Chapter 358: The Arrival of the Royal Sailing Ship

The rock barrier is not a lethal magic, but it is very effective in group battles, serving well for both blocking and defense.

With the addition of rock spikes, rock grenades, and the rock barrier, Hiddleston's training will need to be re-planned. He will also need to learn new commands.

However, the immediate priority is not training Hiddleston, but completing the new smoke mission.

"Mission: A message from far away is on its way. Whether a shocking conspiracy will come to fruition is unknown, but as a lord, one must remain vigilant and be prepared for battle, awaiting the moment the message is delivered. Reward: Green caterpillar breeding."

This is the new mission content.

The reward, "green caterpillar breeding," is puzzling. He isn't sure what green caterpillars are, and after asking many people, no one seems to know. Caterpillars are generally considered pests, so it's unclear why they would be a reward.

"Could it be something like silkworms? That produce blue silk?" This question will only be answered after the mission is completed.

What concerns him more is the mission's call to be prepared for battle.

"The smoke mission doesn't provide specific details, so whether the dragon-slaying will happen or what the outcome will be is still unknown. But I should determine the battle formation for Flower Town and be ready to join the fight at any moment." Liszt quietly contemplated his own strength.

He and Hiddleston were a team, and when going into battle, he would definitely bring Hiddleston along.

Hiddleston's current abilities could rival those of a newly appointed sky knight. He had the offensive skill "rock spikes," the control skill "rock barrier," and the long-range attack skill "rock grenades," with no obvious weaknesses. Coupled with Liszt's Magic Eye and archery skills, they formed an incredibly powerful offensive unit.

Parris should also be brought into battle, not to fight, but to unleash a burst of power at critical moments to handle deadly crises.

As for the rest, there was the knight squad, consisting of two elite Earth Knights and ten regular Earth Knights. While not particularly outstanding, they should be able to handle support tasks.

That was essentially all the combat power Flower Town had.

In terms of equipment, the knight squad had full sets of steel knight armor, as well as arrows crafted from thorn ironwood and poisoned thorns—not the best, but not the worst either.

There was also a telescope to gain the upper hand by scouting ahead.

"My knight squad will operate alongside the Coral Island Knights, taking on some logistical and support roles. Once we're actually on the battlefield, I'll figure out our next move. The battlefield is ever-changing, and we'll have to adapt on the fly."

...

"I didn't expect to go into battle so soon, but don't worry, Lord Baron, I'll protect your safety," Parris said with a smile.

Liszt returned the smile, "With my current strength and Hiddleston, as long as we don't encounter a sky knight at the level of a sword saint, it won't be too dangerous. I'll be fighting alongside my father and brother, so it's unlikely we'll run into a sky knight. If we encounter something we can't handle, then you can step in."

He paused and added, "Use your transformation sparingly. You have a lot of life ahead of you. Save me if you can, but if not, save yourself first."

It's impossible to predict how a person will act when faced with danger.

Liszt was just making the worst-case calculations. Having lived in peaceful times, he felt out of place in this world of knightly charges. Naturally, he was nervous about the battlefield. Without experiencing the baptism of combat, he couldn't truly transform his mindset and free his spirit.

Marquis Merlin had told him that young people should be more passionate.

Unfortunately, he wasn't exactly young and rarely had moments of hot-bloodedness. His style was to consider all aspects carefully.

Parris, who had faced the light dragon, said lightly, "As long as I'm alive, I won't let Lord Baron fall into danger."

There was a tension in the air, unspoken but palpable.

They exchanged a knowing smile, and Parris left the study.

...

Inside the oceanfront villa.

The mermaid magician Acheronides continues to study magic diligently, completely absorbed in the world of magic. She spends most of her time in the oceanfront villa, constantly flipping through magic books, soaking up every bit of knowledge like a sponge.

"Brother, you're here."

"Yes, came to see Acheronides," Liszt always feels good whenever he sees her. "And also to see Nami."

The red mangrove spirit bug was sleeping on the table, rubbed its eyes, saw it was Liszt, and gave a soft "cheep" in greeting.

Then it went back to its deep sleep. Unlike thorn spirit bugs like Jie La who are active, most spirit bugs actually prefer quiet and spend most of their time sleeping, as they are born from plants, which stay in one place their whole lives.

"Brother, would you like to hear Acheronides sing?"

Acheronides put down her magic book and asked with wide eyes.

Liszt naturally did not refuse.

Thus, a beautiful and melodious song softly began, a folk song popular in the Sapphire Duchy. When Acheronides sang it, it sounded like music from heaven, calming Liszt's anxiety more quickly than a piano ever could, leaving him feeling refreshed.

Once the song ended, Liszt habitually reached out and rubbed Acheronides' sapphire-blue hair. Acheronides giggled and nestled into Liszt's arms; she liked to snuggle in Liszt's arms, finding it very warm... despite the increasingly hot weather.

"Acheronides, I might need to go on a long trip. I hope you keep studying hard and aim to become a great magician while I'm gone."

"Where will brother go?"

"I don't know, maybe to the battlefield, or maybe I won't leave Flower Town. In any case, you should study hard."

"Yes, Acheronides studies hard every day, and soon, I will become a water element great magician. When that happens, I won't have to worry about being chased by the Droolmichida in the sea anymore. If any Droolmichida try to eat me, I'll zap them with magic!"

...

Early June, the scorching sun blazed over the earth.

On this day, the port of Coral City welcomed a three-masted fast schooner flying the Sapphire Dragon flag. As soon as it docked, the news had already reached Tulip Castle.

Count Lee William personally rushed to the port to welcome the royal ship.

The people from the ship had already disembarked and were waiting at the port. Seeing Lee William and his entourage appear, a knight in silver-white armor rode forward: "Count Lee William, I am Captain Boski Pansy of the Seventh Knight Squad of the Blueblood Knights. I carry the orders of the Sapphire Duchy!"

"Good day, Captain Boski, what orders does the Duchy bring?"

"This is a personal letter from the Duchy," Boski solemnly took out a letter wrapped in a black cover from his chest and handed it to Lee William. "The orders are all within this letter!"

Receiving the letter, Lee William already sensed the gravity of the situation but remained composed as he extended his hand: "Captain Boski, please follow me to Tulip Castle for a rest."

"Thank you, Count."