Chapter 83: Opportunity to Change Destiny

Why has the milk tea become more delicious each day?

Lister had noticed this phenomenon over half a month ago. Initially, he thought that Mo Sen's skills had improved, but it was impossible for him to notice an improvement every single day.

"Actually, sir," Carter said, "The desserts made with cream have also been improving in taste recently. Mrs. Mo Sen and Mrs. Abby think it might have something to do with the cows on the farm. Both Big Black and Big Yellow are pregnant, and their milk production and quality have been increasing."

"Pregnancy can improve the quality of milk?"

"It's likely due to the alfalfa grass that the cow farm is cultivating. It's more nutritious than the two-leaf grass they used to have. I've visited the cow farm, and all eight cows are in great condition, especially the three calves. They're growing very quickly and will soon enter the milking period."

"Excellent. Once the calves grow up, the castle won't lack milk." Lister finished his cup of milk tea. "This time, we must ensure that the calf in the cow's womb survives."

A cow's gestation period was roughly nine months. To maintain milk production, they would need to be impregnated again right after giving birth.

Therefore, a cow could give birth to one calf per year.

However, due to factors such as nutrition, hygiene, and diseases, not all calves could grow into cows. Many of them would die prematurely. Even in this era, human childbirth carried a high risk of infant mortality. Even with the strong bodies of nobles and doctors to provide treatment, there was no guarantee that infants would survive.

In the past decade and a half, the cow farm had only managed to raise ten cows.

Now that two of the elderly cows had been consumed by the invisible dragon, only eight remained, which was enough to support a few more. Milk was an essential food for nobles, as vital as bread and beer.

Lister couldn't live without milk.

He enjoyed drinking milk tea and would start his day with a cup of fresh milk, followed by a cup of powdered milk with both lunch and dinner, and another cup of milk tea before bed. The four cups of milk provided the nutrients he needed to replenish the energy drained from his daily practice of Aura - a knight's Aura originated from the body, and without proper nourishment, there could be no Aura.

Wiping the foam of milk tea from the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief, Lister suddenly yearned to create bubble tea.

However, there were no purple sweet potatoes or pumpkins on Coral Island, so he couldn't produce the "bubbles." As a result, he continued to drink plain milk tea - when they first arrived at the castle, Mrs. Mossen's milk tea was a blend of milk, black tea, minced meat, eggs, salt, sugar cubes, and salad, but Lister had later insisted on removing these additional ingredients to restore the original flavor of the milk tea.

Finishing his cup of milk tea, he said cheerfully, "Once the castle's income increases, I plan to raise more dairy cows, striving to ensure that every servant and retainer in the castle can enjoy a cup of fresh milk daily."

Carter responded with a smile, "You are always so generous."

A little favor could keep the servants loyal, but the primary reason was his desire to improve the nutritional provisions for the knight squad.

The following morning.

He continued to practice the Multi-Arrow Technique at the riding field without needing Marcus's guidance. Marcus was nearby, still training the knight squad. Rohm Barrel, Gray Scythe, and Auden Sole, the three squire knights, also followed along with the knight squad's training.

Only Karl Hammer no longer trained with the team; he returned to Liszt's side—he had successfully cultivated Aura and become an apprentice knight.

His Aura was weak, of the water element, and Marcus judged that there was no potential left to be tapped.

However, Karl was already content. He couldn't stop grinning these past few days. Possessing Aura meant strength and importance.

"Karl, you've developed your Aura talent too late, so this is as far as you'll go. Once the knight squad has met the requirements, it will be hard for you to advance if you stay on as my squire knight," Liszt said while practicing his archery. Karl was not young anymore and had a family in Coral City.

He replied solemnly, "My lord, Karl is willing to follow you always!"

"I know your loyalty, but the position of a squire isn't suitable for you. With your strength, competing against the younger knights in the squad would put you at a disadvantage."

"Sir, I..." Karl also realized that he couldn't compare to the young knights in the squad.

Two of them, Philip Wool and Xavier Manure, had already cultivated their Aura before him. One was Wind Aura, and the other was Lightning Aura. The remaining ten youths had all developed their Aura Sensitivity and would soon acquire Aura as well, with ample time to advance to become Earth Knights.

He felt somewhat disoriented.

Not being an overly clever person, he momentarily lost sight of his future.

Lister sighed inwardly. He wasn't an unfeeling brute, but a squire's position wasn't one where sentimentality should prevail. They needed to ensure their own safety without any room for negligence: "Join the patrol team. They're all ordinary folk, and a squire's coordination is needed for public security."

"Yes, Sir." Karl appeared a little dejected.

The patrol team was far less prestigious than serving as a lord's squire.

Lister noticed Karl's disappointment, so he merely said calmly, "I'll grant you the status of a freeman and appoint you as the Flower Town's defense officer, assisting Gort in maintaining the town's security. The patrol team will fall under your direct command. This is an important post, Karl. Don't disappoint me."

Karl's expression shifted instantly from disappointment to delight.

He bowed his head and said, "Thank you for your promotion, Sir. Karl is willing to serve you for life!"

...

By afternoon, the news of Karl's elevation to freeman and his appointment as the Defense Officer of Flower Town had spread throughout the stable grounds. Marcus took advantage of a break in the knight squad's training to come over and give Liszt archery pointers.

They also engaged in small talk.

"My Lord, Karl's story has made the knight squad train more diligently, especially Rohm, Gray, and Auden. They're pushing themselves to the limit," Marcus said.

"Battle Aura can change one's destiny used to be just a slogan. But with a living example like Karl, they now realize it's not just empty words, but a genuine opportunity," Liszt remarked, shaking off the ache in his wrist. Even he was striving to become stronger.

Marcus replied, "It is Your Excellency who has given them the chance to change their fate."

Liszt agreed that there was no fault in Marcus's statement.

Shifting the conversation, Liszt drew four arrows and began practicing the "Spiral Shadow Arrow," a technique within the Multiple Arrow skill that made the arrows follow a spiral trajectory. This was a prerequisite for the ultimate skill, Illusory Multiple Phantom Arrows. The key here was creating an illusionary effect with the arrows.

Two arrows were nestled between the spaces of his index finger, and two between his middle finger.

He drew back the powerful bow, its string forming a full moon shape.

Focusing on the target not far ahead, he released the arrows in quick succession. The magical energy attached to them dispersed, causing the quartet of arrows to spin mid-air.

Alas.

One arrow's magic dissipated in the wrong direction, disrupting the entire formation. The airflow was disrupted, and the other three arrows were affected as well, causing all four to miss their mark.

"Still needs some refinement," Liszt put down his bow, reflecting on where he went wrong—the intricacies of archery were immense. He had to control the tension on the string, the trajectory of the arrow, the balance of magic, and even consider how to overcome air resistance and gravitational acceleration.

Marcus watched the paths of the fallen arrows, his eyes gleaming.

"Milord, your talent in archery surpasses many. I began learning at your age but took a full three years just to grasp the basics of Archery 101. After becoming a Earth Knight, it took me nearly fifteen more years to reach my current level. Yet, you are already closing in on that."