Chapter 476: Famous on Coral Island

Soaring into the sky once again, Liszt landed back on the deck of the Tulip, this time managing his landing well without damaging the newly repaired deck.

The Earl stood waiting at the bow.

Seeing Liszt land, he inhaled deeply and exclaimed, "I am proud of you, my son!" After saying this, he suddenly realized that he had already said such words to Liszt several times recently. Liszt's achievements kept bringing pride.

"Thank you, Father."

"Back at Tulip Castle, I will host a grand banquet for you, sharing this great news with all of Coral Island's nobles and commoners."

"As you wish."

Liszt agreed with a graceful nod.

Subsequently, he accepted congratulations from all the nobles on the ship. Everyone knew that a new noble star was ascending in the Sapphire Duchy. At this moment, no one doubted Liszt's future or whether he could achieve the current accomplishments of Earl Lee William. He was on the verge of founding a new family.

Founding a family and extending the lineage was a matter of great honor for the nobles of this world.

Liszt hadn't understood this before, but after communicating with the Earl, he learned that the Earl greatly anticipated such events. It meant the Tulip family's ongoing expansion, reaching new heights, much like when the Earl adopted the Tulip surname, both being moments of glory.

Then.

His followers' ship swiftly drew near, and Marcus and others boarded the Tulip one after another, singing a hymn of loyalty to Liszt.

The festivities continued for half the day.

Despite the ship's humble setting, a banquet was still held, with endless toasts and drinks. Everyone got thoroughly drunk. Liszt was no exception; he was brimming with excitement, and with the nobles continuously urging him to drink, he drank cup after cup until he passed out on the table.

The night passed.

He rose early the next morning. Being a sky knight of average rank, his robust recovery left him hangover-free.

Energetic, he watched the ship approach Coral City's port.

He longed to fly over and flaunt his new status, but he restrained this impulse. He had to maintain his noble image and avoid complacency. After disembarking, he quickly mounted Loki, the now larger land bird, and followed behind the Earl.

Undoubtedly, he garnered more attention than the Earl along the way.

Not only for his looks and poise, but also for the majestic Loki he rode. Having grown a size larger, Loki now stood almost four meters tall, with legs nearly 1.7 meters long, a neck 1.5 meters, and a body less than a meter, but more streamlined than before.

The biggest change was its wings, which had grown longer, with a wingspan of six to seven meters when fully extended.

Since these changes occurred during the voyage, he hadn't yet remeasured Loki's current physical condition, but just from its appearance, it captivated everyone's eyes.

Once, Loki seemed a bit thin walking beside Hiddleston.

But now, Loki and Hiddleston walked side by side, and it was hard for an ordinary person to tell which was the intermediate magical beast. Hiddleston had more mass and area, while Loki was taller and longer.

Each had its own merits, neither outshining the other.

However, Loki's bloodline evolution was clearly not yet complete; it still had room to grow, and it was only a matter of time before it surpassed Hiddleston in presence. After all, its future would be as an intermediate dragon beast. Fortunately, two consecutive bloodline fruits had successfully evolved the magical beasts that consumed them, without causing them to explode.

"Perhaps the smoke mission is pulling the strings of fate, altering the destinies of Hiddleston and Loki," Liszt could only understand it this way.

Amidst the throngs of commoners lining the streets, the triumphant knights rode their tall horses, heads held high, slowly galloping towards Tulip Castle. Every triumph was an excellent opportunity to proclaim the dignity of knighthood, and the solidification of the noble and commoner classes was continuously established under such influence.

Although he vehemently denied it in his heart.

Liszt still greatly enjoyed the feeling of parading through the streets on horseback. What one pursued in life was nothing but fame, fortune, and beauty, and wasn't such a scene the best reward for "fame"? Everyone wanted to be the center of attention; the difference lay in whether they could achieve it.

Now he had the opportunity to become, and indeed became, the center of attention.

The whispers of the commoners always revolved around him and his mount Loki, and many children followed his figure with envious eyes.

"When I grow up, I want to be as majestic as that knight, riding a giant bird!" a child loudly declared.

This drew laughter from his older companions: "Haha, you'd better stick to riding your family's chickens!"

"Maybe you can ride a giant bird in your dreams! That's a magical beast, a giant bird that could swallow you whole!"

A young lad, clearly well-informed, boasted proudly: "Don't even think about it, that's the noble lineage of the great Tulip family, the ruler of Black Horse Island, the Viscount Lord! He is the pride of Coral Island, no one is more favored by the glory of knighthood than him."

The child let out an "ah" and fell silent.

In the innocence of youth, everyone has boundless dreams, but growing up means compromise. Through constant compromise, one gradually drifts away from their dreams, never becoming the person they once aspired to be. Fate doesn't need to strike hard; it merely needs to erode one's fighting spirit over time.

Ultimately, a bowed head signifies that not everyone can seize fate by the throat.

Of course, if one does not give up in their heart, hope will not disappear. This world still offers a glimmer of hope for the commoners, driving countless commoner knights to charge into battle for this hope. Some remain forever on the battlefield, their bodies wrapped in horsehide, while others return draped in glory.

Liszt was undoubtedly among those who returned draped in glory.

When they reached the fork in the road between Tulip Castle and Coral City, the welcoming party had already assembled at the crossroads. Just like the triumphant return from the Iron Hoof Island campaign, Penelope, Mary, Lvera, Levis, and Gloria stood at the front of the gathering.

"Mother, you must have been concerned," Lee William dismounted first and bowed to Penelope. Every time his mother came to greet him, he would bow in this manner.

The nobility is rife with exchanges of interests.

Yet, there is also familial love.

Penelope smiled: "I wasn't worried about you; you always stand on the side of victory, never disappointing me, from then until now."

Following the Earl, Liszt dismounted from his giant bird and quickly approached: "Grandmother."

"My strong young man, Liszt, you've grown taller and even more handsome!" Penelope was very happy, holding Liszt's hand and chattering, "In the past, when Lee William went to the battlefield alone, I wasn't concerned for his safety, but I did worry about his loneliness. Now he has his sons by his side, fighting together, he will never be lonely again."

Lee William smiled slightly: "Mother, Liszt can truly fight side by side with me now. You can't imagine the surprises he has brought us!"

"Speak quickly; don't drag it out," Penelope scolded without hesitation.

Others also watched closely, waiting for the Earl to finish his next words.

The Earl, accustomed to Penelope's attitude, smiled without changing his expression: "Liszt has been promoted to sky knight!"

Boom!

The welcoming party was instantly stirred.

Liszt stood quietly aside, his expression calm and composed, as if the person the Earl was talking about was not him.