Chapter 24: Three brothers and sisters reunited

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven... all the way to ten carriages, escorted by a troop of knights, approached the castle mound along the dusty road.

"Baron!" The leading knight rode up to Liszt, performing a knightly salute, "I am here with the Tulip Castle's trading convoy, delivering it to Flower Town."

"Lord Leiden, you have had a long journey. Who is with you this time?" Liszt returned the gesture.

Lord Leiden replied in his knightly manner, "Viscount and Baron of Hawk Town have come together."

"I see, my sister has come as well."

As they spoke, a luxurious carriage climbed the slope and halted before Liszt and the others. The accompanying valet opened both doors, revealing a man and a woman, two young adults dressed in noble attire.

The young man bore a three-pointed resemblance to Liszt, though he was less attractive. Both shared the same light golden hair and sapphire blue eyes.

Similarly, the young woman resembled Liszt to a degree, but not quite as much in beauty. She too had light golden tresses and sapphire eyes, but instead of a lady's noble dress, she wore male noble attire - a riding costume essential for outings, resembling a tailcoat but more elaborate.

"My dear brother, the Lord of Flower Town, Baron Liszt, look who's here." The young man, Levis Tulip, chuckled heartily.

Liszt dismounted, walking towards Levis. "Brother, I didn't expect you to come in person. And my sister, how is life in Hawk Town?"

Li Weiwei Tulip's delicate eyebrows lifted elegantly. "Liszt, I can sense it, you've become a Knight of the Earth?"

"That's right, I made a fortunate breakthrough, though it's a bit late."

"It seems that leaving the confines of Tulip Castle and finding freedom in Flower Town has unleashed your potential. Advancing to become a Knight of the Earth, discovering a new Tulip Potion, and hearing that a Peanut Bug has been nurtured in the town... your luck is enviable." Levis chuckled and patted Liszt's shoulder.

In truth, the relationship between siblings wasn't particularly close.

Behind the warm gesture was more of the polite etiquette expected among nobles – after all, the three siblings had now truly become knights of the realm.

At that moment, the Black Dragon Horse that Liszt was leading suddenly snorted, then roared at the horses pulling the carriage. The startled horses retreated in a panic, almost dragging the carriage away with them.

"Hmm?"

Only then did Levi and Li Weiwei notice the sleek, black Black Dragon Horse.

Li Weiwei's eyes sparkled. "What a magnificent steed! Liszt, isn't your mount the chestnut mare that Father gave you as a birthday gift? Where did you get this splendid horse from? Would you consider parting with it for your sister?"

"I tamed it in Thorns Ridge. I'm sorry, my sister, but I have no intention of selling it."

"I'm not surprised by the rejection, but your decisiveness, Liszt, you've grown since childhood." Li Weiwei was slightly taken aback; in her recollection, young Liszt had been rather meek and timid around her.

"People do change, and I am no longer a child. Some transformation is inevitable," Liszt offered warmly. "The sun can be harsh outside. Please come into the castle to rest. Mr. Carter must have prepared tea and refreshments. We can chat while we unwind."

"In that case, Mr. Leiden, please invite the Greater and Lesser Elves to join us," Levis instructed, turning around.

Sir Leiden swiftly approached the carriage, directing the other knights to carry three exquisite "boxes" from the carriage. The boxes were not large; even the biggest was about the size of a cradle. Within it lay a beautiful creature, about the size of an infant, resembling a human but entirely translucent and radiant like a gemstone in vibrant hues with folded wings on its back – this was the Tulip Family's treasure, the Tulip Greater Elf.

The other two small boxes each contained two tiny elves, roughly the size of an adult's foot.

They were equally lovely but not as radiant as their larger counterparts. The Tulip Elf seemed to have been roused by the knight's movements, stretching within its box before rubbing its eyes awake.

With a flutter of its wings, it ascended into the air. Being genderless, it had no need for clothing. Its bright eyes scanned the surroundings and quickly fixed on Levis. "Levis, have we arrived? Where is the Black Tulip?" Its voice was sweet, akin to that of a young girl.

"Already here, Fragrant One. This is Flower Town, and you'll see the Black Tulip soon," Levis replied.

At this moment, the Tulip Elf turned its attention to Liszt. "Wow, Liszt, it's been so long."

Liszt nodded with a smile. "It's been almost two months since we last saw each other, Xiangxiang."

Before he could finish his sentence, the two Tulip fairies also awakened and flew out of their boxes, circling around the major fairy while occasionally letting out "woos" and "wahs." The young fairies had developed intelligence but were limited in their cognitive abilities and thus unable to speak.

With the fairies in tow, they entered the castle.

...

In the castle's living room, those with noble titles gathered around a table, while the non-noble knights were entertained by Marcus downstairs. Liszt, Levi, Li Weiwei, Gort, Leiden, and another baron knight named Bruce took their seats together. Carter instructed the servants to serve tea and snacks continuously.

Cook Abby Soupspool showcased her culinary prowess by presenting a series of exquisite desserts one after another.

The Tulip major fairy sat on Levi's shoulder, swinging her chubby little feet as she dozed off again. One Tulip fairy rested on Levi's head, while another perched on Li Weiwei's shoulder. There were also several small jade boxes containing Tulip fairy insects.

Observing this scene, Liszt understood, "The earl must have transferred the major and minor fairies to Levi, explaining why they're so close."

A twinge of envy stirred within him.

No matter how many times he saw them, elves were always so stunning. It was unbearable to know that such beauty belonged to someone else!

But it was inevitable; Levis was, after all, the next Earl of Coral Island.

"I didn't expect Flower Town's castle to be so humble, Liszt. You should really consider renovating it." Levis sipped his tea while casually surveying the surroundings.

Compared to Tulip Castle, this small fortress was no different from an ordinary peasant's straw hut.

"I would love to, but I lack funds, manpower, and materials."

"You didn't ask for construction materials when you brought me here. The carriage was filled with food, drinks, and seeds. After the investiture ceremony, Father already gave you plenty of provisions. Why do you need more?"

"Flower Town is more desolate than I imagined. I need to stock up on food, or else there might come a day when we'll go hungry." Liszt gave a simple explanation.

Stockpiling food was always a wise choice—gather grain, build high walls, and delay declaring oneself king. This had been the age-old strategy.

He aimed to develop Flower Town, but without resolving the food issue, development was out of the question.

"Enough with these tedious discussions, I believe they can be saved for mealtime. The most pressing matter now is to meet the Black Tulip; my little elf is growing impatient," Li Weiwei interrupted their conversation.

Liszt nodded in agreement; he had no desire to feign warmth either.

There wasn't much familial affection between Levius, Li Weiwei, and himself. He treated them no differently from strangers: "Since Sister is eager, let's head to the Flower Farm first and proceed with the assimilation of the Black Tulip."