Juniper Castle's Defensive Barrier

At the banquet.

Liszt saw all manner of nobles, the vast majority of them either ranked above him or heirs who had yet to inherit a title.

"Marquis Wallace Pineapple Green of Deep Throat Island, Marquis Roderick Golden Wheat Ear of Golden Island, Marquis Ramirez White Glutinous Rice of Leather Island, Marquis Green Danton Red Maple Leaf of Red Maple City..." Liszt counted the marquises attending the banquet, fixing them more firmly in his mind.

Of the Sapphire Grand Duchy's seven marquises, four had gathered here.

The other three marquises had been unable to attend.

Marquis Merlin Long-Yam of Red Crab Island had already retired and was living out his old age at home; Marquis Bull, Andy Sapphire, had become a rebel and was already surrounded; the last marquis, Nesta Big Flower Cymbidium of Quicksand City, was assisting Mrs. Salite in purging the palace servants.

The arrangement of the seven marquises had taken shape when the fifth Grand Duke ascended the throne, and it had remained stable ever since.

"Perhaps in a few days, there'll only be six marquises left." Eating the coarse food, Liszt did not have much of an appetite. He still preferred Mrs. Abby's cooking.

Afterward, he observed the First Prince and the Second Prince.

To be precise, the two were merely the Grand Duke's sons and had nothing to do with princes. But just as the Sapphire Grand Duke's daughters were called princesses, they too were called princes.

The First Prince, Anthony Sapphire, was thirty-two years old and known as the Frozen Sword Saint; the Second Prince, Angus Sapphire, was twenty-seven and known as the Ice Spring Sword Saint. One was an established Sword Saint, the other newly promoted. To be called a saint of the sword at their age, both possessed considerable talent.

The two