Ashen Dragon-Chapter 227 - 152: Arrangements from All Parties

Chapter 227 -152: Arrangements from All Parties

Inside the Steel Dragonwing Palace, Cassius lay sprawled on the throne, exhaling a breath of sulfur-laden heat.

“By now, the players should be leaving soon.”

“When the game officially opens, it will be four years from now.”

All the facilities that were originally in the Council Hall were moved here intact.

Especially the incredibly rich collections in the Red Dragon Treasury, which were being continuously transported to the deepest part of the cavern by immensely powerful Frost Giant slaves under strict surveillance. Even so, it took several days to complete. Those poor slaves were even blindfolded, only able to follow the overseers’ instructions to move the treasures.

Tens of thousands of gold coins were piled like mountains, adorned with crystal-clear gems and crystals of various colors. Over a hundred magic equipment pieces gleamed brightly, scattered all around were vast amounts of elemental ores, and even the extremely rare Ninth Tier Spell Scrolls were hidden among the treasures—this was the Red Dragon’s treasure trove.

...

All the entrances to the cavern had been sealed off with rocks created by spells, and the only accessible point was locked with a High Rank Arcane Lock. The entrance was further protected by dozens of hidden guardian inscriptions, and outside the main gate were over a hundred fully armed Great Goblin guards, capable of killing any unwelcome guest. The Red Dragon even somewhat hoped for adventurers to come, as it might increase his inventory.

Ramp originally wanted to name the structure “Dragon King’s Treasure Mountain,” but for certain reasons, Cassius changed it.

As the most greedy of dragons, the Red Dragon was quite proud of this.

Sometimes he would take out some gold coins from the treasury to eat, increasing the gold element in his body, and thereby enriching his gilded scales. Tiniya, a fellow dragon, could never understand this and often questioned her existence as a dragon, wondering how any dragon could be extravagant enough to swallow precious gold coins.

At the palace gate, Tiefling guards patrolled back and forth, and there were even bipedal wyverns perched on the watchtowers outside the palace. Any intruder without permission would be torn to pieces.

At this moment, Cassius was reviewing the report presented by Ramp.

Having integrated the lands originally belonging to the Rackman and Norton Duchies, along with the previously held Stormy Ridge and newly occupied glacier regions, the total area now covered nearly two hundred thousand square kilometers. But these areas were mostly sparsely populated; even counting the Dragon Vein Descendants, there were only about four hundred thousand citizens.

Given the medieval level of productivity, the Ashen Kingdom was already struggling to manage this vast territory. Population census, tax collection, and other administrative tasks were proceeding in an orderly manner, but it was estimated to take several more years to fully establish.

Ramp had learned a lot of advanced management knowledge from the players, but how to adapt it to local conditions remained a challenge.

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Due to the vast territories and reliance on war, the Rackman Duchy’s princes and great nobles owned large heritable lands. They forced the poor to perform labor, forming the so-called “serfdom,” and established economic and legal systems based on labor-driven manors. This was not unique; almost all Northern Countries’ duchies adopted this seemingly backward system, at least ensuring their noble private armies’ fighting power, benefiting from the conflicts.

However, this was clearly unsuitable for the current Ashen Kingdom. After all, most of the former nobles had been slaughtered by the enraged Tieflings, and even the thousands of serfs on the Rackman family’s manor were declared free. The Red Dragon was more inclined to establish a centralized empire.

“Hah—”

Looking at these tedious data, Cassius could not help but yawn.

Fortunately, he did not need to be overly distracted by these matters, only needing to give general directions and act as a figurehead. The real headaches fell to the ruling ministers, whose days would become even tougher during the players’ absence.

Just at this moment, a Tiefling guard reported at the door.

“Your Majesty, Lord Mezulash has arrived.”

“Let him in.”

“Yes.”

The heavy palace doors slowly opened, and Mezulash walked in with steady steps, calmly kneeling before Cassius.

“How did the task I assigned you go?”

“I have successfully completed the handover with that player. As per your instructions, I found some humans of clear background who had suffered oppression from the Rackman Duchy as the candidates for the ‘Nocturne’ unit. They will become the kingdom’s sharpest daggers in the night.”

“Very well.”

Cassius had decided to entrust the leadership of the “Nocturne” to Mezulash. This was partly because the Tiefling tribes were already tied to the kingdom’s chariot, making betrayal impossible.

It was also because Mezulash was always decisive in killing and had the power to control undead, making him not averse to dealing with such shady activities.

After all, players were too uncontrollable, especially notorious ones like Swashbuckler. It was better to let him be a mascot. Assassination and raid missions were fine, but the truly secret matters could never be entrusted to them.

But Cassius did not know the story behind this “successful” handover. Swashbuckler had howled and even challenged Mezulash to a duel, ending up beaten black and blue before conceding defeat. The gathered players watched gleefully, clapping and cheering.

“The task of collecting intelligence on the various duchies should be put on the agenda. After the training is completed, you will dispatch these vampires to the Northern Countries. As the kingdom’s realm expands, we cannot rely solely on the intelligence of those serpentfolk.”

Cassius paused and then continued:

“Four years, within four years, I want to see detailed intelligence on all countries.”

“As for the additional funding, I’ll write an order for you. You can go to the ruling ministers for it.”

“Yes, Master.”

Mezulash responded respectfully.

His expression was calm, showing neither joy nor dismay, simply following orders.

For a Tiefling, this assignment undoubtedly expanded his power. Cassius’s plans for “Nocturne” were not limited to external targets. This would give Mezulash leverage over other factions but also attract suspicion and hostility.

But this was insignificant, as the kingdom’s power structure was extremely simple, built on extreme individual might. As long as he clung firmly to the Red Dragon’s massive pillar-like leg, any trouble could be easily resolved.

Mezulash was well aware of this and often led by example.

Recently, the kingdom had been booming with various matters following closely. As soon as Mezulash left, the Tiefling guards at the door reported again.

“Your Majesty, Lord Frederick from the Hall of Dragon Oath requests an audience.”

“So many things are happening lately that there’s no time to rest.”

Cassius opened his eyes, which had just begun to close, and slowly lifted his head, exhaling a cloud of gray smoke with some impatience.

But the Red Dragon still said:

“Let him in.”