The Mighty Dragons Are Dead - Chapter 21: Delicious Wild Corn

The set of ways to improve combat aura explained how to build up, condense, release and attach combat aura. The other part included sixteen types of battle techniques.

There were five body movements, namely Dragon Charge, Dragon Leap, Dragon Jump, Dragon Soar, and Dragon Submersion.

The five basic moves included Dragon Pierce, Dragon Knock, Dragon Smash, Dragon Twist, and Dragon Drill.

The five advanced moves were Dragon Swing, Dragon Sweep, Dragon Storm, Dragon Roll, and Dragon Assault.

The ultimate skill was Heart of Fiery Dragon.

That was all of Dragon Drill. They also sounded like a perfect match with his horse.

At this moment, Liszt was riding Fire Dragon almost as a part of the horse, with a shield made of fine steel in his left hand protecting him as well as the horse, and a spear more than three meters long in his right hand.

The grass on the desolate land near the castle had been cut, revealing the yellow, barren soil below.

The hooves of the horse stomped on the damp ground, leaving uneven marks, while the horse galloped forth in a cluster of fire. Liszt released his combat aura on horseback and attached it to his shield, his spear, and his horse.

Very soon, both he and the horse were covered in fire.

Then, Liszt roared, “Heart of Fiery Dragon!”

Fire Dragon leaped high, and the spear stabbed forth quickly. Immediately, countless shadows that looked exactly like him flashed and crashed into the boulder ahead.

……

What an astonishing attack!

BOOM!

The boulder, as tall as a man, was blown into pieces. The sky rained fire and broken rock. By the time the dust settled, Liszt had already ridden out of the range of explosion.

His silver suit of armor was scratched and blackened.

Opening his mask, Liszt smiled as casually as before. It’s rather powerful. This attack could’ve beaten a Rampant Earth Dog half to death if it hit the target.

Da! Da! Da! Da! Da! Da!

Hoofbeats approached. Marcus and Goltai arrived with Liszt’s squires.

“Oh, heavens! Liszt, you are truly a genius. I saw it. Was it Heart of Fiery Dragon, the ultimate skill of Dragon Drill? You’ve grasped the technique in less than a week?” Goltai liked to talk in an exaggerated tone.

Marcus circled the broken stones, equally surprised. “The force was evenly distributed. No stones are larger than a fist. It means that you are fluent with the skill. Even regular earth knights can barely do that.”

He eyed Liszt in disbelief.

Before, the earl’s third child had been a standard loser. He had the best food and tonics, but his combat aura was not even as good as a civilian knight’s. However, he had seized a mid-level technique in a week after he became an earth knight.

Marcus remembered how it took him a month and a half to grasp the ultimate skill of Against the Wind.

He had many complicated feelings. Is this the real gap between commoners and nobles?

Liszt tossed his shield and his spear to his squires. Taking off the helmet and breathing in the fresh air, he was still excited. “I thought that Dragon Drill would’ve taken me months, but it was not that difficult. I can learn Furious Fire in my spare time now.”

“With such talents, you definitely should learn more techniques. Liszt, as I said, you remind me of your father. You will make the Tulips shine in the future.”

“Thank you, Mr. Goltai.”

On their way back, Goltai chit-chatted with Liszt, which was his specialty. Marcus, however, seemed absentminded.

After he had dinner in his trance and Liszt saw him off, he was finally back to himself.

He waited for Goltai to leave on a horse while whistling a song.

He looked at Liszt, who was still standing at the gate, and asked solemnly, “My lord, may I know what your destination is?”

“My destination…”

Liszt knew that Marcus was asking whether or not he had ambitions. Marcus, who was eager to be a noble, certainly did not want to follow a shiftless baron in a town.

However, Liszt did not give a straight answer. “Mr. Marcus, do not listen to what a man says, but watch what he does. What he says might be true and might be false, but what he does is always factual, isn’t it?”

“Got it!”

Marcus suddenly fell on one knee and pressed a hand to his chest. “I’d like to lead the vanguard for you, my lord!”

“Mr. Marcus, please rise. My territory is still weak and requires your help.” Liszt helped Marcus stand up calmly, but had a sense of achievement. It was his charisma that had earned the loyalty of an earth knight.

After he took a bath in the castle, he saw the misty Ophidian words again. Mission accomplished. Reward: a meager dragon-bred horse.

Soon, the mist twisted and changed into a new mission. Mission: Fresh clovers are the favorites of both cows and horses. They’re the foundation of a horse field and the start of success. Please install the wormgrass of the clover insect. Reward: Three wild corn.

Liszt was excited after reading it.

The dragon-bred horse was here, although he did not know where it was and who would discover it yet. However, he was more excited about the corn than the horse.

There was no corn in this world, at least not on Coral Island. He did not find any corn-related plants in his former self’s memories.

Corn is the crops allegedly with the highest productivity. Also, it requires little management. Corn is the future of cereals. In Interstellar, human beings only planted corn when they were about to go extinct.

Liszt knew that corn did not taste as good as wheat and rice despite its high productivity.

However, deliciousness was not a top priority. The crops that could keep the belly full were the best crops. Every acre of wheat in Flower Town could yield two hundred kilograms, and the number could be doubled with corn. Then, more people would be fed.

By then, corn could be planted in most of the farmlands to feed the civilians, and wheat could be grown in some of the lands to provide fine flour for him. Wouldn’t that be best?