The Defeated Dragon

Early the next morning, Liszt, who had slightly visible dark circles under his eyes, had already packed his luggage.

He enjoyed the breakfast – bread, omelettes, pastry, jam, milk, honey, and coffee – in his room.

After Levis and Lvera also packed up, the three siblings were ready to say their farewells to the marquis. The marquis got up early. He sat in a wheelchair as he wrote something.

“Did you sleep well?” The marquis stopped writing, raised his head, and looked at the tall figures of the three siblings, “I heard that you had a good time at last night's ball.”

Levis smiled and replied: “It was a very soothing night, Grandfather. The ball held by Cousin was quite enjoyable. I have met quite a lot of aristocratic gentlewomen. Some of the beautiful gentlewomen have moved my heart.”

“That is good. It is good to be young. If you have something on your mind, then just go for it.”

After exchanging a few simple sentences, the three siblings were ready to say goodbye. The marquis did not urge them to stay, only saying to Liszt: “I have not witnessed you coming of age. Now, in order to make up for it, I will give you a present. Meopal, take out the present and give it to Liszt.”

Meopal soon came with a long case in his hands.

When Liszt saw the case, he immediately understood that he guessed correctly. The present the marquis was going to give him was sure enough that what seniors liked the most to give to juniors – a weapon.

“What sort of magic weapon is it?” He was a bit impatient.

Meopal handed over the case: “Liszt, Grandfather gives you this Redblood Sword as a present, with the hopes that you can use it to clear away all the obstacles in your way, and that the dazzling radiance of knights shines upon you.”

“Redblood Sword?”

Liszt opened the case. Suddenly, a bright, snow white double-handed swords entered his sight.

The slender edges, crossguard, and hilt, it looked like a Zweihänder. A flaming red gem was inlaid at the juncture of the crossguard and the hilt. Just by looking at it, one could feel the magic power emitted from the flaming red gem coursing through the entire sword.

One could even see minute red-colored traces, alike wisps of blood, emerge on the edges.

No wonder it was called Redblood Sword despite appearing to be snow-white.

Most importantly, it was not a magic weapon, but a weapon even better than a magic weapon – a gem weapon!

“Ruby?” Lvera was greatly shocked when she saw the red gem located at the junction of the crossguard and the hilt. Dense glints of envy and jealousy flashed through the depths of her eyes.

An ordinary magic weapon was roughly worth 100 gold coins.

A gem weapon, though, was worth upwards of 1,000 gold coins; ten times as much as a magic weapon.

Just this Redblood Sword was worth as much as quite a few years of taxes of a well-off town. Her Falcon Town was also a well-off town. With a few years of tightening the belt, she could also barely buy a gem weapon. However, she was not capable of renouncing her luxurious life. Therefore, it was quite likely that she could never afford it.

She felt envy and jealousy. With her straight forward temper, she said: “Grandfather, you are too biased towards Liszt. My coming of age gift was only a piece of clothing.”

“Has the Coral Island's little fellow not given you a lesser sprite as your coming of age present? He then still enfeoffed you as baroness. Yet Liszt did not enjoy the same treatment. Are you saying that the Coral Island's little fellow can be biased but I cannot?” With a matter of course tone, the marquis revealed his discontent with the Count of Coral island.

Liszt immediately pretended not to be excited: “Thank you for the gift, Grandfather. I will treat the Redblood Sword well, not letting dust besmirch its radiance.”

A gem weapon, when sold, could be immediately exchanged for one or two thousand gold coins. Of course, he would not sell it. The Redblood Sword was inlaid with a ruby, so the sword was clearly of the fire attribute. It could help him practice cultivation, which would be even more effective than practicing cultivation with the help of magic ingredients.

Dragon products were definitely quality goods.

……

Carrying the Redblood Sword while being the focus of Meopal's and a large group of servant's gazes, Liszt was ready to return.

The two short days of being a guest of the Longtaro Castle concluded like this.

He was not too reluctant. After all, there was still a tone of things waiting for him to do at the Flower Town. There was no place like home. Just when he was about to get on the carriage, someone had suddenly called for him to stop: “Liszt, wait.”

Turning back to look, he saw Athena.

“Young Lady Athena, good morning.”

“Good Morning.” Athena was slightly short of breath, probably from running. “Are you going back?”

“I am.”

Levis, who was aboard the carriage, got off and suddenly interjected: “If there was a beautiful gentlewoman looking forward to see me, then I would stay instead.”

Liszt looked back at him: “Brother, please get on the carriage.”

Levis shrugged: “Young Lady Athena, enjoy your talk.”

“Thank you, Sir Levis.”

When there were only the two of them, Athena gripped the corner of her clothes: “Will you not stay a few more days?”

“There are a lot of matters waiting for me to be handled in the town.”

“Then, will visit Whitefish City?” She had a very expectant look in her eyes.

Liszt declined with a smile: “Sorry, I have no pretext to go visit your home. I am not acquainted with your father and besides, there has never been any contact.

Contact between aristocrats always had to have a reason. One could not drop by without a good reason.

“You can come to see me.” Athena lowered her head when she said that. She could not have been clearer, as there was only a single reason an unmarried man would pay an unmarried woman a visit.

Liszt sighed inwardly.

Although he thought that what he was going to say next might hurt the feelings of this adorable girl, but he still had to say it: “Young Lady Athena, I am grateful for your affection towards me, but I do not think that it will work out between us. Please no longer concern yourself with me. You are so beautiful, there must be many people pursuing you who are better than me.”

Athena's eyes quickly dimmed, but soon, she smiled again: “Thank you for your honesty, Sir Liszt. I wish you a pleasant journey.”

“Thank you. Take care.” Said Liszt before turning around and boarding the carriage.

The coachman lashed with the horsewhip. The horse pulled the carriage, speedily galloping down hill. There was no dust on the cobblestone road, with only the sound of wheels rolling on and hoofs. .h.i.tting the road lingering in the air.

“Liszt, you have rejected the affection of an aristocratic gentlewoman, you are so cruel.” Lvera exposed a touch of ineffable emotions in her words, probably expressing her doubts towards her weak-willed little brother rejecting others.

“I do not see why I have to insist on hurting myself and others.”

He turned away and looked through the window, at the distant castle gate. Athena still stood there. The clothing adorning her pet.i.te and exquisite figure gently swayed in the wind.

She was very courageous, yet he could not accept her feelings.

He wanted this feeling of melancholy to persist for a bit.

But Lvera's cold snort interrupted this feeling: “Is there even any need for things like feelings in the union between aristocrats?”

“If there is none, then why have you yet to randomly chose a well-to-do fellow to marry?”

“Because I do not want to be subservient to no one! Even if a marry one day, the other party will have to come to the Falcon Town! Otherwise, for me to abandon the Falcon Town and live in their castle, they have to woo me. If I really met such a person, then even if I handed them my body and mind over, so be it.” Lvera stated haughtily.

Liszt did not comment on this.

After a while, Lvera extended her hand: “Let me see the Redblood Sword.”

The Redblood Sword, was a product of consummate workmanship inlaid with a ruby full of magic power. There was an undisguised look of jealousy and envy on Lvera's face: “Why is Grandfather so good to you. A gem sword! I will never be able to afford one! Liszt, it will be wasted on you! Give it to me! I will give you 100 Naldas!”

“No way.”