Chapter 92

Chapter 92
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## Chapter 92

The reason Dereck desired the title of Baron so urgently was so that he could devote himself entirely to his magic training without interference.

However, holding a noble title was not simply a matter of receiving it and calling it a day.

After all, since the Emperor had delegated the rights of jurisdiction and tax collection to him, it was a position that demanded, at the very least, responsibility toward the inhabitants of the territory. And for that, a basic level of authority was required, which, of course, was not free.

He had to resolve a series of problems and set things in motion so that everything functioned correctly before he could finally concentrate on his magic training.

“Oh, Baron. The construction will be finished once we install the nameplate. The furniture is from the Lorenhale carpentry workshop, so you can pay them directly. As for the garden, perhaps it would be better to hire a separate gardener.”

“Thank you for your work. Can I pay through the labor office?”

“Oh, please, there is no need for such formality. I do not hold a high enough status to merit the courtesy of a noble.”

The foreman, who had been giving instructions to the workers, made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

Upon hearing those words, everything finally felt real: Dereck was now officially a noble.

“Mmm…”

Dereck nodded as he contemplated the mansion, which looked relatively decent.

“It seems there is no one left in the tavern district who doesn’t know your name. That is to say, you were a commoner who practiced magic, managed to convince the nobles, and even secured a title; you have become a true hero among the common people.”

***

Even Drest Wolftail, known for mastering tracking magic, had to dedicate most of his life to obtaining a simple title of Baron.

Taking this into account, there was no need to explain how extraordinary Dereck’s case was.

Of course, Drest had a past tarnished by the destruction of a noble family, so his situation was quite different; even so, the result remained impressive.

***

Ebelstein, commercial district.

Bustling commoners filled the streets, working hard to earn a living.

Pheline, walking briskly behind Dereck as he made his way through the crowd, spoke with her arms crossed.

“Now you will be able to train your magic as much as you want—that magic you loved so much, even to the point of giving your life for it.”

“Did you see how the mansion renovation turned out, Pheline? It looked quite good. I’ve reserved a room for you, so if you want, you can stay.”

“Well… Ebelstein is too far to use as a base, but it’s fine to have a place to keep my things. I’ll check it out next time.”

After inspecting the Barony of Ravenclaw, Dereck had ridden all day to return to Ebelstein.

There were still preparations to be made for the move, but also many problems to solve before that.

“Having a mansion doesn’t make you a noble. You need servants and trusted staff to work there, and you’ll also have to deal with the local nobles and their territorialism; a lot awaits you, Dereck.”

“I already have my ideas clear. I don’t like dragging this out unnecessarily, so I need to resolve everything quickly.”

“And how do you plan to do it? Nobles always have trouble hiring staff… It’s not something that is resolved easily, is it?”

Dereck, with his arms crossed, reflected for a few seconds before responding as if dismissing an idea.

“True.”

Dereck, who always managed to find suitable solutions regardless of the situation, knew that this type of matter would not be resolved in one or two days.

Even he would have to rack his brains. Pheline thought this while she focused on preparing for the subjugation mission they had scheduled for the following day.

The next morning, Dereck sent a letter to the Duke of Rochester, who lived in the north.

In it, he confirmed having officially received the title of Baron and wrote formal words of gratitude for the trust placed in him.

He also mentioned that he was going to hire a butler to manage the mansion and recommended Delbriton, an assistant butler from the Rochester household.

From the beginning, Dereck had been granted the title of Baron so that he could look after Siern.

Given that Siern would frequently visit the Barony of Ravenclaw, it was likely that Melverot would want someone who knew her to occupy the position of head butler.

“My name is Delbriton. It is an honor to serve you, Baron Ravenclaw.”

“Yes.”

In this way, they secured a veteran butler who had worked for more than ten years on the Duke of Rochester’s estate.

Although it technically represented a downgrade in status, Delbriton showed no signs of dissatisfaction.

With a partially bald head and a serious countenance, he seemed quite indifferent to the idea of working in a place without prospects for promotion, in the middle of the snowy plains.

Even if it was a peripheral barony, he could manage it from start to finish, and its owner had the backing of several influential families.

Perhaps he thought that, in the long run, it would be better to settle there, as he immediately dressed in his butler’s uniform and presented himself to Dereck with impeccable punctuality.

“Not much staff is needed to manage the estate immediately. While the Barony of Ravenclaw might expand in the future, for now, we should hire only what is strictly necessary and establish a solid base.”

“How many employees do you estimate are needed?”

“A head cook, three servants for general tasks, a coachman and a gardener, and about three or four guards or squires would be more than enough to manage an estate of this size.”

Delbriton adjusted his gold monocle and spoke while looking at the newly renovated estate, still almost empty and sparsely furnished.

“The Duke of Rochester has provided funds for the purchase of household items and living expenses for the first year.”

“…We should send him some of the best wines from this year.”

“The Duke of Rochester would appreciate it, but I believe he would be even more pleased to see Lady Siern adapting well to noble society.”

Of course, knowing Melverot’s character, he was not the type to openly express his emotions, even when he was pleased.

Whether he was happy or angry, he was always in his office, with his chin resting on his hand, wearing that haughty expression as if he understood the entire world.

It was not hard to imagine that mage, still sitting like that in the middle of the snowy plains, looking out the window.

“I can take care of finding a cook. I know a chef from the southeast grain-producing region of Tupel who is currently available.”

“Is he trustworthy?”

“Yes. He is discreet and experienced. However, his salary is quite high.”

“Hire him. I will personally bring some maids or housekeepers. You handle recruiting squires or guards, but leave one or two positions vacant.”

Dereck was still dressed in his mercenary attire.

Although he was already a Baron, he had no intention of abandoning his work as a mercenary or as an instructor. He planned to leave for Ebelstein once he finished organizing the estate that same day.

He sat on a wooden chair placed in the empty foyer of the estate and tied his boots.

Delbriton, standing with his hands behind his back, listened silently to the instructions.

“Are you planning to bring someone in particular?”

“I will recruit some maids from noble families in Ebelstein. If I ask them, they will get some for me. And I plan to hire guards from among the local residents.”

Dereck had unusual experience in such matters.

Having met all kinds of people while working as a mercenary, he had a general idea of how to proceed when recruiting different types of people.

“The local forces in this region of Rodelen are mostly viticulturists or farmers from the outskirts. If you accept one or two of their family members as servants in your mansion, you will gain an advantageous position in future power negotiations. There is no bond stronger than blood.”

Dereck had no intention of using tax rights to amass a great fortune.

If he made reasonable concessions, it was evident that the residents would ally themselves with Dereck, a legitimate noble.

In the Rodelen region, there was a large town with about 300 inhabitants, a couple of smaller villages with around fifty each, and the rest were isolated and scattered farms.

There was no need to engage in unnecessary power struggles to recruit just over 500 inhabitants. Dereck planned to fully respect the authority of the local population.

After straightening his clothes, he finally unsheathed his sword and began cleaning it with a cloth.

“I have sent some gifts and letters to the Belmierd and Beltus families. I asked them to recommend any available servants or squires.”

“…”

Delbriton felt a slight dissonance hearing Dereck mention the Belmierd and Beltus families so naturally.

Even in Ebelstein, those were some of the most prestigious families, and yet Dereck could contact them personally for everyday matters like hiring servants.

For Dereck, who already communicated with Ellen and Denise without problems, it was nothing special.

‘I had heard that he had the support of many influential families, but seeing it firsthand is truly extraordinary.’

Delbriton thought this to himself.

Dereck had just become a Baron, with scant real power, and he, newly appointed, was his only vassal. For someone with experience, becoming a vassal to a noble of such little importance was something normally to be avoided.

But Delbriton knew it instantly: it was an opportunity.

Dereck was not someone who would limit himself to managing a vineyard in some remote barony.

Whether because of his magic level or the magnitude of the families watching him, everything pointed to the fact that, sooner or later, he would develop a currently unimaginable power.

To be the first vassal of someone like that… anyone with a minimum of vision would know it was an invaluable opportunity.

“I will fulfill your orders.”

He polished his gleaming monocle with a cloth, made a respectful bow, and proceeded to follow Dereck’s instructions.

***

‘W-What…? How is it possible that everything has moved so fast…?!’

Diella, who had just arrived at the Barony of Ravenclaw, was stunned.

After her complete defeat in the war of nerves against Pheline, Diella spent her days with a haggard expression, until, fifteen days later, she finally decided to go to the Barony of Ravenclaw to see how Dereck was doing.

In fact, from the perspective of the Duplain family, visiting a remote barony was nothing unusual.

It didn’t take long to organize the trip, but once there, everything became more real: Dereck had become a noble.

“…It has been less than a month since he received his title, and he already has everything organized in the mansion. Well, I suppose Dereck learned how a noble house works while working as an instructor…”

Aiselin, sitting opposite her in the carriage, contemplated Dereck’s mansion with a look of amazement.

In reality, the mansion itself was so modest that it bordered on humble compared to those of influential families.

However, the servants waiting for the Duplain ladies in front of the main gate were already fully attentive.

“I am Delbriton, head butler of the Barony of Ravenclaw. It is a great honor to personally receive the ladies of the Duplain family.”

The old man acting as butler stepped forward and greeted them with an impeccable bow, followed by the rest of the staff, who also bowed their heads.

Although they hadn’t been working there long, their behavior was precise and disciplined, which spoke volumes about the capabilities of the head butler.

“I apologize for the sudden visit.”

No matter how much the Duplain family had declined, the news that their young ladies were personally visiting a remote barony was like a bolt from the blue.

Diella had insisted on going to the Barony of Ravenclaw, and Aiselin had reluctantly agreed, but even so, the servants must have made a considerable effort to prepare the reception.

“There is no problem. Although our staff is small, we have become quite skilled at attending to distinguished guests. There is nothing to worry about.”

“Oh, really? I heard the Barony of Ravenclaw has only been running for half a month… Did you have time to prepare for visitors?”

“Yes. We have already had several distinguished visits.”

Delbriton responded with a slight bow and adjusted his monocle.

“Miss Ellen, from the house of Count Belmierd, visited us last week with a gift, and Miss Denise, from the Duchy of Beltus, also came once.”

“…”

“Miss Siern, from the ducal house of Rochester, visits us whenever she can, as she spends a lot of time here receiving magic lessons.”

Diella shot an incredulous look at the servants, analyzing their expressions.

Now she understood why the employees of such a remote barony moved with such efficiency.

Despite being a marginal territory, treated like an exile, noble ladies of renown visited it whenever they could. There was no room for mediocrity.

In Ebelstein’s social circles, lower-ranking nobles would do anything to get even a single visit from the children of influential families.

Seeing those people visit the place so naturally, the nobles of the Hall of Roses were probably already beginning to feel an inferiority complex.

“Do other young ladies also learn magic here?”

“Well, the Baron focuses on teaching Miss Siern, so he does not present himself as the official tutor for any family. However, I understand he helps with the basic use of magic and organizes the rank system.”

It seemed that Denise and Ellen visited the place with the intention of taking Dereck with them whenever they could.

One way or another, competent magic instructors were always in short supply.

The Duplain sisters arrived late because family matters kept them very busy.

‘At this rate, this looks more like a magic academy than a noble mansion.’

That strange thought crossed her mind, though she wasn’t sure if Dereck thought the same.

“Even so, the Baron has received considerable support from influential families, so he tries to help in everything related to magic. If you wish, it wouldn’t hurt to consult him.”

“Oh, really? Where is Dereck now?”

Delbriton cleared his throat softly before responding promptly.

“He is teaching magic to Miss Siern.”

From any point of view, that was nothing other than a private magic academy.

Aiselin and Diella couldn’t help but feel a mixture of emotions, but before passing any judgment, they needed to see Dereck’s face with their own eyes.