Evil dragon has a warm heart
Chapter 359 - 359 358 The Coldest Ice Age

Chapter 359: Chapter 358: The Coldest Ice Age Chapter 359: Chapter 358: The Coldest Ice Age In the year 5581 of the Dragon Calendar, Wuyao Snake Manor underwent rapid development.

The originally planned construction of government offices, schools, courts, and other buildings were all halted by Russell; it was unnecessary to waste financial resources in this area—it would all be handed back to Baron Roman eventually, and these buildings would become obsolete.

Although progress in construction projects was hindered, agricultural production and population growth advanced by leaps and bounds.

“After a year of growth, most of the birch saplings have reached a size sufficient for the parasitism of the Glowing Mushrooms. The production of the Fluorescent Mushroom Magic Potion is bound to increase by fivefold next year!” Charles proclaimed loudly.

Russell couldn’t help but nod; knights consume an enormous amount of Magic Potions.

On his journey thus far, if it weren’t for the investment from the Fluorescent Fungi Family and his mother, Lady Meryl, using her dowry to subsidize him, the Magic Potions would not have been enough.

The future development of the Blackflame Plains would require numerous knights for protection, so now it was vital to plant more Magical Wheat for the production of Magic Power elixirs to then train knights—it certainly couldn’t always be him personally protecting the trade routes.

Therefore, he was very satisfied with the increase in Glowing Mushrooms’ production.

“This year we planted two crops of Tobacco Potions, with seventy percent of Tobacco Potion used for Magic Potion extraction and thirty percent for the production of Frost and Cloud Mist Cigars… Hans will personally report the earnings from this area to you, Sir,” Charles said.

The Cigar Factory was a joint industry between the Fluorescent Fungi Family and Russell, with Hans being specifically responsible for it, so Charles skipped over it.

But he quickly continued with excitement, “This year we also completed a crop of Magical Wheat! One-fourth of the Magical Wheat was used for food storage at the Cigar Courtyard, with the remaining three-quarters sent to Fluorescent Castle for extraction into Magic Power elixirs.”

Together with the Magic Potions produced by the eight Spirit Insects, Charles proudly announced, “Sir, after deducting what you, the knights, and the Phantom Beasts need, and for training a batch of knight prospects… the estate can have a surplus of at least three thousand Magic Power potions this year!”

“Three thousand, huh,” murmured Russell as he nodded.

This number might have been sufficient for him before, but for him now, it was merely passable.

After all, as a Flying Dragon Knight and a Phantom Beast Knight, his daily training consumed over a dozen Magic Power elixirs.

Otherwise, ordinary meals would never provide enough Magic Power to support his needs.

It was fortunate that the Bipedal Flying Dragon did not require Magic Power elixirs for nourishment, its strength supplied entirely by the Warm Enclave, or else the cost of maintaining one, ensuring the stability of its Dragon Breath, could bankrupt a great noble.

The greater the strength, the greater the consumption; energy is always conserved.

Charles then reported the year’s achievements in serf trade: “All in all, through borrowing from the Fluorescent Fungi Family, hiring Thunder Beasts for transportation… and recruiting plenty of Cavern Free People from the Volcanic Oasis… we were able to increase the population by three thousand five hundred.”

Initially, Wuyao Snake Manor had only three thousand five hundred people, and later, through Russell’s efforts in clearing out the caverns, he gathered around five hundred more.

Subsequently, as part of the serf trade, he purchased another one thousand three hundred people.

With continuous recruitment of the surrounding Cavern Free People, the estate’s population size reached over five thousand five hundred. This year, through persistent recruitment of Free People and substantial purchases of serfs during the Warm Season, the total population of the estate finally crossed the ten-thousand mark.

“The population has reached ten thousand, but the estate’s finances are still not self-sustaining…” Charles concluded the financial report.

The Cigar Factory was making a fortune each day, but the serf trade was also hemorrhaging money daily.

One came in, another went out, essentially seeing no profit.

Charles, not without complaint, said, “Sir, the Mountain River Trade Route can be considered the lifeblood of trade, and we invest at least half of our earnings into the route… Perhaps we should consider forging our own route to the Volcanic Oasis.”

“Enough, Charles, no more complaints,” Russell cut him off directly, “Without the family’s support, there would be no glory today.”

“Ah, of course.” Charles promptly nodded, “But, Sir, we must plan for the future, especially considering the construction in the Blackflame Plains which will surely require a massive injection of funds.”

“I know, and I will renegotiate the subsidies for the trade route with the family in the future,” said Russell.

Even among brothers, clear accounts are necessary.

The Fluorescent Fungi Family had invested heavily in him, and he naturally needed to repay their investment, but the returns on such investments must also be kept within reason.

In any case, he would discuss it in detail with Baron Roman and find a balance.

To achieve a win-win situation for both parties.

…

After the job report presentation had concluded

it was time for a celebratory banquet. Breads made from flour milled from magical wheat, delicate and crumbly to the touch, were served with a qi and blood ointment, a concoction of glowing mushrooms and bloodfang fungi. Eating a meal was as potent as downing a vial of magic potion.

“Praise Sir!”

“Praise Sir!”

“Praise Sir!”

Following Charles’s lead in flattery, the rest of the officials at the banquet promptly joined in with synchronized praise.

Russell lifted his wine glass, his smile radiant, “Praise the Dragon!”

The officials raised their glasses in unison, echoing Russell’s toast loudly, “Praise the Dragon!”

As for which dragon was being praised, that was a matter of perspective. In any case, everyone left the meal in high spirits.

The flurry of heavy snow had stopped.

The night air was exceptionally cold, and one’s breath turned instantly into a misty cloud.

From the court newspapers copied in December, Russell had read the Scholars’ Roundtable Council’s predictions that numerous signs indicated the upcoming months might experience the coldest ice age in recent years, affecting the entire country.

“Ultimately, it all boils down to the Shadowflame Dragon’s power declining to an extreme,” Russell mused, standing on the garden terrace and shaking his head.

The development of Black Fire lands made it appear as though the Shadowflame Duchy’s warm territories were expanding, but this was only superficial.

“If the Shadowflame Dragon doesn’t recover soon, one can imagine the borders may shrink in the coming few years.” Russell thought of the border lines in the Greentown Snow Forest. “Maybe in a few years, the Greentown Garden Cold Spring Point will belong to another country.”

“This year, it’s colder than previous years,” said Hape’s voice, suddenly echoing in his mind.

“You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Cold is good,” Russell tried to find a bright side, “Maybe the harsher the cold, the more Snow Ghosts we’ll get, and even Snow Demons will keep appearing. When that time comes, there’s no need to hunt Snow Demons abroad; we can do it domestically.”

With the protection of the Shadowflame Dragon within the country, who would want to risk hunting in the borderlands?

The Snow Giant Da was very likely to be hiding outside the border line.

“However, there must be other Flying Dragon Knights like myself who hunts Snow Demons abroad and then covertly contribute Ice Soul Pearls to the Shadowflame Dragon for healing… Even if the Shadowflame Dragon deigns to ask, the Scorching Torrent Kingdom would likely provide Ice Soul Pearls to aid it.”

But the Shadowflame Dragon would never bow its head; it still dreams of joining forces with the Little Dream Dragon to reclaim what was once its hope.

“What exactly does the return to ancient hope mean?”

Russell pondered silently.

Snowflakes landing on him instantly evaporated before even touching his clothes, disintegrated by the ever-vibrating Dragon Breath.

Suddenly,

Russell caught a glimpse of a shooting star streaking across the sky with the corner of his eye.

He turned his head swiftly, looking toward the trajectory of the falling star, but the shooting star moved so quickly that its brilliant trail flashed by in an instant.

The exact location where the meteor fell could not be determined.

“A meteor, on the Dragon Sleep Continent too…” Russell’s thoughts began to wander, “So if Snow Demons are aliens, how exactly did they open the portal to another world and invade the Dragon Sleep Continent? Faster-than-light travel, or through a wormhole?”

No one answered.

This world still had too many mysteries unsolved, “To find out all of this, it’s up to me to unravel… to ride a dragon, ride a giant dragon!”