Chapter 2 Snake text composed of smoke

Roasted mountain goat, boiled eel with seven gills, a small serving of apple puree and pear slices, hop-infused ale, and a loaf of fine white bread made from wheat flour.

This was Liszt's dinner.

The Western-style meal didn't quite suit his taste, but he couldn't cook at all and couldn't prepare the home-cooked dishes he preferred. Moreover, in this world, it was strictly forbidden for nobles to enter the kitchen or storerooms, places that were meant for servants. Doing so would be seen as a breach of noble etiquette and would invite ridicule.

Of course, the royal court was an exception.

The chefs and servants in the court were appointed by various lesser lords. Liszt's father, Count Coral Island, had once served as a groom for the new Sapphire Grand Duke, tending to the duke's beloved mount, a horse with dragon bloodlines.

Even now, Count Coral Island still occasionally went to the palace to serve as a groom.

He enjoyed it immensely and feared that another noble might take his place, disrupting his close relationship with the grand duke.

Similarly, the Sapphire Grand Duke had also served as a personal valet to his overlord, the King of Steel Ridge Kingdom, attending to the monarch's every need.

Essentially, commoners were servants to nobles, and lesser nobles were servants to greater ones.

Only by becoming a king could one claim the status of a master.

"Fortunately, in Flower Town, I am the sole master and don't have to serve anyone." Levis mused contentedly as he ate his mediocre dinner.

The Earl was his father but didn't favor him, so he would rarely bother him.

After finishing his meal, the butler Carter instructed the maids to clear the table while the valet brought water for him to rinse his mouth, attending to Liszt's needs.

When the routine was over, Carter took the servants away, saying, "I'll be right outside, Sir. If you or Master Gort need anything, just let me know."

"Thank you, Mr. Carter," Liszt smiled with the grace of a gentleman. Influenced by his predecessor, he naturally knew how to comport himself in noble etiquette without needing to learn it actively.

Even towards lowly servants, he had to show politeness and respect—what happened behind closed doors was irrelevant, but he had to maintain the demeanor of a nobleman in public.

"It's my honor to serve you," Carter said, closing the door behind him.

"Gort," Liszt sipped his honeyed tea, "We should make use of the Elven Worms as soon as possible, but the town's finances are abysmal. The previous administrator was a fool who only knew how to oppress the serfs. He left us a mess!"

"I understand. Teacher, please investigate quickly and see where we can settle the Elven Worms."

"Certainly, it's my duty."

Liszt turned his gaze to Marcus and asked, "Would it be challenging to investigate the magical beasts in the vicinity of Flower Town near Thorns Ridge? As a lord, I must take the frequent harassment of farmers by these beasts seriously."

Marcus replied, "Thorns Ridge is vast, and the magical beasts' activities are unpredictable. With only four vassal knights at your disposal, even if I manage to gather all the information, we still wouldn't have the means to defend against them. The patrol team is utterly useless; they're a bunch of ruffians who would soil their pants at the sight of a magical beast."

Located at the northeastern tip of Coral Island, Flower Town was embraced by Thorns Ridge, which made it a dangerous area with many magical beasts. Thus, few merchant caravans dared to venture there for trade.

The town could only rely on self-sufficiency. Without the assistance of the elves, farmers struggled to feed themselves, let alone pay taxes to the ruling Tulip Family of Coral Island.

Nobles cared only about the taxes they could collect, showing no concern for the farmers' well-being.

The Tulip Family was no exception.

However, Liszt, as a new generation of youth educated under the banner of Communalism, couldn't remain indifferent. Now that he was a lord, it was his duty to alleviate the people's suffering – only when Flower Town prospered could he enjoy the benefits of being a lord.

For both public and personal interests, he had to develop Flower Town.

"There must be a way to deal with this, Teacher Marcus. After knight training tomorrow, accompany me on a walk through Thorns Ridge. As the lord, I haven't properly seen what Flower Town looks like yet."

"Liester, that's not a good idea. Just stay within the town. You shouldn't go to Thorns Ridge. Don't forget, you almost died there," Gort immediately interjected.

Liszt shook his head. "Last time, it was an accident that I ate poisonous fruit. This time, I'll be more cautious."

Marcus was straightforward. "I'll inform your four squire knights tonight and arrange the patrol route for Thorns Ridge to ensure your safety."

"Thanks for the trouble."

"You should be more careful," Gort said helplessly.

Liszt didn't say more. His mentors didn't know his true plan. His body hadn't fully recovered yet, and judging by his character, he wouldn't venture out until he was in perfect condition—except that he didn't have a carriage as a noble.

Riding a horse wasn't an easy task, especially without a saddle or stirrups, as he recalled.

"I'll invent the stirrups and saddle when I have time. As for horseshoes, they're necessary for ordinary horses," Liszt thought as he bade farewell to his mentors.

"Sir, when do you plan to retire?" his valet asked as he entered.

"After ten. Thomas, light another candle in my study now. I'm going to read," Liszt instructed before dismissing the valet.

A hint of disappointment flickered across Thomas's face; for several days in a row, he had been denied the chance to showcase his abilities. Liszt always sent him away instead of requiring his personal service.

As a valet, he felt that he had not gained the baron's favor and began to worry about his job security.

Indeed, this was the case. Liszt disliked having a valet; every time Thomas helped him dress, it made Liszt's skin crawl – damn aristocratic customs!

Why couldn't male nobles have lady's maids?

As Thomas brought in a candle and left, the study brightened. Liszt rose and drew the curtains, revealing through the castle window a few faint lights in the nearby village.

It was very dim.

In this town where people couldn't even fill their bellies, there was no nightlife, only endless silence.

"This is my territory, impoverished and backward, but it is entirely mine, an entire town as the domain of my independent kingdom… I will transform it into a paradise!"

In a trance-like state.

A faint mist appeared before Liszt, twisting and forming abstract characters. The words resembled countless tiny snakes intertwined, the common script of the Kingdom of Steel Ridge – Serpent Script, the origins of which were lost to history, for this land had no tradition of recording its past.

As a soul transmigrator who inherited his predecessor's memories, Liszt is capable of deciphering this serpent script.

A passage that had puzzled him for a week.

"Quest: As a lord, acquaint yourself thoroughly with your domain. Make a tour of Flower Town, discern the lurking dangers, and prepare for future development. Reward: Ascension of Battle Aura."

The content is succinct and not overly complicated.

What puzzled Liszt was that he could see the Serpent Scripts in the smoke. When he combed through his predecessor's memories, he realized that he had been able to see them since he was young. Back then, the smoke was so thin and vague that he couldn't make out what the scripts said at all. He had always thought it was an illusion.

It wasn't until Liszt's soul transmigrated that he could clearly read the text.

Pausing for a moment, he reached out to touch the smoke, but it immediately vanished, supporting the notion that it was an illusion.

However, Liszt didn't believe it was an illusion now. Perhaps this was a perk of being a transmigrator, some sort of system at work? He couldn't be sure and decided to investigate further.

As long as he inspected his territory, he would complete the task. Then, whether or not he received a reward would serve as proof.

If he didn't get one, it would indicate that it was just an illusion.

Understood, this signifies a privilege.

It's the golden finger of a transmigrator.