Evil dragon has a warm heart
Chapter 447 - 447 446 Grand Scholar Russell

Chapter 447: Chapter 446: Grand Scholar Russell Chapter 447: Chapter 446: Grand Scholar Russell Red Castle, Council of Elders, Chief Executive’s office.

Count Merlin silently flipped through the report and occasionally asked his assistant, “Have all the Flying Dragon Knights submitted enough Ice Soul Pearls?”

“Lord Gerard is short by two pearls, he needs time to adapt to the position of Minister of Finance, so his trips to the Snowfield have been fewer,” replied the assistant. “Lord Drella is also short by one pearl, but he should be able to gather the full amount upon his return.”

Among the senior members of the Council of Elders, the role of Minister of Finance had seen several changes.

Initially, it was Baron Roman Luminescent Mushroom who held the position, but because he bore the crime of desertion for Ross, he was stripped of his position; followed by Baron Davis Golden Cap, who unfortunately passed away mid-term, vacating the position; ultimately, Flying Dragon Knight Lord Gerard succeeded him.

The burden of the Minister of Finance was heavy, so Gerard had no choice but to devote more energy to his duties within the Council of Elders.

This delayed his hunting expeditions in the Snowfield.

As for Lord Drella, it was because he had just been promoted to Flying Dragon Knight and his combat strength was not yet sufficient, making hunting more challenging.

“What about Baron Roman?” Count Merlin asked indifferently, “Three years of grueling combat duty, yet I haven’t seen him make many trips to the Snowfield.”

“Baron Roman just came to the treasury and submitted forty Ice Soul Pearls, twenty of which were on behalf of Baron Russell.”

“Hm, had you not mentioned it, this old man would have almost forgotten, he has a good son,” Count Merlin stroked his beard and chuckled lightly.

The assistant quickly caught on and flattered, “Baron Russell is also your fine grandson, bearing your bloodline!”

“Yes, Russell is a good grandson,” Count Merlin sighed, “If he and Mel switched places, the Grand Duchy wouldn’t have so many troubles… His Highness Shadowflame wouldn’t be troubled over choosing a new Duke either.”

The assistant laughed, “Not only would the dragon not have to worry about choosing a Duke, even choosing a Knight wouldn’t be troublesome.”

Upon hearing this,

Count Merlin’s eyes narrowed slightly, “You also think that Russell is suitable to become a Dragon Knight?”

The assistant replied, “Looking at bloodlines, Baron Russell naturally couldn’t, but Baron Russell’s Way of the Knight is unmatched in history. Such an outstanding knight, if I were the dragon, I would certainly not hesitate.”

“That’s why you are not a dragon, and do not know the pride in a dragon’s heart,” Count Merlin shook his head resignedly, “The dragons nurtured by the Power of the Earth, if they lacked noble character, how could they melt the eternal ice?”

If dragons casually chose their knights, then they would not be dragons at all.

Just powerful monsters sprouting randomly from the land, let alone melting the eternal ice, they might even corrupt themselves with Snow Giants, becoming a danger.

“Sir, I definitely do not understand dragons, my biggest hope in this lifetime is to soon bond with a Phantom Beast.”

“Ascending to a Great Knight?”

“Not yet, but I feel it will come within a year or two.”

“Very well, you have served me for many years, and once you are promoted to Great Knight, I will definitely select a Phantom Beast from the Fantastical Beast Park for you,” Count Merlin casually promised, he had sufficient merits to exchange for a Phantom Beast from the park at Red Castle.

The assistant was overjoyed, “Thank you, Sir!”

At this moment, someone knocked on the door, and a servant came to report, “Sir, Lord Gerard and Lord Drella have come to visit together.”

Merlin waved his hand, “Let them in.”

A moment later, Gerard and Drella sat down in the office. The assistant brought in tea, and Lord Gerard immediately said, “Chief Executive, Drella and I partnered in the Snowfield to hunt Snow Demons and discovered that Snow Demons have reappeared within the Grand Duchy’s borders!”

“Oh,” Count Merlin raised his eyebrows, “Are you certain?”

“Certain.”

“Is it just one straying into our territory, or have multiple Snow Demons appeared?”

“Drella and I specifically searched around, and we found two,” Gerard said, “This is definitely not coincidence, something must have happened with Snow Giant Da; remember, there was a battle in Leize three months ago.”

“Hmm,” Earl Merlin fell into thought.

He had known about the battle in Leize three months ago, naturally, Russell had told him. The Snow Giant Da had disappeared, replaced by the more powerful Frost Giant.

However, with the construction of the Torrent Scale Tower proceeding, even if the Frost Giants wanted to invade, they would still suffer pincer attacks from two dragons.

Moreover, there had been no sightings of Frost Giants reported in these three months.

The Demon Subduing Order was still in effect, and the war mobilization was ongoing, with the Knight Regiment pushing hundreds of kilometers beyond the national borders to hunt Snow Ghosts massively.

Although they occasionally encountered Snow Demons and even assaults by Riding Blue Skins, they had not encountered any Snow Giants or Frost Giants.

“I am aware of it,” Earl Merlin did not elaborate, “Next, have the nobles of the feifdoms and the lords on the border keep a close watch on the Snowfields to verify whether the Snow Demons truly have returned to the Grand Duchy of Shadowflame.”

After Lord Gerard and Lord Drella left, Earl Merlin swiveled his chair to face the window.

From the window, he could overlook Mirror Lake and the distant Shadowflame Volcano.

“The return of the Snow Demons means the end of Snow Giant Da’s undercutting tactics, but does it also mean that the Snow Giant Da was completely assimilated by the Frost Giants? It’s hard to say, the undercutting seems more like the work of a Frost Giant,” he contemplated.

He lit a Frost Snow Cigar and thought silently, “According to Russell’s hypothesis, Snow Ghosts, Snow Demons, and Snow Giants are all mere puppets, with the Frost Giants being the true invaders from another world, the puppeteers controlling everything.”

He exhaled a puff of smoke.

Earl Merlin shook his head: “Frost Giants, I do not wish to face them… In the five-thousand-year war of the Dragon Demons, others did not encounter Frost Giants, how come they have to appear during my administration? Such bad luck!”

By the afternoon.

An assistant came in, “Sir, the Grand Scholar Roundtable has once again submitted an application for Baron Russell’s promotion to Grand Scholar.”

“How many times now?”

“The third time,” the assistant replied.

“Three strikes,” Earl Merlin smiled lightly, “Earl Osclo has missed the Council of Elders three times, this time, do not notify him again, convene the remaining elders and pass the Roundtable’s application.”

“Yes, Sir.”

The Council of Elders convened quickly. Chief Justice Earl Osclo was absent, but according to the council’s rules, missing the same meeting three consecutive times resulted in the cancellation of meeting rights, so the decision could be made by the remaining six elders.

“The Grand Scholar Roundtable has submitted the application for the third time for the promotion of Russell Fluorescent Fungus to Grand Scholar, the elders may now decide,” Earl Merlin announced.

Unsurprisingly, it passed unanimously.

Although the Retting Fertilization Skill was not complex, its widespread implementation had a profound effect, increasing the Grand Duchy of Shadowflame’s grain output by thirty percent last year. As the inventor of the technology, Russell’s promotion to Grand Scholar was only logical.

“Alright, the vote is passed,” Earl Merlin stated, his expression neutral, “Chief Steward Kunbei, report it to the Regent Lady for commendation.”

Chief Steward Lord Kunbei nodded, “Certainly.”

“Lord Kunqiao, I tasked you with writing a piece in the gazette about the Retting Fertilization Skill and Russell’s promotion to Grand Scholar,” Earl Merlin assigned another task.

Lord Seal Minister Kunqiao replied, “I will write it as soon as I return.”

“Don’t delay. With ten days left till December, you have enough time to prepare the next issue of the gazette. I do not want to see any more delays,” Earl Merlin instructed earnestly, his gaze fixed on Lord Kunqiao.

Lord Kunqiao’s face flushed, and he said uncertainly, “Rest assured, Prime Minister.”

His appointment as the Lord Seal Minister was purely because of seniority. Under Grand Duke Kunstan’s rule, he and the duke could sleep until afternoon before starting work.

Now serving under Earl Merlin, he occasionally still enjoyed a lie-in.