Chapter 737: The Final Cheer

Upon entering Tulip Castle, the household was filled with joy and harmony.

Liszt had become a dragon knight, and Acheronides was a mage—an impressive pair of peak powerhouses capable of astounding feats, both belonging to the Tulip family.

Even Levis had successfully advanced to the rank of sky knight—how could anyone not be overjoyed?

The conversation continuously revolved around Liszt. Penelope, Mary, Gloria, and Lvera—these women lavished him with praise, leaving Levis feeling ignored. He had imagined countless times how his family would rejoice upon his promotion to sky knight.

Yet, in reality, his achievement as a sky knight was merely a green leaf, serving to highlight the extraordinary brilliance of Liszt, the flamboyant red flower.

Fortunately, Liszt was not one to dominate conversations. After briefly recounting the process of taming the dragon and satisfying everyone’s curiosity, he spoke little, allowing Levis to take control of the conversation more often.

While Levis enthusiastically recounted his journey to becoming a sky knight, Liszt quietly summoned the Smoke Mission.

"Mission: The exhilarating battle of slaying the dragon and the difficult decisions surrounding the Soulfruit Tree have left you utterly drained. Though your body remains strong, your spirit is weary. Why not relax and revel in the cheers worthy of an eighteen-year-old dragon knight? Reward: Spirit Bug."

The mission had yet to change.

*"Does this mean my journey of receiving cheers isn't over yet?"* Liszt silently calculated. He was likely still missing the adoration of his territory.

From the cheers of nobles across Oxhoof Island, to the family's welcome on Coral Island, and finally to the cheers of his people on Black Horse Island—this seemed to be the pattern. At first, the cheers were exhilarating, but as they became repetitive—especially when heard daily—they grew tiresome.

He longed for it all to end and to return to his former low-key, peaceful life.

However, Marcus had already led the Black Horse Island knights back to the territory to prepare for his victorious return, ensuring yet another grand celebration awaited him.

For now, he rested at Tulip Castle for the day.

After the midday banquet, he finally found a moment of peace. Alone in the study, he quietly read until the afternoon when Acheronides returned—she hadn’t stayed for lunch, hurrying off to conduct experiments on Soul Island. Moreover, she disliked human banquets, finding the fake socializing unbearable.

She retrieved a Crystal Cyathea cut into segments from her spatial ring. "Brother, I’ve brought back a fully crystallized Crystal Cyathea."

Running his fingers over the smooth, crystalline trunk, Liszt asked, "Have you discovered anything noteworthy?"

"The fully crystallized Crystal Cyathea isn’t vastly different from ordinary crystal in composition, but it possesses a unique property—it can continuously replenish magic power," Acheronides explained seriously. "In other words, the crystal produced by the Crystal Cyathea can be recharged with magic repeatedly."

"Repeatedly recharged?" Liszt’s eyes gleamed. "So, if we create magical items from this crystal, they could be reused?"

"Theoretically, yes. But precise verification is needed."

"Then let’s start by producing a batch of magic equipment to test the properties of the Crystal Cyathea."

"Mhm."

Acheronides nodded obediently before throwing herself back into her magical experiments. Liszt couldn’t help but reflect—ever since Acheronides had joined him, he had barely done any research himself. Aside from diligently practicing the dragon knight’s mana techniques, there was little else demanding his attention.

His mind felt idle, but it was a pleasant idleness. He had no desire to overexert himself.

In fact, he even contemplated further delegating responsibilities: *"Perhaps once mages from across the lands come to pay homage to Acheronides, I can organize them into a magic guild under her leadership—structured like an academy, dedicated to researching this world’s magic power."*

But that was a matter for the future. He retrieved his notebook and added "Magic Guild" to his to-do list.

This notebook, which he carried everywhere, was densely packed with tasks—ranging from grand schemes like "Light Dragon Plan" to minor errands like "black nightshade procurement," all meticulously recorded.

Occasionally, he would flip through it to check for overlooked items, reminding himself to address them.

Having managed his territory for nearly three years, he had come to accept that he wasn’t a master of grand strategic planning. He often acted on impulse, so he relied on this little book to compensate for his lack of overarching vision, striving to patch gaps through constant review.

By relying on his followers' strengths, he maintained the smooth operation of his domain.

Thankfully, things worked out well. Even though the territory's population had surpassed 100,000, it still managed to keep people safe and thriving, with no more instances of serfs starving or freezing to death.

After finishing her task with the Crystal Cyathea, Acheronides didn't linger long before rushing off to Dudu Island to record the Lightgreen Gem Dragon’s health status. This dragon, tragically consumed by the Soulfruit Tree, remained unconscious in what seemed like a coma, with no sign of waking anytime soon.

...

The next morning at dawn.

Liszt Tulip rode Fire Drake Rio as he departed from Tulip Castle. As Rio continued growing stronger, his flying speed increased dramatically—now far surpassing even the running speed of the land bird Loki.

He made a brief stop in Flower Town to meet with Administrator Isaiah, listening patiently as the man enthusiastically described the town’s recent progress. Then, amid cheers and flattery, Liszt took flight once more, soaring across the sea directly toward Black Horse Island, landing on an open field near Thorn Castle.

"Rawr!"

Rio let out a powerful dragon cry, his presence expanding rapidly and overwhelming all humans and animals within several kilometers. The closer they were, the more intense the pressure became. Several servants waiting at the front of Thorn Castle to welcome Liszt quickly collapsed, falling one after another with expressions of distress.

These ordinary castle servants simply couldn’t endure the crushing weight of a dragon’s presence.

"Cut it out, Rio!" Liszt shouted firmly. He hadn’t told Rio to unleash his power, since these were all his own people—but Rio had decided on his own to intimidate what he saw as "ants," showing off his might as a Fire Dragon.

"Rawr!"

With obvious reluctance, Rio withdrew his presence and immediately flopped onto the ground, appearing half-asleep.

In reality, he was sending messages through the Dragon Heart Code: “Don’t forget—twenty magic potions and thirty roasted oxen! I want them today!”

“You’ll explode!”

“I can eat whatever you give me… This dump sucks. I hate sleeping on the ground. Build me a mountain peak fast—I wanna sleep on top where those ants have to look up at me!”

“There are no mountains here on Black Horse Island. Later, I’ll build you a 300-foot stone tower to lounge on.”

While mentally conversing with Rio, Liszt outwardly shook out his red-faced, black-backed, gold-trimmed three-colored cape and strode slowly toward the castle under the reverent gazes of knights, officials, and commoners alike. A crowd had gathered in front of the fortress—Gort, Marcus, Yevich, Parris, Charles, Cris, Blair, Emily…

All of them watched their Lord with intense devotion.

The great Dragon-Rider, Liszt Tulip!

Of course.

Acheronides Zhenli walking behind Liszt also drew attention, but the real main attraction was the Fire Dragon lying asleep on the open field.

Though no one cheered, the atmosphere felt more genuine than any cheering crowd before. Everyone here was Liszt’s follower and subject. Their lives and futures were tightly bound to their Lord Liszt, whose glory shaped their destiny.