Chapter 7

An ocean that has nothing?

Liszt would beg to differ.

In his hometown, the competition over the ocean was no less fierce than that on the continent. It was the ambition of every country.

It was more difficult to develop resources in the ocean, but the ocean was certainly resourceful. He was not sure if minerals were hidden below the ocean in this world—for all he knew, only dragons could produce gems and metals—but the ocean definitely had immeasurable fishing resources.

Archduchy Sapphire was seriously short of hands to develop desolate lands. The most critical problem was that nobles controlled all the elves, who could not influence so many farmlands. As a result, their yields were little.

Flower Town had plenty of arable land, but it could support only a few people.

Also, these few people were restrained to the land by nobles to help them farm, pay them taxes, and support their luxurious life.

The future of Flower Town lies in this ocean! Liszt was passionate.

Infinite food could be provided as long as there was a fishery around. When the civilians were full, they could have more babies, and he could collect more tax with a greater population.

If he had more taxes, his life would be better!

Of course, it was still a faraway dream. Development of fisheries required boats, and Flower Town was not close to that. His savings were not enough to buy many boats, either.

“Let’s go. We’ll return after inspecting the last part of the boundary.” As he waved the whip, the horse neighed and ran along the coastline.

The sand was yellow and clean. Occasionally, they saw plants that looked like coconut trees. Such plants blocked the afternoon sunlight and offered perfect shade.

After some slight development, it would be the best summer resort.

After the inspection, Liszt accomplished the mission and returned to the starting point at the edge of Thorn Hill. They reached the castle, and Marcus and the squires bid Liszt farewell. They had their own houses in town.

The castle was reserved for Liszt and his servants.

“My lord, I’m reassured to see you return safely.” Carter welcomed Liszt’s return with the servants.

“Even monsters have to behave in my territory,” Liszt joked. “Is everything all right in the castle, Mr. Carter?”

“Of course.”

“That’s good. Mrs. Mason, draw me a bath. I need to clean up.”

“Right away, my lord.” Mrs. Mason was almost forty and never married. She used to work in Tulip Castle until she was appointed to manage all the maids in Liszt’s castle.

“All the maids” were actually only three.

There were only ten servants in the castle in total.

Carter Pot, the butler, was responsible for all the affairs in the castle as Liszt’s trusted subordinate. Mason Ricefield, the housekeeper, was responsible for all the maids. Abby Spoon, the cook, was responsible for everything in the kitchen.

The male servants included Thomas Scissors, Tom Pigpen, and Jesse Ricewater.

The female servants were Mathy Thread, Debbie Windows, and Michonne Cowtail.

The cook had an assistant who was also a female servant, but she answered to Abby. Her name was Allyn Fourfingers.

Fourfingers was a strange surname. Her ancestor probably only had four fingers, so they registered their family name as Fourfingers. It was impossible for the uneducated civilians to think of any pleasant surnames.

The nobles did not allow them to have any good surnames, either.

Liszt took off his armor with Thomas’ help and went upstairs. Carter immediately commanded, “Jesse, take his lordship’s horse away. Feed the horse with beans. It’s been a long day. Mrs. Abby, make roasted meat for his lordship tonight. Mrs. Mason, remember to prepare the bath for his lordship. Tom, go fetch water from the town. Thomas, clean his lordship’s armor.”

“Yes, Mr. Carter!” the servants answered.

Carter nodded in satisfaction.

Although the castle was small and the servants were few, he was the butler that managed everything here as the lord’s helpful assistant.

He enjoyed the ease and power.

…

The bathwater had the perfect temperature. Although the maids were not as skilled as those in Tulip Castle, Mrs. Mason had groomed them well for their job.

Liszt enjoyed the warm water in the bathtub.

He had considered introducing equality and democracy to this world, but he also knew that the servants counted on the nobles for their own good.

Without jobs and identities, their lives could be more miserable when they returned to the farmland.

Too many serfs and civilians were starved every year.

In a castle, they could at least keep themselves warm and fed. If they could become a butler, that would be the highest position that civilians could expect.

I didn’t know that so many people would depend on me someday.

His mind wandered.

In his absentmindedness, he soon saw the Ophidian words made of mist again.

The words had changed into something new. Mission accomplished. Reward: sublimation of combat aura.

Excited, Liszt was ready to claim his reward, but he suddenly realized he did not know how to claim it at all. While he was considering how to get the reward, the mist soon reshaped into new content.

Mission: A severe crisis takes place in Peanuton in your territory. The peanuts are experiencing unknown mutations that will result in the reduction of yield. As the liege of the farmers, you are expected to solve the problem. Reward: one elvish insect.

Well, a new mission, and the reward is an elvish insect. That’s good stuff! Liszt was both excited and bummed. But what about the reward of the previous mission? Where is the sublimation of combat aura? Who can tell me where to claim the reward?

Liszt was rather agitated at this moment.

He sensed that his combat aura did not change at all. He saw no reward even when the water turned cold.

He even began to suspect that he had been hallucinating.

The mist probably did not exist at all.

Putting on his robe, Liszt walked out of the bathroom gloomily, making Thomas who was waiting outside the door panic again.

“My lord, you don’t look well. Should I…”

“I’m fine. You can continue your work. I’ll read for a while in the study.” Liszt tried to calm him down by reading in the study.

But his mind was a mess. He couldn’t calm down at all.

So, he simply put on a training suit and practiced in the garden behind the castle. What he practiced was Basics of Combat Aura. It was the most popular introductory book for combat aura and the best tutorial for beginners.

The preliminary combat aura was just a stream of air that could build up the body.

After finishing a set of movements and venting his fury, he finally felt better. Right then, a gentle breeze blew at Liszt, and his eyes suddenly glittered. Certain inspirations popped up in his head and were summarily grasped.

Then, he repeated all the movements in the Basics of Combat Aura.

After the practice, all the preliminary combat aura in his body seemed to have reached the tipping point and began to evolve. It surged out of the invisible tunnels inside his body and flooded into his every cell.

Sublimation of combat aura!

You’re here!”