The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

Chapter 803: Chapter 800: Whirlpool Town (5th update, 10,000 coins reward celebration 1/4)
 

This chapter is an additional update for the “Childhood of the Insects” with a reward of ten thousand.

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The gathering of experimental equipment required some time, and Ach didn’t engage in theoretical research. He primarily focused on preparing these experimental materials.

The preparations were estimated to need a week’s time in total.

During this period, Ach went to the Great Whirlpool three times and helped in scouting the surrounding archipelago, finally finding seven large islands within a week—measured against the standard of Black Horse Island.

However, the largest one was still the one discovered earlier, about the size of Coral Island.

Besides that were many smaller sporadically scattered islets and reefs.

This archipelago clearly couldn’t support the foundation of a Kingdom, and Liszt named it the Second Archipelago. It could only be used as a supply point for transiting, which left him quite disappointed. However, the discovery of the transport magic circle from ancient legends was significant, so the value of the Second Archipelago remained high.

Liszt unfolded the nautical map and studied it once more, this map drawn by Ach herself.

800 kilometers south of Black Horse Island lay Three Islands; First Island, Second Island, Third Island, each smaller than Black Horse Island.

1200 kilometers southeast from the Three Islands was Dragon Turtle Island.

A slight turn to the south-southeast from Three Islands and 2500 kilometers away was First Chain Island—with all of its islands being smaller than Black Horse Island.

400 kilometers south from the First Chain Island was the habitat of the Light Green Gemstone Dragons, now newly renamed as Midway Island, approximately the same size as Coral Island.

Another 500 kilometers south from Midway Island was the Second Archipelago, which contained seven islands larger than Black Horse Island, the largest nearly the size of Coral Island, named Whirlpool Island.

From Black Horse Island directly to the Second Archipelago was about 4000 kilometers distance.

The Great Whirlpool was located twenty-three kilometers south of Whirlpool Island, making a beach on Whirlpool Island the chosen location for the magic laboratory. To study the Great Whirlpool, Liszt even planned to build a small town on it, straightforwardly naming it Whirlpool Town.

Another Mage Tower would be built, and the magic laboratory would be set up inside the Mage Tower.

“It’s best to build small towns on all the islands we can dock at and resupply. After all, the more serfs I buy, the easier it is to relocate them to cultivate the land… As long as the serfs in the supply towns can sustain themselves, I don’t need to collect taxes from them.”

Usually, maritime trade in sea salt, white paper, and glass are lucrative businesses; and every year, a few Pioneer Mandates sweep in like an autumn wind among fallen leaves—filling sacks with real gold and silver.

Therefore, Liszt didn’t care much for the meager tax revenue from serfs. If it weren’t for the risk of disrupting the current societal structure, he’d seriously consider abolishing all agricultural taxes—he might not rely on tax revenue to feed himself, but other Nobles still needed to exploit serfs to live, including his father, the Tulip Family, which also required squeezing serfs.

“One town each on First Island among the Three Islands—Mangrove Town (Nami has managed a mangrove forest here), Crescent Island of the First Chain Island—a town called Crescent Town, and build another town on Midway Island—Greenlight Town, and on Whirlpool Island build Whirlpool Town… That’s decided then!”

He added the four towns to the map; these were the plans for the future.

However, he then thought of an issue he hadn’t paid attention to before: “I’ve been sending the Adventure Fleet to search for islands, but it seems I’ve forgotten to measure the distance of these islands from the mainland coastline… They should still be in the coastal waters of Eagle Kingdom, it’s just that most of the coastline is likely undeveloped.”

Human settlements on the Legendary Continent mainly concentrate in the open plains and along freshwater rivers.

Mountain areas, primeval forests, and coastal populations are not as dense.

“When Ach has time, I should let her start from the Second Archipelago and explore toward the mainland coastline to see the land situation there. Perhaps in the future, developing the Second Archipelago, we could directly launch an assault on Eagle Kingdom from here, capture strongholds and grab resources.”

At least he could go to the continent for exploration from this direction—the wild, untamed jungles to him were like treasure troves yet to be discovered.

Liszt marked the map and walked out onto the balcony.

Gazing at the distant sky and just about to compose a poem, he was interrupted by the chattering of Little Yellow, Little Red, and Little Purple, three Flame Dragon Birds, circling around Annie’s Cordyceps-Phoenix Perch Parasol Tree. Having left the volcano, Annie had eventually planted the Phoenix Perch Parasol Tree near Thorn Castle.

Little Fire Dragon Leo would often fall asleep beside the tree, which gave Annie the perfect opportunity to stealthily fondle Leo’s scales and indulge in self-satisfaction.

Although this was a phenomenon of the Greater Elf’s evolution, Liszt still found it rather odd.

In considering Annie, he felt it had even more peculiar tastes than Ash, the Pea Greater Elf who loved rope tricks.

Suddenly,

Another Greater Elf flew over— its appearance that of an elite with a pale green hue, a small sapling adorned its head, bearing a single red fruit. This Greater Elf landed gently in front of Liszt and chirped a clear, melodious question, “Chirp, Liszt, is Ach in the laboratory?”

“Yes, she is, Nami. Go look for her yourself.”

“Thank you, Liszt, chirp.” Nami flew from the balcony into the castle to find Ach to play with.

Just a few days earlier, Nami had finally shaken off her listlessness and sprang to life, growing rapidly and evolving into a Mangrove Greater Elf.

Becoming the fifth Greater Elf of the territory, following Giant Algae Greater Elf Pike, Pea Greater Elf Ash, Phoenix Perch Parasol Tree Greater Elf Annie, and Thorn Greater Elf Jela.

The five Greater Elves brought Liszt endless glory once more.

However, the response was much more subdued; whenever Liszt’s Greater Elves were mentioned, all citizens and Nobles acted as if it was only natural: “Prince Liszt is a Dragon Knight, isn’t it very normal for him to have several Greater Elves? If a Dragon Elf were born in the Flame Territory, then that would be something to talk about.”

Actually, this was quite unusual.

But from the high-ranking Nobles like Marquis of Bull Tail down to the small street vendors, they all thought it was normal.

It had to be said, the radiance of the Dragon Knight’s title was so intense that nowadays, unless Liszt did something as dramatic as slaying dragons, he couldn’t make the headlines.

“Woah!”

Nami had just flown into the corridor when she came face to face with Thorn Greater Elf Jela, hands on hips, strutting with an air of arrogance as she inspected the Worm Room.

“Chirp, hello Jela.”

Jela haughtily glanced at Nami, not wishing to acknowledge her.

Nami, as if by magic, produced a small bag of Purple Jade Powder, Jela’s favorite treat: “Chirp, Jela, here’s something for you to eat.”

Jela tried to maintain her pride, but upon seeing the Jade Powder, she couldn’t resist her inner desires. Snatching the powder, she sniffed it and then hung it on her waist. When she looked at Nami again, she gave a slight nod: “I like Purple Jade Powder; remember that.”

“Chirp, Nami remembers.”

“Hmm, bring me more Purple Jade Powder next time.”

“Chirp.”

“Woah!” Jela, face-savingly graced with Purple Jade Powder, exchanged a few words with Nami and then resumed her haughty patrol of her “territory.”

Nami giggled to herself, her confidence brimming with self-assurance as she flew directly to the fifth floor—to the laboratory. Taming the prideful Greater Elf Jela was not a matter to rush; she’d take her time.