naturally beyond the jurisdiction of the Council of Elders.

After sending the messenger knight off to rest, Lady Meryl expressed her puzzlement, “Red Castle has extended a personal invitation to you. I thought there would only be one invitation, for the whole family.”

Russell had some guesses, feeling it might have something to do with the Shadowflame Dragon.

It seemed that just because the Shadowflame Dragon glanced at him once, his reputation in Red Castle shot up tremendously. He was not only arranged to assist the Volcanic Minister but also invited to dine at a family banquet by Princess Anxia. All this treatment obviously exceeded his status as a lord and landowner.

After all,

nobody outside his family knew about the Black Oil Dragon Egg and that he was going to be a future Flying Dragon Knight.

“Mother, when Red Castle has invited our family in the past, would they also send an invitation to Uncle Rosen?” Russell asked.

“Of course not, Rosen is a vassal to your father,” Lady Meryl shook her head. “However, he often represents our family at many other invitations—celebrations of Little Sprites, Phantom Beast Knights, birthday banquets, wedding ceremonies… The less important events are basically attended by Rosen on behalf of our family.”

She paused before adding, “Your father had hoped that after you grew up a few more years, you would take over Rosen’s duties and be responsible for this task.”

That was where most second sons in families ultimately found their worth.

But now Russell had stepped out of that role; as a Flying Dragon Knight, he could start his own legacy.

In the future, such affairs would continue to be Uncle Rosen’s responsibility—likely until Roland’s second son grew up, only then would Rosen be able to hand over this matter.

“Mother, will you attend the banquet?” Russell inquired.

“Let your uncle go on behalf of the family,” Lady Meryl declined with a shake of her head. “Your father was penalized with three years of grueling combat duty; it wouldn’t be right for him to break away from battle to attend such gatherings, nor could I possibly go to a banquet while your father is being punished.”

Russell nodded, “Then I will not go either.”

“Red Castle inviting you alone is a bit strange.”

“The high probability is still because I caught the Shadowflame Dragon’s gaze,” Russell shook his head, gaining a deeper understanding of the Shadowflame Dragon’s status within the Shadowflame Grand Duchy, as well as its influence on Red Castle—this is a deity.”

“Yes, our handsome Russell is even loved by the Shadowflame Dragon,” Lady Meryl was most satisfied with Russell’s appearance.

He had perfectly avoided the low profile of the Fluorescent Fungi Family and inherited the beauty of the Rainflower Family.

Russell smiled and offered no explanation.

The Shadowflame Dragon wasn’t captivated by his good looks, but rather by the Little Dream Dragon behind him; that’s why it deigned to look at him directly.

Otherwise, no matter how handsome he was, to the Shadowflame Dragon he was just an insignificant ant.

The scene where Princess Anxia and the knights shouted oaths of vengeance still echoed in Russell’s mind. Even if it was for revenge on behalf of Grand Duke Kunstan, the Shadowflame Dragon remained indifferent, even feeling those people were too noisy.

Without becoming a Dragon Knight, one did not qualify to be a companion of a Great Dragon, nor to be regarded by one.

The so-called gaze of the dragon.

It was but a belief of ordinary people.

“Mother, when Uncle Rosen comes back, could you ask him to bring a congratulatory gift to the banquet on my behalf?” Russell said, “I shall be getting back now, there are a ton of affairs waiting for me in the domain to deal with, goodbye.”

“Go ahead.” Lady Meryl waved her hand, watching as her younger son rode away on the stylish Unicorn through the archway.

“Quack!”

A cry rang through the sky, and Lady Meryl saw another fantasy beast Russell had brought, a strange white owl.

These two Fantasy Beasts were more majestic than any Lady Meryl had ever seen, complementing Russell’s handsomeness.

“Shadowflame Dragon… please continue to look upon Russell favorably,” Lady Meryl prayed earnestly. “Elf, Fantasy Beast, Bipedal Flying Dragon… your devoted servant, Meryl Rain Flower, is grateful for all that you have bestowed and will forever adore you!”