Under the Red Dragon.

Chapter 104: The Dragon Dealer and the Countess (Ri Wanda)

bang, bang, bang

“Open the door, open the door, whoever’s inside, open the door immediately, or I’m going to kick it down!”

A rough male voice was accompanied by a violent knock on the door. Nora and her grandmother trembled and hugged each other, hiding in the small room, staring at each other, not daring to say a word, and even subconsciously held their breath, for fear that the faint breathing sound would be heard by people outside.

Nora is a free man without an identity, or it would be more accurate to say a refugee. Since she was born, she has lived in this wilderness far away from the prosperous towns.

Gathered in this dangerous wilderness are serfs, hunters, and civilians who have fled or hidden from other places, but after arriving in the wilderness, they have become free people with freedom.

However, although the wilderness provides freedom that is difficult for most ordinary people to possess, it also requires facing dangers that most people do not need to face.

There are many visible dangers in this wilderness, including wandering groups of gnolls and goblins, orcs and kobolds who like to be bandits, and sometimes even ogres who break into the village walls and wreak havoc.

What's more, there are many dangerous wild animals in the wild. Many neighbors may be chatting and laughing with Nora today, but may be lying in some corner of the wilderness, facing death tomorrow.

That's how Nora's parents left her, leaving Nora to depend on her elderly grandmother.

Although Nora had heard from the old people in the village that the place where they lived belonged to the territory of a copper dragon, Nora had never seen this dragon that was said to be very powerful. The small village would always encounter some accidents and dangers every now and then, and the copper dragon lord had never come out to rescue them.

Maybe it's because the territory is too big for the dragon to take care of it. Nora sometimes has this thought when she expects the dragon to rescue the village.

Fortunately, because of living in this kind of environment, the people in the village are relatively united. Even if their own lives are not good, they are willing to lend a helping hand occasionally to help the young Nora and the elderly grandmother, so Nora and her grandmother were able to survive.

However, even with such a difficult life, these free people who gathered together spontaneously would rather take all kinds of dangers to open up land in the wilderness and then settle down, rather than return to the painful, confined and hopeless life of the past.

Nora thought that this dangerous and peaceful life would last forever, until she grew up, her grandmother would accompany her parents to pass away, and she would have a new family in this place.

Until today, the tranquility of the village was broken again, but it was not those monsters and beasts, nor the dragon, but a group of humans who were like bandits.

This group of humans was more vicious and brutal than the orcs and kobold bandits. Even if they broke through the defenses of a village, they would only steal the food and livestock in the village, and occasionally abduct some women.

But these human bandits not only robbed the food and livestock, they also dragged out the villagers hiding in the houses and took them away. In Nora's eyes, the most powerful village chief in the village was also defeated by the human bandits when he went up to question them.

However, the only advantage of these human bandits is that they would not kill the villagers. Every defeated villager was captured by these bandits, and their hands were tied and their feet were locked like slaves to be sold.

Nora is small in stature, and after seeing this scene, she hurried back to her home and locked the door with her grandmother, hoping to avoid the disaster.

But the person outside was already impatient, and he kicked the already tattered door in half, then walked in.

This was a tall middle-aged man. His dark, cracked skin and greasy hair made him look extremely shabby, but he was wearing fine leather armor, and the weapon in his hand was also of high-quality. Even if Nora didn't understand, she could tell.

In Nora's eyes, these bandits looked more like the mercenaries mentioned by the village chief.

The middle-aged man bent down and looked under the table. Disappointment appeared in his eyes and he muttered, "Why is it a girl and an old man? They are not worth much. I should have chosen another one if I had known."

"Uncle, we don't have much money, and the most valuable thing we have is this house," Nora said timidly, trying to stand in front of her elderly and dim-sighted grandmother, but she mustered up the courage to speak, "I can give this house to you, or I can go with you, but please don't hurt my grandmother!"

"Hey, how much can this shabby house be worth? You are the most valuable. Come out and go with me. Although your grandmother is very old, she can still be sold for some money. Don't force me to do it, just crawl out obediently." The middle-aged man didn't care about Nora's request, and threatened her while waving the scimitar with exquisite patterns carved in his hand.

"Come on, Nora, don't disobey the order of this adult. I will go with you, maybe I can take care of you for the last time," the elderly grandmother's dim eyes filled with tears, and her skinny hands stroked her young granddaughter's face.

"Yeah," Nora bit her lip and nodded, helping her grandmother to crawl out from under the table, and followed the middle-aged man out of this shabby house which was the warmest and safest place in the world for her.

"Sir, sir, I am just a bard passing by and staying overnight. I am not from this village."

Nora looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man in ordinary clothes but flashy looks in a house not far away being dragged out by another robber holding his neck. However, the young man did not dare to resist and just tried his best to explain.

Nora knew this young man. He was a tourist who had stayed overnight at a villager's uncle's house some time ago. It was said that he was here to collect materials. The young man knew a lot of stories. He would walk around and talk in the village every day, and occasionally tell stories to the children in the village. Nora liked him very much.

"Bard, bards also count money," another bandit tied the bard's hands regardless of his explanation.

Nora watched as many villagers and her friends were tied up with their hands and taken to the center of the village to gather under the threat of these bandits. Perhaps because Nora and her grandmother had no ability to escape or threaten, the bandits did not tie up Nora and her grandmother.

Nora saw the most powerful person in her heart, the village chief, in the center of the village. However, the village chief was called the Farne Knight by the bandits.

"I didn't expect you to hide here, Faan. It is said that you disobeyed the Pope's order and were charged with blasphemy. It is a pity that the head of the church knights has fallen into the wilderness and become a savage."

The bandit leader rode on a tall red-blood horse and teased the village chief.

Village chief Faan's expression remained unchanged, but he asked, "Your mercenary group is considered to be well-known in the North Land, why are you doing this kind of dirty work now?"

The bandit leader laughed. "I can't help it. The evil dragons in the Golden Land seem very ambitious and need a lot of people to fill their territory. I don't like doing this kind of dirty work, but the dragons give too much."

The calm expression of the village chief Faen changed, and he said in a deep voice: "You actually made a deal with those evil dragons. Aren't you afraid that they will go back on their word? Moreover, once those noble lords know that you are colluding with the evil dragons, even if you are the most powerful mercenary group in the Northland, you will be wiped out."

“Haha, Faan, no wonder you were expelled and hunted by the church, you are really too naive,” the bandit leader was overjoyed, “As long as those evil dragons give me the lovely gold coins, they are kinder than the golden dragons. Even if they are golden dragons, if they don’t give me gold coins, they are still evil creatures.”

"And do you think that we are the only mercenary group doing this? Those nobles are even more outrageous than us. I was just lucky to find you before they took action," the bandit leader sneered.

"Though those five-colored dragons are still arrogant and conceited, they are surprisingly trustworthy. Everyone who goes to the Land of Gold will realize this. Besides, how can there be no risk in doing business? As long as I succeed, I can make a fortune. This little risk is nothing to me."

These people gathered in the village to talk, but they did not notice that in the far distance of the wilderness, on the towering mountains, there were two giant dragons overlooking the entire wilderness. Everything that happened in the village was in sight of the two dragons.

One of the male dragons was about sixteen meters long, with fine and strong scales on its body emitting a soft and warm reddish-brown luster. On its head grew a pair of thick dragon horns like drumsticks, and on the dragon horns and cheeks grew connected leathery tissue similar to flippers.

This is a copper dragon and the dragon lord of this place, Alfred.

A pair of broad wings are like a pair of huge sails with distinct bones, growing from the tail of the dragon's wings and connecting to the tail of the body.

The other female dragon had smooth scales that were a deep, rich bronze color, and her claws were connected by webbed feet. Her pupils were like glowing green balls, and her body was about fifteen meters long, only slightly smaller than the male dragon.

The rest of the body structure is not much different from that of a male dragon, with bat wings on the head, neck and tail, only the wings are more like triangular sail wings without the bone bars.

This is a young female bronze dragon, the object of pursuit of the copper dragon Alfred, Alina!
At this time, the young female bronze dragon Alina was frowning and staring at the innocent-looking red copper dragon Alfred. She said with a little anger in her voice: "Alfred, this is the territory with great development potential that you mentioned."

"You even sold these humans who could barely use leadership to those bandits. What do you want me to rule? Rule over those ignorant beasts and those despicable monster bandits? I am not one of those five-colored dragons who are so stupid and hungry that they don't choose their followers and will accept any monster!"

The young bronze dragon Alina was furious, and her long fangs were grinding, as if she wanted to bite the red copper dragon in front of her that was pretending to be innocent.

The female bronze dragon Alina has different hobbies from the rest of her kind. The bronze dragon race is very curious and especially fascinated by war. They often transform themselves into small friendly animals or humans to observe the adventurers and humans who enter their territory from close up.

They would also use Transfiguration to transform themselves into humans and join the army in order to get closer to the war and become war observers. When they met as members of the same race, they would get along well by discussing the art of war, just like how people in the British Empire liked to talk about the weather when they met.

But Alina preferred to talk about the art of ruling territory and governing a country. For this purpose, she once turned into a human being and entered the libraries of various human kingdoms to look through materials and books. She also asked her parents to hire a human teacher for her so that she could ask the teacher for knowledge about governing a territory.

When the female bronze dragon passed the juvenile stage and became a young dragon, Alina left home and became independent. She did not choose to look for and conquer her own territory in the sea like her parents did. In her opinion, no matter how vast the territory in the sea was, it was not her ideal country.

She was also disgusted by those stupid fishmen and the arrogant evil Naga, so she chose to come to the land and look for lords who needed officials to govern their territories to apply for positions, hoping to prove her ability, but most of them ended in failure.

These lords did not trust a woman to govern the territory well or bring much help to them. Alina, who concealed her identity as a dragon, was born in an ordinary family and was an educated young woman. She was not trusted at all.

In fact, even if Alina revealed her identity as a bronze dragon, these lords would not accept her. Although bronze dragons are also part of the good dragon family, they are not as popular as gold dragons.

During Alina's tentative travels, she met the young dragon lord, the copper dragon Alfred, at a gathering of metal dragons.

Although the copper dragon Alfred did not understand the bronze dragon Alina's thoughts, nor could he understand Alina's so-called art and wisdom of governing the territory, Alfred, who coveted the beauty of the bronze dragon Alina, quickly expressed his love and pursuit to the female dragon.

He also promised to hand over his territory to the bronze dragon Alina to rule and manage, which moved the bronze dragon and made it follow Alfred to his territory.

Who knew that the copper dragon Alfred had already been bribed by the gold coins of these humans and no longer cared about the residents living in the territory, allowing these residents to be abducted and sold, and he could not regret it.

Of course, the most important thing is that these humans signed a contract with the copper dragon Alfred, and the other half of the gold coins will be sent after the transaction is completed.

That's why the bronze dragon Alina was so angry when she saw this scene. Alina chose to apply for a job under the lord of the human kingdom because she looked down on those monsters who only knew how to plunder and wander around without doing anything productive.

Now humans are also leaving Alfred's territory, which makes her very angry and feels like she's been cheated.

"How about this, if you give me half of the gold coins you received from those humans, I will forgive your deception and seriously reconsider the possibility of becoming your partner," the bronze dragon Alina took a deep breath. After failing to achieve her goal, the young female dragon wanted to make a fortune first.

The red copper dragon Alfred, who had an innocent look on his face, immediately changed his expression. Treasure is something that a dragon cannot touch.

Even Alfred, who seemed a little angry before, would not give up his treasure. Even if the Platinum Dragon God Bahamut stood in front of the Copper Dragon and made such an impolite request, Alfred would also consider the possibility of giving the Platinum Dragon God Bahamut a slap in the face.

But in the end, he still coveted the beauty of the female dragon in front of him. The copper dragon Alfred tried to persuade her to stay. He said in a loud voice: "Alina, I can even give you the most important territory for a dragon lord. Doesn't this prove my feelings?"

"And you can earn treasures through my territory. After you become my partner, you will have a share of all the treasures in the territory!"

"Tsk," the female bronze dragon Alina sneered, "Your territory is so desolate that even birds don't like to stop by? Forget it, Alfred, save these words to coax the next female dragon!"

Bronze dragon Alina spread her wings and prepared to leave.

The copper dragon Alfred's eyes rolled around, and his amazing wisdom immediately gave him a ray of inspiration. He shouted, "Wait, Alina, don't you just want to govern the territory with humans? I have a way."

"What can you do? Are you trying to fool me again?" The bronze dragon stopped and looked at the confident male dragon with a suspicious look on his face.

"I am warning you, my parents are the great lords of the Phosphorescent Sea. If you dare to deceive me, you will be severely beaten," the young female dragon warned, baring her fangs.

The copper dragon Alfred's eyes changed from vertical pupils to round pupils, and they rolled around. He then patted his sturdy chest muscles with his thick dragon claws and said in a loud voice, "You know the Gogmora dragon group that rules the Golden Land, right? The leader of this dragon group, Karon, is my good friend."

"I learned from the adventurers I invited to the seaside that the Golden Land is gradually prospering under the governance of the dragons. There are not only many humans there, but also many other races who have become the subjects of the dragons. It is a perfect opportunity for you, Alina, to display your talents and prove your wisdom and art in governing the territory."

Although the copper dragon Alfred had only met the red dragon once and had a brief conversation with him, their relationship was far from close. But at this moment, the arrow was on the string, and for the sake of his proud dragon face, he could not lose face in front of the beautiful dragon, so he vowed to the female dragon he liked.

"The territory ruled by Kalon and the dragon group is far larger than my territory, but they lack talents to manage the territory. You also know that the followers that the five-colored dragons can accept are all useless."

"With your ability, Alina, and my relationship with Karon, you will definitely be treated with courtesy when you go there. Karon might even let you manage a large territory because of your knowledge! Moreover, the dragons are recruiting talents to manage the territories for them. With your knowledge, can't you surpass those vulgar races, Alina?" The Copper Dragon used his best eloquence to persuade the female Bronze Dragon. He had mastered the method of temptation and provocation without any instruction. Alfred planned to pester the female dragon by any means necessary.

This is also the secret of courtship taught to him by other copper dragon elders. No matter how proud and fierce a female dragon is, she is afraid of a male dragon that keeps pestering her.

"I know about Karon Gogmora and the dragons he ruled. I heard that under the leadership of this red dragon, the dragons burned the capital of the Carthaginian Empire to the ground. The majestic palace was sunk forever into the underground magma by the dragons, and countless elite imperial soldiers were slaughtered."

Bronze dragon Alina also learned about this from her elders. Although dragons are quite arrogant and conceited, they like to stay in their own nests and be independent.

But among the metallic dragons, except for the copper dragon and the brass dragon, which are slightly strange, the other three metallic dragons, the gold dragon, the silver dragon and the bronze dragon, are more concerned about the developments of human civilization.

In particular, these three types of dragons are keen on using shapeshifting to infiltrate humans. In some human kingdoms in the southern continent, there are examples of gold dragons and silver dragons serving as earls and dukes in human kingdoms.

"You want me to surrender to those evil dragons and help those stupid, arrogant, and chaotic five-colored dragons? You, Alfred the Copper Dragon, are a kind metal dragon, but you actually become friends with those evil dragons?"

The female bronze dragon Alina is the same as all bronze dragons, kind by nature. Some bronze dragons are so kind that they even reach the level of some silver dragon saints.

They won't even harm intelligent animals, of course, except for the Shahua people, whom these bronze dragons like to eat. However, these bronze dragons do not recognize that the Shahua people are an intelligent race, so it does not violate the kind nature of bronze dragons.

As a result, Alina had no good feelings towards the five-colored dragons, especially the Gogmora dragons that launched a massacre in the capital of the Carthaginian Empire.

If she hadn't known that she couldn't defeat the group of dragons and the other metal dragons she knew were too lazy to move, she would have gathered a group of metal dragons to cause trouble for Charon and the others.

"Tsk," the copper dragon Alfred obviously had his own subjective judgment. He actually sneered at his goddess dragon: "Alina, don't let your own stereotypes blind your smart mind. If you were caught by those humans, your parents would definitely not hesitate to destroy the entire Carthaginian Empire to wash away the shame."

"Moreover, Karon and his group of dragons are not as stupid, conceited, chaotic and evil as the other five-colored dragons. We can draw some truths and conclusions from the mouths of those human adventurers. If you don't believe me, you can see with your own eyes and hear with your own ears. I don't want the female dragon I like to be a self-righteous fool!"

The Copper Dragon Alfred raised his head proudly, as if despising the short-sightedness of the female dragon in front of him. This was also the secret method taught to Alfred by the Copper Dragon elders. One cannot blindly obey the female dragon, and occasionally one needs to strike a blow to the female dragon's overly proud heart and conceited character.

Of course, this only works when facing truly smart female dragons. Some brainless and conceited female dragons will become even more annoyed by these hurtful words, and will not reflect on their own problems like smart female dragons.

Sure enough, a look of hesitation appeared on the face of the female bronze dragon Alina. She also became curious about the dragons that ruled the distant golden land because of the words of the copper dragon Alfred. She was curious whether what the copper dragon said was true, and she was also curious about what kind of charm the other party had that could make a metal dragon speak for the five-colored dragon.

As for the robbers kidnapping humans and selling them to the dragon territory, these little things are considered basic operations in the eyes of the dragons and have nothing to do with evil. Those metal dragons will also buy many slaves from the human kingdom when building their own territories, among which gold dragons buy the most.

"Well, I admit that I am somewhat convinced by your words, Alfred," the female bronze dragon Alina also raised her head high. She also did not like being considered a self-righteous and short-sighted dragon. "I plan to go to the distant golden land to see if what you said is true."

Bronze dragon Alina glanced at the copper dragon with happy eyes, her pupils showing agility and cunning, and said in a clear voice: "I wonder if I will be lucky enough to have this copper dragon who has a good relationship with the Gogmora dragon group accompany me."

After saying this, without waiting for the copper dragon Alfred to react, this young but smart female dragon flapped its wings and flew away into the distance.

The Copper Dragon Alfred was so overwhelmed by the mother dragon's words that he forgot for a moment the secret taught to him by the Copper Dragon elders - to always maintain a relatively high profile of one's own in order to gain the long-term admiration and obedience of the female dragons.

He quickly spread his wings and caught up with the female dragon in front of him, shouting, "You flew in the wrong direction, Alina. You should go that way. And let me tell you, when I met Kalon and the dragon group, the red dragon praised me for my graceful and powerful figure. I have a special relationship with him..."

……

"Recruiting pioneer immigrants. Every immigrant who signs up to go to the Golden Land will be granted the status of a free citizen, with food, drink, and accommodation provided, and travel expenses are all free."

"Immigrants who go to the Golden Land can freely open up new land, and all the land they open up belongs to them. People who go to the Golden Land will also receive resettlement allowances and be properly resettled."

"If you have a special skill, you will be rewarded with some copper coins. If your whole family immigrates together, they will also be rewarded with copper coins. The conditions are generous, don't miss it!"

Soldiers on the streets held notices in their hands and loudly advertised as they patrolled the slum streets, recruiting so-called "pioneer immigrants."

The slums, which used to be inhabited only by naked poor people with numb expressions and beggars in tattered clothes that smelled sour, have now become extremely lively. Not only are there patrolling guards, which are rarely seen in a century, but there are also many managers of elite mercenary groups and merchant groups, who are moving back and forth in the slums in groups with their men.

Lured by the food, the people in the slums began to show some interest in their propaganda. The crowd began to gather around, and even those with numb expressions showed some expectant looks on their faces.

In other parts of the city, teams of prisoners were escorted by soldiers to the docks outside the city and put on large ships. Along the way, these soldiers also patrolled the streets they passed by with extra care to see if there were any sneaky or cheating incidents. These soldiers were looking forward to catching those who disrupted order, as every head meant shiny copper coins.

Now the public security in all the cities within this territory is unprecedentedly good. The petty thefts on the streets in the past have disappeared, because every person who was caught disappeared from the city. Even the black gangs hiding in the sewers and every corner of the city have been wiped out.

This made the residents of the town applaud. The public security problems that were difficult to eradicate in the past were completely eliminated under the lord's severe crackdown, and the people living in the territory began to praise the lord endlessly.

However, these changes cannot affect the majestic castle that is high above, built on the mountain and located on the high slope.

This family castle belonging to Duke Istvan seems to be the residence of a noble spirit overlooking the mortal world. The tall and thick walls block the praise and slander of the mortal world. It rules over mortals, but is isolated from the world of ordinary people.

Even during the day, the tall castle needs to light countless candles and lanterns to keep it bright. The candles and lamp oil consumed by the castle every day are enough for an ordinary family of three to use for a year.

Finely woven, wide carpets covered every hall and corridor in the castle. Each carpet with exquisite patterns was enough to use up an average family's savings for ten years.

The intricate and gorgeous murals on the high dome of the castle, the exquisite screens placed in the castle, the furniture made of precious wood, and the silver utensils used for eating on the dining table, all of these things are precious things that mortals outside the castle cannot even imagine owning.

In a banquet hall in the castle, only three people were sitting at the wide dining table made of precious wood.

One of the old men sat in the main seat with his back to countless oil paintings by famous artists. He had white hair but a bright gaze. He was the patriarch of the Istvan family and the ruler of this territory, Duke Istvan.

When the Carthaginian Empire split, the territories that originally belonged to the emperor of the Carthaginian Empire were divided and annexed by various major families. Duke Istvan, as a senior noble of the Carthaginian Empire, was also allocated a wealthy territory. Now the Istvan family is even more powerful, and its strength is also among the best among the many kingdoms and duchies in the north.

The other person sitting on the right hand side of Duke Istvan was a young woman. She had eyes like two pools of clear water on her pretty face, but her eyes revealed the aggression of a lion. Her bulging chest was tightly bound in the close-fitting soft armor. She was obviously a very ambitious woman.

This is Countess Batholi, the eldest daughter of Duke Istvan. She is a controversial countess who has admired bravery since childhood. She is more competitive and stronger than the men of her own race. At a young age, she has already crossed the realm of high-level transcendence and touched the edge of the saint level.

Count Keller, who was on good terms with the Istvan family, had admired Bathory's character and beauty since childhood. After becoming the earl in charge of the family, he chose to propose to the eldest daughter of Duke Istvan.

With the idea of combining the two powers, Duke Istvan agreed to Count Keller's request, and the two families officially married.

But on the second day after marrying Count Keller, who was on good terms with the Istvan family, Bathory persuaded Count Keller to go hunting in the mountains with her. As a result, an accident happened during the hunting process.

Bathory and Count Keller and their group got lost in the wilderness. When other soldiers found their whereabouts, everyone except Bathory had died.

The soldiers found traces of wild beasts' claws and fangs behind Count Keller and his entourage. Only Bathory relied on the soft armor on her body to avoid the wild beast's attack from behind.

Although these soldiers were also puzzled as to how a wild beast could sneak up on the Earl and his entourage and successfully launch a sneak attack in front of a high-level extraordinary warrior, they had to know that the Earl and his followers were also powerful warriors with keen intuition.

Although the soldiers did not dare to express any doubt, the rumor still spread.

Especially when Count Keller's younger brother, the only remaining heir of the Earl's family, died of a sudden serious illness shortly afterwards, rumors spread throughout the territory of Count Keller's family. Even a loyal warrior group openly accused Bartoli of killing the two previous earls and wanted to replace them.

But after the warrior leaders who accused Bartoli died mysteriously one after another, the rumors within the territory were gradually brought under control. Even if there were still some "slander" in secret, they were limited to dark corners.

Since then, Bathory inherited the title of Earl Kerry and became a rare countess.

Sitting opposite the controversial countess was a squinty-eyed wizard in an ornate robe, Xiusser, or perhaps he should be called Xiusser Istvan.

After all, it takes a lot of money to train a high-level wizard. Ordinary nobles simply cannot afford the cost of a wizard. If you want to learn magic without money, you might as well expect the dragon to give you its treasure.

The three nobles were eating their dinner elegantly. Even though the servants around them had been dispersed, thanks to the habit developed by the nobles, the three did not speak while eating. The atmosphere was silent but relaxed.

After a long while, after spitting out the last mouthful of mouthwash, the old duke with white hair spoke, as if he had been thinking for a long time, still considering his words, "Xiusier, has your teacher, the great wizard Lapers, made his final choice?"

Although Xiuser was accustomed to the free and easy attitude of a high-level wizard, he still maintained a respectful attitude in front of his old father, who had the authority of the family head.

Xiu Sier nodded slightly, showing respect for his father's question, and then began to answer: "The teacher has not made the final choice, but he has signaled our mages to gradually shift their focus to the dragon group. As a scaly claw that can observe some fates, the teacher must have done things for a reason!"

"Well," Duke Istvan nodded slightly, thought for a moment, and then said, "Even so, our family's resources cannot be tilted too much towards those dragons."

"The reason why the nobility can be passed down for a long time and live longer than those imperial dynasties is because we never put fragile eggs in one basket. We learn from those cunning rabbits and dig holes everywhere to ensure the retreat and stability of the family."

Mage Xiusier narrowed his eyes and nodded to express his agreement with the Duke's words, but then he said, "Excuse me, father, sending charcoal for warmth in the snow is far more impressive than sending flowers after success. Some of the things that the dragon lacks now are not considered important resources by our family."

The Duke shook his head. "When managing a large family, sometimes I can't do whatever I want. Even though I am the patriarch of the family and the lord of the territory, I still have many interests to reconcile. The newly acquired territory also needs to be maintained and developed. The resources and support I have given you now are the maximum I can mobilize within my ability."

"Well, father, in that case, I will go to the Golden Land, the dragon's territory, as a wizard, rather than contacting the dragons as a representative of the Istvan family."

"Also, with all due respect to my noble father and Duke, I think it's time for my younger brother to get involved in family affairs. Perhaps young people can bring some fresh ideas and vitality to this old family."

The wizard Xiuser still maintained a respectful attitude, but his words clearly expressed his dissatisfaction.

"Hmph, I am not old yet. I have enough wisdom and vitality and can still manage and lead the family." Duke Istvan was angered by the wizard's arrogant words. He threw away the silk handkerchief he was using to wipe the corner of his mouth, stood up, and walked away angrily.

Countess Batholi had been watching the verbal exchange between the father and son quietly and coldly, while slowly drinking the sweet cream of mushroom soup. After seeing the angry old duke leave, she calmly picked up the silk handkerchief to wipe her sexy and soft lips.

"These old guys are always easily trapped by their own stubbornness and experience. They always think that their own experience is the most reliable and dare not try new ideas and paths. The boldness and courage of their youth have long been worn away by time. Xiu Sier, don't pay too much attention to the ideas of this old guy."

The young, beautiful and plump Countess Batholi smiled and showed kindness to her younger brother.

"Shh, keep your voice down. Father's strength hasn't weakened too much," the wizard Xiuser raised his index finger to his lips, and a smile appeared on his calm face.

"However, you have come into contact with those dragons. Are they really as you said, worth our efforts?" The young countess's eyes were bright as clear water, just like a lioness on the grassland staring at her prey before hunting. A sense of aggression came from Countess Bathory's eyes.

Even the mage Xiusier, who grew up together, felt the pressure coming from the elder sister. The mage couldn't help but turn his eyes slightly, then nodded and said: "Success in life is mostly temporary, while failure occupies the main theme, but how to face failure can distinguish everyone into different people."

"Some people will be crushed by failure and sink into it, while others can keep getting up and moving forward. This is a trait that will lead to success unless facing death. In my opinion, Charon, the red dragon with terrible power, is a creature with this trait."

Countess Bathory's bright and aggressive gaze quietly subsided, and then she nodded, "I believe in your vision, Xiu Sier. You have been the smartest child in the family since you were young. Maybe I can go to the Golden Land myself and meet those dragons."

The wizard Xiusier was shocked. He knew his sister's character very well. "Batoli, do you want to..."
The young countess interrupted the wizard. She stood up and shed a hearty but crisp laugh. "Xiusier, I am tired of ruling a small and narrow earldom. I want to challenge a bigger stage. My life is too peaceful."

Mage Xiusier sighed and shook his head, "Batoli, you trust my brain, but I am a little afraid of your madness and courage!"

(End of this chapter)