Tulip Castle in Blood

The night was already deep. After the barbecue party concluded, the knights headed to the small town to rest.

Liszt and Lvera each retreated to their rooms. The old butler, Carter, did not bring wine this time, but instead carried a glass of apple juice into the study.

"My Lord, you look quite clear-headed right now; you aren't drunk at all."

"Thank you." He took the apple juice and sipped it lightly; the fruit flavor was refreshing. The alcohol content in beer could only bloat one's stomach; it was difficult to get drunk on it.

Under the candlelight, Carter's expression looked unnatural.

Liszt had noticed this during the day: "Mr. Carter, are you feeling unwell?"

"I am quite well, My Lord."

"If there is a situation, you must speak up. Do not force yourself. Although the castle cannot function without a butler at the helm, your health is more important. Take care of yourself."

"Thank you." Old Carter's eyes were almost brimming with tears.

"Tomorrow, once the Elf Bugs finish their assimilation, I will follow the caravan to Coral City. I may be away from Coral Island for a few days, so please handle the affairs in the castle."

"Please rest assured, My Lord."

"Actually, there is nothing to worry about. Aside from the few Elf Bugs, make sure Dousen and the Li Dragon are well cared for. Also, go check on the Black Tulip for me once every day. Furthermore, do not stop the construction of the horse farm outside the castle. I hope that when I return, I can settle the Alfalfa Bugs."

The mission was always the priority.

After a brief chat, he went to sleep, and the night passed just like that.

The next morning, the eight Tulip Elf Bugs completed their assimilation of the Black Tulip, and the caravan set off immediately. Liszt rode on his Fire Dragon Horse, with Marcus and Thomas accompanying him. The castle was entrusted to Carter, and the small town was left to Gortai, along with his four personal attendant knights.

"Teacher Gortai, when I return, I want to see the patrol team patrolling from Thorn Ridge to the east coast."

"As you wish, I will train them well," Gortai said with ease.

"Then I am off. Oh, I will bring back a few bottles of juniper gin on my return trip."

"Wow, that would be fantastic!"

On the back of his Fire Dragon Horse, Liszt looked back. At the castle gate, Butler Carter stood with a group of servants, quietly seeing him off. He hesitated no longer and lightly kicked the horse's belly; the Fire Dragon Horse immediately bolted forward to catch up with the caravan.

His mood was somewhat stirred.

His predecessor was very familiar with Coral Island, but strictly speaking, this was his first time leaving Flower Town to see the world outside.

A medieval landscape wrapped in magic, a noble system ruled by knights.

After leaving Thorn Ridge, the land he stepped onto mostly belonged directly to the Count. Only a few small towns were baronies enfeoffed by the Count, and there were also a batch of smaller villages and hamlets that were the fiefs of Baronet Knights. In the entire Coral Island, there was only one enfeoffed Viscount, a follower from when the Count first started his rise: Jonas Gravel.

However, outside of Coral Island, there was another island belonging to the Count's other Viscount follower, Trick Humulus.

On Coral Island, there were a total of six cities—one large and five small. Coral City, at the foot of Tulip Castle, was the largest. North Valley City, Birch City, Elm Forest City, and Snake Spear City all belonged to the Count. Gravel Castle and its affiliated Gravel City belonged to Viscount Jonas.

To travel from Flower Town to Coral City, one had to pass through North Valley City and Birch City.

However, the caravan did not stop in the two small cities. They only had a light meal at the castle villa in North Valley City before heading straight for Coral City. By three o'clock in the afternoon, when the horses' hooves stepped into a sea of flowers, they had arrived at Coral City.

The flowers were all various kinds of tulips.

Most were medicinal herbs, while a small portion were ornamental flowers—in the Sapphire Grand Duchy, the tulips grown by the Tulip Family were world-renowned.

The sea of flowers undulated with the slopes of the hills.

To the left of the main road was Coral City, with its towering walls. The city bordered the sea and possessed a busy wharf. Looking into the distance, Liszt could even see "advanced" two-masted sailing ships docked at the pier.

This world had already begun a slow transition from the age of oars to the age of sails.

It was precisely by relying on sailing ships that the original conquerors of the Sapphire Grand Duchy came from the continent to the archipelago and established this island nation.

To traverse the great ocean, one could only rely on sailing ships.

It is a pity that sails are likely the end of the line for ships. There isn't enough steel to give birth to the era of ironclads, let alone steamships.

Liszt sighed inwardly, withdrew his gaze from the distance, and turned to the right side of the road.

On the right were mountains. The side of the mountains facing the sea was a steep cliff, while the other side was a gentle slope. Tulip Castle was built on the precipice, and a wide road paved with gravel wound from the castle gate all the way down to Coral City at the foot of the mountain. The tall castle stood like a banner at the highest point of Coral Island.

The pointed towers pierced the blue sky.

The heavy rock merged with the mountain range, surrounded by flowers, solemn and majestic, fully displaying the imposing aura of an impregnable fortress. In ten years—in Liszt's memory, it had only taken the family ten years to build such a tall and sturdy Tulip Castle after arriving on Coral Island. During that time, hundreds of serfs had even been worked to death.

To this day, the castle was still being expanded bit by bit.

The glory of the nobility was always built upon blood—this was merely the Count's castle. It was said that the Sapphire Grand Duke's castle had been built over a hundred years, and the corpses of the serfs beneath the castle cliff were piled dozens of meters deep.

It looks pale gray, but it is actually blood-red. Rather than living here, I still prefer the small castle in Flower Town; at least I can sleep with peace of mind.

Liszt felt heavy-hearted.

He followed behind his older brother and sister, heading toward this castle that was both familiar and strange.

Halfway there, they encountered a group of knights coming out of the castle. The lead knight bowed respectfully to Levis: "Young Master Levis, I wish you a smooth journey."

"A smooth journey to you, Captain Mickey," Levis replied with a bow.

Captain Mickey then bowed to Lvera: "Young Lady Lvera, I wish you a smooth journey."

"A smooth journey to you, Captain Mickey."

Only then did Captain Mickey look at Liszt, performing the same impeccable ritual: "Young Master Liszt, welcome home."

"Long time no see, Captain Mickey." Liszt bowed slightly. The knight before him was the captain of the garrison at Tulip Castle, responsible for the castle's security. Mickey himself was a baron whose fief was managed by his family, while he served his post at Tulip Castle.

Led by the troop of knights, they arrived at the castle gate a short while later.

Steward Louis stood at the entrance to welcome the three siblings, his aged face beaming with a warm smile. "Oh, what a joy it is, always, to see the master's offspring return to the castle like weary birds to their nest."

"Grandpa Louis, it has been a long time. You are still as hale and hearty as ever." Liszt handed the reins of his Fire Dragon Horse to a servant nearby and greeted Louis.

Louis was at least sixty years old this year; he had been the first to follow Liszt's grandfather, serving as his personal valet.

Now serving as the head steward of Tulip Castle, even the Count treated him with the utmost respect—it was the honor and status deserved by a man who had dedicated his entire life to the Tulip Family.