Chapter 323 What Must Be Done

The threat must be addressed immediately.

After planning the snake-slaying operation, Lister wasted no time. He mounted the Black Dragon horse and rode to the northern outskirts of Thorns Ridge, recalling there was a small river in the area.

The river meandered through dense thickets of bushes.

The terrain wasn't complicated, but it had its share of ups and downs. Lister scouted the area carefully and already had a rough sketch of how to modify the river. This place wasn't part of Flower Town, but since it was surrounded by wasteland, there was no need to seek permission.

He called for Gort: "I need you to gather the serfs and widen this small river to two meters, with a depth that can reach above the knees."

"My lord, why are we widening this river? It's not even part of Flower Town."

"I plan to hunt a mid-level sea monster in this river."

"What?"

"There's a mid-level sea monster lurking in the nearby waters of Flower Town. It's likely the Six-Headed King Sea Snake." Lister revealed.

Gort was taken aback. "A mid-level sea monster? The Six-Headed King Sea Snake? My lord, this is..."

"There's no need to be nervous. You won't have to hunt it. I'll deal with it personally. Just follow my instructions and set up traps here."

Seeing Lister's calm demeanor, Gort couldn't help but advise, "My lord, you must be cautious. Mid-level sea monsters are as powerful as mid-level magical beasts. The Purple Sand Crocodile on Coral Island is even something the Earl doesn't want to deal with. We should treat the Six-Headed King Sea Snake with even more caution!"

"If we let the Six-Headed King Sea Snake roam freely in the waters near Flower Town, it might attack the Flower at any moment, cutting off the connection between Flower Town and Black Horse Island. As long as it's not hunted, we'll remain under its threat."

Seeing Gort was about to say more, Lister cut him off. "I understand your concerns. I’ll be well-prepared for this hunt, but if things get too risky, I’ll involve my father."

"My lord, I think you should report to the Earl now, because..."

"Let me try first. If I can't succeed, I'll give up."

Seeking the Earl's help was indeed an option, but the Earl might not be able to deal with the threat. If they succeeded in the hunt, all the gains would go to the Earl, and there was also the risk of exposing the mermaid Acheronides.

Besides, at this moment, even without any external assistance, Lister was confident that with the current strength of Flower Town, they could attempt the hunt. With the rewards from the recent smoke mission, their chances of success were much higher.

If they failed, they could still ask the Earl for help.

Once his mind was made up, Lister didn't waver. He gave his orders directly to Gort: "The news about the mid-level sea monster can only be shared among the officials. Not a single word should leak out. As for the river excavation, discuss it with Isaiah and proceed under a different pretext. It needs to be completed as soon as possible."

Helplessly, Gort could only follow orders. "As you wish, my lord!"

Soon, the news spread among the officials of Flower Town, and at the luncheon, a heated debate broke out. Lister only explained his decision at the beginning and then sat quietly, watching coldly.

Lister’s resolve was unwavering.

The rest was up to the officials to decide.

They could have opinions and voice strong opposition, but when Lister made his final decision, no one was allowed to act passively. Just like the idle talks during ongoing investigations, Lister hoped to establish his authority through several political actions.

His future was bright.

But building a loyal team and a capable knight squad would take time and effort.

After the quarrel subsided, a well-fed and relaxed Liszt slowly spoke: "You may keep your opinions, but..."

He looked around and, seeing no one making a sound, was very satisfied with the atmosphere: "I have decided to hunt the Six-Headed King Sea Snake. What you need to do is cooperate and provide additional suggestions to improve the hunting plan. The information on the Six-Headed King Sea Snake has been given to adviser Gort. You will discuss it at the administrative office and report back tonight."

……

After the luncheon, Liszt even had the mood to take a nap.

Just after waking from his nap, Parris, who had been out investigating the magic books, returned.

"Job done," she said lightly. "I've already figured out the situation with the magic books. Elkson is fine; the issue lies with another mage, Millery Truth."

"Millery Truth?" Liszt had never heard the name before.

"She resides in a small town near Coral City and has been in hiding for many years. She has connections with some mages from the outer islands. Her magic books were acquired through those outer island mages; the channels are normal. What's abnormal is her treatment of magic apprentices. When I investigated, I caught her in the act..."

Parris wrinkled her brow and showed an expression of disgust: "She skinned her magic apprentice alive, conducting research while peeling the skin."

She then spread her hands: "I nearly killed her on the spot. After interrogating her, I learned she had murdered over a hundred apprentices using various methods. So, I lost control and snapped both her arms. She bled out before I could stop her. My apologies, Lord Baron."

Liszt was stunned by Parris's account.

To have killed over a hundred magic apprentices through such cruel methods as skinning, this mage was truly brutal, not unlike Curtis Truth of the Ghost Ship.

No wonder the smoke mission was triggered.

So he simply said: "Next time, don't kill people so casually. Since this was a manslaughter of a deserving person, we'll let it slide this time. Did she leave any books or research notes?"

"I knew you would need them, so I packed everything up, along with a bunch of miscellaneous casting materials and a few pieces of enchanted gear."

They checked the carriage.

There were six pieces of enchanted gear, some for enhancing magic and others for protection.

Liszt divided them, giving half to Parris and keeping half for himself: "These three protective pieces, you take as a reward for the mission. I'll keep the magic-enhancing gear." The magic-enhancing gear, he planned to give to Acheronides, to arm her.

Parris took the three protective pieces without hesitation: "Thanks, I'll give them to Maggie for protection."

He ordered the servants to move the remaining pile of casting materials to the warehouse and take the magic books and experimental notes collected by Millery to the study.

As Parris was about to leave, he said to her: "I will have a plan to hunt the mid-level sea monster, the Six-Headed King Sea Snake, soon. I hope you can participate and protect me in case the hunt fails."

"That's my job, Lord Baron," Parris smiled, returning to the free-spirited demeanor she had when she first arrived at Flower Town. "But you are really bold, daring to hunt a mid-level sea monster. Isn't it better to just enjoy life?"

Liszt touched the red blood sword at his waist: "Some things just have to be done. The Six-Headed King Sea Snake poses a direct threat to the growth of my territory and the safety of my people. I must eliminate this threat."

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