Devil Fish in the Desert

As Butler Horden and the Royal Knights rode their golden gryphons into the distance, Sophia and the old mage Simon finally came to their senses.

"All those knights were mounted on golden gryphons, and they all reached the king level..." Simon marveled. Golden gryphons were genuinely high-tier riding pets, known for their formidable combat abilities and swift flight, highly sought after by knights. However, owning one was not easy. Ordinary gryphons could be found in large pet markets, but the bloodline-evolved golden gryphons were rare, even qualifying for auction.

The sheer value of a young golden gryphon was enough to make them sought-after treasures. No one could have guessed that the Golden Oasis had ten golden gryphon knights. This wasn't the Gryphon's Homeland, the Kingdom of Clerelia.

"No wonder they arrived so quickly," Simon said. "With the speed of golden gryphons, it only takes a few hours to fly from the Golden Oasis to Forest City."

Sophia couldn't help but feel envious. If her chamber of commerce had golden gryphons, long-distance trade would be so much easier. "When we entered the Golden Oasis before, we didn't see any golden gryphons. Where did the lord get so many?"

Simon mused, "It must be related to the mysterious powerhouse backing the lord. If they can transform an oasis, acquiring a few golden gryphons wouldn't be a problem."

"That makes sense," Sophia agreed. "Perhaps the butler summoned these golden gryphons in front of us to make an impression."

"That's possible," Simon nodded. "Considering the goods worth millions of gold coins, being cautious is understandable."

Sophia, no longer harboring any resentment, smiled. "As long as the lord continues to trust us, that's enough."

Simon agreed. The Crystal Chamber of Commerce just needed to stay close to the lord to profit immensely. They earned over 200,000 gold coins in commission from this transaction, more than they'd make in a two-month trip to Vastian City. Selling the batch of mid-grade elven spring water would bring another 300,000 gold coins.

Understanding their fortunes, Simon and Sophia returned to Forest City, discreetly inquiring about the dragon corpse while preparing to sell the elven spring water.

At the Golden Oasis, Haotian rested in the courtyard's shade, lying on a chair he had crafted himself. It wasn't the most exquisite, but with a wolfskin cover, it was quite comfortable. His maid Sally knelt beside him, massaging his legs with practiced hands.

"Master, Grandpa Butler has been in Forest City for almost two days now. When will he return?" Sally asked, her concern evident. Orphaned young, she had been raised by Butler Horden and worried about his prolonged absence.

"Don't worry," Haotian replied leisurely. "If all goes well, he should be back today." Horden knew the importance of gold coins to their territory and wouldn't linger in Forest City.

Hearing this, Sally's face lit up with joy.

Haotian was in a good mood for a reason. Three of his elite knights had advanced to the extraordinary level that morning, and the rest were at the peak of the king level, soon to advance as well.

His strategy of concentrating experience on the elite squad was paying off. All other knights had ceded their experience to the elite squad, sacrificing their own progress for rapid advancements within the team.

"Not just the knights," Haotian mused, "I'm also on the brink of reaching the extraordinary level. If all goes well, I'll ascend today!" The thought of soaring through the skies filled him with excitement, diminishing the looming threat of the dragon Charles.

Just then, a figure appeared outside the courtyard. It was the gnoll Akul, who knelt at the entrance, not daring to enter. "Honorable divine emissary, a large number of fish have appeared in the sands near our territory. The sandfolk are capturing them. Would you like to take a look?"

Haotian was intrigued. Fish in the sand? He'd seen fish out of water before but never heard of fish living in the desert. "Let's go see," he said, leading the curious Sally out of the courtyard.

With all the royal gryphon knights out hunting, Haotian summoned two pack leader-level desert wolves from the livestock grounds. Akul rode one, while Haotian and Sally shared the other. The wolves swiftly navigated through the dense forest, reaching the territory's edge in no time.

Before them stretched a vast, dusty desert, an endless sea of sand dunes rising and falling like waves. It was a desolate, lifeless scene. Yet, in another direction, the area buzzed with activity as sandfolk fished in the shifting sands.

"They really are fish!" Haotian exclaimed. The desert fish were sizable, the largest over a meter long, the smallest half a meter, with around a thousand in number.

A sandfolk, noticing Haotian, respectfully dragged a bound fish over. "Honored lord, this area has suddenly seen a surge of devil fish. We are capturing them."

"Devil fish?" Haotian examined the creature. It resembled a catfish with a triangular head covered in a thick shell, its body armored with scales, and fins on its underside for moving through the sand. Its mouth was filled with sharp teeth, akin to a piranha's ancestor.

"Why call it a devil fish? Because it's so ugly?" Haotian joked.

The sandfolk, clearly frightened, replied in a trembling voice, "No, my lord. These fish awaken the undead buried in the sands, bringing disaster to the desert. That's why they are called devil fish."

Haotian: "..."