Chapter 702: The Fisherman’s Gain

"Just as I expected."

When the messenger from the Dusty Gray Eagle rider left, the Marquis's expression darkened. He tilted his head upward at a 45-degree angle, gazing at the leaden sky beyond the window. December had arrived, and with winter fast approaching, the cold crept in daily.

He folded his arms behind his back.

Far from being shaken by the news, he felt a quiet sense of satisfaction—like he'd reclaimed the dignity of his forebears. The old adage rang true: "Ginger is hottest at the root." William Lee hadn't seen it coming, but he had spoken the truth before it happened. That was experience, that was the way of the world, that was why he had founded the Tulip family.

The Marquis turned to Liszt, his eyes gleaming with the confidence of someone who always stays one step ahead. "The Eagle Kingdom has long coveted Blue Sapphire, and now the moment has come. The only unknown is whether Alonso leads the invaders."

"Alonso is certain," Liszt replied without meeting the Marquis’s gaze or showing any sign of admiration. "He was involved from the start, ever since Baron Bull's betrayal. There's no doubt he'll be the one directing this war... How will the Archduke respond?"

From one clue, the full plot unfolds.

As soon as the Eagle Kingdom's fleet revealed its movements, all the pieces clicked together in Liszt's mind, forming a far clearer picture than what William Lee could see.

...

Years ago, the royal family of the Eagle Kingdom, tired of constant harassment from Blue Sapphire, decided to eliminate once and for all that barbaric little nation across the sea.

But Blue Sapphire's geography was unique—protected by layers of ocean, it was nearly impossible to conquer.

As for dragon slaying, the failed attempt before Blue Sapphire's founding proved it couldn’t be done. Especially on open waters under the watchful eye of Steel Ridge, the Eagle Kingdom's Dragon Knights dared not act recklessly—after all, even they couldn’t ensure total victory against a dragon.

So,

the Eagle Kingdom reached out to the Bull family. Even earlier, the Arcane Goat Clan had been part of their schemes. In any case, the Bull family was drawn in by the lich transformation scheme. By the time of Baron Bull, their ties to the Eagle Kingdom had likely thickened—preparing both for the dragon-slaying ritual to become a lich and aiding the Eagle Kingdom in shipbuilding.

Alonso was the plan’s executor.

But the dragon slaying didn’t go as planned—the Blue Sapphire Dragon survived, and the Archduke made a grand entrance, capturing Baron Bull. So Alonso held back, unwilling to make a reckless move.

Instead, he sent vampires to Ironhoof Isle to find the missing great mage of the Goat Assembly and assess the Archduke's condition.

Until now.

Perhaps they had confirmed the Archduke’s weakness, or perhaps the Order of Knights was now strong enough to take Blue Sapphire. Alternatively, Steel Ridge’s Dragon Knights might have been tied up elsewhere. Either way, Alonso had launched his invasion. And the trouble Liszt brought? Just a sideshow.

As for Jia Xiya and Fox, there was no need to pay ransoms—they would cease to be prisoners once Blue Sapphire fell.

As for the Black Knight family, perhaps Alonso had shown interest in Liszt, prompting Lord Rommel to abandon revenge and instead seek an alliance.

Thus,

the Misty Task issued missions involving the looming threat and the choice of allegiance.

...

"What are your thoughts?" the Marquis asked, clearly displeased.

There was no admiration in Liszt’s eyes—only calm indifference, as if he himself had predicted the Eagle Kingdom's attack.

Which he had.

He ignored the Marquis’s earlier guesswork entirely, connecting the dots to form a clear picture—everything was already in his grasp. "What I think doesn’t matter. What matters is how the Archduke will react… If Marquis Nesta wants us to gather the Order of Knights to defend Ironhoof Isle, I believe we should play along."

"No proactive move?"

"How to take the initiative?"

The Marquis said, "You will establish a kingdom sooner or later, but a duchy without the support of a kingdom will struggle to achieve stable development. If a more dangerous war against dragons breaks out, the situation could become unpredictable. You are a Dragon Rider, and Acheronides is an Archmage. You could choose to align with the Kingdom of the Eagle or the Kingdom of Steel Ridge."

"What about the Duke of Sapphire?"

He sighed. "I have served him faithfully, and he has never treated me unfairly. But the crisis facing Sapphire is beyond my control. As a Marquis, I wish to fulfill my duty as a loyal follower of House Sapphire, but at this point, the outcome of the war is no longer something an ordinary knight can decide."

The Marquis could not decide the outcome of the war.

Once the knights of the Kingdom of the Eagle swarm into Sapphire, the Sapphire knights will lose their advantage at sea. Moreover, the Marquis knew full well that his promotion to Marquis was largely due to his son's proven valor.

But Liszt could.

He gradually understood what the so-called choice entailed: "To be honest, Father, I don’t like submitting to others. I bow to neither the Kingdom of the Eagle nor the Kingdom of Steel Ridge! If I were to establish a kingdom, I would crown myself the rightful king."

The Marquis was at a loss for words. "Liszt, a kingdom must have at least two dragons."

Liszt remained expressionless. "I know."

Seeing this, the Marquis stopped dwelling on the distinction between a kingdom and a duchy and instead said, "From what you’re saying, you intend to aid the Duke when the time comes?"

"I’m not one who enjoys change. I quite like the current status of the Sapphire Duchy. If this state can be maintained, it would suit me well to lie low here and develop gradually... But it all depends on how the war unfolds. Perhaps the best moment for me to step in is when the Duke and Alonso bleed each other dry."

The Veiled Mission presented a choice of allegiance but did not specify whether to side with the Duke of Sapphire or the Kingdom of the Eagle. Thus, Liszt could very well take a third option—letting the snipe and clam fight while the fisherman profits, seizing Sapphire for himself when the Duke and Alonso are both exhausted.

To reap maximum gains.

"Don’t be overconfident. You’re still young—steady and sure wins the race."

"I understand, Father. Now that the Kingdom of the Eagle has invaded, Iron Hoof Island will soon become the battleground. Be careful here. I’ll return to my territory with Acheronides to organize the knights and head to Ox-Tail March for reinforcements. Then we’ll see how the war progresses and how the Duke responds."

...

Without delay.

Liszt had Acheronides take him back. Making haste with preparations, he informed the Tulip family and mustered the Coral Island Knights and the Black Horse Island Knights for deployment.

Then, together with Acheronides, he returned to Ox-Tail March, awaiting the coming war.

Three days passed.

When the Crown Prince arrived at Ox-Hoof City at the head of a large host of Blue Blood Knights, the swift frigates of Sapphire finally spotted the fleet of the Kingdom of the Eagle.

Countless ships—several thousand two-masted vessels interspersed with a few three-masted ones.

When the news reached Ox-Hoof City, the Crown Prince called the war council immediately. Over thirty nobles—including Liszt, Marquises, and Counts—gathered in solemn assembly, awaiting further instructions from His Highness.

Stern-faced, the Crown Prince scanned the room and spoke slowly: "My father, the Duke of Sapphire, is approaching fast, riding the Sapphire Dragon. This is a grave crisis for the safety of our lands, but do not panic, My Lords. The sea is Sapphire’s domain, and the invaders from the Kingdom of the Eagle are destined to perish in these waters!"

"My Prince, what should we do?"

"Strike first and engage them at sea! Intercept the Kingdom of the Eagle’s fleet before they can gain any foothold on Sapphire’s islands!"