Sunlight streamed in through the crystal dome, embedded with various gems, illuminating the entire hall of the Dragon Fortress. Kalon, the Red Dragon, sprawled out his limbs lazily, much like a cat cooling off in summer, lying on the smooth floor.
His broad wings were also spread out like a lazy curtain, filling the entire view of the hall. The black stone throne, standing tall at the back of the hall, seemed less surprising in comparison.
Occasionally, the flame patterns on the Red Dragon's wings would flicker, casting his massive and robust body's reflection onto the dark, glossy floor.
The Dragon Kings Fortress, which had been under construction for years, was finally completed. Kalon would spend most of his daytime in this Fortress, just as earthly emperors always stayed in their palaces.
Kalon's ferocious and majestic head was also resting on the ground, enjoying a rare moment of coolness and leisure.
On the left, a beautiful and curvaceous Elf Druidess, wearing a hip-length floral skirt, was kneeling, her plump, long legs tucked under her, holding a large silver platter intricately carved with delicate patterns.
The silver platter held a variety of fruits: iced watermelon slices, specially cultivated lychees, plump crystal grapes, fragrant oranges, and more.
At this moment, these fruits were being fed to the Red Dragon, who was enjoying his lordly life, by the Elf Druidess's long, slender fingers.
Kalon did not like fruits that needed to be peeled, but if he didn't have to do it himself, then he liked all fruits.
Several other equally beautiful Elf Druidesses, some slender and petite, others uniquely shaped, were kneeling barefoot on the Red Dragon's body, using fine silk scarves to wipe his scales, then using brushes specially made for the True Dragon to scrub the skin between his scales.
This feeling was like a massage for the True Dragon, making Kalon comfortably narrow his eyes.
There were also several equally beautiful human maidservants, constantly adding desserts to the True Dragon's fruit platter, or tidying the rooms of this huge castle, including the bedroom and study, performing daily cleaning, wiping, and maintenance.
These human maidservants, like the Elf Druidesses, were all beautiful, but each had their unique charm.
Some were due to a pair of fair, slender hands, others because of their smooth, jade-like skin, and still others because of their delicate, pink, jade-like feet.
Some possessed an unintentional swaying grace when they walked, while others had naturally alluring eyes, rather than those who constantly tried to overtly flaunt themselves.
From this perspective, Kalon undoubtedly appreciated the aesthetics of the True Dragons, with the difference being that Kalon, compared to other True Dragons, paid more attention to discovering the beauty in different characteristics.
Kalon never hid himself; he openly faced his true nature. Besides the Red Dragon's preference for beauty, he actually possessed a certain collecting habit.
It could be seen from some of his actions that as long as it was something he fancied, he would always like to collect different types of it to satisfy himself.
However, even though a batch of maidservants had been added, due to the overly expansive construction of this Dragon Fortress, a castle designed for True Dragons to live and rest in, it was difficult for twenty maidservants alone to complete such a massive task.
Therefore, the maintenance of most parts of the castle still needed to be done by a large number of Kobold; the daily maintenance of this castle alone required two hundred Kobold.
These maidservants primarily served as the Red Dragon's personal attendants, providing him with the opulent lifestyle of a lord and taking care of his daily needs.
This included instructing the Halfling in the kitchen to prepare enormous dinners according to the True Dragon's prescribed diet, and serving snacks, fruits, hot tea, and desserts to theTrue Dragon at designated times.
They were also responsible for relaying messages, conveying the True Dragon's will and commands to the True Dragon's dependents and various departments and agencies within the territory, and summoning those the True Dragon wished to meet.
Currently, the human maidservant Charlize, appointed by Kalon as the Head Maidservants, was in charge of overseeing these maidservants.
Charlize was a count's daughter; due to defeat in war, all the remaining women and children of her family were captured and sold as slaves in the Dragon Clans Territory.
As nobles who possessed knowledge and etiquette, these slaves were quite expensive.
It just so happened that Fafna the Ogre Giant, the governor of the Goldsea City, knew that the True Dragon needed attendants, so she spent a hefty sum to purchase these slaves and sent them to the Fortress for Kalon to choose from.
In fact, it was a common practice among many noble lords to have noble maidens familiar with etiquette serve as female attendants.
Moreover, in the Northern Continent, with the disintegration of the Catha Empire, those nobles who were originally in a cooperative relationship had begun to fight fiercely for their own interests and expansionist desires.
Especially after the High Mage Association, whose status was quite transcendent, gradually shifted its focus to the Dragon Clans Territory and began comprehensive cooperation with the True Dragons, the conflicts among the various noble lords in the Northern Continentintensified daily. The territories of three counts and several barons had already been successively annexed, and their families had fallen as a result.
Consequently, many people migrated to the Dragons Territory to escape the war, at one point even outnumbering the increase in population from the slave trade in the Dragon Clans Territory, leading to human residents now becoming one of the main races within the Dragon Clans Territory, second only to the most numerous Elf Druid.
The Head Maidservant Charlize was currently in the maidservants' quarters of the Fortress's back garden, training other maidservants on etiquette and dress code requirements, while Fafna the Ogre Giant was temporarily filling in for the Head Maidservant, who was not yet familiar with the territory's situation. She knelt on the other side of the Red Dragon, sitting opposite the Elf Druidess who was feeding the Red Dragon.
Fafna the Ogre Giant, though still wearing daringly cool sheer gauze in front of the Red Dragonas usual, showcasing her figure's advantages, appeared somewhat conservative compared to the maidservant uniforms the Red Dragon had specially custom-made for his maidservants.
At this moment, Fafna held notepads and books, softly recounting things Kalon wanted to understand and needed to know.
"Goblin Glitter, who presides over the Dragon clans Merchant Group, has reported the revenue from various industries last year. According to his statistics, the cultural industry roughly broke even last year,"
Fafna twirled a letter in her left hand, her soft voice narrating smoothly. Her plump legs propped up the Red Dragon's left claw, and her right hand gently tapped on the Red Dragon's muscular body, relaxing her master's muscles.
"But in other industries, the profits were substantial. Among them, the salt and iron mines yielded the most profit, accounting for about half of the total profit, even higher than the profits from the gold, gems, and various rare minerals produced in the Dragon Clans Territory."
Kalon narrowed his eyes and nodded. In the early stages of establishing the territory, a salt and iron monopoly system was adopted. He had foreseen that these two important basic resources, once their development rights were reclaimed by the territory, would bring enormous profits to the territory.
Fafna then recounted the revenues from other various industries one by one, finally adding,
"Goblin Glitter heard that the territory will usher in a major festival. He has already led the hired fleet, laden with profits, preparing to depart from Babbi Port in the Central Continent to congratulate you, and has also applied to the territory for some powerful guards to ensure your assets safely reach the territory."
"Hmm," Kalon finally spoke, his unique True Dragon voice echoing in the spacious hall, "You can send a team of Wyvern Knights and elite battle groups to escort them. You will arrange a suitable position for him at the celebration then!"
Fafna nodded gently, picked up a quill with her left hand, and quickly wrote down her master's requirements.
"Also, although the Goblin Glitter is loyal enough, the Dragon Clans Territory cannot rely entirely on its one merchant group. It needs some motivation and a sense of crisis,"
Kalon's half-closed eyes shimmered with a wisdom known as political acumen . "You need to select a few capable individuals, preferably human, and have them reorganize merchant groups."
"The industries within the territory will become more and more numerous. Let them be responsible for other industries, and at the same time, allow them to participate in the industries that the Goblin Glitter originally operated."
"Yes, Master," Fafna gently shifted her somewhat numb long legs. Even if it was just the Red Dragon's arm, resting on it for a long time made the Giant ogre feel a bit heavy.
"How are the territory's finances?" Kalon did not retract his claw; he was too lazy to move and was enjoying the sensation.
"Because some taxes were not fully established in the early stage, the territory lost a portion of its revenue. However, the territory's production revenue and taxes are already sufficient to support the territory's expansion and construction, and there is no need to draw funds from the Dragon clan's treasury for support,"
Fafna explained with extreme seriousness, "Now, the various noble lords who have split from the Catha Empire in the Northern Continent are actively preparing for war, and some areas are fighting fiercely, so the weapon business in the territory is particularly booming."
"Also, after cultivation by those Elf Druid, the horses produced are very popular in the Northern Continent kingdoms. The income from the animal husbandry park has exceeded expenditures by nearly fifteen times."
"If it weren't for some newly launched basic industries, such as shipyards and metallurgical plants, which are essential for development and have already been allocated one hundred thousand gold coins by the Ministry of Finance, this year the territory would already be considered to have had a bountiful harvest."
"According to regulations, after deducting the benefits distributed to officials at all levels within the territory at the end of the year, a considerable portion of the revenue still remains. I have already submitted the relevant documents to Germott for review,"
Fafna did not withdraw her long legs, which were like smooth jade, but instead lifted the Red Dragon's claw further up her thigh.
"Hmm, keep half of this revenue and inject it into the Ministry of Finance's reserve funds. Extract the other half of the revenue; I have a use for it."
Kalon opened his mouth, swallowed a piece of honey fruit handed to him by the nearby Elf Druidess, chewed, and said indistinctly.
Perhaps it was because females were always more meticulous than careless males, Kalon found Fafna exceptionally skilled in financial management and planning.
Since Fafna's soul was already under the Red Dragon's control, the Red Dragon also appointed Fafna as his personal financial officer responsible for the specific income and expenditure of the Dragon clan's treasury, not an official financial officer of the territory.
And the overall responsibility for the Golden Land was gradually handed over by Fafna to the diligent and hardworking Akzi. This young True Dragon has been stationed in the sea area for many years, and is relatively good at governing territory Blue Dragon, it is time to give him some responsibility.
Fafna then reported the handling of the Sahar's incident to Kalon.
Although Kalon had already received Sahar's report, now that the territory was on track, the handling of some matters became a bit more procedural and cumbersome.
"Alright, let these Dragonborn werewolves stay in my laboratory for a few days for now. Once they come out, they will be very obedient."
"Afterward, let Sahar manage them. Although Sahar will still retain the title of Forbidden Army Commander, this Dragonborn werewolf's warlike nature is not suitable for staying in the Forbidden Army."
Kalon deliberated slightly, then said, "In the future, the territory will not only have comprehensive land, sea, and air military forces, but also battle groups capable of fighting in special environments. Let Sahar apply to the Ministry of Military Affairs; let him create a Nightwalker Battle Group."
"He will lead this battle group. At night, those Dragonborn werewolves are stronger warriors than Gnoll. They are the darlings of the night and the moon, and they will also become my dependents!"
Fafna was noticeably more active than before, her soft, charming face filled with joy and excitement. Being able to participate in the execution of such territorial decisions meant that her efforts had been recognized by the Red Dragon, and Kalon had begun to truly trust her.
Fafna's fists, resting on the Red Dragon's arm muscles, moved much faster. She noted Kalon's requests and then reported on the aftermath of the Lich's handling.
Compared to Charlize, the Head Maidservant, who was not yet familiar with territorial affairs and was still in the process of handing over relevant duties, the Giant ogre at this moment was more like the Red Dragon's personal chief maidservant.
"The Lich has already signed a contract. He will be assigned to various parts of the Dragon Clan Territory, leading the reassembled Bone Army to open up rivers, build canals, and construct irrigation ditches and water conservancy projects according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs' plans and requirements."
"However, he requested to expand the Bone Army to around one thousand. He said that the three hundred bone undead specified by the territory were too few to bear such a heavy task."
Fafna smiled, "And he protested, saying that as a Lich, a great miracle, he shouldn't be like a dog, only tied up in the Heroes' Cemetery as a grave keeper during the day, and then having to continue working at night."
"He also said that the Giant True Dragon even wants to squeeze oil out of bones, but refuses to give him good treatment. Anyway, this Lich always complains."
"Such trivial matters don't need to be reported to me in the future. Let Germott and them handle it," Kalon said dismissively, chewing on an entire peeled watermelon handed to him by the Elf Druidess, the bursting juice filling his mouth like thick fresh blood.
As long as actual benefits could be gained, it was fine to let others complain a bit. As for improving treatment, it was already good that Kalon hadn't burned the Lich to ashes with a Dragonfire. The Lich being able to survive was thanks to Kalon's black heart, which should be hanging on a lamppost.
"Oh, by the way, Master, there's another important piece of news that you might be interested in," Fafna said, flipping open a letter. This was a message from the intelligence personnel dispatched with Goblin Glitter's Dragon clan Merchant Group, specifically marked in bold red ink.
"Speak," Kalon said, enjoying the service of the Elf Druidess gently wiping the watermelon juice from the corners of his mouth with a silk scarf.
"The Crimson Matron, Diklis, a mature Red Dragon entrenched in the desolate volcanic belt of the Southern Continent, who likes to pick up discarded True Dragon eggs left by other True Dragons, raise the hatchlings, and then sell them to other races,"
"Because she stole a Silver Dragon's egg, the Silver Dragon came knocking on her door. The Crimson Matron Diklis injured that Silver Dragon, but was then besieged by a True Dragon -slaying team and Metal Dragons assembled by the adult Silver Dragon, and fell in the depths of the desolate volcanic belt, in front of her own lair."
Kalon couldn't help but withdraw his claw, which had been resting on Fafna's soft thigh, and covered his forehead.
Even knowing the Red Dragon's nature, Kalon couldn't help but feel helpless and shocked by his kin's outrageous actions. The Chromatic Dragons were already in a disadvantaged position in the Ekania World, and this mature female Red Dragon dared to provoke the united Silver Dragons. This was an act that the rational Kalon could never understand.
However, if it weren't for the chaotic and unpredictable behavior of these Five-Colored Dragon, the Five-Colored Dragon in the Southern and Central Continents would not have almost disappeared.
Red Dragon, which are at the top of the Five-Colored Dragon, are almost extinct in these civilized worlds. Only Green Dragon and Black True Dragon, who are good at hiding, can still live as kings in the wilderness. Blue Dragon, who live in groups, are relatively prosperous because they advocate order.
Oh, I forgot about the White Dragon. This unlucky True Dragon, no matter where it hides, True Dragon -slayers will come knocking on its door. Because it is far enough from the civilized world, more of them have survived.
"Forget it, the only thing I'm interested in about this news is the treasure left by that mature Red Dragon, Diklis, in her lair. What a pity!"
Kalon turned his head to look out the window of the hall on the first floor. Layers of clouds flowed with the wind. Inside the Dragon Fortress, perched atop a high mountain, Kalon suddenly felt a sense of loneliness at the top.