113 – The Use of Black Pearls
The family names of greater aristocrats were always very elegant.
While also a marquis family, the Longtaro Family’s family name, ‘long taro’, was a level below the Goldcerealears Family’s family name, ‘gold cereal ears’.
This was a display of their foundation.
A few decades ago, the family name of the Goldcerealears Family was still just ‘gold cereal’.
It was a powerful family. The reason why this family’s family name was not ‘barley’ or ‘wheat’, was because the family not only possessed a wheat greater sprite, but still possessed a barley greater sprite. Before the Sapphire Grand Duchy was established, the Goldcereal Family had risen by selling cereal.
Later, they followed the Sapphire Family and together established a state, becoming the earliest marquis family in the grand duchy.
However, just like the Kerchief Family, which had split into the Smallkerchief and the Bigkerchief Families, the Goldcereal Family had also experienced a split a few decades ago.
One descendant of the family got the wheat greater sprite; on account of great military merits, they were enfeoffed as count and changed their family name to ‘gold cereal grains’. The other descendant got the barley greater sprite; they succeeded the title and changed the family name to ‘gold cereal ears’.
Each change in a family’s family name predicated on growth, upgrade in lineage, or change in status of the family.
“If one day, I cultivate a tulip greater sprite and am enfeoffed as count due to outstanding military achievements, then according to the aristocratic custom, the Tulip Family might change their family name to ‘red tulip’, while I’ll change my family name to ‘black tulip’… Liszt Blacktulip.”
Because of boredom, Liszt fantasized at times.
“Then, dear Brother, I hope your wish comes true.” After inquiring about the name of the marquis’ daughter, Liszt gave his well wishes with a light smile.
“I will succeed unlike Cousin Meopal. Roliya and I have been communicating for half a year already, and I know that she isn’t indifferent towards me. What I need to do now is to beat the other competitors with an excellent performance. Cousin Meopal, on the other hand, suffers from unrequited love. That princess… has a lot of male visitors.” Said Levis, not forgetting to make fun of Meopal.
How to put it, this cousin of theirs had impeccable personality, looks, and family background, yet he had to fall in love with the loose princess.
Liszt felt quite close towards Meopal. Therefore, he didn’t echo Levis’ teasing: “That’s right, Brother, regarding the black pearl I sold you last time, have you forged it into a magic equipment ?”
“It has been successfully forged. After a wizard carved special magic runes on top of it, this unusual article became capable of stifling wind.”
“Stifling wind?”
“The black pearl’s water-attributed magic power can suppress the flow of wind and in particular stifle wind-attributed magic. I personally saw the the Windblade released by the wizard dissipate upon reaching a distance of five meters from the black pearl. Although it is a bit big, but when worn in battle, it can withstand sneak attacks from wind-attributed qi.”
He looked at Liszt and continued: “Especially knights like Marcus, who have wind-attributed qi and are fond of archery, would find it futile to use qi on bow and arrows to complete a deadly sneak attack. Now, I don't need to be nervous when running into elite wind-attributed Earth Knights.”
“It seems that the black pearl is quite useful. All along, I have been feeling that I have got taken advantage of.”
“Two hundred and eighty gold coins is not a small amount. It merely can stifle wind, that’s all. If it could stifle magic power of all attributes, then it would really be valuable.” Levis moved closer. “You still have more black pearls, don’t you? As far as I know, several pearls can be extracted from pearl clams. Giant clams should be no different. Therefore, you must have more black pearls.”
Liszt replied with a question: “It can stifle wind in a range of five meters?”
“Right.”
This ability made Liszt contemplate. He sold Levis a black pearl the seize of a big bowl, which could encompass an area with a radius of five meters. If it was a black pearl the seize of a basketball, how big would it its stifling area be? And what if it was the black pearl the seize of a washbasin?
Perhaps it would reach the scope of tens of meters to one hundred meters in radius.
Such an ability might only prevent wind-attributed sneak attacks on the battlefield.
But if used on a ship, if for instance, the Flower were to be equipped with the black pearl the seize of a washbasin, then it would stifle the wind in its surroundings, which was a kin to making it stormproof. In this way, wouldn’t sailing on the sea be as simple as treading on firm ground? Even if it would be impossible to calm the waves and stop the wind, it would still greatly reduce the risk.
As for whether the ship could move with wind being stifled… weren’t there paddles for that? Also, the black pearl could just be taken out when there was a storm.
He made a decision after an instant: “The washbasin-seized and basketball-seized black pearls can never be sold! One day, they will be essential to equip my fleet!”
As a result, he replied in a casual tone: “Of course I still have more. I was going to keep them as collectibles. After all, black-colored pearls aren’t easy to come by.”
“Sell me another one.”
“You want another one?”
“That’s right. I want to forge it into a magic equipment and gift it to Roliya… What do you think, will she like it?”
Liszt replied casually: “Women usually have little to no resistance to jewelry. I think it is a good idea. How much are you going to spend this time, I still have one bigger and several smaller black pearls?”
“Two hundred and eighty gold coins.”
Levis called the previous price of the bigger black pearl (including the smaller one).
“It has the function of stifling wind, you cannot get such a treasure for just two hundred and eighty gold coins.” Said Liszt unhurriedly. After all, it was regarded as seller’s market. Therefore, he had to raise the price.
After a bout of haggling, the final verdict was four hundred and thirty gold coins for a bigger black pearl.
“Liszt, you are as hard-hearted as a merchant.”
“It doesn’t matter if I’m hard-hearted or not. Instead, what matters is to show Roliya that you are soft-hearted, right?”
……
At the luncheon, the count announced the expedition decree.
Next, he began to call on his followers to follow him into battle. This was nothing new. Every one or two years, there would be an expedition decreed.
Therefore, in one afternoon, all the followers accepted the call.
The count would dispatch the most elite Coral Island Knights comprised of ten knight squads, one hundred people in total; as well as a temporarily formed garrison knight order comprised of fifteen knight squads, one hundred and ninety five people in total. His followers would send a total of twenty six elite and ordinary knight squads, adding up to three hundred and forty two people.
A total of six hundred and sixty seven knights would mix into four knight orders.
The count himself would lead the elite Coral Island Knights; Levis, who would simultaneously serve as a liaison officer, would lead one mixed knight order; Viscount Trix Wildhop would lead another mixed knight squad; and Viscount Jonas Gravel would lead the last mixed knight squad.
“Rest and reorganize for three days. Three days later, all knights are to assemble in the Coral City and embark for the Gold Island to meet up with Marquis Rodrigo’s knight order.” The count, dressed in a military attire, his hand on his saber, and his ash-green eyes seemingly shining, said in a powerful and resonating tone.
All the nobles who would participate in the war put one hand on their left chest and made a knight’s salute: “Willing to follow Sir!”
Liszt stood in a corner, he didn’t had to participate in the war. The Flower Town’s knight squad wasn’t presentable. Although a regular knight squad didn’t had to be solely composed of Earth Knights, yet its members had to at least posses qi. Of the twelve young knights in Liszt’s knight squad, six had yet to cultivate qi.