The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

Chapter 0546 A Conversation with the Earl (First Update)

Waves washed ashore as thick, transparent glass blocked the seawater, with elves soaking in it, snoring soundly. The visiting crowd stood behind the glass, chattering and admiring, offering their comments.

It was somewhat similar to the underwater glass passageways of an oceanarium.

"Look how beautiful that Greater Elf is, Pike, Pike, it's so plump, though it lacks wings," Lady Penelope said with a smiling face.

Li Vera followed, "Elves are the most beautiful creatures, they are like giant gemstones, even more beautiful than the gemstones themselves."

"They don't have wings but fins instead, is this the difference between sea elves and land elves?" Levis craned his neck, trying to get closer to the glass for a better look.

At that moment, Pike seemed to sense the commotion outside the glass from the soundproof room.

Groggily rubbing his eyes, he got up, turned around, and saw a big crowd peeping at him. He was immediately enraged and opened his mouth to curse, "Gurgle... Anje..."

With that opening of the mouth.

Rows of sharp teeth were revealed without reservation.

Lady Marie let out a scream on the spot, "Its... its teeth, how can they be so sharp?"

Liszt hushed Pike's unfriendly behavior inwardly, while smilingly explaining, "Rows of sharp teeth indeed don't look very nice, but they are wild Minor Elves, and probably having sharp teeth helps protect themselves better. After all, countless dangers hide in the ocean, where even we humans cannot maintain footing, let alone the elves."

"Never mind what its teeth look like, it's a Greater Elf, its value is what's most important," Lady Penelope cast a disdainful glance at Lady Marie, then pulling Liszt aside, said with a warm smile, "Grandmother has already seen these elves, and you have brought so much glory to our family."

Liszt modestly said, "I was merely fortunate with the knight's glory, I was just swimming in the sea when I came across them."

That was a joke.

Yet it made many people behind him grit their teeth in secret.

Only Loria laughed, "Because you are the Son of Glory, these elves appeared before you on their own to accept your contract."

"I think so too."

There was no need for a long visit with just a few elves.

A quarter of an hour later, everyone left the seashore castle under Liszt's leadership.

They then watched Liszt command the Rainbow Whale Rose with a whistle to frolic by the seaside for a while, showering praises like beautiful, magical, blessed with glory, and the like.

Before they knew it, it was already eleven o'clock, the sun was high in the sky, and the temperature began to heat up.

The group returned to their carriages, heading back to the castle.

The Greater Elf birth celebration had not invited too many guests, mainly just Liszt's own followers, and members of the Tulip Family—other nobles were followers of the Earl, and Liszt did not want to court them, now that he was a Sky Knight, soon to serve the Grand Duke over the Earl.

That was the implication, as Li Weiliam's title limited Liszt's prospects for advancement.

Even if he did not take the initiative to leave, the Earl would persuade him to do so.

In the second-floor drawing room, there was just the family and Goltai, the Honored Knight who lightened the atmosphere. The first floor was where the territory officers and knights chatted lively.

Lady Penelope sipped the excellent green tea Liszt had offered to entertain them.

The old lady seemed not to favor the green tea, barely taking a sip before putting it down.

She asked Liszt very seriously, "My young man, you now have your own Greater Elf. It's common for nobles to change their family name and establish a new household when they possess their own Greater Elf. Like Loria's grandfather's generation, the Golden Wheat Family split into the Golden Wheat Sheaf and Golden Wheat Grain families. Do you have any thoughts?"

Levis interjected directly, "You could change your surname to Giant Algae, the Giant Algae Family, sounds quite wonderful. My dear brother, in a blink of an eye, you could even start a new family."

"Giant Algae Family, Liszt Giant Algae, I also think it's not bad," Li Vera chimed in. Experience more on empire

Even Lidun added, "If those Giant Algae are really tens of meters tall, starting the Giant Algae Family would indeed give off a commanding presence, brother."

Liszt just smiled.

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Then, in a subdued response, he said, "Grandmother, the day before yesterday, when Father was touring Black Horse Island, I discussed this matter with him." He glanced at the earl.

The earl also nodded at the right time, "Liszt has his own thoughts."

"I have no intention of changing my surname, nor do I have any immediate plans to start a new family. After all, I am still very young, and I want to establish a solid foundation first. Father said that the Grand Duke might have already sent someone to assess me. Perhaps in a couple of years, I will pledge my loyalty to the Grand Duke, and that will be the time to talk about surnames and family issues."

...

He had indeed discussed this matter carefully with the earl.

Three days earlier, the earl had arrived by boat on Black Horse Island, and Liszt had accompanied him on a thorough tour, visiting various towns and even diving underwater to admire the Giant Algae Forest.

The father and son also had many heart-to-heart conversations.

After all, the earl knew he was no match for Liszt and had mentally started to treat him as an equal, especially after seeing the thriving development of the Black Horse Island Domain, the magic-driven Black Horse Kiln Factory and the glass workshop, the towering grey-white Mage Tower, and the exceptionally handsome Black Blood Treasured Horses...

All of this helped him gain a deeper understanding of his second son.

"I know there are secrets hidden within you; is there something you would like to tell me?" Standing on the pier of Giant Algae Town and watching the sampans ferrying giant algae in the distance, the earl asked with a hint of emotion.

The situation on Black Horse Island.

Any discerning person could see that many aspects were conspicuously unusual. Liszt did not attempt to hide much, and so, he wasn't surprised by the earl's question, "Indeed, I have some secrets, or perhaps luck, about me. Father, do you believe in the notion of the Son of Glory?"

"I do not. Knightly glory can favor a person, but effort is the key to earning glory."

As a seasoned Sword Saint, Li Weiliam had a keener insight and a better understanding of the essence of things than most humans who devoutly believed in knightly glory.

Liszt spoke the words he had prepared in advance, "When I first came to Fresh Flower Town, I accidentally ate a poisonous fruit in Thorn Ridge and almost died."

"That was my negligence; I overlooked you too much before."

"All that is in the past now. In fact, my misfortune turned into a blessing. Not only did I survive, but it also triggered changes in my body. My talents were fully revealed, and most importantly, my eyes can now sense magic power. So, as you have seen, I discovered many elves."

"Oh, is that so?" the earl said in surprise. He had considered various secrets Liszt might have, but never anticipated such a secret.

Liszt nodded.

He couldn't disclose the secret of the Smoke Mission; it was too far-reaching, especially being related to the Smoke Dragon. Nor could he reveal the secret of the Gemstone Space, which was likewise linked to the Formless Dragon. And Little Fire Dragon Leo was out of the question as well. Perhaps the earl would keep his secret and might even be willing to support his dragon riding.

But there was no guarantee that the earl could truly keep a secret.

If Lady Marie found out, and if it accidentally leaked...

There would surely be people who, for their own gain, would silently sell the secret of the fire dragon. By then, Liszt would be in big trouble—even though he was not afraid of someone showing up at his door, since he could always ride the Rainbow Whale Rose and roam the world at any time. But Black Horse Island would not be safe, and his years of effort would be wasted.

Therefore.

Choosing another secret to divert the earl's attention was the best method—he could not rely on the earl to forever ignore the manifold incongruities of Black Horse Island. Just like with the Magic Medicine Kelp, he could choose to hide news of the Greater Elf, but the continuous production of magic potions could not elude the notice of those who were paying attention, and the truth would eventually be exposed.

Better to steer the conversation proactively than to wait and react later.

Since the earl was planning to visit Black Horse Island for a tour, Liszt conveniently guided the discussion—in essence, he had intended to bring up the Dou Qi Secret Technique "The Eye of Magic," but in the end, he couldn't bear to do so and simply fabricated a tale about his eyes undergoing a mutation.

In the end.

The earl chose to accept this explanation, "This is a mutation others can only dream of having. Perhaps, I shouldn't dismiss the notion of the Son of Glory. The transformation you've undergone is itself a profound sign of the knightly glory... Liszt, you will create a family that surpasses the Tulip Family!"

"Father, I would prefer to help you ascend to the rank of marquis first, and afterward, I will work hard to strive for my own elevation to marquis," Liszt said with a smile.

This was not without an implication of "deal"—the earl would stop delving into his secrets, and he would help the earl compete for the title of marquis.

The more important reason, of course, was that Liszt didn't care for the surname "Giant Algae."

He was a man with a dragon in his blood, destined to ascend to the skies on dragonback. If he were to change his surname, it would be to one associated with dragons. Names like Smoke/Fate, Formless/Other Dimension, and Flame/Magma were powerful and commanding surnames. How could he possibly be content with a name derived from a Greater Elf?

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