The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

Liszt had not intended to disturb the bustling atmosphere of the town, but in the end, he couldn’t help himself and made a trip to the commercial district, followed by watching a comedic performance.

It was nothing but clowns juggling on stage, breathing fire, or doing somersaults.

To him, none of this was fresh at all, yet the residents of Fresh Flower Town clapped joyously. It made Liszt so inclined that he wanted to get on stage and show them a trick from “Three Immortals Returning to the Cave,” to let these Different World inhabitants experience the charm of ancient Chinese cultural traditions.

Of course.

That was just a thought, as a noble could not afford to do something that would diminish his status.

Moreover, in a world where magicians exist, magic tricks don’t seem all that miraculous.

After watching one play, he left the commercial area and headed to the town’s administrative office, not wanting to make the townspeople uncomfortable—the presence of their landlord meant they couldn’t relax, they were even afraid to speak loudly.

Even though he had left, he continued to pay close attention to the matters of the caravan.

He was listening to Isaiah report the prices of goods brought by the caravan, especially those related to the production and daily necessities, which were all of concern to him.

“A pony costs at least fifty silver coins, isn’t this price too high?” he asked with a frown.

One should know, he and Levis traded slaves, and a serf cost only twenty silver coins.

“Indeed, it is expensive, Baron. Coral Island is far from the mainland and lacks appropriate grazing areas, so horse breeding is always limited, meaning the price of horses remains high. Even the horses from Blue Dragon Island are priced similarly. On the mainland, a pony might only cost a few silver coins.”

Island nations, all being islands, naturally do not suit for grazing and horse breeding.

Liszt understood this principle, but did not want to accept it at the moment—he had given Old Geronte three Gold Coins, originally thinking he could buy a large number of goods.

Now it seems, just six ponies would deplete the funds.

“How many young animals have the caravan brought?” he inquired, somewhat disappointed. He had wanted to acquire all the young livestock the caravan brought, but now that seemed an extravagant hope.

Apart from him being able to purchase, it was likely that the ordinary residents couldn’t afford to either.

“Five ponies, two calves, three lambs, eight piglets, six puppies, and five kittens. Plus, there are ten rabbits.”

“I gave Old Geronte three Gold Coins, and it looks like it’s no help, not enough to buy several animals.” At this moment, he desperately wanted to sell the Black Pearl, exchange it for money to buy livestock—meat was the most nutritious food, and he hoped to eat meat every day, excluding seafood.

If the territory doesn’t raise livestock, where can he, the landlord, get meat to eat every day!

“Three Gold Coins may not buy many livestock, but they can buy many other goods, as the caravan has brought many specialties from other regions.”

“But I had told Old Geronte to prioritize purchasing horses. Just five ponies would consume two Gold Coins and fifty silver coins, using up all the funds of the castle.” Liszt thought of the two Gold Coins he still had. Perhaps, he would have to spend them today to secure some livestock.

Isaiah, however, said with a smile, “Baron, according to the trade records I checked, Old Geronte only bought two ponies. The other three were purchased by others.”

“Who?”

“John Bian Dan bought one, and you must remember him.”

“So it was the farmer who grows tomatoes. I awarded him a Gold Coin, and evidently he could afford it. The other two?”

“The Blair Family bought one, and Marcus also bought one, with Goltai lending him the money.”

Liszt’s mood brightened from gloom to sunshine, having bought all the horses. Although they were not owned by the castle, as long as they remained in Fresh Flower Town, that was good enough. He could requisition those horses at any time if needed.

But he soon laughed at himself again.

He realized his perspective had been too narrow, focusing only on the livestock brought by the caravan, whereas, after selling the Black Pearl for money, he could purchase animals in other cities—that had been his plan all along. With Gold Coins, was there anything he couldn’t buy?

“Isaiah, how much do you think the caravan’s transactions will amount to today?”

“I guess about six Gold Coins.”

“With a transaction volume of six Gold Coins, I believe many of the merchants in the caravan are already planning their next visit.”

“Of course, merchants are like flies; wherever there’s money to be made, you will always see them swarming,” Isaiah said, with an inherent disdain in his voice. This was the unparalleled sense of superiority that the Noble class held toward commoners, coupled with a desire to keep the commoners in check.

Nobles did not allow any class to shake their ruling position.

Sometimes, merchants made Nobles feel they were being challenged—they sometimes even had more wealth than Nobles. Money talked, and it was not uncommon for near-bankrupt Nobles to marry off their daughters to merchants or to take merchants’ daughters as wives to retain their Noble status, a humiliating affair.

Liszt smiled.Y0u can read sh0rt, t0uching, and r0mantic st0ries ab0ut c0uples, as well as children’s st0ries f0r free 0n sitest0rys . c0m

His thoughts about the merchant class were consistent with those of the Nobility—both support and suppression were necessary.

Back at the Castle.

It was time for lunch. Although he had instructed the kitchen that he only needed a steak and nothing lavish, the meal presented was as usual—with meat, vegetables, mushrooms, seafood, milk, and white bread.

“Mrs. Abbie didn’t go out shopping?”

“Sir, Mrs. Abbie did go out, but she returned to the kitchen after half an hour. Perhaps she isn’t accustomed to the bustling town or can’t let go of her work in the kitchen. She is too dedicated, always busy,” replied the servant.

“You should tell her that I’m not considering a raise for now, so she doesn’t need to work herself to the bone. She should have her own life.”

Although he had adapted to his Noble status and had even grown to love it,

Liszt still held on to modern virtues; he hoped that even servants could have lives of their own, not dedicating every moment to their Landlord. Life should be about more than just work; it should include joys and sorrows, laughter, and family.

Carter served Liszt throughout the meal,

and said, “For the Cook, the kitchen is life. For the servants, the Castle is life. Sir, you don’t always have to worry about us. The Sun climbs from east to west every day; servants hustle from morning to night—life is about everyone doing their part.”

His words carried a philosophical weight.

Liszt was left speechless.

His ideas were still at odds with the era; he pursued freedom at his core, yet the concept of class hierarchy was deeply ingrained in everyone in the Different World.

If servants didn’t work, would they still be servants?

If Nobles didn’t enjoy luxuries, would they still be Nobles?

Therefore, Liszt had no intention of arguing or correcting Carter’s words. On the contrary, he felt a twinge of guilt, yet deep down, he felt quite pleased—if everyone thought this way, the life of a Noble would be even more stable and comfortable—such good citizens!

Just after finishing lunch, ready to play with Douson and Juan Fu, then take a nap,

Goltai suddenly rode in from the town and handed a metal bottle shaped like a wine bottle directly to Liszt: “Baron, please look at this. The fishermen from Oyster Village found it by the seashore. They thought it was made of gold, but I have checked and it doesn’t seem to be gold.”