The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

Chapter 736: Chapter 0733: Noble Status (First Update)
 

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Talking to his elder brother Levis brought no joy to Liszt, even though the conversation was filled with compliments towards himself, Liszt still found it utterly dull.

So, after briefly discussing the joy of Dragon Riding, he entered the study to busy himself with his own affairs.

Marcus and Mary followed him into the study.

“Captain Marcus, I predict that before long, a large number of Knights from the Sapphire ranks will want to join the Black Horse Island Knights Order. I will leave this matter in your hands to control. Do not accept Knights of poor character, mediocrity, or those who are older. In short, when selecting Knights, consider both virtue and talent,”

Liszt said.

Since he had revealed his identity as a Dragon Knight and Acherloides as an Archmage, it seemed inevitable that a new Kingdom would be established. Nobles who are secondary sons unable to progress in the Sapphire ranks, and commoner Knights would certainly view Liszt as their greatest opportunity to become founding members of a new nation.

But Liszt was not a landlord desperate for followers; he would not accept just any Knight: “I’d rather have none than have the wrong ones. After all, I’m not planning to establish a Kingdom anytime soon. It’s easier to cultivate loyalty by training the Knights ourselves,” he reasoned.

Marcus replied solemnly, “Rest assured, Your Highness, Marcus will guard the gateway for selecting Knights with care, choosing only those who meet the standards you have set!” His expression remained calm, but his eyes burned with excitement that had been kindled ever since they were aboard the ship.

An immense feeling of unreality always enveloped him—it was unimaginable that he once served as a family tutor to a Dragon Knight!

And now, his status was even more significant as the confidant of a Dragon Knight and the Captain of the Black Horse Island Knights Order. Perhaps one day, when the Knight Order grew and the nation began to be built, he might not be able to keep up with the great steps of the Dragon Knight, but he believed that his relationship with Liszt would benefit him for a lifetime.

For now, he only held the title of an Honored Knight, but undoubtedly, his future would not end there.

“There is another matter,” Liszt recalled something else, “With an Archmage by my side, it’s certain that a large number of Magicians will flock to the domain in the future. Chris is not adept at organization and management, so I hope you can work with Chris, Paris, Charles, and Mary to come up with a united management plan for the Magicians as soon as possible.”

Just as a Dragon Knight can attract a large following of Knights, an Archmage would naturally become an inevitable faith of Magicians.

Not only Magicians from the Sapphire would want to make a pilgrimage to Acherloides, but once the news spreads, the Steel Ridge Kingdom, Eagle Kingdom, and even more distant Kingdoms should have Magicians coming to pay their respects.

Liszt did not appreciate the stubbornness of Magicians, but if he could make use of them, that would not be bad. Anyway, with his and Acherloides’ strength in residence, if any Magician dared violate the domain’s laws, they would simply be eradicated—the only thing to guard against was incidents like Dragon slaying orchestrated by groups like the Goat Assembly.

Therefore, implementing systematic management and strengthening surveillance over Magicians was crucial.

After discussing the Magicians,

Liszt kept Mary behind to discuss the matter of the Vampires: “Alonso has fled, and these Vampires might be hiding, but regardless, their presence in the Sapphire is a disaster. Mary, you must find them as soon as possible and notify me.”

Mary nodded, “Don’t worry, Your Highness. The Blood Servants will not let the Vampires of the Black Knight Family escape from the Sapphire at ease!”

…

Night fell.

The banquet was held at the Bull Hoof Fortress. After the arrival of the remote Coral Island Knights, almost all the great Nobles’ Knight Orders of the Sapphire had arrived, and the scale of the banquet had reached unprecedented heights.

At the Grand Duke’s table, aside from Liszt and Acherloides, seven Marquises or their heirs were in attendance.

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From Red Crab Island came Mesiro Taro; from Deep Throat Island came Warner Pineapple Green, the legitimate eldest son of Marquis Wallace; from Golden Island came Marquis Roderick Gold Wheat Sheaf; from Red Maple City came Marquis Glendenton Red Maple Leaf; from Leather Island came Marquis Ramirez White Glutinous Rice.

Together with Nesta Big Flower Hydrangea of Quicksand City and Marquis Li Weiliam Tulip of Bull Tail, as well as Crown Prince Anthony, there were eleven men in total, all talking and laughing merrily.

“If it weren’t for Prince Liszt’s assistance, the battle for Sapphire would have been disastrous. Please accept my respects,” Anthony toasted.

The Crown Prince’s demeanor was completely relaxed.

Back at the Marquis of Bull Tail’s celebration banquet, he carried himself with the air of a landlord, treating Liszt as if he were one of his followers. In no time at all, that changed to looking up to Liszt with admiration, no longer daring to put on any airs. The title “Prince” had also shifted to Liszt.

“Your Highness is too polite. The sea is not a place for the Eagle Kingdom to intervene, and Sapphire is my homeland. It was only right for me to step in,” Liszt smiled lightly, raising his glass.

Anthony immediately laughed, “You may just call me Anthony, Prince Liszt.”

Liszt went with the flow: “Alright, Anthony.” He truly didn’t want to address the other as Crown Prince—to him, the man was merely the son of a duke. And yet, he insisted on using titles such as prince and princess in the rural archipelago nation of Sapphire, which seemed somewhat preposterous.

Of course, nobles are thick-skinned, and other dukedoms basically did the same—after all, a dukedom is also a nation.

The Grand Duke, sitting at the head of the table, watched his eldest son warmly socializing with the various marquises and Liszt, feeling somewhat relieved. No matter what, Sapphire now had a suitable heir. He quietly gave his brother-in-law Nesta a look, and Nesta understood.

Raising his glass, Nesta said loudly, “This toast celebrates the victory of Sapphire. May the glory of the Knight always grace Sapphire and everyone present.”

All raised their glasses together.

After drinking, Nesta raised his glass again, “This toast celebrates Prince Liszt and Lord Acherloides for turning the tide and making a name across the sea.”

Liszt picked up his glass again, accepting the salute from everyone.

He was no longer a political novice and had a rough idea that the Grand Duke was simply signaling Nesta to sing his praises, putting him on a higher pedestal so that no one would think of attacking Sapphire too lightly—at the current time, Sapphire was too weak to withstand a challenge from Liszt.

Especially during the Sapphire Dragon’s slumber, it was almost at the mercy of others—of course, this did not exclude the possibility that the Grand Duke was bluffing, and the Sapphire Dragon might only be feigning sleep, as such events could happen a second or third time.

The banquet ended in a harmonious and lively atmosphere.@@novelbin@@

However, the guests did not disperse. Seizing the moment when everyone was gathered, the Grand Duke announced, “Prince Liszt has become a Dragon Knight and has decided to establish a nation at an opportune time. I also have decided that Sapphire will fully support Prince Liszt in nation-building… Therefore, during the preparatory phase, Prince Liszt requires a suitable title.”

Liszt smiled without a word.

The Grand Duke wanted to elevate his title, which Liszt was pleased to see, for indeed, before establishing his own kingdom, he needed a higher noble title—Marquis.

In the Eagle Kingdom, all Dragon Knights start as marquises.

Moreover, Sapphire could only offer the title of Marquis.