Chapter 717: Mental Imprint

The banquet concluded in a harmonious atmosphere.

Nesta accompanied Lee William to the reception hall, where nobles of all ranks lavished them with flattery. Today was the moment Liszt made his name across the seas, and also the moment Lee William eclipsed all the nobles of the Sapphire Duchy. Having recently been promoted to Marquis Niuwei, he had already basked in endless praise once before.

Yet, one could never have too much flattery, and Lee William wished he could hear such adulation every day.

Moreover, the intensity of this round of praise would be unprecedented—as the father of a Dragon Rider, and as shrewd observers might even suspect, likely the "father" of an Archmage as well, his status had soared immeasurably, as if he himself had become a Dragon Rider.

"Marquis Niuwei."

"Lord William..."

No sooner had they entered the hall than the gathered nobles rose to their feet, greeting them warmly.

Lee William wore a faint smile and waved his hand lightly. "Please, everyone, be seated. There’s no need for such courtesy. I remain who I am—Marquis Niuwei, one of the Duke’s loyal followers. Liszt’s achievements are his own. Whether as a Dragon Rider or an Archmage, he will establish his own house, while I continue to represent the Tulip family."

"You are too modest, Lord Marquis. The crowns of Dragon Rider and Archmage are also your glory."

"Lord Liszt has yet to marry or establish his own house. He still needs your guidance."

"Indeed, you are the steadfast pillar of Sapphire, and you shall be Lord Liszt’s pillar as well."

The torrent of blatant flattery left Lee William giddy with pride, though he maintained his composure, replying humbly, "My son is headstrong. He has his own path to walk. All I can do is pave the way ahead for him as best I can. Together, father and son shall restore the glory and legacy of the Tulip family."

Nesta twitched the corner of his mouth nearby.

As the Duke’s brother-in-law and the Duke’s elder relative, he had effectively been reduced to Lee William’s foil. Though long accustomed to the nobility’s opportunistic "integrity," the sight of so many fawning faces still left him stifled. Yet he dared not show his displeasure openly.

In fact, he himself had to offer token praise to Lee William from time to time—for the survival of the Sapphire Duchy now hinged on the strength of Liszt and Acheronides.

The ruler of the seas was no longer the Sapphire Duchy, which had nearly been felled by the dragon.

Even the Duke himself had to accept this truth.

In the study of Hoofhold Castle, the once-undisputed ruler of the seas, the Sapphire Duke, gazed at the youthful Liszt and Acheronides with a tumult of emotions—loss, envy, gratitude, worry—all tangled in his heart.

Outwardly, he maintained a gentle smile. "This humble home is graced by two Dragon Riders and an Archmage. Truly, it is an honor."

The phrase "an honor" was a serpent tongue expression, but to Liszt, it conveyed the same meaning as the Han proverb "my humble home is graced."

"If not for the unexpected dragon hunt, I hadn’t planned to reveal my identity as a Dragon Rider so soon, nor Acheronides’ as an Archmage," Liszt admitted with some regret. Though the battle had been exhilarating, the ensuing troubles made him prefer the stability of quiet development.

"You needn’t dwell on it. Though you and your dragon are young, and your experience as a Dragon Rider is limited, so long as you avoid rushing to establish a kingdom or claiming land from current realms, the dragon-slaying battle is of little consequence. A Dragon Rider’s greatest strength lies in mobility and flexibility."

"Before, there was no rush. But now that my identity is exposed, I believe founding a kingdom should be prioritized. Besides, Sapphire cannot realistically support two Dragon Riders and an Archmage, and our chains of command would conflict." Liszt spoke bluntly, laying bare his ambitions.

If he did not establish his own kingdom, he would have no choice but to overthrow Sapphire’s rule and crown himself.

The Duke chuckled.

His expression unreadable, he could only nod. "Have you considered where to establish your kingdom?"

"Still at sea. I plan to explore uncharted archipelagos, avoiding conflict with Sapphire over the current waters. But founding a kingdom is a complex affair—I’ll need your assistance."

"Rest assured, I will help in any way I can," the Duke replied readily.

"Then I won’t hold back." Liszt nodded and produced a list from his robes—resources he had long envisioned needing for his future kingdom.

Seeing the thick stack of white papers, the Duke was half curious about what kind of paper it was and half his lip twitched involuntarily.

Liszt casually flipped through the list and said, "I’ll have my father discuss with you to determine which resources need support. Right now, I’m more concerned about the issue of dragon knights. As a senior dragon knight, I’d appreciate your guidance."

"Please go ahead."

"What agreement did the kingdom make with the dragons?" Liszt asked his first question—he was about to acquire a second dragon and needed a way to control dragons.

In his plans, he planned to own multiple dragons, so he must have methods to control them in order to raise these creatures safely without them being lured away or rebelling against their master—he himself wasn’t afraid, but what if his descendants lacked the ability to control dragons?

The Duke replied, "This agreement is essentially a mark left by the first-generation dragon knight."

"A mark?"

"A dragon’s life is long, and they can partner with multiple dragon knights in battle. As a dragon knight yourself, you should understand the mystery of the mental battle."

"I do, but how does this relate to the mark?"

"After a prolonged mental union between a dragon knight and their dragon, the knight can leave a lasting imprint on the dragon’s mind, gradually influencing it until it becomes part of the dragon’s own psyche. This way, even after the dragon knight’s death, the dragon will still protect the knight’s descendants."

"Is this method reliable? Especially when entrusting the dragon to a trained dragon knight—what if the dragon runs off with its rider, resulting in losing both dragon and rider?"

"I don’t know how you experienced the mental battle, but dragons are proud, and their minds are powerful, especially those who have bonded with first-generation dragon knights—their minds are fully formed. Subsequent dragon knights cannot possibly override the influence of the first-generation knight."

"So even if I captured the Lightgreen Gem Dragon in this dragon-slaying battle, I wouldn’t be able to ride it?"

"Yes, this is why the dragon-slaying battle is called ‘dragon-slaying.’ The war often ends with the slaughter of the opponent’s dragon. Capturing them is meaningless—no ransom equals a dragon’s worth. And an uncontrollable dragon is better off killed to extract its full value rather than kept around as a constant danger."

Listening to the Duke’s explanation, Liszt’s mind whirled.

If the Duke’s words were true, it meant that even if he captured the severely wounded Lightgreen Gem Dragon, he likely wouldn’t be able to ride it—unless he was willing to use a Milon Mind Fruit to erase the first-generation dragon knight’s mental imprint. Setting aside the success rate, whether it was worth wasting a Milon Mind Fruit was debatable.

He only had three Milon Mind Fruits—one had already been used on Leo.

Of the remaining two, one was reserved for the Invisible Dragon, and the last was kept for a future contract with a Fairy Dragon to become the Lord of the Dragon Domain and extend his lifespan.

Even if he couldn’t find a Fairy Dragon, it wouldn’t be worth wasting one on a centuries-old Lightgreen Gem Dragon.

Pondering this issue, he continued asking, "Duke, could you tell me how you tamed the Sapphire Dragon? I’m eager to learn every detail regarding dragon knights."