Chapter 54: Come on, brother-in-law 31

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The Fire Dragon was collecting rent with Xinning’s group, bored out of its mind, when its keen ears caught words like “dragon” and “treasure.” A few mercenaries were drinking and eating on the second-floor private seats, discussing their next deal.

Over a hundred kilometers away, there was a mountain where a giant dragon lived. It couldn’t breathe fire, but its size was enormous. This dragon loved treasure and guarded a great hoard of gold coins and jewels.

The mercenaries were plotting how to recruit more soldiers, find more mercenaries and mages, and go slay the dragon to seize its treasure.

“Where is this dragon you’re talking about?” a deep voice sounded from the window.

The mercenaries turned their heads and were immediately terrified, falling off their chairs onto the floor.

A huge black dragon head appeared at the window, blocking it entirely. Its golden eyes shone like gold but emitted a terrifying glare.

The Fire Dragon curled the corner of its mouth into a slight sneer and scoffed coldly, “Speak. Is it a female dragon?”

Everyone...

How could they tell male from female? They only knew it was a real dragon.

Upon hearing there was a true dragon, the Fire Dragon immediately instructed the baby dragon with a few words, saying it wanted to go check it out. If it was a female dragon, it wanted to get an egg. Then it flapped its wings and flew away.

Seeing the Fire Dragon leave, the huge figure naturally caused some panic among the townsfolk. The captain of the guard came riding a dragon to inquire about the situation.

After learning what was going on, the captain’s young dragon refused to leave and kept inching closer to the baby dragon.

The baby dragon was still young, so it could wait; dragons lived long lives. Although it was not as strong as the baby dragon’s father, it was still on the royal payroll, serving in the guard—surely stronger than ordinary young dragons, right?

The captain scolded it several times, but the young dragon would not budge, so he had no choice but to follow along.

Without the Fire Dragon, the rent collection proceeded smoothly. The whole city knew that the second young lady of the Pompadour family had become the clan leader, leading two dragons and the second young master of the Gamio family to collect rent.

Everyone knew better than to provoke them and prepared the rent early.

Although the Fire Dragon wasn’t seen, the royal guard captain riding a dragon followed closely, causing some confusion but no one dared to ask too many questions—just stole a few extra glances.

As they walked, the pink baby dragon hopped along, and the captain’s young dragon looked infatuated, holding its head high, trying to look imposing—almost like a guard dog. The guard captain, annoyed, thought it was really prioritizing affection over friendship, even abandoning its contracted master for the little female dragon.

All the rent was collected early. Xinning invited the guard captain to a barbecue shop for lunch. While they were eating, the Fire Dragon flew back.

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The Fire Dragon paid no mind to rest and roared at the barbecue shop owner, “Grill me four beast sheep! Ask her for the money!”

Xinning immediately jumped up. Four beast sheep? Did the dragon think she was some wealthy aristocrat? She didn’t recognize this dragon.

Before she could get angry, the shop owner looked troubled. Beast sheep usually lived deep in uninhabited forests, and even if mercenaries encountered one and killed it, it was hard to bring it back. Beast meat wasn’t that easy to get!

Hearing this, the Fire Dragon flapped its wings and flew off. After a while, a loud thud sounded as a dead beast sheep dropped from the sky into the courtyard.

Everyone looked up. The Fire Dragon flapped its huge wings, hovering in the air: “Grill this one first, I’ll go catch another.”

Seeing this, Xinning immediately shouted, “Catch one more as processing fee!”

Upon hearing that one beast sheep would cover the processing fee, the shop owner readily agreed.

“Got it!” The Fire Dragon flew off again, flying so fast that its huge figure soon vanished beyond the horizon.

Night Feather had originally planned to get to the shop he had just acquired to prepare for opening. Seeing this situation, he stayed.

He watched as the Fire Dragon extracted crystal cores from the beasts’ brains—only about the size of a peach pit—but even these were valuable, which made him realize just how precious the fist-sized crystal core the Fire Dragon had given earlier was.

By the time the sixth beast was thrown into the yard, the Fire Dragon had caught pairs twice afterward. To those young dragons, the Fire Dragon was like a god.

“Is the meat ready yet?” the Fire Dragon was anxious.

It flew to the cave and found a female dragon.

Though it couldn’t breathe fire, it was a true dragon.

The Fire Dragon planned to use the roasted meat to win favor with the female dragon and get her to lay an egg!

“You already have a daughter, and you want a second?” Xinning asked.

“That’s a true dragon. There are fewer and fewer true dragons. I must have an egg! Our dragon race is on the verge of extinction, all killed by your cunning humans,” the Fire Dragon glared resentfully at the captain of the guard.

The captain... had nothing to do with this. He was part of the royal guard, not some mercenary who chased money like a bandit.

The four roasted beast sheep were loaded into a wooden cart, filling the air with a tempting aroma.

“No need to wait for me. I’ll bring the egg back,” the Fire Dragon said, grabbing the cart and the roasted meat with its powerful claws, flapping its wings as it flew toward the cave where the female dragon lived, pursuing his second chance at love.

One beast sheep was left as the processing fee; the other was for Xinning.

So Xinning asked the captain to have all the guard members come over to drink and feast.

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Pleased with the barbecue, Xinning decided to take over the entire shop. For all the guard members who brought dragons to eat, only the cost price would be charged; if they brought beast meat to process, they’d leave a leg as the processing fee.

After finishing the rent collection, it was time to leave.

The entire guard came along, even those who didn’t want to come were dragged by their young dragons.

“Goodbye, come often!” The guards waved farewell.

“My beautiful dragon, when brother’s on vacation, I’ll come see you...”

“No lullaby can express my love...”

“My dear dragon, I’ll earn money to buy you groceries and bows...”

“Kiss you, bite you, don’t forget me...”

Those young dragons howled unwillingly, caring nothing for human stares.

The guards glanced at their own dragons... these dragons were better at courting than they were.

Amid the farewells from people and dragons alike, Xinning and Night Feather mounted the baby dragon. Night Feather used magic to teleport in an instant—a dazzling, flamboyant move—and disappeared beyond the city gates.

Back at the Pompadour Manor, with Night Feather’s help, Xinning began gradually repairing and improving the family estate.

Besides retrieving servants and laborers previously driven away by Colby, they also recruited a group to patrol shops, land, and collect rent. If they found good land or shops, they would notify the manor immediately.

The Fire Dragon hadn’t returned, and Xinning worried the baby dragon might be upset, as its father had gone to have a second child.

The baby dragon, however, didn’t seem to mind and even hoped its father would bring back a dragon egg. After hatching for two hundred years, it wouldn’t have to be so strictly managed.

Seeing the baby dragon’s appetite remained strong—eating two carts of food each meal—Xinning felt relieved.

After half a month, the Fire Dragon finally returned to the manor—not to force Xinning to release the baby dragon’s contract, but to...