The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

In terms of social status, the position of mercenaries belonged to the middle tier, comparable to that of master craftsmen who possessed irreplaceable skills.

They were just below the upper nobility, and above the magical magicians, non-titled knight officers, and indispensable artists of high society. They ranked higher than the lower-mid servants, craftsmen, workers, merchants, rats, and the lowest tier of serfs, roles often filled by down-and-out knights.

There were no mercenary corps in the Duchy of Sapphire, and consequently, no mercenaries.

However, in the nations of the continent, mercenary corps were a widespread and common phenomenon, often established under the pretense of guarding trade, hunting magical beasts, or capturing elves. But in secret, mercenary corps were direct participants in the slave trade, often playing the roles of robbers and bandits.

Liszt didn't know how mercenary corps originated and developed to the extent they had today.

But after a conversation with the Earl, he started to understand clearer that mercenary corps were, in fact, similar to rats—an extension of noble influence—if rats played the part of intelligence organizations, then mercenaries acted like dynamic social organizations.

One of the disadvantages of the feudal system was that there were no overarching jurisdictional relationships between territories, but rather significant competition.

Many landlords had various private feuds and couldn't directly dispatch knight orders to plunder each other, so mercenary corps played their roles well. Mercenary corps were also a source of substantial profit. The continent was not short of population, and during every war, the slave trade was a lucrative business.

Even many local landlords were hopeful for invasions by the Duchy of Sapphire—as long as their own territories weren't the ones being raided.

During such times, they would eagerly cooperate with invading knight orders to trade, exchanging easily captured serfs for the materials the knights had plundered from other places. Every war between the Eagle Kingdom and the Steel Ridge Kingdom was the busiest time for mercenary corps.

These mercenary corps dared not invade the territories' castles, but they could come and go like the wind when plundering serfs.

"It can be said that when we invade Sardine Bay Area, apart from the landlords within the area who will resist, the landlords and mercenary corps from the surrounding regions will only be brandishing their cutlery, joining us in feasting on the wealth of the Sardine Bay Area," the Earl spoke fluently. "This is also the reason we dare to attack the Eagle Kingdom every year."

He looked at Liszt, who was listening attentively.

Finally, feeling the sentiment of a father teaching his son, he continued, "Moreover, some landlords in the Sardine Bay Area, we can sit down and talk business with them at night even as we wage war by day."

Liszt was puzzled, "Why is that?"

The Earl retorted, "What do you think nobles rely on to govern their territories, or rather, what do we depend on to live lives a thousand times more comfortable than commoners?"

"Nobles govern their territories, relying on Dou Qi cultivation."

"And where does Dou Qi cultivation come from?"

"From... the land."

"That's right, you're smart and can see the essence of the issue," the Earl complimented before continuing, "Nobles rely on land, all resources are extracted from it. Either from one's own land or someone else's, whether by making serfs farm or by knights looting."

"What does this have to do with the landlords of Sardine Bay, who wage war with us on one hand and trade on the other?"

"Since war is inevitable, some landlords will, of course, look for opportunities to mitigate their losses. Grand landlords can transfer the losses to lesser landlords through trading with us, while smaller landlords can pass it on to commoners, or to other landlords… Undoubtedly, they have lost the noble virtue of knighthood."

...

Do knights possess noble virtues?

Liszt was already confused.

After talking with the Earl and learning about the background of mercenary corps, he faintly felt the similarities with history. Although this world was completely different from Earth and the kingdom he lived in had no connection to Earth, he considered the essence of the relationship between the Duchy of Sapphire and the Eagle Kingdom from a fundamental perspective.

Wasn't it just a different world's version of the Wokou Pirate turmoil during the Ming Dynasty?

In the Ming Dynasty, the Wokou Pirates originated in Japan and often raided the southeastern coastal areas of China. However, by the latter part of the turmoil, true Japanese pirates had become rare. According to historical records, true Wokou Pirates only accounted for one-third, and the rest were impostors, that is, rebels of the Ming Dynasty.

After all, the Japanese ronin who made up the early Wokou Pirates were not familiar with the southeastern coast and could not form a fighting force. Only by colluding with the locals could they land and plunder everywhere.

In the Ming Dynasty's specialized anti-pirate book, "Zhou Hai Tu Bian," fourteen Wokou Pirate leaders were listed, and they all turned out to be from the Ming Dynasty.

The root cause lay in the Ming Dynasty's sea ban policy, which prevented coastal residents from making a living from the sea. When they could no longer survive, they were forced to become pirates. Moreover, merchants would turn to piracy when the sea ban was stringent, and some powerful gentry also colluded secretly, leading to centuries of turmoil from the Wokou Pirate raids.

In this world filled with magic power.

The Pioneer Mandate of the Duchy of Sapphire had resemblances to the Wokou Pirate turmoil.

"True, we can snatch plenty of resources from the Eagle Kingdom, but the real wealth created on the land is all plunder by the landlords of the Eagle Kingdom... Perhaps we're just grabbing some mines, buying some serfs, while the rest of the materials are transferred by the local nobles."

Ultimately.

It confirmed a line from a Yuan dynasty song—when it rises, the common people suffer; when it falls, the common people suffer.

Throughout the struggle of the Pioneer Mandate, it was still those hardworking peasants and serfs who were truly plundered. Liszt even thought, "Is the annual war between the Steel Ridge Kingdom and the Eagle Kingdom somewhat like the Hundred Years' War between England and France on Earth?" In medieval times, England and France were at war for over a century.

Nobles waged wars of knights for profit.

And naturally, it was the commoners who suffered the most.

As Liszt reflected on the wars, he suddenly felt dispirited, although his soul was from Earth and had nothing to do with this world.

However, he quickly rallied.

"If I do nothing, the commoners will still be oppressed by the nobles; if I strive with all my might, and one day succeed in dragon riding, I could perhaps bring a new order to this world."

He clenched his fist.

His eyes became more determined, "As long as I maintain justice in my heart, if I can bring a better life to the commoners, then my participation in war is a just act!" This self-analysis, while somewhat of a justification for waging a war for profit, also reflected his innermost feelings.

The standard of living for the commoners under his governance was definitely far superior to those in other territories.

His goal was dragon riding and exploring this miraculous world. He did not intend to act like a saint, nor did he wish to become a cold-hearted, profit-driven noble.

Striving for the great cause of dragon riding, bringing goodness to the world along the way—why not?

His conviction was clear.

He returned to his usual calm demeanor, standing at the bow of the ship, holding a glass of juice, enjoying the blue sky, white clouds, and undulating waves. Four days passed in a flash, and the fleet had successfully arrived at Bull Hoof City on Iron Hoof Island.

Here, they would make the final supply replenishment.

In six days, they would set their sights on the continent!