Chapter 253: A Little Work

The ghost ship was like a fleeting illusion, coming and going swiftly. Apart from Liszt and Hiddleston, no one knew what had transpired on the ghost ship.

Only the corpses on the deck silently testified to the recent terrifying encounter.

The surviving sailors, working alongside the squire knights, began clearing away the bodies of the dead. The sudden appearance of the ghost ship had claimed twenty-three lives—sailors, squires, and servants alike, with many more injured. Fortunately, none of the four nobles aboard the ship were harmed.

Captain Leiden's life or death was of little consequence, but the Liszt siblings must not come to any harm. If anything happened to them, not only would Marquis Merlin be enraged, but Lee William would also be furious.

At that time, it wouldn't just be a few people who would die.

"Liszt, what do you think?"

Levis' voice pulled Liszt out of his daze.

He had been thinking about the melodramatic love story between Curtis Truth and Anut Sapphire.

A woman driven mad by love had actually managed to resurrect ancient wizardry, transforming herself into a lich, a being neither human nor ghost, and even conjuring a legendary ghost ship. Now that the ghost ship had collapsed, but the ram-headed banner, the Sapphire dragon figurehead, the soul-sunken wood, and the Sapphire ring remained in his gem space.

They served as constant reminders that the ghost ship was no mere illusion.

No one had ever anticipated encountering a ghost ship, which was far more unexpected than sea monsters or storms. Thus, the deputy steward Ranieri, heavy-hearted, asked the three siblings whether they should continue to Red Crab Island or immediately return to Coral Island.

Liszt, having regained his composure, asked calmly, "Brother, sister, what do you think?"

Levis frowned: "I'm inclined to go back. The festive atmosphere is gone, and many have died. But this year's festival might be Grandfather's last. If we can't be by his side, it will leave him with great regret. Since we're unharmed, let's continue... Lvera, what do you think?"

"You decide." Lvera's face was still swollen.

Two faint handprints were visible, marks left by Liszt when he slapped her to wake her up.

Of course, she didn't know any of this.

Liszt hadn't revealed the secrets of the ghost ship. The matter involved a palace coup from a century ago, and there was no need to bring trouble upon himself. It would be better to treat it as a bizarre and inexplicable encounter, just like everyone else.

After all, no one knew what the ghost ship truly was.

When the fog obscured their vision, they had already fallen into an illusion, unable to see or hear. Even the collapse of the ghost ship and Curtis' final, agonized scream went unnoticed.

Once Levis made up his mind, the fast sailboat continued its journey to Red Crab Island.

Captain Morodo had survived, and the remaining sailors were just enough to navigate the ship, so the voyage was not significantly affected.

However, the atmosphere aboard the ship was no longer as cheerful as before. Lvera, who used to enjoy drawing attention, perhaps realizing her own vulnerability, claimed to be unwell and retreated to her cabin to lick her wounds. Levis and Captain Leiden had to deal with the dead bodies.

Ranieri appeared worried. Although the appearance of the ghost ship was not his fault, this incident would certainly not add to his reputation.

Liszt continued to stand on the deck with Hiddleston, enjoying the breeze.

His expression was somewhat dazed. While others treated it as a dream, he had deeply experienced the secrets of the ghost ship. Many questions still lingered in his mind. He had thought this world was one of dragons, elves, knights, and mages. But now, the appearance of the ghost ship and the lich had surprised him.

Thinking about the peculiar professions recorded in the magic book *To His Highness Anut Curtis Truth*—druids, necromancers, vampires, warlocks, seers, and the Exile Lands, the Dragon Domain Lord Plan—it all sounded far from simple.

"I hate these chaotic existences. Why not just focus on cultivating martial arts? What's the point of all this messy magic!"

His dazed gaze fell on the deck, where several squire knights were binding the bodies.

Parris, standing guard beside Liszt, noticed his daze and followed his gaze to the bodies.

She asked, "My lord, are you grieving for Sean, York, and Theodore?"

"Hmm?" Liszt snapped back to reality.

Sean, York, and Theodore?

He remembered that these three were his squire knights. Their deaths were indeed tragic, though he had been preoccupied with thoughts of the ghost ship.

Nodding slightly, Liszt's tone was filled with sorrow: "They were still young, not yet adults. I thought this would be a leisurely journey, but it has taken their lives."

"Such accidents are never what anyone wants, but you have done your best. Sean, York, and Theodore were fortunate to serve a kind lord," Parris said.

Done my best?

What did I do for them?

Liszt couldn't quite understand what Parris was thinking, but he clearly felt her growing closeness and warmth towards him.

In the past, he might have secretly rejoiced at this, knowing how simple it was to win people's loyalty.

But seeing Curtis' madness driven by love, he shuddered, realizing that he needed to maintain a proper distance from women, or female subordinates, to avoid playing with fire. Though women like Curtis were rare, who could guarantee he wouldn't encounter another Curtis?

"I feel ashamed; I only did a small part."

...

The green flames of the ram-headed banner and the Sapphire dragon figurehead were frozen solid.

In the gem space, everything was static. Liszt wanted to take them out to see what changes might occur, but he didn't dare take the risk.

For the remainder of the voyage, he feigned a lack of enthusiasm, much like everyone else.

In reality, he spent his time poring over the magic books in his gem space, particularly the one written by Curtis Truth, which he had only skimmed through before.

As a non-mage, reading the experimental content written by a high mage was like reading a book in a foreign language. Much of it was incomprehensible, even with some illustrations. More importantly, most of the book detailed how to transform a mage into a lich.

Liszt didn't think he wanted to become a lich, a being neither human nor ghost.

"The transformation of the ghost ship is also quite intriguing. Perhaps I could consult a mage in the future and create my own ghost ship to see what the Exiled Lands look like... Unfortunately, this book does not record the technique for setting the keel, and it’s possible that Curtis might have possessed it."

"The technique for setting the keel belongs to Marquis Cohen. His family’s mage can embed the bones of dragons, drakes, or dragon beasts into the ship’s keel, thereby repelling sea monsters."

"Liszt was very envious of this technique, but alas, it has been lost. The only person who might have known it, Curtis, was directly slain by him."

"Never mind, I have the technique for building a schooner. In the future, I might still be able to create a ship more suitable for sailing."