Chapter 100: The Battle Of The Nobles

The day after the Knight Commander killed Dagraha, I finally returned to the city of Grandver.

I looked at the mansion while carrying Cecile on my back. The gatekeeper of the mansion saw us and ran to the mansion to report Cecile’s return.

(We’re back at last. I returned after a long time, but all I got was a magic stone and a rapier.)

Cecile and I returned to the mansion for the first time in days.

What I’ve gotten in the last few days was:

-The B-rank magic stone of Madegarsh

-Dagraha’s Rapier (made of Mithril)

The Knight Commander told me that I would naturally get the magical stone of Madegarsh, and that I should take the rapier home with me. Maybe he saw the greedy look on my face.

“Lady Cecile, it’s time to get down.”

“All right.”

I came back to the city of Grandver with the Knight Commander, but I was the one carrying her, not the Knight Commander. I set her down on the ground in front of the entrance.

When I entered the mansion, the entire Baron Family was waiting for us at the entrance.

“Cecile…”

“Father, I’m back.”

It was an emotional reunion, but everyone’s eyes turned to me, not Cecile.

“Call the doctor at once!”

“Yes!”

The Baron’s expression changed from relief to worry when he saw my appearance. The Baron quickly ordered the Butler.

My entire body is in a terrible state of disarray. I was eaten by Madegarsh, beaten up and cut up by Dagraha, and my clothes were barely intact. From the way my clothes were ripped and the blood spurting all over my body, anyone could tell that I have suffered major injuries.

“Oh, I’ll be fine. I’ve already used the recovery potion.”

I knew immediately that it was for me, so I moved my hands to show that I was fine.

(Hmmm… I should put some clothes in storage for this kind of situation. And then there’s the poison antidote. Of course I’ll have the antidote, but I wonder if there are any items that can prevent a fast-acting sleeping potion like this one? Oh well, I guess I learned a lot from this incident.)

I realized that I gained an immeasurable amount of experience through this incident. It was a type of experience that I would never know by hunting in the White Dragon Mountains.

It was also very significant that I fought Dagraha and got a better analysis of his skills.

(Killing people doesn’t give experience as well.)

When the Knight Commander killed Dagraha, I didn’t get any message in the Grimoire. Killing someone doesn’t seem to give any experience.

After taking a bath, I was told to go to the dinning room to talk about what had happened, and we were dismissed once at the entrance. A bath was also prepared for me, and I took my first bath in the mansion.

I put on my new manservant’s clothes and entered the dining room, where I was called.

I sat at the center of the long table. The Baron who usually sat at one end of the table was sitting on the other side of the table, facing me.

Cecile came in a little later.

“I know you’re tired after just getting back, but we have to make a move. Tell us what happened.”

“Yes.”

Now that everyone was here, I started to report the situation.

“Well, I’m pretty sure Lord Carnell is the reason behind this.”

“Yes, he was acting in collusion with the Royal Messenger who came this time in an attempt to gain mining rights.”

The Royal Messenger said that he needed money in order to make the seat of the Minister of Justice belong to the current Deputy Minister of Justice, a Noble of his own faction. I told Baron that the incident was a conspiracy with Viscount Carnell, who was troubled by the loss of money due to the loss of Mithril.

“Well, all right. Sebas, I’ll go to the Royal Capital and report this to the Royal Family!”

“Yes, sir.”

The Baron clenched both his fists on the table and seemed to be quite furious. The Baron, whose beloved daughter was kidnapped, wanted to go to the Royal Family to settle this matter.

(What is this “report”? What?)

“What are you going to do?”

I usually asked the Baron what he was going to do at the Royal Capital.

“Of course. I will report the Royal Family on this matter in detail. I’m sure the Royal Family will take action.”

(I’m sure it won’t work. There is the contract signed by Carnell. It might be enough for him, but he is not the only enemy this time. It’ll only end with Carnell being punished as the scapegoat.

“May I? I have a suggestion for resolving this matter.”

Though only the Baron and I were talking, the entire Baron Family and the Knight Commander were seated at the dining table too. When I spoke up, everyone turned to me.

“What is it? Tell me.”

“I will relinquish my 30% of the mining rights.”

“”What?””

The room was in an uproar when I said I was giving up my right.

“May I ask you to use my mining rights to thoroughly investigate the cause of this incident and work to remedy the situation?”

“Huh, you want me to use your mining rights to buy off the Royal Family and make them work just like Viscount Carnell?”

The Baron froze for a moment, unable to speak.

“That’s right.”

(You tried to sell the mining rights for Cecile, right? Well, it’s not the same thing but…)

“No, no, but…”

“A Knight has his own way of fighting. But you are not a Knight. You are a Noble and I believe that Nobles have their own way of fighting.”

“How does a Noble fight?”

“My Lord, will you please put your hands on the table?”

“Hmm? What are you talking about?”

The Baron didn’t know what I meant, but the atmosphere already belonged to me so, without thinking about it, the Baron showed both of his hands to me, and everyone peered into the Baron’s hands.

“My Lord, now is the time to get your hands dirty. Let us see you fight like a Noble.”

“Oh, Allen. You can’t do that!”

The Butler admonished me for my excessive behavior as a manservant.

“No, it’s okay, Sebas.”

“My Lord, but…”

After saying that much, the Butler looked at the Baron but no words came out of his mouth. The Baron looked at his own hands and began to think. Then a tear rolled down his cheek.

“Allen. I was about your age when my father passed away. He told me, ‘Take care of this territory. I want you and your brother to protect it.’”

“Yes.”

Staring at his hands, the Baron began to talk as if he was remembering something. It was a story from when the Baron was in his early teens.

“I became the Head of the Family when my brother was just about to come of age, and I thought I had done my best to work with him. He passed away before he turned 20. Sebas, I’ve given you a lot of trouble since then, as well as now.”

“…”

The Butler bowed his head in appreciation of the Baron’s kind words. I continued listening to the Baron in silence.

“My brother taught me to be a Noble, to be pure and righteous, and I thought I had done that until now. However, I must have made a mistake somewhere. Is this a battle of Nobles? I never thought I’d be taught by a kid as young as I was back then…”

The Baron clasped his outstretched hands and stood up.

“I’m going to fight like a Noble. I’m sorry, Allen. I’m going to use your mining rights. Sebas, prepare to leave.”

“Yes, sir.”

(This won’t be a problem. Carnell probably used the mining rights as bait to talk others into it. Now there’s something I need you to do before going to the Royal Capital.)

“Well, my Lord, I don’t mean to give my mining rights without condition.””

I spoke to the Baron, who had stood and began to act.

“What?”

“If possible, I would like you to tell me the Granvelle Family’s duty?”

(I really want to know this.)

“… Ok. I’ll call a lecturer for that then.”

He was at a loss of words for a moment, but something seemed to convince him to tell me.

(Hmm? You’re going to call a lecturer to tell me about those ‘duties’? Will it be in the form of a Noble’s duty lesson?)

Thus, the Baron took the Butler and the Deputy Knight Commander as his escort to the Royal Capital.

What happened at the end of that year is rumored among the Noble’s to be the “Granvelle House Incident”.

Several Nobles, including Viscount Carnell, were punished for bribery and forgery of official documents.

Viscount Carnell said it was a fabrication, but the Royal Family applied the crime of sedition for not cooperating in the investigation, and sent a thousand of the Kingdom’s strongest Royal Guards to the Viscount’s territory.

As a result, the Viscount was found guilty of many crimes and his territory was incorporated into the Royal Family’s territory.

Some people were wondering why the Royal Family’s Messenger and even the Deputy Minister of Justice, who held an important position, were found guilty too.

Many were thrown in jail, their houses were demolished, and a storm of purges that rivaled the Talent scams of the Nobility swept through the Kingdom.

It seemed that this disturbance was caused by the Baron Granvelle who was enraged when Viscount Carnell kidnapped his daughter over Mithril mining rights. In retaliation, the Baron forced the Royal Family and several Noble factions to thoroughly investigate and punish the Viscount in return for providing them with mining rights of the newly discovered vein that year.

Some people wondered whether his daughter was really kidnapped, but no Noble could ask the Baron about the truth of the matter. With the Royal Family and several factions on his side, there was no way that any Noble would dare to ask the truth about the rumors against the Granvelle Family.