Ashen Dragon

Chapter 257: 182: Affairs

Chapter 257: Chapter 182: Affairs
 

“In the mountain cave on the outskirts of Stratholme Fortress, at these exact coordinates, send someone to retrieve the treasure hidden by that silver dragon. There are exactly thirty thousand four hundred seventy-two gold coins, twelve kilograms worth of red and blue gemstone jewelry. The numbers must be accurate, and I will personally check them.”

“The Crown of Stars Ring is in the silver coffin at Trifa Church.”

“The Silver Dragon Scale Armor is under a stone brick in the corner of Fatri Hall.”

“The Two-Faced Flowery Words is on the bookshelf at the Witch Veil Tavern.”

“There are three hundred seventy-two spell scrolls in total, hidden behind the waterfall in the southern part of Agur Forest, where there is a concealed mage tower.”

“Here, the Castellani Ancient Castle, there is an observation array inside. The Old Silver Dragon of the Merlwood Family uses it to spy on the North. Go and destroy it.”

“Truly wealthy, as expected of the Silver Dragon Clan.”

Cassius lounged on the iron throne, speaking the information he had extracted from the silver dragon.

The Ogre Archmage, Ramp, stood before him, cautiously adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. He used a feathered pen, formed by mana, to swiftly jot down these valuable pieces of information on an illusory magic parchment.

Poor silver dragon, thinking it had found a love as loyal as a romantic novel, poured out everything to someone disguised as a Gold Dragon, only to be met with the harsh reality of blatant deception.

The persona I created had become more refined through Olivia’s imagination, even becoming her pillar of hope, her last straw in desperate times.

Cassius knew very well that when the truth came to light and this carefully crafted illusion shattered, the other party would be utterly devastated.

And at that moment, it would be the perfect time for him to break down the mental defenses of this naive young silver dragon, “conquering” her completely.

“Tsk-tsk, quite pitiful.”

Thinking of this, Cassius even felt a touch of reluctance.

After all, he shamelessly considered himself a “good person with a moral bottom line,” if not a typical vicious red dragon—though his enemies clearly didn’t think so and needed a stern correction.

Despite these thoughts, Cassius didn’t stop speaking. After all, what he thought and the benefits at stake were two different matters.

After a moment of contemplation, he continued:

“The Star Realm Shard is in the wine cellar at the Murkwick City Rangers’ Tavern, though it seems to be a hideout for the Harpist Alliance, so caution our people.”

“The Dimensional Amulet is also in the mage tower I mentioned earlier.”

“The Bard’s Ansestre Harp is in the violin shop in Stratholme Fortress, show them this code.”

“The Scepter of Might is in a box on the thirteenth floor of the Kariana Tower.”

“…”

When he finally finished, beads of sweat had formed on Ramp’s brow, as the information about various rare treasures had filled the parchment.

It was evident Olivia had truly poured out her heart, divulging all the most cherished treasures of the dragons in one go.

Ramp took out a golden silk handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his brow. With his intelligence, he had likely guessed what was happening, but he still pretended not to know anything.

“You have barely woken up and have already uncovered so many rare items. It’s truly admirable.”

“How have the affairs of the kingdom been handled during my three-year slumber?”

Ramp immediately perked up, taking out a pre-prepared magic crystal from his dimensional bag, skillfully projecting vast amounts of information from it.

This reporting form, named “PPT,” was simple and efficient, spreading widely within the Ashen Kingdom thanks to Ramp’s deliberate promotion, becoming a distinctive feature of the kingdom’s spellcasters.

“Master, in these three years, we conducted a comprehensive census of the population. Using the opportunity of suppressing rebellions, we uncovered all the hidden population of noble landlords. The kingdom now has a population of four hundred seventy thousand, including eighty thousand Dragon Vein Descendants, and three hundred ninety thousand of other humanoid beings.”

“Over these three years, following your instructions, we used serfs as cheap labor to vigorously develop the magical industry. Currently, the country has seventeen food processing plants, six munitions factories, and one daily necessities factory, accommodating nearly forty thousand workers, supplying food and military needs nationwide.

“Furthermore, in commerce and trade, we dispatched…”

“The kingdom’s laws…”

“Regarding the rebellion incited by the remnants of the Northern Nobility…”

Ramp spoke at length until Cassius yawned, prompting him to stop at the right moment, ending the magic image with “These are your great achievements!”

In fact, not just through Ramp’s report, but also from his discussions with Olivia and his own observations, Cassius could see that the kingdom was thriving toward his expectations. Although he provided the overall direction, many details were carried out by Ramp, Mezulash, and other retainers.

However, the report also highlighted numerous potential issues in the kingdom, the most notable being conflicts between races. Forcing formerly hostile or even predatory races to coexist harmoniously was already challenging enough for Ramp.

Cassius praised.

“Well done, the kingdom has made headway on the grand blueprint, and your efforts have contributed.”

Ramp, excited, half-knelt on the ground.

Cassius continued to ask:

“Have you prepared the military merit system and the conferring ceremony I mentioned before my slumber?”

Ramp swiftly presented the scroll and answered, “Everything is ready. They have designed the specific steps of the ceremony. Please review it. All the kingdom’s citizens will remember this glorious moment.”

Similar to the Northern system, the titles of nobility in the Ashen Kingdom were also divided into levels such as Duke, Marquis, Earl, etc., each with several sub-levels. However, unlike the Northern system, these titles came without actual fiefdoms and could only be earned through merit.

But these were not just “nominal titles” or “honorary titles.” In Cassius’s plan, these titles were accompanied by corresponding benefits, most importantly related to the Dragon Vein levels of the titleholders.

Those who gained merit could acquire more powerful Dragon Veins, advancing with each title promotion, and those at the pinnacle, such as Dukes and Marquises, could even receive the personal blessing of the Red Dragon, becoming bloodline descendants of the ancestors.

This would make the vast war machine of the Ashen Kingdom more formidable. Every member of this system, whether human or monster, would strive for more substantial power and longer life.

Thus, the war chariot of the Ashen Kingdom would become more robust, with each citizen becoming a part of it, making Cassius’s plans to crush the Northern Countries even more unshakeable.