Evil dragon has a warm heart

Deep blue footprints still lingered on the outskirts of the Blackflame Plains, not daring to step into the Warm Enclave.

Frost Giants and Snow Giants moved across the Snowfield with the speed of the wind, capable of fleeing thousands of miles with their Escape Techniques.

But in the Warm Enclave, they had nowhere to hide, nor could they use their Escape Techniques. Every move they made would be noticed by the dragons. Like Shuang Da at this moment, as soon as he stepped within the range of the Blackflame Plains, the Shadowflame Dragon and the Torrential Flood Dragon would undoubtedly attack immediately.

Last time, Shuang Da cautiously avoided the Torrent Scale Tower.

But he had encountered an attack from the Little Dream Dragon.

Once bitten by a snake, one fears the well rope for ten years.

Shuang Da, as a Frost Giant, also feared encountering danger again, being stealthily bitten off a finger or an arm. He had already lost his Snow Giants, and now each stealth attack meant the loss of his own strength.

But the artifact of extreme ice had to be retrieved.

After a long while,

The pale blue footprints seemed to have made a decision, resolutely stepping into the territory of the Blackflame Plains.

He moved cautiously, stopping and going.

Fearing that the slightest hint of his presence would draw the Torrential Flood Dragon or the Shadowflame Dragon.

As he was about to reach the inhabited areas of the Blackflame Plains, Russell furrowed his brow, "We can’t let Shuang Da get any deeper. If battle breaks out, who knows how many serfs will die... Ice Cream, suck it up!"

"Ga!" The Little Dream Dragon had been impatiently waiting and immediately targeted the pale blue footprints, taking a deep breath.

The next moment,

The pale blue footprints trembled violently and, in the blink of an eye, revealed the silhouette of Shuang Da, who then began to flail wildly as if in reflex.

"Suck it, suck it, suck its little finger!" Russell, riding the Little Dream Dragon, aimed at the flailing hand of Shuang Da.

Alas, Shuang Da was moving his hands too fast, and the Little Dream Dragon, in its Primordial Spirit form, was too small to lock onto the little finger.

Seeing this, Russell immediately changed his target, "Suck its head, suck the fang on its head!"

Facing the mountainous Frost Giant, the Little Dream Dragon was like a mosquito, buzzing as it flew onto Shuang Da’s face. Without any hesitation, it aimed at one of Shuang Da’s elongated fangs, opened its mouth wide, and began to suck deeply.

In the Gloomy Dreamland, the Little Dream Dragon was in charge of everything.

The speed of this sucking was precise and fierce, and within two breaths, the tip of Shuang Da’s fang showed cracks.

The crack widened, the vortex rose.

A fist-sized Frost Star quickly condensed and swiftly fell into the mouth of the Little Dream Dragon, who swallowed it without even chewing, still not satisfying its craving.

He swallowed it down, still not sated, opened his mouth again, wanting to take another bite.

But Shuang Da had been scared out of his wits and ran towards the Snowfield without looking back, almost diving into the Snowfield and using an Escape Technique to completely flee as the shadowy figure of the Torrential Flood Dragon began to rise from the Torrent Scale Tower.

"Ga!" The Little Dream Dragon couldn’t catch him and could only smack its lips, then yawned longingly.

"Bye-bye, Ice Cream."

Russell waved his hand, and the next moment, the Gloomy Dreamland dissipated.

At the same time, the shadow of the Shadowflame Dragon spanned infinite distances, appearing at the edge of the Blackflame Plains, with the shadow of the Torrential Flood Dragon arriving almost immediately after. The two dragon shadows glanced at each other and quickly pursued into the depths of the Snowfield.

It was a pity that they didn’t catch up to Shuang Da and could only roar in frustration before their shadows dispersed.

In the Snowfield deeper into the Heibo Mountains to the south, Shuang Da’s figure materialized, his blue face showing an unsettled expression under the illumination of the stars.

After confirming there was no danger around,

He lifted his right hand, which was forever missing its middle finger, and then touched his fang. The tip of his left fang was cleanly broken off, the fracture smooth, as if it was born that way.

With eyes closed in agony,

Shuang Da roared towards the sky, "Faust!"

...

"Hoo!"

Upon rising early in the morning, Russell laughed heartily, for the previous night had brought another bountiful harvest, and the Little Dream Dragon had feasted well.

"The eruption of Ice Cream Volcano shouldn’t be too far off! Without the warmth brought by Snow Giant Da and the frequent deliveries from Shuang Da, what a wonderful and splendid thing it is!"

Hape was still in the branches, experiencing the enlightenment of life and death within his fluffy fur.

Russell did not disturb him, and quietly returned to Cigar Castle with Unicorn Polly and Ouroboros.

He enjoyed a breakfast.

"Sir," Butler Morris, serving at his side, sought for a conversation starter, "Last night, the castle’s servants heard the dragon’s roar again. Now, they all say that the Blackflame Plains are favored by dragons." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Is that so," Russell nodded.

The war between dragons and Frost Giants was too remote for the common folk to comprehend.

In the eyes of the commoners, the ghastly Snow Specters were the most terrifying creatures, and Snow Demons were something they never encountered in their lifetimes. Had it not been for the two falling calamities, commoners might not even know of the existence of Snow Giants.

For those who lived their entire lives on the manor, their only impression of Snow Giants was probably from the occasional theater performances on the estate, where actors donned blue hides to portray the comically oversized beings.

Therefore, they did not understand what the occasional roaring of dragons in the skies above the Blackflame Plains signified.

Russell chose not to explain to avoid causing the commoners undue anxiety.

Unexpectedly, the castle’s servants were quite imaginative, interpreting the sounds of dragon roars as a sign of the dragons’ favor toward the Blackflame Plains.

"Morris, send for Eric and the other Phantom Beast Knights," he ordered.

"Yes, Sir."

By the time Russell finished his breakfast, Eric, Grove, and Katie had arrived in succession.

"Sir, what commands do you have for us?" Eric, who had grown into the stature of a noble, now bore an air of aristocracy and moved with more calculated calmness than his previously abrupt manner, though it seemed a bit forced.

"This year, the icy Snowfield will see more Snow Demons than before, increasing the likelihood of invasions. You three Phantom Beast Knights must organize the knights of your domains well to protect the manors that are under development," instructed Russell.

The influx of knights had not ceased; on the contrary, in the past year, nearly every day brought knights seeking to pledge allegiance.

There were now over a hundred Armed Knights and close to twenty Great Knights in the Blackflame Plains.

However, Russell only took in followers once last year, recruiting six Great Knights and twelve Armed Knights. The remaining knights would continue to be evaluated based on their performance, and those with commendable performance would be accepted this year as a reward.

"Yes, Sir," mumbled Eric with a nod.

Katie then said, "Sir, Jerry and I command the Sentinel Rat Squad. The Sentry Mice have already spread to the edges of the domain, some even reaching into the newly resonating lands. Should there be an invasion by Snow Demons or Snow Specters, I’ll be sure to detect it immediately."

"Very good!" Russell nodded in approval.

He then instructed, "I might not often be in the domain these coming days, but I will command Rossay to follow and act with you. Should you encounter invasions by Snow Demons you can’t handle, seek Rossay’s help immediately."

"Yes, Sir!"

"Another thing, there have been frequent dragon sounds lately, you need to handle the reassurance of the knight troops," said Russell. "Everything is under control, Snow Giants can’t stir much trouble. Once the Blazing Spire is completed, the Grand Duchy will be as secure as a fortress."

After giving his instructions, Russell waved his hand to dismiss the three Phantom Beast Knights and went to cultivate and merge with Ouroboros.

He left Cigar Castle.

Eric immediately set about organizing the knight troops, while Katie and Grove lagged behind.

Katie, who had been appointed as the Patrol Knight Commander of the Blackflame Plains, rode north on her horse with a somewhat downcast look, "Grove, do you think we’ve been left too far behind by Sir? I feel like it’s becoming more and more difficult for us to fight alongside him."

Grove, now married with children, had set his sights on becoming ennobled.

At her words, he smiled broadly, "Katie, don’t overthink it. I remember the Sir once mused upon a profound thought while camping at the post station, gazing at the night sky filled with stars... I’ve treasured that saying, and now I’ll pass it on to you."

"Please tell me."

"’With great power comes great responsibility,’" Grove explained.

Katie couldn’t help but ruminate over the phrase.

Grove continued, "Sir’s abilities far exceed ours, and he bears responsibilities beyond our imagining... But though our powers are limited, we have our own duties. To guard the domain well for Sir, to free him from worries, isn’t that also a form of fighting alongside him?"