Two months later.
Raphael was jolted awake by a gust of cold wind blowing through the opening at the mountaintop.
"I really don't want to get up!"
His dragon body was buried deep in the piles of gold coins. After a night of heating up, those pieces of gold close to his body had been warmed to a scorching temperature by Crimson Dragon's own body heat, covering his scales like how humans wear cotton-padded jackets in winter, utterly comfortable.
Now forcing him to leave this warm nest to face the bitter November chill was quite the challenge.
"Ugh."
However, Raphael's hazy mind knew he still had a mountain of things to deal with, so he could only silently stand up and crawl out, feeling his power being frozen by the biting cold wind.
"If Nana was here she would be surely happy...but I need her to come back to try paladin's healing. That stubborn green dragon keeps refusing."
Raphael had wanted his wife to return home for a long time, because the miracle magic that old treeman demonstrated could truly be called miraculous, even accelerating the growth of the most stubborn dragon horns. Healing the black arrow wounds would certainly be no problem.
However, Delores refused to let her daughter leave no matter what Raphael said, so he could only grumble in his heart about guarding an empty nest.
Only Nana comforted him, "I'll definitely be back within a year, take care of yourself."
"This place is almost becoming a garbage dump~"
Putting aside those distracting thoughts, Raphael flew in mid-air and looked around. The old treasury of Morey had completely become his toilet and recycling station.
Due to the severe manpower shortage at Pillar Mountain and the many construction projects, he had magnanimously told Milmos that they could leave his dwelling unattended for now.
But once winter arrived, Raphael didn't want to move, yet the leftover food and his droppings couldn't possibly be thrown onto the gold, so the ruined treasury had to bear the burden.
"When spring comes, I'll burn all this garbage away with my breath. For now, I'll conserve my heat." He calculated in his mind, flying out from the mountaintop towards Erl city.
It was just past 7am in the morning, and Erl's human citizens had already appeared on the streets.
After two months of rest and recuperation, everyone knew the order was unshakable, and Crimson Dragon's rule would continue for a long time to come.
Under such an overwhelming power disparity, anyone with dissenting thoughts had completely abandoned hope, and began actively adapting to their current lives.
The economic liberalization led by Moran had made some progress. At the very least, people no longer had to wake up on schedule like in a military camp to do the same duties. Some people had started actively applying for land to farm, then selling grains into the city. Quite a few had also started small merchant businesses, though that was after they got off work from the alchemy plants.
Crimson Dragon's massive body whooshed by overhead, the gusts of wind forcing pedestrians on the streets to huddle against the walls to avoid it.
"Why does that dragon fly around every day? It never used to be this diligent before!" A middle-aged man wearing a gray worker's uniform complained.
"Keep your voice down! Watch out for those inspectors!" His companion quickly shushed him.
They weren't talking about members of the patrol squad, but rather a new organization called Crimson Dragon Guild.
This was something Hil had insisted on establishing, with members present on almost every street.
It was an independent department that answered directly to Raphael himself, tasked with maintaining order in Erl while resolving civilian disputes and also supervising low-level officials.
But everyone knew it was just a front - the true nature of Crimson Dragon Guild was as a secret police force, investigating and arresting anyone who voiced dissatisfaction or complaints about Crimson Dragon, while also tightening Raphael's control over the lower ranks.
"Looks like they're hurrying off to work, not bad!"
Raphael gazed with satisfaction through the icy clouds at the people streaming out of the city houses, all heading towards the alchemy plants in the northern suburbs in unison.
Under free trade, he no longer had to bear the burden of providing food for the populace. Everyone had to earn their own keep.
This was where money came into play, and money could only be produced from the limited number of jobs currently available. In order to survive, they had to work for him.
"But Hil said he could help me keep watch over all that, I just need to focus on the academy...why is that? Is it because those human whelps like loitering around me?" Raphael had delegated most authority to Hil. This rat dragon was clearly exceptionally meticulous in his thoughts, able to surpass even Milmos and Alvis once unleashed.
Crimson Dragon's enormous body descended directly onto the open grounds of the expanded academy district, where 150,000 young students had already gathered.
"Crimson Dragon is supreme!"
"Our holy lord will live as long as the heavens and seas!"
The fanatical students had already finished their morning drills and were fervently awaiting his arrival with burning passion in their hearts.
Raphael twisted his dragon body, raising himself up and looking down upon them with his gaping bloody maw, "The future of Erl! We are not some secluded small nation, but the righteous ones who will save all the different races across the continent!"
He continued reciting the lines Alvis and others had prepared for him each day, "That's right, the old human kingdoms you used to live in were too decadent and outdated! Think about how many intelligent races there are on this continent? They too have emotions, families, and are not inherently plunderers! If they could live in peace, who would choose to engage in robbery on the Strife Plains?"
There were no shortage of children descended from catmen, snakemen, lizardmen and other demi-human races in the ranks - offspring unintentionally produced by Heretic Wing mercenaries. Now they had all been forcibly enrolled in the academy.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Hearing Crimson Dragon's words, they could not help but shed tears from the depths of their hearts.
For they had grown up living on the Strife Plains, where strength was everything.
What advantages did frail children have? They had to constantly hide and evade in that terrible environment. The mercenary parents had no parental love, for they could barely protect themselves, how could they care for these unintended offspring?
So their lives were exceptionally miserable. They had no choice but to engage in thievery, deception and hypocrisy.
Demi-humans were people too, with the same sense of honor and values as humans. Constantly doing such things gradually caused their hearts to become depraved.
But Hil and Alvis, for the sake of future plans, had created the ideology of "Racial Equality" - to build a harmonious homeland where all the intelligent races of Mu continent could coexist without discrimination.
And Raphael's actions became a righteous endeavor, driving back the "evil" humans to secure living space for the dwarves and demi-humans - transcending conventional morality to reach the realm of a "Saint Dragon."
Regardless, these demi-human children had received free food, shelter, and education in military arts and alchemy. Both materially and spiritually, they had benefited tremendously, becoming Crimson Dragon's most loyal non-human subjects.
"...So! I have gathered you all here to study and temper yourselves in battle, not for any brainwashing, but for you to strive to secure a better future for your brothers of other races still mired in chaos and suffering! Your actions are righteous! Do not doubt it, advance under my wings!"
Raphael spoke the final lines loudly, met with fanatical cheers from the students present.
Then, guided by their instructor-officers, the youths filed out one after another to begin their new day of learning.
"Whew, who can stand reciting that script every day?"
Watching the crowds gradually disperse, Raphael let out a hot breath and relaxed.
But he could not leave yet, for soon he would have to instruct the top students on flying the griffon-riders in aerial combat training.
That's right, the first shipment of smuggled support from Eucerolot had arrived, including several griffon eggs.
"Master, I pay my respects."
At this moment, Hil arrived riding on a blood wyvern.
"You have time to come over today?" Raphael raised an eyelid lazily.
The rat dragon leader was wearing thickened soft armor - as a red dragon's kin, it could not withstand the cold weather either without external insulation to maintain its high body temperature.
Unfortunately there were no 200-meter long coats, otherwise Raphael would wear a padded cotton jacket for the winter too.
"The members of Crimson Dragon Guild overheard Moran and the others summarizing potential future crises, so I came to inform you immediately," it said.
"Oh?" Raphael slowly extended his dragon body, his dark golden vertical pupils becoming sharp.
"Overall the situation is good, but food has become a major issue. Erl's total food supply is declining, especially after you cut off steady relief to the city districts. This kingdom's grain supplies are barely keeping things going."
"That won't do, I need enough well-fed humans, so I can have a steady source of soldiers and weapons. Only then can my gold and territories be secure..." Raphael began calculating.
To catch up to the mainstream human production capabilities of this era, he would have to establish alchemy plants on a large scale and put the workers in them, whether for military production or daily goods, high output was needed to sustain everything.
However, humans could do this because they had already solved their food production issues. They didn't have to worry about everyone starving to death from no one farming. But Erl's population was limited, and the fields around Oakland had been neglected for a long time. Recultivating them would take a huge amount of time, and crisis would erupt before then.
"About how much longer can they last?"
He turned to ask.
Hil had been waiting with his head bowed, and immediately answered upon hearing the question, "Probably until around March next year they will have depleted their stocks, but that doesn't include the private lands of Erl's upper class or the crops from your own territories. Right now they're still relying on the food the humans left behind on Pillar Mountain, though it's being sold now instead of handed out."
"So I'm still the biggest food merchant in the nation? Heh heh!" Raphael gave a self-mocking laugh, then began pondering this issue.
The support from the Dragon Council had all been diverted to his own territories still under reconstruction, there was no way they would give outsiders a single grain.
The supplies promised by Eucerolot had been deposited into Erl's treasury, but before that he would have to skim off the top first. Most of the grain supplies had been stuffed into over a dozen granaries inside Pillar Mountain as reserves, with no intention of providing relief. For that was his own power base, and naturally he would prioritize satisfying its needs first.
"Hmm...what do Moran and the others plan to do?" Raphael decided to hear the humans' proposals first.
"Baron Moran plans to purchase grain from you - he knows you control two grain routes - this is not charity, you will receive a large amount of the newly issued currency, gaining a measure of societal resources. Then he will organize farmers among the populace to cultivate the vast fallow fields in the south."
"Oh, this old fellow has some brains at least," Raphael felt a sense of relief hearing that Moran planned to use money to trade with him, finally someone with a grasp of public and private interests.
"However, his plan to mine Pillar Mountain is still sitting unapproved on Milmos' desk, what currency does he plan to use in this exchange?" Crimson Dragon then critically questioned Hil.
"Not a metallic currency. About a month ago, Baron Moran met with merchant representatives from various nations and plans to issue a new form of credit-based currency."
"What is that?" Raphael had never heard this term before.
The rat dragon revealed a strange expression, "From the description, it seems to be a special type of paper that can be rapidly produced in large quantities through alchemical printing devices. It has special magical markings for anti-counterfeiting measures, apparently a new invention from the Natterian Empire's design institute."
"Paper!" Raphael almost leapt up. "That old beast plans to exchange a pile of snot rags for my food?"
"Please do not be rash, master," Hil quickly tried to placate him, hinting that the students in the nearby classroom buildings would see this place, and Crimson Dragon could not lose his noble bearing.
However, Raphael had always been unrestrained, especially when he felt deceived.
He raised his wings furiously, "Have I not demonstrated my power enough that they've forgotten the taste of calamity?"
"No, master!" Hil hurriedly explained, "In reality, in the human Natterian nation, they have already implemented this system in several prosperous regions. The key is credit! As long as the general populace is willing to believe in the value of this paper, that's enough. In fact, those iron and copper coins are merely symbolic representations of money as well, other than being more durable. This is all according to Baron Moran himself. This way, there's no need to mine Pillar Mountain."
Hearing there was no need to mine Pillar Mountain, this temporarily quelled Raphael's wrath.
"Credit currency...I'll ask Moran about it later," he growled hatefully.
Hil breathed a sigh of relief. This was not Pillar Mountain - Crimson Dragon's image was critical, tied to his master's future profits.
"Additionally, there is Alvis' proposal. He wants to completely abandon farming and accelerate the expansion of the military and armaments. This way, perhaps a formidable invasion force could be assembled within five years instead of waiting fifteen."
"It seems he's gone mad with his desire for power," Raphael scoffed, rejecting this outrageous plan.
No matter how large the army, there still needed to be someone competent commanding it, and in all of Erl only Alvis was suitable.
"Oh right, there's also the crisis of spies. According to reports from the Guild, a few unfamiliar faces have appeared in some residential areas, but they vanish as soon as questioning is attempted."
"Those must be human spies and agents, infiltrating already so soon," Raphael analyzed. "But fortunately, the Heretic Wing mercenaries and my dragon kin are unlikely to betray, so we needn't worry about mutiny."
"Speaking of which, what progress has Shena made?" He seemed to recall something and asked Hil about the secret task he had assigned.
"According to daily reports from his kin guarding him, Shena has stopped just reading books and is preparing to conduct experiments, but lacks proper facilities and resources, so progress is slow."
"We'll have to find a way to accelerate it," Raphael muttered to himself. Despite having Crimson Dragon Guild's assistance, he still lacked firm control over the lower levels, and there was a lack of reliable individuals to carry out certain tasks.
The clear ringing of bells sounded - half of the morning classes had ended.
"Well, I'll be going then." Hil gave a raised arm salute before departing on the blood wyvern.
Soon those human whelps came running out, gazing up reverentially at the pondering Crimson Dragon, waves of passion surging in their hearts. Here is the continuation without including any parts of the original message:
Ten children leading griffon mounts stepped forward, respectfully raising their right arms in unison to salute.
"Crimson Dragon is supreme!"
"Oh? You've arrived?" Raphael snapped out of his thoughts and began instructing these youngsters on flying techniques.