Chapter 662: Victory Ceremony

Ascending to the second floor of the castle, the walls were pitted and scarred, clearly remnants of last night's battle among the fairy bugs. Liszt's arrival was quickly sensed by these pixies, and they began emerging from their boxes one after another, chirping at him.

Jie La, as if aware of her wrongdoing, perched on the edge of her box, gazing pitifully at Liszt and whining, *"Waa."*

Ignoring her, Liszt sternly commanded, "All of you, come here and line up on this table!"

*"Gurgle."*

*"Waa."*

*"Chirp."*

*"Ula!"*

The fairy bugs flew out from their respective chambers and lined up on the table as instructed, though some nudged each other playfully while others snarled and bared their teeth. Each fairy bug differed in color, appearance, temperament, and personality.

"Silence! No moving!"

Once the fairy bugs were completely settled, Liszt turned to the butler Carter and said, "Mr. Carter, identify who started the trouble last night, who participated, and the degree of each one's responsibility. Leave nothing out—no favorites."

"Cute as they are, they do need discipline, my lord. I won’t protect any of them," Carter replied, his gaze fixed on Thorn Fairy Jie La.

Jie La shot him a glare.

Unfazed, Carter pointed out, "All the conflict was started by Jie La—"

Jie La squealed, trying to interrupt Carter's report, *"Waa!"*

But Liszt clamped a hand over her head, signaling Carter to continue.

"Jie La was the first to act, followed by the Huanglian fairy bug, which not only fought Jie La but also dragged others into the brawl."

*"Ula!"* the Huanglian fairy bug cried out in protest.

Carter listed every bug’s part in it, revealing that aside from a few well-behaved ones like the corn fairy bug Mickey, nearly all had participated. After hearing the report, Liszt scanned the row of fairy bugs on the table, his eyes finally landing on Jie La.

"Jie La, for instigating, fighting, and keeping the fight going—your responsibility is greatest. Your punishment: eight days in time-out!"

*"Waa!"*

"Another word, and I’ll extend it."

*"Uu... waa..."*

"Good. Eight days it is!"

Jie La opened her mouth but dared not make another sound.

Liszt continued, "Huanglian fairy bug, for fighting, keeping the fight going, and worsening the situation—your responsibility is secondary. Five days of time-out!"

The Huanglian fairy bug knew better than to argue.

The other troublemakers received one to three days of time-out. Thus, the fairy bug fight was resolved, showing who was boss. The punishment would hopefully teach them a lesson, especially the hotheaded Jie La, who needed it most.

...

After settling matters in Flower Town, before holing up to figure out Dragon Knight training methods, Liszt headed to Port Town, gathering all his followers at the knight academy's drill yard.

Before the gathered townspeople, a grand victory ceremony was held.

Both knights and mages, as well as outstanding individuals from all walks of life, were invited to attend, filling the vast Knights' Square to the brim.

In an office within the square's administrative building, Marcus was waiting for Liszt to review the list of military achievements.

Liszt trusted Marcus and did not question the list. Instead, he intended to increase the rewards. His wealth made him generous, and he had no qualms about sharing more profits with his followers—these followers would form the core of his future kingdom.

"Excellent. I've reviewed the list. Is the ceremony in the square ready?"

The one who answered was Parris, responsible for maintaining order: "Lord, everything is prepared. We await your command to begin."

"Then we shall proceed."

As he led the group out of the building, the square erupted in deafening applause, with many shouting slogans like "Lord," "My Lord," and "The glory of knighthood shines upon us!"

Utterly unfazed by the uproar, Liszt showed no reaction as he ascended the podium and took the central position. His gaze swept over the excited, frenzied crowd before he raised a hand to command silence.

Instantly, all noise ceased, leaving only steady and hurried breaths in the air.

Such was the authority of a lord—a single word or gesture could command everything. The intoxicating thrill of power was irresistible, and Liszt reveled in it, unable to extricate himself.

"My people, welcome to this Frontier Expansion Celebration."

Cheers erupted once more, crashing like a tidal wave for a full minute before silence fell again at Liszt's silencing gesture.

Liszt spoke his second sentence: "My followers, welcome to share the joy of triumph with me. I hope the Glory of Knighthood will forever bless me, my followers, my territory, and all that flourishes upon this land."

He gave his followers no time to cheer.

He continued, "During this expedition, Black Horse Island saw thirty-one knights fall in battle. They were beloved comrades, trusted partners, and loyal followers. They were the people of Black Horse Island and its knights. We must never forget their sacrifices. Let us hold a minute of silence for them."

For a minute, all was quiet, save for the faint barking of dogs in the distance.

After the silence ended, the festivities continued. Liszt dispensed with further formalities and pulled out a prepared list, announcing, "I have said it before—glory belongs to me, and I stand with you. Now is the time to share that glory with you! The following individuals are hereby awarded the title of ennobled knights for their military achievements..."

A collective gasp swept the square. Every knight present held their breath, their pulses quickened. Even though most knew they hadn’t earned enough merit for knighthood, anticipation still surged.

"Marcus Wheel..."

The first name called was Marcus. Liszt smiled as he watched his former tutor and current commander of the knight order ascend the platform with trembling excitement.

Marcus then knelt on one knee, pledging the knight’s oath of fealty.

Liszt gave a slight nod and continued reading the list: "Charles Trapp."

The leader of the security corps, once a disgraced wandering knight who had drifted to Coral Island and voluntarily renounced his noble status to follow Liszt, advanced, eyes brimming with tears. He ascended the platform and knelt beside Marcus, pledging the same oath.

Liszt then proceeded to call seven more knights, until the platform was filled with kneeling figures.

Finally, he announced the last name: "Griffin Haystack."

One of the earliest knights to follow him, an orphan and only a common Earth Knight, Griffin was the sole common Earth Knight to be ennobled this time. Through fearless courage in battle and the favor of the Glory of Knighthood, he had achieved merits no less than those of the elite Earth Knights.

And so, ten knights were formally ennobled—the first nobles of Black Horse Island.