Chapter 51 Eyes that spy on magic

After quite a commotion, the flames were finally extinguished, but the knight's novel was left with a charred, yellowed exterior.

This is a chivalric novel titled "The Chronicles of Vulture Knight Steeland: Expedition to the Farthest Reaches," though, in strict terms, it leans more towards being a biographical historical record. It recounts the tale of Steeland Vulture, a Sky Knight who rides a dragonkin mount—a vulture—that enables him to soar through the skies. His story is one of conquest and expansion for the kingdom of Blastfurnace.

The tale may seem dull, yet it is intricately detailed.

Amidst a sea of fabrications about knights, this novel stands out as a refreshing breeze. Liszt has perused it thrice, convinced that nine times out of ten, the story rings true.

It could be that the Vulture Clan still exists within the Kingdom of Blastfurnace.

"Such a pity, a fine book. Who knows if I can obtain a new one on my next visit to Tulip Castle," Liszt lamented, cradling the charred novel in his hands.

Good books were hard to come by.

Suddenly, his brows arched as he noticed the burned cover. The charred exterior peeled away, revealing a glimmering golden hue beneath, suggesting a hidden layer within the cover.

With a gentle flick of his finger, the cover crumbled and fell away, exposing the golden color beneath.

"It truly is a hidden layer!" Liszt's disappointment was replaced with surprise. "This must be the forgotten martial arts secret technique they spoke of!"

Completed during the day, the wheat worm quest rewarded its bounty at night, all in the most natural manner.

The cover was completely rubbed off, revealing a palm-sized sheet of golden paper nestled within—though not truly paper, Liszt's examination disclosed that it was a gold leaf resembling tin foil. Upon it were engraved numerous minuscule words in relief, alongside an illustration of a human circulating their battle aura.

"Eye of Magic Battle Aura Secret Technique - Steffan Vulture," read the slightly larger Serpent script at the top of the gold leaf.

"It's indeed a battle aura secret technique, the Eye of Magic, a legacy of the Vulture family. It seems this novel I've obtained is extraordinary, possibly one-of-a-kind. The weight of this gold leaf alone is equivalent to a gold coin; surely not every copy would contain such a treasure."

With that, he shifted his gaze from the gold leaf to the bookshelf in his study. "Among these books, there's information about invisible dragons and the Eye of Magic. Could there be more hidden secrets?"

To test his theory, he sliced a gash into the cover of each novel with a blade.

However, no additional hidden layers were discovered.

Evidently, this was the only battle aura secret technique present.

"The Eye of Magic, its introduction is intricate, detailing a highly meticulous and complex circulation of battle aura, far more intricate than the ultimate mysteries of battle aura manuals... It might be challenging to learn."

Liszt assessed that his comprehension skills were not lacking.

"The Fire Dragon Drill" and "Flame Wave" were mastered swiftly, and he was now preparing to learn Marcus's archery skills – he preferred ranged attacks over close combat.

As the thought of deferring the study of "Sorcerer's Eye" crossed his mind, it was immediately dismissed upon reading the final description on the golden parchment about this skill.

It read, "The Sorcerer's Eye can directly perceive the flow of magic power. Even an invisible mage would not be able to conceal their presence under its scrutiny."

In an instant, he understood that this Aura Secret Technique was another piece in the interconnected quest chain for the invisible dragon. "Is this telling me that with the Sorcerer's Eye, I'll be able to see the invisible dragon?"

With that realization, Liszt's path ahead became clear.

He experimented repeatedly with Smoky Grass, discovering that the juice extracted from the herb had a pungent odor, albeit not as overwhelming as the scent released when it was burned.

He instructed his people to harvest a batch of Smoky Grass, dry them, and construct a "signal tower" at the dairy farm specifically for burning the grass to lure the invisible dragon.

Underneath the signal tower, they began digging a tunnel for concealment. Surrounding the tower, they prepared to tether the cows, coating them with Smoky Grass juice before the invisible dragon's invasion.

On a small hill slightly distant from the signal tower, Liszt also ordered the digging of another tunnel, camouflaged with a bunker at its entrance.

In his plan, he would hide here and keep a watchful eye on the Invisible Dragon's invasion. Once he spotted it, he would instruct his servants to light the smoky grass on the beacon tower. Then, the servants would retreat into the underground tunnel for safety. He, on the other hand, would observe the Invisible Dragon feast until it flew away. Afterward, he would search the ground to see if the dragon left behind any gems.

Standing atop the soil pile where the tunnel was being dug, Liszt continued to ponder, ensuring he didn't overlook anything.

"If the mission is truly completed, the rewards will start to be distributed. That means, once I set up the Thorns Bug, the Invisible Dragon will come to Flower Town... Does the Smoke Mission control the dragon, or is it just a coincidence guided by the mission? Can I attempt to place the Thorns Bug at any time, and the dragon will invade Flower Town whenever it pleases?"

It was perplexing.

For now, there was no answer.

What he needed to do was strive to complete every Smoke Mission to strengthen himself.

"Lister, digging from here to that bramble forest won't be an easy task. I still don't understand why you want to do this," Gort directed the civilians as they excavated the tunnel according to Lister's instructions.

"You don't need to know, Teacher Gort. This isn't a lack of trust in you but rather a secret of my own. All you need to do is, on the day I notify you, relocate all the farmers from the dairy farm to another place for a day."

"Alright, Flower Town is your territory, and your wishes cannot be defied. Of course, I will follow through."

"That's good to hear."

"So then, you're really going to settle the Thorn Bugs in that bramble forest? It's not a very spacious area and not an ideal location."

"I have my reasons."

"Hmm, never mind. In any case, Thorn Bugs are useless spirit insects that won't hinder agricultural development."

"Each spirit insect has its unique purpose, we just haven't discovered it yet. Perhaps one day, you'll find that magic potions can be born from the thorns too."

"Haha, I hope so."

The project proceeded swiftly, with no one understanding why Liszt was doing this, but no one dared to resist. In Flower Town, if Liszt wanted to do something, including killing or arson, there was basically no one who would dare to stop him.

The tunnel was dug day by day.

He started practicing the 'Eye of Magic' within the castle. This secret technique of Aura was rather intricate, but under his intuitive comprehension, he quickly grasped the knack for it.

To put it bluntly, it was about using the eyes as a bridge to create resonance between one's Aura and the external magic power. Magic power was a rather mystical force that constantly emitted vibrations. He preferred to refer to these vibrations as the radiation of magic power.

Receiving the radiation and using the eyes like radar, that was the principle behind the 'Eye of Magic,' a non-combat secret technique.

After five days of intense study, Lister finally mastered the final technique of his Aura circulation, enabling him to use the Magic Eye for the first time. Gazing into the mirror, he saw his gemstone-blue irises seemed to spin, with countless stars swirling within them, exuding an enigmatic and profound aura.

Strange yet enchanting.

"My eyes must be capable of captivating any young maiden, don't you think?"

He directed his gaze outside the window, where Marcus was instructing four Squire Knights in the art of Aura. Though they had passed their prime age for Aura refinement, diligent practice still held the potential for success.

In Lister's vision, Marcus appeared as a verdant silhouette.

Not far away, Hiddleston, locked in a contest with a stone, was a faint yellow shadow.

"Marcus with his Wind Attribute Aura, and Hiddleston with his Earth Attribute magic—this is what the Magic Eye reveals… Will it truly work on invisible dragons?"