83 – Fate Changing Opportunity

Why did the milk tea tasted better with each pa.s.sing day?

Liszt had discovered this issue half a month ago. At first, he believed it to be an improvement in Mawson Paddyfield's handicraft, but it didn't make sense for him to have the same feeling each day.

“Actually, Master.” Said Carter, “Recently, the creme used to make dessert also tastes better. Mrs. Mawson and Mrs. Abby think that it should be related to the dairy farm's cows. Both Bigblack and Bigyellow are with calf, so their milk production is continuously improving and the quality has risen.”

“Being with calf can improve the quality of milk?”

“Alfalfa cultivated in the dairy farm is probably the cause of it. Compared with two-leaf clover from before, alfalfa is more nutritious. I went to the dairy farm to take a look. The eight cows are in very good shapes, especially the three calves, they are growing very quickly and are about to enter the milk production period.”

“Very good. When the calves mature, the castle won't lack milk.” Liszt downed the cup of milk tea, “Also, the cows with calf must be fed well.”

Cows were pregnant for about nine months. In order for them to keep producing milk after they gave birth, they had to be impregnated anew.

Therefore, a cow could basically give birth to a calf each year.

However, due to restrictions on nutrition, health, disease, and so on, it was quite probable for calves to die before maturing. In this era, even human children had a great risk of dying. Even with the strong bodies of aristocrats and doctors providing treatment, there was no 100% guarantee that children would survive.

After more than a decade of raising cows on the dairy farm, there were merely ten cows to show for.

Now that the two old cows were eaten by the invisible dragon, now that only eight remained, the pasture was enough to provide for a few more cows. For aristocrats, milk was as indispensable and just as important as bread and beer.

Liszt also couldn't do without milk.

He quite liked to drink milk tea, drinking a cup after waking up, for lunch, and dinner as well as before going to bed. The nutrients provided by the four cups of milk tea made up for his daily expenditure of qi. A knight's qi originated from their bodies. Therefore, without nutrients, there would be no qi.

After using a handkerchief to wipe the milk tea's foam from the corner of his mouth.

Liszt suddenly had an urge to make bubble tea.

However, there were no purple sweet potatoes nor pumpkins on the Coral Island and thus, there was no way to make ‘bubbles'. Therefore, he could only continue to drink milk tea without any toppings. When he first came to the castle, Mrs. Mawson not only used milk and black tea, but also used minced meat, eggs, salt, sugar, salad, and more. Later, these ingredients were muscled out by Liszt.

Restoring the original flavor of milk tea.

Next, Liszt said cheerfully: “Once the castle's income increases, I plan to raise more cows so that the castle's servants and retainers can have a cup of fresh milk every day.”

Carter replied with a smile: “Master, you are always so generous.”

It was true that showing a bit of favor could acquire the servants' loyalty and devotion. But the most important reason behind this, however, was that he wanted to raise the nutrition intake of the knight squad.

……

Early the next morning.

He went to the horse field to continue the practice of [Multiple Arrows]. He no longer had a need for Marcus' guidance. Marcus was not far away, still training the knight squad. Röhm Weinfa.s.s, Gray Sickle, Oden Insole, these three retainer knights trained along the knight squad.

Only Karl Eisenhammer no longer trained with the squad, returning to Liszt's side. He had already successfully cultivated qi and became an Apprentice Knight.

His qi was very feeble. According to Marcus, there was no potential to unearth.

But Karl was already very satisfied. In the past few days, he had been smiling nonstop. Having qi meant that he was strong and that he would be a.s.signed to an important position.

“Karl, you have cultivated qi too late. Therefore, you have no future. After the knight squad is trained, it will be difficult for you to procure any chances at promotion while staying at my side as a retainer knight. Therefore, I intend to let you go to the town to work.” Liszt spoke to Karl while practicing archery.

Karl was not too young, he had wife and children in the Coral City.

He said solemnly: “Sir, I, Karl am willing to follow you!”

“I know of your loyalty, but the position of a retainer doesn't suit you. It would be very disadvantageous for you to compete against the knight squad's youngsters with your strength.”

“Sir, I…” Karl was also clear that he was not their equal.

There were already two teenagers, Philip Wool and Xavier Oxdung, that had cultivated qi ahead of him. Besides, the quant.i.ty and recovery speed of their qi exceeded his. The remaining ten youngsters had already perceived qi and could cultivate qi any time now. Also, they had more time to progress to Earth Knights.

He was a little panicked.

He was not a very bright person. Therefore, he became uncertain regarding his future prospects.

Liszt sighed lightly inside. It was not that he was heartless, more like, there was no place for emotions when it came to retainer knights. They had to guaranty their own safety and could not be the slightest bit careless: “Go to the patrol. The patrol is comprised of ordinary people, but public security requires an Apprentice Knight to oversee.”

“Yes, Sir!”  Karl was a bit disappointed.

The patrol couldn't compare with being the lord's retainer knight.

Liszt saw Karl's disappointment and just said indifferently: “I will grant you the status of a freedman and appoint you as the Flower Town's defense officer to help Teacher Gort administrate the fief's public security. The patrol shall be directly subordinated to you. This position is very important, don't let me down, Karl.”

His expression instantly changed from disappointment, to a pleasantly surprised one.

Karl gave a deep bow: “Sir, thank you for the promotion! I am willing to serve Sir for the rest of my life!”

……

In the afternoon, the news that Karl was promoted to a freedman and took the post of the Flower Town's defense officer spread through the entire horse field. Marcus took advantage of a gap between the knight squad's training to go over and guide Liszt in archery.

They also chatted.

“Sir, Karl's story prompted the knight squad to train more earnestly, especially Röhm, Gray, and Oden, they train as if their lives were at stake.”

“Qi changes fate. In the past, this was more like a slogan than anything else. But once there was a living example, they would realize that it was not just a slogan but a real opportunity.” Liszt rotated his sore wrists. Even if it was him, he also was working hard to get stronger.

Marcus nevertheless said: “Sir, you have granted them a fate changing opportunity.”

Marcus was right, Liszt expressed his approval.

Next, Liszt didn't continue with this topic and instead took out four arrows to practice multiple arrows' ‘Spiral Shadow Arrows', which would give the four arrows spiral trajectories. This move was a prerequisite for learning the ultimate meaning Multiple Phantom Arrows and its key point lied in producing phantoms of arrows.

Holding two arrows between the index finger and the middle finger and the other two arrows between the middle finger and the ring finger.

He pulled the bowstring into forming a full moon with the body of the bow.

Aimed at the not distant target and suddenly released. The four arrows were shot pari pa.s.su. Midair, the magic power attached to them spread out, propelling the four arrows to rotate.

Unfortunately.

When the magic power spread out, there was an error in the direction of an arrow, destroying the entire arrow formation. The airflow was disturbed and the other three arrows were also affected, causing all four arrows to be off target.

“Still a bit lacking.” Liszt put down the bow, thinking about where he had gone wrong. There were too many things to consider in archery; such as the bowstring's power, the arrow's direction, equilibrium of magic power, wind resistance, and gravitational acceleration.

Marcus' eyes lit up as he looked at the arrows' landing trajectory.

“Sir, your talent in archery exceeds that of many people. I started to learn archery at your age, but it took me three whole years to familiarize myself with [Fundamental Archery]. After becoming an Earth Knight, I have been practicing for nearly fifteen years to reach my current level of archery. You already nearly caught up to me.”