The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

The maidservant’s thoughts and feelings were unknown to Liszt.

He had never considered, like most nobles, having an irresponsible fling in someone else’s castle. His body was only sixteen years old, newly matured.

According to the laws of his hometown, one was considered an adult at eighteen and could marry at twenty-two.

For now, it was best to focus on growing, without dwelling on unnecessary thoughts that could sap his energy. His former self might have been useless, but the current Liszt had confidence in striving for the title of Sky Knight. After all, his comprehension was not bad, and he had the help of the Smoke Mission. Perhaps one day he might even ride a dragon and become a Dragon Knight.

The pinnacle of combat power in this world was the Dragon Knight, an existence that could destroy the heavens and the earth.

“I must keep training in ‘Fire Dragon Drill’ and ‘Flaming Wave’. Although I can avoid going to the battlefield, it is essential to constantly practice the skills necessary for self-defense.”

The lunch banquet at Long Taro Castle was a family meal, and the number of people attending was not large. The Mesiro couple was away overseeing tax collection, leaving only two masters in the castle—grandparent and grandchild. According to the rules of Long Taro Castle, the Knight Captain did not dine in the castle, and Meioubao’s family tutor had already left to take an official position in town.

So, sitting around the dining table were only the grandparent, grandchild, and the three siblings.

Marquis Merlin was in a wheelchair, unable to walk easily. The castle’s meals were a notch above those at Tulip Castle, as evidenced by the bread on the plate, which was the highest quality white bread.

Liszt picked up a piece of white bread, took a light bite, and enjoyed the soft, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture—hardly like bread at all, more akin to cake.

The wine was from Raz Manor’s cellar, a vintage even finer than Crescent Moon Wine.

As each dish was unveiled—pudding roast beef, golden salmon with sauce, avocet eggs, yolk sauce jellied rock lobster, roast goose with lettuce salad, cheese meat pies, asparagus leaves, lobster sauce trout—the abundance of food was on par with Tulip Castle’s major festival banquets.

However, the rich variety of food was contrasted by a rather stiff atmosphere.

The Marquis was a serious man who once wielded great naval power, possessing a strong presence. Levis and Li Vera were restrained in front of the Marquis, speaking cautiously.

Liszt also felt some restraint, for in his heart he didn’t see these “ancient people” as anything special, yet he couldn’t feel at ease with strangers.

So it was even more important to focus on enjoying the delicious food.

Especially the yolk sauce jellied rock lobster.

Very tasty.

He had finished one plate and had called for another.

“Rock lobster is a product of the Red Crab Island waters. Our family’s fleet rarely goes out fishing; it’s mostly some fishermen who take the risk to harvest them. The yield is not high, and almost all of it is sent to the castle,” Meioubao explained in between bites of bread. “If you like it, I can arrange to prepare a batch of live lobsters for you.”

“It may be difficult to transport them. From Long Taro Castle to my Fresh Flower Town is quite the distance. I would need a day and a half’s travel to Red Crab Island, a day by boat, and another half day to get to Fresh Flower Town. Considering overnight stays and other delays, it would take at least five days to return.”

“Rock lobsters are actually quite easy to keep alive. Just dab them with water every day. They have the blood of the Aquatic Monster Exquisite Lobster, a sea creature, and are not easy to die.”

Sea creatures, or magical beasts of the sea.

Liszt, naturally, would not object: “Then I thank you.”

“No need for formality,” Meioubao smiled. Among the three siblings of the Tulip family, he felt closer to Liszt—possibly a case of like recognizing like, or birds of a feather flocking together. Handsome people always seem to befriend other handsome people.

Hearing their conversation, the Marquis suddenly said, “Liszt, tell me some stories about Fresh Flower Town.”

“Grandfather, life in Fresh Flower Town is actually quite unremarkable.”

“Every aspect of local customs and living environment can be discussed.”

“Well, the town has fewer than two thousand people. It all started with the discovery of a new variety of Tulip, so my father moved his subjects and built Fresh Flower Town. Now, the main crop is wheat, and the land is quite barren, with little tax revenue. But fortunately, a new variety of Tulip magic potion has sprung up in the town, bringing prospects for new development.”

“A new variety of magic potion, that certainly is good news.” The Marquis inquired, “For this magic potion, did Tulip Castle pay a substantial amount of Gold Coins?”

“It was a profit-sharing arrangement. The town can’t plant too much, so I reached an agreement with my brother and sister to grow it together, but they have to give me thirty percent of the profits.”

“Hmm, that’s a very interesting cooperation, worth far more than a lump sum of Gold Coins. Liszt, you’ve inherited not only Melissa’s beauty but also the shrewdness of the Long Taro Family.”

The shrewdness of the Long Taro Family was well-known in the Grand Duchy.

The reason lay with the Marquis’s father, the previous Marquis, who at that time was only an Earl. Given the Grand Duchy’s urgent need for funds to arm the Knight Order for an expedition to the continent to fight for mineral resources, the Earl dispelled his fortune to support the Sapphire Duke’s endeavor, eventually securing Red Crab Island and the position of Marquis.

Now, the annual revenue from Red Crab Island probably far exceeds what the Earl had spent from his family wealth.

An exceptionally valuable deal.

“Fresh Flower Town is just a small town, I need to make money to maintain the expenses of the Castle.”

“Self-reliance, that is a quality of a proper Noble.”

Courage, politeness, loyalty, self-reliance Nobles preach a whole list of virtues, among which self-reliance is the most hypocritical. Essentially, they are a group of Vampires squeezing the common folk, and from birth, they probably don’t even know what a hoe looks like.

Of course, the self-reliance the Marquis speaks of probably means “relying on oneself to squeeze others,” rather than asking for handouts from family.

After the lunch came the dinner.

After the dinner was rest, and then another lunch the next day; after lunch, Meioubao got busy, because per the Marquis’s instructions, he planned to hold a grand ball that evening, gathering the young Nobles of both sexes from nearby towns.

A Noble’s ball could simply be seen as a matchmaking event.

Especially those second and third sons of Nobles, who are most enthusiastic about such balls. The eldest son can inherit his father’s title, with no worry of finding a match for marriage, but second and third sons need to strive on their own to marry a rich and beautiful woman so they can continue to enjoy a Noble’s life.

Otherwise, generation after generation, they will end up as ordinary Knights and fall out of the Noble class.

Noblewomen also look forward to balls. Not every young lady can marry the eldest son of a Noble; they too need to target those potential Noble heirs and exert their charm.

“Liszt, you need to get ready!” Meioubao, along with his personal servant, brought over a pile of dresses, “These are all ones I’ve never worn. You and I are about the same size; they will definitely fit you.”

“Cousin, there’s no need to try them on one by one, I think the one I’m wearing is quite nice,” Liszt replied.

“No, we must strive for perfection. Think about it, the notices I had the Knights send out on fast horses yesterday will have reached at least thirteen small towns, whose Nobles received invitations and will be able to attend the ball. There will be many beautiful young ladies waiting for you, seeking to form a blissful union and a beautiful encounter.”

“I am still young, I am not in a rush to marry,” Liszt said somewhat speechlessly. How had he never noticed before how keen his cousin was on playing matchmaker? “You should be dressing up my sister instead. She’s at the right age for marriage. And my brother, he needs to find a suitable mistress candidate for Tulip Castle.”

“They don’t need my reminders. Levis had borrowed many suits very early on, and Li Vera has been dressing up since this morning, haven’t you noticed?”

“Have they?” Liszt asked.

Indeed, Liszt hadn’t noticed, busy reading books from the Long Taro Castle’s library in his spare time, and at meals, he was preoccupied with his food.