The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

The planning scheme for the six new towns went through continuous revisions and was eventually confirmed and passed by Liszt. According to this plan, the future administrative division of Black Horse Island was already clearly defined.

The southernmost town was the port town, adjacent to Black Horse Port, and it was set to be upgraded into a port city, serving as the central city on Black Horse Island, with Liszt's new castle situated on the outskirts of the city. This city would concentrate most of the territory's industries, becoming a modern industrial city.

The most northwestern town was New Harbor Town, neighboring the yet-to-be-developed New Harbor, and also had the potential to be upgraded into a city. It would serve as the starting point for Liszt's exploration of the Sea of Azure Waves and the Devil's Sea.

The southwesternmost town was Green Tea Town, located at the foot of Ice Grass Hill, with vast lands planned for green tea plantations. The future development of this small town would mainly focus on the green tea business.

The easternmost town was Red River Town, situated at the mouth of the Red River, with the mangrove forest nearby. The future development of this town would primarily revolve around the industry of green caterpillars and green-headed ducks.

The valley between Sheep Grass Hill and Needle Grass Hill held Horse Ranching Town, neighboring Black Horse Ranch. The town's future development would mainly concentrate on ranching.

The valley between Alfalfa Hill and Ice Grass Hill was to be Thorn Town. In the future, Thorn Garden would move here, and naturally, the town's development would focus on thorn planting.

To the west was Grain Town, situated in the valley between Alfalfa Hill and Sheep Grass Hill, with plans to open up large-scale grain farms, serving as the food base of Black Horse Island.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

If one more town, Fresh Flower Town, which was the main trading town with the potential to upgrade into a trading city, were to be counted,

then Liszt's territorial planning would consist of a structure with eight small towns at its core. The knights didn't have enough merits to be granted fiefs just yet; everything in the territory was still his property—any future grants of small towns or villages would be to places that were impoverished and undeveloped.

With the scheme set, the next step was to arrange the construction.

The idle labor force of serfs would be mobilized this winter, ensuring enough food and warm clothing to make sure the projects wouldn't be delayed too much during winter.

The territory officers had already accumulated construction techniques for winter and knew how to arrange work and rest reasonably.

Liszt was not stingy; he immediately decided to start by planning several baths for men and women in the port town and other towns that were ready to be constructed in winter, using the heat from Fire Dragon Magic Power to help the serfs drive away the chilly air from a day's work.

With this settled,

after the evening meeting dispersed,

Liszt summoned the Smoke Mission and found that the mission was already completed.

"Mission accomplished, reward: a pea that produces rhizobia."

Subsequently, a new mission was issued: "Mission: With the successive arrivals of the Mangrove Minor Elves and the Corn Minor Elves, the Thorn Minor Elf feels its status is threatened, only able to vent its anger through inappropriate means such as violence. Please guide it to properly channel its anger. Reward: An Elf Bug."

"Hmm, venting Jela's anger..." Liszt's eyebrows rose, looking at the mission reward and connecting it with the content of the mission, he vaguely had an idea, "Should I tell it to release its anger in farming to earn my best affection? Or perhaps influence thorns to breed a new Elf Bug?"

Whether a minor elf can affect the birth of a similar Elf Bug is uncertain.

However, based on observations from the Tulip Family, there is at least some influence—Tulip Castle not only had one Tulip Great Elf, but also two Tulip Lesser Spirits (one was given to Li Vera) and eight Tulip Bugs (two were given to Li Vera).

Additionally, there was a Tulip Bug given to Liszt.

That is to say, the Tulip Family clearly had an abnormal number of Tulip Elves, which was certainly related to the family's massive cultivation of tulips, but the influence of other Greater and Little Minor Elves on each other could not be discounted.

"Regardless, I have to guide Jela to channel its hot temper into farming to prevent it from bothering Mickey. It would be best if it can really help bring about a new Thorn Bug. With one more Thorn Bug, I could plant more than a hundred acres of Rapid Growth Magic Thorns."

Jela would plant eight hundred acres of Rapid Growth Magic Thorns, and a new Thorn Bug could plant another hundred acres.

Just relying on Thorn Magic Potions would be roughly enough for a third of what Liszt needs for his potion consumption. Coupled with Flame Magic Potion, Ice Flame Potion, Dark Magic Medicine, and Dragon Kui Auxiliary Medicine, it would make up half of what he needed.

He didn't stay long on Black Horse Island.

The next day, after inspecting the overcrowded dormitories of the serfs, he took a boat and left Black Horse Island to return to Fresh Flower Town. After filling his stomach and practicing magic, he continued the training of the Blizzard Beast and began to guide Jela, instilling in it the correct moral values, values, and perspective on life as an elf.

"Jela, I know you don't like other minor elves, but you need to understand that they are all my elves, and you can't just hurt any of them," Li Si Te said.

Jela retorted, "Woah!"

Its emotions made it clear that it just wanted to give Mickey and Nami a lesson.

Pop.

Li Si Te flicked it on the head with Finger-Flick Magic.

"Woah!" Jela made an angry face and pretended to intimidate Li Si Te, but its actions were futile.

Pop!

Li Si Te flicked it again with Finger-Flick Magic.

"Woah!"

Pop!

"Woah!"

Pop.

"Woah..." Finally, Jela submitted, covering its head and daring not to cry out anymore.

Having tamed Jela's temper, Li Si Te then began to lead gently: "Jela, do you know how to make me like you? You must cultivate your thorns well. I need the thorns, and you can cultivate them. That will make me like you. If you can find Thorn Bugs to help you, I'll like you even more."

"Woah?" Jela seemed a bit unclear.

Li Si Te had no choice but to pull out a thorn vine, put on a happy expression, and then pointed at Jela, and then at the thorn. Jela paused for a moment, then waved its hand and scattered a beam of green light, which immediately made the thorn vine sprout anew.

Seeing this, Li Si Te decisively gave it a kiss with a pop.

Jela immediately laughed happily, very pleased with Li Si Te's kiss. It then applied magic more cheerfully, causing the thorn vine to sprout even more.

Basically.

Li Si Te had made it understand that "thorns equal kisses," and the next step was to guide it to cultivate the eight hundred acres of Thorn Garden to vent its dissatisfaction. At this moment, the cooperation of the Corn Minor Elf, Mickey, was needed. Li Si Te deliberately treated Mickey very well to incite Jela's anger.

Then let Jela plant more thorns, thus treating it even better.

This required some time to deeply influence it, and Li Si Te could only stay in Fresh Flower Town for one day before having to interrupt the training to attend the celebration banquet of the Pioneer Mandate at Tulip Castle this year. The Earl reconfirmed several Honored Knights and one of them was conferred as a new Baron.

Then came the distribution of the minerals, which could only be distributed to the landlords after the Grand Duke had collected taxes on them.

Even though the mineral loot this time wasn't much, Li Si Te, with his achievements second only to the Earl, still managed to obtain fifty thousand pounds of iron and some copper, tin, and aluminum metals. Metals could not only be used to make weapons and tools, but were also very practical magic materials, and one could never have too many.

After a night of reveling, the year's first major snowfall quietly arrived in the night.

Early the next morning, Li Si Te set off through the snow to return to his territory—this time, he would stay for a long while, with no need to go out.

"Jela, get ready to start over as a new elf!"