Chapter 227 Banquet at the Restaurant on the 1st Floor

Even though winter had arrived, the sea around Flower Town remained ice-free, allowing the *Flower* to sail smoothly back to the harbor.

This time, they brought back a shipload of volcanic glass ore and some fragments of fire dragon bones.

"The town planning for Port Town has been roughly laid out according to your design, my lord," Marcus reported in the castle's study to Liszt. "The bone fragments from the Bone Field have been cleared, and most of the volcanic glass ore between the rock pillars has been mined. Continuing the mining will damage the pasture."

"The pasture must not be damaged for now; raising the black-blooded horses is crucial. With so much volcanic glass, we already have enough for use. This is a strategic resource, and we must consider the future of Black Horse Island."

"What are the next steps for Black Horse Island?"

Liszt thought for a moment: "We will build residential areas in Port Town. I will increase the number of immigrants to help Port Town take shape quickly, facilitating the development of Black Horse Island."

Black Horse Island was his future foundation, while Flower Town was just a temporary refuge.

His first plan was to build a small town, Port Town, on Black Horse Island as a forward base for its development. The earl had developed Coral Island over generations, accumulating resources, but he had to start from scratch, step by step.

Black Horse Island needed to be kept secret, so for now, he could only entrust Thomas with its development.

After discussing Port Town, Marcus voiced his confusion: "My lord, have you studied the magical properties of the volcanic glass?" He had been in charge of the mining and was unaware of any progress in this area.

Liszt did not intend to hide anything: "Master Marcus, I have discovered the magical properties of the volcanic glass, which can serve as an endless heat source."

He pulled out his design drawings and handed them to Marcus.

"This is my design for the bathhouse. There are many construction projects in Flower Town during winter, and the common people need baths to keep warm and reduce the risk of catching colds. The children training in martial arts also need the bathhouse. Using the fire dragon's magic to heat the bathhouse is very suitable."

Marcus glanced at the design drawings and returned the thick parchment: "Your design is ingenious, my lord!"

In truth, he didn't fully understand Liszt's abstract architectural proportions.

Putting away the drawings, Liszt asked Thomas to summon Gort for a small meeting. The agenda was to select a new batch of strong serfs to be assigned to work on Black Horse Island.

"This will leave Flower Town short of serfs again," Gort complained.

"Buy more; it's a good time to purchase serfs," Liszt said, treating the slave trade as a routine matter. "As for the gold reserves in the castle, I'll find a way."

He planned to sell a batch of mithril ore, a precious strategic resource that he originally hesitated to part with. However, it would be a long time before Flower Town could forge armor, and even if he formed a Knight Squad, they would likely be equipped with standard-issue armor from Tulip Castle, not mithril armor.

With the Fog Task still ongoing, there would be plenty of wealth to come, and current development was more important.

Gort had no objections to buying serfs and said casually, "Yes, the price of serfs is quite low now, and perhaps we might attract a few more Parris."

"Parris?" Marcus asked, puzzled.

"A female mercenary; her sister was sold as a serf, and she followed her here. She is now one of the lord's guards and is very powerful, an elite earth knight."

Marcus asked cautiously, "Can she be trusted?"

Liszt tapped the table and replied, "Her background seems genuine, but trust hasn't been fully established yet. Be cautious with her regarding sensitive matters."

"Understood," Marcus nodded and added, "However, my lord, I suggest you recruit followers, preferably from Coral Island. The Tulip family has cultivated Coral Island for twenty years, and the people here are trustworthy."

Liszt understood this well.

But Parris was a reward from the Fog Task and had something to do with dragons, which he couldn't openly discuss. He changed the subject: "Speaking of recruiting followers, Advisor Gort, have many people expressed interest in joining Flower Town recently?" As the lord's advisor, he represented Liszt.

Gort replied, "Many nobles and aspiring nobles have written to me, but few have made a firm decision to join. You know, the ambitious knights are all following the earl into battle, and those left behind either lack ambition or are not strong enough."

"Try to select the best, especially young earth knights and aspiring nobles familiar with administrative duties."

Young earth knights could be trained for the upcoming Knight Squad, and aspiring nobles familiar with administration could be evaluated in Flower Town before being sent to Black Horse Island.

"As you wish. By the way, do you remember Zanbuluota?"

"Lytton's former tutor, who lost his title, what about him?"

"He wrote to say he hopes to visit Flower Town in the coming days to clear his mind. He can't wait to find a job here."

"Receive him first. I will assess his knowledge later. If he meets my standards, I won't hesitate to offer him a position. If he is just a pretender, I won't compromise my father's authority for his sake."

...

At a dinner party held in the first-floor dining room, Marcus met Parris.

There was no friction between them; they merely nodded in acknowledgment. After that, Parris focused on her food, thoroughly captivated by the castle's scrambled eggs, egg soup, varied bread, and rich milk, wishing she could eat every meal there.

Her sister lived with Mrs. Harriet, and she lived alone, too lazy to cook.

Of course, she didn't have the privilege to dine in the second-floor dining room, where only nobles and tutors were allowed. She ate with Rondo, Lasse, and Liszt's retainer knights at the first-floor dining room.

Liszt often held banquets in the first-floor dining room to foster camaraderie among his subordinates, allowing everyone to gather around one table.

Of course, he had once entertained Karl, Rom, and others in the second-floor dining room when he was less familiar with noble etiquette. Now, he adhered strictly to the hierarchical system to maintain the authority of the lord and the nobility.

Occasionally lowering himself to dine with his subordinates could win their loyalty.

Eating from the same pot for too long might make some people forget their place, thinking that being approachable meant being equals, thus overstepping their bounds.

One's position determines one's mindset.

Liszt was a noble, and his seat was naturally on the second floor. Coming down to the first floor was merely a gesture to win hearts.

"The security of the territory must be strictly managed. Karl, expand the patrol team; thirty members are far too few, with one patrol member for every hundred people. Aim for ninety members, with one patrol member for every forty people, to meet the minimum standard."

He said sternly, "I don't expect Flower Town to be so safe that doors remain unlocked at night, but all forms of crime, except for arguments, must be eliminated."