History did not exist. People could only guess at past customs and social development from a handful of knight novels.
That was Liszt's understanding.
He also had no idea when humanity had first appeared in this world.
What he did know for certain was that the Sapphire Grand Duchy had been founded a hundred and fifty years ago. The previous year, it had held a grand anniversary celebration, which Liszt remembered.
There were many knight novels in the country about the Sapphire Family. Some claimed that the family had a thousand years of history.
As for the Tulip Family, there was no such thing as a family tree. All Liszt knew was that his great-great-grandfather—his grandfather's grandfather's father—had lived before the family had a Tulip Great Sprite or even a Tulip Sprite. So they hadn't yet taken the Tulip name.
Their original surname had been "Tile," which showed that their family had once been commoners. According to the family history passed down from father to son, Liszt's great-great-grandfather had been born with tremendous strength and had followed a nobleman, serving the newly founded Sapphire Family. He distinguished himself in battle and was granted the title of Baronet Knight.
From then on, the family had joined the ranks of the nobility.
In the generation of his great-grandfather, the family became barons; in his great-grandfather's father's generation, they became viscounts; and in his grandfather's generation, they acquired a Tulip Sprite.
It wasn't until Leewilliam inherited the title that the Sprite evolved into a Great Sprite, and the family name changed to Tulip. A few years later, Leewilliam became a Sky Knight and won many battles. The Grand Duke of Sapphire then made him the Earl of Coral Island.
To show that the family had risen to the ranks of the upper nobility, the Snake Script "L" in Leewilliam's name became the first letter of his descendants' names. Every descendant would bear the Snake Script L as a mark of respect for the founder of the family. They could be named "Li XX" or "Li X," or even "Li XXX" or "Li XXXX"... As for how many "X"s they could have, that depended on whoever chose the name.
Liszt's understanding was that this "L" was probably a kind of clan marker, separate from the surname.
His mother's family had a similar custom, but they used M for Melissa.
So the Tulip Family had only six generations of history, spanning roughly a hundred and fifty years.
Beyond that, no one knew who their ancestors had been.
"First ancestor, distant ancestor, great ancestor, illustrious ancestor, great-great-grandfather, great-grandfather, great-grandfather, grandfather, father... A dignified earl's family can't even remember more than six generations, let alone eighteen. What a barbaric age." Liszt scoffed. "How can a civilization with no history speak of heritage?"
Back in his homeland, his family had a genealogy with names recorded as far back as the Ming dynasty.
And their bloodline could be traced all the way back to the Yellow Emperor.
"And those knight novels that boast about the Sapphire Family are complete nonsense. They give all sorts of bizarre origins for the family's thousand-year history. Some say it began in the south of the Iron Ridge Kingdom, others that the family migrated from the Blast Furnace Kingdom, and still others that they drifted here from the distant Blue Dragon Empire... If the Sapphire Family is behind these novels, they could at least put a little more effort into their self-promotion."
He wanted to piece together a general history of this world, but doubted he could. The oldest history he had ever seen in a knight novel came from a book called The Foolish Knight and the Red-Tailed Fire Dragon.
The story took place ten thousand years ago, in the Everlasting Glory Empire. But Liszt had looked into it, and the Everlasting Glory Empire had been founded less than three thousand years ago.
The Everlasting Glory Empire was also the longest-lasting country on the continent.
Many countries were founded with the friendship of dragons, then declined when the dragons died or left. Some even fell after wars to slay dragons broke out halfway through their histories.
A war to slay a dragon had broken out soon after the Sapphire Grand Duchy was founded.
In that battle, the Sapphire Dragon had nearly been killed by invaders from the Eagle Kingdom, leaving it unable to survive on the vast continent. As it fled, its blood stained a mountain range blue, and countless sapphires formed there. The range became an important mining region in the Iron Ridge Kingdom: Blue Blood Mountain.
Although the dragon survived, Grand Duke Sapphire the First was badly wounded and had to retreat from the continent, fleeing to an island to establish his country.
Of course, that was Liszt's own deduction.
In the knight novels that praised the Sapphire Family, Blue Blood Mountain had formed when the Sapphire Dragon bit the White Cast Iron Dragon of the hostile Eagle Kingdom, whose blood stained the range.
As for why the White Cast Iron Dragon's blood would create a mountain that could be mined for sapphires... Well, that was a matter of opinion.
It was enough to fool ordinary people. There was no need to explain every detail.
Knock, knock.
"Come in." Liszt looked up from a book titled Guide to Fire Attribute Battle Qi Development.
Silva, the castle's deputy steward, entered. He was in his early forties, served as Louis's deputy, and was the family's designated next steward.
"Master Liszt, your grandmother, Lady Penelope, has arrived. She's in the reception room, talking with Master Levis and Miss Lvera."
"Grandmother's here? I'll go right over."
Liszt rubbed his forehead, feeling a little annoyed. His grandmother didn't care for him.
His father's dislike had mostly come from disappointment. Since Liszt had changed in temperament after returning, the earl had stopped showing his distaste, apparently pleased with the change. But his grandmother was different. She disliked Liszt because he reminded her of Melissa—her daughter-in-law.
Penelope lived in a small castle in Coral City. The reason she didn't live with her son was Melissa: the two women had never gotten along.
Liszt, who looked so much like his mother, had become Penelope's target for venting.
Still, no matter how much it bothered him, he had to go downstairs and pay his respects.
"Grandmother, you're here. Seeing you in good health puts my mind at ease."
"Oh, look, just look who's here!" Penelope's face was already deeply wrinkled. She was nearly sixty. "Liszt, if you hadn't said anything, I'd have thought Melissa had come to pick a fight with me again. That pretty face... Thank heavens she's gone to enjoy the comforts of heaven. It's only now that this old woman dares visit her own son's castle."
Liszt showed no expression. He sat down quietly and said nothing.
The old lady didn't care for him, so why should he invite trouble? They hardly ever met anyway. He might as well treat her like a stranger and maintain a show of respect.
Lvera smiled. "Liszt, when Grandmother heard you were back, she came straight to the castle. At this time of day, she usually spends several hours praying for the family."
Penelope turned away from Liszt and muttered, "I didn't come all this way just to see him."
Was that what they called saying one thing while meaning another?
Liszt thought that Lady Penelope probably did love her grandson. She had simply gotten into the habit of attacking Liszt for looking so much like Melissa—a habit of more than ten years. But whether she loved him or disliked him didn't matter. Liszt just wanted to be a quiet, handsome man.
"Your sister says Flower Town is even more rundown than she expected. Is it really like a little village?" Lady Penelope asked.
"It is a little rundown, but that makes it more suitable for ambitious development. I've already made plans to develop Flower Town."
"Oh, look, just look at you, speaking with such grand ambition. Now that's more like someone from the Tulip Family. Don't keep imitating Melissa's unhurried manner, as if she were born better than everyone else. You already look enough like her. If you act like her too, this old woman will truly be driven to her grave. That gloom clings to me and won't let go."
Liszt didn't respond.
He barely remembered his mother. She had died of illness when he was very young.
Lady Penelope continued to ramble on, listing Melissa's faults. To sum it up: "The marquis's daughter looked down on me and opposed me at every turn. Don't you dare inherit her flaws."