The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

This chapter is dedicated to "Little Liangzi" for the numerous rewards.

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"Happy birthday, Liszt."

"Happy birthday, Liszt."

"Thank you, Levis and Loria, for the gifts you brought."

"Happy birthday, Liszt."

"Thank you, Li Vera."

At half-past ten in the morning, a string of carriages arrived, it was all the members of the Tulip Family, including Lady Penelope, who was not in the best of health, but had come in person.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

They were there to celebrate Liszt's birthday.

"My boy, you've grown another year older, and yet, you are still the youngest Sky Knight in the Duchy of Sapphire," Lady Penelope said with a smile as she embraced her grandson, Liszt, now her proudest grandson, enjoying a warmth of affection reserved just for him.

However, her attendants and servants, holding a potted plant, handed it over to Liszt's servant—even with all her pride, the gift was still a potted plant.

Liszt laughed and instructed his servant to move the potted plant to the flower garden.

At this point, he wasn't really expecting to get any more Elf Bugs from Lady Penelope, how could his small balcony spawn so many? Yet out of habit, he still swiftly applied the Eye of Magic, scanning the somewhat peculiar potted plant.

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Lady Penelope had introduced it earlier as a Green Yuanbao, a leguminous plant.

As for why it was called Green Yuanbao, looking at the roots on the surface of the pot, there were two seeds the size of chicken eggs, shaped like yuanbao and green, hence the name was clear. These were the seeds of Green Yuanbao, which, after sprouting, stretch downward to form the roots and upward to become the trunk.

This tree is a type of tall hardwood that can grow up to four meters high.

Its young saplings, because of the large seed lobes, unlike typical sprouted seeds that get absorbed, instead become leaf-like and continue to photosynthesize, are very ornamental, making them a popular choice for potted plants. Its fruit is a pod known as the Green Yuanbao, which can be roasted and eaten, though it tastes average, similar to a low-quality potato.

And yet, with just one glance.

Immediately, a faint trace of magical feedback shined, caught by Liszt on the left seed lobe.

"Wait a moment!" he exclaimed at once, stopping the servant from moving the Green Yuanbao and instead examined it closely, confirming the presence of light within the seed lobe, a sign of an Elf Bug in gestation.

"What's wrong, Liszt?" Lady Penelope seemed to realize something and leaned in, "Is there something wrong with my potted plant?"

Liszt smiled and opted not to hide it, expressing his joy, "Granny, my dear granny, if I'm not mistaken, this Green Yuanbao might be nurturing an Elf Bug. I don't know how to thank you, this is the third Elf Bug you've given me!"

"What!" Lady Penelope exclaimed in surprise, "Does it really have an Elf Bug?"

From her tone, it was clear she hadn't thought her potted plant would continue to bear Elf Bugs—she probably never considered this when giving the plant, her years of life experience had long taught her to be frugal, leveraging the previous two Elf Bugs to save some money on gifts.

But at that moment, no one cared about her tone.

Standing by, the Earl and his wife, The Levis Couple, Li Vera, Lidun, and the rest of the nobles all crowded closer, eager to see for themselves.

The Earl spoke directly, "Liszt, are you sure you're not mistaken? Is this truly a Cordyceps that nurtures an Elf Bug?"

"Father, my perception of magic power is very sensitive. I have felt the magic power of the Elf Bug on the Green Yuanbao, and I definitely am not mistaken. The issue is whether it can be cultivated or not, but I have some insights into breeding Elf Bugs. So far, I have never lost an Elf Bug from any Cordyceps I've discovered."

"Good heavens!" Lady Marie covered her mouth, in disbelief.

She was not surprised by an Elf Bug; she was surprised that the Elf Bug belonged to Liszt and that it was nurtured by a potted plant belonging to Lady Penelope.

"Viscount Liszt truly is the Son of Glory!" A noble started to flatter immediately.

"My dear brother, why does the knightly honor always favor you? Grandmother's potted plants have already birthed three Elf Bugs, all given to you," Li Vera said enviously.

Liszt smiled again, "You should wonder why Grandmother's potted plants always give birth to Elf Bugs. The knightly honor favors Grandmother just the same."

Lady Penelope laughed heartily, without her usual restraint, "Even though I am just an old lady, the knightly honor has not forsaken me. You always thought I was fooling you with my potted plants, little did you know every one of my potted plants is a treasure!"

The Green Yuanbao was solemnly moved to the flower garden.

However, the compliments did not stop, as the nobles tirelessly discussed how knightly honor favored Liszt, and family members continuously congratulated him.

The unborn Green Yuanbao Bug became the catalyst that further lifted the spirits of the birthday celebration.

Listening to everyone's flattery, Liszt felt an indescribable sense of superiority in his heart—a mere Elf Bug caused such envy among the other nobles; if they knew there was a Little Fire Dragon sleeping on his chest, would they not be green with envy?

Although it could not be ridden and would take a hundred years to mature.

Nonetheless, the Little Fire Dragon continued to help him enhance the level of his Dragon Dou Qi, and his power kept increasing. He now dared to assert that, with the refinement and output of the Little Fire Dragon over this period, his Dragon Dou Qi had surpassed that of a Completion Level Sky Knight. In the Duchy of Sapphire, he was only second to the Grand Duke.

Dragon Knight.

Incomparable to Sky Knights.

It seemed like beyond the Completion Level Sky Knights was the Dragon Knight, but in reality, the gap between them was a chasm as deep as the abyss. Only by obtaining a dragon could one build a bridge over the divide. Liszt was very fortunate to encounter his dragon at the age of eighteen.

The only downside was that the Fire Dragon only consumed without producing.

With a mentality of "I have a dragon, but I keep it low-key," Liszt cordially entertained the guests, enjoying a lavish lunch in the dining hall.

Although he didn't have enough money for potions, the castle never lacked for regular food.

Mrs. Abbie and her team of chefs had long since mastered new dishes such as stir-fries and roasts. Seafood was plentiful, desserts were numerous, and even the staple foods came in several varieties—dumplings, noodles, bread, buns, cornmeal rice, and more.

Regrettably, Chef Bawel still could not make tofu, which infuriated Liszt so much he wanted to kill him. The man was a charlatan who had scammed him out of ten Gold Coins in sponsorship funds. Otherwise, with tofu alone, countless variations could be created to add even more richness to the castle's dishes.

Even so.

After the luncheon, the nobles still could not stop praising the castle's sumptuous fare and inquired whether they could send chefs to learn from Mrs. Abbie.

Liszt cleared his throat and said, "Aside from some secret recipes, Mrs. Abbie will surely be willing to teach the other dishes. However, the most authentic dishes can only be tasted in Fresh Flower Town. I welcome you all to visit Fresh Flower Town on regular days to enjoy these delicacies."

Fresh Flower Town will take trade as the future direction of development, and culinary delights are a great idea to attract merchants.