Chapter 810: Lonely Pleasure

The invisible dragon was an old friend.

It had to be lost, otherwise it wouldn't have missed the feast by the end of June. The Smokegrass Liszt had prepared was almost dried into hay: "But where exactly did the invisible dragon get lost?"

This really puzzled him.

After leaving the Flame Archipelago, Liszt had been using Magic Eye almost every day, hoping to encounter the invisible dragon on his way back to Black Horse Island.

Unfortunately, even after returning to Black Horse Island, he hadn’t come across it.

He then raced to the Dragon’s Dining Table near Green Tea Town, set fire to piles of Smokegrass, and the stench made the nearby serfs nauseous. But still, no invisible dragon appeared—it seemed it wasn’t lost near Black Horse Island. So Liszt rushed straight to Flower Town and lit more Smokegrass.

No surprise - it just made people sick without results.

"Where in the world did that invisible dragon wander off to?" Liszt couldn’t figure it out and had to temporarily abandon this wild goose chase, getting back to work.

Given the usual nature of the smoke missions, most rewards didn’t require deliberate searching—they would naturally come to him, guided by fate, right within his grasp. Perhaps the invisible dragon was already waiting somewhere along his path, ready for Liszt to imprint his mark on its heart.

"So, let’s focus on building Ember Town first," Liszt calmed himself down.

Ember Town was the next phase of the Ember Plains Camp, according to his new mission.

"Mission: Now that the island distribution of the Flame Archipelago has been mapped, the next step is to begin relocating the territory—systematically transferring Flame Territory’s industries and population to initiate the grand development of the Flame Archipelago. Please transform the Ember Plains Camp into Ember Town. Reward: A new-style schooner."

The new-style schooner as a reward was pretty much a slap in the face, as the earliest shipyard on Black Horse Island had been researching the schooner technology Liszt proposed. He came up with the concept, while the shipbuilders worked out the specifics. After a year of work, they were close to success.

"Your Highness, all the frame ships are ready. The cargo has been heavily reinforced and loaded into the holds. Safety ropes woven from Hemp Rope Vine have been mass-produced, ensuring the migrating serfs and craftsmen are securely tied down and won’t be thrown overboard," Isaiah reported.

"Go over those frame ships with a fine-tooth comb. I don’t want any oversights. One tiny slip could sink us all."

"As you wish, Your Highness." Isaiah bowed and left to re-inspect.

For this voyage through the Great Maelstrom, ten frame ships had been prepared—the product of backbreaking work by Black Horse Island’s ten thousand shipbuilders. Five of them were fully loaded with supplies, including daily necessities and construction materials. Rubber alone filled half a ship.

Truth be told—since the rubber bug triplets evolved into three spirit bugs, Big White, Second White, and Little White, they had learned to cast Three Phase Power under Liszt’s guidance, repairing rubber trees on their own. As a result, rubber production in the territory had skyrocketed, leaving ample reserves.

This time, Liszt arranged to take it all for major construction projects in the Ember Plains.

Besides supplies, there was the matter of population.

Farming serfs were indispensable—they couldn’t rely solely on hunting and fishing forever. Shipping food through the Great Maelstrom cost too much.

The construction of Ember Town also required craftsmen, so large numbers of carpenters, stonemasons, and architects led by Jo Maya Hammer were brought along.

The knights were also vital protection, safeguarding the Ember Plains at all times. Currently, the camp only had Cross Shaji, an unranked sword saint, stationed there. When he scouted ahead, the camp had to rely on a dozen or so earth knights for protection.

"Philip, go summon Count Durt."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Philip immediately rode off from Thorn Castle.

After years in Liszt's service, he remained a squire knight, his strength stuck at the squire level. The earliest batch of squire knights Liszt selected were mostly descendants of local serfs from Flower Town, with average skills at best. Advancing to earth knight required relentless perseverance.

But there were exceptions.

Xavier, who was in the same batch as Philip, wasn’t necessarily more talented, but thanks to his smooth-talking, he had risen to become an assistant diplomat on Black Horse Island, working under Zanbuluota. With Liszt’s resource support, he had even advanced to earth knight.

His covert work involved cooperating with the Blood Servants to track the rats infiltrating various factions—acting as Liszt's other set of eyes.

Soon, Duert Hongxingguo arrived: "Your Highness, what are your orders?"

"I plan to develop the Flame Islands and need to dispatch a knight contingent to ensure the safety of the construction personnel. Since you currently have no tasks, I’ve decided to assign this mission to you," Liszt said.

Duert’s eyes lit up with excitement. "I am honored to serve Your Highness!"

"Good. However, I won’t provide you with elite knights. You may recruit lesser knights from Ironhoof City yourself—but remember, the matter of the Flame Islands must remain confidential for now." The Flame Islands were vast, and the dangers lurking in their untamed forests were beyond reckoning.

Elite knights should not perish in the wilderness, so it was better to send expendable knights instead.

If they miraculously survived until the founding of the nation, rewarding them would be no great loss.

"Understood!"

"You have one month. Commander Jia Xiya, stationed at Ironhoof City, will assist you, as will the knights of the Tulip family."

"Yes."

After Duert hurried off, Liszt instructed Philip again: "Summon Emily."

Emily remained an elite Earth Knight. Though she had slain many knights during the great sea battle, she had yet to advance to sky knight—unlike Liszt, who had ascended unnaturally from Earth Knight to sky knight in just over half a year. Emily’s exceptional talent still fell short.

"Your Highness." The maiden entered the castle.

"How is your training progressing?"

"Without war, progress is slow," Emily answered truthfully.

"In that case, I’ll assign you to the Flame Islands. Its forests are thick with lurking magical beasts," Liszt said. "Take Hiddleston and the Blizzard Beast squad to help quarry stone for Ember Town… Though Hiddleston won’t be responsible for producing stones—its role is your protection."

"Your Highness, Emily can protect herself!"

Liszt gazed at the tall maiden, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "It protects you, and you must protect it. Hiddleston was my earliest and closest battle companion. I don’t want anything to happen to it. Emily, I entrust Hiddleston to you—you should understand my expectations."

A flush colored Emily’s cheeks before she straightened and declared solemnly, "Rest assured, Your Highness. Emily will not disappoint you!"

"Good. Go now. Acclimate the Blizzard Beast squad with the framed vessels’ holds and ensure their discipline during the voyage."

Liszt watched the young woman’s departing form before slowly closing his eyes.

He relished this sensation of dictating others’ fates—a solitary tyrant's pleasure. In the Flame Territories, in the Flame Islands, he was the one and only… *King*!