The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

If there is a market for Elf Bugs, there simply isn’t one for Little Minor Elves.

They are treated as family heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation.

Even the least valuable weed Little Minor Elf wouldn’t be sold by anyone, for their sheer beauty alone is considered priceless.

In summary, “Market Selling Prices of Wild Elf Bugs” is a book of Magic that holds referential value.

The next dozens of printed Magic Books are also good and have referential value. He planned to read them slowly, in no hurry, as “Dragons Fight in the Wild” couldn’t be written in a day. He remembered his identity, as a Landlord who aspired to Dragon Riding, not as a Noble brought so low as to live off writing novels.

Practicing Combat Skills, taking drugs to enhance Dou Qi.

Walking the dog, Douson, and visiting the Earth Matron.

Inspecting Thorns, and examining workshops.

Only after his daily itinerary was completed would he pick up his pen to write history. Occasionally inspired, he would also return to his study room to jot down his ideas.

These days, his energies were mostly spent on the Corn Grass fields.

The serfs from Barley Hamlet were busy tilling the fields and sowing Corn Grass seeds, while Liszt would continuously hover around the already thriving Corn Grass, employing the Eye of Magic to observe signs of Elf Bugs breeding. He believed that once any Elf Bugs were breeding, he would be the first to know.

…

By the end of November, it seemed that a cold wave had struck, causing the temperature in Fresh Flower Town to plummet suddenly.

The servants in the castle had switched to newly tailored work outfits.

The male servants continued to wear traditional tailcoats, exemplifying gentlemanly elegance.

The female servants, however, had ordered the latest popular Coral City version of the improved maid outfit—with a headband known as a “Katsushika,” a black long skirt with a loose fit, covered by a white cinched one-piece apron, paired with white stockings and two black round-toed leather shoes.

Simple yet not plain, cheeky yet adorable.

Liszt liked it very much.

Watching the maids every day with their brooms, rags, and dusters cleaning was a pleasure. Especially the former kitchen maid, Little Lily, Lily·Bathing Basin, who, due to her outstanding performance in the kitchen, Mrs. Morson had promoted to maid cleaning upstairs, often working in front of Liszt.

Her previously scrawny body, with the improvement in living standards, had blossomed. At the flowery age of sixteen, her charm fully unfolded. With a protruding front and curvy back, coupled with a decent face, Liszt couldn’t help but show his respect.

Sometimes, he had very beastly thoughts.

In the castle, he was the only master; he could do whatever he wished—why not pounce?

But he managed to quell his restlessness, channeling that urge into the drive for training his Dou Qi. “Fire Dragon Drill” and “Flaming Wave” were deeply memorized, each move executed without hesitation. His proficiency in “Multi-Arrow” also gradually improved, mastering the Double Arrow realm completely, and he was not far from mastering the Triple Arrow realm.

The Multiple Arrow realm was just slightly out of reach, and as for the Ultimate Mystery Multi-Shadow Arrow, he was almost complete.

“When I finish the Multi-Shadow Arrow, that will be the moment when ‘Multi-Arrow’ fully surpasses Marcus,” Liszt said, holding his bow and arrow with a sharp gaze, staring at the target a hundred meters away. With three arrows clamped in his left hand and three more in his mouth, he calculated, “Wind speed… humidity… gravity acceleration… attachment force of Dou Qi… Calculations complete, shoot!”

The whistling generated wind.

The three arrows were like three parallel rays of Light.

His hands moved continuously, plucking the three arrows from his mouth and again placing them onto the bowstring, drawing the bow and releasing.

Six arrows followed one after another, weaving in and out of each other due to different speeds, quickly intertwining and performing complex collisions, simultaneously changing direction, altering the angle of flight.

Then, six arrows, as if released at the exact same time, hit the dead center of the target, sinking in steadily, the arrowheads completely disappearing.

“No misses!”

Liszt suddenly started, then instantly beamed with joy, “No misses, I’ve mastered the Multiple Phantom Arrow! My archery, has surpassed that of Marcus! I, Liszt Tulip, have now ascended to the rank of a Divine Archer!”

After the surprise had faded, a unique sense of unbeatable loneliness arose—he had become a combat force of another level in Fresh Flower Town, an uncommon Earth Knight.

Even across the entirety of Coral Island, he was among the top ten knights.

“I’m afraid Levis is no match for me now, he’s just a pampered Elite Earth Knight. Although I’ve never been on a battlefield, my archery is exceptional.”

Divine Archer, a title which signified his combat power far exceeded that of a regular knight.

However, considering Levis was gaining experience on the battlefield, he decided to still use Marcus as a benchmark. An Elite Earth Knight like Marcus represented the majority of knights who couldn’t afford Magic Potions, with their only means to increase combat power being to continuously refine their combat skills.

“My Dou Qi quantity already far surpasses Marcus, my archery is ahead of him, and I also have the Crimson Blood Sword to amplify the power of the Dou Qi Manuscript.”

With a ringing sound, he drew the Crimson Blood Sword.

Liszt looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle and murmured softly, “Such a Marcus, I would take on ten of him.”

Marcus was still away at Black Horse Island, unavailable for a match, but there were still two Earth Knights in Fresh Flower Town, Rondo Waterpot and Lasse Steelyard.

“Join me for a real combat training session, Rondo first.”

“Yes, Baron!” Rondo replied solemnly; he was older than Liszt and thus not very nervous. On the contrary, he looked somewhat relaxed.

After all, in everyone’s estimation, it had only been a little more than half a year since Liszt had broken through to become an Earth Knight. Granted, with the support of Douson, his prestige was immense, but his own combat ability was probably quite limited, even if mounted on a divine steed. Nothing to fear.

“Are you ready, Rondo?”

“Baron, I am ready to begin at any time!”

“Then, Lasse, you be the judge!”

“Yes, Baron. Rondo, please listen to my command,” Lasse announced loudly. “In the name of a knight’s honor, ready, begin!”

At the command, Liszt and Rondo, a hundred meters apart, each steered their mounts and began their charge. At this moment, Rondo was relaxed; he wasn’t lacking in real combat experience. On the other side, Liszt was somewhat tense; it was, after all, his first time in a combat practice, and his body was a bit stiff.

Taking a deep breath.

He swung the Knight’s Spear, and as they were about to brush past each other, he thrust out forcefully: “Fire Dragon Sweep!”

Boom thud!

Flames suddenly surged on the Knight’s Spear, the move fierce. It collided violently with Rondo’s Knight’s Spear, and then the flames dissipated, with both spears rebounding off each other. Rondo swayed slightly in the saddle, but quickly steadied himself. Liszt didn’t sway, but his hand holding the Knight’s Spear almost twisted from the recoil.

Because of his nervousness, he hadn’t controlled his strength properly, and half of the recoil was due to his own excessive force.

“A mistake.” He understood clear as day, annoyed by such a rookie blunder, but it did much to dissolve his nervousness, “Rondo’s strength is much weaker than I expected, or rather, my own strength far surpasses his!”

An Elite Earth Knight against a Common Earth Knight should indeed exhibit an overwhelming momentum.

Realizing this.

He let go of any nervousness and bellowed, “Again!”

The Li Dragon Horse, in tune with his heart, spun around and, as one with Liszt, charged towards Rondo once more.