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He hurried to extinguish the fire, but the knight novel had already been half-burnt.

The title of the novel was The Expedition of Vulture Knight Stevenlend. Technically, it was more like a chronological history book that described the experience of Stevenlend Vulture who expanded the territory of the High Furnace Castle on his dragon-bred vulture.

The story was boring, but the description was detailed.

It was quite unique among the made-up knight novels. Liszt had read it many times and believed that it was probably true.

The Vulture family probably still existed in the High Furnace Castle.

What a shame. It's a great book. I wonder if I can get a new copy from Tulip Castle next time. Liszt was quite regretful with the burnt book.

It was not easy to find a decent book.

Suddenly, he raised his eyebrow, as he saw the gold color below the burnt cover of the book indicating that something was hidden below.

He ripped the cover apart and revealed the gold color inside.

Something is indeed hidden! Liszt's regret was replaced by surprise. This must be the forgotten technique of combat aura technique!

The reward for the wheat insect had been delivered tonight.

After the cover was entirely ripped off, he saw a piece of gold paper the size of a palm. It was not real paper but a film that was made of a material similar to gold. A lot of tiny words and an illustration were engraved on it.

Eye of Magic Power, by Stevenlend Vulture. Words of slightly larger size were on the top of the paper.

It's indeed a secret technique. The novel I was given must be extraordinary if not unique. This gold film equals a gold coin. I don't think every copy of the novel has such a piece of paper.

He moved his eyes away and focused on the bookshelf in the study. These books contain the information of the invisible dragon and Eye of Magic Power. Is there anything else hidden in them?

To confirm his idea, he cut the cover of every novel with a knife.

However, he did not discover anything hidden.

Apparently, it was the only secret technique.

Eye of Magic Power is quite intricate. It's much more complicated than common skills… It's rather hard to learn.

Liszt had never considered himself a stupid man.

He learned Dragon Drill and Fire Dragon quickly, and he was planning to learn archery after Marcus. He preferred ranged attacks.

Should I learn Eye of Magic Power later?

However, after he read the introduction to Eye of Magic Power, he disapproved the idea.

It said, Eye of Magic Power can see the circulation of magic. Even a great sorcerer cannot hide himself under Eye of Magic Power.

He immediately understood that the technique was still part of the quest about the invisible dragon. Does this mean that I can see the invisible dragon after I grasp Eye of Magic Power?

Now, Liszt knew very well what he needed to do next.

He tested the scent of the smoking grass first and discovered that the juice of the grass stank even more when it was burnt.

He had someone cut a batch of smoking grass and build a tower in the Cow Farm, planning to attract the invisible dragon by burning the smoking grass.

In the meantime, he dug a tunnel below the tower to hide himself in.

The cows would be tied around the tower. They would also be smeared with the juice of the smoking grass before the invasion of the invisible dragon.

In a hill slightly further away from the tower, Liszt also had someone dig a tunnel and topped it with a fortress.

In his plan, he would hide here during the invasion of the invisible dragon. After he saw the dragon, he would ask the servants to burn the smoking grass on the tower. Then, the servants would hide in the tunnel while he watched the invisible dragon enjoying the food. After the dragon left, he would search the ground for the gem that the invisible dragon had probably left behind.

On the hill where a tunnel was being dug, Liszt was still wondering if he'd missed anything.

If the reward is given the moment the mission is accomplished, it means that the invisible dragon will visit Flower Town after I settle down the thorn insect… Is the misty mission controlling the invisible dragon, or is it pure coincidence? I can settle down the thorn insect any time, and the invisible dragon can invade Flower Town any time?

The question carried no answer for now.

What he needed to do was to accomplish every misty mission to build himself up.

"Liszt, it's not a simple task to dig all the way from here to the bushes, but I do not see the point." Goltai commanded the civilians to dig the tunnels.

"You don't need to know, Mr. Goltai. It's not because I don't trust you. All you need to do is to ask all the farmers in the Cow Farm to stay somewhere else for a day when I inform you."

"All right. Flower Town is your territory. Nobody disobeys you. I will do what you ask."

"That's good."

"Are you going to settle down the thorn insect in those bushes? That's hardly the best location."

"I have my reason."

"Well, it doesn't matter. The thorn insect is of little use to agriculture after all."

"Every elvish insect has its unique functions. Maybe you'll find magic medicines in thorns someday."

"Haha, I should hope so."

The project was pushed on heatedly. Nobody understood why Liszt was doing it, but nobody dared to refuse the mission. Liszt could basically do anything he wanted in Flower Town.

The tunnel was dug.

Liszt began to practice Eye of Magic Power in the castle. It was a complicated technique, but he got the hang of it soon with his aptitude.

Frankly speaking, the technique was to make the combat aura in oneself and the magic power in the outside world resonate with the eye as the bridge. Magic power sent off waves to the outside world all the time.

Receiving waves with the eye as the radar was the mechanism of Eye of Magic Power, a non-combative technique.

After five consecutive days, Liszt finally grasped the technique and performed Eye of Magic Power for the first time. He saw his sapphire pupils spinning with infinite starlight when he looked at himself in the mirror.

My eyes can enchant any little girl, can't they?

He looked out of the window. Marcus was teaching the four squires combat aura. They were past their golden age, but they could still manage to condense combat aura if they worked hard.

At this moment, Marcus was a green shadow in his eyes.

Not far away, Dudderson, who was fighting a rock, was a vague yellow shadow.

Marcus, with the wind-natured combat aura; Dudderson, with the earth-natured combat aura. This is what I see with Eye of Magic Power… But can it work on the invisible dragon?

Eye of Magic Power was a great consumer of combat aura. Liszt realized that he couldn't persist for longer than five minutes without his eyes getting sore.

However, whenever he ran out of combat aura, a warm stream would come from the Red Blood Sword to renew his strength.

The ruby produced by the dragon contained magic power.

Activating Eye of Magic Power, he saw the ruby revolving slowly like a bloody vortex.

I can see the magic power of the gem, so I should be able to see the magic power of the dragon. I must practice more so that I can be more skilled at Eye of Magic Power.

Drawing the Red Blood Sword, Liszt couldn't be more confident.

He was going to slay a dragon later.

…

"Goltai, why do you think Lord Baron wants a tunnel dug here?" Isaiah counted how many coppers he had to give the serfs later.

Liszt always paid for the serfs' work. Therefore, they were enthusiastic to apply for the construction projects.

"To be honest, I'm totally confused," Goltai said unconcernedly, "Liszt is an adult now. He's no longer the timid young man from Tulip Castle. Most of the time, I don't know what he's thinking or what Flower Town will be built into."

"That's not what you said in your letter. You said that Flower Town was flourishing."

"Would you have come if I said otherwise? Besides, Flower Town is flourishing, isn't it? At the very least, we have seafood every day."

"I admit that seafood is a creation, and manure is also important, but what we are doing right now? Digging a tunnel below a farm to store the grasses?"

Goltai shook the ashes off his cigarette. "Stop whining. Blair never whines, and that's why Liszt has one more drink with him every dinner."

"That's because he's too old and has lost all his ambition."

"You're not very young yourself."

"But I hope to return to the rank of nobles someday. I have to strive for my son. He's too stupid to marry a noble lady." Isaiah stroked his hair in worry. "I was looking for an opportunity to go to the battlefield. You said that Liszt was ambitious."

"I'm not sure, but you can talk with Marcus. He craves to be a noble more than anyone else does, and he pledged loyalty to Liszt soon after he got to know him."

Isaiah squinted. "I will."

Wages were distributed at night. Isaiah gave the coppers to the working serfs one by one.

"Next, Alava S*it."

"My lord, that's me." Alava rubbed his hands together and accepted two coppers from the clerk in delight.

He could buy eight pieces of brown bread!

But he didn't intend to. His wife had joined Oysterton and was engaged in fishing every day. Apart from the quota to be submitted to the castle, there was additional seafood for their own family. He felt that he was full of strength.

His wife praised him and asked him to have more seafood.

He intended to have a third child. He would earn more coppers now and send the child to the blacksmith's as an apprentice. His lordship promised that serfs with skills would be appreciated.

Praise the lord! Keeping the coppers, Avala prayed to himself. He liked his current lord because his life was getting better after each day. But why is his lordship digging a pit here?

As a serf of the Cow Farm, he was responsible for the cows.

He had been worried and complained to his wife that he might lose his job. The lord might've lost interest in cows. Why else would he dig a pit in the farm?

However, his wife scolded him, "You can keep horses if there are no cows, or build the roads if there are no horses. His lordship is the best man that keeps the old, the women, and the children full. S*it, stop making a fuss. You must believe in his lordship!"

Avala had always listened to his wife, so he changed his mind quickly.

He decided that the purpose of the pit was unimportant, and that it was unnecessary for the small folk to understand what their lord thought.

…

Practicing Eye of Magic Power and supervising the project were Liszt's main tasks in the following days.

All the preparations in the Cow Farm were done after a few days.

The tower, the fortress, and the tunnels had been repetitively tested. The smoking grass had been piled on the tower and was ready to be lit. Younger cows were kept away, and the two old cows were tied to the tower.

Liszt took the tunnel between the thorns and the fortress several times to make sure that he could return to the castle immediately after he settled down the wormgrass.

There was a U-shaped channel in the fortress that was connected to another shelter.

Should the invisible dragon stay in Flower Town after having the cow and the grass, he would hide himself in the shelter and block the passage.

There were holes for breathing in the shelter. A lot of food had been stored, too.

His life could be guaranteed, at least.

One couldn't be too careful when their target was a dragon.

Liszt examined the project in the Cow Farm one last time. It was not a big project in the first place, so the progress and quality were quite good.

I'm getting fond of this world and this age.

He climbed on the tower and looked down at the Cow Farm. When their lord says something, everybody has to work hard. Nobody questions me, not even Goltai or Marcus.

Power was an irresistible desire for any man.

A man who never enjoyed power might find it unattractive, but after he enjoyed it, he would become addicted to the marvelous feeling.

Liszt could not abandon his identity as Baron of Flower Town now.

In the meantime, ambitions were growing in his heart. Flower Town was too small to satisfy his desire for greater power. But he kept his rationality, knowing that he had to rise to higher places one step at a time.

He was determined to get there someday.

The weather was hot and dry in the first half of June.

The sunrise was the end of coolness and the beginning of a scorching day.

Liszt was wearing black leather armor and carrying his Red Blood Sword. His sapphire eyes were glittering, and his face was solemn.

Goltai, who had come to the castle early, was dazzled by the Lord of Flower Town for a moment. Even the Earl of Coral Island was not as attractive as Liszt right now.

Every time Liszt looked at himself in the mirror, he always felt great.

Thomas flattened the wrinkles on Liszt's armor carefully. It was his responsibility as the valet.

"Mr. Goltai, according to plan, the farmers in the Cow Farm will be relocated to other villages. No residents are allowed to leave their homes for any reason. The patrolmen will stop patrolling until further instruction."

"Understood, Liszt. I'll give the orders."

Goltai left on his horse.

Everybody was baffled by the lord's decision, but they had long forgotten resistance. The whole Flower Town fell quiet after the order was given.

It was as silent as night. Barks could be heard occasionally.

Few people could afford a dog, so the noise was unimportant.

The sun was still rising on the east. Liszt put a bit on his horse to prevent it from making any sound. "Mr. Carter, do you remember what I said?"

"My lord, you said that the castle must be closed today. Should anything dangerous happen, all the servants are to hide in the cellar. The castle will not resume regular work until you're back."

"Very good. That's all."

Carter was quite worried. "My lord, is your trip dangerous?"

"A little bit, but I've been fully prepared. No need to worry about me, Mr. Carter."

Thomas, after hesitation, ventured, "My lord, you should bring me. I don't have many abilities, but I can buy more time for you in emergencies."

"I'm glad to hear that, Thomas, but it's unnecessary." Liszt cracked his whip, and Fire Dragon lunged forward.

Sand was raised as the horse rushed ahead.

He saw nobody in the town. They had apparently received the order to stay at home.

In excitement, he rode to the Cow Farm. He then put on a mask, climbed the tower, and set the fire. He planned to ask a servant to light the grass, but in case of information leakage, he decided to do it himself.

There were two tanks on the tower. They were full of the smoking grass juice.

Looking around, Liszt opened the tanks and poured the juice upon the two old cows down below.

The stinky smell immediately spread.

The two cows wriggled crazily to try and flee, but held by the ropes, they could only tolerate it impatiently.

Liszt almost threw up despite the mask, but he held back his nausea and set the smoking grass on the tower on fire.

After the fire rose, he jumped off on Fire Dragon, who was also agitated, before he rode on to the thorns.

Reaching the thorns, he took a deep breath and observed the environment to make sure that everything was all right. Finally, he took out the jade box that contained the thorn insect.

"This is it." Opening the box, he said softly to the fat thorn insect inside, "Little buddy, let's settle down here."

The thorn insect spewed out the wormgrass, which fell into the bushes and sprouted quickly.

In the meantime, Liszt had entered the tunnel and was running to the fortress. After he entered , the wormgrass of the thorn insect already grown. He calmed down and summoned the misty missions.

The mist twisted into Ophidian words.

Mission accomplished. Reward: invasion of the invisible dragon.

Having no time to wait for the release of a new mission, he activated Eye of Magic Power and looked at the sky.

The intense smoke of the smoking grass swirled to the sky.

He could smell the stench, like socks that hadn't been washed for half a year, even though he was in an underground fortress. He could see that the two old cows were foaming at the mouth. He couldn't help but worry that they would die of the smell before the invisible dragon arrived.

Time went by.

The effect of Eye of Magic Power was approaching its end, but there was still no sign of the invisible dragon.

In my experience, the reward appears the moment the mission is accomplished, although it might not reach me immediately. Why is the invisible dragon still not invading Flower Town?

The reward is not delayed, isn't it?

If the information on the invisible dragon is true, it should be attracted by the smoking grass the moment it shows up.

When his eyes were too tired to watch any longer, a vague shadow next to the pillar of smoke on the tower attracted Liszt's attention.

The shadow was small and vague at first, but it magnified into a gray dragon shape soon.

A pair of enormous wings and a streamlined body hovered around the smoke.

"It's really the invisible dragon!" Liszt sustained Eye of Magic Power with whatever was left of the combat aura in his body and observed the invisible dragon.

It was the first time that he had ever seen a dragon, the representation of the highest power in this world!

He was quite excited even though he was only seeing the magic power of the dragon and not its real self. It's exactly like what The Travel Journal of Earth Knight Gulliver describes. The invisible dragon is only as large as a house.

However, it certainly had the inviolable pride and majesty.

Although he was a long distance away, Liszt could still sense that his body stiffened under the intimidation of the dragon!

It was said that all creatures would be awed in the presence of a dragon.

It's going down along the smoke from the smoking grass… Liszt's Eye of Magic Power had collapsed, making it impossible to observe any longer.

However, it was doubtless that the invisible dragon liked the smell of the smoking grass.

Rubbing his sore and swollen eyes, Liszt looked at the tower with his plain vision. He couldn't see the invisible dragon, but the signs indicated that the invisible dragon was on a rampage: the disrupted smoke, the moaning cows, and the falling tower that was set on fire.

"Heeyah!"

A creepy shrill burst out from the fire. That was the call of the invisible dragon.

"Moo…"

Old Flower collapsed in a pool of blood.

Holding the Red Blood Sword, Liszt summoned his remaining combat aura and activated Eye of Magic Power.

A gray invisible dragon made of magic was biting the old cow. It had already finished Old Black and was enjoying Old Flower. It raised its head warily now and then while it ate.

It looked no different from the illustration of dragons that Liszt saw in the books.

It had four limbs, but the wings were not folded when it walked on the ground. Its wings had an arm-like structure that resembled bat wings.

Because of the arm structure, the wings could not be closed as those of a bird, but could be folded.

There was one more finger at the center of the palm. It looked like a hook or a sickle.

The invisible dragon was cutting the cow with the hook and grabbing the broken meat with its tiny forearms.

The dragon's tail was much longer than that of normal dragons. There was a whole row of horns on its head. It was said that dragon horn was a symbol of power.

However, according to Liszt's observation with Eye of Magic Power, the magic power of the invisible dragon was not focused on the horns or the heart, but the teeth.

The magic power of every dragon tooth was very clear. He counted 42 of them. Other than the four enormous tusks, the rest of the teeth were also quite pointy.

It's said that the soul of a dragon is hidden in the teeth. Subtract the soul, build a weapon with the teeth, and pour the soul back in—that's the way to craft the best weapon. Liszt was tempted to butcher the invisible dragon right now and pluck all of its teeth.

Of course, he did nothing more than think of it.

"Eat and leave." Liszt turned off Eye of Magic Power and observed the Cow Farm.

The invisible dragon did not eat fast, allowing him to recover his combat aura and check the new mission that he didn't have time to read earlier.

Mission: The invisible dragon has appeared in Flower Town. Prepare its favorite smoking grass and cow meat and wait for the dragon to leave. That's the only thing you can do. Please avoid the invasion of the invisible dragon. Reward: gift of the invisible dragon.

I've done what I should. This is an easy task. He focused his eyes on "gift of the invisible dragon." What gift can it be?

He had a few guesses.

Liszt spent the rest of the time observing the invisible dragon in silence, with both Eye of Magic Power and his naked eye.

After about half an hour, the fire died out, and the two cows were nothing but bones.

Seeing that the clovers were moving, Liszt hurried to activate Eye of Magic Power with the combat aura that he just recovered.

The invisible dragon had already soared and flown to the east of Flower Town, further and further away until Liszt's Eye of Magic Power collapsed.

"It's gone…" Liszt had complicated feelings.

There was relief, disappointment, expectation, and a sense of achievement.

I should wait for a while longer in case the invisible dragon comes back.

Hiding in the fortress for another half an hour, he activated Eye of Magic Power again to ensure that the invisible dragon had left.

So, he pushed the cover on the top of the fortress aside and walked out.

He stretched his arms against the sunlight. This is the end of my first encounter with a dragon.

He had no idea what kind of dragon the invisible dragon was yet, but all dragons were incredible, particularly one that could not be seen.

He returned to the thorns and checked the wormgrass. It was growing well. Unfastening Fire Dragon's rein, he suddenly discovered that Fire Dragon was covered in urine and feces. It must've been daunted by the invisible dragon just now.

Thankfully, the horse's back was still clean.

He rode Fire Dragon to the Cow Farm, but the horse wouldn't get close to the tower no matter how Liszt whipped it.

"You're scared of the smell of a dragon?" Having no other choice, Liszt could only finish the rest of the trip on foot.

He couldn't smell the scent left by the invisible dragon, because the odor of the smoking grass hadn't faded yet.

The eight cows in the farm had run loose. He hoped that they didn't run to Thorn Hill, where the monsters would feed on them.

In the debris of the tower, Liszt scoured every corner and even dug at the ground with a hoe, partly for the gift of the invisible dragon and partly to destroy all traces of the invisible dragon.

He had to be careful in case others were greedy.

"Got it!" A moment later, Liszt found what he was looking for below a bone—a transparent gem.

It was only the size of a fingernail and much smaller than the ruby he had. Also, it did not have glamorous colors. Clear and irregular, it reflected the sunlight like broken glitter.

Somehow, Liszt was reminded of an advertisement line.

A diamond is forever.

It was indeed the best material to make a ring, but it remained to be seen if it was related to storage. Instead of confirming it immediately, he searched for a second gem. However, he failed to find another one after digging at all the dragon footprints.

He searched with Eye of Magic Power again, to no avail.

It seems that this gem is the only gift. Liszt wiped away his sweat. His leather armor had turned dirty, but he was wearing a brilliant smile. In any case, the chapter of the invisible dragon has come to an end. Flower Town is safe now.

He sought shade in a farmer's cottage and checked the new mission.

Mission accomplished. Reward: gem of the invisible dragon.

Mission: The potatoes of John Stretchers, a potato farmer in Potaton, taste better and grow faster than those of his peers. As the lord of the place, you have to figure out the reason. Reward: an elvish insect.

Why are John Stretchers' potatoes big and delicious? Because a potato insect is growing among the plants!

Liszt reached this conclusion after reading the mission and the reward.

Potatoes were the main vegetables in this place, but the yield was never high due to the lack of an elvish insect. He was delighted that he was finally going to have one. I'll investigate it the moment I'm back. I must make sure that everything is all right.

He opened his left hand. The gem from the invisible dragon lied on his palm, glittering.

Liszt looked at it thoughtfully and put it away. Then, he left the Cow Farm on Fire Dragon. Everything about the invisible dragon was over.

A moment later, Carter and the servants greeted him at the castle gate. "My lord, I'm relieved to see you back safely."

"Don't worry. What can possibly happen to me?" Liszt nodded. "Thomas, inform Mr. Goltai in town and restore the order in Flower Town. Mrs. Mason, prepare bathwater. I need to take a good bath."

"As you wish, my lord!"

The depressing atmosphere was gone. Everybody got busy.

Thomas rode a horse to the town. Tom fed the horses and Dudderson with the new footmen. The maids washed clothes. Lunch was prepared in the kitchen. Fifteen servants had to work busily to ensure that Liszt could enjoy everything.

Liszt's habit was to take frequent but short baths.

After five minutes, he put on homely clothes and came to the study.

Taking out the gem of the invisible dragon, he began to study it.

The gem looked like nothing special. After he activated Eye of Magic Power, he could only see stars wandering in the turbulences of magic power. The gem of the invisible dragon seemed similar to the ruby on the Red Blood Sword except for their different colors.

So, how is it associated with the space ring?

Or rather, how should I open the internal space of the gem? With blood, or magic?

Liszt did not intend to hurt himself, so he tried injecting combat aura into the gem. After his combat aura came in contact with the gem, he instantly sensed that a subtle connection was established. Then, the gem absorbed his combat aura quickly.

After one tenth of his combat aura was absorbed, the subtle connection had been expanded into an invisible door.

Through the combat aura, Liszt discovered that he had found a fairly large space.

The space was irregularly spherical. There was no distinction of directions. It was surrounded by an indestructible wall-like structure.

The ball is about five meters in diameter, the size of a single room.

Liszt was looking at the glittering gem, but his mind could sense the space.

The feeling was quite marvelous.

Also, he realized that the status could last as long as he had enough combat aura. The rate of consumption was not huge. It was basically the same as the rate of his recovery.

He tried cutting off the supply of combat aura.

Immediately, the door to the space was closed, and the marvelous feeling in his head was gone. He thought, The space can be opened and sustained with magic. When magic is cut off, it will be closed. The gem of the invisible dragon is indeed a space ring.

It was the perfect size for a ring.

More importantly, it required a constant supply of magic power, and the hand was the best output.

However, I don't intend to embed it on a ring, which would be too high-profile. For safety reasons, I should make it into a pendant.

A space ring was a priceless treasure, particularly for grand nobles who had important secrets.

But for Liszt, he had few collections that were worth being kept in the space ring. It was not his greatest demand. To be honest, he would've gladly traded the space ring for a big elf, which could significantly increase his productivity.

He continued to research.

He opened the space ring again and tried to put things inside. It was not difficult. After a simple test, he realized that the method of storage was a magic package.

Holding the space ring in his left hand, he enveloped a book with his combat aura.

Immediately, the book was gone from the desk and appeared in the space ring. Also, he could freely make the book appear at any location in the space. So, he delightedly stored all the books in the study into the space ring, where there seemed to be an invisible bookshelf.

The books were absolutely still and did not fall.

Is this a vacuum? He lit a candle and put it inside. Then, he saw the most unbelievable scene. The candle kept burning.

He moved the candle to a book. The fire leaned aside but did not die out. The cover of the book was not ignited, either. It seemed that all the materials would be caught in absolute stillness after they entered it.

Even atomic movement is frozen? Liszt tried to find a scientific explanation, but soon gave up. This world seemed to have elements of science, but the concepts of magic power were beyond the definition of science.

He enveloped the candle with combat aura and took it out.

The fire kept on burning.

After multiple experiments, Liszt was already certain that the room within the space ring was relatively still.

I wonder what will happen if I store something living. He intended to try it, but his combat aura had run dry.

It consumed magic power to open the space, store things, and withdraw things. Even the combat aura of an earth knight was not enough.

…

At lunch, Goltai, Marcus and the rest of them all came.

"Mr. Goltai, has the order in the town been restored?" Liszt cut a piece of roasted meat for himself. He was already used to western food.

Goltai sipped the beer. "A morning's seclusion has little influence on the town. However, Liszt, two cows in the Cow Farm are missing."

"Do you mean that eight cows are back?"

"Yes, they ran back from Thorn Hill. That's crazy. However, the two old cows have only bones left." Goltai was obviously interested in what happened, because Liszt told him earlier not to ask about the arrangement in the Cow Farm.

Liszt did not intend to explain right now. "All right, let the farms keep the bones of the old cows. Also, refill the tunnels there and restore the Cow Farm to what it was."

Goltai shrugged. "As you wish."

After lunch, Liszt said to Goltai, "There's a farmer in Potaton named John Stretchers. His potatoes are big and delicious. Let's see what's special about them."

Goltai found it strange. "Liszt, how did you know?"

"Observation and listening. Mr. Goltai, a qualified liege has to know everything that's going on in his dominion."

"Okay."

Goltai was still puzzled about how Liszt knew something he didn't know. Maybe Liszt had spies in the town?

Thinking about the mysterious operation in the morning, he decided that he needed to work harder, because Liszt must be observing him.

It was not a good sign. He might lose his lord's trust at any time.

…

"My lord, this is John Stretchers." The clerk pointed at a numb serf.

John Stretchers, with his wife and his children, knelt to Liszt. "My lord."

He was quite nervous, wondering why his lord asked for him.

If the tax-collecting knight who reigned the place earlier asked for him, he would've pissed his pants, but Liszt's reputation was much better, so he was only anxious.

The lord of Flower Town smiled gently. "Don't panic, John. I heard that you grow the best potatoes, right?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Do you know why yours are the best?"

"No, my lord, but my potatoes are getting even better this season. The free folk in town like to buy my potatoes. Even Mrs. Abby in your castle praises my potatoes," he declared proudly.

Nothing was more delightful for the serfs than the approval of the castle.

Without further ado, Liszt simply said, "In that case, take me to your plantation."

Following John Stretchers, they soon came to the plantation of Potaton. Potatoes were not grown like wheat but divided into smaller sections. John's land was at the center of Potaton. The potatoes there were obviously growing better.

Of course, his land was essentially Liszt's land.

"My lord, these are my potatoes," John said ecstatically. "The officials in the town taught us how to farm. I fertilize them with sludge and feces every day. They're growing better and better."

The seedlings in the land were all quite thick and strong. It was hard to tell which of them had an elvish insect.

However, Liszt had a new way to figure it out now.

He activated Eye of Magic Power and observed the land. Soon, he discovered a potato seedling with green magic power. It was undoubtedly a wormgrass.

"I think I've figured out the reason." Liszt deactivated Eye of Magic Power and said to Goltai, "An elvish insect is growing here. Mr. Goltai, you have more work to do. Protect John's potato seedlings, particularly this one. It will be a wormgrass."

"Oh, heavens. Really? Another elvish insect is to be born?" cried Goltai. "Glory of the knight favors you, my lord! Flower Town is on the rise! Rest assured, I'll certainly protect the lovely fellow and ensure that it grows safely."

Marcus, who had followed them here, was amazed, too. "Two elvish insects after such a short time. My lord, you are indeed favored by the glory of the knight."

He felt that his loyalty was worth it.

All signs indicated that Liszt was no common small noble. His personality, his decisions, and his luck all said otherwise.

Luck, in particular, was more important than strength.

Liszt smiled. There were always surprises with the misty missions. As calm as before, he announced, "The potato insect will bring a brighter future to Potaton. For John Stretchers's hard work, I'll given him a Nelda."

"What a lucky serf."Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com

Goltai was not entirely unjealous. His salary was ten coppers a day, which meant that he could only save a gold coin after three months, on the condition that he did not buy any drink or meat.

…

An elvish insect?

A Nelda?

His lordship gave me a Nelda?

John was dizzy when Liszt left with his team. He had earned a gold coin just by growing potatoes. It must be noted that a serf might earn one silver coin after a year of farming. Many of them had never seen a Nelda their entire life, but he owned one now.

"Dad, Dad, show me the Nelda. Wow, I've never seen a Nelda before!" his eight-year-old son clamored, trying to steal the gold coin.

John finally returned to himself. He clenched the coin and glared at his son. "Go away! This is too precious for you!"

He extended his trembling hands to his wife. "Anne, look, a Nelda! His lordship gave it to me! We're rich! We have a Nelda!"

Anne was also trembling in excitement. "Oh god, John, is it true? I am not dreaming?"

"You're not, and neither am I. It's true. His lordship gave it to me in person! Anne, we're rich people now!"

"Oh! We're rich!" His four-year-old daughter cheered and applauded.

"Dad, show me the Nelda!" His son was still asking for the coin.

John ignored his son and rejoiced at the future. "With his lordship leading us, Flower Town will become wealthier and wealthier."

Anne touched the Nelda carefully, her square face full of gentleness. "John, we can trade this Nelda for our freedom!"

"For our freedom?" John shook his head. "I don't want to."

"Why? Didn't you always want to leave Flower Town and live in another town as free folk?"

"That's because we were never full in Flower Town. But right now, Anne, we have cheap seafood. One copper can buy plenty of clams. Look at Carl and Lucy. They're both putting on weight! It's all because of his lordship that we can be fed in Flower Town!"

He said zealously, "I believe that his lordship will make Flower Town better and better! I want to farm for his lordship for the rest of my life! Anne, do you support me?"

"John, you are the man of the house. Also, I'm used to life in Flower Town," Anne responded with a smile. "I'm going to prepare supper. How about white bread tonight?"

"Haha, that would be great. I miss the fluffy, sweet white bread of our wedding night."

His daughter clapped her hands and grinned. "Ohhhhh, we're going to have white bread tonight!"

His son, on the other hand, was crying. "Mom, show me the Nelda. Mom…"

Mission accomplished. Reward: a potato elvish insect.

Mission: Your territory is always in danger without the defense of knights. Your squires have no potential, but more talents are waiting for you to find them. Please select suitable young people for training. Reward: the egg of a monster bird that's about to hatch.

The misty Ophidian words gradually dispersed.

Liszt returned to himself. The mission in Potaton was accomplished very easily. As a matter of fact, none of the misty missions were really challenging. He only needed to do what he must.

A monster bird about to hatch? In other words, I'll have a flying monster.

Looking at Dudderson which was crouching next to his foot, he suddenly pictured himself going hunting with the dog and the bird in the future.

The dog already had conditional reflexes after training. As long as Liszt gave an instruction, it would lunge, bite, sit, crouch, jump, and climb. It was much smarter than regular dogs.

However, the dog still hadn't been able to release Rocky Spur yet.

I know how to train a dog but not how to train an eagle. I wonder whether this monster bird is clever enough. If it can't be tamed, I'm afraid I can only roast it and eat it. Liszt licked his lips subconsciously.

Few hens were kept in Flower Town, and their eggs were important. He had never seen a duck or a goose.

There were a lot of wild animals on Thorn Hill. It was more than easy for Marcus to shoot a few birds, but he was too proud to be a hunter.

Nobles could go hunting for fun, but since he was not a noble, hunting was only demeaning.

For Liszt, it was a hilarious idea, but for Marcus, it was his lifelong belief. So Liszt did not want to ask Marcus to shoot a few birds for him to eat.

I didn't plan to establish a knight squad so soon, because my subjects are too few and there can't be too many talents. However, now that the mission is released, I'd better make one. There should be several hundred young people in the town. I'll select twelve of them and make a squad.

Every knight squad was made of twelve people, including a captain, a deputy captain, and ten members.

The grand nobles would set up knight academies. Children would be trained and eliminated in these academies until qualified knights were picked. Marcus was one of such knights. His father sent him into a knight academy when he was very little.

The sons of many nobles would also study in knight academies. Liszt was once in a knight academy, too.

It was impossible to establish such a school in Flower Town. He could only choose a few healthy young men and train them for now in order to accomplish the misty mission.

…

"My lord, you're going to select new squires and establish a knight squad?" Thomas grew excited after learning of Liszt's intention at dinner.

"There's more food in Flower Town now. We can afford more people. The patrolmen are unreliable. Carl and the other squires haven't grasped combat aura yet. I need new forces to defend Flower Town… Winter is only half a year away."

Liszt blinked as he continued, "Also, I will march to Thorn Hill sooner or later. It's an obstacle for the development of Flower Town. Marcus, I need you to supervise the selection and training of the knight squad."

Marcus immediately bowed and said solemnly, "Rest assured, my lord. I will pick qualified candidates and train them well!"

"I'll ask Mr. Goltai to cooperate with you. Make them excel, Mr. Marcus."

"As you wish, my lord!"

Marcus left the castle with his head held high. He had been gloomy since he came to Flower Town, doing nothing more than protecting Liszt and training the squires every day.

He had seen Liszt's intelligence and luck. He had known Liszt's ambitions. He had pledged his loyalty to him.

He was also convinced of the wealth of the ocean by Liszt.

However, he found himself in an awkward position, wondering what his role could be in the town. Liszt wouldn't go to any battlefields for now, not until he had enough knights, so Marcus couldn't contribute. Marcus also thought of clearing Thorn Hill, but the task was too much for him to accomplish alone.

Now, he finally had a chance. Liszt had decided to establish a knight squad, the very first step toward expansion. He couldn't wait to select the qualified squires, train them, and clear Thorn Hill.

At night, he got the census result of Flower Town from Goltai.

All the young men between ten and sixteen were notified. On the next day, he sent the four squires to bring the young men to him.

Under the scorching sun, the young men, 233 altogether, stood proudly and solemnly.

There was eagerness and anxiety in their eyes. They had been informed that their lord was going to pick squires from among them.

They knew what squires meant. Even if they didn't, their parents and neighbors had told them.

Squires were divided into two categories.

The first category included people like Carl Hammer and Rom Barrel. They were serfs that had been sold to nobles. Their main job was to carry equipment, cook food, and do other chores for the nobles.

The second category included people like Marcus. They were free folk, and their main job was to fight.

The sons of a lot of nobles would serve other nobles as squires to learn battle skills and noble etiquette, until they inherited the title at home or distinguished themselves in the battlefield.

Basically, squires were the first step toward becoming nobles.

Serfs would be given freedom if they made contributions as squires, and knighted if they made even more.

Even if they didn't make a lot of contributions, they could still keep their bellies full by following the nobles.

So all the young men stood straight, trying to make themselves look better. They all knew that they would never have another opportunity like this to change their fate.

Marcus observed the young people on his horse and vaguely saw himself in them. Many years ago, it was through exactly the same process that he was chosen by the earl's captain.

Of course, he had studied for two years in the academy, but the young people he saw here knew nothing about knighthood.

Liszt did not interrupt Marcus. He intended to check how orderly the rookies were. However, the power of individuals had been infinitely enlarged by magic and combat aura in this world. It was not something that discipline could make up for.

An elite earth knight like Marcus could defeat more than a hundred common squires.

Even Liszt, a new earth knight, could beat thirty common squires. They couldn't approach him as long as he had enough combat aura.

Marcus, who was a coach in the knight academy before, had his method of training.

Therefore, Liszt simply stayed in his castle to train Dudderson.

"Sit, Dudderson!"

Dudderson immediately sat down when it heard the order and looked at Liszt. Liszt tossed a meatloaf to the dog.

He activated Eye of Magic Power.

It was obvious that Dudderson had abundant magic power.

Theoretically, Dudderson is already able to cast spells, considering how fast it has been growing. However, without the guidance of an adult Rampant Earth Dog, it probably doesn't know how to control the magic. Should I try to teach it?

He was confident in directing Dudderson to unleash the magic power with Eye of Magic Power.

However, it was hard to say whether or not Dudderson would be accidentally killed in the process.

He made up his mind after a brief hesitation. If I don't direct it, Dudderson will still be suffocated when there's too much magic power. It's better to take the risk right now while our bond is not too strong yet.

Before the transmigration, Liszt had had a dog. He was upset for a long time after the dog died of old age.

Now, he did not have strong feelings for pets.

"Come here, Dudderson."

He waved his hand, and Dudderson immediately came, wagging his tail.

To be honest, the Rampant Earth Dog was just a dog that was larger and more violent. Its behavior and personality were very similar to those of dogs.

"I'll teach you magic!" Liszt soothed the dog and observed the circulation of magic power in its body.

Magic and combat aura were both magic power.

Their difference was that magic was the power of the outside world that sorcerers condensed while combat aura was the power within knights. So, sorcerers could cast spells of different natures, whereas knights could only control the combat aura in their own nature.

The magic power of monsters, on the other hand, was half from themselves and half from the outside world. Their recovery was much faster than that of sorcerers and knights.

To cast a spell, sorcerers needed to assemble the elements in the air, and knights needed to attach their combat aura to their weapon in case it dispersed.

Those skills are too complicated for monsters to learn. Their release of magic must be more like an intrinsic reaction… I direct the dog to unleash the magic power, and it will naturally cast Rocky Spur… That must be it.

It was like how knights released combat aura.

Knights generally released combat aura with hands. Liszt thought, Which part of the body should Dudderson use to unleash the power? Paws?

Paws probably wouldn't work because they were for walking. No knights ever released combat aura with their feet.

Suddenly, he recalled the Wind Blade Wolf he saw in Thorn Hill. The creature cast a spell from its mouth.

Based on the body structure of animals, the most suitable part to cast spells was probably the mouth.

So, I need to direct Dudderson's magic power into its mouth and break the boundaries. It shouldn't be difficult…

He did exactly the same as he thought. Pressing against Dudderson, he directed the magic power in Dudderson's body with his combat aura.

"Wu! Wu!"

Dudderson struggled hard, but as a puppy only a few months old, it could not get rid of an earth knight.

Under Liszt's scorching and explosive combat aura, it was essentially in a sauna with a temperature of hundreds of degrees.

The dog's eyes immediately turned red.

Its body temperature was also soaring.

I forgot that my combat aura is fire-natured and not suitable for direction… But there's no turning back now. He exerted his strength and shouted, "Dudderson, unleash the magic power!"

BAM!

His Eye of Magic Power saw that the magic power in Dudderson's body was concentrated in Dudderson's mouth. Then, in an explosion, it surged out and broke a certain part in Dudderson's mouth.

After that, a miracle happened.

Three enormous bamboo-shaped rocks erupted from the lawn. Each of them was as thick as a thigh with a spiky end on the top.

"Great!"

Liszt laughed. "Great job, Dudderson! You've learned magic!"

He was quite satisfied with the spell, imagining how it could stab into the enemy's butt unexpectedly when he gave his dog a signal.

Then, Thomas suddenly remarked, "My lord, Dudderson seems to be hurt."

"Huh?" Liszt finally noticed that Dudderson had collapsed on the ground with a bleeding mouth that seemed to have exploded.

Thankfully, it was only a minor injury due to the release of magic power. The dog's lethargy was because it had emptied all its magic power.

Liszt was reassured after figuring out what happened.

He said to Thomas, "This is exactly the danger of magic… Why are sorcerers rare and disliked? Because their experiments are always dangerous. They do not know science, but they think they can control the rules."

Thomas, failing to comprehend, asked curiously, "My lord, have you ever seen a sorcerer?"

"No."

"You're so great! You taught Dudderson magic when you've never met a sorcerer before! Praise your lordship!" Thomas cried in amazement.

Liszt smiled.

It was too easy a task to be proud of.

He wiped his hands with a handkerchief. "Thomas, take care of Dudderson. Treat the injuries, and make sure that its food is minced to pieces."

"All right, my lord."

Liszt had a sense of achievement after teaching Dudderson how to unleash magic.

I'm a guy who knows science after all.

Experiments were the foundation of science. With simple experiments, he had figured out the usage of the space ring. It could keep common items but not living things. Liszt believed that the soul was some sort of movement, too, and that it would perish when it came to stillness.

He also stored things and took things out to test the consumption of magic power.

For now, it was still too burdensome for him to use the space ring.

His life was pretty occupied.

However, after two days, he began to feel bored.

All the elvish insects had been properly settled down. Agriculture and fishing were flourishing. Roads were being built slowly but surely. The candidates for the knight squad were being tested by Marcus and did not require his attention.

Just like most nobles, he was so bored that he had to find something to do.

If he were in a city, he could hold a ball, throw a party, or go hunting and make friends. However, there were only four people in Flower Town qualified to dine with him. He couldn't prepare banquets for them every day.

So, Liszt decided to find something to do for himself.

He intended to conquer Thorn Hill in advance.

Thorn Hill is the greatest obstacle for Flower Town. It has to be broken through, or I'll remain blind and deaf here.

Liszt knew the importance of communication as a modern man.

He talked about human trafficking with Levis before, but he didn't know if Levis took it seriously. If Levis forgot to tell the Tulips' fleet about the arrangement, he would have to wait for another three months.

Since the fleet had to stop by a lot of islands, every trip would take at least three months.

If he missed on the chance, the development of Flower Town would be delayed for another three months. Liszt did not want to waste his time.

It's difficult to deal with monsters because they can launch ambushes anytime in the forest. If I chop all the trees on Thorn Hill, can the monsters defeat Marcus in an open field? Besides, my Red Blood Sword is thirsty for blood, too!

A gemstone weapon was certainly a great help in dealing with low-level monsters.

The sword was perhaps not very sharp, but the ruby embedded on it could at least double Liszt's combat ability.

Cling!

He drew the Red Blood Sword and held it with both hands. It was a two-handed sword.

The silver sword shined coldly.

"Heart of Fiery Dragon!"

Liszt shouted and slashed forth. The ultimate skill of Dragon Drill was activated. Fire rose on the Red Blood Sword and surged forward with an explosive sound. The skill was supposed to be performed on the horse, but Liszt had managed to perform it on foot.

Also, he learned to focus the attack in one direction without hurting himself.

Withdrawing the sword, he stood straight.

The fire was gone, and peace was restored, but the heat in the air indicated the power of the attack. He exhaled casually. If there had been a Wind Blade Wolf before me, it would've died.

He had grasped Dragon Drill.

Now, he was no longer a new earth knight but one capable of fighting. All he needed was more experience. He intended to study Furious Fire more. Furious Fire was a collection of moves that required a horse.

Three of his four squires had been sent to Marcus to help with the training, and Gray Sickle was the only one with him.

"Gray, carry my lance. I'm going to practice."

"Yes, my lord!"

They came to the horsefield.

Green clovers stretched out to the horizon, and they were most exuberant near the wormgrass. That part was occupied by Black Dragon, which would bite any other horse when they trespassed.

Black Dragon certainly wouldn't care about the gender of the horse when it was not in rut.

"My lord, are you going to ride? Do you need me to bring your horse gear?" Tom, seeing that Liszt was not with his valet, hurried to ask.

"No, don't mind me."

"All right, my lord."

Liszt whistled. The black horse immediately rushed over.

The horse was 1.9 meters tall, even taller than Liszt.

So, he had to jump on the horse.

There were no reins, saddles, or stirrups. Black Dragon wouldn't have any of them. Liszt did not force it to, either. As an earth knight, he was getting better and better at riding.

With his skills, he could totally ride the horse without any gear.

"Black Dragon, cooperate with me." Stroking the horse's neck, Liszt accepted the lance that Gray handed over. It was three meters long and required tremendous arm strength to wield.

It was made of fine steel. His squires had been polishing it every day.

"Humph!"

As if it were demonstrating its strength, Black Dragon stood up and neighed against the sun. Then, it carried Liszt to a run on the horsefield, rushing, halting, jumping, and turning under Liszt's command. Liszt performed Furious Fire on horseback.

The lance was too long to be wielded like a one-handed sword, but it was empowered by Black Dragon's movement.

"Fire Sweep!"

With a roar, Liszt's surging combat aura flooded into the lance, and his horse leaped crazily under his command.

His combat aura ignited the air. The whole lance seemed to be on fire.

He swept from horseback, and red and orange fire rained from the sky, burning the clovers into ashes.

Hum!

The horse landed and stopped. Liszt stabbed the lance into the ground and calmed the seething combat aura in his body. Fire Sweep was the ultimate skill of Furious Fire. It had a great cost, but it could clear a whole area easily.

Since Black Dragon was fast and fierce, the effect of the skill could be mostly carried out.

It was something he could not achieve with Fire Dragon.

It's a pity that you're going to be a stud and I can't ride you to a battlefield… But of course, I probably would never go to a battlefield in person.

He got off the horse and patted its thigh, asking it to graze. Then, he called Fire Dragon with a different whistle.

He rode Fire Dragon to the castle.

"Gray, go and summon Mr. Goltai."

"Yes, my lord!"

A moment later, Goltai came to the castle. "Liszt, what's up?"

"I'm planning to cut down the trees of Thorn Hill and narrow down the monster habitat, so that we can break the obstacle for Flower Town," announced Liszt confidently.

Goltai frowned. "Monsters are inevitable when we cut the trees. Isn't it too risky?"

"Under the protection of Mr. Marcus and me, it won't be too dangerous as long as we don't encounter a large batch of monsters. There aren't so many monsters on Thorn Hill. Also, I'm not planning to cut down all of the trees, but only the trees on the sides of the road."

Cut down part of the trees to reduce the monsters' living space, and finish the battle once and for all when all preparations were done.

That was Liszt's plan.

"Liszt has more and more plans. There's no time to rest at all. Isaiah, I haven't slept well for a whole week."

Goltai fanned himself with a piece of paper in his office in the town. "I thought that it would be an easy job in Flower Town, but it turned out to be exhausting."

"It's obvious that Liszt does not expect his officials to slack off."

Isaiah counted the income of this season and remarked, "Goltai, you should be more diligent. An easy life is not for a knight."

"You seem to have fallen in love with life in Flower Town. I remember that you complained a lot when you came."

"I was indeed disappointed at the shabbiness of the town when I came," Isaiah said while warming up his numb fingers, "but after I got used to it, I sense unprecedented hopefulness in Flower Town. I talked to Marcus. He said that Liszt is a unique noble."

"He's indeed unique." Goltai shrugged.

"So, I think that Marcus's wish to become a noble and my wish to make my family rise again both lie in this place."

"You are getting serious."

"For my silly son, I have to work hard."

"We all need to. I'll check the progress of the houses in Oysterton. The whole town is short of people. I need to figure out a way to organize a logging team."

That being said, Goltai did not leave for Oysterton but returned to his house in the town.

It was a two-storied house where the tax-collecting knight lived, because the castle was reserved for the lord even when it was not occupied.

"My lord, you're back. Are you done with your work today?" A girl in a flaxen dress hurried to take off Goltai's coat.

Goltai touched the girl's butt frivolously. "Work can never be done with, but life has to move on."

The girl blushed. "Wouldn't his lordship blame you for not working?"

"As Liszt's teacher and the town's administrative officer, I have the right to give myself a half-day holiday… Freya, I miss you. I don't want to work." Goltai hugged Freya and kissed her, pushing her to the bedroom.

Freya hurried to break free. She said quickly, "M-My lord, it's still daytime."

"What about it? I've had too many oysters recently. Nights are not enough." Goltai had selectively forgotten that he could only do it once every night and he could last for no more than thirty seconds.

Freya seemed panicked and looked for a change of subject. "You seem to be in a foul mood. Is it because of the consultant thing?"

"Of course I'm in a foul mood! He's the lord, and he's entitled to keep me busy every day. However, I've been in Flower Town for three months, and I still haven't been appointed as the consultant. Who else in this place is more qualified than me?"

Goltai punched the wall and said angrily, "I regret coming to Flower Town!"

Freya's face changed. "My lord, are you going to leave?"

"Not for now. Freya, you are the reason why I linger here." Goltai embraced Freya and kissed her again.

Freya pushed him away hard.

Goltai's face turned gloomy. "Freya, what's the meaning of this?"

Freya took a deep breath and put on a smile. "I know that you're upset. I assume that you're planning to return to Coral City, a metropolis much more prosperous than Flower Town… I want to tell you that I will stay in Flower Town and raise your child. You don't need to bother with me."

"What do you mean?" Goltai was shocked.

"I'm pregnant."Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com

Goltai's face was frozen. He didn't return to himself until a long time later. "You're pregnant?"

"Yes." Freya touched her abdomen. It was still flat, but she sensed a little heart beating powerfully there.

She suddenly gagged as she talked.

Goltai was convinced that Freya was pregnant, but he didn't know whether he should be happy or stunned. He had a wife and children in Coral City, and his children were already married. His grandchildren had been born last year. He only looked for a relationship to overcome his loneliness here.

He never saw this day coming.

"Oh heavens, Freya, I-I mean, my head is a mess. Sorry, I don't know how to react to the news," Goltai stammered.

Freya simply smiled. "It's all right, my lord. I know that a serf like me does not have a bright future. I thank you for giving me a pleasant memory. I will raise the baby independently. The baby will grow up healthily. I just hope that you can give him freedom before you leave."

"Freedom?"

Goltai hesitated, and Freya simply looked at him with a smile.

A moment later, he took a deep breath and made the decision. "I'm sorry that I'm a disappointment, Freya…"

Freya's smile quickly dimmed.

However, what Goltai said next put an even more brilliant smile on her face.

"I shouldn't have hesitated just now. I guarantee that I won't leave Flower Town, at least not until the baby knows that Goltai Mast is his or her father… I think I know why I can't get used to Flower Town."

Goltai embraced Freya, with warmth but not lust. "It's because I'm a noble who's used to enjoyment instead of striving. I complain that Liszt doesn't appoint me as his consultant, but I do not work hard enough to earn it. From now on, I have to work hard for our child!"

"Really, my lord?" Freya's eyes widened.

"Of course, I swear in the name of a knight!"

After some brief cuddling, Goltai put on his Frak Abie and walked out, this time really to Oysterton to inspect the construction of houses.

…

At night, dinner was held in the castle again.

Before it started, Marcus, Blair, and Isaiah chit-chatted casually while Goltai reported to Liszt about work in the study.

"The main road from Thorn Hill to the town is half complete. Sand is copious, but stones are not enough. I'm selecting strong serfs to build a logging team. In the meantime, they will shatter the rocks on Thorn Hill and use them to build the road. If there is more, the sand roads among the villages will be mixed with stones, too."

"That's a great plan. Let's do it, Mr. Goltai." Liszt nodded in satisfaction.

He was not only satisfied with the plan but also with Goltai's attitude. In previous dinners, Goltai mostly used his mouth to eat and make jokes, and he never talked about work.

He was surprised that the man reported work on his own initiative today.

As a lord, he naturally preferred subordinates who worked hard over those who were only interested in his food.