Chapter 395: The Grand Duke’s Dragon Might

The Bull Marquis was tied up, bound with metal handcuffs and shackles.

After the Sapphire Duke extracted the blue gem from his chest, his body rapidly withered, and his armor barely clung to him. The blue flames gradually disappeared, turning into a pale green light that seeped through the gaps in the armor, much like what Liszt had seen with Curtis Truth.

"This is probably the true form of the lich, with its pale green soul light. The blue flames from the Bull Marquis earlier were the result of the power of the Sapphire Dragon."

Liszt glanced at the listless lich, Andy, and then turned his attention away.

He activated his Magic Eye, meticulously examining the decaying Sapphire Dragon, not missing any detail of its body, from head to tail, from the outside to the inside.

The Duke quickly stuffed the blue gem into the Sapphire Dragon's mouth.

The Sapphire Dragon opened its mouth and inhaled, swallowing the blue gem, which then disappeared into its belly. Its sapphire-like blue eyes continued to stare at the Bull Marquis, or more accurately, at the blue-flamed greatsword that had fallen to the ground. The blue flames on the greatsword had extinguished, revealing the white blade.

A knight retrieved the greatsword and presented it to the Duke.

The Duke caressed the sword.

The Sapphire Dragon grew inexplicably restless, its severed foreleg trembling violently.

In the next moment, the Duke had already brought the greatsword to the Sapphire Dragon's mouth. The dragon inhaled, swallowing the greatsword into its belly. It then let out a dragon's roar, spread its wings, and with a powerful kick of its hind legs, it soared into the sky, flying away without looking back.

The dark clouds in the sky had already dispersed, and the sunlight shone on its broken body, revealing a brilliant sapphire blue, sparkling and radiant.

It shrank to a blue dot, eventually vanishing into the horizon.

From its appearance to its departure, it took no more than five minutes, but its figure was firmly imprinted in the hearts of all the knights, filling each one with fervor.

Riding a dragon is the pinnacle of every knight's aspirations.

Most knights might never see a dragon in their lifetime, but the ten thousand knights present were fortunate, having almost zero-distance contact with the only known dragon within the Sapphire Duchy.

The Duke did not make any formal speeches.

After sending off the Sapphire Dragon, he directly entered the ruined Juniper Fortress and summoned his direct followers to discuss the aftermath of the war.

As for the others, they rested and camped outside, taking the opportunity to clean up the battlefield.

As a minor lord, Liszt naturally had little to do. He gathered with Levis, Eunas Stonebreaker, and Trick, chatting about the topic of the Sapphire Dragon.

Levis had seen the Sapphire Dragon before and could better discern its changes.

"This is quite different from the Sapphire Dragon I saw on Blue Dragon Island. Back then, the Sapphire Dragon was adorned with exquisite scales, like a giant sapphire... I don't know what it went through to become like this now. Although it's still majestic, its appearance is eerie."

"It must have been the assassination attempt by the Bull Marquis that severely injured and disfigured the Sapphire Dragon," Liszt said. "Did you notice the relationship between the Duke and the Sapphire Dragon?"

"You mean the dragon's aura?" Trick keenly observed. "The Sapphire Dragon has left, but the dragon's aura is still stimulating my skin."

"The Duke also has the dragon's aura."

"Then, he..."

The three of them did not continue this topic, as it was not appropriate to discuss the ruler of the country in such a setting. The conversation quickly shifted to the war.

Eunas Stonebreaker's tone still carried a hint of regret: "It's a pity we didn't manage to kill a great magician. My battle achievements are not enough to compensate for the losses of the Grey Knights."

"But we completed the order to suppress Iron Horse Island, and the Duke's dragon is still alive. The Sapphire Duchy will soon recover and prosper. In the future, the Marquis will lead us to continue expanding the continent," Trick comforted. "The Marquis and Mexiro accompanied the First Prince in the attack. This time, the battle achievements might far exceed expectations!"

The Bull Marquis made a shocking appearance, shaking the besieging knights with the news of the Sapphire Dragon's death.

Mexiro was the first to follow the First Prince in launching the attack, with Lee William being the second. It turned out that their gamble paid off, and this unwavering loyalty was as valuable as a glorious victory in battle.

Eunas suddenly said excitedly, "Do you think the Count might be promoted to... the new Marquis of the country because of this war?"

Trick pondered.

Levis rubbed his hands, starting to feel anxious, "This... probably isn't possible, right?"

Liszt glanced at his brother, feeling that he was getting carried away, and interrupted his fantasy, "Indeed, there's no such possibility. The Bull Marquis is just a Marquis. All the nobles in the country participated in the attack, and neither resources were created nor territories expanded. How could a Marquis be enfeoffed?"

The veteran Marquises all followed the successive Dukes to the continent, seizing vast resources to feed back into the Sapphire Duchy, and only then were they promoted.

Now, it's just a domestic rebellion suppression effort. Unless Lee William alone led the knights to annihilate Iron Horse Island, there would be no merit to enfeoff a Marquis.

After analyzing the reality, he gave Levis a bit of hope, "But Father has definitely become a strong contender for the next Marquis in the eyes of the Duke and the First Prince. As long as enough merit is achieved, the title will naturally follow." Such a loyal follower, the lord has no reason to suppress.

Under the same conditions, Lee William would definitely be able to advance further.

For a lord, sometimes the loyalty of a follower is more important than strength.

Levis suppressed his undue greed and regained clarity, then couldn't help but say to Liszt, "No matter what, after you return, you should be the new Viscount."

Both Trick and Eunas nodded.

Liszt's merit was evident in the battle of Niu Mao City, thanks to Hiddleston's siege and assisting Lee William in killing Count Snider; he also contributed in the battles of Niu Ji City and Niu Ding City, though his contributions were minor; in Niu Jian City, that is, the battle of Juniper Fortress, he played a crucial role.

The breach in the wall of Juniper Fortress was caused by Hiddleston, and the First Prince personally acknowledged this merit.

The strategy to coordinate the knights for the siege was also proposed by Liszt, not only earning merit but also proving that not everyone has the courage to oppose the Bull Marquis who had become a lich.

The only regret was failing to break the magic array and kill a few great magicians. Now that the battlefield has concluded, it's unknown who will capture the fleeing great magicians.

In short, the title of Viscount is practically guaranteed for Liszt.

Suddenly.

Levis thought of a question, "If the First Prince remembers you, he might directly recruit you as his follower, Liszt. Would you accept the First Prince's enfeoffment?"

Followers like Eunas and Trick find it hard to switch allegiances.

But for someone like Liszt, being the second son of the lord's direct lineage, switching allegiances is easy, and the family would support such a move.

Liszt, however, shook his head, "I plan to choose a deserted island near Coral Island as my territory."

"Is there still a deserted island near Coral Island?" Levis asked curiously, "We are already at the northeasternmost corner of the Duchy. Father said he searched for a long time before finding a suitable Count's fief, and besides Viscount Trick's Beer Island, no new islands have been found."

"There must be some out there; the Blue Wave Sea is vast."

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