15 – Marcus vs. a Wild Dog"s Sneak Attack
After the tulip sprite worm had finished its a.s.similation, it could be put back into the jade box and be raised in the castle. Besides, there was no longer a need to eat jade powder as the worm stalk could absorb nutrients, supporting the sprite worm.
The process took about a day.
Back at the castle.
Liszt started writing letters.
Liszt started drawing Serpentines with a goose feather pen dipped in ink on spread open thick bast paper pages. Without phone or fax, he could only communicate via the most primitive correspondence.
He was writing letters to the Count of Coral Island and the Baroness of Falcon Town, that is, his father and sister.
The count had one tulip great sprite, one tulip lesser sprite, and several tulip sprite worms, while the baroness had one tulip lesser sprite. The Black Tulip on Liszt"s territory was of vital importance to sprites, meaning that the count and the baroness were certainly willing to pay a certain price to a.s.similate this new type.
Here, accounts should be settled without ambiguity even between brothers, the same was valid between father and son.
“Using this opportunity of a.s.similation, I might be able to get a sprite worm from the count and living supplies from the baroness.” He already knew what he wanted to get in return.
Sprites were the number one productive force; a chance to get one could not be missed.
Next were the lacking living supplies, In fact, the castle lacked everything. Liszt was not someone who led a plain life, he like comfort.
“Next, I can discuss the cultivation and sale of Black Tulips with the count. As a specialty good, Black Tulips could only be cultivated in my territory. However, the right to sell could be given to the count. Um, there should be no problem I getting 20% of the proceeds… However, it would take at least two years before the Black Tulips could be ma.s.s produced.”
His pen stopped for a moment as he mused, before continuing writing.
“Perhaps I could get an advance payment, that is not right, get a sales representative down payment from the count. I have to get some more gold coins as it would be quite difficult to develop Flower Town without start-up capital. In particular, a safe and wide road has to be opened trough the Thorns Ridge; building a road is the first step to getting rich.
This was the gist of the content.
Once both letters were written, Marcus had rushed over. The only person qualified to deliver the letters was the Earth Knight Marcus. Liszt still had not practiced cultivation according to a mid-ranked qi secret manual, his fighting strength was rather lacking.
“Teacher Marcus, I have two letters I need you to help me deliver.”
“At your service.” Marcus replied cordially. His tone seemed to have changed. Before Liszt had promoted to an Earth Knight, he would only reply with ‘yes", yet now he replied with ‘at your service".
Liszt had noticed this change, but he said nothing: “One more thing, I need a mid-ranked qi secret manual. The Tulip Castle"s [Thousand Ripples] secret manual does not suit me. Please bring me the Knight College"s [Fire Surge Fluctuations] secret manual. Right, please ask the butler Lewis whether there are any other fire-attributed qi secret manuals in the Tulip Castle.”
“No problem.”
“Have a good rest tonight, then leave tomorrow. Be careful when crossing the Thorns Ridge.” Liszt thought for a moment, “Your horse is not good enough, take my Fierydragon instead.”
Marcus bowed in grat.i.tude: “Thank you for your kindness, but my horse has been together with me through thick and thin. This old partner of mine, with whom I share a connection, is more suitable for me to ride.”
“Be my guest.”
“If there is nothing else, then I will take my leave, Sir Baron.”
“Go ahead.”
……
“Teacher Marcus, good afternoon.” Tom Pigsty carrying buckets of water came across Marcus leaving the castle and gritted him respectfully.”
Marcus nodded lightly: “Good afternoon.”
Tom was greatly flattered. Usually, Marcus and Gort would never say to him ‘good afternoon". He was just the castle"s servingman responsible for heavy manual labor; people lower in status than him might only be the a.s.sistant servingman, Jesse Ricewater, responsible for feeding horses and chopping wood, and the kitchen maid Irene Fourfingers.
He wanted to bow to Marcus, but he forgot that he was carrying buckets of water on his shoulders. When bending down, the carrying pole slipped, spilling half of the water inside the buckets.
“Be a bit more careful.”
“Oh, okay, okay, Teacher Marcus.”
When Marcus left on horseback, Thomas appeared out of nowhere: “You"re really clumsy. To spill half of the water, Mr. Tom Pigsty, perhaps the lord should let you feed the pigs, that would be more suitable for you.”
Tom raised the buckets, not looking at Thomas: “I am going back to fill the buckets.”
Although he was taller than Thomas by a head, yet he habitually held his head low.
Thomas sneered: “Can you do anything else apart from drawing water?! No, you cannot even do that properly! You have been a heavy manual labor servingman your entire life! I am the lord"s gentleman"s valet! Sooner or later, I will replace Old Carter and become the castle"s butler! By then, the first thing I will do is to send you to feed the pigs.”
“You will not, only Mr. Carter is the lord"s trusted aid.” Tom whispered.
“Humph, the lord has already let me go out with him, he already trusts me. I am still young; sooner or later, I will replace Old Carter!”
“You will not.” Tom spoke no more. He turned around and left.
When pouring the water into the great water vat from the buckets, the maid Debbie Window had come over to draw water. She looked at Thomas strolling outside the castle: “Tom, is Thomas bothering you again?”
“It is nothing.”
“You should not be afraid of him, there is nothing special about him. The lord will recognize your efforts.”
“I know, I am not afraid of him. The lord is a great personage. The lord and Mr. Carter can see my hard work.” Tom wiped the sweat from his forehead, “Thank you none the less, Debbie. Need any help in carrying the water upstairs?”
“If it is not too troublesome.”
“It is not. The work Mr. Carter has arranged for me is quite easy.”
“Tom you are really a good person.”
……
Early in the morning, Marcus had his breakfast; he had fed his horse an ample amount of beans and hey.
He carefully examined the two letters of Liszt and the five letters of Gort, and then looked through the few symbols written on a thick bast paper page.
The symbols reminded him of the things he should not forget; Liszt needed a fire-attributed qi secret manual, Old Carter entrusted him with the purchase of thick bast paper, Gort wanted a box of cigars, the retainer knight Oden Insole entrusted him with the purchase of scabies ointment, and he himself required a bowstring.
When facing the Windblade Wolf with bow and arrows, he had pulled too ferociously, breaking the bowstring; he had to replace it.
Then, he polished his lance and one-handed sword, counted the feather arrows in the quiver. With everything ready to go, he mounted his horse, left the small town, and hurried towards the Thorns Ridge.
The Thorns Ridge was a sinuous hill, going up and down.
In fact, it should be two hills joined together. One hill stretched from north to south, while the other stretched from south to west. Between them was a path, the only path to access Flower Town.
Magic beasts roamed between the hills and thicket.
But not many. Particularly in this season when food was abundant, magic beasts rarely wandered off. Therefore, the path between the hills was still relatively safe. And as an Earth Knight, he did not fear the common beasts.
However, just 1 li into the path.
Suddenly, he detected the aura of a magic beast.
“Not again! Previously, I have come cross a Windblade Wolf, and now, I have come across another magic beast, so unlucky!” Marcus grasped the lance in his hand, nervously looking in the direction from where the beast aura has come from.
After waiting for a while.
The magic beast still had not appeared.
Marcus had narrowed his eyes. Magic beasts that lurked behind a cover were more dangerous than those in plain sight. He tapped his horse and pretended to leave, trying to lure out the magic beast.
After going for roughly 0,5 li.
The magic beast tailing him had finally become impatient, taking the initiative to reveal itself and attack. A lofty figure rushed out of the thicket beside the path, ferociously pouncing at him.
Marcus was on his guard the entire time, so naturally he would not be taken by surprise. Practically at the same time, he had turned his horse around and trusted his lance to meet the attack of the magic beast.
Next, he saw the magic beast clearly, which was an enormous wild dog.