Chapter 234 - New Age (4)

Baronet. A title ranked just above ordinary knights.

"What on earth..."

"A baronet!"

The nobles nearly fainted at the Chancellor's bombshell announcement. Understandably so.

"This is unprecedented! Granting a barbarian a hereditary title!"

A baronet could pass down his title. Not forever, but to his son and grandson. In a way, that made it better than an honorary barony, which lasted only for the recipient's lifetime.

'I never thought I'd get a title without deliberately taking the nobility route.'

Honestly, I was a little dumbfounded.

In the game, you could become a noble by completing quests involving high nobles ranked marquis or above and building up your merit score. That route had as many drawbacks as benefits. Though technically a noble, you were effectively a high noble's vassal, which placed several restrictions on your gameplay.

But what happened to those restrictions in this case?

'... But commoner or noble, you can't refuse an order from the king anyway. Doesn't that mean there are practically none?'

Hmm. That seemed to be the case, at least...

Just then, the Chancellor raised his voice.

"Silence, everyone!"

"But..."

"This is His Majesty's decree."

"..."

The uproar, which I had expected to take some time to subside, died down at the mere mention of the king's orders. Such was the weight his name carried in this country.

"You will be informed of the date of your conferment ceremony once it has been decided."

Anyway, that concluded my rewards. The Chancellor hadn't even asked whether I would accept the title. The alternative probably hadn't occurred to him.

Not that I'd intended to refuse in the first place.

This wasn't merely a game world. Becoming a noble meant enjoying all kinds of conveniences and opening up more options for how I could play.

"Portyan Miriant of the Nartel Clan, step forward!"

After my turn ended, they continued announcing rewards based on everyone's accomplishments for quite some time. My companions stepped forward one after another, too. Though their rewards weren't on par with mine, they all received a decent amount.

To sum it up:

Misha, Aynar, and Mister Bear each received ten million Stones and the right to choose a rank-five Essence or equipment of equivalent value. Raven, meanwhile, asked the Chancellor for permission to learn royal magic in place of the usual rewards, and her request was granted.

Erwin received the greatest reward among my companions: a rank-four Essence or an item of equivalent value. She had been recognized as the second-greatest contributor in the fight against the Corpse Collector, and her reward included bereavement compensation for Daria's death. Though she hadn't attended, that wasn't an issue. The rewards were only being announced today and would be distributed later.

"Mr. Jandel, is Erwin still at the sanctuary, then?"

"From what I hear, the funeral ended some time ago. She's probably still sorting out her feelings."

"I see..."

Raven trailed off after asking how Erwin was doing. I asked if she had something she wanted to tell her, but received no answer.

How much time passed after that?

"What a truly splendid day. Let us all celebrate with glad hearts alongside the leading figures of this new age!"

The lengthy presentation of rewards ended, and the banquet began.

* * *

With so many guests, the banquet was split between two locations: the enormous indoor hall where the rewards had been announced and the outdoor garden, which had been filled with every imaginable delicacy before we knew it. Though no one forced them to, most explorers chose to celebrate outside. The atmosphere simply encouraged it.

Indoors, elegant music played over a subdued gathering. More than half the nobles had chosen to remain there, so the explorers must have felt uncomfortable staying.

"What will you do, Mr. Jandel?"

"Go outside, of course."

We chose the outdoors as well.

"You could expand your connections by staying here, though."

My baronetcy was already confirmed. If I wanted connections, there was no reason I had to make them today. I didn't want that to be what today was about.

"Jandel! Jandel's here!"

"What? Aren't you becoming a noble? What are you doing here?"

"Hahaha! As if Jandel would be like that!"

Perhaps the news of my title had made them feel some distance between us, because the explorers greeted me with overwhelming enthusiasm.

Whew. Good thing I'd come out here. No matter how I looked at it, my bonds with these guys mattered far more to me than those nobles.

"Everyone's looking at you. Why not say a few words? They've heard more than enough speeches inside, but yours will strike them differently."

Kyle, who had come along, spoke beside me.

Right. He wanted me to give a short toast or something. I briefly wondered what I should say, but...

'Let's just do this like a barbarian.'

I didn't deliberate long.

Was there any need to think about it? They'd heard enough flowery praise already. So...

"You've all been through a lot!!"

For today, this would be enough.

"Now, let's eat, drink, and enjoy ourselves!!"

My address ended in a flash. Barbarians, who naturally disliked long speeches, roared in response.

"VEHELLLAAAAAA!!"

The explorers were no different.

"Never thought I'd live to drink in the royal palace!"

"What are you worried about? We've got our future baronet Jandel here! Let's cut loose!"

"YEAHHHH!!"

The explorers put aside their discomfort at being in the palace and began enjoying the banquet to the fullest. That included us, of course.

"Wow, Bjorn! Try this! No idea what meat it is, but the bones are crunchy and delicious!"

"Uh, you're not supposed to eat the bones..."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Never mind. As long as you like it..."

Rich dishes with a flavor entirely different from Misha's home cooking. Liquor that went down smoothly. And countless comrades-in-arms to drink with while we talked about the hardships we'd endured.

'This almost feels like an after-party.'

The festivities continued, as merry as a banquet ought to be. Occasionally, someone would mention a fallen companion and the mood would darken, but we would all observe a brief silence before returning to our previous cheer.

We carried on that way until the sun began to set.

"Looks like you're having fun."

Melter, who had been attending the banquet indoors with the nobles, came outside.

"Enjoy yourself in there?"

"Hardly. You have no idea how much effort it took not to run straight out."

"You've got it rough."

I understood why he'd stayed indoors with the nobles. He led a clan, after all. He probably hadn't wanted to miss a chance to make connections with nobles whose help he might need someday.

"Well, now that you're here, take a bottle."

"A whole bottle...?"

"Why bother with a glass?"

"Haha! Had I known, I would've come out sooner. Where are your companions, though?"

"Everyone except Avman got bored and went elsewhere."

"Really? I'd have expected that barbarian young lady to be different."

"Oh, she can't hold her liquor."

Strictly speaking, her tolerance wasn't low. She'd simply gotten carried away, kept chugging straight from the bottle, and passed out in no time.

"Jandel, what are you doing? Your bottle's empty. Don't tell me you're drunk already."

"Not a chance."

With Melter joining us, I continued guzzling booze with the warriors around me.

That was one advantage of Bjorn Jandel's body. It could handle an incredible amount of alcohol.

"Ugh, the smell of booze..."

For the first time since waking up in this body, I was drinking like there was no tomorrow when Misha approached.

"Oh, Misha. Have fun?"

"Yeah. They had some kind of performance over there. It was fun, nyah. Wish you'd come with me..."

"We'll have another chance. Where's Raven?"

"She's drunk and having fun talking about complicated stuff with the other mages, nyah."

Talking about complicated things while drunk. Were mages really people you ought to keep your distance from?

"I'm going for a short walk."

I excused myself to Melter and left the drinking circle to stroll through the garden with Misha.

Everyone was having a lively time, though not quite as lively as the warriors I'd been drinking with. There were nobles here and there as well.

"My, an undead legion numbering in the thousands? I can scarcely imagine it."

"I know. You must have been terrified. You're incredible."

Just as I'd been the star at the count's banquet before, nobles were approaching explorers and showing interest in them. Well, not all of them were as standoffish as the titled nobles. Young members of collateral branches were practically no different from middle-class commoners.

'Huh? Why didn't anyone come over to us, then?'

It struck me as odd, but I soon understood. Who would approach a group of dozens of brawny warriors shouting their heads off?

"Bjorn, want to sit down and rest a little, nyah?"

"That sounds good..."

I wasn't that drunk, but I still hadn't recovered fully from the battle's aftermath, so walking for long was difficult.

"... Why are you sitting on the ground instead of next to me, nyah?"

"I'm afraid it'll break."

Misha sat on the bench, while I plopped down on the grass.

Then we simply sat in silence. Was it because I'd had so much to drink? The noisy banquet seemed to recede into distant background sound, and all kinds of thoughts drifted through my mind.

"Jandel! You're Lord Bjorn Jandel, the one who's going to become a baronet, aren't you?"

As we passed the time in comfortable silence, a few nobles recognized me and approached.

Lord Jandel, though... Were they treating me as a noble already?

I didn't want this moment disturbed, so I politely sent those who approached on their way. But I couldn't use that approach with everyone.

"Haha, there you are."

A titled noble, not someone from a collateral branch. Someone who could cause problems down the road if our relationship soured...

And Dwalki's older half brother.

"... Baron Martoin."

"Actually, I came out a few times earlier to see you, but you seemed to be enjoying yourself, so I didn't approach."

What an excuse. Obviously, he just hadn't been able to make his way through all those warriors to reach me.

"Thanks for being considerate."

"Haha, not at all. You're the guest of honor at this banquet, after all."

After exchanging formal greetings, I spoke with Baron Martoin for a while. It was a more useful conversation than I'd expected. Apparently, while newly ennobled commoners usually faced hazing, things would be somewhat different for me.

"Why's that?"

"Because His Majesty himself granted your title. You're an explorer under his personal scrutiny. Who would dare touch you? They'll all be desperate to befriend you."

The king...

I always felt uneasy whenever the subject of the king came up. There was what the chieftain had said, too.

'Anyway, if that's true...'

Feeling oddly mischievous, I looked at the butler standing beside Baron Martoin and greeted him.

"It's been a while, Butler."

The bastard went pale at my greeting.

Of course he'd be afraid. The barbarian who had smashed skulls and crunched bones back then now possessed considerable fame and power as well.

"I-I was t-terribly rude to you back then..."

As I stared at him with a broad grin, the butler trembled and apologized. It wasn't particularly satisfying.

'Tsk. This really feels like bullying someone weak.'

Even a punching bag needed to offer some resistance for hitting it to feel good. I stopped teasing the butler and resumed my conversation with Baron Martoin. Naturally, Dwalki came up.

"By the way, where has my little brother gone?"

Perhaps he wanted to get closer to me. Baron Martoin called him "my little brother," something he hadn't done back then.

Misha and I froze simultaneously.

'What the fuck?'

Was he joking?

"What do you mean, where has he gone...?"

I barely managed to keep my expression under control as I asked. The butler's face grew even paler.

That told me one thing: he seemed to know what had happened.

And a second thing...

"My lord, as I told you before, Leor Wuerv Dwalki is..."

The baron had known, too. He'd simply heard it once and forgotten.

"Oh, that's right. Honestly, my memory isn't what it used to be now that I'm getting old. Haha."

The baron gave a hearty laugh, seemingly embarrassed. My stomach, which had been perfectly fine after several bottles of liquor, felt as though it were boiling.

Was that why?

A firm grip.

When I came to my senses, Misha was clutching my arm, concern written on her face. I patted the back of her hand to tell her not to worry, then gently removed it.

I wasn't the same man who'd had nothing back then. I had far too many responsibilities now.

So...

"I understand. Don't worry. Things can go wrong with your head when you get old."

"... Hmm? Oh, well, I suppose that's one way to put it. Hahaha."

I extended my hand to the baron.

"I have somewhere to be, so I'll leave it here. Good to see you."

"Really? What a shame. Let's meet again."

Baron Martoin accepted my handshake, smacking his lips as if genuinely disappointed. He asked one last question.

"Oh, where are you going?"

I brushed off the hand I'd shaken his with as though it had gotten dusty.

"Oh, I suddenly feel like washing my hands."

Filth ought to be washed off.

* * *

Baron Martoin was rather slow on the uptake.

"... Really? Anyway, I'll invite you over sometime, so don't turn me down. Now that you're a noble, you have all sorts of things to learn."

He let me go without any particular reaction.

Maybe the problem lay with me. People generally couldn't imagine a barbarian delivering a veiled insult like that.

'Maybe that's one of the few drawbacks of being a barbarian.'

"You did well holding back, nyah."

Misha stroked my head as if proud of me.

I finally got to my feet and headed indoors. I could have stopped a passing mage and asked them to wash my hands, but I needed the bathroom, too.

"Sure you don't need me to come with you, nyah?"

"... Do you think I'm a little kid?"

I parted with Misha and found the bathroom with a guide's help. When I emerged and was about to return to the banquet, someone recognized me and called out.

"Oh, there you are."

It was Count Ferdehilt, the host of the banquet I'd attended last time. He'd said something strange when presenting me with the winner's prize, No.7777 Garpas' Necklace.

["I'll summon you privately when you're better prepared."]

In the end, he hadn't summoned me at all, even up to today.

"You make it sound like you were looking for me."

"Because I was."

"Since we've run into each other, why not have a drink over there? It won't take long."

"In that case, sure."

His power was incomparably greater than Baron Martoin's, so I obediently followed him inside.

"Here you are."

Once we sat at a table, the count poured me a drink and handed it over. I downed it in one gulp.

"My companion's waiting. Could you tell me what this is about first?"

"Haha, of course."

Thankfully, the count seemed to understand and got straight to the point without showing any offense.

"This is my youngest daughter, Arabella. You've met her before, haven't you?"

I had a bad feeling about this...

"Well? Isn't she beautiful?"

Sure enough, the count put an arm around the daughter beside him and ushered her in front of me.

"I-I'm Arabella..."

The count's daughter, who looked to be in her early teens, trembled as she looked at me and introduced herself.

Ha. Of all the things I'd thought I might experience in life, this wasn't one of them.

"What do you think?"

Faced with a situation unlike anything I'd ever experienced, my brain stopped working and I couldn't answer. Did he mistake that for deliberation?

"Oh, if you're seeing someone already, don't worry too much. You can simply take her as a concubine, can't you?"

"... A concubine?"

"Oh, you didn't know?"

The count smiled at my muttered response.

"Producing many descendants to benefit this country is one of a noble's duties. Once you're a noble, you may have up to three concubines in addition to your lawful wife."

Duty, my ass.

For some reason, I felt like going to the bathroom again.