Let Him Enjoy life!

Lance squinted at the ornate scroll once more, disbelieving. Each word seemed to mock him as he silently recited them, confirming that, indeed, he had inexplicably been elevated to an earl in the human kingdom.

"Oh, what a twist of fate!" he mumbled to himself, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Accused of treason, too? Truly, fortune descends like a rain from the heavens, unexpected and sometimes unwelcome." Lance, ever the model of purity and honesty, could hardly fathom being labeled a "traitor."

He pondered deeply. Not once had he sent directives to the Viscount's Mansion during his lengthy absence. Having been away from the Red Maple Kingdom for nearly six years, he had anticipated that his absence might lead the more ambitious nobles to strip him of his title.

Yet, against all odds, not only had his title survived the machinations of lesser nobles, but it had also been elevated. The whole scenario bordered on the absurd.

His domain, though modest, encompassing six villages and a struggling town with a population just shy of 3,000, was hardly the epitome of wealth or power.

His military force was laughable: six knights and a little over 200 soldiers equipped with battered shields and patchwork armor. "How on earth did this motley crew become part of Grand Duke MacDonald's elite forces?" he wondered aloud.

Reflecting on the past, Lance remembered the state of his fiefdom when he first became a viscount. Conditions were dire then, but under his governance, life had improved markedly. The villagers were no longer gaunt and hungry; his use of dragon manure as fertilizer had miraculously enhanced crop yields.

A memory flickered, there had been a dung thief at one point.

His tenure as viscount had been simple in ambition. His only goal was to ensure his people were well-fed. Economic development, infrastructure, industry, he had pursued none of it. Non-interference was his policy; he sought neither power nor perpetual rulership.

Indeed, as a viscount, he might have been seen as a hands-off ruler, but his singular achievement had been the nutritional welfare of his subjects.

Now, relinquished of his viscount status, he found himself an earl, and bizarrely, celebrated as a hero who aided the New King in overthrowing the Old King.

"Lance, you were once merely a Viscount in the human realm. Now, an Earl? Still, a dragon beneath it all, aren't you?" he questioned himself mockingly.

The absurdity of it all struck him anew. Dragons, known to roam the human world in human guise, but a dragon as a titled noble of a human kingdom? That was beyond peculiar.

"Still a viscount at heart, though not just an honorary one without lands or income," he mused.

Funds were tight. "Enough to sustain a household, perhaps, but an army?"

He chuckled, a sound more of resignation than amusement. "I had almost forgotten about my viscounty. Do I even have the means to support an army?"

"No," he answered himself, smiling wistfully. "Definitely not."

"Then are the soldiers in your fiefdom still loyal to you?" she asked with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"I don't require their loyalty; obedience will suffice," Lance responded, his voice even and unbothered.

"Did they revolt? Was that part of your plan?" Her eyes narrowed slightly, searching his face for any tell.

"No, that was entirely their initiative. I've neglected that territory for the last five or six years, after all." His casual dismissal left a hint of frustration in the air.

She sighed, a mix of envy and aspiration coloring her tone. "Damn, why can't I encounter such a group of elite soldiers? Imagine if the imperial capital called one day to announce that the odious imperial sister was ousted, and I was proclaimed the new empress of the Farolan Empire. How splendid that would be."

"Are you planning to return and see for yourself?" she prodded, eager. "Now that you're an earl, surely you should inspect what's unfolding in your lands?"

"If I venture back to the human world," he mused aloud, "I suppose I could consider taking you with me, even if just for a brief visit."

Her face brightened at the possibility, yet a shadow of concern lingered. "Though staying here isn't so bad, being stranded on Black Dragon Island for years, or even decades, might drive me mad. A short jaunt to the human world, followed by some time here could be tolerable."

"Don't worry, I'll investigate the situation thoroughly later," Lance reassured her, his attention turning back to his culinary endeavors.

Lance focused intently on preparing the teppanyaki octopus. He believed in treating food with the utmost respect, serious cooking was the least one could do to honor the ingredients.

He didn't waste any food. On the menu were grilled octopus, octopus balls, grilled legs, and a hot pot vegetable soup, all paired perfectly with white wine.

After cooking, Lance removed his apron, grabbed a skewer of grilled octopus, and took a satisfying bite. "Hmm, tasty," he murmured, though he mentally noted it didn't quite match the flavor of squid tentacles, different ingredients, different flavors.

Beside him, Marley happily munched on grilled octopus from his dog bowl. Lance never skimped on feeding his pet, hoping to never resort to using him as bait again.

Meanwhile, Guigui enjoyed her vegetables and fruits, occasionally treated to bits of meat by Lance. After guzzling down three bottles of fruit wine, Lance had to cut her off, citing health concerns, though she suspected he was just safeguarding his wine stash.

Lance had never been so cautious when administering experimental medicines, she noted wryly. But then again, his priorities were often... uniquely his own.

The young dragon, balancing expertly, clutched a grilled octopus in one claw and a roasted animal leg in the other, while merrily munching on octopus balls. Beside him, Marley two heads devoured their meat with such speed that if not for the young dragon's intervention, there might not have been any barbecue left for anyone else.

She had reserved the roasted animal leg especially for Lance, knowing he would appreciate it after a long day. The hot pot vegetable soup he had prepared earlier was simmering enticingly nearby, its rich aroma wafting through the air, causing her to salivate, a reaction she never had even in the imperial capital, no matter how exquisite the cuisine.

Lucia mused that perhaps her newfound tendency to drool was due to her larger dragon mouth, quite a change from human proportions. Watching from his spot on the beach, Lance felt that the island had grown significantly livelier since the arrival of the young dragon.

After enjoying his meal and sipping some white wine, Lance summoned the jade seal from his dragon horn, which then hovered in the air. He inscribed his uncertainties into symbols and dispatched them towards the Red Maple Kingdom.

The young dragon observed the seal's movements with curiosity, puzzled by the message it carried, just three question marks. She wondered, "Can the humans even understand that?"

Back in the human world, at the Earl's Mansion in Saint Blue City, Faro Province of the Red Maple Kingdom, excitement erupted.

"Reply, reply, reply!!! Captain Tissia, it's from the Viscount, no, the Earl! He's responded!! After five and a half years, he's finally responded!!" Shouts filled the hall as a plump maid carefully descended the staircase with a purple crystal in her hands.

In the hall, Captain Tissia, adorned in a blue and gold knight's uniform, displayed a mixture of shock and amusement upon seeing the message contained within the crystal. The Viscount, now Earl, had replied with just three question marks.

She chuckled softly. "The Viscount must be utterly bewildered. He's been absent, only to find himself an Earl and unwittingly embroiled in a civil war, viewed by some as a traitor."

"Captain Tissia, shall we still address him as Lord Earl?" one of the servants asked, hesitant.

"Let's continue to call him Lord Viscount for now," Tissia decided with a fond smile.

"Oh, Captain Tissia, could you please ask the Lord Viscount to return? For five and a half years, he has tirelessly searched for dragon dung for us. We've thrived on those shipments, escaping poverty and hunger, developing our lands. It's time for Lord Lance to return and enjoy the fruits of his labor. We owe him that much," another servant implored, her voice filled with gratitude and hope.