After Becoming an Evil Dragon, I Was Entangled by the Saintess - Chapter 17

Flickering sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting dappled patterns on the ground. It was an hour after sunrise, and the air was still and cool.

After learning of the renowned Dwarven Artisan Tyr Ironhammer, Yulxi wasted no time. She set out for Kast Town the very next day. Though she had intended to travel alone, Veranse, radiant as the morning sun, was waiting outside when she emerged, greeting her with a warm smile.

As Yulxi climbed the hillside, the quiet town gradually stirred from its slumber. Sunlight pierced through the gray clouds, illuminating the soot-stained chimneys from which wisps of smoke curled upward. Kast Town’s appearance was no better than Klein City’s; as the deep night receded, streets littered with refuse and excrement came into view.

Veranse moved with the grace of a forest spirit, following Yulxi through the winding streets and alleys. Whenever they encountered a frail, ailing old woman, she would cast a healing spell and offer a devout blessing: “May the Lord God protect you.” Despite these acts of kindness, she never lagged behind, always staying close on Yulxi’s heels.

Tyr’s blacksmith shop was easily identifiable, located on the southern edge of Kast Town. However, the shop was closed. This wasn’t due to Tyr’s laziness, but rather because no one was inside.

Standing at the doorway, Yulxi could still sense that the furnace was cold and silent. When the forge was in operation, smoke and the metallic scent would permeate the entire workshop, emitting a peculiar, unpleasant odor.

“Hmm, the owner isn’t here,” Veranse remarked, turning to gaze at Yulxi. “Should we go in directly? What if something has happened to our Dwarven friend?”

“No need,” Yulxi replied, shaking her head. From Veranse’s radiant face, it was difficult to discern her true intentions, but it seemed like nothing more than malicious teasing.

Yulxi lacked the Great Dragon’s domineering arrogance. Most of the time, she maintained a cold detachment, keeping others at arm’s length. Yet when necessary, she could be remarkably gentle, especially when conversing with the townspeople.

“Are you referring to Lord Tyr?” A resident of Kast Town sighed worriedly when Yulxi asked about her. “A while ago, Lord Tyr said she was going to find materials for forging weapons, and we haven’t heard from her since. She’s the only blacksmith in Kast Town. Could she have been captured by the Great Dragon?” As the woman spoke the last sentence, her face twisted with visible panic, her entire body trembling.

A smile tugged at the corner of Veranse’s lips. What if I told her the Black Dragon is right here? she thought, saying nothing and carefully concealing her mischievous thoughts.

“That’s impossible,” Yulxi said without blinking. “The Red Maple Territory has already established a pact with the Black Dragon. This is the dragon’s protected land, and a temple to the Great Dragon has been built near the town hall.”

“Lord God above,” the woman trembled, making a circular cross over her chest. “This all sounds utterly terrifying.”

Veranse chuckled softly.

Yulxi glanced back, glaring at her disapprovingly.

“Do you know where Lord Tyr went to gather materials?” Yulxi steered the conversation back to the Dwarf.

The woman pointed toward the mountains.

After thanking her, Yulxi headed toward the forest on the other side of the mountains.

The forest was near a small town, so it was free of the brutal, man-eating demonic beasts. It wasn’t large either, taking less than two hours to traverse. Yulxi extended her senses, but found no trace of Tyr within.

“Maybe he went on a trip?” Veranse suggested.

“Perhaps Dwarves aren’t particularly fond of adventure,” Yulxi replied.

“Even Great Dragons of the evil alignment aren’t usually this agreeable,” Veranse replied with a smile.

Yulxi had no response.

She returned to the Lord’s Manor in Klein City empty-handed.

Tyr was absent, but the sewer and construction plans couldn’t be delayed. Yulxi had to ask Ilti if she knew of any suitable personnel.

As expected, the naive and impulsive new Lord stared at Yulxi with wide, round eyes, her expression puzzled. “You want to remodel the city? That will take a lot of effort.”

“And money,” Flah added slowly.

“Is there no money left?” Yulxi asked, following their line of thought.

Seeing Yulxi’s relatively gentle expression, Ilti couldn’t help but pour out her troubles. Her useless father had returned, but he had squandered every Magic Crystal and piece of wealth he had taken with him—most likely robbed. The Red Maple Territory’s finances were inextricably linked to her family’s spending, creating a tangled mess of accounts that gave her a headache just looking at them. As a mage, daily tax calculations were hardly her specialty. It was only thanks to Veranse’s help with the bookkeeping that she realized the Red Maple Territory she had inherited was currently just an empty shell.

She must be even poorer than the vassals within the Red Maple Territory.

After listening to Ilti’s words, Yulxi pondered for a moment before declaring, “Confiscate their assets.”

“Huh?” Ilti exclaimed.

Veranse, understanding Yulxi’s intent, smiled knowingly. “A fat sheep is indeed ripe for shearing. The stewards in the Lord’s Manor have been lining their own pockets. You should deal with them promptly.”

Ilti hesitated. “But the evidence is still insufficient.”

Veranse fixed her with a piercing gaze. “You are the Lord.”

Just as an Emperor doesn’t need evidence to punish a noble, neither does a Lord.

Ilti’s eyes widened in realization.

Flah scoffed, “You humans truly are shameless.”

Ilti glared at Flah before continuing her report to Yulxi. “The revised tax policies have been posted on the City Hall notice boards, but—” She paused, a subtle expression crossing her face. “The City Hall is eerily deserted.” The reason, of course, was the Dragon God Temple. Previously, ruffians would frequently cause trouble at City Hall, but now, the Temple’s deterrent power far surpassed that of knights wielding swords.

“Even if the commoners gathered outside City Hall, they likely wouldn’t understand the policies,” Veranse remarked.

Ilti looked at Veranse, bewildered.

Veranse sighed. “Does the Red Maple Territory have more literate people than the Royal Capital? Even when the Royal Capital announces a policy, Knights must travel to towns and villages to read it aloud. Simply posting notices here is a waste of paper.”

“Ah?” Ilti’s mouth dropped open. She blurted out, “You’re from the Royal Capital, aren’t you?” Could she really be the Holy Maiden of Light?

Veranse: “……” What kind of question is that? She forced a fake smile. “I’m just a wandering traveler.”

“Follow the adjutant’s instructions,” Yulxi interrupted, swiftly steering the conversation back on track. She deliberately emphasized the word “adjutant.” Her gaze fixed on Veranse’s face, searching for any flicker of reaction, but all she saw was that sickeningly fake smile.

While Yulxi despised the pretense, Ilti was completely taken in. She alternated between thanking Veranse for her advice and praising the great Creator God Lord Iveta.

Yulxi glanced at Ilti’s status panel—still a Shallow Believer.

“Has the Black Dragon Flag been hung up?” Yulxi asked. Klein City didn’t have many shops, and the workers at the Lord’s Manor had been able to weave the Black Dragon Flags Yulxi had designed in short order.

Ilti let out a soft “uh,” her gaze drifting. She lowered her head, a sheepish smile on her face. “The commoners’ shops have hung them up, at least.” The commoners were docile sheep, unable to leave the Red Maple Territory where they lived. Naturally, they would do whatever the Lord commanded. They hadn’t even asked about the benefits before nodding and hanging the flags. Once they learned that displaying the Black Dragon Flag would grant them tax exemptions, they practically begged to cover their shops with them.

As for the guilds of extraordinary beings and shops run by humanoid creatures…

Most refused to display the Black Dragon Flag. As for tax exemptions, they had never paid a single silver coin in taxes anyway, so they couldn’t care less.

Yulxi turned to the Elf, who was leaning bonelessly against Ilti. “Flah.”

Flah looked up, her deep green eyes filled with confusion. Having spent some time around Yulxi, she knew the Great Dragon had no intention of devouring them, and her fear had gradually subsided. “Me?” Flah pointed to herself.

Yulxi said calmly, “Take the Knights to those shops and collect the taxes. Gather any arrears as well.”

Flah’s pointed ears twitched, and she muttered under her breath, “I’m an Elf, you know. If my sisters in the Moonlight Forest found out I was collecting taxes in a human city, they’d laugh at me!”

Yulxi: “Ilti can go instead.”

“Just collecting taxes?!” Flah’s eyes immediately lit up.