Moonlight lingered, scattering across the river's surface at the foot of the hillock in front of the manor's annex, reflecting shimmering, silvery white.
The study's window faced the Glowing River.
Russell could enjoy this wonderful moonlit scenery.
Without bringing wine, Butler Morris came in alone, carrying a candle and knocked on the door: "Sir."
"Sit."
"Are you looking at the scenery?"
Without answering, Russell withdrew his gaze and asked, "Have you finished the work?"
"Yes, the four attendants and two tutors have returned to their rooms to rest, and the servants have also finished organizing the goods and gone to sleep," Morris reported. "I have fed the three Spirit Insects in your bedroom with jade powder."
Spirit Insects usually need not feed, as they draw nutrients from the earth through their symbiotic fungi.
However, these three Spirit Insects were undergoing migration; the fungi had retracted into their bodies, unable to absorb nutrients from the earth. They could only replenish their Magic Power by nibbling on jade stone powder.
"I won't be dining at the manor annex tomorrow noon," Russell said.
"Then which footman would you choose to accompany you?" Morris asked, as nobles always needed to bring a footman to serve meals and attend to daily needs when traveling.
This was somewhat like the personal attendants for young masters in "Dream of the Red Chamber."
Russell currently had three footmen, Ram, William, and Fox. Strictly speaking, Mr. and Mrs. Brown, who stayed behind at the manor annex, were also servants; Mr. Brown was rather old to be a footman.
"You see to the arrangements," Russell, unfamiliar with the three footmen, left the decision to Morris.
"Then let's start with Ram; he's the most steady-hearted. If you find him unsuitable, next time we can switch to William or Fox."
"Sounds good."
"As for Mr. and Mrs. Brown, Sir, I plan to have Mr. Brown serve as the porter, while Mrs. Brown helps out in the kitchen under Mrs. Moore," Morris continued.
Mrs. Moore was the cook, responsible for managing the kitchen. Her position was only second to the butler and slightly higher than that of the head maid.
"Sounds good."
"Additionally, would you instruct Hans, the foreman, to bring up the eggs and flour for the Praising Day as soon as possible?"
"Praising Day?" Russell exclaimed in surprise.
"Of course, when you took office as lord, all the serfs in the estate are required to pay eggs and flour to you as praise," Morris explained, adding, "Praise for you, Sir, is not merely lip service."
Russell then recalled that Praising Day was included in the holidays.
It didn't seem like a celebration, but rather like an excuse for exploitation. Aside from this, on Dragon Birth Festival, when the Great Dragon was born, and Snow Ghost Festival, in remembrance of those slain by the Snow Demon, the serfs were required to give a portion of their living resources to the lord.
For example, on Dragon Birth Festival, they needed to give eggs to the lord, while on Snow Ghost Festival, they had to give hens.
"Isn't this too harsh on the serfs?" Russell asked.
Morris replied naturally, "Sir, the fields they till, the chickens, ducks they raise, the cows, sheep, dogs they feed, they all belong to you. They have enough to eat and wear, they should rightfully hand over their harvest to you."
Indeed, the law stated as much.
Even the serfs themselves belonged to the lord's personal property.
Sensing Russell's hesitation, Morris added, "Lord Baron, the supplies gifted by the Baron scarcely contain any eggs or flour, hardly enough to last a few days."
"I understand, there's only this one Praising Day, correct?"
"Yes."
"Tomorrow when Hans comes over, I'll instruct him. Anything else?"
"That's all."
"Then good night, Mr. Morris."
"Good night, Sir." Morris bowed and took his leave.
The night came to an end with this, and Russell returned to his master bedroom to rest. The thick stone isolated all the sounds of the night, leaving only his own breathing.
"Lord, I've become a lord..." With a smile, Russell soon fell into a deep sleep.
In a hazy state, his consciousness once again drifted into the desolate Gloomy Dreamland, a dreamscape that visited him almost every night.
However, unlike the castles defined by lines on the previous nights,
this time, in the Gloomy Dreamland, the scene sketched out with dim lines turned into a manor annex and the empty land around it, including a small river drawn with lines, running through the edge of the Gloomy Dreamland.
"Beautiful, just as I thought, the Gloomy Dreamland is a region marked out with my sleeping place as the center."
When I sleep in the castle, the Gloomy Dreamland corresponds to the area of the castle.
When I sleep in the manor annex, the Gloomy Dreamland becomes the manor annex, plus the surrounding land.
"Ga!"
The Little Dream Dragon appeared once again.
When it arrived, Russell, in his cartoonish figure-form, leapt onto it and immediately opened the magic key to the Gloomy Dreamland in a blink.
A few bright lights, emanated from the manor annex.
They were the Magic Light of Battle Qi given off by Charles, Eric, and four Knight Attendants, with Eric's light being the brightest.
After all, Eric was a Great Knight, while Charles and the four Knight Attendants were merely Armed Knights, a level below him.
Russell had just cultivated his own Battle Qi and also became an Armed Knight.
Besides, there were some other scattered Magic Lights in the manor annex, emanated by three Spirit Insects and some magical creations.
"Tsk tsk, compared to Fluorescent Castle, the Magic Light in my manor annex is utterly shabby."
"Gaga!"
Suddenly, the Little Dream Dragon took Russell towards the direction of the riverbank.
Upon reaching the riverbank, Russell exclaimed in surprise, seeing a faint glimmer twinkling within the river sketched in dim lines. Due to the light being too faint to outline the original shape of the item, it was unclear whether it was emitted by a fish.
Besides, this faint light was slowly moving.
"It shouldn't be a fish, the swimming speed of fish can't possibly be so slow... It looks like some creature like a river clam moving."
He suddenly remembered the Black Pearl wine he had drunk at the banquet.
Charles had boasted that, according to legend, some lakes are home to special old clams capable of nurturing black pearls infused with magic power.
"Could this be a river clam that has nurtured a magic pearl?"
Unfortunately, in the Gloomy Dreamland, one could only look and not touch, unable to affect reality. Therefore, after observing for a while, Russell began to patrol other areas while riding the Little Dream Dragon.
Regrettably,
there were no other new Magic Lights.
"Little Dream Dragon, this is farewell, I'm off to pick up pearls," Russell said, preparing to wave goodbye to the Little Dream Dragon before immediately going in search of the river clam.
The Little Dream Dragon cocked its head, looking at Russell with confusion, not understanding why.
Man and dragon, they stared silently at each other.
Very soon,
Russell discovered a problem; he had no idea how to leave the Gloomy Dreamland. It was like being truly in a dream, knowing that you are dreaming, but unable to wake up.
"Little Dream Dragon, let me out."
"Ga."
"I said, I want to go out, leave this place, bye-bye, understand?" Russell tried to convey his thoughts to the Little Dream Dragon.
What he got in return was the Little Dream Dragon tilting its head the other way: "Ga."
A moment later, Russell gave up on communication and showed the middle finger to the Little Dream Dragon: "Idiot! Pretending to be a Great Dragon with four claws!"
According to legend, Great Dragons have four limbs, intelligence comparable to humans, and can communicate using Dragon Language.
The Little Dream Dragon also had four limbs but alas, was a fool.
And so, man and dragon stared at each other until the Little Dream Dragon couldn't bear it anymore, became tired, and ended the Gloomy Dreamland with a "ga."
All consciousness plunged into chaos.