The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

The Warlord changed his account every day to tip…

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The study was quiet, the weather in September not as hot as in August; all windows had already been replaced with glass, making the room particularly bright.

The Earl seemed to hear Liszt talking about something, but his mind was no longer on that channel.

Many fragments of time emerged in his mind.

There were memories of his youth, when he first saw the Sapphire Dragon with his father's guidance, and of the shock that came with it; there were also moments of joy when Melissa gave birth to their second son, strengthening the line of the family he had been working all his life to glorify, to see the Tulip blossom on Sapphire.

Indeed, thanks to his efforts, the Tulip Family's reputation gradually spread over Sapphire, and nobles great and small came to know of such a family, of such a Sea Wave Sword Saint.

However, he didn't know since when,

perhaps it started when Liszt came of age and decided to branch off.

The accomplishments he had been so proud of seemed to become more and more laughable. He became a Sky Knight at twenty-three, and as the offspring of a minor noble, he was already considered a genius. However, his younger son, whom he had abandoned and never sponsored with any resources, became a Sky Knight at eighteen.

He continued his family's legacy, raising one Greater Tulip Elf and twelve Little Minor Elves. Yet Liszt casually found a Greater Elf and a bunch of Minor Elves while swimming, and the number of elves produced by his modest estate almost matched the harvest Coral Island could achieve in ten years.

He had longed for an Intermediate Magical Beast as his mount since his youth but never succeeded in acquiring one. Liszt, on the other hand, raised a bunch of Intermediate Magical Beast Blizzard Beasts, found a group of extraordinarily bred Black Blood Treasured Horses, and then there were the flying Landwalker Bird Loki and the diving Rainbow Whale Rose.

Most importantly, he was now forty-six, and Liszt was only eighteen.

In a live combat drill at the beginning of the year, he, a powerful Sword Saint, was pressed and beaten by Liszt, barely able to fight back. He convinced himself to accept this, to accept the reality that his son was stronger than himself. He also convinced himself to accept that his son was the Son of Glory, naturally blessed by the honor of knighthood.

As a result,

suddenly, Liszt became the inheritor of the Ghost Swordsman Inheritance, with the power to directly defeat a formidable Domain Knight.

Regardless, the Earl believed and tried hard to convince himself to be proud of his son, proud that his son could achieve such immense honors in battle—especially when the Grand Duke personally promised to let him pick from the three seats of Feudal Marquis of Iron Hoof Island, he truly felt the exceptionalness of the son he had brought into the world.

The achievements that the Tulip Family would need generations to accomplish were so easily realized.

This was already the perfect ending—he would rise to become the Marquis of Bull Tail, Liszt would rise to become the Marquis of Iron Hoof Island, and the Tulip Family would branch out, continuing as two separate marquis families.

But,

now he heard something else.

"Dragon Knight?" The Earl felt as if the foundation he had painstakingly convinced himself of, that shaped his worldview, outlook on life, and values, crashed down with a thunderous collapse.

All that was left was confusion.

He was confused that everything he had struggled for in life, in the face of the news that Liszt had become a Dragon Knight, had become laughable material.

What did all those struggles, that persistence, that resilience add up to in front of a Dragon Knight!

Tea from his cup spilled onto his clothes.

He seemed not to notice, like an old man, lost in the memories of his life experiences—the joys and sorrows, the partings and reunions. It was as if only by hiding in these memories could he live like a real Sword Saint, strong and admired by countless others, bearing the fate of revitalizing his family.

He didn't have to face the reality of this overwhelming, suffocating shock.

Until a voice like a clap of thunder rang out by his ear: "Father!"

He suddenly snapped out of his reverie, and with a jolt, spilled the rest of the tea. Watching Liszt, who was waving his hand in front of him, his thoughts had not yet fully cleared, "What?"

"Your tea has spilled."

"Oh, it's fine, go on." He put the teacup on the table, looked down at the water stains on his chest, took a deep breath, and his brain struggled to return to normal, "Where were we? Ah yes, you said you are a Dragon Knight, right?"

"I had already explained once, Father, you must have been distracted," Liszt said with a hint of helplessness. Who could have known that just the news of a Dragon Knight would startle the renowned Sea Wave Sword Saint like this?

The Earl, pushing aside his muddled thoughts, said, "Then let's hear it again."

"I have gained the recognition of a Fire Dragon and have become a true Dragon Knight. My strength has become so formidable because I have been training with the Fire Dragon, and my Dou Qi has evolved into Dragon Dou Qi. Now my power is increasing at an incredible rate, and were I to face the Marquis Nuta again, I'm afraid I could resolve him with a single move."

"How would you compare to the Marquis of Bull?"

"Easily crushed."

"The Grand Duke almost pulverized the Marquis of Bull in a single encounter. Do you think your strength is comparable to the Grand Duke's?" After a few deep breaths, the Earl's thinking had returned to normal, the bewildered look gone from his face.

Picking up the fatherly authority once again.

Only, the water stain on his chest was quite noticeable.

Liszt nodded, "When the Grand Duke crushed the Marquis of Bull, the Marquis of Bull had already been attacked by a hundred Sky Knights and was at the end of his rope. I dare not say I can absolutely defeat the Grand Duke but, to fight him to a draw should not be too big of a problem."

The Earl didn't respond immediately.

Instead, he started idly tapping on the table with his hand, lost in thought.

After a moment, he looked at Liszt seriously and said, "Then, since you are already a Dragon Knight, where is your Fire Dragon?"

"I have hidden it away, but, I can let you, Father, feel the might of my Dragon Knight's Dragon Might!" Liszt smiled, mentally connecting with Leo, and instantaneously drew upon Leo's strength, unleashing waves of Dragon Might throughout his body—not exercising his full power, just within the confines of the study.

But it was just this simple release of Dragon Might.

The Earl suddenly felt goosebumps all over his body, as if his chest had been hit hard, air trapped in his stomach as if he might suffocate at any moment.

"Yes!"

"This is the feeling, Dragon Might!"

"As intense as the Dragon Might of the Grand Duke and the Sapphire Dragon!" Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire

When the Dragon Might dissipated, the Earl swallowed, feeling bitter yet excited, forcibly suppressing the fluctuations in his emotions, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Liszt, when can I see your Fire Dragon?"

"Anytime you are free."

"Huh? There's no need to communicate in advance?"

"Father." Liszt spoke calmly, "I am a Dragon Knight. The Fire Dragon is my battle companion, with mutual recognition. When I call it, it will appear. I do not need to negotiate for its cooperation like the Grand Duke used to do with the Sapphire Dragon."

The Earl suddenly banged on the table, "I understand now... However, I need some time to cool down and organize my thoughts. Let's talk in detail after dinner."

"I'll go have a chat with my brother. Take your time to think, Father," Liszt said as he stood up and left the study, leaving the Earl to his silence.

The door closed.

The Earl's gaze remained on the door, but a sly smile suddenly formed on his lips, "Heh, a Dragon Knight!"