Chapter 703: Old Rival

When the ships set sail from the port of Bullhoof Island, Liszt understood that war had become inevitable.

Naval warfare was brutal. For knights, the cramped spaces on ships made it impossible to charge; all they could do was exchange long-range fire or engage in boarding combat.

Liszt, accompanied by Acheronides, boarded the Tulip family's flagship, the Tulip, choosing not to fight but to quietly observe the battle unfold across the sea. Having already decided in his heart to let others fight while he reaped the rewards, the war was nothing more than a movie to him—all he had to do was buy a ticket and find his seat.

"We have the advantage in naval combat. The Sapphire forces have dealt with pirates countless times. Their experience in naval combat is far beyond what the knights of the Kingdom of the Eagle, trained in such a short time, can match... After all, they’ve never endured the trials of the sea and don’t know how to master its waves."

Lee William stood at the bow of the ship, holding a telescope to survey the entire naval battle.

The Dragonrider had yet to appear on the battlefield, so for now, it was just an ordinary naval clash between knights. The Sapphire’s knight contingents and fleets were still arriving in waves, and the current number of ships was limited. In contrast, the Kingdom of the Eagle had mobilized its entire force, with countless sails covering the sea.

However, their ships were noticeably slower and clumsier in maneuvering, especially when faced with the Sapphire’s numerous swift frigates.

Two swift frigates coordinated their approach from both sides, and in an instant, large groups of knights leaped from their decks onto the enemy ship, initiating a boarding melee.

With a two-to-one advantage, they easily overwhelmed one of the Kingdom of the Eagle’s ships. Then, the Sapphire’s swift frigates swiftly disengaged and charged toward the next enemy vessel.

In just a brief encounter between the two nations’ fleets, dozens of ships were destroyed, with seventy percent belonging to the Kingdom of the Eagle.

The gaping disparity in naval capability was evident not only in the ships but also in the knights. The swaying decks had no effect on the Sapphire’s knights, but the knights of the Kingdom of the Eagle struggled terribly—their fighting forms broke down, their footing unsteady, reducing their combat effectiveness by thirty to forty percent. How could they possibly match the agility of the Sapphire’s knights?

Thus, though outnumbered, the Sapphire’s combat effectiveness far surpassed that of the Kingdom of the Eagle.

Liszt saw all of this clearly through his telescope: "The Kingdom of the Eagle’s momentum is grand, but their naval prowess falls short of their bluster. At this rate, they’ll likely be annihilated in these waters before they even reach the shore. But it shouldn't be this simple—the Kingdom of the Eagle wouldn’t invade so recklessly."

"Mages," Acheronides suddenly said, also holding a telescope.

"Hmm?"

Both Lee William and Liszt exclaimed in surprise.

Acheronides lowered her telescope and pointed toward the sea ahead. "I sense magic power gathering. The Kingdom of the Eagle’s ships are hiding many mages."

She needed say no more.

Boarding actions erupted in the second wave of battle, and only then did everyone realize that the Kingdom of the Eagle’s invaders weren’t just knights—they also included a large number of mages.

In an instant, a storm of spells erupted across the sea—massive water columns burst forth, meteors streaked down from the sky, razor-sharp ice crisscrossed the waves, lightning split the tides, and a devouring darkness swirled, consuming everything in its path. All eight schools of magic—water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, light, ice, and darkness—were unleashed in chaotic fury.

The Sapphire’s vanguard swift frigates were quickly engulfed by the magic.

However, the Sapphire’s swift frigates also carried their own mages. While the ships maneuvered to evade the spells, these mages mounted magical counterattacks—especially aboard the Blueblood Alliance vessels, where nearly every fast frigate had several mages launching retaliatory spells.

"I thought the Sapphire family stopped heavily training mages after the incident with the Magic Goat clan. Not to mention the Ox Marquis dragon-slaying affair," Liszt mused in confusion.

"Mages are indeed in decline, but no matter what, our battles and daily lives still rely on them. The Grand Duke wouldn't hold prejudice against mages just because of one or two magical incidents..." Lee William explained before turning to Acheronides with an order. "Our fleet is about to enter the combat zone. Acheronides, protect the ships."

He spoke as an elder giving a command.

Yet Acheronides didn’t respond to him directly. Instead, she looked at Liszt, and only after he nodded did she reply, "Acheronides will protect the fleet." As a sea demon Archmage, whether due to her racial identity or Liszt’s teachings, she showed little affection for humankind.

Even if the man before her was Liszt’s father, she met him with cool detachment.

This stirred a faint sorrow in Lee William’s heart, but he quickly masked it with a cough. "Continue observing the battle. As a follower of the Grand Duke, I will personally join this naval battle! It is the duty of a follower—I'll not shrink from it."

With that,

He strode away from the bow, ready to command the family fleet into battle.

He felt no fear at all, fully displaying the noble qualities of a knight and establishing a commanding presence as father, lord, and elder. After all, with a Dragon Knight and an Archmage standing behind him, what did he have to fear?

Mana erupted.

Magic surged.

The naval battle quickly turned fierce, with countless ships sinking into the sea.

Liszt’s own knights and fleet had yet to arrive at Ironhoof Island, and half of Coral Island’s knights were also still en route—normally, sending messages and reinforcements back and forth from Coral Island would take seven days, but only three had passed so far. Therefore, he was merely accompanying the half of the fleet garrisoned at Niuwei territory.

There was no need to risk his own knights in this naval battle.

Even he himself held back from fighting.

In contrast, Marquis Niuwei fought like a demon, repeatedly leaping onto enemy ships and single-handedly overpowering several vessels. Whenever he was in peril, a flaming arrow would come to his rescue or a waterspout would block a lethal strike. This only emboldened him further, allowing him to wreak havoc with wild excitement.

As the ships on the vast sea continued to unleash surging mana, the loose magic around the battlefield grew unstable, causing spells to weaken. Instead, sky knights filled the air.

These flying sky knights undoubtedly became the main force in the boarding actions.

“The Marquis’ mana is reaching its peak. I never expected that just days after giving him the Sky Manuscript, he’d already be close to perfecting his high-level mana.” Liszt activated his Magic Eye, tracking Lee William’s figure, and could clearly see the man’s mana glow growing more concentrated.

This was the sign of perfected high-level mana.

“But it makes sense. The Marquis has been known as a sword saint for over a decade—his mana should have long been honed to a certain level. With the Sky Manuscript helping him push past his limits, reaching perfection was only natural.”

While observing Lee William’s battle,

Acheronides spoke up in warning, “Brother, that sky knight over there seems very powerful. He can hover in midair—is he the Domain Knight you once described?”

“Hmm?”

Liszt picked up the telescope and followed Acheronides’ pointing finger. There, he saw a familiar-looking knight charging toward a Sapphire ship. His flight was entirely different from that of ordinary sky knights—while most sky knights relied on leaps, dives, and glides, this one was truly flying.

Like Sun Wukong riding his cloud somersault.

Through the Magic Eye, Liszt could see a cloud of mana beneath the knight’s feet.

“Ah!”

Liszt suddenly laughed. “Isn’t that my old rival, Marquis Surging Tides? I never expected him to be among the invaders. Long time no see!”