Coral City, Independent Castle.
"Madam, you look even younger than when I last saw you," Gortai exclaimed in exaggerated praise.
Lady Penelope replied happily, "No, I'm too old. I can already hear Greg calling to me from another world, so I can revisit Tahiti City with him."
Greg Tile, father of the Earl, grandfather of Liszt, Viscount of Tahiti City.
Under his guidance, the family acquired its first Tulip Sprite and began collecting different kinds of Tulip, thus cultivating more Tulip sprites. The Great Elf Xiangxiang was cultivated later, which established the Tulip Family lineage on Coral Island.
However, Greg ultimately died on the battlefield.
The Tulip Sprite he had contracted also died.
Fortunately, he only made a contract with that one Tulip Sprite as a memento. The other fairies were given to Leewilliam after he grew up, which prevented the Tulip Family from dying out.
As it is now, Leewilliam has handed the elves over to Levis —he himself is prepared to sacrifice himself on the battlefield.
As a future earl, Levis's going to the battlefield is more like a gilding of his resume. Noble heirs need to prove to the world that they are qualified to inherit the title. Otherwise, followers who crave noble glory and follow a lord who sees no light are likely to become demoralized.
As Tulip Family and the contractor of all the elves, his safety is definitely a top priority.
Because if he dies, the elves and the Bug Grass will die with him. Even if some survive, they will be severely weakened. Similarly, elves cannot repeatedly break their contracts and transfer their power to others, otherwise they will also be severely weakened.
A Elf Bug can only break its contract once in its lifetime.
In other words, it can only be contracted with two people.
A Little Elf can only break its contract three times in its lifetime.
In other words, it can only form contracts with four people.
A Great Elf can only break its contract seven times in its lifetime.
In other words, it can only make contracts with eight people.
Information about a Dragon Elf is generally unknown to the public; it's information monopolized by the great nobility.
The lifespan of Elf Bug is ten years, making it ideal for bestowing titles upon one's followers. Little Elf and Great Elf, due to the increased number of times they can be bestowed, are suitable for family succession. However, contracts must be used sparingly; generally, the transfer begins only after the heir has reached adulthood and received the father's approval.
Lady Penelope mentioned Greg, Gortai had never met.
But he continued, "I think that even though the old man misses you in the other world, he would certainly want you here to continue to care for the Tulip Family's bloodline and help it thrive."
That's how it is.
The old lady was very pleased. "That's right, I must refuse him. I want to watch the Earl's four children grow up healthy and strong; they're all a bunch of worrying young people."
"In fact, it's because you care too much that you feel they need to be worried. As members of the Tulip Family, each of them is among the best of their peers!" Gortai praised without reservation. "The same is true of Baron Liszt, whom I follow; the Knight's Glory always favors him!"
Lady Penelope remarked, " Liszt is indeed a lucky lad; he has grown up."
"Luck is not enough to describe your lord Baron. He has inherited the excellent qualities of the Earl and is destined to be an outstanding and great lord. I am here to visit you today on the Baron's behalf to invite you to the Flower Town Little Elf Birth Celebration to be held the day after tomorrow."
"A celebration for the birth of Little Elf?"
"Yes, a Little Elf, a Thorn Bug that evolved into Thorn Sprite. It brought not only joy but also endless wealth; we now have Magic Potion Thorn and Ironwood Thorn. If you saw it in person, you would surely fall in love with this Little Elf; its beauty is dazzling!"
Even Mrs. Penelope, who had weathered many storms, was still shocked by the news. "Is it true, Gortai? Liszt has his own Little Elf, and Little Elf that can even cultivate potions and ironwood?"
"It's true!"
"What a delightful surprise! No wonder he's from the Tulip Family," Lady Penelope laughed. "I'm starting to like Melissa a little; her children have never disappointed me."
"Lady Melissa brought glory to the Long-Yam Family to Coral Island, and the Baron embodies the glory of two noble families in one."
Gortai was very good at the art of flattery, and besides, when dealing with elderly ladies, praising their grandchildren was enough.
They chatted for a full half hour before Gortai took his leave.
His next stop was Tulip Castle —where his art of flattery had no chance to be displayed. After handing over Liszt's invitation to Lady Mary, and simply inquiring about the reason, the temporary owner of Tulip Castle smiled and saw him off.
It's impossible to know what she was thinking after hearing this news.
"No wonder she's a countess; her demeanor is beyond my comprehension... I can't complete the task Liszt gave me." Gortai shook his head and left Tulip Castle.
Liszt had instructed him to carefully observe Lady Mary's expression after delivering the message.
Gortai understood perfectly what Liszt wanted; however, the result was disappointing. Lady Mary showed no surprise, shock, jealousy, or anger.
Fortunately, this task was just Liszt's quirky hobby.
There is no mandatory requirement.
A moment later.
He appeared at the home of Frank, Levis's tutor. Both were tutors and were not strangers. However, Gortai's status had been much lower before; he was merely a tutor to a country Baron, while Frank was a tutor to a future earl.
Things are different now.
After explaining his purpose, he felt that Frank was finally taking him seriously, and his words became much more polite.
"Advisor Gortai, please convey my greetings to Baron Liszt. On November 5th, I will be attending the Flower Town Little Elf Birth Celebration with my wife and Shirley."
"Of course, on behalf of His Baron, I thank you for your arrival."
"Then let's have a simple lunch here today. We haven't had a drink together in many years. I have a bottle of Juniper Wine that I've been saving for years."
Having missed out on a meal at Tulip Castle, Gortai, who had planned to dine there anyway, didn't refuse. "Wow, Juniper Wine! Although I'm in a hurry to get back and invite the other nobles to the celebration, my legs are probably too tired to walk right now. Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Frank!"
At lunchtime.
The Frank family and Gortai sat as host and guest, respectively.
At the dinner table, the bright and cheerful young girl, Shirley, would occasionally ask questions about Liszt: "Uncle Gortai, did Baron Liszt name the Thorn Sprite?"
"It seems not yet. Perhaps he will announce the Thorn Sprite's name at the celebration."
"Can his Wind Peregrine Falcon fly now?"
"I'm sorry, the Wind Peregrine Falcon has returned to the blue sky, and His Excellency the Baron is unwilling to confine its proud spirit."
Frank's wife exclaimed in surprise, "A magical beast, just let it go like that? Isn't that such a waste? It's worth so many gold coins!"
Gortai had his share of complaints in his heart about letting so many gold coins go, but on the surface, he nonchalantly said, " Flower Town is not what it used to be. A few gold coins are nothing."