Chapter 614: Determination and Ambition

The source of the Roaring River is unknown, likely originating from dangerous, uncharted territories tens of thousands of kilometers away. The continent is so vast that uninhabited regions far outnumber settled ones. Particularly remote areas like towering mountains, flowing rivers, primeval forests, deserts, and vast lakes or marshes remain monster-infested zones.

The Earl followed Liszt’s pointing finger.

Snowpear Keep stood at the estuary of the Roaring River, with Lesser Riverheart Fort upstream from it, and further up lay Greater Riverheart Fort. Yet Liszt’s finger moved past Greater Riverheart Fort, continuing upstream until it settled on Tri-Dragon City, even farther up.

“Tri-Dragon City lies within the fief of a certain Earl, a follower of the Marquis of the Raging Tide. If we crush the Marquis and then swiftly seize Tri-Dragon City, the Roaring River will become an inland waterway for House Tulip’s fleet. This golden route would not only allow rapid transport of supplies but also swift deployment of knight companies.”

“You intend to use the Roaring River to plunder resources from surrounding territories?”

“Not just resources.” Liszt smiled faintly, pointing even further west of Tri-Dragon City. “Father, the city’s name comes from an ancient battle—legend says two Dragon Knights once pursued an evil dragon through this land, hence the name Tri-Dragon City.”

The Earl remained silent, listening intently.

Liszt continued, recounting what Yevich had revealed: “Tri-Dragon City also marks the confluence of the Roaring River and its tributary, the Three Dragons River. Further upstream along the Three Dragons River lies a stretch of mountains called the Dragon-Trap Mountains. Look here, Father—there’s a secret iron mine!”

“An iron mine?”

“Yes. This is intel from Yevich, who once ventured into the Dragon-Trap Mountains to capture a magical beast as a mount… I’ve already dispatched blood-bound servants to investigate. If the mine’s existence is confirmed, perhaps we can join forces with my uncle’s knight company and, leveraging the Three Dragons River and the Roaring River, recreate the exploits of your youth!”

Liszt finished, eyes gleaming as he awaited the Earl’s response.

The Earl did not answer immediately, lost in memories of his younger days.

When he inherited the title of Viscount of Great Stream City from Gregory Slate, he was determined to restore his family’s glory, ruthlessly seizing resources and military merits during every annual Expansion Decree. One year, he even ventured deep into the Kingdom of the Eagle’s heartland, capturing an iron mine and hauling away at least 200,000 tons of ore.

Those 200,000 tons of ore even drew the attention of the Kingdom of the Eagle’s Dragon Knight, who pursued the fleet across vast distances to intercept them.

This legendary feat earned Lee William the favor of Marquis Merlin, who wed his daughter Melissa to him. The following year, the Archduke personally bestowed upon him the title of Earl of Coral Island.

Yet, nearly two decades later, the bold exploits of his youth had never been repeated, and he had remained an Earl for over twenty years.

Now, his ambition remained unquenched—he still aspired to rise higher, to become a Marquis.

The iron mine in the Dragon-Trap Mountains seemed like a divine shortcut to that title, setting his pulse racing. But after careful consideration, he shook his head. “Liszt, I understand your current fervor, your grand ambitions for your own strength—but this is far too dangerous!”

“Father, if we strike decisively before the Dragon Knights can react, the odds of success are high! If we don’t seize the iron mine in Dragon-Trap Mountains now, we may never get another chance. Mines deplete year after year!”

“If you know about my youthful plundering of mines, then you should also know the consequence—drawing out a Dragon Knight.” The Earl shuddered at the memory. “Had it not been for the Kingdom of Steel Ridge’s Dragon Knight keeping them in check, I might have been intercepted and slain at sea.”

Liszt fell silent for a moment, but his eyes still burned with determination. “Wealth lies in danger!”

---

Dragon Knights: the pinnacle of power!

Dragons in this world are not rare, but given the vastness of the land, their distribution is scattered. Many nobles go their entire lives without seeing one, let alone commoners.

The Kingdom of the Eagle, including its vassal states and wild dragons, possesses twenty dragons in total—not an overwhelming number.

Only a Dragon Knight can be granted the title of Archduke and establish a new nation, though once the dragon dies or flies away, that nation’s days are numbered. Thus, every state, whether a duchy or a kingdom, must have a dragon.

Kingdoms, with their numerous vassal states, naturally maintain a fair number of dragons. The Kingdom of the Eagle keeps nine, though currently only six have bonded with riders—meaning there are six Dragon Knights. These knights either are of royal blood or are bound by lifelong contracts to serve the kingdom.

However,

Compared to the kingdom's vast area almost the size of Asia, six dragon knights are far from enough to guard such a vast territory. Even message delivery from south to north would likely take weeks. Moreover, while the Kingdom of the Eagle has dragon knights, the Kingdom of Steel Ridge also possesses them!

In fact, the Kingdom of Steel Ridge has even more dragon knights than the Kingdom of the Eagle.

However, each dragon knight is entangled in complex international relations, making their deployment difficult—especially in dragon-slaying battles between dragon knights.

Victory would naturally be favorable, but a single defeat could threaten national stability.

The reason royal families allow outsiders to ride their dragons is precisely because without enough dragon knights, the country would face immense trouble.

Just as major powers like China, Russia, and the U.S. possess nuclear weapons, none dare to use them recklessly or reduce their stockpiles carelessly—they serve as tools of deterrence and balancing mechanisms.

The Kingdom of the Eagle, the Kingdom of Steel Ridge, and even client states like the Sapphire Duchy all have dragon knights or dragons. Yet mutual wariness, confrontation, and entanglement ensure that dragon-slaying battles between dragon knights remain rare.

Dragon knights also seldom participate in wars between ordinary knights.

A single dragon knight could annihilate countless knight orders when facing ordinary knights. But while you destroy the enemy's knights, their dragon knights could do the same to yours. In such a deadlock, neither side gains an advantage, so deterrence takes precedence over direct engagement.

No matter how ambitious the Marquis remains, age has tempered his boldness.

Yet Liszt refuses to let go of this golden opportunity: "The Kingdom of the Eagle's dragon knights are tied up at their borders. If we launch a decisive strike, quickly seize the iron resources, and retreat along the Three Dragon River and the Roaring Great River, by the time news reaches their dragon knights, we'll already be back in our own territory!"

"But what if we can't retreat in time, Liszt? I yearn for the title of Marquis, but not at the cost of heavy sacrifices. Your future is bright—the glory of knighthood favors you. There's no need to take such extreme risks."

Extreme?

Absolutely extreme!

Liszt himself knows that this plan isn't just bold—it's radical, even reckless. He wasn't like this before, content to remain holed up in Flower Town rather than join wars, willing to farm in obscurity for half his life before pursuing his dreams armed to the teeth.

But unexpectedly, obtaining a dragon early, combined with the power of the Smoke Dragon and the gift of the invisible dragon, has propelled his strength near the summit of power.

Unconsciously, his mindset has undergone a massive shift—he now craves war and plunder. He hasn't changed the world; the world has quietly changed him. Of course, he prefers to call this transformation growth. When he was just a commoner, he worried about trifles.

But now, with one foot already on the mountaintop, gazing upon boundless lands, how could he bear to keep hiding on an island, fussing over one or two spirit bugs?

After a moment's consideration, Liszt slowly says, "Father, you're right. I don't need to be so radical. Yet I can't resist such a tremendous temptation either. Perhaps we can find a middle ground."

The Marquis raises an eyebrow. "What middle ground?"

If they can safely plunder the iron resources, he too is reluctant to give up.

"We'll still launch a decisive strike, but this time we'll bring the Long Taro family and the Golden Wheat family into the fold. Have them help us blockade the territories around the Roaring Great River. Then, after seizing the iron mine, we'll allocate a share to them and combine the fleets of all three families to make a swift retreat upriver!"

"But safety still isn't guaranteed."

"After capturing Dragon-Trapping Mountain, you and I will immediately mingle with other knight orders to avoid detection. Regardless of whether the fleet escapes smoothly, we won't participate further. Additionally, we can inform the Grand Duke in advance and have him provide cover. With his protection, it will be futile even if dragon knights come personally!"

The Marquis's eyes light up. With this plan, though much of the credit would be distributed, the risk is minimized to an acceptable level—worth attempting.

Locking eyes, father and son see determination in each other's gaze.

And ambition!