Episode 105: The Countship (1)

After leaving the royal palace, Damian headed straight back to the Haxen estate.

As he approached the mansion, he noticed Victor sweeping the entrance with a broom.

“Yaaawn.”

Whatever he’d been up to last night, Victor was yawning widely.

“What’s a young man like you doing yawning at this hour?”

“Who—who’s there?!”

“Do you always react the same way?”

Startled by Damian’s voice, Victor pointed the broom at him like a spear. But upon recognizing Damian, his face lit up.

“Young Master!”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“You’re safe! I’ve been so worried!”

Victor fussed over Damian, checking him from head to toe.

“Ah, but this isn’t the time for that. Come inside! Everyone’s been waiting anxiously for you!”

Following Victor’s lead, Damian entered the mansion.

As he stepped into the drawing room, all eyes turned to him. At first, everyone was too stunned to speak, but then they erupted in shouts of surprise.

“Damian!”

His father was the first to rush over, inspecting Damian closely.

“I heard you got caught up in a treason plot! Are you alright? You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

After defeating Alexander Apple, Damian had stayed at the palace for several days. He had to participate in the church’s investigation, and the king kept finding excuses to delay his departure. During that time, news of the treason plot had spread throughout the kingdom.

“It seems you’re unharmed. Thank goodness.”

“See, I told you there was nothing to worry about,” his mother said with a triumphant smile.

“You were right, dear. I worried for nothing,” his father admitted with a chuckle.

“You’ve been out and about so much lately. You should rest at home for a while. If you try to leave again, I’ll scold you,” his sister Louise said sternly, though her gentle demeanor made it hard to take her seriously.

“Brother, we were really worried,” his younger brother chimed in.

“We’re relieved to see you’re safe,” added his sister-in-law.

Then Abel, his brother, asked, “But brother, there are some strange rumors going around.”

“Strange rumors?”

“They say you defeated a High Class opponent.”

“Oh, that’s been exaggerated.”

Abel laughed loudly. “I thought so. No matter how amazing you are, defeating a High Class opponent is…”

“I didn’t defeat him. I just held out until the High Class self-destructed.”

”?!?!?!”

Abel and the rest of the family stared at Damian in shock.

“Brother… what do you mean?”

“The one who committed treason was Prince Alexander Apple. He used dark magic to isolate a space, and I got trapped inside.”

Damian explained in detail, hoping the rumors would spread accurately. The more specific the story, the less suspicious people would be of him.

“Uh… brother?”

“What is it?”

“Doesn’t that mean you did defeat a High Class opponent?”

Damian clicked his tongue in exasperation. “I didn’t face him head-on. I just survived until he self-destructed. How is that a victory?”

Damian had a point, but his family still seemed unconvinced. After all, Damian survived, and the High Class opponent didn’t, so wasn’t that a win?

“Oh, Father. I have a gift for you.”

While his family was still processing everything, Damian opened a pocket dimension and pulled out a parchment.

His father looked puzzled. “What’s this?”

“It’s a royal decree elevating the Haxen Viscountcy to a Countship.”

His father’s eyes widened, and the rest of the family was equally astonished.

“Da-Damian! Is this true?”

“Is this really a royal decree?”

The family crowded around the parchment, buzzing with excitement. Meanwhile, his father stared at it in silence.

“Are you not happy, Father?” Damian asked, puzzled by his father’s reaction.

“I’m happy, of course. Achieving what our ancestors couldn’t in my lifetime is a dream come true.”

Every noble aspired to become a count. Unlike barons and viscounts, a count had to possess significant qualifications and influence, making it a rare and prestigious title.

“But didn’t you face danger to achieve this?”

His father looked at Damian with a sorrowful gaze.

“I may not know much about swordsmanship, but I understand how terrifying a High Class opponent can be. They’re superhumans who can determine a nation’s power.”

His father gripped Damian’s shoulder tightly.

“I almost lost you for something like this. How can I be happy about that?”

Damian felt a surge of emotion at his father’s words. He wanted to tell him everything—that a High Class opponent was nothing to him, that this was no threat at all.

“Father, it’s a bit disappointing to hear you say that.”

But he couldn’t, so he had to deflect.

“I went through a lot to bring this back. If you’re not happy, I’ll be disappointed.”

Damian forced a smile and waved the parchment. Still, his father’s expression didn’t change.

“Dear, Damian’s right. If you don’t celebrate his achievements, who will?” his mother chimed in, trying to persuade her husband. Finally, his father accepted the parchment.

“Hear ye, Haxen Viscount. By the grace of His Majesty…”

His father unrolled the parchment and read the decree aloud.

“…therefore, the Haxen Viscountcy is hereby elevated to a Countship.”

As soon as he finished, the family erupted in applause.

“Also, His Majesty has granted us new lands.”

“Which lands?” Olivia Copperhead, who was particularly interested in expanding the family’s influence, asked eagerly.

“You might know them well, my dear,” the new Count Haxen said, showing Olivia the decree. After examining it, Olivia exclaimed in surprise.

“The Gargari Plains and the surrounding forests?!”

“Is it good land?”

“Absolutely! It’s known for its bountiful harvests, no matter what you plant! To be given such fertile land…”

Seeing Olivia’s reaction, it was clear how generous the king had been. He wasn’t just expressing gratitude in words but in deeds.

“His Majesty has truly bestowed a great favor upon us,” Count Haxen said with a satisfied smile.

Then, looking a bit sheepish, he asked his family, “Now that we’re a Countship, what do we do next?”

Becoming a count meant they couldn’t live as they had before. Many changes were necessary. The problem was, neither Count Haxen nor anyone else had experience with this—except for one person.

“First, we need to visit the new lands, take over, and plan our future,” Olivia suggested, having observed her father manage the Copperhead Countship.

“As expected, you know what to do,” Count Haxen said, relieved.

“But there’s something we must do first.”

“And what is that?”

“We need to announce to all the western nobles that the Haxen Viscountcy is now a Countship.”

“Is that really necessary? They’ll find out eventually,” Count Haxen, who disliked fuss, replied skeptically.

But his wife had a different opinion.

“That’s a great idea! Let’s throw a grand banquet and invite all the western nobles!” she exclaimed, spreading her arms wide.

“Is that really necessary?” Count Haxen asked, looking reluctant.

“Of course it is! Have you forgotten how other families looked down on us? They said our lands were small and we were poor…”

His wife clenched her fists, trembling with pent-up frustration.

“We’ll show them! They’ll never look down on us again!”

“Mother’s right. We should use this opportunity to reestablish our family’s authority,” Olivia agreed.

“Uh, well…”

Count Haxen still seemed hesitant.

“Dear! What are you hesitating for? It’s the perfect chance for revenge!” his wife urged, leaving him with no choice but to relent.

“Mother’s at it again,” Abel said with a wry smile, watching the scene unfold.

“Brother, maybe we should help Father… Brother?”

Turning to Damian, Abel was startled. Damian was smiling, but it was a smile that promised trouble.

“Oh, so there were that many people who looked down on our family, enough to make Mother grind her teeth?”

Abel realized he’d made a grave mistake. Damian wasn’t an ally to help their father. He was the one who’d pour oil on the fire.

“Hosting such a large event will be costly, won’t it? Do we have the funds for it?”

“If it’s money you need, I have plenty.”

With a casual wave of his hand, Demian opened a pocket of space and pulled out a handful of coins. The gold pieces spilled out, gleaming brightly.

In truth, Demian’s finances weren’t as abundant as they once were. He had spent a considerable amount participating in auctions on the black market. Still, he had enough to cover the cost of a grand banquet.

“Mother, don’t worry about the money. Let’s make it a splendid affair.”

“There’s no one like my son!” his mother exclaimed, beaming with pride.

With Demian’s support, Count Haxen had no grounds left to oppose the idea.

“Very well. Do as your mother wishes,” he conceded, unable to refuse any longer.

“Oh, darling, I love you so much!” his mother cried, wrapping her arms around Count Haxen with a radiant smile.

Held in his wife’s embrace, the count gave a wry smile. Seeing her so happy, he couldn’t help but feel a bit pleased himself.

“A banquet, huh,” Demian mused, watching his parents.

‘We’ve only just risen from barons to counts. Not everyone will look kindly on us.’

He knew the event wouldn’t be smooth sailing. The room would be filled with those envious and resentful of their family’s newfound status.

‘Father isn’t used to such gatherings.’

Neither were the rest of the family. They were simple country nobles, unaccustomed to the intrigues of high society. Olivia was reliable, but she was just one person and lacked authority.

‘I’m not exactly at home in these circles either.’

If it were a matter of wielding a sword, that would be different. But navigating the treacherous waters of noble politics was not Demian’s forte.

‘This won’t do. I need to find another way.’

The root of the problem was the Haxen family’s lack of influence. If they had more authority, people would be lining up to curry favor.

‘Then I’ll just have to borrow it from outside.’

Fortunately, Demian had a network of quite influential connections.

‘A duke should do the trick.’

He began to ponder how best to word the invitation he would send to the duke.