The Caravan That Has Arrived

The farmers from the Dairy Farm, currently in their off-season, were conscripted by Liszt to clear the wasteland around the castle and plant alfalfa.

According to Gortai's original suggestion, as serfs of the lord, they should have been required to work unconditionally.

Liszt was not quite that exploitative; he decided to provide the farmers with three meals a day. Since commoners usually only ate twice a day, they scrambled for the work.

He took a portion of the excess wheat bran from the castle and distributed it to the laborers. Wheat bran was the skin removed from wheat. In his household, they only consumed fine wheat flour, and the bran was generally used to feed the horses, yet it was what the commoners ate. The bran cakes he had previously fed to his horses were the very food many farmer families relied on.

"Come to think of it, the nutritional value of wheat bran is higher than that of wheat flour." Liszt remembered buying bran cakes in his past life, where the seller claimed that bran was rich in dietary fiber and Vitamin B, which could improve constipation and lower cholesterol. "However, bran is truly unpalatable and difficult to digest."

As a noble, he did not lack that bit of nutrition, so there was no need to force himself to eat coarse wheat bran.

Nobles, naturally, ate white bread.

Here, bread was the absolute staple food, categorized into nine grades based on different ingredients and textures: four grades of white bread and five grades of black bread.

The highest-grade white bread was made from finely sifted and selected wheat flour. Only high-ranking nobles possessed the financial, material, and human resources to produce it. The price of this white bread was shockingly expensive, costing at least several silver coins per loaf.

The second-grade white bread was made from sifted fine wheat flour; because the coarse particles were removed, the texture was very delicate. It usually sold for one silver coin per loaf.

The third-grade white bread was made from unsifted fine wheat flour. The texture was slightly inferior, and one silver coin could buy two or three loaves.

The lowest-grade white bread was made from coarse wheat flour—simply processed flour with an even poorer texture—costing ten copper coins for one. The white bread Liszt currently ate was of this grade, while the white bread consumed within Tulip Castle was of the grade above it.

Commoners ate black bread.

"Bran-removed whole wheat bread," costing a few copper coins, was only affordable for the wealthy freemen among the commoners. "Bran-included whole wheat bread," costing one copper coin, was roughly affordable for ordinary freemen. The serfs mostly ate "mixed black bread" made from unsifted wheat flour mixed with other flours, where one copper coin could buy four large loaves.

Poorer serfs either ate "grain black bread" made from ground peas and other cereals or consumed bran cakes made entirely of bran.

Additionally, Liszt knew of another type of black bread that was very commonly made by commoners.

After fermentation, this black bread would become extremely hard. Commoners would slice it up and use it as plates, or use it to prop up table legs.

It was said that some plate-breads could be used for several months.

"The wicked feudal society," Liszt sighed hypocritically, pulling back his thoughts. He had no intention of breaking the noble system. One's position determined one's perspective; as a noble, he could enjoy the status bestowed by the era, and he certainly wouldn't pull himself off the noble chair.

Besides, it was very difficult to break; without dragons or sprites, what could one use to break it?

"My Lord, do you need me to bring the Fire Dragon Horse over?" Thomas asked cautiously. In front of Liszt, he was always this timid and meticulous.

"No need. By the way, Thomas, how is the Li Dragon Horse doing in the stable? Has it been throwing a temper?"

"The big fellow you newly tamed, My Lord, kept bullying the Fire Dragon Horse last night, but this morning, the Fire Dragon Horse was already able to graze right next to it."

Liszt nodded, unsurprised.

One mountain cannot hold two tigers, unless one is male and one is female.

The Li Dragon Horse was a stallion and the Fire Dragon Horse a mare, so peaceful coexistence was a matter of course. Moreover, it was highly likely that the first batch of Li Dragon Horse offspring would be produced by the Fire Dragon Horse—Liszt did not object to this; the Fire Dragon Horse was also an excellent breed, carrying the bloodline of the low-level Magic Beast, the Fire-Fierce Horse. Only by combining strength with strength could they produce better descendants.

He stopped paying attention.

Liszt began to practice the moves from Flame Wave.

Generally, an Earth Knight would not practice a new secret manual until they had mastered the one most compatible with themselves. Liszt had good comprehension; Fire Dragon Drill was still fresh in his mind, and he could cultivate Flame Wave simultaneously. Unlike the single-target Fire Dragon Drill, Flame Wave focused on group combat.

The moves often involved sweeping a sword across a wide area or thrusting a spear into a crowd.

Without realizing it, he became immersed in his practice. His fire-attribute battle qi was released continuously, scorching the surrounding air until it was hot and dry. The power was unknown, but at the very least, the display was imposing.

"Great Fire Wave!"

With a single slash, flames scattered in all directions.

He saw his butler, Carter, walking toward him with quick steps.

He couldn't help but withdraw his battle qi and asked, "Mr. Carter, is something the matter?"

"My Lord, Jesse just returned from cutting horse grass outside and said he saw a caravan. I suspect it might be the party of the Count and the Baron."

Liszt's spirits lifted. "Have they finally arrived? Please notify the two teachers to come and join me in welcoming the caravan. I will go wash up and change my clothes first."

He hurried upstairs to bathe.

In a short while, Marcus and Gortai had already arrived.

The castle was situated on a slope with a good line of sight, and they could already see the slow-moving caravan from the direction of Thorn Ridge heading toward them.

"Teacher Gortai, please remember to remind me to reorganize the patrol team. The caravan arrived without any warning, and it took my servant to discover it before I knew."

"The patrol team are all bastards. You need to lend me the squire knights so I can train them."

"No problem." Liszt mounted his horse. He did not ride the Fire Dragon Horse but instead rode the Li Dragon Horse he had newly tamed, showing it off. "Come with me to welcome the caravan. Father likely won't come in person; the one accompanying the Tulip Great Sprite might be my brother."

The three of them spurred their horses forward to greet the guests.

Carter, meanwhile, was busy calling out to all the servants: "Get your spirits up! Remember to tidy your clothes. Don't look filthy and lose face for My Lord! Jesse, I'm talking to you—oh heavens, there is still mud on your trousers! Do you want us all to be unable to hold our heads up? Go back and change them immediately!"

"Yes, yes, yes, Mr. Carter." The assistant valet, Jesse Rice-Wash, with his flaxen hair, hurried back to his room to change his trousers.

Carter shouted again, "Mrs. Morson, notify Mrs. Abby to have the desserts, tea, and snacks prepared. Also, remember to prepare the ingredients according to the most sumptuous banquet; there will be people arriving whom My Lord must entertain personally."

"Are you saying nobles will be arriving?"

"Of course there will be. You know that the Black Tulip is extremely important. The family sprites are coming to assimilate it. Perhaps it is Young Master Levis escorting them, or perhaps Young Master Lytton; in any case, they are all important figures. We cannot lose face for My Lord. And the same goes for Thomas's peers."

Thomas's peers were the personal valets of the various nobles.

After a flurry of activity, the servants—men and women—soon stood on either side of the castle gate under the leadership of the butler, Carter, with the men on the left and women on the right, waiting for the distinguished guests to arrive.