Chapter 221: The Strategy of Retreating When the Enemy Advances

Riding Hiddleston.

Arriving at the open field in Barley Village, Liszt inspected the children of all ages, observing their knight training lessons.

He did not ride the Black Dragon horse because Hiddleston could provide him with a sense of security and enhance the image of the lord as mighty and noble. In the hearts of these children, the lord riding an intermediate-grade magical beast was incredibly powerful, and it was an extraordinary honor to farm for such a lord.

He instructed a deputy to continue guiding the girls' training while Rom bowed to Liszt: "Good day, my lord!"

"Good day, Rom."

Rom then began to introduce the progress of this batch of girls. Those with talent and those without could be distinguished through training.

Talent referred to both physical and mental qualities.

Children with good talent were usually tall, sturdy, and hardworking. As for intelligence, it was secondary since Liszt was only cultivating a group of female serfs who could farm and do heavy work, not actual female knights.

"Rom, pay more attention to the girls' health during training. Don't let them catch a cold when training in the snow. After sweating from training, take them back immediately."

Rom replied, "There's a stove in the adjacent rest room. We always have them go inside to warm up during breaks."

Liszt nodded.

While it was true that one should train diligently in summer and winter, they were still young girls, and the drills should not be too harsh.

He thought of a plan and said to Rom, "This barren land is too crude. I plan to turn this area into a Knight Square this winter, which will be dedicated to knight training in the future."

"Rom supports your decision, my lord. Having a dedicated Knight Square will benefit both instructors and children, making the training more professional."

"Equipped with a cafeteria and classrooms, cultural classes will also be held here in the future." Liszt thought long-term; he wanted not only farming serfs but also literate clerks.

With the large-scale development of Black Horse Island in the future, many talents would be needed. It would be difficult to ensure a complete team solely by purchasing, so it was better to start cultivating now.

After discussing the construction of the Knight Square, they soon shifted their attention to Maggie, who was training alongside the girls.

The nine-year-old maid Maggie was performing her movements with great seriousness and meticulousness.

Last night, Liszt had summoned old Grandet and talked with him for quite some time, mainly about Maggie. He asked Grandet to interact more with Harriet's family, subtly hinting at messages like "the lord appreciates Maggie," "the mother-daughter relationship under contract is good," and "hope you can continue to love each other."

In short, he was implying to Harriet's family that Maggie's importance was irreplaceable.

Then they naturally knew how to retain Maggie. If Swan insisted on taking Maggie away, this would serve as a plot point; if Swan had no such intention, there would be no loss; if Liszt expelled Swan, having Maggie stay behind could prevent retaliation.

As he watched Maggie, Liszt suddenly caught sight of Swan approaching out of the corner of his eye.

He turned his head and nodded to Swan indifferently, acknowledging her presence without being overly friendly.

Swan walked straight over. When she got close, Hiddleston sniffed the air and suddenly growled low at Swan. If Liszt hadn't calmed him down, he might have pounced.

"An intermediate-grade magical beast, a rare variant bloodline. Your barony is full of surprises," Swan said, seemingly unafraid of Hiddleston.

Some of her actions seemed deliberately mysterious, but the mix of real and fake made it hard for Liszt to discern: "Diligent management of the territory naturally brings rewards. Lady Swan seems well-traveled. Could you compare Flower Town with other towns in other countries?"

"It's far from prosperous, but it has great potential. The variety of goods in the territory is rich, and I've heard you have a little elf producing magic potions. The development of Flower Town is just around the corner."

"Not just around the corner, but already happening," Liszt said proudly. "When I received the fief, Flower Town was poor and had less than two thousand people, all starving, especially in winter. Now, Flower Town has over three thousand five hundred people, all well-fed, unique on Coral Island."

Swan sneered, "But half of the population are serfs you bought. If you hadn't bought them, they might still be living peacefully in their hometowns."

"If I hadn't bought them, someone else would have. The ones who destroyed their peaceful lives were not me but the incompetent lords who couldn't protect their people. Knights have spears and swords, enjoying the support of the people, and they must also protect the safety of the people. Once they come to Flower Town, their safety is my responsibility."

No buying, no selling.

Liszt cleverly shifted the concept to no killing, no buying.

"But can you guarantee that you can protect these people and that they won't be sold as serfs again someday?" Swan looked at Liszt intently.

Is she testing me?

It seemed like a routine before joining, Liszt thought.

He smiled softly, "I cannot guarantee that I am invincible, but in the Sapphire Grand Duchy, protecting Flower Town is not difficult. My father is the Earl of Coral Island, my grandfather is the Marquis of Red Crab Island, my mount is an intermediate-grade magical beast, my sword is a gemstone weapon, and I have a little elf producing magic potions."

He gazed into the distance, his handsome face shining brightly in the sunlight, reflecting the brilliance of the sun: "No one can offer them peace and tranquility better than I can."

His words were highly persuasive.

However.

The female mercenary was not easily fooled: "One day, you might die in battle. Without a lord, Flower Town's fate might not be better than those lands where serfs were taken away."

Liszt continued to smile, "That's why I must build strength and practice diligently every day. My talent may not be outstanding, breaking through to Earth Knight only after adulthood, but within half a year, I can defeat elite Earth Knights in direct combat. I will continuously recruit knights, form a Knight Squad, and defend Flower Town!"

"Is that so? I hate the hypocrisy and belligerence of the nobility," Swan said calmly, with a touch of sigh, "Though you are a hypocritical noble, at least you don't have the vices of the nobility... A small town like Flower Town on a remote island might truly enjoy a bit of peace."

Before Liszt could speak,

She resumed her calm tone and said directly, "My lord, I hope to take my sister away, or rather, buy her for twenty silver coins."

"You're mistaken on two points." Liszt saw the retreat in her attitude and decided to press forward, speaking seriously, "First, I will not buy or sell any civilians in Flower Town. Second, I have asked Irene, and she has no sister. I also sent people to Coral City to ask her parents, and I trust her parents more."

"I'm not talking about Irene!"

Liszt stared at her, "What?"

She seemed somewhat lacking in confidence, "I'm talking about a female slave you bought. She is my sister, which is why I came all the way to Coral Island."

The moment of truth had arrived.

A victorious smile flickered at the corner of Liszt's mouth, only to vanish swiftly as he pressed forward with the moral high ground: "My gun and sword are aimed at my enemies, while kindness and patience are reserved for those around me! And you, nothing but a liar and a thief who spies on the castle—why should I believe you?"