The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

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The clatter of hooves was urgent.

The towering Tulip Castle was already in sight, and Marcus could not recall how many times he had visited this grandest castle on Coral Island. Since following Liszt, entering and leaving Tulip Castle had become as common as having a meal at home.

He advanced along the causeway leading to the castle.

Soon, a patrolling Knight Squad approached to greet him, with a captain who was clearly an acquaintance calling out from a distance, "Captain Marcus."

"Captain Xuleer."

After explaining the reason for delivering the message.

The Knight Squad immediately escorted Marcus to the castle gate.

He had been here many times, and each time he could sense the varying changes in the glances cast upon him by the knights. When he first visited Fresh Flower Town, mockery and contempt were common, as everyone believed he had lost his eligibility in the contest for nobility. Later, when he came with Douson, some began to express surprise.

After the birth of Jela, he finally enjoyed the gaze of admiration; the knights understood what a Little Minor Elf meant.

Moreover, after the battle for Iron Hoof Island, Liszt became famous in a single fight, and the knights looked at him with even greater admiration; and after the issuance of the Pioneer Mandate, the admiration turned into envy.

"After today, with what sort of gaze will you be watching me?" Marcus tried to maintain his composure, yet his mood was so elated he wanted to burst into song—of course, he had never sung before. His personality was always stern and rigid, and, even with rich emotions within, he was reluctant to show them.

The Castle's new deputy butler greeted him.

"Captain Marcus, what brings you here today?"

"I bring a message from Lord Landlord for the Earl."

"Ah, a message from young master Liszt. Please wait in the drawing-room; I will inform the master at once." The deputy butler left briefly and soon returned, "Captain Marcus, the master is in his upstairs study, please go there."

"Thank you."

At the study's door, Marcus straightened his attire, still full of reverence for the Earl. After entering, he promptly performed the knightly courtesy: "Marcus greets the Earl."

"Please, take a seat, Marcus," said the Earl from behind his desk, gesturing for Marcus to sit down before asking, "What message does Liszt send me? It's such a short distance from Fresh Flower Town to Tulip Castle, he could have arrived in an hour's ride on a Landwalker Bird, yet he had someone deliver a message."

"Lord Landlord is attending to important matters on Black Horse Island and couldn't spare the time, which is why he sent me with the message."

"Very well, go ahead."

Marcus cleared his throat and spoke formally, "Lord Landlord invites you and your lady to Fresh Flower Town on the 14th of April to attend the Greater Elf birth celebration."

"Hmm." The Earl didn't immediately grasp the news, and after a three-second pause, he suddenly realized, "What did you say, a Greater Elf birth celebration?"

"Yes."

"Liszt has a Greater Elf? Which Little Minor Elf evolved, Jela, Nami, or Mickey? Jela and Mickey just evolved, so it seems unlikely they would evolve again. Could it be Mangrove Minor Elf Nami?" The Earl was well aware of Liszt's Little Minor Elves.

"Earl, the Greater Elf that Lord Landlord has contracted is not a domestic one but a wild Greater Elf. It's a Giant Algae Greater Elf. Lord Landlord personally dived into the sea to explore the Giant Algae Forest made of giant algae, discovered and contracted it, its name is Pike."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

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After Marcus finished speaking, he added a few more details, "Pike was born in the Giant Algae Forest, and besides that, Lord Landlord also discovered and contracted with three Giant Algae Minor Elves named Fizz, Tam, and Eddie, as well as five Giant Algae Elf Bugs."

"One Greater Elf, three Minor Elves, five Elf Bugs?" Even with his seasoned composure, the Earl couldn't help but gape in astonishment, taking a while to recover from the shock, "Marcus, tell me what Giant Algae are. Is there really a forest in the sea, and do all these elves live in the ocean?"

"Yes, Earl. Giant Algae is a plant that grows on the seabed, dozens or even hundreds of meters long. They grow densely together, forming vast seabed forests. Those Giant Algae Elves live within these Giant Algae Forests. Moreover, Lord Landlord also found vast areas of Magic Medicine Kelp."

"Magic Medicine Kelp?" exclaimed the Earl once more.

Marcus was not accustomed to seeing the always lofty and dignified Earl lose his composure, but he dared not show any unusual expression and replied respectfully, "Yes, there's a wide expanse of Magic Medicine Kelp. Lord Landlord has decided to expand the cultivation of Magic Medicine Kelp in the sea, allowing all Giant Algae Cordyceps to farm it."

"Stop there a moment."

The Earl waved his hand and then let out a long breath, leaning back in his chair and seeming to drift off into thought. After a moment, he came back to himself, his voice steady again, "Sprites in the sea, that is indeed a surprising discovery. A celebration is indeed in order for contracting so many elves capable of cultivating Magic Potion."

"Lord Landlord will be looking forward to your and your wife's arrival in Fresh Flower Town."

"There's no need to wait. I'm preparing to visit Black Horse Island right now. By the way, where was the Giant Algae Forest discovered?" Stay tuned with empire

"Off the coasts of Black Horse Island."

"You still have to notify others, right? Go ahead, and when you go back, tell Liszt that I plan to leave the day after tomorrow for Black Horse Island, to see the Giant Algae Forest and Greater Elf Pike for myself."

"Certainly, I will convey your arrival to Lord Landlord."

Marcus bowed and took his leave from the study.

The study quieted down.

The Earl leaned back in his chair, falling into deep contemplation. He too had contracted with a Greater Elf, although he had now passed Greater Elf Xiangxiang to his son, Levis. When he received the contract from his father, Greg Wafers, Xiangxiang was still a Little Minor Elf.

Then, the news of his father's death on the battlefield arrived, and at that time, he was still an Earth Knight, striving to grow stronger and avenge his father.

Shortly thereafter, Xiangxiang suddenly advanced to a Greater Elf, and his family truly encountered an opportunity for development. Although he had ascended to the rank of Earl through constant Pioneer Mandate wars, the true foundation of his family's success lay in its heritage. Compared to Liszt, he lacked almost nothing in terms of resources during his youthful years of training.

However.

Now, the thought of Liszt owning a Greater Elf, six Little Minor Elves, and dozens of Elf Bugs left him feeling profoundly conflicted.

On one hand, he was proud that his son was so favored by knightly glory; on the other hand, he felt a sense of loss at the thought of his son far surpassing himself.

In combat, he was already no match for his son's exceptional talent, and now it seemed his son's wealth might even surpass his own—The Tulip Family had a Greater Elf, twelve Minor Elves, and over a hundred Elf Bugs, but that had been the result of over twenty years of cultivating Coral Island; in comparison, the gains over three years were no match for Liszt's.

"Perhaps, he will soon separate from the family... Melissa, if you could see Liszt's achievements now, you would be so pleased; your son has started a new family dynasty."

The Earl shook his head.

Melissa had been dead for over a decade, and he should have long forgotten her, but with every achievement of Liszt's, he couldn't help but be reminded of his late wife.

After all, the only one in the family who inherited Melissa's beauty was Liszt.