The Master of Long-Yam Castle

The swaying carriage made Liszt drowsy.

After bumping all the way from Sea Crab City to Red Stone City, staying the night, and waiting until dawn, another two hours of travel finally brought the towering Long-Yam Castle into view, perched halfway up the mountainside.

Long-Yam Castle was nearly four times the size of Tulip Castle, boasting arrow towers one to two hundred meters high. Because it was situated on the mountainside, the castle seemed almost fused with the mountain range itself.

Back on Earth, his home, Liszt had once visited Neuschwanstein Castle in Europe.

The grandeur of Neuschwanstein was comparable to Tulip Castle, though it lacked the perilous terrain of Tulip Castle's cliffside backdrop. But compared to the Long-Yam Castle before him, Neuschwanstein seemed rather small-minded. Long-Yam Castle alone possessed an aura comparable to the White City from The Lord of the Rings.

Below the castle lay a city.

The carriage did not need to pass through the city; it followed a slightly steep mountain road directly toward the castle. Halfway there, they were spotted by a knight squad from Long-Yam Castle who came to meet them. Upon learning they were kin of the Tulip Family, the knights immediately escorted the carriage toward the castle.

A knight galloped ahead up the mountain to provide advance notice.

Thus, when the carriage arrived at the castle gate, the heir to Long-Yam Castle—the cousin of the three siblings, Meopel Long-Yam—was already waiting there with his servants.

"Levis, Lvera, Liszt." Meopel was a man of striking appearance and graceful bearing, his sapphire-like eyes exceptionally beautiful. "I received the letter and knew you were coming; I've been waiting for a long time. Was the journey smooth?"

Liszt had to admit it.

This cousin was outstanding in both looks and temperament, quite on par with himself. Standing together, they looked more like biological brothers than he did with Levis.

"Cousin Meopel, everything went smoothly."

"Cousin, you've become even more beautiful than last year."

"Thank you for the compliment, Cousin, but compared to your pretty face, I can't help but feel like you're mocking me." Lvera looked at Meopel, speaking half-jokingly and half-seriously.

Meopel laughed heartily. "That is not something I can help, wouldn't you agree, Liszt?" The latter half of the sentence was directed at Liszt.

Liszt smiled slightly.

He finally confirmed that Lvera had been bullying him for all these years simply because she was jealous of his looks. "Cousin is right."

"Haha, heroes truly do share the same perspective. Come, let's head inside the castle. Father is away presiding over this quarter's tax collection and hasn't returned yet. Grandfather is resting; he was very happy to hear you were coming."

"How is Grandfather's health?"

Meopel sighed. "Grandfather's illness is a complication from an old injury. It fluctuates, but the Grand Duke has already sent the royal physician to treat him, and I believe he will get better."

In a magnificent bedroom, the master of Red Crab Island sat on the bed. He was one of the seven marquises of the Grand Duchy, a former captain of the royal fleet, and the most esteemed person in Long-Yam Castle.

Merlin Long-Yam.

He was a man over seventy years old. Despite the dignity of a life of privilege still lingering on his pale, wrinkled face, he could no longer hide the frailty brought on by age and illness.

Even a man who had once been a Sky Knight capable of soaring through the skies could not withstand the carving blade of time.

His sapphire-blue eyes had turned cloudy, to say nothing of his white hair.

He leaned quietly against the headboard with a low tea table placed over his quilt, laboriously writing on thick parchment with a quill dipped in ink.

The age spots on his face were particularly conspicuous.

"My Lord, the young master has brought the three young masters and the young lady of the Tulip family into the castle." The butler, nearly as old as Marquis Merlin, could not bear to disturb him and kept his tone exceptionally soft.

Marquis Merlin's pen paused slightly before he continued writing without looking up. "Melissa's children, then? Let them come to see this old man who has one foot in the grave."

"My Lord, you are only temporarily indisposed and will recover soon. You once said you would live to be a hundred and outlive Marquis Wallace next door."

"Haha, I even threatened the Grand Duke's Sapphire Dragon, telling it that if it didn't let me become a Dragon Territory Lord, I would slaughter it. Yet, it was of no use. This time, I am surely going to lose to that old bastard." Marquis Merlin laughed heartily, quickly finished the last few words, and set down his pen.

The servants attending him immediately removed the tea table.

The old butler helped the Marquis lean back against the headboard to sit steadily. He then leaned over to straighten the red bowtie on the Marquis's chest.

A servant brought over a bronze mirror.

Other servants took turns serving the Marquis, some handing him water, others towels, and others hairpins.

The Marquis carefully groomed his image, rapidly transforming from a frail, candle-in-the-wind old man back to a dignified figure, and then, he waited.

Hearing the familiar footsteps outside the door, a glimmer of light shone in his cloudy eyes.

It was quickly hidden away.

Meopel led the three siblings into the bedroom.

Levis took the lead, bringing Lvera and Liszt to the bedside to perform the junior's etiquette for Marquis Merlin. "Grandfather, Lvera, Liszt, and I have come to visit you. Father also entrusted me to convey his sincere regards, hoping you recover immediately and regain the splendor of the master of Long-Yam Castle."

"Your father is thoughtful." The Marquis nodded faintly. "Was the journey smooth?"

"It was smooth."

"That is good. Since you have come to visit your grandfather, stay in Long-Yam Castle for a few more days."

"Yes, Grandfather."

The Marquis's gaze moved past Levis and Lvera, resting on Liszt, his eyes filled with nostalgia. "Liszt, you have come of age."

"Yes, my coming-of-age ceremony was on March 9th of this year."

"I heard your father enfeoffed you as a Baron. In which town?"

"Flower Town."

"Hmm, failing to distinguish even a viscount—it seems Leewilliam has been a very unsuccessful Count." Marquis Merlin's evaluation was blunt, his tone then shifting to one of wistful reflection. "I did not witness your coming-of-age ceremony, and Melissa will surely blame me for it. Seeing you is as if Melissa herself were standing before me."

Meiopal chimed in, "Grandfather, Cousin Liszt truly resembles Aunt Melissa so much. When I was a child and saw Aunt Melissa, I felt that the Flower of Long-Yam was truly the most dazzling bloom in the Grand Duchy."

"I can no longer recall Mother's appearance; I can only pay my respects through the portraits in Tulip Castle," Liszt said. His predecessor truly had no memories of his mother.

Melissa had passed away when Liszt was two years old; what sort of memories could a two-year-old child possibly have?

There were portraits of Melissa in the castle, but he did not look at them often. Even then, they were portraits with a high degree of distortion, failing to capture the true person's elegance.

It was a matter of regret.

The Marquis quickly reined in his emotions. "A dozen years or so can sometimes feel as if it happened only yesterday... You must be tired from your journey. Meiopal, take your cousin and his sister to rest. I hope to see the young men and women in high spirits at the luncheon. Furthermore, if time permits, you young people should host a ball tomorrow evening to liven things up."