Dragon Slash possessed tremendous attacking power, greatly boosting Liszt's strength. Yet this was merely one of countless inspirations in his mind; many more powerful ideas for attack and defense were still brewing.
Before he knew it, four days had passed.
Coral Island came into view.
Fine raindrops began to fall from the overcast sky. Without umbrellas, Liszt and Leewilliam stood side by side at the bow, father and son chatting idly in the drizzle.
"We're almost home." Leewilliam suddenly felt a surge of emotion. Shaking his head, he sighed. "I once thought becoming a Marquis would be the pinnacle of my life's achievements. I never expected you to bring me so many surprises, allowing the family to leap from great nobles to a dragon-raising family. What boundless glory."
"Being a dragon-raising family is only the beginning," Liszt said as though it were only natural. "Greater glory lies ahead."
Seeing Liszt's attitude, Leewilliam laughed soundlessly. "Your path has gone too smoothly, so you don't feel how exalted a dragon-raising family truly is. From a serf family to a commoner family—that alone is an enormous hurdle. Rising from commoners into the ranks of minor nobles is an even more impassable gulf."
To rise from minor nobles to great nobles was another vast chasm.
These several hurdles were enough to block ninety-nine percent of the people in this world. Only that one percent—or even one in ten thousand—of fortunate souls could enjoy the glory and prestige of great nobles. Yet all of that paled beside the gap between great nobles and dragon-raising families.
There were countless great noble houses in this world, yet there could not be more than two hundred dragon-raising families.
Take the Sapphire Grand Duchy, for example. Over the past century and a half, great noble houses had risen and