Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 241 - 240 Next

Chapter 241: Chapter 240 Next

When Leon left the elf treasure vault, he obtained several magic items. Among them, his favorite was the Plane Talisman, along with sixty thousand gold coins—the compensation was supposed to be one hundred thousand gold coins, but he had spent quite a bit on magic items—all packed into a chest, filling up most of it.

"Sixty thousand gold coins fill up most of the chest. One hundred thousand gold coins would probably just fill up the entire thing..." Leon muttered to himself, imagining how in some stories, a giant dragon would sleep atop a mountain of gold. Just how rich must they be? Even "rich enough to rival a kingdom" would be an understatement.

Back in his peak, Leon had accumulated quite a bit of wealth, which was mostly thanks to robbing Angmog. Like the saying goes, "A horse can’t grow fat without night grass." However, it was all spent on transforming the Volcanic Island. Now, the sixty thousand gold coins only stirred his emotions briefly.

Cecilia, on the other hand, was a slim and frail young Green Dragon—a complete pauper. She had once been reduced to scheming with the Green Hag and Evil Ghost over an Elf Village, and only after following Leon did she gradually manage to save up a little money—barely a few thousand gold coins.

She had always dreamed of visiting Danalan, a bustling Elf City, but she knew she wouldn’t stand a chance without tagging along with Leon. Now that she had received the compensation, she couldn’t wait to leave immediately.

"Master, when are we leaving?" Cecilia was eager to take her compensation back to her lair, lie atop the pile of gold coins, and indulge in a blissful nap. Perhaps she could even show off a bit in front of Tassera—but, thinking it over, maybe not. Her little sister was different from her—Tassera was a little miser who wouldn’t mind swiping a coin or two.

"You want to head back already?" Leon asked.

"If you want to go back, you can go first," Leon said, catching the eagerness in Cecilia’s eyes. "Tassera and I still want to visit the library."

Now that they were here, skipping the Elf library wasn’t an option. Having seen the elf treasure vault, Leon felt confident that the library would hold numerous fascinating treasures as well.

Cecilia hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to prioritize taking her money back to her lair. Leon was easygoing and wouldn’t be upset if she didn’t stick by his side for a single afternoon. "I don’t enjoy reading. Looking at books just makes me want to sleep... You two go ahead to the library. I’ll head back first."

Cecilia left on foot, as she needed to be far away from Danalan to revert to her Dragon Form. Under Vilanser’s watchful eyes, Leon and Tassera headed to the White Tower Library, located in one corner of Danalan.

The White Tower Library was impressively large, with multiple layers and countless bookshelves. The number of books stored there could only be described in tens of thousands—without a doubt, a collection that far surpassed Tassera’s private library. And Danalan was merely a regular Elf City, far removed from the heart of the Elf Empire.

As expected, Tassera was utterly captivated by the vast sea of books upon entering the library.

"Not bad, not bad—roughly the size of our university library."

Having seen quite a bit in his life, Leon was only momentarily astonished before quickly recovering. He casually picked up a book to skim it, only to frown immediately. His knowledge of the Elf Language was sufficient for everyday conversations, but reading books written in Elf Language was still a challenge.

Titles like *Monster Atlas Strange Monster Chapter*, *Monster Atlas Undead Chapter*, *Monster of the Multiverse*, *Book of Impermanence*, *Belen Kingdom Pathfinder Guide*, *Star Realm Adventurer’s Guide*, *Imprint City and Outer Domain*, *Storm Book*, *Sandstorm Book*...

Leon wandered around the library briefly and discovered a wealth of books he wanted to read. Without a doubt, he would need to visit Danalan frequently in the future—whether the elves could get used to that or not remained to be seen. After a few visits, they’d surely adjust.

Leon had come to understand why Danalan’s treasure vault contained so many rare items.

After the Qin and Han dynasties unified the empire, a vast state-run craftsmanship system gradually took shape.

Under the Han Dynasty, weaponry, ceremonial items, and household goods were produced in state-operated workshops managed by the Ministry of Revenue in the Capital Chang’an. Palaces were built under supervision of the Ministry of Construction. During the Wei-Jin period and the subsequent Southern and Northern Dynasties, state-run industries were highly developed, with positions like the Director of Balance, responsible for standardizing production, and Supervisors of Dyeing, overseeing textile processing...

Even a small operation has all the necessary components. Similarly, Danalan housed state-run workshops for the creation of equipment, ensuring that the Forest Rangers, city guards, and citizens were armed for protection. Especially since arrows are consumables, they couldn’t possibly rely on personal supplies.

The treasure vault in Danalan stored items from these workshops, as well as diplomatic gifts, traded commodities, and spoils of war.

"How did you gather so many books?" Leon couldn’t help but ask.

"Elves love to read. Whenever we travel, we bring back books and make copies to store in the library... With thousands of years of accumulation, we slowly amassed such a collection." Hai’an glanced around, recalling the hundreds of years he had spent immersed in this library.

Leon and Tassera spent a day in Danalan. Leon left all his weapons and equipment behind, asking the elves to carefully refine them—not for strength, but simply for a more stylish and beautiful appearance. Afterward, they each borrowed ten books and departed.

These books were, of course, loaned, and needed to be returned. Failure to do so would mean no new loans, though making copies was allowed. Damages, however, required expensive compensation.

This visit to Danalan gave Leon a clear sense of the disparity between them. His own accumulation was utterly insignificant compared to that of a single elf city. It wasn’t surprising—Leon had only been accumulating for a few years, whereas the elves had been doing so for thousands.

If he had the capability to take over Danalan, he could become incredibly rich overnight—but that was impossible with his current abilities. At most, he could slowly chip away at Danalan until the elves could no longer tolerate him.

Slow and steady wins the race. Leon’s mindset was calm—after all, he was still a teenage dragon, with some time to go before reaching adulthood. He had plenty of time for accumulation.

Leon suddenly thought of the Breathing and Exhaling Skill, which had already proven its worth. Without it, he couldn’t have achieved the physique of a young dragon comparable to a teenage dragon’s. In a few years, he might reach the physique of an adult dragon—far larger than his younger sister.

If it weren’t for the Inner Core Dual Cultivation Method, he wouldn’t be nearly as agile as he was now, moving like a large feline. More importantly, his spellcasting speed was greatly enhanced—with tasks like summoning Samadhi True Fire, he used to need to deeply inhale; now, a single breath sufficed. The immobilization spell could be cast effortlessly, and the Hand Palm Bomb required only a slight flex of his fingers.

Lately, he had been studying Feng Shui and spent ample resources transforming the Volcanic Island into a Feng Shui treasure trove. However, its effects were yet to materialize.

After his negotiations with the elves, he received a substantial compensation payout. Feeling financially secure, he could proceed without haste. With ongoing trade deals involving the Cloud Giants, elves, and others, Leon decided to settle down for a few years and tackle these matters one by one. Meanwhile, he could also enjoy the benefits of the Volcanic Island’s Feng Shui.