The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

The Sunset was moored in the dockyard, ready to set sail.

Liszt, riding on the Landwalker bird Loki, gazed at the Sky Ship that was 65 meters in length and 19 meters wide, with three massive and sturdy masts erected.

As the civilization of the Child of the Sun crumbled, this immense ship, which once soared through the skies in an unimaginable manner, became history. When Liszt salvaged it and decided to convert it into a seafaring vessel, it bid farewell to its past and moved towards a new future.

"Lord Landlord, judging from what I've seen, the condition of the Sunset is now on par with the Court's fast sailing ships,"

The speaker was Bak Fumu, an apprentice shipbuilder.

He came from a shipyard on Leather Island, which is a property of the Marquis of Leather Island, Ramirez White Glutinous Rice; he was forced to leave the shipyard for some reason. Subsequently, he was invited by the Tulip Family to settle in Black Horse Island through the merchant caravan's network and took charge of the dockyard.

Only three families in the Duchy of Sapphire could build double-masted sailing ships: the White Glutinous Rice Family, Pineapple Green Family, and the Sapphire Family. The Bull Marquis Family used to grasp the technique for building double-masted sailing ships but has long dissipated into nothingness.

The Sapphire Family also possessed the technique for building three-masted ships, which was basically the world's top shipbuilding technique, kept strictly confidential and not leaked.

Ordinary nobles couldn't dream of poaching shipbuilders from the Sapphire Family; even if they did manage to abduct one, they would quickly incur the Grand Duke's wrath.

Therefore, Liszt had to ask his father, Li Weiliam, to poach from the White Glutinous Rice and Pineapple Green Families. Unable to poach a shipbuilder, he managed to recruit an apprentice shipbuilder. This apprentice named Bak Fumu had decent skills and was responsible for overseeing the development of double-masted sailing ship technology.

Liszt believed it would not take long before he mastered the double-masted sailing ship technology.

In addition to the Dragonbone Stabilizer Technique he acquired from Virginia Truth, and his own knowledge of square-rig technology, he would definitely be able to build high-quality sailing ships.

Leveraging his extensive shipbuilding experience,

Bak Fumu also took on the responsibility of refitting the Sunset from Captain Kostor.

After numerous explorations of new materials and structures, he eventually completed all the refitting work for the Sunset: "I have studied the Court's fast sailing ships before. The mortise and tenon structures are very complex. Many of the weight-bearing and pivoting mortise and tenon techniques elude me. However, the rubber latex from the manor can replace those mortise and tenon structures."

The Duchy of Sapphire lacked iron.

All ships were wooden structures that could not be welded, so mortise and tenon joints were used. These joints were not something you could understand just by looking at them a few times. Even if he dismantled a court sailing ship and placed it before Bak, he would still not grasp it.

However, one of the most important special products of Black Horse Island played a significant role in shipbuilding technology—rubber latex.

The materials bonded with rubber latex were stronger than steel rivet welding, and the solidified rubber latex was fire-resistant, water-resistant, sturdy, magic-resistant, and anticorrosive.

"As for the main keel, mortise and tenon joints still need to be used for fixing, but for the details, rubber latex can replace them. Therefore, the condition of the Sunset is not inferior to the Court's fast sailing ships... However, it might take time to develop the technology for three-masted sailing ships,"

Bak was about thirty-five years old, having started work at the dockyards at fifteen.

He might not have much talent, but with years of experience, his judgments were spot on—the Sunset had reached the standard for long voyages.

"Then let's set sail!"

After the Sunset was stocked with naval supplies, Liszt led a Knight Squad, together with officials including Goltai, Blair, and Kostor, aboard the ship.

The spacious deck.

It felt even more expansive than the fast sailing ship of the Long Taro Family he had previously taken. The sea breeze brushed against his face, and immediately under the command of the first mate and second mate, the crew raised the anchor, hoisted the sails, and rowed, the Sunset cleaving through the waves as it slowly sailed out of the dockyard, transitioning from green waters to blue.

The ship sailed very steadily, and with cups set on the deck tables, Liszt could sit under the parasol indulging in the juice of Fragrant Coconut Fruits.

At the top of the main mast, a black Tulip flag fluttered proudly in the wind.
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"My Lord, the Sunset is truly magnificent; such a sailing ship is definitely no inferior to the Grand Duke's court fast sailing ships," said Goltai blissfully as he held a Fragrant Coconut Fruit.

"Indeed it's mighty, but I always feel like it's missing something," Liszt walked to the bow and said.

Goltai looked toward the ship's bow and suddenly realized, "I know now, my lord, the repairs on the Sunset are impeccable, yet it lacks a figurehead. To garner the favor of knightly glory on the high seas, a Sapphire Dragon figurehead should be installed at the bow."

The Sapphire Dragon is the dominion of the Sea of Azure Waves, and its figurehead is naturally popular.

"A figurehead?"

Liszt narrowed his eyes, for he was not keen on installing a Sapphire Dragon figurehead—if anything, a Fire Dragon figurehead seemed more appropriate. However, compared to a figurehead, he had a preference for another tool to be mounted on the bow—a ram.

Currently.

The Duchy of Sapphire was the only navy on the Sea of Azure Waves. Installing a ram on a sailboat seemed pointless, as there were no naval battles—those small sampans or rowboats produced by the land kingdoms dared not venture out to sea, as they would nearly capsize and kill people with the sweep of a wave.

"However…" Liszt still decided that after returning, he would have the shipbuilders study rams, "If I can coexist peacefully with the Sapphire Family, rams are naturally useless. But should the Sapphire Duke not tolerate me and naval battles become inevitable, rams might provide a strategic advantage."

He called over Kostor and Bak Fumu and described the concept of armor to them, "After you return, you must carefully investigate the ram."

"Yes, my lord!"

...

The broad Sunset, undoubtedly slower than the Court's fast sailing ships, matched only the speed of a regular two-masted sailing ship. Departing from the port town and arriving at Coral City Port, it was sunset. The setting sun hung in the sky, perfectly reflecting against the Black Tulip banner when viewed from the port.

Levis, who had come to greet Liszt, looked at such a scene with little emotion—he did not know the significance of the Sunset.

It was a memorial to the lost civilization of the Child of the Sun—the civilization of the Child of the Sun had completely fallen since the sinking of this sky ship.

"Liszt, is this the three-masted ship transformed from the sunken ship you salvaged from the seabed?" Levis asked upon seeing Liszt disembark from the Sunset, "It doesn't seem to be a Court three-masted ship; its shape and style are quite different from Court sailing ships."

"It might be a hundred-year-old wreck of the Magic Goat Family, basically only a hull remained, the rest was patched up with rubber water," replied Liszt.

"But it looks quite good, not like a wreck."

"It was thoroughly polished and many rotten materials replaced to have this new look," Liszt said with a slight smile, "It might not match up to the Court's fast sailing ships, but it should be more imposing than the Tulip. At least it looks an entire circle larger."

Levis pursed his lips, "The Tulip is over a decade old and should have been replaced... If it weren't for the struggle with Lady Marie and her son, I would have long since paid out of my pocket to buy a more comfortable three-masted ship." He had made no small fortune collaborating with Liszt on various industries.

Thus, he spoke with a bold tone.

A three-masted ship costing several thousand or even tens of thousands of Gold Coins, he talked about purchasing one as if it were nothing.

As for the fight over the family fortune, Liszt, who had already been entrusted with distant lands, had not the slightest interest. He watched the dock workers unload the cargo from the Sunset, quite pleased, "With the Sunset, we can transport at least a thousand more serfs per voyage... Once you have money, you should buy ships, and only with ships can you do big business!"

"The family indeed plans to continue purchasing a batch of cargo ships, mainly because the glass produced from your lands is becoming increasingly popular. Liszt, Loria has calculated that, with the current rate of sales growth, just the glass business alone is enough to support the original Tulip Family!"

The most profitable industry of the territory used to be spirits, but now glass had far surpassed it—this was an exclusive business with little to no cost.

"Let Loria think bigger, the Duchy of Sapphire is ultimately just a remote archipelagic nation, with few people and nobles. The vast continent is the real place to do business. When I fully understand the glass-making technology and expand the production scale, Gold Coins will be nothing but numbers."

"Haha, precisely, one day Gold Coins will be mere numbers to us!" Imagining the splendid blueprint, Levis was exceptionally excited, "Father is still absent from Blue Dragon Island, grandmother doesn't like Lady Marie, Li Vera has returned to Falcon Town, and Loria is unwell... Should we just go to Shattered Stone Castle?"

"For what?"

Levis revealed a wicked smile, "An interesting party."

Liszt shook his head calmly, "Brother, how many times have I told you? I don't like those kinds of parties. I'll rest at Tulip Castle for the night and set sail back in the morning."

"Oh my, you really don't act like a noble. What kind of noble doesn't enjoy life!"