Chapter 182: Maggie Praises the Lord

It seemed that the Tupo’s ferocity had been subdued, and it could be let out for a walk. However, it was still best to be cautious and keep it in the dog prison until it gave birth to the little violent Tupo pups.

Liszt saw the easily tamed Tupo.

For some reason, he thought of the stubborn Juanfu and felt a twinge of regret. Perhaps if he hadn’t been so soft-hearted and had persisted a bit longer, Juanfu would have submitted. After all, both Juanfu and the Tupo were just magical beasts. As magical beasts, they didn’t have much dignity to speak of.

In a daze,

a faint mist appeared before his eyes, forming a snake-like script.

**Mission:** "With autumn here, winter is not far behind. The snow-covered Flower Town will be isolated. Wheat, an indispensable staple, must not be lacking. Stockpile ten tons of wheat to stabilize the hearts of the serfs for the winter. Reward: The goodwill of the serfs."

Stockpiling ten tons of wheat wasn’t difficult.

This year, with the help of the wheat bugs in Wheat Village, there had been a bountiful harvest, with nearly 240 pounds per acre from a total of five hundred acres, yielding 120,000 pounds, which equated to six tons.

"Just another four tons, and the mission will be complete. The Thorn Caravan and the Flower Caravan are already purchasing new wheat from various places," Liszt regained his composure, looking at the simple task but unable to fathom why the reward was "the goodwill of the serfs."

He even thought disdainfully, "Do I need the goodwill of the serfs? As long as they work diligently, build my territory, and provide me with luxury and comfort, that’s enough."

Compared to other lords, his treatment of serfs was relatively merciful.

Other lords often beat or even killed their serfs without any resistance from them. Therefore, his position as lord in Flower Town was quite secure. Under the knightly system, nobles needed no public opinion; they only required matching strength to obtain everything.

Despite the uselessness of this mission reward,

Liszt still had to complete it for the sake of the next mission. It was a task he would do anyway, regardless of the mission.

With that thought, he waved his hand lightly, dismissing the misty mission.

His gaze returned to the Tupo. Since his retainer knights were outside the dog prison, he directly took a piece of jerky from the spatial gem on his chest and fed it to the Tupo.

Seeing the jerky, Hiddleston wanted to snatch it, completely disregarding its relationship with the Tupo.

"Get away," Liszt ordered Hiddleston, watching the Tupo devour the jerky. After eating jerky several times, the Tupo wagged its tail at him, a rare gesture of affection.

It seemed like it was getting used to him.

"Dogs are the most friendly to humans. Compared to the untrainable Juanfu, Hiddleston and the Tupo are much better. Adding a litter of little violent Tupo pups in the future would be perfect... When I go to battle, I can simply unleash the dogs, with Hiddleston leading the charge. That scene would be breathtaking!" He could almost see rows of rock spikes violently erupting.

After walking the dogs,

he returned to the castle, where Butler Carter had already led the servants to tidy up. The gifts brought by guests had been recorded and stored in the castle’s warehouse.

Nobles usually gave food or iron as gifts because these were scarce resources, making them suitable for gifting.

However, the amount of resources obtained through gifts couldn’t make one rich—after all, Liszt would also need to return gifts when other nobles held banquets.

"Sir, would you like to check the accounts?"

"No need."

Liszt wasn’t a miser who counted his wealth daily. He chatted briefly with Carter before returning to his study upstairs to calm his mind and prepare for today’s potion consumption.

Opening the Flame Mushroom Magic Potion, he downed it in one gulp.

Instantly, flame-like magic power spread throughout his body.

Taking advantage of the surging magic power, he continuously circulated his aura, striving to expand his body to accommodate the magic power and generate his own aura.

He likened this process to filling a cup with stones.

Ordinary Earth Knights filled their cups with small pebbles, but no matter how full they made it, there would always be gaps. Elite Earth Knights relied on constant shaking and friction to make the gaps tighter. The potion-consuming elite Earth Knights used magic potions like sand to fill the cup.

He was currently repeating this process.

While not particularly challenging, it required continuous supply and unwavering patience.

"Once you start consuming magic potions, don’t stop, or at least don’t interrupt the process. Otherwise, the aura created by the magic potions will retreat, ultimately falling back to the level of an ordinary Earth Knight. But you also can’t consume them too frequently; find the right balance for your body, oscillating between the two extremes."

This was the wisdom imparted by the Earl to his sons on how to consume potions effectively.

The Earl himself had consumed potions for ten years to break through his body’s limitations, transforming his intermediate aura into advanced aura. This valuable experience was the core secret of the Tulip family, shared only with direct descendants.

Silently refining the magic potion’s power, he attacked his own aura.

Simultaneously, he compared his experiences with the Earl’s teachings, seeking the right balance for his body.

The Earl once said, "Everyone consumes magic potions differently. You need to judge based on your own body and find the right balance."

Exceeding the balance would not only waste potions but also damage the body.

Falling short of the balance would waste time and increase the body’s tolerance, making it counterproductive.

"Not every wealthy elite Earth Knight can become a Sky Knight through magic potions... otherwise, great nobles would never decline... intelligence, sharp senses, and an unwavering heart are all qualities a Sky Knight must possess."

These words were deeply ingrained in his predecessor’s mind, indicating a hidden tiger within.

But what his predecessor lacked was insight, which now benefited the current Liszt.

...

As the celebration ended, life in Flower Town continued.

Wagons transporting newly harvested wheat moved towards the granary near the castle. To complete the mission of stabilizing the serfs, he had Karl Hammer lead his patrol team to extensively promote—this year’s harvest, the lord’s love for the people, stockpiling wheat, and a worry-free winter.

In previous winters, the residents of Flower Town had endured bleak memories.

This year was the most comfortable year for the residents of Flower Town. With hope for winter already present, Liszt’s promotion eliminated any fear of winter among the serfs.

"This year will be easy to get through, Maggie, don't worry." Harriet, a farmer's wife from Barley Village, said to the skinny little girl sitting at the table.

The little girl, Maggie, was a purchased serf from the Kingdom of Eagles.

She had studied Serpent Script with Old Grandet but was still not very proficient, so she was somewhat confused: "Mrs. Harriet, what?"

"Eat well, full belly." Harriet kindly patted Maggie's small head, pointed at the bread, then at her stomach, and smiled, "The Lord is merciful; this winter, everyone will have full bellies. We will have a very happy winter without hunger or beasts."

With her words and gestures, she successfully made Maggie understand.

The little girl nodded vigorously and responded in her still imperfect Serpent Script: "The Lord is merciful and great. Maggie praises the Lord!"