The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

The tailored tailcoat, wavy hairstyle, and the reluctantly applied bright powder on his face made Liszt, fresh out of the dressing room, dazzling to behold.

“Perfect!”

Sir Meioubao patted Liszt on the shoulder, “You will be the center of attention for all the ladies at the ball tonight.”

“I have no such intention, perhaps in a few years I will be very keen, but for now, sorry cousin, I have no plans to get to know any noble ladies.”

“Words spoken against one’s true feelings, those I will not believe. Rest assured, Liszt, the best thing in life is to meet the right person at the right time, don’t just leave it to fate, you have to seize the opportunity.”

“Is that why you, my cousin, are still unmarried after all these years?”

“Don’t shift the subject to me; we are talking about you now.”

Liszt shook his cuffs. Sir Meioubao was rather good to him, and he actually wanted to tell his cousin that instead of chasing the Sapphire Duke’s socialite daughter with the possibility of elevating the Long Taro Family by replacing old with new, it would be better to sincerely find a noblewoman to marry.

But the words reached his lips and he held them back.

This situation surely involved the will of the Marquis—the Long Taro Family prided itself on its astuteness; perhaps they aimed to move further up the social ladder. Once someone married the Sapphire Duke’s daughter, their family’s status would be unbreakable.

He was merely a Baron from a small town in the country and should not harbor the ambitions of a Marquis while eating coarse bread.

After getting all dressed up, he followed Sir Meioubao to the hall where the ball was to take place. Nobles were arriving in twos and threes, chatting leisurely in the hall and enjoying the beverages prepared by the servants.

“Sir Meioubao, you finally deign to show up?” a noble with a wine glass in hand approached.

“There’s no rush, the ball hasn’t started yet, Matil.”

Matil glanced at Liszt, “And who is this?”

“My cousin, his father is Coral Island’s Count.”

“Oh, from the Tulip Family, nice to meet you for the first time, I am Matil Nustinger.”

“Liszt Tulip.” Liszt kept a polite smile but wasn’t very enthusiastic. He wasn’t a noble keen on socializing and was at the ball rather reluctantly.

But then, he had no choice but to endure, and, with Sir Meioubao’s introductions, got acquainted with the young nobles from Red Crab Island. They were basically followers of the Long Taro Family—nobles enfeoffed by the Marquis and utterly loyal to him.

One interesting aspect of the nobility system was,

The nobles enfeoffed by the King were the King’s vassals, and the lesser nobles enfeoffed by a noble were that noble’s vassals. However, the lesser nobles were not the King’s vassals, nor did they have to be loyal to the King. For example, Earl William Lee of Coral Island was a noble conferred by the King and a vassal of the King, but Liszt was not. He only needed to be loyal to his own father.

And after a century when his father passed away, he would have to be loyal to his brother, Levis.

“Have you taken a fancy to any pretty young lady? If so, let me know, and I can be your matchmaker. Don’t hold back.” After greeting a round of guests, Sir Meioubao returned to Liszt’s side, “Look at your brother; he has completely adapted to the ball’s scene and has already charmed the daughters of three Viscounts.”

Following his gaze, one could see the average-looking Levis, who had said something to make a young lady burst into laughter.

“And your sister, she’s being courted as well.”

Over by Li Vera, two male nobles were laughing and chatting with her—she wasn’t very beautiful, but with a little inquiry, it would become clear that Li Vera held a Baronetcy, which to those Honored Knights or nobles unable to inherit their family’s title was a prime marriage prospect.

Once married, they could go on enjoying noble status.

Liszt lifted his cup of fruit wine and clinked it with Sir Meioubao’s, “Wishing them all the happiness, and as for me, cousin, you really needn’t worry.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Alright, but I will still keep an eye out for a suitable young lady for you.”

“There’s no need for that,” Liszt said speechlessly. His cousin was overdoing it. Was he really so keen on playing matchmaker?

However, Sir Meioubao shrugged slightly and whispered to him, “Actually, this is Grandfather’s wish. He knows that you’re not highly regarded in the Tulip Family and hopes you can come to Red Crab Island. Besides, I need a helping hand too. The Long Taro Family’s numbers aren’t flourishing; I have no siblings, you know. I really hope you all can come.”

Liszt felt that Sir Meioubao was speaking earnestly.

By his conversion of measurement units, Coral Island was roughly the area of a prefectural city, about ten thousand square kilometers.

Red Crab Island was ten times larger than Coral Island, around one hundred thousand square kilometers.

This area was comparable to provinces like Jiangsu and Zhejiang. With no roads and transportation relying on horse-drawn carriages, the larger the area, the harder it was to manage. Moreover, with nobles operating in a decentralized manner, an increase in small nobility could lead to more chaotic territorial management and even destabilize the ruling family’s foundation.

After pondering, to say he wasn’t tempted would be untrue; Fresh Flower Town really had little development value.

Moving to Red Crab Island for development, the Long Taro Family would at least have to offer him a higher status—Viscount, giving him a fief comprising a small town.

Yet, to achieve this goal through marriage, Liszt was resistant, “Let nature take its course, cousin. If there’s someone I like, I won’t miss out, but don’t force me if there isn’t.”

“Alright.”

As nightfall descended, the dance began.

Soft piano music flowed from the fingertips of a pianist, creating a suitable atmosphere for the event.

As the host, Sir Meioubao danced the first number with the daughter of a viscount, then stepped aside to signal everyone to freely choose their dance partners.

Liszt sat in a corner, watching young men and women dance gracefully in the center of the ballroom.

He made no move.

He had already observed all the female attendees—tall, short, plump, slim, beautiful, and plain—and had formed an impression of each, but sadly, none caught his fancy. Even though a few mature women fit his aesthetic standards, their age was a barrier—he was, after all, only sixteen.

At this age, many nobles already began to indulge in pleasures.

But it was not yet the age for marriage. The time when men turned twenty and women eighteen was the restless season for wedlock.

His gaze wandered over the crowd, resting nowhere in particular. Then, after a moment, an invisible mist began to emerge, coalescing into twisted Serpent Script.

“Task: Fresh and tender alfalfa, not only loved by cows but also by horses, is fundamental for setting up a horse field and is the first step in building achievements. Please arrange Cordyceps for the Alfalfa Bug. Reward: Three wild corn stalks.”

The task had been present for several days, and he was slightly anxious.

“After several days’ delay, the alfalfa should have grown by now. I can probably arrange it for the Alfalfa Bug when I get back Wild corn, I wonder what it looks like. Its yield should at least be several times more than that of wheat.”

While he pondered the task,

An oriole-like pleasant voice suddenly reached his ears, “Hi, Liszt, may I sit here?”

The mist disappeared abruptly.

Liszt came back to his senses to see a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl who looked somewhat like Mary Crawley, the Earl’s oldest daughter from “Downton Abbey.” Wavy flaxen hair, a pointed nose, deep-set eyes, and thin lips that seemed to always carry a smile.

Quite striking, more than an eight out of ten.

Sir Meioubao had introduced her to him before; she was the youngest daughter of a viscount, named Asina Salmon, and her family was famous for their Salmon.

Liszt showed a gentle smile and extended his hand to gesture, “Lovely Miss, any seat would welcome you.”