The Mighty Dragons Are Dead-Chapter 958 - 0955: Abundant War Booty (Alliance Hierarch additional release 27/147)

After more than a month of war, it ended just as winter was about to arrive.

Watching the Knight Order leave Eagle Kingdom with a rich bounty, Liszt could finally relax and take his Dragon Corps away.

All spoils of war were distributed on Iron Hoof Island.

According to distribution principles, mineral resources were directly handed over to the Sapphire Family for allocation, which Liszt did not concern himself with—he already owned the Dragon Pit Great Mine and Jade Mountain Vein and did not care about the resources seized.

Meanwhile, the serfs and confiscated food were all exclusively enjoyed by the Flame Family, so each batch was swiftly sent through the Magic Gate on Mind Island, then transported to Flame Island. Local officials would quickly arrange housing and employment for the serfs, generally mixing them with the Flame People and Moon Slayer Tribe.

The two groups did not understand each other's language, which avoided many unnecessary troubles; they simply focused on their work.

As for the knights captured on the battlefield, they were distributed according to their own desires. Those who wanted to pay a ransom for their freedom were temporarily detained on Iron Hoof Island; those who did not wish to pay a ransom simply surrendered and were sent to Flame Island for resettlement, along with their families and elves.

Liszt, through officials, promised these knights that they did not need to give up their wealth, but only needed to work for the Flame Kingdom.

Before the kingdom was established, their elves had to serve Flame Island.

Based on their service contributions, they could exchange military merits to obtain titles, and after the establishment of the kingdom, land would be allocated according to these merits.

He informed all knights that the kingdom would inevitably be established within three years.

The knights, who were reluctant to pay a ransom in the first place, were now not only able to keep their elves but could also continue to be noble knights, so why wouldn't they agree?

"Knights who refuse to surrender," Liszt had already instructed, "their ransoms are to be handed over to the Sapphire Family for recovery and distribution. Of course, this involves Nobles of the rank of Earl and above, which I must personally arrange." Common knights and Honored Knights, Barons, and Viscounts could not provide much ransom.

However, Nobles such as Earls and Marquises could be squeezed for Little Minor Elves and Greater Elves.

Liszt no longer valued Elf Bugs, but he was still unable to part with the Little Minor Elves and Greater Elves. Notably, this time alone, he captured two Marquises and as many as eleven Earls; under the attack of the Sapphire Dragon, these major Nobles were no different from the common knights.

"Have the knight numbers been tallied yet?" After returning to Bull Hoof City via dragon riding, Liszt asked while enjoying a maid's massage in the castle's study.

He inquired about the distribution of spoils from Goltai who came to report.

"Your Highness, blessed by the glory, this time, it's truly a great harvest, with as many as four thousand six hundred seventy-two Elite Earth Knights and over seven thousand six hundred Apprentice Knights," Goltai said with a glowing face, his abilities were modest, and his title was low, but he was now one of the earliest members of the Flame Kingdom.

He and Marcus lacked the qualifications to become grand Nobles, their highest possible title being Viscount, as the title of Earl required one to be a Sky Knight.

But even currently wearing only a Baron's title, he still enjoyed tremendous power and often represented Liszt in managing his territory.

"Just over seven thousand six hundred Apprentice Knights?" Liszt frowned slightly.

"Uh, Your Highness, as you know, not many Earth Knights can afford to keep Apprentice Knights as retainers; most retainers are counted among the serfs," Goltai explained.

It was just like Liszt's own beginnings.

He himself had been only an Apprentice Knight, although titled as a Baron, but his retainers were just four ordinary people.

Indeed, many Elite Earth Knights did not even recruit retainers; after all, recruiting retainers meant providing them with food and drink, and many Earth Knights could hardly sustain themselves, let alone a retainer—Marcus used to be a typical example, as an Elite Earth Knight without any retainer.

They had to take care of their own horses, carry their own spears, and polish their own armor.

Liszt gave a slight nod and then asked, "Have all these Earth Knights and Apprentice Knights been sent to Flame Island?"

"Yes, after obtaining the knights' willingness to surrender with each batch, they were dispatched to Flame Island for restructuring. According to the messages from the Magic Platform, there were some difficulties, but since Lord Acherloides is personally stationed in Reed City, those knights wouldn't dare stir any trouble."

Although Acherloides was a little sea monster who could gain the favor of unicorns.

However, her values differed greatly from those of humans and, influenced by Liszt's misguided teachings, she had little aversion to killing.

Perhaps for her, killing was like residing in the sea and eliminating those sea monsters harmful to herself. Hence when Liszt entrusted her with guarding the Reed Marsh Magic Gate and instructed her to execute anyone who rebelled, she did so without hesitation, and kindness was not a trait she possessed.

Purity had no connection with killing itself.

But it was a reflection of inner desires—killing out of desire or for gain was definitely not pure, but killing chickens and slaughtering dogs for food was just a part of everyday life, and doing so didn't imply impurity.

This content is taken from freёnovelkiss.com.

Thus, Acherloides could ride a unicorn and casually execute knights who caused disturbances.

Under the powerful symbolic meaning of the unicorn, her killing naturally placed her on a moral high ground—humans favored by unicorns must surely be paragons of virtue!

"Prince Archmage riding a unicorn, the knights killed by her must indeed be villains!"

Moreover.

In a world under the knight system, power was respected; Dragon Knights and Archmages killing a person wasn't a big deal. Even annihilating a few Nobles, nobody dared to gossip behind their backs.

Ultimately, playing major roles was left to the Dragon Rearing Families.

After inquiring about the Earth Knights and Apprentice Knights, Liszt asked about new matters, "Consultant Goltai, how many Sky Knights are there?"

"There are fifty-seven Viscounts who chose to surrender, of which two are at the Sword Saint Level, and twenty-one are regular Sky Knights, the rest being Elite Earth Knights. As for the forty-five Viscounts who refused the title and chose to pay the ransom, they have already been handed over to the Sapphire Family for allocation."

"And what about the eleven Earls, how did they choose?"

"Your Highness, without having had your summons yet, they haven't responded, and currently only three Earls have opted to pay the ransom."

"So, there are eight Earls who might still surrender. What are their capabilities?"

"There are four regular Level Sky Knights, three Sword Saint Level Sky Knights, and one Completion Level Sky Knight."

"Hmm, a Completion Level Sky Knight, now that's interesting." Liszt was very interested in this Earl as there had been numerous battles in colonizing Flame Island.

Fighting against the resistant Moon Slayer Tribe and the ferocious Magical Beasts required powerful knights for security—it couldn't always be Liszt's responsibility to handle troubles since he was the future King and couldn't be expected to manage everything personally.

Suppressing his immediate desire to summon this Earl, he continued, "There are also two Marquises; what attitudes have they shown? Let's start with Marquis Nuta."

Marquis Dimaria Yuhua Stone, tragically captured by Liszt for a second time.

His domain was strategically located in a wealthy inland area of the Eagle Kingdom's coastline, with a major river facilitating the transportation of materials, making it a prime target for invasion. The formidable walls of Great Riverheart Fortress could not withstand a single dive from the Sapphire Dragon, collapsing half of the walls on impact.

Subsequently, a white flag was raised atop the fortress, and Marquis Nuta wisely chose to surrender.

Goltai chuckled, "Your Highness, Marquis Nuta wasn't imprisoned, and he has begun acting in every way as a follower of yours. Among the captured nobles, he is spreading your glory, helping you to recruit these Viscounts and Earls... The other Marquis initially refused to surrender, but in recent days even he has been persuaded by Marquis Nuta to loosen his stance."