Chapter 184: Inexplicable Kindness

I wonder how my father and brother are faring in the war in the Kingdom of Eagles, and how much profit they've made this year. After practicing *Fire Dragon Drill* and *Flame Wave*, Liszt took up his bow and arrows to continue training in *Multiple Arrows*.

Since he started taking potions, as an elite Earth Knight, he had been feeling a surge of blood rushing through his veins, eager to charge into battle and showcase his newfound strength.

It was like suddenly becoming rich.

Although reason told him to keep a low profile, emotionally, he couldn't help but want to show off.

"Once I further refine my understanding of the secret manual of Aura, I must have a duel with Marcus one day. With my Red Blood Sword and Black Dragon horse, even if my experience and aura manipulation skills aren't on par with Marcus's, I can still emerge victorious!" He was confident that his equipment would make up for any shortcomings in skill.

Of course, such a duel must be held in private.

If Liszt were to accidentally lose, as long as no one mentioned it, it wouldn't affect his reputation.

With this thought, he became more engrossed in his practice, drawing the bowstring and releasing two sharp arrows side by side. Guided by his aura, the arrows collided mid-air, slightly altering their trajectory, and shot straight towards two targets a hundred meters away, spaced ten meters apart.

*Bang! Bang!*

Liszt looked up, and the arrows had already embedded themselves perfectly at the center of the thick targets. His vision, greatly enhanced by the constant use of the Magic Eye, allowed him to achieve pinpoint accuracy effortlessly. Hitting the bullseye from a hundred steps away was easy; even hitting from a thousand steps wasn't too difficult. However, due to the distance, the aura attached to the arrows would dissipate halfway, relying solely on kinetic energy for flight, significantly reducing both power and precision.

"Many Earth Knights train in *Multiple Arrows*, but there aren't many gifted archers. Marcus is one, but I am even more talented." In Flower Town, Liszt enjoyed comparing himself to Marcus to gauge his own strength. "Just with this dual arrow technique, I surpass Marcus!"

Sweat dripped down his face as he continued practicing *Multiple Arrows*. Although he hadn't yet mastered the ultimate technique of Multiple Phantom Arrows, his basic dual arrows were already masterfully executed.

*Clatter.*

The sound of a merchant caravan approached, bringing the newly purchased wheat to the castle, heading straight for the granary. Officials led a large group of waiting serfs to unload the wheat and stack it in the granary.

Everyone wore smiles on their faces.

Although the stored grain belonged to the lord, having food in the castle meant the serfs could benefit indirectly—especially since the lord wouldn't confiscate their winter reserves.

The knights who came to collect taxes in Flower Town in previous years were like vampires, trying to take all the serfs' grain.

After the caravan finished unloading the wheat,

"Should be about a hundred tons of wheat now?"

Liszt had just finished practicing *Multiple Arrows* and watched the caravan return. Suddenly, he summoned the smoke task while riding his horse.

"Complete the task, reward: Serf Maggie's goodwill."

Serf Maggie's goodwill?

Judging by the name, she was a female serf.

Confused, Liszt instructed his personal male servant, Thomas, who followed behind him, "Find out if there's a serf named Maggie... don't make a big deal of it, just gather some information about her."

Thomas went off to do as instructed.

As Liszt headed back to the castle, he continued pondering the task reward: "What does the goodwill of a serf mean? Is there something wrong with this serf, or does she have some talent that I need to discover... her name suggests she's a female serf, or perhaps..."

A sudden thought crossed his mind.

Excitement surged within him: "Could the smoke task be telling me that there's a beautiful female serf in Flower Town, suggesting I recruit her as my secretary?"

Such a notion seemed unlikely.

But what if it were true?

Fortunately, his rationality prevailed, and he saw a new task.

"Task: The sailors are well-trained, the captain ambitious, and the Sea Stabilizing Pearl nearly complete. The only large ship in Flower Town, the Flower, is ready for its maiden voyage to the vast ocean. Please personally complete the Flower's first voyage. Reward: A herd of Black Dragon horses."

The task reward was not surprising.

Black Horse Island was known to be home to a herd of Black Dragon horses.

However, the content of the task left Liszt somewhat displeased: "Why must I personally complete the maiden voyage? Even with the Sea Stabilizing Pearl, Kosto and his crew would still face danger at sea. The smoke task is irresponsibly putting me at risk!"

His original plan was to send Marcus and others to explore Black Horse Island first, ensuring safety before setting out himself.

After a moment's reflection, he reconsidered: "Actually, I don't have to go. If my subordinates find the herd of Black Dragon horses, they can claim the reward early, and the task will change... but I should still go. Preparing thoroughly for the voyage should minimize the risks."

Even the refugees on Little Papa Island managed to drift thousands of miles to Coral Island under Kosto's guidance. The distance between Coral Island and Black Horse Island is similar, and with trained sailors, navigation shouldn't be too difficult.

Having made the decision,

Liszt wasted no time and quickly found Kosto: "Captain Kosto, I plan to join the voyage to Black Horse Island. During this period, you and my retainer knights must coordinate closely."

"Rest assured, Lord, Kosto will ensure your safety!" Kosto asked, "When will the Sea Stabilizing Pearl be completed?"

"At the latest, within three days."

"In that case, please have your retainer knights come aboard the Flower for training during these three days to ensure they can protect you immediately in case of danger."

"Sure," Liszt suddenly thought, "I plan to take Hiddleston out to sea with me. What do you think?"

Kosto thought carefully and said, "Hiddleston is a land beast. On its first voyage, it will definitely get seasick. Even with three days of continuous training, it might not be able to overcome the seasickness."

"Let's try it and see if Hiddleston gets seasick."

He had never considered sailing to Black Horse Island himself, let alone taking Hiddleston along. But Hiddleston would certainly have to accompany him into battle in the future; it was the perfect bodyguard. Therefore, sailing together was inevitable, and it made sense to train for seasickness in advance.

Not one to dither, the next day, Hiddleston was led by Liszt onto the Flower Ship.

Once on board, Hiddleston was clearly overwhelmed with curiosity, bounding around the deck, causing the Flower Ship to tremble each time it jumped.

A creature weighing over a ton had that kind of power.

However, Hiddleston was afraid of water and dared not approach the ship's railing. When Liszt tried to drag it closer to the railing, it refused to move, and it wouldn't even look down at the sea from the railing.

Especially when the Flower Ship left the makeshift dock made of a few pieces of wood tied together.

As they sailed across the waves, Hiddleston's usually lively demeanor wilted, and it lay sullenly on the deck, too scared to move.

It even occasionally whimpered, "Whine... woof... whine..."