The Defeated Dragon

Going-out-to-the-sea Festival.

It was not that Liszt had forgotten about it.

The Sapphire Grand Duchy's two most important festivals were the New Year Festival and the Going-out-to-the-sea Festival.

The New Year Festival was a custom from the continent that celebrated the beginning of the new year. On the whole, every state's aristocrats and commoners celebrated the New Year Festival.

The Going-out-to-the-sea Festival was a festival unique to the Sapphire Grand Duchy that celebrated the first time the Sapphire Family went out to the sea. After their dragon was defeated, the Sapphire Family had to migrate from the continent to the archipelago and establish there their state. In order to whitewash their defeat, the day they went out to the sea was promoted as the day they sat sail to pursue their dreams.

Commoners might prefer the New Year Festival, which was a festival pa.s.sed down through countless generations, but the Going-out-to-the-sea Festival was a festival that the archipelago state's aristocrats had to celebrate.

“Thank you, Chevalier Lähden, for braving this hardship and pa.s.sing on the message.”

“This is what I should do, Sir Baron.”

“Are Grandmother, Father, Brother, Sister, as well as Madam and Lytton all right?”

“Everyone is fine.”

“That's good.”

On their journey to the castle, Liszt chatted with Lähden about the Tulip Castle's recent developments. He inquired in pa.s.sing whether the Tulip Family's fleet had returned yet.

Lähden's group still had not eaten lunch. Thus, he had the kitchen immediately prepare lunch to receive this group of people.

“Sir Baron, the Flower Town is preparing to cut down all the trees in the Thorns Ridge?” Lähden gave vent to the doubt born on the way to the castle. In these two days, the logging team had already cleared a large open s.p.a.ce.

“I do plan to cut down the woods and destroy the magic beasts' habitat. However, for the time being, there is not enough manpower. Therefore, I can only start by cutting down the trees on both sides of the road first to clear out a s.p.a.cious empty area so that the risk of magic beast attack is lessened.”

“It is a rather good method. It the woods, magic beasts are frightening existences, but in the open, they are but a bit stronger beasts.”

In open areas, knights with horses would not be caught off guard by magic beasts and could even evade their magic. Furthermore, horses were very fast. Magic beasts might not be capable of catching up to them. In open areas, with man and horse as one, knights could launch charges and release a variety of qi secret manual moves.

The etiquette and courtesy between aristocrats was upheld.

Lähden's group departed after lunch.

Liszt had to make arrangements: “Mr. Carter, five days from now, the Tulip Family will come to the castle to celebrate the Going-out-to-the-sea Festival together with me. I am not very keen on such noisy events, so you do the arrangements.”

“Master, please rest a.s.sured. In my youth, I partic.i.p.ated in the of the Tulip Castle's Going-out-to-the-sea Festival many times. The scenes of the butler, Lewis, managing the festival banquet is deeply ingrained in my mind. Apart from a lack in beverages, there is an endless supply of seafood as well as some magic beast meat in the castle. A perfect banquet can be held.”

“I remember there being a winemaker among the new serfs.”

“Right, his name is Frank Distillersgrains, but he can only brew fruit wine. He can't brew white wine, red wine, or beer. Besides, we also have no hops.”

Liszt frowned: “How much beer with hopes do we still have?”

“We still have half a barrel stored in the cellar. Only you, Master, can enjoy this bit. I am reluctant to take it out otherwise.” Said Carter regretfully. In his mind, Liszt already occupied the most important position.

“Then don't take it out.” Winked Liszt.

Carter gave a knowing smile in return: “I think so too.”

“Unfortunately, I forgot to have Lähden pa.s.s Levis a few words when he left, to ask him help me procure some beverages and foodstuff… In the end, this is still the result of the obstructed road. Otherwise, the castle's gold coins would have been spent instead of catching mold.”

“Perhaps you could instruct Mr. Marcus to go pa.s.s on the message?”

“That won't do. Teacher Marcus has more important things to do; he has to attend to the logging team and train the knight squad. Also, a shabby Going-out-to-the-sea Festival would allow Sir Father see the Flower Town's plight. I don't think that it would do any harm.” A crying baby would be breastfed.

Once the count saw that the Flower Town had no beer with hops, would that not weigh on his conscience?

Carter said with a smile: “Master, you are getting more and more unrestrained.”

Liszt smiled lightly: “I recently read a short poem in a knight novel – If by life you were deceived, don't be dismal, don't be wild! In the day of grief, be mild; Merry days will come, believe! Heart is living in tomorrow; Present is dejected here…”

In a moment, pa.s.ses sorrow.

That which pa.s.ses will be dear. (If by life you were deceived, a poem by Pushkin)

The count did not pay attention to his second son, Liszt. This was not a big deal. Although life was quite miserable and poverty-stricken at times, yet Liszt was still optimistic. Compared to the majority of commoners and lesser aristocrats, life in the Flower Town was already very fulfilling.

Eating white bread every day was a dream that many could not hope for.

……

In the following few days, the fief's projects – road construction, logging, and the construction of the oyster settlement's houses – were in full swing as before. Receiving the copper coins paid by Liszt, the serfs were full of vigor. Even the blistering hot weather could not weather their enthusiasm.

The castle was likewise in a frenzy. The butler, Carter, was busy instructing the servants to clean the castle inside out and decorate it. The cook, Abby Ladle, all day long instructed the two kitchen maids, Irene and Little Lily, in her loud voice to busy themselves with various ingredients.

Marcus led the knight squad to guard the logging team as well as to practice the fundamentals of qi.

Gort, Isaiah, and Blair were also working hard.

Liszt was the exception. He was troubled with the extremely small saltpeter deposit, with the fact that he could not find it anywhere!

The mission was completed, yet the discovery of the mission's saltpeter deposit reward was late. There were no reports of unusual stone findings or abnormalities worthy of his attention. There were no clues for the last three days, leaving Liszt very confused.

Not mentioning how much the saltpeter deposit was worth.

Apart from ice production, he didn't know what other uses saltpeter had for the time being.

Rather, the situation was quite pessimistic, leaving him to worry whether there was an issue with the smoke mission itself. The previous mission rewards had landed in his hands basically the same day.

“Could it be that my cheat is about to expire?” At night, while lying in bed, he looked at the still issued shiitake settlement's mission. He was quite worried.

Fortunately.

His worry only lasted until the fourth day.

On this day, another team, the gravel transport team, followed behind the logging team that Marcus took into the Thorns Ridge to work. The team was responsible for crushing stone and then transport the resulting gravel to both sides of the road to be used as pavement.

Just as they were looking for stone to crush, they suddenly found a pile of stones embedded in the ground with a lot of white crystalline stuff. They believed it to be salt at first. Salt was very important in the daily life. Thus, the serfs were very excited. The sir lord would definitely reward them if they found something good.

But after sampling it, they realized that the white stuff didn't taste the least bit salty and instead tasted a bit bitter.

Regardless, they still sc.r.a.ped a lot of the white stuff and handed it to Marcus to have a look. Marcus could not tell what it was and told Liszt of it.

Liszt looked at the white crystalline powder in his hand. To be honest, he also didn't know if it was saltpeter, but that could be easily solved with an experiment.