The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

Without magic, a Magical Beast is just a more powerful wild beast; Douson is still immature.

After chatting about family matters, the conversation returned to the Ghost Ship.

“So, Molodo hasn’t gone mad, has he? I’m familiar with him; he’s an excellent sailing captain,” Marquis Merlin had a good impression of Molodo. “But his son was swallowed by the Ghost Ship, and he encountered it himself. It seems he’s not suited to continue as a captain; he should retire.”

In his words, Marquis Merlin had already decided on Molodo’s retirement.

“Grandfather, since the Ghost Ship belongs to Marquis Cohen, do you know Marquis Cohen? What kind of person is he?” Meioubao asked curiously.

Marquis Merlin sat in his chair, hands resting on his cane, and pondered for a moment.

“Marquis Cohen lived in a time before my father was even born, back when my grandfather was young. At that time, the Long Taro Family was merely an Earl. The family Cohen came from is known as the Magic Goat Family; they value magic quite differently compared to the typical knight family.”

The Magic Goat Family were the followers of the first Sapphire Duke, Dragon Knight Anderson Sapphire. After the founding of the country, they were ennobled as Marquises.

This family bred a Magical Beast called the Rock Goat on a large scale. The meat of the Rock Goat was in high demand both domestically and abroad, while the wool-based blankets and duvets were also a coveted product among the Nobles.

But aside from practicing Dou Qi, the members of this family also studied magic.

Men practiced Dou Qi while women practiced magic.

With the technique of crafting Dragonbone Stabilizers using magic, the Magic Goat Family’s ships could sail freely across the seas, assisting the Knight Order of the Duchy of Sapphire in their continental expeditions. It could be said that at the time, the Magic Goat Family’s authority was second only to the Sapphire Family, and they shared a cordial relationship.

“Cohen Magic Goat was a powerful Sky Knight who followed the eldest son of the second Grand Duke, Annute Sapphire. But a troublesome issue arose; Annute was severely wounded in battle and after the court physicians examined him, it was confirmed that he would die young.”

Being among family, Marquis Merlin didn’t mind discussing court secrets.

When Nobles have nothing to do, they enjoy gossiping about court secrets, just like servants love to talk about Noble gossip.

“To help Annute, the magicians of the Magic Goat Family decided to steal the power of the Sapphire Dragon and have it coexist with Annute, allowing him to become a Dragon Domain Landlord… sharing half the dragon’s lifespan. To my knowledge, the emperor of the Neverfall Empire is a Dragon Domain Landlord, and he has been on the throne for two hundred years already.”

Dragon Domain Landlord!

Liszt had heard this term for the second time; the first was in Curtis Truth’s magic books, which recorded that the plan for Dragon Domain Landlords had failed.

Now, from the mouth of Marquis Merlin, Liszt learned that a Dragon Domain Landlord could actually share the lifespan of a dragon.

This revelation made Liszt’s eyes widen—if one could pursue longevity, who would choose an early death? A mere hundred years of life is simply not enough.

If one became a Lich, a neither-living-nor-dead existence, immortality would have no meaning. But it sounded like a Dragon Domain Landlord merely stole the power of a dragon, while still being able to maintain human youth.

Marquis Merlin, sensing the rapid breathing of the young ones, couldn’t help but smile: “Becoming a Dragon Domain Landlord is indeed tempting. When I was young, I even threatened the Sapphire Dragon that I would share its lifespan, haha… But the requirements to become a Dragon Domain Landlord are strict, and angering a dragon can lead to a dismal end.”

Dragons represent the pinnacle of power in the world, and families with a dragon do their utmost to please it. No one dares to steal the power of a dragon.

“`

Moreover, a dragon can normally live for a thousand years, sheltering a family for several hundred years. But after their lifespan is shared with the Dragon Domain Landlord, only half of their life remains, which is clearly not worth it.

There was a pause as he tapped his cane.

Marquis Merlin returned to the story, “Annute’s plan was discovered by the third-generation Grand Duke, also his younger brother, Duke Andite. Annute’s actions thus angered the second-generation Grand Duke, who immediately exiled Annute’s soul and passed the title of duke to Duke Andite before personally capturing Cohen Magic Goat.”

Cohen Magic Goat, after all, was powerful, assisted by two Grand Magicians from his family. He did not surrender easily; instead, he counterattacked and severely injured the second-generation Grand Duke. If not for the powerful force of the Sapphire Dragon, which protected the second-generation Grand Duke at a critical moment, the outcome would have been unpredictable.

Eventually, Cohen Magic Goat and the two Grand Magicians were suppressed, and the second-generation Grand Duke also succumbed to his severe injuries and died. The young third-generation Grand Duke Andite seized the opportunity to completely annihilate the Magic Goat Family.

More than a hundred years have passed, and this past event, known but to a few, has been mostly forgotten.

“Who would have thought that Cohen Magic Goat’s spirit would persist, causing trouble with the Ghost Ship even after being dead for over a hundred years,” Marquis Merlin sneered. “It must be the work of those magicians, lunatics who love to delve into evil and bizarre magic.”

Although sometimes needing magicians to craft Magic Potions and Magic Equipment, this did not hinder the likes of knights such as Marquis Merlin from openly discriminating against the magicians.

…

The luncheon was lavish, just a family gathering, yet the spread was even more sumptuous than the large dinner Liszt had attended here last time.

However, Liszt’s living conditions had improved since then, and his tastes had become more refined, so he did not find the food particularly delicious.

Instead, he felt somewhat restless.

It all boiled down to the Dragon Domain Landlord mentioned by Marquis Merlin. Initially, when he did not understand its significance, he had only skimmed over it in the magic book, but now that he did, he could not remain unaffected.

It was as if, beyond being a Dragon Knight, a new door to an uncharted world had opened to him.

He had once thought that his greatest wish since traversing to this world was to become a Dragon Knight, feeling that riding a dragon would make his life worthwhile. He did not have a strong desire for immortality, deeming it impossible, as even Dragon Knights turn to dust after a century. And, despite the existence of creatures like Liches, after seeing Curtis’s miserable state, he did not fancy becoming one himself.

Yet the emergence of the Dragon Domain Landlord suddenly sparked his longing for eternal life—being alive, who would choose death over living for a few hundred years?

As the song goes, “I really want to live for another five hundred years…”

Liszt had never transcended the secular world or been indifferent to life and death. He could be magnanimous when there was no chance, but now that there was an opportunity, how could he not strive for it?

Eating the fine white bread, he suddenly set a new goal for himself, “In this life, I not only want to ride a dragon and become a peak Dragon Knight of power. I also want to conquer another dragon, a young dragon, and then become a Dragon Domain Landlord! A dragon’s lifespan is a thousand years, so I should borrow at least four hundred years.”

Four hundred years of borrowed life plus one hundred years of his own life, that made just five hundred years.

No need for more, five hundred years should suffice.

To explore the world, seek the truth behind fate, and if possible, unravel the reason for his own traversal would be even better.

“Crossing the Devil’s Sea… climbing to the summit of Mount Mulagao Ding… landing on the moon, suddenly, my path in life is clear and bright.”