Chapter 417: Green Hat

It's unclear what the new mutant strain of corn grass is.

On the way, Liszt thought about relocating industries from Flower Town. Even without the smoke mission prompt, he had already considered relocating industries.

In the future, the focus will definitely shift to developing Black Horse Island.

His vision for Flower Town is clear: to serve as a trade hub for Coral Island and a base for cooperative industries.

Industries with advanced intellectual property will be moved to Black Horse Island, within his independent domain.

By the time he had a rough plan in mind, he had already arrived at Tulip Castle and soon met his cousin, Meopo of the Longtaro family.

After some conversation, he learned the reason for Meopo's visit: his wedding to Angela Sapphire, the Duke's youngest daughter, was set for August 17th, her nineteenth birthday.

"Congratulations, cousin," Liszt offered his blessings.

Meopo smiled: "Actually, there's not much to celebrate. Once I'm no longer single, it won't be easy to live the life I have now."

"That's true, especially since she's a princess."

"Now that I'm engaged, and your brother Levis is engaged to Marquis Roderick's daughter, only Lvera and you are left... You're now a viscount, so it's time to think about finding a viscountess." Meopo's matchmaking nature hadn't diminished; even at Tulip Castle, he was still concerned.

"I'm not in a rush; time is on my side," Liszt quickly interrupted, as he genuinely had no plans for marriage or children yet, at least not until he was twenty-five or twenty-six.

"That's true; you're on the rise in the glory of knighthood, with a bright future ahead. Do you know how grandfather assessed you three—father and sons—this time?"

"Oh, what did grandfather say?"

"Grandfather said your father would be the Duchy's new Marquis," Meopo glanced around to ensure no one was eavesdropping, "He said Levis barely holds the fort, and you might become the new pride of the younger generation in the Duchy, if you can grow stronger faster."

"I only became an Earth Knight after adulthood, and though I'm now an elite Earth Knight, does grandfather really think so highly of me?" Liszt was curious.

His performance was impressive, but compared to true geniuses, it still seemed average.

After all, those geniuses became Earth Knights before they even reached adulthood.

Meopo shrugged: "Grandfather said he saw strong confidence in your eyes—not the arrogance of a genius, but the calm assurance of someone who truly believes they can succeed through hard work. But honestly, I admit your eyes are bright, but not as bright as mine."

"Confidence and eye brightness don't seem to be the same thing."

Just then, Levis walked over: "Meopo, Liszt, what are you two talking about?"

Liszt smiled: "Cousin and I are comparing whose eyes are brighter, as a measure of confidence."

"Hmm, if that's the case, then I must be in first place," Levis said matter-of-factly, "Liszt can take second. As for Meopo, after marrying the princess, he might have to live a dull life... Angela isn't easy to get along with."

"I won't bring shame to the Longtaro family. Just wait and see—once Angela moves into Longtaro Castle, she'll only be the lady of the house, and I'll be the true master of Longtaro Castle."

Regarding this, Liszt was deeply skeptical. He wasn't one to judge others harshly, but Angela Sapphire's reputation was truly terrible.

Looking at Meopo, still basking in the joy of marrying a princess, he silently prayed, "I hope cousin Meopo doesn't end up with a green hat."

...

Meopo didn't plan to stay long at Tulip Castle, as he had many nobles to personally invite, so the next day, July 25th, he left Coral Island.

"Angela is very sociable and keeps in touch with many noble ladies. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for you and try to introduce you to a suitable noble lady to help manage your castle," he said, still playing matchmaker as he left.

"Thank you."

Liszt said thank you, but inside he was at a loss for words. Would he dare to marry a noble lady introduced by Angela? Like attracts like, and with Angela's liberal demeanor, it was hard to believe that the noble ladies she associated with were conservative.

After seeing Meopo off, Liszt quickly received his reward for the smoke mission—the advanced mana manual *Red Sun Rising, Fire Burning*. This advanced mana manual was actually brought by Meopo; the so-called transaction of manuals by the Earl was a deal with Longtaro Castle.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Liszt. Keep this advanced mana manual safe and study it only after you've advanced to a sky knight in a few years. Right now, you need to build a solid foundation... By the way, I've been wanting to ask, when did you advance to an elite Earth Knight?"

The Earl inquired privately in his study.

The secret couldn't stay hidden any longer; it was probably exposed during the Iron Horse Island campaign, given his brave fighting style and overwhelming strength, which were beyond the capabilities of an ordinary Earth Knight.

"Probably a few months ago," Liszt replied modestly. "After clearing Thorns Ridge, I obtained a large amount of blizzard beast meat, enough for my mana training. And I feel my talent has blossomed; maybe I can surpass everyone and be the first to become a sky knight."

The Earl was speechless.

After a long pause, he finally said, "Your talent is truly different from others. An elite Earth Knight at seventeen, a year earlier than your brother, perhaps you really have a chance to become a sky knight first... But I hope we can communicate more as father and son."

Liszt gave an awkward smile.

Maybe he had been too careful, treating his family with too much vigilance. In fact, he could be more carefree, adopting an "I'm exceptionally talented" attitude.

He wanted to make amends.

So he said, "Maybe it's because I've been holding back. As a kid, I couldn't keep up with my brother and sister, and now I want to surpass them, to prove myself... Becoming a sky knight faster would prove my talent isn't less than theirs."

"I understand. Perhaps I put too much pressure on you before, which didn't help but instead suppressed your talent," the Earl was led by Liszt to start looking for reasons within himself. "Fortunately, assigning you to Flower Town, a poor environment, released your talent."

"Coming to Flower Town, I indeed felt a sudden clarity."

"Now that you've become the Viscount of Black Horse Island, work hard to manage your own estate. The trade of Flower Brew, supported by Tulip Castle, should be enough for your daily expenses... I believe you can surpass Levis and become a sky knight earlier, after all, you inherit the noble bloodline of me and Melissa!"