The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

Meioubao rode out from Long Taro Castle a great distance to meet the three siblings and kept saying, “Grandfather, Father, and Mother have all been extremely worried about you. If we had known that you would encounter something as incredible as a ghost ship, we should have sent the family’s fleet to fetch you.”

Whether it was noble pleasantries or genuine emotion, Meioubao’s gestures touched the three siblings.

The unpleasantness of encountering the ghost ship dissipated quite a bit—such a disaster was not something that could be predicted or prevented by human efforts; one could only consider it bad luck and there was no need to take anger out on others.

Besides, they themselves had not suffered any damage.

The atmosphere once again returned to its usual harmony.

At the entrance of Long Taro Castle, Liszt saw his uncle and aunt. His uncle Mesiro was a tall and slender man, handsome and dashing, bearing some resemblance to the portrait of Melissa in Tulip Castle. His aunt, despite the crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes, still had the air of a noblewoman.

“Young Liszt, you have grown up, inheriting all of Melissa’s good qualities. You’re even more handsome than your cousin,” his aunt said kindly.

Liszt bowed in thanks; he was often complimented for his looks.

Meioubao spread his hands and said, “Mother, please, could you refrain from praising others in front of your son? It’s a blow to my confidence.”

Mesiro, seeing that everyone had greeted each other, said, “Don’t stand outside talking; come in. Your grandfather is waiting for you. He’s heard about the ghost ship and is worried about you.”

They entered the magnificent Long Taro Castle.

Naturally, the three siblings went to see the master of the castle first, Marquis Merlin, one of the seven marquises of the Grand Duchy. Marquis Merlin, leaning on a cane, was walking along the castle’s corridor; the former Sky Knight looked no different from an ordinary elderly man.

“Grandfather!” the three siblings called out.

Marquis Merlin pushed away the servant who was about to support him, his face as stern as ever, “Hm, you’ve arrived. I’ve heard about the ghost ship. Didn’t get the scare of your lives, did you?”

“Of course not, with longsword in hand and Dou Qi within, even a ghost ship couldn’t faze us,” Levis boasted, though it couldn’t really be considered boasting.

He had shown enough bravery in the face of danger on the ship, and that deserved recognition.

At least Liszt felt acknowledgment for Levis; in that moment, Levis had not only not fled but had also been very concerned about the safety of his sister and brother, bearing the responsibility of an older brother.

“Well said, with Dou Qi, a longsword, a war horse, and a spear, a knight will be unbeatable,” Marquis Merlin extended his hand and clapped heavily on Levis’s shoulder, “It’s a pity that in my nearly forty years roaming the Sea of Azure Waves, I never encountered a ghost ship, which I regret profoundly.”

Where others feared to tread, Marquis Merlin felt regret.

Different levels of strength indeed provide different perspectives, and perhaps for Marquis Merlin, a ghost ship was not such a remarkable encounter.

At his stature, his understanding of the world was certainly much deeper.

After he spoke, he turned to Mesiro and said, “Have you made arrangements to send out the fleet from Red Crab Island and the Knight Order to patrol the seas, to find and capture the ghost ship, if possible, or destroy it if not?”

“I’ve already informed Count Sharke to lead the investigation and have invited Grand Magician Okdo to accompany him.”

“Do not hesitate in any way. Patrol the sea area between Red Crab Island and Coral Island thoroughly! Annihilate any pirates or ghost ships you find. I don’t care whether it’s a natural disaster or a sinister plot; Long Taro Castle’s wrath must be vented!” the Marquis said dispassionately.

Mesiro hastened to nod, “Father, please rest assured, I will definitely instruct Count Sharke with care.”

“No, have that boy Sharke come to see me first.”

“Yes.”

After making arrangements for the Ghost Ship, the Marquis then said to the three siblings, “Forget about the Ghost Ship and celebrate the festival well at Long Taro Castle. Tomorrow, your Aunt Melinda will come over with her two boys. When young people gather together, they always find joy.”

“Okay, Grandfather.”

The aunt came over and informed, “The living room has been arranged with tea and snacks; Father, take the children to the living room to chat. It is very cold in the hallway.”

“Don’t treat me as if I’m useless; my Dou Qi is still boiling.” Although the Marquis Merlin said this, he did not refuse the suggestion and returned to the living room surrounded by his three grandchildren.

Sipping on warm milk tea, they chatted about family matters.

The aunt was a talkative noblewoman, always dominating the conversation, inquiring about the developments of each of the three siblings.

Liszt inevitably mentioned his Fresh Flower Town. He briefly described some developments of the town, such as the production of Fresh Flower Soap, the refining of seafood oyster sauce, and the birth of Thorn Minor Elf Jela.

Marquis Merlin liked hearing about these matters and said solemnly, “Having a Little Minor Elf that produces Magic Potions, Liszt, is a gift from the Knight’s glory, but it requires effort on your part as well. Being a Sky Knight is not just your brother’s goal; you should have this goal too.”

“Grandfather, I understand, of course. My talent is indeed so-so, but my vision is not narrow,” replied Liszt.

At this time, Meioubao suddenly interjected, “Grandfather, you might not know that Liszt has also brought an Intermediate Magical Beast; it is his pet monster!”

“An Intermediate Magical Beast as a pet?”

“It is Douson, a Fierce Earth Dog I have been feeding since it was little. It accidentally ate a Bloodline Fruit and evolved into an Intermediate Magical Beast, but it can only cast one kind of magic,” explained Liszt.

“Bring it over for me to take a look.”

Because Marquis Merlin had difficulty moving around, Liszt directly had Servant Thomas bring Douson to the living room. Fortunately, the living room in Long Taro Castle was quite large, so Douson’s enormous figure was not conspicuous here.

“Woof Woof!”

Douson came to Liszt’s feet, wagging its tail obediently. It had learned to ignore all humans, freely entering any scene.

“What a huge black dog,” exclaimed the aunt in surprise. As a fitting noblewoman, accustomed to a life of luxury, except for eating Magical Beast Meat, she probably rarely saw wild Magical Beasts. “It’s bigger than a tiger and actually obeys like a dog. Liszt, how did you tame it?”

With a slight smile, Liszt replied, “I raise it like a dog. If it doesn’t obey, I whip it; if it does, I reward it with dried meat.”

“Raising a Magical Beast like a dog is incredible, Liszt. You make me lose all my awe of Magical Beasts,” Meioubao said exaggeratedly.

Mesiro nodded in agreement, “Judging from its size, it is indeed a qualified Intermediate Magical Beast, much bigger than a regular Fierce Earth Dog.”

On Coral Island, no one was more favored by the Knight’s glory than Liszt. “He is a lucky fellow,” Levis said enviously, sternly holding back his longing as he looked at Douson.

Marquis Merlin only glanced at Douson briefly; he had seen countless Magical Beasts, including many Advanced Magical Beasts.

But he held Liszt’s beast rearing methods in high regard. “You have some good ideas about raising Magical Beasts. Sometimes we overstate the cunning and danger of Magical Beasts when in fact they are just wild animals that know a bit of magic… You should train it more on how to cooperate with Knights. In the future on the battlefield, it can exert a power comparable to that of a Sky Knight.”