Beneath the Red Dragon

Chapter 140: Chapter 63: Dragon Trader and the Countess

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”Recruiting pioneering emigrants, every emigrant registered to go to the Land of Golden will be granted the status of Free People. Food, drink, and accommodation are all provided, and travel expenses are completely free,”

”Emigrants going to the Land of Golden can freely cultivate land, and the land they develop will be owned by them. People going to the Land of Golden will also receive settling-in allowances and be properly accommodated.”

”Those with special skills will receive some Copper Coins as a reward. If an entire family emigrates together, they will also receive a reward in Copper Coins. The conditions are favorable, do not miss out!”

The soldiers on the street, holding notices in hand, loudly promote and recruit the so-called ”pioneering emigrants” while patrolling the streets of the slums.

In the past, the slums were only frequented by impoverished people with exposed bodies and numb expressions, and beggars in ragged clothing with foul smells. Now, they have become exceptionally lively, not only with rarely seen patrol guards but also with many elite Mercenary Corps and business managers leading their subordinates hustling back and forth in the slums.

Enticed by food, the people in the slums began to show some interest in their publicity. The crowd began to stir, and even those with numb expressions displayed a hint of expectation on their faces.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, groups of prisoners were being escorted by soldiers to docks outside the city and loaded onto large ships. These soldiers also meticulously patrolled the streets they passed, checking for any incidents of stealing or cheating. These soldiers were eager to capture those disrupting order, as each captured person meant shiny Copper Coins.

Now, the security in all cities within this Domain is unprecedentedly good. The petty thefts that used to happen on the streets have vanished because anyone caught is removed from the city, and even the black gangs hidden in sewers and corners of the city have been completely wiped out.

This prompted the residents of the towns to clap their hands in delight, as the security issues that were once tough to eradicate disappeared under the Lord’s severe crackdown, leading the people living in the Domain to continually praise the Lord.

However, these changes do not affect the majestic castle that stands high above, built on the mountain and located on a high slope.

This castle, belonging to Duke Istvan’s clan, seems to be the abode of a noble spirit overlooking the mortal realm, with its tall and thick walls blocking both praise and slander from the Mortal World. It governs the mortals but is segregated from the world of ordinary people.

The tall castle, even during the day, requires countless candles and splendid lamps to be lit to keep the castle bright. The candles and lamp oil consumed by the castle each day would suffice for an ordinary family’s use for a year.

Intricately woven, wide, and long carpets are laid across every corridor of the castle’s halls. Each carpet, crafted with exquisite patterns, could consume a typical family’s savings for ten years.

The complex and beautiful murals on the castle’s high vaults, the exquisite screens placed inside the castle, the furniture made of precious wood, and the silverware used for dining on the table, all these are valuables that people outside the castle can’t imagine possessing.

In one of the banquet halls of this castle, only three people sat at a wide dining table made of precious wood.

Among them, an old man with white hair, sitting with his back to numerous famous oil paintings, occupied the main seat. Despite his white hair, his gaze was sharp and spirited. This was the patriarch of the Istvan Clan and the ruler of this Domain, Duke Istvan.

When the Gata Empire split, the self-owned Domains originally belonging to the Emperor of the Imperial were split and annexed by various noble families. As a High Tier Noble of the Gata Empire, Duke Istvan also received a wealthy Domain. Now, the power of the Istvan Clan is even more prominent, ranking among the top forces within the various kingdoms and duchies of the Northern Lands.

Sitting to Duke Istvan’s right was a young female, with captivating looks, her eyes like two pools of clear water, yet her gaze revealed a lion-like aggressiveness. Her full bosom was tightly bound in fitted soft armor, clearly indicating an extremely ambitious woman.

This was Countess Batorri, Duke Istvan’s eldest daughter, a controversial Countess, who has admired valor since childhood, more competitive than the men of her clan, and possessing greater prowess. At a young age, she has already crossed into the High Tier Extraordinary domain, touching the edge of the Saint Tier.

Count Kaire, who had admired Batorri’s character and beauty since childhood and was on good terms with the Istvan Clan, chose to propose to Duke Istvan’s eldest daughter after becoming the Earl in charge of his family.

With a mind for a strong alliance, Duke Istvan agreed to Count Kaire’s request, and the two families formally united in marriage.

But the day after marrying Count Kaire, who was on good terms with the Istvan Clan, Batorri persuaded Count Kaire to go hunting in the mountains with her, resulting in an accident during the hunt.

Batorri and Count Kaire’s group lost themselves in the desolate mountains. When others finally found the group’s trail, everyone except Batorri was already dead.

The soldiers discovered wounds from Beasts’ claws and fangs on the bodies of Count Kaire and his retinue. Only Batorri had escaped the Beast’s rear attack thanks to the soft armor she was wearing.

Although the soldiers were puzzled as to how a Beast could quietly approach and successfully ambush a group led by a High Tier Extraordinary Warrior, knowing that both the Count and his retinue were also powerful warriors with keen instincts.