"I need to report back to my father." Anthony gave no answer to Liszt's proposal. He needed to discuss it thoroughly with Grand Duke Sapphire before he could respond.
Liszt nodded. "It's only a proposal. There's still some time before this year's Pioneer Order; the Grand Duke can consider it slowly... Personally, I am very willing to bring about this cooperation. With the Eagle Kingdom in decline, we ought to wield thunderous measures and hasten its downfall."
"Please rest assured, Your Highness. Once Marquis Merlin's funeral is over, I will return to Blue Sky Mountain Palace at once and convey all of Your Highness's words to my father."
"Very good." Liszt raised his teacup and took a sip of the slightly bitter tea. Black Horse Island's Green Tea Tree was exclusively his, and after long cultivation, its yield had become quite high.
Since he, a Dragon Knight, drank tea every day, he had swiftly set the fashion throughout Sapphire. The great nobles all bought batches of tea from Black Horse Island to take home and brew. Even the Sapphire Family had ordered quite a bit of tea from Black Horse Island. It was said that the Grand Duke greatly enjoyed tea, further fueling Sapphire's tea-drinking trend.
Of course, Liszt did not care how many people genuinely liked tea.
He had only wanted tea to drink himself in the first place. Even though a pound of tea now sold for several Gold Coins, he had no interest in such meager profits.
Sea salt, white paper, and glass remained the three pillars of Flame Territory's trade.
No wine was served at the banquet; they merely had a simple meal. This was Liszt's suggestion. He felt that, during Marquis Merlin's funeral period, it was inappropriate to drink—though Sapphire actually had no custom forbidding