Chapter 627: Tips and Advice

"I surrender!"

Just as Liszt had anticipated, when he broke through the ranks of knights and stood before Egret Count, this earth-attributed sword saint casually discarded his sword.

"A smart man knows when to yield. I’m beginning to admire you. For now, kindly spend a few days in the dungeon. Let’s both think it over carefully before we discuss your ransom," Liszt said with refined grace. Since the count offered no resistance, he saw no reason to abandon his own decorum.

And so, as night fell, a battle with a foregone conclusion quietly ended, leaving the castle’s prison overflowing.

Seated on the throne in the great hall, Liszt calmly issued his orders: "Captain Marcus, send word to Sir Mexiro and have him dispatch knights to take over Egret Castle. This fortress commands the confluence of the Three Dragons River and the Roaring Great River—it must be handled with utmost care to keep the golden waterway open."

"Yes, my lord!" Marcus replied eagerly.

Having been privy to Liszt’s plans, he had been in a state of exhilaration for days. The spoils of seizing the iron mines were bound to benefit many knights, and he was all but certain to be knighted as a lord. With such massive victories, it might not even take years before he could rise further to the rank of baron.

Liszt was no stingy lord—he always rewarded his men generously.

Marcus knew this well.

From his seat, Liszt took a sip of tea before continuing, "Gentlemen, though we’ve taken Egret Castle and the Three Dragons City is now our resource base, remember—neither is our final objective. Rest up—we march again at dawn!"

"Yes, my lord!"

"Then all of you may retire. We’ll forgo the banquet tonight. Once our true goal is achieved, you’ll feast every night—and the spoils of war will make you delirious!"

Heartened, the knight captains bowed respectfully and withdrew.

At that moment, a bat flew in through the window, swiftly transforming into Bloody Mary, clad in leather attire and a black cloak—Tubote’s cloak, now draped over her own frame, its voluminous folds concealing her curves. She had decided to climb the ranks on skill, not looks.

Though, admittedly, the latter had proven ineffective.

Her demeanor had also shed its former seductiveness, replaced by solemn professionalism. "My lord, Mary reports to you."

"Hmm." Liszt felt a flicker of regret at her conservative appearance. Despite the female vampire’s age, her well-maintained figure and skin could still have been pleasing to the eye. He regretted awarding her Tubote’s cloak—it had needlessly ruined the view.

"We’ve sealed off Egret Castle, including its secret tunnels, which we’ve located and secured. Several knights and rats attempting to send messages outside have been eliminated. Currently, Hamil and the others are still cutting off exits to ensure no news of the castle’s capture gets out."

"Excellent!" Liszt rose to his feet. "Now hand over the blockade to the night watch. We begin the hunt!"

Bloody Mary unconsciously licked her lips. "As you command, my lord."

...

Night was a vampire’s playground.

No sunlight to hinder them, shrouded in endless shadows, they could roam any corner at will.

Three Dragons City lay roughly 250 kilometers from Dragonlock City, separated by a vast stretch of mountain ranges—one of which was called Dragon-Trap Mountain.

Here lay a massive valley and endlessly mined iron pits. As for the origin of the ore, the mountain’s name said it all: once, an iron dragon—perhaps a speckled-iron or pale-iron type—had been trapped here, its presence infecting the range until vast iron deposits formed.

Famur, the Black Knight, was drinking from a maiden within one of Dragon-Trap Mountain’s castles.

He was the overseer, supervising the mining operations.

His master, Prosperous Marquis Alonso Cyclamen, had flown his bronze dragon to the front lines, where he now faced off against the dragon knights of the Kingdom of Steel Ridge. The family’s knight orders had also marched to the frontlines, leaving no one to escort the iron ore shipments. Thus, the mined ore piled up in the valley, awaiting the war’s end for transport.

Even within the Kingdom of the Eagle, daring merc bands still dared to raid and plunder the iron stockpiles.

These audacious mercenary groups might very well be backed by other dragon knights or dragon knight aspirants. Alternatively, they could be supported by established Marquis factions, or even secretly aided by royal families, vassal states, or enemy nations. The Kingdom of the Eagle, having stood for nearly a millennium, is no longer united.

The infighting and power struggles among internal factions alone consume vast amounts of energy.

On top of that, the Kingdom of Steel Ridge wages war relentlessly every year, never allowing the Kingdom of the Eagle a moment’s respite. The pirates of Blue Sapphire, though weak in strength, cling like leeches, always managing to suck blood and seize spoils.

This seemingly mighty kingdom is, in truth, finding it increasingly difficult to maintain its vast territories.

Yet none of this hinders Famur from indulging in debauchery at Steel Ridge. As a pure-blooded scion of the Black Knight family, he enjoys abundant resources and absolute authority within his clan. Taking a few virgins is trivial—in fact, he and his pure-blooded partner each pursue their own pleasures without interference.

Just as he had barely begun thrusting, a knock sounded at the door.

He paid it no mind. Here in Steel Ridge, even the two stationed sky knights wielded less power than he did, for he was Alonso’s eyes.

After another minute, with a final shudder, Famur ceased his motions.

The knocking resumed. Lying on the bed, he answered lazily, "Enter."

His follower, a half-breed vampire, stepped in. "My lord, Lord Tubote sent Mary to visit you. She awaits in the parlor."

"Tubote? Didn’t that fellow go to Blue Sapphire? Finished his job already? Bring Mary here."

Soon, Mary entered the bedroom. Without so much as a glance at the young girl lying on the bed, she fixed her gaze on Famur, who was barely wearing a robe. "Lord Famur, Lord Tubote has returned from Iron Hoof Island and is currently recuperating in the nearby mountains. He got banged up there."

"Why doesn’t he come to Steel Ridge Castle?"

Mary giggled. "My lord, you’re teasing. This is your domain."

Famur smirked in satisfaction. "Hah! Mary, your words are too delightful. Tubote’s too cowardly to step foot in my territory—he fears I’d rip out his heart. If I hadn’t spared him a decade ago, he’d never have had the chance to become a pure-blood."

"Indeed, my lord. Lord Tubote hopes to meet you on the opposite mountain. He got some leads regarding his investigation on Iron Hoof Island and hopes to discuss them with you first before reporting to Lord Alonso… Here is his token." Mary handed over the prepared token.

"Tch. He remembers his place, at least!"

After a cursory glance at the token, Famur tossed it back to Mary. Lifting his chin arrogantly, his pale face wore a smug grin. "Very well. Since he’s technically my brother-in-law, I might as well school him a little."