5 – Thorns Ridge’s Magic Beasts

Flower Town was located in the northeastern corner of Coral Island; its area was not small, yet Liszt was at a loss regarding its exact size. As a remote town of Coral Island, it was just simply delimited be Thorns Ridge to the northeast, with its exact scope not being demarcated.

In other words, as long as there was no clash with the villages and towns southeast of Thorns Ridge, then Liszt could demarcate the size of Flower Town as his will.

Probably no one would blame him even if he were to include all of Thorns Ridge. After all, Thorns Ridge did not belong to anyone in Coral Island.

After twenty plus years of Tulip Family clearing Coral Island for cultivation, less than two thirds of the island was cleared up for farmland and settled with people.

The remaining one third was as of yet an untamed wilderness.

Thorns Ridge was such a wilderness. As a lords’ knights had to be used in campaigns, the wilderness had to be cleared by the serfs and commoners.

Thorns Ridge was extremely barren as well as uneven, its development worth not high.

Moreover, in front of magic beasts, ordinary people were but delicacies. Even hunters did not dare to lightly feel out the limits of magic beasts. Of course, there were still some risk-takers who would go hunt the magic beasts as every magic beast, every piece of their meat, every inch of their hide, could be exchanged for gold coins.

Liszt was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with enthusiasm for this inspection as he rode Fierydragon.

Rus.h.i.+ng to stake one’s claim in new markets was the instinct of every aristocrat. Wherever his horse’s hoofs managed to fall, would demarcate the scope of Flower Town. At this moment, his horse’s hoofs had first fallen on a street of the small town. The street was a filthy dirt road, with animal and human excrement seen everywhere; only aristocrats built toilets.

“We need to do something about sanitation.” Liszt turned back and said to Marcus.

Marcus was by no means an administrative officer and had no interest in this. His pa.s.sion lied in aristocratic authority, particularly when it came to the serfs and commoners on both sides of the street saluting Liszt. These people, with emaciated faces, were envious and fearful of the aristocrats.

s.h.i.+vering.

The serfs were kneeling and the free persons were bowing.

The serfs were overwhelmingly in the majority. They have been into servitude to the aristocracy, they were Liszt’s private property, with their wedding and funeral being for him to decide. Even if Liszt were to exercise the ‘right of the first night’, the serves would still obediently comply with it; they would bath their daughters or daughters-in-law clean before delivering them to the castle.

The free persons were very few, with many of them being craftsmen, hunters, and tailors.

The town was very small and dilapidated, with not many residents. Even tough every resident had come to salute Liszt, there was still not the slightest bit of enthusiasm.

After looking around, Liszt felt like there might only be a few hundred people in the village… There were not even as many people as there were students in a school.

Mud and gra.s.s houses of low height stretched over a large tract of land. The town was for the most part covered in dilapidated houses, with very few two-story-tall buildings in the middle; only two or three.

He could distinctly feel how poor the commoners were.

All sorts of feelings welled up inside him.

What comforted him was that he was an aristocrat who could live in a castle and eat white bread made from fine wheat flour.

Fierydragon very quickly took Liszt through the only street running through the north to the south of the small town, before following the safe route selected by Marcus towards Thorns Ridge with a slightly heavy heart.

Along the way, Liszt could not name the majority of crops on the farmland in the town’s surroundings. It was not gratifying to look at the crops. They were sick and weak, with a lot of weeds growing alongside them. Clearly, there was no scientific management being applied.

On one hand, this world had incredible creatures such as dragons and sprites, had mysterious powers such as qi and magic, yet on the other hand, it was lagging behind in terms of development.

Although industrial revolution was impossible, but the introduction of some scientific development methods was still very much feasible.

Liszt was confident in his ability to manage the territory and guide the development of Flower Town.

……

After traveling for some time, the small town in the distance could no longer be seen. They had left the flat land and entered a hilly land with spa.r.s.e woods. It was the edge of Thorns Ridge.

“Sir Baron, magic beasts often appear on the edge of Thorns Ridge; therefore, follow closely behind me, and do not act rashly.” At this moment, Marcus took the lead, and explained to the four retained knights what their duty was, “Protect the sir baron! Unless you are dead, otherwise, under no circ.u.mstances let magic beasts approach the sir baron! Can you do that?!”

“We can!” Karl and the rest responded loudly.

Here, commoners had no place on the battlefield; only aristocrats and knights were of use in battles. However, although the ident.i.ty of the retainer knights was that of commoners, yet they also were required to be on the battlefield. With their ident.i.ty as service corps, they got a better treatment. Their duty was to die for the aristocracy.

In order to avoid magic beasts, the party of knights could only detour and go along the edge of Thorns Ridge.

The trees were lush. Occasionally, wild animals such as rabbits, foxes, and the like, could be seen. Food on Thorns Ridge’s edge was not abundant; therefore, it was quite difficult to spot large beasts.

“In Spring, summer, and autumn, when the food requirements of Thorns Ridge’s magic beasts can be met, it is not common for Flower Town to run across magic beasts. But in winter, famished beasts would often encroach on Flower Town and treat a few poor devils as food every year.”

Marcus was in a foul mood, but he still performed his work diligently, sharing information about Thorns Ridge.

“Magic beasts, ah. It is unknown whether we can meet one today.” While scouring through his predecessor’s memories, Liszt had seen a few magic beasts. What distinguished magic bests from ordinary beasts the most was magic power, that is, their ability to release formidable magic.

In Tulip Castle, there was a type of a small magic beast being raised – the Flaming Rabbit.

Flaming Rabbits, which could release small fireb.a.l.l.s, were delicious and had bright fur. Aristocrats loved to eat their meat, while the ladies loved to wear clothing made out of their fur.

He had also seen the fur of a type of a large magic beast – the Great Barbarian Bear. The Count of Coral Island’s most beloved chair was covered in a the fur of a Great Barbarian Bear, its tanned malevolent head exuding a fierce and savage aura.

Reportedly, in order to kill that Great Barbarian Bear, eight Earth Knights of Coral Island’s knights were killed in the process.

The loss of eight Earth Knights was enough to seriously set back an order of knights. That many Earth Knights might not even die in territorial disputes.

Let alone the number of Apprentice Knights killed, which was much greater.

Along the way, Liszt recorded Thorns Ridge’s topography. He included sites suitable for setting up fortifications, water conservancy projects, forts, or farmlands. This was part of the duty the lord of a fief had to fulfill.

“It is lunchtime. Oden, let us eat lunch here.”

“Yes, My Lord!” Oden Insole promptly dismounted his horse. He searched for a flat piece of land, then covered it with a carpet, and placed the rations on top.

The simple lunch was composed of bread, caviar, fruit salad and milk tea.

There was still goat jerky just for Liszt.

Thinking that it was just a simple lunch, Marcus finis.h.i.+ng a loaf of bread. Suddenly, his expression changed: “Sir Baron, there is a situation. I can sense a magic beast!”