Chapter 388: Juniper Castle’s Defensive Barrier

At the banquet, Lister observed a variety of nobles, most of whom held higher ranks than him, or were noble heirs who had yet to inherit a title.

"Marquis of Deep Throat Island, Wallace Pineapple Green; Marquis/XMLSchema0 Golden Island, Roderick Golden Wheat; Marquis of Leather Island, Ramirez Sticky Rice; Marquis of Red Maple City, Greenleton Maple Leaf..." Lister mentally listed the marquises present to solidify his impression.

Of the seven marquises in the duchy, four had gathered here.

The other three were unable to attend.

The Marquis of Red Shoes, Merlin Longtaro, had retired and was living peacefully at home; the Marquis of Bull, Andy Sapphire, had turned rebel and was already surrounded; and the last marquis, Nestor Phalaenopsis of Quicksand City, was assisting Lady Sarette in purging the court servants.

The configuration of the seven marquises had remained stable since the fifth Duke ascended the throne.

"Perhaps in a few more days, there will only be six marquises left," Lister thought, finding the coarse food unappetizing. He still preferred Mrs. Abbey's cooking.

He then shifted his attention to the first and second princes.

Technically, these two were just the sons of a duke, not actual princes, but like the daughter of the Sapphire Duke who was called a princess, they too were referred to as princes.

The first prince, Anthony Sapphire, was 32 years old and known as the Frost Sword Saint; the second prince, Angus Sapphire, was 27 and called the Ice Spring Sword Saint. Both displayed considerable talent for becoming Sword Saints at their respective ages.

The two looked similar but couldn’t be described as handsome.

The first prince had a more amiable demeanor, giving off a warm, approachable vibe; the second prince, perhaps due to the destruction of his knight corps, wore a cold expression, keeping others at arm’s length.

"I heard from my cousin that both Anthony and Angus became Sky Knights after the age of twenty. Their talents are solid, but not extraordinary. With the infinite resources of the Sapphire Family backing them, it’s possible they could have become Sky Knights even before adulthood."

Lister had become an Earth Knight after turning adult, and now, at seventeen, he hoped to ascend to Sky Knight before turning twenty.

Though he had started behind, he now had an advantage that would ensure victory in the end.

Seeing the first prince mingle with the nobles, basking in their adoration, made Lister feel uneasy, and he thought spitefully, "Maybe the Sapphire Dragon is already dead, and the duke is overwhelmed, yet his son is here laughing and chatting."

He picked up the juice in front of him and took a sip.

Tasting the seven-year matured veal steak, he suddenly felt a wave of emotion. "Holding a banquet at a time like this doesn’t seem right. The Marquis of Bull won’t just sit idly by—he must be planning something... I need to be more careful in the upcoming battle and not rush headlong into danger."

Those who planned to slay a dragon were never to be underestimated.

With a soft target, keep pushing your advantage; but with a tough opponent, show humility.

The veal steak wasn’t great, but the juice was surprisingly good. He drank half the cup in one go, and though the banquet had been lackluster, he was barely full. He would supplement it with some six-headed king sea snake meat when he returned.

Watching the nobles still praising and toasting each other, he wondered, "If the Sapphire Duchy descends into chaos, could I get my hands on the 'Dragon Knight Mana Manual' from the Sapphire Family?"

The "Dragon Knight Mana Manual," penned by the first duke, was meant for his descendants, in hopes that one of them would become a dragon knight.

Sadly, no new Dragon Knight had emerged from the Sapphire Family despite their efforts.

Lister knew he was destined to ride a dragon, so this manual was of immense importance to him.

In this region, this was likely the only book on how to become a Dragon Rider.

...

Juniper Fortress was surrounded by Milk Lake; the knights could not charge.

But the knights couldn't be stopped. Early the next morning, the serfs from Ox Tendon City were driven to cut down the trees in the surrounding forest. One by one, logs were transported to Milk Lake and formed into rafts, which were then cast into the lake. Countless rafts piled up, quickly covering the shoreline of Milk Lake.

The layered rafts could easily bear the weight of cavalry charging.

Although the lake was vast, it couldn't withstand the relentless work of countless serfs. Gradually, the lake’s surface looked like it was being covered by a blanket, visibly shrinking as it spread toward the isolated island where Juniper Fortress stood.

"The Bull Marquis has not reacted, and the guards at Juniper Fortress don't seem too panicked," said Lee William, putting down his binoculars, on a nearby hill.

Liszt also put down his binoculars. "Father, I have a feeling the Bull Marquis is planning something big."

"Maybe he's just throwing in the towel, Liszt. You should try to stay positive," Levis said with a relaxed expression. "With the army closing in, the Bull Marquis has no chance of fighting back. From the start, when he tried to assassinate the Sapphire Dragon, he was gambling with his life. Now, clearly, he's lost that gamble."

"Don't be too optimistic."

The Earl glanced at Levis and said, "When dealing with the Golden Wheat family, keep your wits about you, weigh things carefully, and don’t let love blind you."

These past few days, Levis had been running to Marquis Roderick's camp every other day. Until he married Gloria Golden Wheat, he felt uneasy, constantly trying to impress his future father-in-law.

Levis argued, "Father, you worry too much. I just hope to actively connect with the Golden Wheat family to prepare for any potential future troubles."

"Networking is fine, but don’t be too obvious about it, and don’t let yourself become a pawn in someone else’s game," the Earl sighed. "You two brothers, Levis, you are too keen on socializing, while Liszt, you are too aloof."

Liszt smiled, confident and carefree. "Because I believe in my own strength far more than unreliable social connections, and those can be left to my brother. I will follow the footsteps of our father and brother."

As a future dragon knight, he wasn’t concerned with cultivating noble relationships right now.

Lee William shook his head, feeling a little exhausted. Both his sons were excellent but had their own ideas and no longer listened to him seriously.

...

Three days passed, and on July 10th, under the blazing sun, Milk Lake was completely covered by the rafts. Without delay, the First Prince ordered the attack on Juniper Fortress. The Earth Knights gathered to charge in formation, laying siege to the castle, while the sky knights soared high above, conducting pinpoint strikes.

A colossal battle was about to erupt.

However, the isolated island where Juniper Fortress stood suddenly emanated a faint glow. Then, wave-like barriers materialized above the entire island, as if a giant bowl had been inverted over the castle.

The Earth Knights could not break through the barrier.

The sky knights could only cause the barrier to shake violently.

"It's just a basic defense spell. The Goat Assembly’s mages can only throw up these minor obstacles!" the First Prince Anthony drew his sword and pointed to the sky, filled with valor. "All troops, follow my lead, charge and attack the magic barrier, crush it!"

Boom!

The tide of knights surged forward once more, crashing violently against the shimmering barrier.