The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

The last two chests were not filled with books.

To Liszt’s surprise, one chest contained a variety of jades, the other various crystals, “Jades and crystals, the value of these two chests, will definitely not be lower than that of the mithril ores!”

He picked up a milky white jade.

The regret of the vanished books was somewhat diminished.

Jades and crystals can be considered types of gemstones. However, their origins are entirely different. Jade comes from the earth and, like saltpeter and sulfur, is a naturally formed mineral. Crystals, on the other hand, originate from dragons. They are associated mineral stones produced alongside a dragon’s gemstones.

Dragons can produce gemstones, and gemstones possess extraordinary magic power.

But gem mines are rare, and more common are the associated crystal mines surrounding the gemstones—the topaz is accompanied by yellow crystals, the ruby by red crystals.

Crystals also contain magic power, but compared to gemstones, the magic power in crystals is relatively sparse.

Nobles like to carve drinking cups out of crystal, and in Liszt’s castle, there is a set of such crystal goblets used for entertaining distinguished guests. Crystals are also commonly used to make magic lighting fixtures which can brighten both day and night until the contained magic power is completely consumed. All reputable castles have crystal lamps.

Crystals are also an ideal accessory for noblewomen, who can add quite a bit of grace to their demeanor with a crystal necklace.

Jades originating from the earth, also known as magic jades, are stones that also have magic power. However, the magic power they contain has already highly integrated with the stone itself, making it difficult to utilize for creating magic items.

But jade is the best food for elves.

During the transplanting period for cordyceps, the elves relied on nibbling on jade to sustain life; when contracting elf bugs, jade is also used as bait; and using jade to make containers for elves to live in increases the probability of their evolution.

Therefore, the value of jade is not cheaper than that of crystal.

Opening the Gemstone Space.

He put a chest full of jade and a chest full of crystals into it, shook the bell to summon the butler, “Mr. Carter, I have stored the treasures in the chests, most of which are severely damaged and ancient, with only some slight residues left. Have someone move and dispose of them.”

He had carefully examined the chests that contained books, and not a single legible word remained as the books were completely rotted.

This is a disadvantage of parchment paper, which cannot be preserved for too long. Liszt believes that the lack of historical records in the different world is definitely related to parchment paper. During its production process, the paper undergoes an “acidification” process to allow for smooth writing.

But acid-prone substances are likely to undergo chemical reactions, making them difficult to preserve for a long time.

That is how he understood it.

“Despite the regrets, overall, this sunken ship treasure has made me a fortune, which is great!” Liszt thought to himself.

His mood gradually became more comfortable.

So for that evening’s dinner, he had the kitchen host a barbecue party.

Goltai, Marcus, and others all attended. They knew that Liszt had made a hefty gain that day, but wisely refrained from asking about the specifics of the treasure.

For three consecutive days.

Liszt was monitoring the situation with the dragon hollyhocks.

The transplanted wild dragon hollyhocks had already adapted to the new soil environment and began to show signs of life. Their green leaves were vibrant, those that were flowering continued to bloom, and those bearing fruit continued to fruit. Only the dragon hollyhock nurturing an elf bug remained in a deathly state, with its magic power intermittent, feeling as if it could die at any moment.

Yet, it did not die; it just remained there, stiff and still.

On the Smoke Mission, there had been no change, meaning that the mission had not been completed.

“The magic power of the Black Pearl should be sufficient, I can see traces of magic power emanating beneath the soil… I can’t exert any more strength. Little Dragon Hollyhock insects, whether you can survive or not, it’s up to your own will to live.”

This Smoke Mission could only involve waiting—waiting for the Dragon Hollyhock to die, marking the mission’s failure, or for the Dragon Hollyhock to revive, signaling the mission’s completion.

Liszt stood up.

Looking towards the direction of the Castle, a yellowish-gray horse was galloping toward the Castle.

“It’s Marcus returning,” he mounted his Li Dragon Horse and rode back to the Castle, where he happened upon Marcus standing at the gateway. “Teacher Marcus, was your trip successful?”

“All went well, my Lord. Tomorrow, crystal craftsman Brad will arrive with the Fresh Flower Caravan’s transport team to serve you in Fresh Flower Town for a month.”

“Well done, Teacher Marcus.”

Liszt nodded. After obtaining a large quantity of crystals, the idea of crafting a telescope began to take shape in his mind—glass was the most suitable material for telescopes, but glass-making was rather complicated. Liszt did not yet have the capability to produce glass, so he had to use crystal to make the lenses.

Transparent white crystal, when polished to a smooth finish, made crafting of a telescope rather simple.

In Coral City, there were craftsmen who specialized in making crystal ornaments, and while these craftsmen might not be able to create crystal lamps, grinding concave and convex lenses would certainly not be beyond their expertise.

“For the telescope’s lenses, should they be concave or convex?” Liszt had forgotten some of the physics knowledge. He just remembered that a monocular telescope consisted of two lenses, and the distance one could see changed as they were extended or shortened. Hiring a crystal craftsman for a month should enable him to produce a quality telescope.

Crystal craftsman Brad.

Arrived as scheduled the next day.

He was a middle-aged man with a bald head and two large mustaches, his voice booming: “Respectful Baron of Fresh Flower Town, Brad greets you.”

“Brad, do you know why I hired you?”

“Mr. Marcus mentioned that you wish for me to create several crystal artifacts for you.”

“Right, I need you to make a batch of mirrors.” Liszt handed him several pieces of white crystal, which were deposits that often accompanied sapphires. As for which Dragon produced the sapphires, Liszt did not have this knowledge—information about Dragons was plentiful but often vague.

Those nations possessing Dragons tended always to shroud them in mystery.

“Is this white crystal? I can feel the magic power it contains.” Brad was a freelance craftsman and also an Apprentice Knight; he possessed Dou Qi—a craftsman who worked with gemstones and crystals had to possess Dou Qi.

Liszt unfolded a sheet of thick paper: “I need you to craft these pieces of white crystal into mirrors of this design, with an extremely smooth surface. Moreover, their thickness must be consistent throughout, without any variations, and the shape must remain circular. The mirrors come in two sizes, but their thickness can vary.”

The paper displayed diagrams of convex and concave lenses.

Uncertain of what focal length of convex or concave lens would be suitable for assembling into a telescope, Liszt simply decided to have the crystal craftsman produce several of them, and he would experiment with different combinations later on.

“As you wish, my Lord.”

“Then make yourself at home in Fresh Flower Town. If you can finish grinding the batch of mirrors ahead of schedule, you are free to leave earlier. The salary will still be the Gold Coin previously agreed upon.”

Crystal craftsmen belonged to the higher end of the artisan spectrum, and they generally earned a good income. Earning twenty or thirty Silver Coins per month was quite normal. If Liszt wanted to employ them, he had to offer a more substantial reward.

In the days that followed, Brad meticulously began grinding the concave and convex lenses.