Chapter 255 I Really Want to Live Another 500 Years

Whether Hiddleston could rival the Sky Knights, Liszt did not know; at least not until Hiddleston learned new magic could he make a judgment.

A magical beast without magic was merely a more powerful wild animal, and Hiddleston was still quite young.

After catching up on family matters, the conversation returned to the ghost ship.

"So, Morodo hasn't gone mad, then? I know him well; he is an excellent ship captain," Marquis Merlin said with a good impression of Morodo. "But after his son was swallowed by the ghost ship and he himself encountered it, it seems he is no longer fit to continue as captain. He should retire."

In his words, Marquis Merlin had already decided on Morodo's retirement.

"Grandfather, since the ghost ship belongs to Marquis Cohen, do you know Marquis Cohen? What kind of person is he?" Meopo asked curiously.

Marquis Merlin sat in his chair, leaning on his cane, and thought for a moment.

"Marquis Cohen lived in an era before my father was even born, back when my grandfather was young. At that time, the Longtaro family was only a count. The family to which Marquis Cohen belonged was named Magic Goat. The Magic Goat family was very different from ordinary knightly families; they placed great importance on magic."

The Magic Goat family were followers of the first Duke of Sapphire, the Dragon Knight Anderson Sapphire, and were ennobled as marquises after the founding of the kingdom.

This family raised a type of magical beast called the Rock Goat on a large scale. Rock Goat meat was popular both domestically and internationally, and blankets and quilts made from Rock Goat wool were highly sought after by the nobility.

However, members of this family practiced both martial arts and magic.

Men practiced martial arts, while women practiced magic.

Their skill in using magic to create dragon bones allowed the Magic Goat family's ships to sail the seas, aiding the Sapphire Duchy's knights in their expeditions across the continent. One could say that the Magic Goat family, at that time, held authority second only to the Sapphire family, and they interacted amicably.

"Cohen Magic Goat was a powerful Sky Knight who followed the eldest son of the second Duke, Anut Sapphire. However, a troublesome issue arose: Anut was severely injured during a battle and diagnosed by court physicians as likely to die prematurely."

Being among family, Marquis Merlin did not mind discussing court secrets.

Nobles often enjoyed gossiping about court secrets when they had nothing better to do, much like servants enjoyed gossiping about the nobles.

"To help Anut, the mages of the Magic Goat family decided to steal the power of the Sapphire Dragon and share it with Anut, making him a Dragon Domain Lord... sharing half of the dragon's lifespan. As far as I know, the emperor of the Eternal Radiance Empire is a Dragon Domain Lord and has been on the throne for two hundred years."

Dragon Domain Lord!

This was the second time Liszt had heard this term; the first was in Curtis Truth's magic book, where it mentioned that the Dragon Domain Lord plan had failed.

Now, hearing it from Marquis Merlin, he learned that a Dragon Domain Lord could share the dragon's lifespan.

This revelation made Liszt's eyes widen. If one could pursue immortality, who would willingly die early? A mere century of life was simply not enough.

Becoming a lich, an undead being, might make immortality meaningless, but the Dragon Domain Lord seemed to only borrow the dragon's power, allowing one to retain human youth.

Marquis Merlin noticed the quickened breathing of the young people and smiled. "The Dragon Domain Lord is indeed tempting. When I was young, I even threatened the Sapphire Dragon to share its lifespan with me, ha ha... But the requirements to become a Dragon Domain Lord are stringent, and angering a dragon can have dire consequences."

Dragons are the pinnacle of power in the world. Families possessing dragons would do anything to please them; who would dare steal a dragon's power?

Moreover, a dragon can live for a thousand years, protecting a family for centuries. But if a Dragon Domain Lord shares the dragon's lifespan, only half remains, clearly not worth it.

Pausing to tap his cane, Marquis Merlin continued the story: "Anut's plan was discovered by the third Duke, his younger brother Andite. This enraged the second Duke, who immediately exiled Anut's soul and passed the ducal title to Andite. He then personally captured Cohen Magic Goat."

Despite Cohen Magic Goat's formidable strength and the assistance of two great mages from his family, he did not surrender but instead counterattacked, severely wounding the second Duke. Had it not been for the immense power of the Sapphire Dragon, which protected the second Duke at a critical moment, the outcome would have been uncertain.

In the end, Cohen Magic Goat and the two great mages were subdued, and the second Duke died from his severe injuries. The young third Duke Andite took advantage of the situation to completely destroy the Magic Goat family.

Over a hundred years have passed, and this story, known to only a few, has long been forgotten.

"I never expected that Cohen Magic Goat's spirit would linger, causing trouble with the ghost ship even over a hundred years after his death," Marquis Merlin snorted. "It must be the work of those mages. Those mad mages love to research evil and bizarre magic."

Although sometimes mages were needed to create potions and magical equipment, this did not stop knights like Marquis Merlin from openly discriminating against them.

...

The midday banquet was sumptuous, and despite being just a family gathering, it was even more lavish than the grand dinner Liszt had attended there previously.

However, Liszt's current living conditions were better than before, and his taste had improved, so he did not find the food particularly delicious.

Instead, he felt somewhat restless.

It all came down to the Dragon Domain Lord mentioned by Marquis Merlin. When he first read about it in the magic book, it was just a passing mention, but now that he understood its meaning, he could not remain calm.

It was as if another door to a new world had opened beyond that of the Dragon Knights.

He once believed that his greatest wish since crossing over was to become a Dragon Knight and ride a dragon, making his life worthwhile. He did not have a strong desire for immortality, thinking it impossible, as even Dragon Knights turned to dust after a century. Even if there were beings like liches, seeing Curtis's miserable state, he did not think he would want to become one.

However, the appearance of the Dragon Domain Lord sparked a newfound longing for immortality. Who would choose death over life? Who wouldn't want to live a carefree life for a few hundred years?

There's a song that goes: "I really want to live five hundred more years..."

Liszt had never given up on the world or accepted death. When there was no opportunity, he could be philosophical, but now that there was a chance, how could he not strive for it?

Eating the fine white bread, he set a new goal in his heart: "In this life, I will not only ride a dragon and become a Dragon Knight at the pinnacle of power. I will also conquer another dragon, a young one, and become a Dragon Domain Lord! Dragons live for a thousand years; I need at least four hundred years."

Four hundred borrowed years, plus a hundred natural years, totaling five hundred.

No more, five hundred years would suffice.

Exploring the world, uncovering the truth behind fate, and perhaps discovering the reason for his own crossing—his path in life suddenly became clear and bright.

"Crossing the Devil Sea... climbing the peak of Mount Muragaudin... landing on the moon, my life's journey is now clear and bright."