Chapter 663: A Maiden’s Heart

This chapter is a bonus chapter sponsored by the alliance leader "Little Rui's Kitchen," a patron supporter. For now, there's one update, with the remaining four to follow.

The victory celebration was undoubtedly a success.

The knighting of ten knighted lords ignited everyone's aspirations toward nobility, while the subsequent rewards of gold and supplies for the landed knights left all commoners burning with envy and cadets seething with jealousy. Even the garrisoned knights and officials received rewards, though far less than those who fought on the battlefield.

It was precisely this unbalanced reward system that made all knights yearn for the battlefield, disregarding the fallen mourned earlier.

After the ceremony came the banquet.

Before the banquet, Liszt summoned the ten newly ennobled knights to the administrative meeting hall. At the center of the hall was a massive four-square-meter terrain model, meticulously scaled to depict the complete topography of Black Horse Island, including its towns, rivers, and roads—all clearly visible.

"Gentlemen, this is the terrain model of Black Horse Island. As knighted lords, I shall reward you with land. From today onward, you will all be lords with your own territories... Most of the unclaimed land here is marked with red lines. Your fiefs will be chosen from these areas."

The fiefs of newly ennobled knights typically consisted of villages or settlements.

The ten knighted lords, including Marcus, all fixed their eyes intently on the terrain model.

Liszt wasn’t particularly fond of the feudal system. Land produced the highest yields only when under his direct control; once handed over to others, it became difficult to intervene freely.

However, he had already prepared a backup plan.

He delivered his prepared speech: "The era of Black Horse Island as a fief will not last much longer. With my father confirmed to ascend to Marquis of Iron Hoof Island, I will follow him to manage new holdings there. Thus, Black Horse Island’s fiefs are merely transitional."

The knighted lords watched Liszt, awaiting his next words.

"I offer you two options. The first is to manage your fiefs independently, with the same privileges as any noble territory. The second is to entrust your land to magistrates for unified management, receiving annual yields from the land’s profits without the burden of management."

His ultimate goal was to establish a titular fiefdom system—where knights retained the rights to their lands but did not participate in stewardship.

Much like silent partners in a company, they wouldn’t attend meetings, vote, or interfere in operations, simply waiting for dividends when the time came.

Of course, if this system faced resistance, it wouldn’t matter. One day, he would establish his own nation, reserving a large island like Blue Dragon Island for his family’s holdings while leaving other frontier islands to feudal nobles. Each could pursue their own path, and they would see who prospered more.

However, the anticipated resistance never materialized.

All newly ennobled knights chose the second option, entrusting their lands to magistrates for unified management. They weren’t foolish—they understood that following Liszt’s lead was far more important than a few fiefs. Moreover, Black Horse Island would eventually be handed over, and however well they stewarded it, passing it down to their descendants would be difficult.

Most importantly, all the towns on Black Horse Island were not only free of squalor but also fully equipped, orderly, and pristine—far more livable than the countryside.

These knights had grown accustomed to town life and no longer cared much for rural living.

Upon learning this, Liszt couldn’t help but smile. "Indeed, after living in the city for so long, no one wants to return to the countryside. People always migrate from backward regions to developed ones, but the reverse rarely happens. The towns of Black Horse Island are beacons of civilization, captivating all who visit."

...

The victory celebration concluded successfully.

With the birth of new nobility, the territory’s atmosphere grew increasingly vibrant. The Knight Academy trainees no longer needed instructors to urge them—they all trained diligently in their knightly studies, dreaming of the day they would take to the battlefield and earn the highest honors of battlefield glory.

Everyone knew their lord was the Scion of Glory, the most dazzling rising star among the nobles of the Sapphire Duchy.

The title of viscount was merely a brief transition; an earldom was all but assured. There were even rumors that Liszt could effortlessly ascend to the rank of Marquis—after all, strength represented future potential. He was already recognized as the second strongest power in the Sapphire Duchy, second only to the Sapphire Duchy himself.

The knights wished they could train twenty-four hours a day.

The officials worked equally hard. Compared to officials from other territories who could only earn honors on the battlefield, Liszt emphasized that outstanding daily governance of the territory could also count toward military honors. Without needing to go to war and still having the chance to rise in nobility, how could the officials not be dedicated?

And so the day ended.

The next day, he set aside another day to inspect the territory.

He visited the Magic Academy to observe the work of the three great magicians, checked on the training progress of the blood servants, examined the studies of the twin sisters Lucy and Rose, and discussed his latest research on the Magic Web—actually Acheronides' latest findings—with Cris Truth.

Among all spellcasting professions, Acheronides was undoubtedly the one Liszt trusted the most, followed closely by Cris Truth.

If possible, he hoped Cris could also strive to become an Archmage, though it seemed unlikely—her talent was far inferior to Acheronides'.

Afterward, he made his rounds at the Knight Academy.

He discussed with Yevich Shui Huasheng, who was temporarily serving as a knight instructor, about when to assemble an exploration fleet. He also checked in on the two captive sky knights, Jia Xiya and Fox, who were likewise serving as temporary instructors. The ransom letters for the captives had already been sent out, and it was now up to Alonso to pay the ransom.

Next, he personally guided Emily in her training.

Emily was currently learning knightly disciplines under the tutelage of the three sky knights—Yevich, Jia Xiya, and Fox. She was also undergoing training using Liszt's Earth Manuscript, using scientifically formulated potions to boost her mana reserves. The young girl possessed formidable talent and an even more terrifying dedication.

Her training was nearly self-destructive—every day, aside from eating, drinking, and sleeping, she spent all her time practicing.

"A balance of work and rest is the best way to train, Emily. Don’t destroy your body—you need to relax appropriately," Liszt said sternly, resting his hand on the girl’s head.

Toward Emily, he felt both fatherly and mentor-like.

This young slave girl had transformed from an ordinary person into an elite Earth Knight under his watch, all within just over a year.

Yet, whenever he advised Emily to rest, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of shame.

He prided himself on being diligent in his own training, but in comparison, he seemed the epitome of laziness and complacency—spending most of his time on leisure rather than cultivation, with only two or three hours dedicated to actual practice each day. On days when the weather was bad or his mood was off, he might train for just half an hour.

Emily shook her head in response. "My lord, I must seize every second to grow stronger as quickly as possible! I hope to become a sky knight before my maturity arrives!"

Her maturity would likely occur around the age of fourteen. She was almost thirteen, meaning she had about a year and a half left.

Liszt wanted to ask if she knew what becoming a sky knight at fourteen would mean, but in the end, he held back. He decided to wait and see. According to the regulations of the Kingdom of the Eagle and the Kingdom of Steel Ridge, sky knights under sixteen could join the Dragon Knight Candidate Program.

As for a fourteen-year-old sky knight? Her chances of becoming a dragon rider would undoubtedly be even greater!