Little Dream Dragon

"I could hear Luorui bullying Tess from outside the door." A serious, steady voice came from the doorway, followed by a plain-looking middle-aged nobleman entering the room.

His flaxen hair was slightly curly, and his features were rather unremarkable.

But he stood tall and straight, and the well-fitted tailcoat he wore at home gave him a distinctly appealing gentlemanly air.

He was the master of Fluorite Castle, the third Baron Gloomlight, Roman Fluorite Mushroom.

"Chirp chirp chirp!" Luorui the Mushroom Bird immediately flew up from Meryl's shoulder and landed on Baron Roman's shoulder. He shot Tess a disdainful glance, then tilted his head and began preening his lush green feathers.

Tess stood on Meryl's shoulder, still with one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Luorui, screeching away.

"Quiet, you little troublemakers!" the baron barked.

"They're far too noisy, Roman. We really should keep them apart," Meryl said with a smile.

The personal valet behind the baron swiftly pulled out a chair at the dining table. The baron sat down and said, "It's useless. They always find each other and start fighting... There are simply too few little sprites in the castle."

Butler Carter bowed and asked, "Master, Madam, may the meal be served?"

Baron Roman nodded. "Please, Carter."

Laura covered her mouth and said, "Father, you can put Luorui and Tess in my room. I wouldn't mind them being noisy."

Meryl smiled and stroked Laura's hair. "My Laura, children cannot raise Spirit Worms."

"Why not?" Laura did not understand.

"Because you haven't cultivated Battle Aura yet," Baron Roman said. "Only Battle Aura can provide sprites with potential and grant the power for an entire field of magical herbs to grow."

"Can Russell raise sprites?" Laura asked again.

Only then did Baron Roman look over his second son. Rather than answer Laura's innocent question, he asked Russell, "One Fluorite Mushroom Bug, one Monochoria Spirit Worm, and one Dill Spirit Worm. No problem?"

Russell had no greater expectations and nodded. "No problem."

The magical herbs affected by one Spirit Worm covered roughly ten hectares, equivalent to about 150 mu of land.

Together, three Spirit Worms could cultivate magical herbs across 450 mu. The future output of magical herbs from Wuyou Snake Manor would be enough to support him and his knight retainers.

"Wuyou Snake Manor is in a good location. Although Snow Ghosts and Ghost Beasts occasionally cross the border, Xiangshui River Cave will help shield you, so no large-scale war will break out."

"I understand."

"What you need to watch out for even more than Snow Ghosts and Ghost Beasts are these Cave Freemen. As a lord with a fief, you must screen them carefully. Never let these freemen disrupt the order of your fief just for the sake of population."

"Got it."

The baron briefly spoke of the duties a lord should perform, all lessons drawn from experience and personal insight.

Meryl listened to the conversation between father and son with a smile as she ate.

She had given birth to two sons. Her eldest, Roland, had inherited Baron Roman's cultivation talent and had already become a Great Knight at a young age. Though her younger son Russell was somewhat less talented, he had inherited the Monochoria Family's beauty and was equally her pride.

The servants brought out dish after dish.

In truth, the castle's meals were not all that elaborate. A dinner consisted of only five or six dishes, but because everyone dined separately, five or six plates were set before each person, requiring many servants to attend the meal.

Russell split his attention in two.

Filling his stomach was his main concern, but listening to the baron's guidance was equally important. It concerned his future.

Baron Roman was not only his father, but also his lord.

"Roland will soon retire from the Dragon Blood Knights. Shadowflame Castle hopes our family can send another heir to serve in the Dragon Blood Knights." Baron Roman suddenly brought up another matter. "Russell, do you want to go?"

"Serve in the Dragon Blood Knights?" Russell frowned.

But his brow quickly relaxed, and he answered calmly, "I don't plan to serve in the Dragon Blood Knights."

Baron Roman was not surprised. He merely said indifferently, "Give me a reason."

A reason?

Russell had a very good reason. The Dragon Blood Knights were the most elite Knight Order in the Shadowflame Grand Duchy, but they were also the most dangerous, requiring battles against true Snow Demons.

As a peace-loving person, he did not want to go!

But that reason could not be voiced openly. At least under the noble honor of this world, avoiding the battlefield was a tremendous disgrace.

So he found another reason. "My elder brother is in the Dragon Blood Knights and can stay close to the Grand Duke, but now that the Grand Duke has ascended the throne, there is little point in my joining the Dragon Blood Knights as well. It would be better for me to cultivate Battle Aura properly in my fief, strive to build a knight squad as soon as possible, and follow you, Father, in accomplishing great deeds."

Meryl also did not want her son to be too far from home.

So she agreed, "Yes, the Grand Duke has already ascended the throne. Roland has established a good relationship with the Grand Duke, so there is no need to send Russell over as well."

Grand Duke Shadowflame was the sovereign of the entire nation and also Baron Gloomlight's lord.

As Baron Gloomlight's heir, it was only natural to curry favor with this young sovereign and build a good personal relationship with him.

His eldest son Roland had done well.

So Baron Roman did not press the matter. He nodded, tacitly accepting his second son Russell's explanation.

"Then starting tomorrow, recruit retainers and servants for him to govern Wuyou Snake Manor." As the baron spoke, he turned to the elderly Butler Carter, who was serving the meal behind him. "Carter, I'll leave the hiring of servants to you."

Butler Carter bowed slightly. "As you wish, Master. I will hire a group of excellent servants for Young Master Russell."

Russell smiled when he heard that. "Thank you, Mr. Carter."

Butler Carter replied, "It is my duty, Young Master Russell."

After a filling, delicious dinner that did not quite suit his tastes, Russell bade his parents goodbye and returned to his room.

His room was on the third floor of the castle.

It faced northwest, and its windows were not particularly large.

The castle walls blocked his view, so he could see only the lawn inside the castle and the activity grounds for Phantom Beasts on it.

It was already night, and the Phantom Beasts were all resting.

"Lord Ross must be asleep too, right?" Russell thought. From his room, he could not see the tower where Clay Dragon Ross liked to perch.

His former self had been very dissatisfied with this, believing it hindered his chances to grow close to Lord Ross.

Riding a dragon!

That was every boy's dream.

But Russell now thought this was for the best. It would save him from being an eyesore under Lord Ross's watchful gaze and exposing his identity as a transmigrator.

"I have a dragon too!"

With no nightlife to speak of, Russell went to bed early after bathing and washing up, slipping into dreamland.

After an unknown amount of time, his consciousness arrived in a desolate, dim environment. He could see the outline of a castle, as though sketched with the faintest ink. There were no thick walls or massive stones, only sketch-like lines.

Black was the dominant tone, and there was nothing but silence.

"Fluorite Castle... this is Fluorite Castle in my dream..." Russell had long grown accustomed to this peculiar dream.

It was his exclusive golden finger.

"Caw!"

Accompanied by a crisp cry, a small beast emitting a bright golden glow slowly flew out from a bend in the castle's lines.

It looked like a dragon, but it was remarkably cartoonish and comical.

Its head was the size of a bull's, with horns, scales, vertical pupils, and fine sharp teeth, perfectly fitting the characteristics of a dragon.

Its nostrils opened and closed, releasing faint wisps of smoke like Dragon Breath. Yet this Dragon Breath was thinner than secondhand smoke and completely harmless.

Most ridiculous of all was its body, which was actually about the same size as its head.

Its body was out of proportion, its wings were out of proportion, its forelimbs and hind limbs were out of proportion, and even its tiny tail was out of proportion.

"Four limbs are a trait of true dragons. Little Dream Dragon, tell me, are you a true dragon?" Russell asked with a smile.

Little Dream Dragon hovered before him, flapping its wings as its body bobbed up and down.

It tilted its head, seemingly unable to understand Russell's question.

Russell had asked similar questions many times before. Little Dream Dragon in his dreams was an idiot, so he could not be bothered to waste any more words.

With a leap, he mounted Little Dream Dragon's back.

Mm!

In the dream, he was nothing more than a cartoon figure himself.