Evil dragon has a warm heart
Chapter 575 - 575 573 Banishment to the Snowfield

Chapter 575: Chapter 573 Banishment to the Snowfield Chapter 575: Chapter 573 Banishment to the Snowfield Outside Furious Wind City, a grand groundbreaking ceremony was being held, and Grand Duke Russell personally attended, taking the lead by shovelling the first spadeful of earth.

Rustle…

The applause was incessant.

Russell put down the shovel and raised his head in satisfaction, looking at the sign next to him, which read, “Construction of Furious Wind-Marsh City Railway Line, Southern Section of the Project.”

On this day, with the arrival of the warm season, the first railway of the Shadowflame Grand Duchy and the entire Dragon Sleep Continent officially began construction.

The steam train had already been developed at the testing ground in Black Fire Lands.

Originally, it was planned to build a railway in the small oasis of Cloud Dream Marsh, but since Russell had ascended to be the Grand Duke, it was natural to place the railway in the Volcanic Oasis, starting from the capital of Furywind Province, Furious Wind City, to the capital of Mist Marsh Province, Marsh City.

In the future, this railway would continue to be built in a northwest direction, all the way through to Fire Ant Swamp.

Of course.

This was not about Russell favoring the Sunflower Family but about preparing another railway from Fire Ant Swamp to connect with Black Horse Snow Forest—the scholars of the Grand Scholar Roundtable had already begun studying the technology for building railways beneath the ice.

Eventually, this railway would connect with the Scorching Torrent Kingdom, thus enhancing the exchange between the two countries.

Frost Star Eclipse, the arrival of the Frost Giant World, posed a significant threat to human survival, and although there were human leaders like King Ares to support them, Russell trusted more in himself to change the world with industrialization.

If humanity as a whole did not become stronger, relying on one or two Dragon Knights was absolutely insufficient to contend with the entire Frost Giant World.

After all.

Even before the arrival of the Frost Giants, humans had been suppressed by the Snow Giants; now, with the Frost Giant army possibly arriving at any moment, even the Dragon Knights would be too stretched to manage.

“Your Highness, for the railway fundraising, we’ve currently only collected from four domains,” Roland reported to Russell on the progress of the railway layout after the groundbreaking ceremony, “Glowing Territory, Tributary River Mouth, Populus Gobi, and Golden Prairie.”

“Gravel Domain, Fire Ant Swamp, and Blackgarden Mountain, none of them want to contribute?” asked Russell in a stern voice.

In order to implement the policy “to get rich, first build roads,” Russell planned to have railways built in all seven warm enclave provinces, with the costs to be paid by the lords of the warm enclaves; otherwise, Red Castle alone couldn’t afford it.

“Fire Ant Swamp and Blackgarden Mountain are delaying, and Earl Osclo of Gravel Domain has explicitly refused the railway construction plan.”

“How dares he?” Russell raised an eyebrow.

“Earl Osclo stated outright that Gravel Domain is a hereditary domain of the Willow Clan, and whether to build a railway or not is his choice; Red Castle has no right to demand that he builds it,” Roland said with a smile, “This guy has always been shortsighted, failing to see the situation in the Grand Duchy.”

If it were Kunsley or Mel ascending to Grand Duke, Red Castle would also be powerless in dealing with such defiance from Earl Osclo.

Sadly, it was Russell who had ascended to Grand Duke.

“Send an envoy again to urge Osclo to pay for the railway fundraising and to fully support the construction work.”

“He definitely won’t listen.”

“He won’t?” Russell narrowed his eyes, “It seems that after my promotion to Phantom Dragon Knight, I still haven’t shown enough… Big brother, the Willow Clan disgusts me. Tell me, what if I deprive the Willow Clan of their lordship and reappoint someone else?”

Roland frowned, “Your Highness, as long as you and His Highness Shadowflame make up your minds, you can indeed forcibly strip the Willow Clan of their title, but… after all, there are traditions handed down for five thousand years, and the Grand Duchy also has no precedent for abolishing noble lands.”

“Then let’s spread the word that I want to deprive the Earl of Gravel Domain of his title,” Russell said.

He paused before continuing, “Although my grandfather denied my ennoblement of Princess Kunlaya, both morally and logically I cannot fail the Flamecrest Dragonblood Family; that’s also Shadowflame’s wish. Once Kunlaya comes of age, I definitely plan to grant her a title—Gravel Domain would be suitable.”

“Do you really intend to grant Gravel Domain to Kunlaya?” Roland asked, surprised.

“Just floating the idea; one, to scare Osclo, and two, to prepare for the future ennoblement of Kunlaya.”

“That’s actually a good plan.”

“In any case, the railway layout is a set policy, and no one is allowed to obstruct it,” Russell declared, “While warning Osclo, you also have to make it clear to the Sunflower Family, if they don’t pay up, I’ll have to make a visit myself.”

“Roland agreed, then asked, ‘And what about Blackgarden Mountain?'”

“I’ll summon Curis Tian Zi Cao later to see if they’re out of money or just non-compliant,” Russell said. “Regardless, Blackgarden Mountain must pay up. If they don’t, it won’t look good for my sister either.”

Sister Rolin had married into the Tian Zi Cao Family.

“As far as I know, the finances of the Tian Zi Cao Family are indeed a bit unhealthy, but of course, that’s no excuse for them not to pay,” Roland chuckled. “Then I’ll get to work. The industrial department has too many issues to deal with due to its vast operations.”

“Brother, you have worked hard.”

…

Russell summoned Curis Tian Zi Cao, who continued to plead poverty, but eventually, it was ineffective, and he had to agree to pay up reluctantly.

And when the Sunflower Family received a message from the envoy, they cursed Russell roundly, but didn’t dare not to pay.

Only Earl Osclo, upon hearing the rumors released by Russell, panicked and immediately rushed over to Red Castle, fluttering about. He visited Princess Anxia, expressing his undying loyalty to the Flamecrest Dragonblood Family, and then went to Marquis Merlin to complain about how his ancestors had performed outstanding war services for the Shadowflame Duchy.

He even sent a gift to Marquis Arno, hoping that Marquis Arno would send a message back to his country, requesting King Ares to provide justice.

However, Marquis Arno accepted the gift but did not send any message back. Instead, he directly informed Russell.

Knowing this, Russell chuckled, “What a face loss!”

He then convened the Cabinet and commanded, “As my vassal, the Willow Clan has defied my will and even colluded with foreign envoys trying to pressure me. Such high treason and rebellion, how should it be adjudged?”

While the Cabinet was still discussing, unexpected events unfolded.

The daughter-in-law of the Willow Clan, Baron Gold’s sister Davin, who had Dyson Golden Top Mushroom and had a son, Auden Shui Liu, only six months old, came forward to denounce her father-in-law, mother-in-law, and husband for harboring resentment towards the new Grand Duke.

“How interesting,” Russell said, looking at the notebook brought forward by Davin that was filled with accounts of the Osclo family’s resentment.

Then he looked down at Davin, who was kneeling before him, “Lift your head.”

Davin shakily lifted her head, “Your Highness, Davin is loyal to you, and so is the rest of the Willow Clan. It is only Earl Osclo, his wife, and Augustus Water Willow who harbor resentment towards Your Highness!”

“What do you want?” Russell asked bluntly.

Davin cautiously glanced at Russell and responded, “I want to preserve Auden’s barony… Your Highness, Auden will surely be loyal to you!”

“That will depend on your performance. Take this notebook and go make your accusations to the Cabinet,” Russell said with waning interest, waving his hand.

A guard immediately escorted Davin away.

Russell shook his head, thinking to himself, “Polly, Polly, I used to be quite interested in dealing with the Willow Clan, but now, they all seem like jumping clowns or just buzzing flies.”

No matter how high the Earl Osclo jumped, in his view, they were all just ants that could be squashed at will, so there was no fun in it.

“Because you are powerful now,” Polly responded.

“Indeed, I have reached the pinnacle of the Way of the Knight, and no one can shake my foundation.”

Three days later.

The Cabinet came up with the punishment for Earl Osclo and his family, sentencing Osclo father and son to ten years of hard military labor and stripping Count Broken Stone to Baron Stone, reclaiming the Sponge Dragon once given as a dowry by Madam Quenly.

“That feels irrelevant,” Russell said upon receiving the report from the Cabinet, dissatisfied with the punishment.

He then directly issued a golden seal edict.

“Earl Osclo Water Willow and Augustus Water Willow have shown great disrespect towards me. Strip them of the Count Broken Stone title and heir status, banish them to the Snowfield for life without the right to return to the Gravel Domain. Madam Quenly resents me, confine her to Stonestrike Castle for life.”

“Davin is loyal to me, and her son, Auden Water Willow, is still young. Demote Count Broken Stone to Baron Stone, to be inherited by Auden when he comes of age. Divide the Gravel Domain into two, with one part becoming the fief of Baron Stoneberg, the other part reclaimed by the state, establishing a province.”

“Three-headed Bipedal Flying Dragon and White Crystal Dragon to be inherited by Baron Stone, Sponge Dragon and Fire-stealing Dragon returned to Red Castle!”

“—Companion of the Shadowflame Dragon, master of the Shadowflame Volcanic Oasis and the Cloud Dream Marsh Oasis, Duke Russell Fluorescent Fungus.”