Miscarriage

"What an interesting invention, my lord. Redcastle should award you the title of scholar." Charles held up the Reading Glasses and peered through the convex lens at the magnified image, clicking his tongue in admiration.

Redcastle was the center of power in the Shadowflame Grand Duchy.

The magnificent palace built by the Shadowflame Family at the foot of the volcano was called the Shadowflame Grand Duke Palace. Because the castle's exterior was dark red, it was also known as Redcastle.

Russell replied calmly, "Just a little trinket."

"I'm sure Old Madam will love this gift. Not only is it very practical, it also carries your filial devotion toward her."

"Exactly. A most sincere filial devotion."

Russell's state of mind was very calm when he answered. Having transmigrated here and inherited the previous owner's body, he had also inherited the bloodline of the Fluorite Mushroom Family.

Whether by cause or consequence, the Fluorite Mushroom Family was his family. He ought to maintain the bond of that bloodline.

Rather than standing apart and believing himself born of heaven and earth.

"My lord, the Golden Black Sow has been settled in." Butler Morris approached. "This old sow is in excellent health. As you instructed, I assigned the manservant Fox to care for her specifically, and had the kitchen prepare a separate batch of pig feed for her."

"Mm, very good." Russell said happily, "I sensed a familiar flow of aura from this Golden Black Sow. Make sure she is well cared for."

"As you wish, my lord."

"A familiar aura, my lord? You mean?" Charles set down the Reading Glasses and asked curiously.

"I mean something similar to Kevin's aura—after Kevin was freed from the Half Ghost Beast crisis, but before he evolved into a Phantom Beast. That faint sort of aura."

"Ah!" Charles's eyes widened. "My lord, are you saying this Golden Black Sow is carrying a Phantom Beast baby in her belly?"

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't."

"Heavens, Dragon's Gaze!" Charles clutched his head in both hands.

Russell waited for him to settle down before saying leisurely, "Don't get your hopes too high, Teacher Charles. I observed her carefully on the way back. This Golden Black Sow really is carrying a Phantom Beast baby, but bringing it to term will be extremely difficult."

"Indeed." Charles gradually calmed down. "The chances of a mother beast successfully carrying a Phantom Beast baby to term are far too low."

"So my current plan is to care for her as well as possible and provide sufficient nutrition. As for the rest, we'll see whether the Grand Duke's dragon is willing to cast another glance her way." Russell smiled faintly. In truth, he wanted Little Dream Dragon to intervene.

Just then, Eric, who had gone to inspect the Golden Black Sow's condition, also came over.

Russell asked, "So? She really is carrying a Phantom Beast baby, isn't she?"

"Yes, my lord." Eric nodded, then shook his head. "But the aura is rather weak, and the sow is about to give birth. It will probably be difficult for it to develop into a Phantom Beast."

"Perhaps a miracle will happen. Wasn't Kevin a miracle?" Russell was full of confidence. With Little Dream Dragon, the dragon of dreams, helping a Phantom Beast successfully develop was no more than a breath of dragon flame.

Perhaps it was a bit of overkill.

But for now, that was the only assistance Russell could ask Little Dream Dragon to provide.

Yet when night came and he fell asleep, when the Dark Dreamscape descended once again, Russell's calculations proved wrong. Little Dream Dragon completely ignored his persuasion and had no intention whatsoever of helping the Golden Black Sow carry the Phantom Beast baby to term. It only tilted its head and acted cute.

"Gah?"

"Breathe... dragon flame. Just lend me one breath of dragon flame!"

"Gah?"

"Please, Ice Cream, this is a Phantom Beast baby. You don't want to see a Phantom Beast baby miscarry, do you?"

"Gah?"

"Do you remember Birch Worm? Come on, I'll take you to see Birch Worm... Look, what an adorable Birch Worm, so plump and chubby. You helped bring it into being... Fine, you hard-hearted little dragon!"

In the end, Russell gave up trying to communicate with Little Dream Dragon.

He did not know whether Little Dream Dragon had exhausted itself breathing dragon flame last time and did not want to expend any more, or whether it simply could not help a Phantom Beast develop. In any case, it was completely unmoved by the Golden Black Sow.

He woke from the dream.

Sunlight shone through the gap in the curtains. Russell sat up in bed and recalled what had happened in the Dark Dreamscape.

He shook his head helplessly and laughed. "Sigh, if Ice Cream won't agree, then so be it. It's only a Phantom Beast. It wouldn't be of much use to me anyway."

There was only one Great Knight in the territory, Eric, and he had already successfully formed a contract with the Gold-Silver Wolfdog.

The others—Charles, Tom, Jack, John, James, Katie, and Catherine—did not meet the standards for contracting a Phantom Beast.

As for Russell himself, he still had a long way to go before becoming a Great Knight.

"But on second thought, a Phantom Beast baby will need time to grow as well... I definitely won't contract a Golden Black Pig. Tom and the others can afford to wait." As a lord, Russell still cared about appearances.

A Golden Black Pig truly was not very elegant. If people started calling him the "Black Pig Knight" after he formed a contract with one, it would sound awful.

"Forget it, forget it. The Phantom Beast baby can leave its fate to heaven. If it really miscarries, then it miscarries... I only hope that the next time I find a developing Spirit Worm, Ice Cream will be more reliable and not begrudge me a breath of dragon flame." Russell hoped, "At worst, I'll kill more Snow Ghosts, strip out their Hail Beads, and feed them to him."

The warm season had arrived, and the trade route had reopened. Baron Gloomlight would soon lead a team out to clear the Snow Ghosts from the roads.

Russell planned to go with them. With Eric, a Phantom Beast Knight, protecting him, safety would not be an issue.

Having thought it through, he pulled the bell rope beside his bed.

A new day had begun.

After the servants helped Russell wash and dress, he went downstairs for breakfast, then began his morning knight training.

It was still a single move from the Radiant Sword Technique, repeated tediously hundreds of times until he was utterly exhausted. Yet he enjoyed it, especially when he felt Battle Aura gradually opening the meridians in his arms under the guidance of the movements.

The sensation was indescribably wonderful.

In the morning, he followed his usual routine and inspected his territory, checking how the crops in the various tunics were growing, then examining the few patches of Worm Grass in Magic Potion Tunic.

After lunch, he took a brief afternoon rest.

That afternoon, he changed into a well-tailored nobleman's long coat, put on expensive beast-hide riding boots, tied his cravat, and draped a magnificent red cloak over his shoulders. His light golden hair, more than a finger's length long, had also been carefully styled and tied into a small braid at the back of his head.

He looked in the mirror.

He might still have fallen a little short of dashing and suave. After all, he was only sixteen, and his face still retained some youthful softness.

But his features were sharp, with sword-like brows and bright eyes. His contours were distinct, his lips red and teeth white, with not the slightest flaw on his face. Combined with his tall, slender frame, he truly possessed a fine appearance.

"My lord, you look more like a noble than any noble I have ever seen." Head Maid Leona arranged the hair at his temples and praised him sincerely.

"For that, I must thank my mother for perfectly passing down the Monochoria Family's looks to me." Russell smiled.

His elder brother, elder sister, and younger sister all resembled the baron. They could not be called ugly, but they had nothing to do with being handsome or beautiful either.

He alone had inherited his mother's beauty.

It was just that his talent for cultivating Battle Aura was somewhat lacking.

Still, it was not too bad. The previous owner had fought with his life to clear the broad path of cultivation for him. As long as he continued working hard, he would eventually become a Great Knight. Then, after contracting a Phantom Beast and riding a dragon, he could completely transform his fate and ascend to the peak.

"Let's go, Eric, Teacher Charles." Russell swung himself onto his horse.

He was heading to Fluorite Castle. Tomorrow was his grandmother Old Madam Ingrid's birthday.