Chapter 641: The Bewildered Dragon’s Mind

The baby looked quite adorable.

Of course, Liszt knew that as an uncle, he should give a gift, but he was completely unprepared. Although he had risen to prominence in recent years, his family wealth was not substantial, and giving a spirit bug as a gift would be inappropriate—nobles did not have the custom of exchanging spirit bugs as presents.

"Perhaps I could give him a few books—my own published works?"

The thought was quickly dismissed. While books might suffice for an adult, giving them to an infant would seem perfunctory.

After a moment's thought, he produced a sapphire and placed it in the sleeping Richard's hand.

Looking at Richard—though his words were directed at Levis and Gloria—he declared, "This sapphire was once embedded in my sword, Skycleaver. During the battle with the Marquis of Raging Tide, Skycleaver was severely damaged and is no longer usable, but this sapphire remains intact. Richard, I give it to you, hoping you too will become a mighty knight like me!"

It was a heartfelt blessing, and the gem carried great significance.

Today, Liszt was the gold standard for knights, a worthy life goal for Richard—not mere boasting, but a simple fact.

Levis and Gloria were clearly pleased with the gift. "Liszt, thank you for your blessing. We also hope that one day, Richard will grow to be a powerful knight like you!"

If it were an ordinary person's blessing, they might wish for Richard to one day ride a dragon, but that would sound more like empty courtesy.

The goal of dragon-riding was too fantastical. Becoming a top-tier warrior like Liszt was the lifelong pursuit every knight should aspire to.

Of course, Levis and Gloria were unaware that Liszt was actually a "Ghostblade."

News of the ancient warrior lineage circulated only among a few high nobles. In an era ruled by knights, ancient warriors were destined to fade, and families who still held their secrets kept them closely guarded.

After presenting the gift, Liszt received one in return—unsurprisingly, a potted plant from Penelope.

Using his Magic Eye to inspect it, he detected no magical energy. While it relieved him, he couldn't help feeling slightly disappointed—his standards had been raised by the spirit bugs nurtured in previous potted plants.

...

For most of the afternoon, Liszt entertained them with war stories.

Capturing the mage-defended Pearl Castle, seizing the heavily fortified Riverheart Castle, standing firm against the Marquis of Raging Tide's combat aura domain, swiftly conquering Egret Castle, securing the golden waterway between Roaring River and Three Dragons River, and finally storming the Dragonpeak Iron Mine.

Countless ships sailed upstream and downstream, loading heavy iron ore for transport.

Compared to the stuttering reports of messenger knights, hearing the tales firsthand from the protagonist himself was intoxicating.

The battle against the Marquis of Raging Tide, in particular, was a legendary clash second only to dragon-slaying—an unheard of event in the Sapphire Duchy, happening perhaps once in decades. Or rather, it had never truly occurred before, as without the ancient warrior lineage or combat aura domain techniques, they could only haphazardly seize supplies.

Before the banquet, Liszt showed his family his spirit bugs.

Now, he owned one Grand Sprite—the Giant Kelp Grand Sprite.

Fourteen spirit bugs: Thorn, Corn, three Giant Kelps, Wheat, Sisal, Peperomia, Millet, Coptis, Apple, Potentilla, Pine, and Tobacco.

Acheronides's spirit bug—the red mangrove spirit bug.

And Yevich's two water peanut spirit bugs.

Forty-three spirit bugs in total: Peanut, Alfalfa, two Thorns, two Tulips, Millet, two Wheats, Tomato, Fragrant Coconut, two Black Nightshades, Corn Grass, three Rubbers, four Snakeblood Fruits, Apple, Barley, Fig, Blackberry, Pea, Smokegrass, Green Tea Tree, Flycatcher Grass, Kandelia Obovata, Goat Horn Pod, Green Ingot Tree, Skullfruit, Living Stone, eight Giant Kelps, Purple Laver, Ink Horn Algae, Red Stone Flower, Horsetail, and Horsetail Algae.

And Yevich's spirit bugs: upright stemona, sweet potato, celery, Stipa, ryegrass, daisy, timothy, fountain grass, areca palm, Forsythia suspensa, two broom seedlings, Nervilia fordii, and Epipremnum aureum spirit bugs.

A total of:

1 Grand Sprite, 17 small spirits, and 62 minor spirit bugs.

Such numbers have already surpassed the Tulip family in terms of minor spirit bugs, with the Grand Sprites being equal, while the spirit bugs only reach half their quantity.

"I can hardly believe it—you’ve now surpassed even a typical earl’s estate. Though our family has more minor spirit bugs, you’ve outpaced us in small spirit bugs!" Levis exclaimed in amazement. The Tulip family's spirit bugs were all contracted to him, but those inherited from his ancestors and those earned by himself carried entirely different senses of achievement.

"Hah."

Liszt replied modestly, "After all, I am the Son of Glory. The spirit bugs favor me more. And if I undertake a few more expansion campaigns, I fear the castle's spirit chambers won't be able to hold all these beautiful spirit bugs."

Levis wanted to argue that spirit bugs weren’t so easily obtained.

But he bit back his words. For others, spirit bugs were indeed rare, but for Liszt, the opposite seemed true—just look at Lady Penelope’s potted plants—proof enough. He and Lvera had taken home many potted plants, yet not a single one had ever nurtured a spirit bug.

So he could only manage a strained smile and agree, "I believe that day will come."

...

The banquet was bustling and festive.

It lasted well into the night before dispersing. After arranging accommodations for his grandmother and the others, Liszt bathed and lay back in his bed, his excitement hadn’t yet faded from all the praise.

He reflected on the two and a half years since his reincarnation. Though he hadn’t achieved earth-shattering reforms, neither had he remained an obscure nobody.

At least in this corner of the continent, the Sapphire Duchy, he had repeatedly made a name for himself, becoming a household name. By the time this iron ore campaign concluded, his name would undoubtedly spread across every island in the country, discussed by nobles and commoners alike.

All young knights would likely take him as their goal, whether out of envy or admiration.

"I really want to succeed in dragon-riding soon… My dashing looks won’t allow me to stay hidden any longer," he mused absentmindedly. In this world, without becoming a dragon knight, one was ultimately an ant. Only as a dragon knight would he have the freedom to do as he pleased.

Slowly, a haze of phantom smoke rose before his eyes.

Whenever he was lost in thought or focused intently, the smoke task would naturally appear.

"Huh?"

His attention snapped back, fixing on the changes in the smoke task: "Mission completed. Reward: three Milon Mind Fruits."

"The mission is already complete, meaning this expansion campaign of the Sapphire Duchy has officially ended—either Dragon Knight Alonso Cyclamen has returned, or the iron ore has been fully transported... But what is this reward? Three never-before-heard-of Milon Mind Fruits... Could it be...?"

A bold idea quickly formed in his mind: "Could they be similar to *bloodline fruits*, but of a sedative type? 'Milon'… 'Mind'… Are these magic fruits to bewitch dragons?"