The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

“As you wish!”

Marcus saluted solemnly, his eyes bright and spirited, “Knights need the baptism of blood and fire to complete their essential transformation. The time has come for the members of the Knight Squad to face their trial!”

Knights are born to fight!

This was Marcus’s belief.

Now, he had convinced himself to lie low in Fresh Flower Town, waiting for the great battle to arise, to seize noble glory. But that didn’t mean his ardor had cooled. Conquering Thorn Ridge was a fixed plan, and he had always been looking forward to it.

Liszt, too, had not been idle.

After bulking up his purse, he began stockpiling weapons. Now, he had accumulated a whole fifteen sets of knight’s full body armor and weapons.

One set of knight’s equipment included a warhorse, a Knight’s Spear, a Knight’s Sword, a round knight’s shield, a full suit of armor, as well as horse armor, in addition to weapons like war hammers and flails. It wasn’t about fine craftsmanship but about meeting the standards for the battlefield. To have one full set of equipment neatly arranged would cost as much as five Gold Coins.

The war hammer and flail, as siege defense weapons, could be omitted from the purchase.

However, extra Knight Spears must be prepared. In battle, it’s very easy for a Knight to break his spear during a charge, and typically each Knight needs to be equipped with three Knight Spears.

A Knight is indeed a great spender of gold.

The cost of food to train the body, the expense of the equipment, and the upkeep of both the equipment and the warhorse all require money.

A Baron with a small town as his fief could only maintain a Knight Squad by diverting all his resources. The once-impoverished Fresh Flower Town simply couldn’t afford a Knight Squad. But now, with the daily profits from the seafood business, Liszt could finally cultivate his own Knight Squad.

“My lord, I heard you want to exterminate the beasts of Thorn Ridge. Karl Ironhammer is willing to lead the Patrol Team and join the clearing sequence!” Karl, the town’s Defense Officer, rushed to the castle upon hearing the news.

Soon after, Rom Barrel, the Worm Affairs Officer, also hurried to the castle: “The Bug Guard Team is mostly comprised of serfs; their fighting power is almost nil. But Rom is willing to serve as your Retainer, my lord, and fight for you in Thorn Ridge!”

The combat abilities of Karl and Rom were similarly weak.

Liszt was very satisfied with this sentiment, “Your loyalty and courage are comforting to me. However, the affairs of Fresh Flower Town need your attention. You don’t have to join me in clearing out the beasts of Thorn Ridge. Just ensure the defense affairs of Fresh Flower Town are handled well. In case any beasts flee into our town, I will need you to stand and fight.”

“As you wish!”

“We swear to defend Fresh Flower Town to the death!”

Then Goltai, Blair, and Isaiah, one after another, came forward to pledge their loyalty and requested to join the battlefield. Liszt encouraged them as well, but letting this group of unskilled fighters onto the battlefield would be more of a hindrance than a help.

The mission was urgent, and Liszt had prepared early. As soon as the sky cleared and the roads were still muddy, he planned to set off.

With Thomas’s assistance, he donned a black Magical Beast Leather Armor, equipped with his Gemstone Weapon Bloodsword, and stepped out of the castle. His boots tread upon the alfalfa of the paddock that still had some puddles, and with a whistle, the Li Dragon Horse grazing in the distance galloped over.

Philip and Zavier, the two Retainer Knights, walked up one after the other, carrying Liszt’s gear.

They didn’t bring the Knight’s Spear, only two Knight’s Swords, and a round Knight’s Shield, because the upcoming battle would be in the woods, and the long Spear would not be suitable for charging.

Of course, there were also bows and arrows. Liszt’s archery skills were second only to Marcus’s.

“Sir, here is your Smoked Grass Fire Stone Package,” Thomas handed over several small packets wrapped in thick paper, which contained dried smoked grass and flint.

In an emergency, just rubbing the flint at the top of the packet would ignite the paper, releasing the stench of the smoked grass.

It was believed this could save a life at a critical moment.

Eliminating the possible crisis at Thorn Ridge was certainly important, but preserving one’s life was even more so. However, the Smoked Grass Fire Stone Package was just a decoy; in his Gemstone Space, he had large bundles of smoked grass ready to be thrown at any moment, potentially burning to hold off the beasts’ killing intent.

He slung his bow and arrows, mounted the horse.

Suddenly, Liszt saw Douson beside the doghouse, wagging its tail at him.

His eyes lit up, Douson had become adept at releasing Rock Spikes and, strong and well-built, its combat capability was certainly not much inferior to an Earth Knight—making it an excellent assistant.

Most importantly, it had been trained to be very obedient and was utterly loyal to him.

“Thomas, bring Douson over here.”

“Are you taking Douson onto the battlefield?”

“That’s right.”

Thomas untied the rope, and Douson dashed over to the side of the Li Dragon Horse in an instant. The Li Dragon Horse was very familiar with Douson and showed no sign of tension. Douson did not attack the Li Dragon Horse but simply wagged its tail nonstop.

“Douson, follow me.”

Liszt spurred his horse forward, and Douson hurriedly followed, extremely obedient.

Everything was ready.

When he reached the intersection of the main road and the horse track, Marcus was already waiting with the Knight Squad, ready to set out. Goltai and others stood there as well, seeing off the Knight Squad as they departed for battle.

Douson was in no way daunted by the scene, mixing in with the group, calm and collected, closely following the Li Dragon Horse.

“My Lord, Douson has really distinguished itself,” Marcus remarked appreciatively.

“That’s why I’ve brought it to Thorn Ridge. In Thorn Ridge, it has a natural advantage and may be able to provide unexpected assistance.”

“Indeed, for the sake of the fief, the castle, and for you, my Lord, it too should make its contribution,” said Marcus, placing his right hand over his chest and bowing to Liszt, “I am willing to charge into battle for my Lord!”

The other Retainer Knights followed suit, saluting one by one.

“I am willing to charge into battle for my Lord!”

Liszt’s expression turned serious. His sapphire eyes under the helmet swept over his Knight Squad, full of vim and vigor: “Let us set out, to Thorn Ridge!”

The Li Dragon Horse strode forward mightily, and the rest of the horses followed suit, closely surrounding Liszt in their midst.

There was no dust.

Only the splash of water.

The Knight Squad moved along the waterlogged road, gradually drawing away amid the blessings of Goltai and others.

Old Carter, the butler, with other servants, stood at the castle gate, gazing at the retreating backs of the knights. His face showed nervousness, relief, and anticipation. He placed his hands over his chest and called out loudly, “May the knights’ glory watch over the master; the master will surely return laden with endless glory.”

“Yes, Mr. Carter, we all believe that to be true,” Mrs. Morson said gravely.

In the nearby stables.

One-Eyed Barton muttered softly with a pipe in his mouth, “The master’s Knight Squad has too mixed a collection of horses; they should keep a group of black horses to look more impressive… However, the master is truly of the Tulip Family lineage; his radiance is undeniable. May the knight’s glory shine upon him forever!”

The Knight Squad had already gone far.

Goltai, Isaiah, and Blair walked together toward the town.

“The threat of Thorn Ridge seems soon to be resolved,” Goltai said lightly.

Isaiah’s face showed some worry: “Magical Beasts aren’t so easy to deal with, Goltai. Do you really think the Baron can take care of those beasts that are so good at hiding?”

“I have a lot of faith because Liszt is much more composed than you think. Don’t see him as a mere sixteen-year-old. He is a competent Landlord and a capable Knight. I’ve seen his archery; it is already on par with Marcus. His side-sword is a Gemstone Weapon gifted by Marquis Merlin.”

Blair said cheerily, “The Lord is a Son of Glory watched over by knightly radiance. Thorn Ridge isn’t a difficulty, just a whetstone to sharpen his blade.”

He looked back at the sandy path, now void of any figures, and spoke with a slightly frivolous tone: “When the Lord returns, it will be the time for the evening party’s bonfire to be lit.”