The Defeated Dragon Chapter 11

11 – The Recovery of Peanuts, Flower Bud

“Teacher Gort, what about the search of suitable locations for settling down the sprite worms? They have already been dormant for a month. I hope that they can be woken up as soon as possible, as to not to squander their potential.”

Sprite worms were a type of small magical life form.

Sprites could acknowledge their masters by biting them on their finger to draw a bit of blood, and then establish a magic contract. They were the spirits of nature, the essence of plants, as well as the emissaries of magic.

Planting their worm stalks would affect the growth of the surrounding plants.

The worm stalks were the true bodies of sprite worms born from plants, they were regarded as the sprite worms' life-essence talismans, which could be detached or reattached, could grow or hibernate.

The growth of worm stalks was the growth of sprite worms.

Once the worm stalk died, the sprite worm would die with it.

As the worm stalks were inside the bellies of the four sprite worms, they did not provide any nourishment; therefore, the sprite worms had no choice but to hibernate. This was not only a waste of their productivity, but also delayed the possibility of the sprite worms' evolution. Sprite worms could not evolve into lesser sprites by just hibernating. Only by continuously absorbing nutrients and affecting the growth of crops could sprite worms evolve into lesser sprites.

Despite there being very little hope.

Liszt still wanted to try his luck and see whether his sprite worms could evolve into lesser sprites.

Gort answered: “For the alfalfa sprite worm, it is suitable to be planted on the dairy farm as it has a vast stretch of pasture; the gra.s.s could be replaced with alfalfa. For the maize sprite worm, it is quite difficult to find a suitable place for it as Flower Town mainly cultivates wheat, with no one cultivating maize. For the tulip sprite worm, it should naturally be planted on the flower farm; although, that place is about to be abandoned… As for the thorns sprite worm… Liszt, as you know, this sprite worm is worthless.”

“I do not care whether they have worth or not, all I want is a field for them to grow!”

“Then I will go ahead and dispatch the idle serfs to plant the alfalfa and tulip sprite worms. But Liszt, I lack manpower; the clerks are idle and incapable!”

“You can conscript the commoners at your discretion; the castle will pay them.”

“Heavens, the castle will pay them? You truly are a generous lord. However, there are almost no literate people in Flower Town. You also want me to organize a census; but they cannot even write their own names. I can guarantee that they are incapable. We cannot count on the commoners.”

This is a problem.

Flower Town had no school, and with uneducated and illiterate people as officials, it was truly unreliable.

“Then, Teacher Gort, do you know any literate people willing to come over and settle down in Flower Town? As long as they are willing to serve as officials, then I will pay them twice the pay of other town's officials… My castle still should have a lot of gold coins.”

No matter how little he was liked, Liszt was still the count's son. When he came of age and was enfeoffed, he was given a sizable amount in gold coins.

Gort went silent for a moment, seemingly thinking things over: “Liszt, I can tell that you have great ambitions for Flower Town. I do know some unappreciated talented and capable people. However, as your teacher, I must remind you that it is already strenuous for Flower Town to support a lord; increasing the number of people would be extremely burdensome.”

“I am clear about this issue. Do not worry, I will solve it. You can invite them all.” Liszt said readily. He could create wealth with talented people.

In his opinion, Flower Town was an unexploited pristine land.

Even though it was very difficult to get rich from farming without sprites, but creating wealth was not limited to farming.

At the same time, he still thought inside: “Also, I have my cheat, the smoke missions; it might net me even more wealth!”

As they were discussing work.

The old butler Carter knocked on the door and came in: “My Lord, peanut settlement's Old George would like to have an audience with you.”

“Oh, what is it?”

“He said that peanut settlement's peanuts have recovered their green color overnight. While the middle field, that you have instructed to pay attention to, has a peanut with a very large flower bud.

“I see, let him in.” Liszt was quite pleasantly surprised.

Before applying the fertilizer, he did not expect the peanut fields to return to normal so quickly. He could not wait to find a quiet place to see whether the smoke mission had already been updated.

When Old George had nervously and cautiously entered the castle, Liszt had already regained his calm: “Old George, give me a detailed account of the peanut settlement's affairs.”

“Yes… Sir Lord… Your glorious radiance… had shone on every corner of peanut settlement…”

As Carter had reported, the peanut settlement had recovered its green color overnight, and a peanut crop had given rise to a mutation, with a very large flower bud growing from it. The serfs were besides themselves with joy, and Old George, without caring about his lame leg, ran over alike the wind, to the point of heavily panting, to requested an audience with the lord. His formerly numb and despairing eyes have already been replaced with hopeful ones.

Gort had already reacted, his mouth wide open: “Oh heavens. Liszt… is the peanut field giving birth to a… a peanut sprite worm?”

Liszt gave a faint smile: “It is quite possible.”

“Oh heavens. Liszt, you are an aristocrat favored by the heavens! For such a remote countryside small town like Flower Town to give birth to a sprite worm is truly unfathomable!”

“We will know whether it is unfathomable or not after taking a look ourselves. Mr. Carter, prepare my horse, I am going to the peanut settlement.”

“As you wish, My Lord.”

At the entrance of the castle.

Liszt and Gort had each mounted their horses. Carter inquired: “My Lord, your retainer knights have yet to arrive, do you want to wait for them for a while?”

Thomas stepped forward. He wanted to say something, but did not dare to open his mouth.

Liszt noticed it. He gave Thomas and Old George a slight look, before saying: “Thomas, ride with me. Right, you and Old George can mount the same horse.”

Liszt's words were like music to Thomas' ears. He was trembling from excitement: “At your service, My Lord!”

This was the first time the sir lord allowed his gentleman's valet to wait upon him when going on a journey. The idea of a gentleman's valet was of an aristocrat's trusted aid always following closely behind. The gentleman's valets of many greater aristocrats fought alongside them on the battlefield, serving them as knights.

Four people and three horses.

With Fierydragon at the lead, swift as the wind and quick as lightning, they arrived at peanut settlement.

As far as the eye could see, the peanut fields, that were greenish-yellow just yesterday, had become verdant, with the peanut sprouts joyfully spreading their branches and leaves.

It was currently spring, but it still was not blooming season.

However, on the field in the middle, ​​the largest peanut sprout had a fist-sized flower bud of a delicate green color on its root stem.

“It is indeed a sprite worm's flower bud! Liszt, Flower Town was blessed by the heavens!” Gort shouted somewhat exaggeratedly.

Liszt was actually very excited, but the expression on his face was still composed as he said with a mild smile: “Sprite worms are crucial for Flower Town's agriculture; therefore, this peanut field must be protected. Old George, I want people guarding the field 24/7.”

“Sir Lord, I will guard it without eating nor resting!”

“There is no need to go to such lengths, just rotate the people on duty.” Liszt then turned to Thomas standing behind him, saying, “Go back and tell my retainer knights that I want one of them to be stationed in peanut settlement to watch over the sprite worm.”

“Very well, My Lord!”