The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

The surnames of the great nobility are always very elegant.

Even within marquis families, the Long Taro Family’s surname “Long Taro” is a step below that of the Golden Wheat Sheaf Family’s “Golden Wheat Sheaf” in terms of class.

This is also a display of heritage.

The surname of the Golden Wheat Sheaf Family, just decades ago, was still “Golden Wheat.”

This is a powerful family, and the reason their surname is not “Barley” or “Little Wheat” is that their family not only has a Little Wheat Greater Elf but also a Barley Greater Elf. Before the Grand Duchy of Sapphire was established, the Golden Wheat Family had already risen by trading in grain.

Later on, following the Sapphire Family, they established a nation and became one of the earliest Marquis families in the Grand Duchy.

However, much like the Pa Pa Family, which split into Small Pa Pa and Big Pa Pa, the Golden Wheat Family also went through a division decades ago.

The branch that had the Little Wheat Greater Elf, for their military achievements, was ennobled as Earls and changed their surname to “Golden Wheat Grain.” The branch that had the Barley Greater Elf inherited the title and changed their surname to “Golden Wheat Sheaf.”

Every change of the surname.

Signifies the development of the family, the elevation of bloodlines, and the alteration of status.

“If one day, I also cultivate a Tulip Great Elf, and rely on military achievements to be ennobled as an Earl. Then, following noble custom, perhaps the Tulip Family might change its name to ‘Red Tulip,’ and I to ‘Black Tulip’… Liszt Black Tulip?”

Sometimes, Liszt would indulge in such idle fancies.

“Then, dear brother, may your wishes come true,” Liszt said with a smile as he wished his brother well after learning the daughter of the marquis’ name.

“I will succeed. Unlike Cousin Meioubao, Loria and I have been in correspondence for half a year already, I know she has taken notice of me. What I need to do now is to outperform the other competitors with excellent deeds. Cousin Meioubao is simply having a one-sided crush, the princess has… many guests.”

Levis said, not forgetting to tease Meioubao in the process.

This cousin, well, he is beyond reproach in character, appearance, and family background, but he happens to be smitten with a flirtatious princess.

Liszt actually had a good impression of Meioubao, so he did not join Levis in teasing: “By the way, brother, the Black Pearl I sold you last time, have you had it crafted into magic equipment?”

“It has been successful. The magician carved special magic runes on it, and then it became an item capable of silencing the wind.”

“Silencing the wind?”

“The water-attribute magic power within the Black Pearl can suppress the flow of wind, especially silencing Wind System Magic. I saw with my own eyes a Wind Blade released by a magician dissipate after coming within five meters of the Black Pearl. Though it’s a bit large, when hung on a warhorse, it can defend effectively against stealth attacks by Wind Dou Qi.”

He looked at Liszt and continued, “Especially for someone like your Marcus, a knight with Wind Dou Qi who loves to practice archery, vainly trying to use Dou Qi to control arrows for a fatal surprise attack. Now, when facing elite Wind Dou Qi Earth Knights, I don’t need to be anxious.”

“It seems the Black Pearl is quite useful; I feel like I sold it too cheaply.”

“Two hundred and eighty gold coins is not a small amount; it can only silence the wind after all. If it could silence all magic power, then it would truly be valuable.” Levis leaned in closer, “Do you have any more Black Pearls? As far as I know, a pearl oyster can produce several pearls, and Tridacnas should be the same; you must still have Black Pearls.”

Liszt responded with a question instead of an answer: “It can silence the wind, with a range of up to five meters?”

“That’s right.”

Such capability sparked a flurry of thoughts in Liszt’s mind.

What he sold to Levis was a Black Pearl the size of a sea bowl, capable of enveloping a radius of five meters, silencing all wind. If replaced with two Black Pearls the size of a basketball, how much area could they silence? And what about that one the size of a basin, how much area could it silence?

It was likely to cover a radius of dozens, if not hundreds, of meters.

Such an ability might, on the battlefield, merely avoid the sneak attacks of Wind Dou Qi.

But if applied to sailing, just think about it, if the Fresh Flower Vessel were equipped with a black pearl the size of a washbasin that silenced the wind around the entire ship, it would essentially never encounter a storm. Sailing the seas would then be like walking on flat ground—even if it couldn’t calm the surges, silencing the wind would greatly reduce the threat.

As for whether a ship could sail if the wind was silenced… aren’t there oars? If a storm was encountered, just take out the Black Pearl, and when there’s no storm, put it away again. There’s always a way to solve the problem.

In an instant, he made his decision, “Black pearls as big as washbasins or basketballs, absolutely cannot be sold. They are a must-have item for arming my own fleet in the future!”

So he replied with an indifferent tone, “Of course, I have some more. I originally planned to keep them as collectibles. Black pearls are not so easily obtained treasures.”

“Sell me another one.”

“You want another one?”

“Yes, I plan to make it into a new piece of magic equipment and then give it to Loria… What do you think, isn’t that a thoughtful and sincere gesture?”

Liszt casually said, “Women generally have no resistance to jewelry, I think it’s a good idea. How much are you willing to spend? I have one black pearl about the same size as the one I sold you, as well as a few smaller ones.”

“Two hundred and eighty Gold Coins.”

The price was the same as the previous black pearl, and Levis quoted the same price.

“To silence all winds with such a function, you can’t get it for two hundred and eighty Gold Coins,” Liszt said unhurriedly, as it was now a seller’s market.

It was time to raise the price from the ground up.

After some back-and-forth haggling.

Finally, another black pearl was sold by Liszt at the price of four hundred and thirty Gold Coins.

“Liszt, your heart is as black as those merchants.”

“Whether my heart is black or not is not important. What’s important is that you can show Loria your crimson heart, right?”

The Earl announced the Pioneer Mandate during the midday banquet.

He then began to summon his followers to join him in the military campaign—a common occurrence, as every year or two, a Pioneer Mandate would be called.

So in one afternoon, all the followers were rallied.

Among them, the Earl himself would dispatch the most elite Coral Island Knights, consisting of ten Knight Squads totaling one hundred and thirty people, along with a temporarily assembled garrison Knight Order, fifteen Knight Squads totaling one hundred and ninety-five people. His followers would send out twenty-six elite or ordinary Knight Squads, totaling three hundred and forty-two people.

All together, six hundred and sixty-seven knights were mixed into four Knight Orders.

The Earl himself would lead the elite Coral Island Knights, while Levis also acted as the liaison officer and led one of the mixed Knight Squads, Viscount Trick Lygrass led another, and Jonas Rubble Viscount led the last one.

“Rest for three days, gather all knights in Coral City in three days, and set sail to Golden Island by ship, to act together with Marquis Roderick’s Knight Order,” the Earl announced in full military attire, hand on sword, his grey-green eyes seemingly glowing, his words resonating with authority.

All the nobles participating in the war.

Each of them covered their left chest with one hand and performed the knight’s salute, “We follow you, my lord!”

Liszt stood in the corner; he was not participating in the battle—Fresh Flower Town couldn’t even muster a single Knight Squad. A regular Knight Squad indeed didn’t need all members to be Earth Knights, but they at least had to possess Dou Qi. Of the twelve young knights, six had not yet developed Dou Qi.