Chapter 17 Dou Sen and Dragon Stallion

Due to the incident with the Rampaging Earth Hound, Marcus decided to delay his departure by a day.

As he rested, he shared some precautions about raising magical beasts with Liszt.

"Magical beasts, even if they can bond with a master, are still inherently dangerous. They lack a sense of right and wrong and have unpredictable tempers. Once they become proficient in using their magic, they might unintentionally harm others. So, my lord Baron, when raising a Rampaging Earth Hound pup, you'll need to guide and train it positively."

"Like the hunting dogs bred at Tulip Castle?"

"Yes, you should start training its obedience from a young age, making it follow your commands. You also need to continually exhaust its magic power, allowing it to vent its magic in training so that it won't use spells to hurt others in daily life. The Rock Spikes of a Rampaging Earth Hound are extremely deadly magic."

"How long will it take for it to be able to cast magic?"

"I'm not too sure, but generally, magical beasts have weak magic before reaching adulthood. A Rampaging Earth Hound matures in about one and a half years. That means you have one and a half years to tame it."

"Very well, I'll treat this as a cultivation task and consistently train it."

Marcus seemed to be in a good mood. After imparting the necessary advice, he rarely offered some flattering words. "Peanut Worms, potions, and magical beasts—my lord Baron will surely astonish everyone on Coral Island."

Liszt smiled.

The surprises were yet to come.

He inquired, "What should I do with the corpse of that female Rampaging Earth Hound?"

"Perhaps you should ask Lord Gort. He once managed the trading market for the Earl and knows best the value of magical beasts."

"Mr. Carter, please fetch Master Gort for me."

"As you wish, sir."

Gort arrived hastily and exclaimed upon seeing the corpse of the Raging Earth Hound, "Wow, what did I just witness? Is this the King of Thorns Ridge, the Raging Earth Hound? Goodness, it's a low-tier magical beast, but I sense a terrifying aura akin to that of an intermediate magical beast. Marcus, I have to admit that you're one of the top knights on Coral Island."

The most powerful knight on Coral Island was undoubtedly Liszt's father, Sky Knight and Earl Lee William Tulip, who was also the only powerful knight with high-tier battle aura.

The rest were all Earth Knights.

As for the magical beasts on Coral Island, there seemed to be only one intermediate magical beast, the Purple Sand Crocodile, in the shallow waters of the southern coast. All the other mountains had low-tier magical beasts. In Thorns Ridge, the Raging Earth Hound was the strongest among the low-tiers.

"Teacher Gort, how should we deal with this magical beast?" Liszt asked.

Gort prodded the corpse of the Rampaging Earth Hound with his cane. The dog, as big as a calf, was covered in dried blood, a ghastly sight. "The pelt is ruined, otherwise, it would be the most valuable part. It could fetch at least a hundred Neldars."

Nelder was the name of the gold coins in the Sapphire Duchy, named after the first Duke of Sapphire.

"Should still be worth some gold, right?"

"It can only be sold as scraps. I reckon a shrewd merchant might offer five Neldars, or a more honest one might give ten."

Gort continued his analysis, "Its meat should weigh around six hundred pounds. Typically, magic beast meat sells for one silver coin per pound, but Rampaging Earth Hound meat could fetch two silver coins per pound, twelve Neldars in total. However, Liszt, you should keep it for yourself to stabilize your Aura."

"Carter is right. Selling its meat wouldn't be profitable. The castle needs to import meat anyway," Carter interjected. As the trusted steward, he was entitled to participate in such discussions.

"Besides the pelt and meat, there's the bones and organs. Wizardry practitioners often buy magic beast organs. I know where to find them; they're always interested in acquiring organs and various mystical herbs. The price is hard to determine. As for the bones, they make great broth." Gort chuckled as he added, "Too bad it's a female. If it were a male, wow, that would be a powerful tonic."

The difference between a male and a female was the presence of a phallus.

Liszt responded, "In that case, we'll skin the Rampaging Earth Hound and sell the pelt once it's tanned. Clean the organs and preserve them. Teacher Gort, are there any wizards on Coral Island?"

"It doesn't seem like it."

"Then let's leave the organs for the castle to enjoy."

"Haha, then we're all in for a treat. Praise Baron Liszt for his generosity!"

...

Nightfall.

A small barbecue party was held within the castle.

Servants, squire knights, and Liszt himself, as the host, along with his two mentors, feasted on succulent roasted meat while engaging in cheerful conversations about pleasant matters.

In truth, Liszt wasn't particularly fond of such boisterous gatherings; he was an inherently quiet person at heart.

But such was life in a castle. Most castles were dimly lit, and living in them for extended periods could be suffocating. Hence, one needed opportunities to relieve the pent-up emotions, and parties served as the perfect outlet.

After indulging in a satisfying meal and drinks.

The servants tidied up the mess of utensils, while Liszt headed upstairs. He made a beeline for the once-unused recreation room that had been converted into a makeshift nursery for the newborn cub. The puppy would remain here until it opened its eyes, ensuring that Liszt would be the first face it saw.

Thus, Liszt took on the responsibility of feeding and bathing the puppy himself.

The trembling pup inspired him to name it "Hiddleston."

"Hello, Hiddleston, time for milk," said Liszt as he held a leather pouch filled with milk close to the puppy's mouth. The opening had been specially cut to resemble a teat.

The scent of milk overpowered its fear of the unfamiliar, and Hiddleston hurriedly crawled over, instinctively latching onto the pouch. It began to gulp down the milk eagerly.

Despite its small size, comparable to a teddy bear, Hiddleston displayed the hearty appetite of a magical beast, devouring the milk in no time.

In the blink of an eye, the entire pouch was emptied by Hiddleston.

Thanks to that one pouch of milk, Hiddleston became familiar with Liszt's scent. Now, Liszt could stroke its fur without any resistance. Instead, Hiddleston nuzzled into his hand affectionately. To an outsider, it might seem as though Liszt simply owned an ordinary dog, not the ruler of Thorns Ridge and the guardian of the fearsome Earthdog.

"When will you open your eyes?"

Seemingly in response to Liszt's words, Hiddleston let out a soft "whuffle" from his mouth.

Liszt's gaze wandered slightly, and once more a wisp of smoke appeared before him, swiftly transforming into a message: "Task completed. Reward: Young Wyvern puppy."

"Certainly, Hiddleston is the reward. I've figured out how these smoke missions work now," he mused to himself.

As he pondered, the script of smoke before him shifted.

"Task: As a Knight of the Earth, it is your duty to master the charge on horseback. Study the Intermediate Battle Aura Manuscript and become a genuine knight capable of combat. Reward: A mare with faint Dragonlineage blood."

"A Dragonlineage mare?" Liszt's eyes lit up with interest.