Chapter 36: Title Fraud
As November arrived, the nobles residing in the Royal Capital gathered for an audience in the grand hall, where the rewards for the three members of the Hamawar family were to be announced.
“To Marquis Sharda Hamawal, I bestow the former residence of Duke Jacksen Nagyar and 3,000 gold coins.”
“Thank you very much.”
“To Hyalda Hamawal, I grant a sword and 3,000 gold coins.”
“Thank you very much.”
A small mat was laid out by the attendants, and Fiene was prompted by Prime Minister Nagalan to kneel. His Majesty the King placed the Sacred Sword upon Fiene’s shoulder.
“I hereby appoint Fiene Hamawal as a Viscount and designate her as the Royal Healing Mage. You may reside in the mansion that the Marquis will vacate. As a Pension Noble, you will receive an annual stipend of 2,400 gold coins, and as the Royal Healing Mage, an additional 1,200 gold coins.”
“I humbly accept the position of Royal Healing Mage.”
“A room will be prepared for you in the Royal Castle, but you may live freely when not summoned.”
Inside the carriage descending from the Royal Castle, Fiene wore an expression of mixed feelings, while Marquis Hamawal sighed and Hyalda looked exasperated.
“I knew this would happen once Healing Magic became known, but to receive such generous treatment as a Viscount is unexpected.”
“Now all three of us from the Hamawal family have become nobles. The high society is going to be a drag.”
“I think it will be quiet for a while. We learned that making a fuss could provoke His Majesty’s wrath.”
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The move of Marquis Sharda Hamawal to the former residence of Duke Jacksen Nagyar was surprisingly smooth. This was due to the fact that Duke Nagyar had been stripped of his title and imprisoned, leaving all his furniture and belongings behind. Hyalda, claiming the title of Viscount, would reside in the Marquis’s mansion, leaving Fiene alone.
Fiene Hamawal’s Viscount residence would have Kaito staying as her guard for a while.
The problem arose from the division of the two households, which left the number of servants insufficient. Aisa, the Head Maid, remained with Fiene, while the second butler, Zagard, was assigned to assist her. Zagard seemed busy calling for maids from their territory and hiring new ones in the Royal Capital. Since I was of no help, I quietly sipped tea in a corner of the salon.
“Fi, what about the carriage?”
“Um… I wonder what’s going on. Could you ask Zagard? I didn’t think it would be this complicated.”
When I asked Zagard, it turned out that there was no carriage for Fiene as a Viscount. I informed him that I would arrange one and had him send me to the Marquis’s mansion in a servant’s carriage. Since I was unfamiliar with the place, I stopped a maid I recognized and asked her to guide me to Hyalda or the Marquis.
“What’s up, Kaito?”
“Fiene doesn’t have a carriage as a Viscount, so I came to ask where I could buy one. Also, what about the crest? Now that there are three Hamawal families, what will we do?”
“We have spare carriages. We can remove the Duke’s crest and put Fiene’s… Do you have any ideas for the crest?”
“How about crossing swords with a stag surrounded by a red circle? If we use the red circle of fire magic from the Hamawal family crest, it will be clear that it’s from our clan.”
“That sounds good. Hyalda hasn’t decided on her crest yet either.”
“Then Hyalda will have a single circle with crossed swords and a stag, Fiene will have a double red circle, and the Marquis will keep his as it is.”
The Marquis told me I could take any carriage I liked from the Duke’s collection for Fiene. I had Efor come and choose three carriages for Fiene, which were then sent to her residence.
“As for Fiene’s crest, after consulting with the Marquis, we decided on crossing swords with a stag surrounded by a double red circle. Is that alright? By the way, Hyalda will have a single circle, and the Marquis will keep his as before.”
“That’s very easy to understand. The Hamawal family will be recognizable at a glance.”
“I got three carriages, so I’ll go to the carriage maker and have them create the crest.”
I took the smallest carriage to the Commercial Guild to find out where I could have the crest made. Nobility is such a hassle.
After all that, I returned at dusk to find a carriage waiting at the front. It bore a crest I had never seen before (though I wasn’t very familiar with them). Upon entering the hall, I found some rather unpleasant knights leaning against the wall in a disheveled manner. When I asked a maid, she hesitantly informed me that Count Nagaar Heizen had barged in, claiming to be a count, and that Fiene and Zagard were dealing with him.
As I tried to enter the salon, a knight standing by the door blocked my way.
“Move aside.”
“What do you want, brat? This is a discussion between nobles.”
“I’m the guard of this mansion. For someone visiting another family, your manners are lacking.”
“A guard, huh? A brat like you?”
“You’re not a knight guarding a noble. You’re just a washed-up adventurer’s bodyguard. If you don’t step aside, you’ll get hurt.”
As he reached for his sword, I delivered a soft bullet to his stomach. He doubled over, and I kicked him aside to clear the door. The remaining three knights approached, drawing their swords, so I took them down with a triple shot of bullets and opened the door.
“What the hell, brat? Don’t interfere! Get out!”
“Fiene, are you alright?”
Fiene looked tired, while Zagard appeared relieved.
“I am the master of this mansion, Viscount Fiene Hamawal’s guard. I have no business with scum like you who claim to be Count Nagaar Heizen! Take your foolish bodyguards and leave!”
The man, appearing to be around forty, wore disheveled clothing that lacked any semblance of dignity.
“Brat, your tongue is too sharp. I’ll teach you how to speak to a noble.”
As he reached for his sword again, I delivered another soft bullet to his stomach.
“Zagard, tie this guy and the others in the hall up!”
“Fiene, what are these guys doing?”
“They barged in claiming to propose marriage, ignoring Zagard and the others trying to stop them.”
“In that case, don’t hesitate to shoot a bullet into their stomach. Even if they’re a count or a marquis, you won’t be held accountable since you have His Majesty’s decree.”
Seeing Zagard struggling to tie them up, I decided to help him. The Marquis would be the one to rely on in times of trouble, so I sent Zagard to the Marquis’s mansion to fetch him.
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The Marquis and Hyalda arrived with their guards, exuding a roughness that seemed straight out of a painting.
“Is this the one who claimed to be Count Nagaar Heizen?”
“Do you know him?”
The Marquis tilted his head in confusion.
“You’ll regret the disrespect you’ve shown to me, a count!”
Oh dear, I slipped and accidentally kicked the guy’s nose. My bad—oopsie!
“Fiene, I never expected such lawlessness to occur in the noble district. I apologize for not prioritizing the selection of guards.”
“However, doesn’t this man seem unaware of His Majesty’s decree?”
“Count Nagaar Heizen, where is your territory? You wear such shabby clothing for someone claiming to be a count. Surely, you aren’t a fool trying to impersonate one?”
“I won’t forgive you! You have insulted my Heizen family!”
Oh dear, I slipped again. Oopsie!
“Father, Count Heizen’s territory is along the northern border, inhabited by a gaunt old man with nothing but sarcasm and pride.”
“Ah, that one… I didn’t recognize him since he’s such a forgettable little man.”
“How dare you! I won’t forgive you!”
Oops, the floor is quite slippery… I hope his nose is okay.
Since things weren’t progressing, I decided to ask the knights guarding the door. After a few kicks to get their attention, they finally spoke up.
Count Namura Heizen had passed away, and after the funeral, he had come to the Royal Capital to report the death of the head of the family and to inherit the title… Apparently, he had heard rumors about Viscount Fiene Hamawal at the hotel where he was staying. He had heard about the treasure chest overflowing with jewels and the thousands of gold coins received from His Majesty the King, and he had come here, brimming with confidence, thinking he could marry her.
In other words, he was just a worthless fool who hadn’t even inherited the title yet. When I relayed this to the Marquis, he became furious. After that, it was none of my concern.
He was literally trembling in fear upon realizing that the furious man was a Marquis. Moreover, he was desperately apologizing, having been informed that he had yet to inherit the title of Count, meaning he was nothing but a commoner in the eyes of nobility.
Well, with that ignorance, he wouldn’t know about His Majesty’s decree. It doesn’t matter, though; he must face punishment. No one would dare raise an objection if he were executed on the spot for his disrespect towards Fiene, the Viscountess. However, the Marquis would likely hand him over to Prime Minister Nagalan, ensuring he never inherits the title of Count.
If he were to be cast aside as just some old man, it would be worse than death, and the world outside would be unforgiving.
The guards were pale-faced as well, but in a world like this, simply being a bodyguard wouldn’t save them. Breaking into the Viscountess’s estate and committing such a grave offense would surely lead to a swift descent into slavery. This was the consequence of his arrogance, having acted like a big shot as the Count’s heir, and now he was left trembling in fear.
Both His Majesty the King and Prime Minister Nagalan must be having headaches dealing with such nobility, but even Fiene’s Healing Magic wouldn’t be able to mend this situation.