TPITT - Chapter 257

“I am the fearsome dragon, Ambroxa! I will burn you all! Kyaaaaang!”

“Ahh! The evil dragon’s breath!”

[... So, can the Princess protect everyone from the demon dragon’s attack?! And can the knight defeat the demon dragon and achieve a love that transcends social status?! Continued after the stamina potion advertisement!]

Two seasons have passed since Ambroxa turned into an open-air magic mine. In the imperial capital Hadelun, the popularity of plays and musicals themed on the battle to subdue the demon dragons still shows no sign of cooling down.

In particular, the musical of the Pegasus Troupe enjoyed the greatest popularity. It was only natural that it combined the love story of the Princess and the knight, which has been loved for a long time, with a heroic epic, and that it showed off a magnificent scale by implementing the seven-headed dragon Ambroxa as a golem.

Even the lead role of the Princess was played by Rimona Lund, one of the best singers and actresses in the region.

Clap clap clap clap!

When the play ended, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

When all the singers and actors were politely greeting each other, the most extravagantly made-up protagonist, Limona, came forward alone.

“I would like to offer a congratulatory song in anticipation of the upcoming happy day. Please listen.”

It was a special stage. The nobles were overflowing with money and jewels, and the reservations were full, so Limona's wedding song, which they could not hear, resonated throughout the square of District 14. The people were delighted by the powerful singing as if it were a festival.

At that moment, they were dancing to the next song and making a lot of noise. Some of them asked the person next to them as if they had a question that came to their mind.

“It’s nice to hear Miss Lund sing, but what day is it today?”

“Hey! You linked arms with me and danced without even knowing that? Not today, but the day after tomorrow, Her Highness the 7th Princess, no, our Crown Princess..."

"Ah!"

It seemed that an important fact had come to mind. The person who had asked the question nodded enthusiastically.

“That’s right! A very happy day is just around the corner!”

It was indeed a face worthy of blessing. Those who were convinced were once again absorbed in the dance and song.

After the subjugation of the Dragon King, the Hadelamide Empire entered a period of revival.

First of all, prices have stabilized. Ambroxa played a major role in this.

When people die, they leave behind their names, and when high-ranking dragons die, they leave behind magic stones. The most cunning and ugly dragons contributed to the stability of prices by ensuring a smooth supply of magic stones.

Another factor that had a positive impact on the empire was the cultural exchange with Yggdras.

The land, which had been cut off by a gray wall for a long time, had many elements that stimulated the desires of scholars, including wizards and alchemists.

Not to mention the legendary World Tree Yggdrasil, it was a treasure trove of alchemy materials, with so many native beasts and monsters.

In addition, the level of medicine that had been passed down and preserved among the Dandelion residents was superior to that of the mainland Empire. Many intellectuals from the Empire wanted to go to Yggdras to learn medicine.

It also had a great influence on everyday life. Various wood products made from purple fir and special sausages known to help with strength were highly traded. In addition, various products originating from Yggdras led the overall fashion of the empire.

As such, Yggdras was nurtured as an untouched land with nothing to waste.

Many academic and industrial fields, including magic, alchemy, medicine, food, and architecture, have strongly desired to interact with Yggdras.

The Ivory Tower immediately dispatched Natasha Emrick to quickly complete the warp portal, and the Imperial Court sent Anais to coolly push through the Labyrinth of the Maze Valley.

With the opening of direct construction routes, land routes, and air routes, and the increasing floating population, it was only natural that Yggdras would develop into a good place to live. Various civil engineering projects continued without interruption throughout the territory.

“Lady Lucirad, you said you were going to Yggdras again in three days?”

Julia asked Anais while she was assessing the purity of the black gold from Yggdras.

They were having a tea party together in the capital for the first time in a long time.

“Yes. I can’t leave this place for too long. The dismantling of the Labyrinth commissioned by the Imperial Family, the civil engineering project entrusted to me by Duke Yggdras, and the construction of the Yggdras branch of the Luciard Merchant Association..."

“Wow, that’s a lot. The Lady must have ten bodies.”

“Right? It’s been almost half a year, but there’s still so much work to do. Plus, the management lessons for the lord’s fiefdom are being taught by Peony Granice and me.”

Julia smiled faintly at the mention of Peony.

“Yes, the lord there is also worried. Most of the territory is undeveloped, so it will take a lot of work to build a foundation. And there is also the issue of how to treat the homunculus residents there.”

As Yggdras was recognized as an official duchy and given a lord, the treatment of the Dandelion residents also changed.

The evil practice of exiling all kinds of heinous criminals and political prisoners to the Dandelion Outpost has been completely abolished.

Not only were the residents recognized as subjects of the empire, but many of them, including the village chief Helione and the landowner Morien, were appointed as vassals of the Duke of Yggdras.

This is where the issue arose.

A significant portion of Dandelion's population consisted of mid-level homunculus. A debate arose among the palace ministers as to whether they should be recognized as subjects.

Fortunately, this typical armchair discussion soon died down.

This is because enslaving homunculus tended to run counter to the perception and political trends of the subjects.

Half a year ago, the dragon Ambroxa broke out of the gray wall and attacked the empire directly, so the people experienced the horrors of war firsthand. It was natural that they felt a great affection for the homunculus that fought as the main character.

The imperial family greatly praised their military achievements and awarded titles to 30 of them.

Accordingly, they have tacitly permitted the Homunculus to engage in economic activities and confirmed that they have no problem adapting to the imperial system as citizens.

The direction of major decisions tends to be aligned with the current mood. Thanks to the gradual buildup of easing policies toward homunculus, accepting mid-level homunculus as subjects met with less resistance than expected. Eve even drove the wedge in by mentioning an important part.

-Even the Duke needs to collect taxes. The construction and management of warp portals, direct land routes, and various facilities are not something that can be done easily.

Yggdras is in a situation where it must expand its development projects in all directions to expand its infrastructure. And when it comes to carrying out projects, it is more efficient to move money than to use labor resources. This is because there are many cases where resources cannot be secured internally.

Eve emphasized the need to secure a source of tax revenue, and if that was not possible, she preached that conscription would be necessary. Then, the nobles, who sensed that this would be a disadvantage to them, backed down.

Thus, the intermediate homunculus, the inhabitants of Dandelion, were accepted as vassals and subjects of Duke Yggdras.

Some officials were concerned about the military being concentrated in Yggdras. However, it was true that they needed manpower to subdue the demons, and since Desmond II was not enthusiastic about restraining Yggdras' military power, it passed without much friction.

Yggdras became a territory with both economic and military power.

The rise of this far western territory was something everyone could have predicted.

Anais happened to tell me about Yggdras' recent situation.

“The work of accepting the intermediate homunculus as subjects is progressing well. Although I said that they are fledglings earlier, Duke Yggdras is actually managing his territory better than expected. His accomplishments are so excellent that it makes me wonder if he had studied the science of governance or kingship before.”

“Really? Hmm, the estate management class is good, but I’m a little worried whether he's taking the groom class faithfully.”

“Oh my. Even Young Lady, no, even Marchioness knows how to make jokes like that now.”

“I learned it from Her Highness.”

The two burst into laughter.

Anais put down her teacup and glanced at the metal in Julia's hand.

“What are the emotional results?”

“The purity is very high. It is the highest grade black gold.”

Julia stuck her tongue out slightly.

“Yggdrasil is so huge, they say it's a no man's land, but who knew they'd find black gold mines?”

“I heard that the black gold mine is dedicated to the imperial family.”

“Huh? Why would the black gold mine be in the hands of the imperial family... Ah!”

Without saying a word, Julia came to a realization on her own. She nodded and smiled strangely.

“Yes. The dowry should be around this much.”

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