The End of the Mountain Forest, a Dream of Dragon Farming

Norton's fermentation will take a while longer. By summer or autumn, many Lordship and nobles should come to him for help.

"Write a letter back to Eteria and tell her that this is an excellent internship opportunity, and that the governors should perform well, otherwise my reputation will be affected."

"If they don't perform well, they will never have another chance to become governor."

The problems that Ryan told Norton were actually the problems that Ryan's Frozen Earth Territory were also facing.

How many subjects does Lord Ryan have now? Not counting the incomplete statistics from Nidhogg, there are more than 200,000 people in the Frozen Earth Territory alone.

With such a large population, coming from different Otherworld and civilizations, their diverse backgrounds have created significant challenges for management.

Ryan's only consolation was that the apocalyptic environment brought about by the War of the Deities Across Planes in the Northlands gave these people from different civilizations a common identity once again.

Those are the refugees, survivors, and wanderers in the Northlands after the apocalypse.

The resonance brought about by the destruction of the world and death has prevented racial conflicts from erupting in the Frozen Earth Territory. Apart from the clash between Fenrir and Gam, there have been no serious disagreements so far.

This is a test for Chief Administrator Eteria. However, Eteria alone cannot do it; she also needs to find time to practice Knight Breathing Technique and blacksmithing.

The large number of young people who have been trained and put into office as officials and security officers also need time to mature.

Instead of getting stuck in the Frozen Earth Territory, why not go out and see the world, and get some experience elsewhere?

A large portion of these people were former nobles from Otherworld. There was nothing that could be done; even Lord Ryan couldn't popularize education in this era.

The education and training that nobles receive is always far superior to that of ordinary people. This is why Wandering Nobles do not become ordinary people, but instead retain the title of Wandering Nobles.

They are inherently different from ordinary people and cannot integrate into the community.

Integrating into the aristocracy is also very difficult.

These professional stewards, when they went to other noble territories, would also bring with them the civilization of the Frozen Earth Territory, thus exerting a subtle influence on those noble territories.

On the carriage, Ryan pondered how much he would receive if Norton's experimental field succeeded.

After careful calculation, I realized that the nobles Lordship lords of the Northwind Province, as well as some fifth-rank nobles who had lost their families and were still suffering, could all be won over.

"Adding Count Soron, Viscount Landa, and Viscount Hogg, as well as Zero Crossing Prefecture... that means we've at least got 30% under our control."

The reason for not telling only half was due to the pressure from the marriage alliance with the Mayers Family that Chrysus left behind before his departure.

Under the lure of this marriage alliance, the nobles in Dragon Mountain County, where Count Soron resides, will also go against his choice, and the same will be true for Viscount Hogg Count Soron.

The Florian Empire's Imperial House and the Grand Duke, Viscount Hogg, are related to the royal family, but their marriage to Grand Duke Mayers is no less significant to the nobles than Viscount Hogg's.

Everyone must bow to the Imperial House family, but as a relative of the Imperial House family, I, the Grand Duke, am not afraid at all.

"If I can win over Count Winter, then my influence in the Northwind Province will be invincible."

This is not a good situation for Count Winter.

First of all, the other party is not short of money, or rather, the Count Winter is short of money that even if Ryan were added to the list, it wouldn't be enough.

Secondly, as the former governor of Northwind, Count Winter was, in a sense, one of the leaders and a candidate for the right to speak in Northwind Province.

Finally, Ryan couldn't provide what Count Winter needed. He could give Count Soron dragon blood, but he couldn't give Count Winter a new Unicorn Flying Wolf Cavalry. With that kind of strength, Ryan would be better off adding Extraordinary Legion.

After decades of cultivating the Northwind Province and several years of war, Ryan felt that Count Winter still had about 20% of his say in the Northwind Province.

This is a case of a starved camel still being bigger than a horse.

However, there is a hidden danger in these two aspects. This is because, during the Divine Grace Festival, the Count Winter promoted his second son to the earl's heir. The nobles were very resentful of this, which led to distrust and alienation towards the next earl.

Things were inevitable, Count Winter must be troubled by this as well. If Ryan wants to poach him, he'll need a better opportunity.

The remaining 50% of the power in the Northwind Province is controlled by a circle consisting of Grand Duke Mayers, the Elector Volvo, and the Marquis of Northwind.

However, this 50% of the discourse power is very loose, like grains of sand forming a tower; sand is still just sand.

And this towering structure, built from countless grains of sand, is 90% due to a single baby.

Marquis of Northwind.

The other party's title and the power he possesses make him the natural administrator of the Northwind Province. Forty-five percent of his power comes from the title of Governor of Northwind.

But he was too young, and the nobles of today had not emerged from the shadow of war under the leadership of the Governor of Northwind, and the child had left behind various hidden dangers.

If it weren't for the arrival of Chrysus Meyers and Elector Volvo, which solidified this deal between the Imperial House and the Grand Duke's family, the Marquis of Northwind probably wouldn't even have had 30% of the say.

Ryan felt that of the 50% of the power of speech belonging to the other party, there should also be half of the implicit power of speech belonging to himself.

Ryan never underestimated the power that came with his title, but he also wouldn't underestimate his own merit in saving the Northwind Province almost single-handedly through years of campaigning.

The fact that the emperor did not announce his contributions does not mean that the nobles would ignore them.

When the war began, the first person the nobles thought of was Baron Ryan. He was also the only noble they trusted completely, which allowed Ryan to firmly grasp the military power of the Northwind Province.

In terms of politics, Ryan is unlikely to be able to compete with the Mayers Family; at best, he can only share the spoils. Of course, Ryan still has a trump card in this regard: the reclamation and cultivation of the Swamp.

Furthermore, as long as they have an economic advantage, the Northern Kingdom's Braveheart Guild and the Northern Territory Merchant Guild, these two money-making entities, along with the Northwind Avenue, Winged Gorge, and the two kingdoms to the east, will exert economic pressure from three sides.

At that time...

"The Marquis of Northwind?"

Only when Ryan sat down would the nobles sit down to listen to the Marquis of Northwind's wailing.

That's wishful thinking, because the war has now moved far away from the Northwind Province, and Ryan's absolute military authority can no longer bring him much benefit. Perhaps this is also a disadvantage for military generals in peacetime.

Ryan is trying to correct the nobles' yearning for the South lands.

Thinking about this, Ryan became somewhat irritated, and then directly ordered the carriage to turn around and head towards Thundercloud County.

They've gone to sow discord among the Marquis of Northwind.

The nobles are all concerned about the impending demise of the Forest Otherworld, because starting this year, the amount of wealth transported from the Forest Otherworld to their territories has been gradually decreasing.

"The snowstorm has already buried half of the Mountain Forest, and with the large-scale, reckless logging, the nobles' warehouses are now full of timber, which has caused the Northlands of this world to deteriorate even faster."

Ryan stood on the bare hillside. He remembered that when he first came into this world, the surrounding mountains were covered with dense Mountain Forest that could hide wild beasts. But now, the trees were scattered, and only agile wild animals were still scurrying about in the bushes.

They didn't think highly of the nobles of the Northwind Province. They didn't cut down too many trees in the world because human resources are always limited. The ones who really devoured the lion's share of these Mountain Forest were actually... those legendary Legendary.

Back then, several Legendary from the Empire came to the Northwind Province because of the death of the Marquis of Northwind. The Empire was furious and launched a fierce retaliation against the Church.

The Legendary arrives, the investigation begins, the search for and killing of the Black Swan Assassin is undertaken, and then the profits from the Forest Otherworld are collected.

The nobles of the Northwind Province did not refuse, nor did Ryan, because everyone understood that they could not cut down all the trees of the Forest Otherworld, and that this world only had a few years left to live.

He simply handed it over to those Legendary, and in return, Ryan received some extraordinary methods as a reward.

So the current scene is what we see: everywhere is bare, the trees have disappeared.

"In fact, this is the true appearance of the Mountain Forest World. The dispersal of the Divine Essence has caused every mountain in this world to be covered with lush vegetation and tall trees."

"From a natural perspective, these mountains cannot supply that much life energy. Being covered by shrubs is the original appearance of these mountains, which helps to maintain balance."

"The world is already dead, so what is there to balance or imbalance? The Great Being of this world put up a final resistance and were still able to preserve the world's vitality."

Standing next to Ryan was Shaya, the Marquis's Mother the Northwind. Ryan felt very uncomfortable with her arm linked with his.

"You weren't this reserved when you were taking off my clothes."

Shaya chuckled coldly, and Ryan took a deep breath as well.

"There wasn't a dagger pointed at me at the time."

Shaya smiled, and the dagger hidden in her palm disappeared in the next moment.

"Who gave you such hostility towards my son? Don't forget that he is not only the Marquis of Northwind, but also the son of the Elector. If his father becomes the next His Majesty Emperor Flor, my son could become the Elector."

"If you become Legendary and live a long life, you may have to kneel down to my son to fulfill your oath of loyalty."

"You're thinking really far ahead, but you're wrong. I don't have much hostility towards your son."

After a long silence, Ryan finally revealed his ambition:

"He shouldn't be in the Northwind Province. As an infant, he should be toddling in a warm noble castle in the South."

Shaya raised her head and said disdainfully:

"His innate power is to stand on the mountaintop, not to crawl on the ground. As the Marquis of Northwind, he is destined to control all the power over this land."

"The previous one said something similar, back when I had just suggested he build the Miracle of Light."

As soon as Ryan finished speaking, a gleaming dagger appeared in front of his neck. This time, Ryan saw it clearly: a dagger like a venomous snake, its sharp blade winding and emitting a terrifying purple glow.

"There are probably very few people who would dare to treat a nobleman like this."

Ryan was not afraid. Shaya, Shaya Meyers, this name destined the woman in front of him to be neither a madwoman nor qualified to be one.

"You're lucky; you're the second person to stop this dagger."

Shaya's voice was filled with murderous intent. At this moment, she was like a lioness protecting her cubs, full of vigilance against all hostility around her.

"Who was the first one?"

"My grandfather, when I tried to escape to the West Coast, I was blocked by the Grand Duke's knights. I used this dagger to hold the Grand Duke hostage and then I was able to leave."

"It seems to be an honor for me to be compared with Grand Duke Mayers."

Ryan smiled and then asked:

"He let you go?"

Shaya nodded. This was inevitable. If the Grand Duke didn't let her leave, even Demigod might not be able to take her away from the Grand Duke Mayers' mansion.

"Since Your Excellency has set an example, I will let you off this time."

Ryan stopped smiling, reached out and grasped the sharp blade of the terrifying dagger. The next moment—

Thunder rumbled and flashed across the sky, the fine purple lightning seeming to foreshadow the final countdown to the world's demise. Countless cracks covered the sky, like the branches of an old tree, or like the world itself being cracked by immense pressure.

With a cracking sound coming from his palm, Ryan released his hand, letting the metal fragments, like glass sand, fall from his palm.

With each Spirituality Blessing he mastered, Ryan became much stronger, and this "much" became "enormous" after he mastered the Dragon Spirit Blessing.

It's ongoing, just like how Brandt is still receiving the Dragon Spirit Blessing.

In addition, Ryan also consumed one-tenth of Dragons 'Dragon Heart, which was at least the Dragon Heart of a Legendary Dragons, as well as the Dragon Emperor's Favor, the personal coronation of Great Being, and the inheritance of His will.

"You..."

Shaya's eyes widened, her pupils dilated; she hadn't expected this outcome.

"You weren't this strong last time."

Shaya's eyes burned with intense passion as she stared intently at Ryan. The next moment, she began to undress and pounce on Ryan.

"Are you crazy?!"

Ryan struggled against the strangulation of the naked Sky Knight, who suppressed him with the majesty of Dragons.

"Is the bloodline of the Clayton Family, descended from blasphemers, so powerful? Was your father like that too?"

Shaya stared at Ryan and asked, seemingly wanting an answer. Ryan remembered that when the two first met, Shaya's reason was that she wanted to try the bloodline of the Dragon Knight.

"Your motives are far from pure."

Ryan stared at the woman.

"Of course, otherwise I would have already found someone to marry."

Shaya licked her lips, her body clearly visible from head to toe, before Ryan threw her clothes over her and covered her up.

"It seems this involves Great Being, so there's no need to tell me, and you wouldn't tell me anyway. Or could you tell me what Grand Duke Mayers wants to do in the Northwind Province?"

Ryan provoked him into asking.

"I don't know either, and you said you wouldn't tell me."

Ryan turned and left, glancing around. Luckily, everyone around him was his man; otherwise, he would have been in a very difficult situation.

"I still maintain that the Marquis of Northwind should not be in Northwind Province."

"Since the emperor has already abandoned this place, he shouldn't stop someone from taking it back."

Ryan disappeared into the dimensional portal. He secretly used the Magic Potion made from the blood of the great boar to sense that this world no longer had any extra wealth, and no Spirituality Blessing had appeared. Perhaps that great boar was the only legacy left to Ryan by the Great Being.

But all that guy does is eat, and he's eating more and more.

On his way back to Frozen Earth Territory from Thundercloud County, Ryan planned to focus his attention on his own territory.

He farmed, cultivating a Northwind Province that belonged to him, Ryan.

Lord Ryan had such confidence.

Then, as they crossed Zero Crossing City and traversed the Swamp, Lord Ryan's heart sank.

"The seed hasn't sprouted yet?"

Logically speaking, the Swamp environments are rich in nutrients, and the damage humans inflict on the land is, at best, limited.

The key is still the Northlands, where the frozen ground brought by the wind and snow can kill all life.

He has been away from the Frozen Earth Territory for more than half a month.

"Mages Yelena said that we still need to wait three more ten-day periods."

"Someone in charge of managing this place said."

"If the seed can germinate in the first ten days, half of it will survive."

"It's impossible to predict how many seeds will survive the second ten days after germination."

"If it sprouts in the third ten days, then it's possible to grow wheat seedlings here next year."

Ryan remained silent; even Mages on the path of Life Magic couldn't determine the success rate of these seeds.

What other options are there?

"Find someone to dig some soil and plant the potatoes."

Regardless, Ryan needs to produce food in the Swamp, even if it's just potatoes.

However, potatoes are now considered a high-end food. The bag of potatoes found under the ruins of Mage Luna's Mage Tower has grown significantly over the years, and Avril can now enjoy delicious mashed potatoes even in Rhino Horn Mountain.

Ryan needs to use the food seeds from the Swamp to plant a sapling that belongs to Ryan in the hearts of the nobles.

"How about... we ask Christman to come down and breathe fire?"

Ryan thought to himself, "The Swamp has been frozen for decades. If the Flame Dragon were to unleash its fire, it should be able to change the frozen soil environment, right?"

Whether it was complete destruction or the burning that created a vibrant new life, Ryan wasn't sure.

He leaned towards the former because the Dragons Nidhogg had recently discovered had given him a better understanding and knowledge of this apex predator.

For example, Ryan understood what the Frost Dragon Arryris had said earlier.

Pure, intense energy.

First of all, intense heat is not the violence brought about by a raging fire; that is one aspect, but not the entirety of the chill that intense heat represents.

Intense is the epitome of extremes, a description of absolute power.

Then there's the pure Flame Dragon breath, which appears to be flames on the surface, but in reality, it's not the kind of flame that can be ignited by rubbing sticks together to start a fire.

It is a kind of energy, pure energy, Ryan thought, perhaps described at the molecular or even atomic level.

The dragon breath of the Flame Dragon and the dragon breath of the Frost Dragon have different elemental attributes and produce different results, but in essence they are the same pure and intense energy.

Dragons can't be weather forecasters, otherwise Ryan would have considered conquering Nidhogg and letting the Dragons farm in the Frozen Earth Territory.

That kind of farming must be incredibly efficient.

The Tidal Dragon controlling rainfall, the Earth Dragon gathering soil, the Flame Dragon greenhouse base—all of these had appeared in his dreams.

(End of this chapter)