The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

The night was late. After the barbecue party, the knights went to town to rest.

Levis and Lvera returned to their rooms. Carter came to the study with a cup of apple cider.

“My lord, you seem quite sober.”

“Thank you.” He sipped the refreshing juice. The beer at the party was not strong enough to get him drunk.

Carter’s face was unnatural under the candlelight.

Liszt had noticed it during the day. “Mr. Carter, are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m fine, my lord.”

“You must tell me if anything is wrong. While this castle cannot leave its butler, your health is more important. Take care of yourself.”

“Thank you.” Carter almost shed tears.

“After the assimilation tomorrow, I’ll go to Coral City with the convoy and may be away for a few days. Please keep the castle under watch.”

“Rest assured, my lord.”

“I see no reason to worry. Other than the elvish insects, Dudderson and Black Dragon must be taken care of. Check the black tulip for me once a day. Also, don’t stop the construction of the horsefield outside of the castle. I want to settle the clover insect after I return.”

The mission was always the top priority.

After a brief conversation, he went to bed.

The next morning, the eight tulip elvish insects completed the assimilation of the black tulip. The convoy began to return. Liszt left with Marcus and Thomas and entrusted the castle to Carter, Goltai, and his squires.

“Mr. Goltai, I want to see the patrolmen from Thorn Hill to the East Coast after I return.”

“As you wish. I’ll train them well,” said Goltai, at ease.

“Then, I’ll be on my way. I’ll return with a couple of gins.”

“That will be fantastic!”

Liszt looked back at his castle from horseback. Carter and the servants were seeing him off at the gate in silence. Without further ado, he spurred on the horse and joined the team.

He was somewhat excited.

His former self was very familiar with Coral Island, but for him, it was technically his first trip outside of Flower Town, a medieval land covered in magic.

The land outside of Thorn Hill mostly belonged to the earl, although some of the towns were baronies given by the earl. The whole Coral Island had only one proclaimed viscount, Yonas Pebbles, who was one of the earl’s earliest followers.

Outside of Coral Island, there was a small island that belonged to another viscount follower of the earl, Patrick Humulus.

Altogether six cities stood on Coral Island. Coral City, right next to Tulip Castle, was the biggest one. North Valley City, Birch City, Elm City, and Snake Spear City belonged to the earl. Pebbles Castle and Pebbles City affiliated to it were Viscount Yonas’s territory.

To reach Coral City from Flower Town, one had to pass North Valley City and Birch City.

However, the convoy did not stop in the two cities. After having a simple lunch in the suburb of North Valley City, they went straight to Coral City. At three in the afternoon, when the horses entered an ocean of flowers, they arrived at their destination.

The flowers were all kinds of tulips.

Most of them were magic medicines, and some were ornamental. The tulips grown by the Tulip family were most famous in Archduchy Sapphire.

The ocean of flowers waved back and forth on the slope.

To the left of the high road was Coral City, surrounded by walls. The city was next to the ocean and had busy ports. Liszt could see the brigs in the ports.

The ships in this world were evolving from those with oars to those with sails.

It was with the ships with sails that the initial conqueror of Archduchy Sapphire established the country of islands.

Sailing ships were the only vehicles to travel through the ocean.

It’s a pity that sails are probably the end of ships. There isn’t enough iron to build ironclad steam ships.

Liszt thought to himself and looked at the right side of the road.

The right side was a mountain with a steep cliff on the side facing the ocean and a gentle slope on the other side. Tulip Castle was built on the cliff. A broad road made of stones zigzagged from the gate of the castle to Coral City down below. The castle stood at the peak of Coral City like a flag.

The pointed tower on the castle pierced into the sky.

The thick wall of the castle was connected to the mountain, and the flowers highlighted the magnificence of the impenetrable castle. As Liszt recalled, it took the family ten years to build such a stronghold, and hundreds of serfs died in exhaustion.

Even to this day, the castle was still expanding.

The glory of nobles was always founded on blood. Archduke Sapphire’s castle, in comparison, was built over a hundred years, and the dead bodies of serfs piled up to dozens of meters high.

It looks gray but is actually blood-red. I prefer to live in the small castle in Flower Town, where I can at least sleep at ease.

Liszt’s heart was heavy.

Following his brother and his sister, he rode to the familiar yet strange castle.

On the way, they met knights that came from the castle. The knight in the lead bowed at Levis respectfully. “Mr. Levis, Godspeed.”

“Godspeed, Captain Micky.” Levis bowed back.

Captain Micky then bowed at Lvera. “Ms. Lvera, Godspeed.”

“Godspeed, Captain Micky.”

Finally, Captain Micky looked at Liszt again and said with impeccable etiquette, “Mr. Liszt, welcome home.”

“It’s been a while, Captain Micky,” Liszt greeted. The knight was the captain of the garrison in Tulip Castle, who was responsible for the safety of Tulip Castle.

Led by the welcomers, they soon reached the gate of the castle.

Butler Luis greeted the siblings at the gate with a warm smile. “Oh, it’s always the happiest thing to see his lordship’s children returning to the castle like tired birds.”

“Grandpa Luis, you still look so well after such a long time.” Liszt greeted Luis after giving the reins to a servant.

Luis was at least sixty years old. He was Liszt’s grandpa’s valet at the beginning.

Right now, he was the butler of Tulip Castle. Even the earl respected him. He certainly had earned it with lifelong hard work.