Volume 14 Chapter 6 Baron Title
A few days later in the morning, Al was called to Naresh's room. Naresh had been busy, and even though they lived in the same mansion, it had been a while since they actually met.
When Al arrived, he found Lord Radyard in the room. The servant Craig was there as usual. Naresh's expression looked a bit dark, as if something was troubling him.
"Sir Naresh, what's wrong?"
Al asked in a serious tone, thinking it wasn't the right time for casual talk.
"Well, Al, I'm sorry to keep you waiting about the reward, but it looks like it will probably be in the form of gold coins. I think I can give you a hundred gold coins. I wanted to prepare something more special, but that didn't work out. You don't want land, right?"
Of course, land would be a problem. But Al wondered what special thing Naresh had been thinking of.
A rare spellbook would be great, but getting a hundred gold coins was also perfectly fine.
"Actually, because of this situation, I've been offered the title of Baron. I've been focused on sorting that out. I could only manage to claim a single amount for the others who worked as well."
"Baron title! That's amazing!"
Al's eyes widened in surprise. To him, a Baron was a noble who served as a knight commander, a city governor, or even the lord of a big town like Outis or Milton.
Naresh nodded happily at Al's voice. However, Lord Radyard and Craig had complicated expressions. It seemed there was something they couldn't fully be happy about.
Noticing Al looking at their faces, Lord Radyard scratched his neck awkwardly.
"Well, my grandfather and Craig are from a Baron territory that doesn't even have a town, let alone a street. It seems they have their own thoughts about it."
"That makes sense. Although this is presented as a reward, the diplomatic aspect is too strong..."
Lord Radyard muttered quietly.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
In response to Al's question, Naresh smiled wryly. He said they had discussed this topic many times, but neither his grandfather nor Craig could agree.
Normally, it would be strange to talk about such things with Al, as he was an outsider. However, since Al and Naresh were friends, it seemed like a good opportunity to share.
Naresh felt grateful for the trust but also worried about how to respond.
"What do you think, Al?" Craig asked, a frown creasing his forehead. "Even though it's called a Baron title, it means Sir Naresh would have to call himself Baron Senate. The Kingdom of Sylvester wants to present it as if the Senate family of the Tempest Kingdom relied on them for support."
He paused, glancing away briefly.
"That said, the territory given will only be ten villages developed by the refugees. A landholding Baron would typically have not just farming villages but also a town that serves as a center for regional exchange, along with a mansion there."
Craig looked at Al with a troubled expression. To inherit the Senet family name, excluding Patricia, the only ones with Count Senet's bloodline are Viscountess Tara and her son Naresh.
It's not wrong to claim that based on bloodline. But does this mean that the Count Senet family will receive protection from the Sylvester Kingdom and become Baron Senet?
Maybe they are not just a vassal of the Margrave Rain family, but a Baron family directly under the Sylvester royal family. It's understandable that Lord Radyard has a strong diplomatic side.
Still, for Naresh, this is a big promotion. Al feels a bit guilty for having Naresh take Patricia's place, but it's a path Naresh chose for himself. So, it's probably best to say congratulations.
As for the territory, even if he is a Baron, if there's only a village, it might not be much different from being a knight. A wealthy knight might only manage two or three villages at most.
Considering that, it seems like a territory that is more than a knight's but less than a Baron's. If he's a Baron who is not a legal noble inheriting positions like a steward but just a regular landowning noble, the income would be quite tough.
Plus, from what they experienced together recently, it felt like they were struggling to clear a wasteland, so it seemed like they would have a lot of difficulties ahead. The two of them understood each other's dissatisfaction, or rather, their anxiety.
"Don't worry. Craig knows that the mansion will be given to the capital Rain, right? Plus, we'll be exempt from taxes for about ten years. There's also talk about continuing support for the Tempest Kingdom knights who are taking refuge here, so it shouldn't come to us needing to ask for help."
"I hope that's true..."
Lord Radyard replied to Naresh with a worried expression.
"I think it's a big deal, but getting the title of Baron is a good thing for Sir Naresh. But what about you, Lord Radyard? You have land from the Viscount Lester family, right?"
Al said this for now. Seeing Naresh nod lightly beside him, it seemed that he felt the same way.
"Ah, Sigmund has a younger brother. I decided to leave that to my wife and his brother. Sigmund and I will stay here. I received a proposal from Sir Naresh to be knighted and take care of a village, so I decided to retire and help Sigmund."
"Lord Radyard's village was quite wealthy, but it seems Sigmund will have a hard time."
Naresh said this to show his concern.
"Sigmund will be overjoyed to be with Sir Naresh and be able to make a difference. I'm sure the younger son will be thrilled to hear he can become the heir."
So they will split the house between the brothers. Well, it seems reasonable. For now, Lord Radyard and Craig will just have to keep pushing forward.
"Well, I know things are tough right now, but if I could get a hundred gold coins, I would be really grateful. Ah, and the help Kane asked me for is a bit half-finished right now."
"What do you think? How about changing your mind and becoming the village governor? I think you could handle being a lord..."
Al felt sorry as he shook his head at Naresh's offer. He knew well how hard it was to be the lord of a poor village, especially after seeing his father's struggles.
He would rather explore ancient ruins or search for new spells. And he wanted to find a way to fight against the Barbarians.
"I'm sorry. At least for now, I can't take any land. But since Kane's work on the farmland seems tough, I'll help out until we make some progress, and then I'll take a break. After that, I think I'll go on a little journey. I'll also take Baroness Tabasa with me at that time."
He smiled, his excitement returning.
"Oh, and I learned the 'Piercing Spear' spell. It's pretty amazing. I can see why the magicians of the Tempest Kingdom keep it a secret. Want to see it?"
"Oh, I definitely want to see that. But I also want to show it to Sigmund and the others. Can you come to Nora Village around noon?"
Nora Village is the name of the northernmost village where there was a well incident before. Since the commotion settled down, they have been very cooperative with Naresh.
Recently, Lord Radyard had been building a training ground for horses that he and his knights would use near that village. Even after talking with Lord Radyard and Craig, it seemed they realized Naresh's mind wouldn't change.
They looked a bit sour but nodded slightly.
"I see. Then, I'll go around noon. If you have any iron plates you want to try, please get them ready."
When Al said this, Lord Radyard nodded, understanding.
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