The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

In the days that followed, it was a time of reaping rewards.

The Peregrine Count did not come for revenge, to reclaim his territory and castle, allowing the Coral Island Knights to plunder Falconseen City to the bone.

"We haven't found a single Elf Bug, nor have any Knights willing to pay ransom offered up their Elf Bugs… Before the war began, the Peregrine Count and his followers were already prepared, transferring important Elf Bugs and other materials away," Viscount Jonas complained.

Viscount Trik reflected, "At least, the supplies we've gained far exceed those of the past."

He reminisced, "In my memory, following the Lord nearly twenty years on Pioneer Mandates, only thrice have we had a bounty surpassing this one. Once was during a thousand-mile raid where we plundered a large iron mine, attracting the pursuit of Dragon Knights; another was when we captured a Sky Knight and received two Little Minor Elves as ransom; and yet another was when we looted a vast quantity of gemstones."

"Indeed, this time not only did we plunder a large amount of supplies, but we also managed to engage the surrounding territories, and our military achievements will not be few. Moreover, we can incorporate the captives, which would significantly benefit the replenishment of our Knights under our command," he said.

"Speaking of which, if not for Viscount Liszt's unexpected rise, achieving such a splendid victory would not have been easy," Trik said, "Without Douson's siege deterrent, forcing the Scorching Sword Saint to charge, we would never have had the chance to breach Scentcartleaf Stronghold."

"He has not just one Douson, but also eight Blizzard Beasts, no wonder everyone calls him the Son of Glory… This time his gains are second only to the Earl's, and he has chosen to purchase serfs. With his spoils, he can probably buy more than ten thousand serfs; his territory will quickly surpass ours," he added.

Trik suddenly asked, "Jonas, where do you see the future of Viscount Liszt lying?"

Jonas frowned in thought before shaking his head, "I don't know, but I believe that if Earl William Lee advances further to become the new Marquis of the Grand Duchy, then Viscount Liszt would deserve an Earl's title in the future."

"I feel the same… Who would have known that the once inconspicuous second son of the Tulip Family would become such a dazzling figure, with all the glories of knighthood showering upon him."

"It's not just the favor of knightly glory; his strength is equally outstanding. I feel that the power he has shown this time has already surpassed mine, especially his archery. He's now able to interfere in battles between Sky Knights, and if he and Douson work together, I wouldn't doubt his ability to defeat a Sky Knight."

"Really, he's become that powerful? Wasn't he just an Apprentice Knight before he came of age?"

"I don't know how he's been training, but it won't be long before he becomes a Sky Knight," Jonas said as he recalled his interactions with Liszt, making such a prediction.

Trik was somewhat skeptical, "I haven't felt that his aura has grown stronger than it was during the Iron Hoof Island campaign."

"I've noticed this as well, but his strength has indeed become greater," Jonas shrugged, "As for whether this is the case or not, perhaps it won't take long for us to understand."

"Perhaps."

…

Others were discussing Liszt's strength.

Over the past one or two years, his prominence was too overwhelming on Coral Island, with no equal. The birth of a Little Minor Elf, rearing of an Intermediate Magical Beast, promotion to a Viscount, acquisition of a fiefdom island – coupled with a strength that even surpassed the veteran potion-consuming Elite Earth Knights, the change was drastic.

On the monotonous Coral Island, calling Liszt the Son of Glory went unquestioned.

In the past, Liszt was very much against such high-profile labels.

However, after a conversation with Marquis Merlin, he came to understand that being unassuming was not always the best choice. As the son of an Earl with Marquis lineage, he was born to stand above others. Displaying his talent, as long as it wasn't extraordinarily shocking, was all to his benefit, and not at all harmful.

If he had hidden his abilities during the Iron Hoof Island campaign, how could he have been ennobled with Black Horse Island?

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If he played dumb on this Pioneer Mandate, how could he grab a ton of military merits and spoils of war, buy a large number of serfs, and snatch away a large number of craftsmen from Falconseen City?

"My lord, after negotiations, we have 'convinced' one hundred and ten craftsmen, along with their families, to settle on Black Horse Island," Marcus excitedly said.

"Very good. After these craftsmen board the ship, make sure to instruct the accompanying Retainer Knights to take good care of them and not let them die needlessly."

"Understood, my lord!"

"By the way, Teacher Marcus, how did the negotiations with the Mercenary Corps for the serf trade go?"

"We have submitted sufficient spoils of war, and the Mercenary Corps is gradually driving the serfs to the port to trade with us. The fleet from Red Crab Island has also rented twenty merchant ships to us for transporting the serfs. Combined with the merchant ships from Coral Island, we have thirty ships at our disposal for the transport."

A two-masted merchant ship, ensuring that the serfs could ride in health, could carry three hundred people.

Thirty ships would be nine thousand people.

"The spoils of war we have should be enough to transport two batches of serfs, right?" Liszt asked again. He was primarily responsible for the military campaigns, while Marcus had become an indispensable assistant in the serf trade.

Marcus shook his head, "The Mercenary Corps is driving a hard bargain. The goods here are on average a third to a fifth cheaper than those on Coral Island. After saving the expenses of renting the merchant ships, we can probably buy thirteen thousand serfs."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Thirteen thousand serfs.

This number far exceeded Liszt's bottom line.

But he was still not satisfied, "I'm going to try and borrow some money, aiming to fill another ship!"

"My lord, if we buy so many serfs, our territory's food stores might not be sufficient," Marcus advised. "Before you left, storage was prepared for winter based on ten thousand people. If we ferry eighteen thousand serfs, the food will definitely not meet the demand."

"Then we'll borrow money, rent other nobles' idle merchant ships, and transport food back."

The bolder the people, the greater the yield of the land.

He was no longer satisfied with minor developments; what he wanted was a breakthrough.

"Renting merchant ships at this time will definitely require a hefty fee. Every great landlord comes to the Eagle Kingdom to loot resources to transport back to their territories."

"That's not necessarily the case; not all landlords can lead a Knight Order, conquer castles, and loot such large amounts of resources. I remember the last Pioneer Mandate, the family fleet didn't fill the ships with goods, and some merchant ships returned empty." Liszt signaled Marcus to go ahead and rent anyway.

As long as you are willing to spend money, you can definitely rent empty ships, and you can definitely buy food.

Borrowing money once is borrowing, borrowing again is still borrowing; he believed he could get enough gold coins from Earl William Lee and his uncle Mesiro to purchase empty ships for transporting food.

He would also write to Goltai, asking him to increase the effort in buying grain, to store more food for winter.

"But speaking of which, Goltai's actions are too slow. The Smoke Mission has not yet been completed to this day. I wonder if it's because he hasn't stored enough food yet... Without the Smoke Mission, I always feel that the rewards from this Pioneer Mandate might not exceed the Iron Hoof Island campaign."

The rewards from the Smoke Mission had already whetted his appetite.

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