Chapter 733: Noble Status

Chatting with his brother Levis held no joy for Liszt; even though the entire conversation was filled with flattery directed at him, Liszt still found it dull and uninteresting.

So after briefly discussing the joys of dragon-riding, he retreated to his study to focus on his own affairs.

Marcus and Mary followed him into the study.

"Commander Marcus, I expect that soon, many Blue Gem knights will seek to join the Black Horse Island Knights. I leave this matter in your hands. Reject those with poor character, mediocre talent, or advanced age—in short, prioritize both character and talent when selecting knights," Liszt instructed.

Since revealing his identity as a Dragon Rider and Acheronides' status as an Archmage, the founding of a new nation had become inevitable. Noble second sons and commoner knights who saw no future in Blue Gem would undoubtedly view Liszt as their greatest opportunity, hoping to become founding members of a new nation.

But Liszt was not some desperate lord willing to accept any knight as a follower. "Quality over quantity. After all, I have no immediate plans to establish a kingdom. It’s far easier to cultivate loyalty in knights we train ourselves."

Marcus replied solemnly, "Rest assured, Your Highness. I will strictly enforce your selection criteria and choose only those who meet your standards!" Though his expression remained calm, his eyes burned with excitement—an intensity that had lingered since their days aboard the ship.

An overwhelming sense of unreality still enveloped him. He could hardly believe he had once been the personal tutor of a Dragon Rider!

Now, he stood as the trusted confidant of that very Dragon Rider and the commander of the Black Horse Island Knights. Even if one day the knight order grew too vast, or the kingdom's construction outpaced his abilities, he knew his bond with Liszt would secure his legacy.

For now, he held only the rank of a knight, but his future would not stop there.

"One more thing," Liszt added, recalling another matter. "With the Archmage by my side, a great many mages will inevitably flock to our territory. Cris isn’t skilled in organization, so I want you, along with Cris, Parris, Charles, and Mary, to develop a system to manage them as soon as possible."

Just as Dragon Riders attracted knights, Archmages naturally drew mages seeking guidance.

Not only would mages from Blue Gem seek out Acheronides, but once word spread, mages from the Kingdom of Steel Ridge, the Kingdom of the Eagle, and even more distant realms would likely make their way here.

Liszt disliked the stubbornness of mages, but if they could be useful, he saw no harm in it. With his and Acheronides' power keeping them in line, any mage who dared violate the territory’s laws would face swift punishment. The only real concern was preventing incidents like the dragon-hunting conspiracy orchestrated by the Goat Assembly.

Thus, establishing clear rules and stricter surveillance of mages was crucial.

After addressing the mages, Liszt sent the others away and kept Mary behind to discuss the vampires.

"Alonso fled in defeat, but we don’t know if those vampires have gone into hiding. Regardless, their presence in Blue Gem is a threat. Mary, I need you to locate them as quickly as possible and report back to me."

Mary nodded. "You need not worry, Your Highness. The Bloodsworn will not allow the vampires of the Black Knight family to escape Blue Gem without consequence!"

...

That evening, a grand banquet was held at Bullhoof Castle. With the arrival of the Coral Island Knights from the remote outpost, nearly all the great noble knightly orders of Blue Gem had gathered, making the event unprecedented in scale.

At the head table, alongside Liszt and Acheronides, sat seven marquises or their heirs.

From Red Crab Island came Meicero Longyam; from Deep Throat Island, Warner Pineapplegreen, the eldest son of Marquis Wallace; from Gold Island, Marquis Roderick Goldenspike; from Red Maple City, Marquis Greendanton Redmaple; and from Leather Island, Marquis Ramirez Whiteglutinous.

Joining them were Marquis Nestar Grandcymbidium from Quicksand City, Marquis William Lee-Tulip from Oxtail, and Prince Anthony—eleven in total, conversing and laughing with ease.

"Had it not been for Your Highness Liszt’s intervention, the war in Blue Gem would have spiraled into chaos. Please accept my gratitude," Anthony said, raising his glass in a toast.

The change in Prince Anthony’s attitude was effortless.

At the celebratory banquet hosted by Marquis Niuwei, he had carried himself with the air of a sovereign, treating Liszt like a mere follower. Now, barely any time later, he gazed at Liszt with admiration, no longer daring to assert any superiority. The title "Your Highness" had shifted to Liszt.

"You flatter me, Prince Anthony. The sea is no place for the Kingdom of the Eagle to meddle, and Blue Gem is my homeland. It was only right that I acted," Liszt replied with a smile, raising his own glass.

Anthony laughed warmly. "Your Highness, just call me Anthony."

Liszt readily agreed: "Alright, Anthony." He had no intention of addressing the other as "Prince"—after all, he was merely a duke's son. Insisting on using titles like "prince" or "princess" in the backwater island nation of Blue Sapphire was absurd, nothing more than self-delusion.

Of course, nobles were thick-skinned by nature, and other duchies did much the same—after all, a duchy was still a sovereign entity.

The Grand Duke sat at the head of the table, watching his heir socialize deftly with the marquises and Liszt. A faint sense of relief stirred within him—no matter what, Blue Sapphire now had a worthy successor. Quietly, he gave his brother-in-law Nesta a meaningful glance, and Nesta understood.

Raising his glass, Nesta proclaimed in a ringing voice, "This toast is to celebrate Blue Sapphire's victory. May the glory of knighthood always favor Blue Sapphire and each one of us here."

All raised their glasses in unison.

After drinking, Nesta lifted his cup again. "This toast honors Lord Liszt and Lady Acheloides, who turned the tide and made waves across the seas."

Liszt once again raised his glass, accepting the acknowledgment from the assembly.

No political greenhorn anymore, he well understood that the Grand Duke had likely prompted Nesta to flatter him—to elevate his status so as to discourage any schemes against Blue Sapphire. The duchy’s power had bottomed out and could hardly withstand any challenge from Liszt.

Especially during the slumber of Blue Sapphire's dragon, the realm was practically defenseless. Of course, it was also possible the Grand Duke was feigning weakness again—the dragon might be in feigned slumber, for such tricks had been used before and could easily recur.

Thus, the banquet concluded in a harmonious and lively atmosphere.

Yet the guests did not disperse. Seizing the opportunity while everyone was gathered, the Grand Duke announced, "Lord Liszt has become a dragon knight and has decided to establish his own nation when the time is right. I have therefore resolved that Blue Sapphire will fully support Lord Liszt’s endeavor… Thus, during the preparatory phase, Lord Liszt requires a suitable title."

Liszt smiled but remained silent.

He was more than willing to see his station raised—for now, at least, he indeed needed a higher noble rank: that of a marquis.

In the Kingdom of the Eagle, dragon knights started at the rank of marquis.

Moreover, marquis was the highest title Blue Sapphire could bestow.