Ch.5151. The County of Lyon (3)

In a world where all supernatural phenomena are being explained, the reason for the establishment of the ‘nobility’ as a privileged class is, naturally, because they are stronger than other humans.

As far as I know, the nobility began as a warrior class. After humans who awakened their Aura protected those who couldn’t from external threats, this eventually evolved into the feudal contract that defines today’s Frankish Kingdom society.

The lord (knight) has the duty to protect and defend their subjects (serfs) from threats to their lives, and in return, they gain the authority to rightfully govern these subjects through this ‘contract.’

Therefore, in this world, what guarantees a noble’s authority and power is none other than strength.

In the feudal contract sworn in God’s name, it is specified that a ruler must be someone who has reached at least the intermediate level.

In other words, regardless of any excuse, to hold the status of ‘nobility,’ one must possess at least intermediate-level combat ability, and this applies even to children of nobles.

The only exception is the non-inheritable quasi-noble title granted to the spouse of a formal noble.

Anyway, for these reasons, in this world, a noble’s child is not guaranteed to become a noble. To become a noble, one must reach the intermediate level to prove their ability, and failing to do so means they won’t receive noble treatment.

…Of course, if one diligently trains from birth, they can usually at least barely reach the intermediate level before their predecessor dies, so in practice, family lines rarely get cut off.

Meanwhile, the futures awaiting noble descendants who fail to inherit titles are as follows:

If they somehow reach the intermediate level but don’t inherit a title.

They might inherit a moderately sized estate and become vassals, or some might be knighted and become wandering knights to pursue their own goals.

But if they absolutely cannot reach the intermediate level.

Unlike others, these individuals, with their cultivated refinement and high education as noble-born, often take middle management positions that are considered premium jobs regardless of the era.

The most typical examples are administrative officials or mid-level commanders of domain forces. Many also use their family connections and decent capital to establish trading companies or join existing ones.

And naturally, not all noble children live such honest lives.

From those who make strange investments and get scammed, to idiots who don’t even realize they’re no longer nobles.

Above all, it’s inevitable that a high proportion squander their inheritance on pleasure…

‘What should I do with these bastards…’

“My… my resi… residence… residence…”

“Ugghhh…”

“It hurts… it hurts… it hurts…”

I was looking down with genuine contempt at these idiots who had picked a fight with me, someone with a silver-grade adventurer registration hanging at my waist.

To knock down this self-proclaimed count’s third son and his seven thug adventurers, I didn’t need magic or even a staff.

Bare fists, and just a few strikes with one hand, were enough to lay this gang flat.

‘…Tsk.’

And I made no attempt to hide my contempt as I kicked these pathetic adventurers with my leg.

I naturally didn’t consider the consequences.

No, from the beginning, since I had justification on my side, they were the ones who should be worried about consequences.

According to the strict laws of the Frankish Kingdom, my current position as “Heir to the Manager of Aleinos Forest” is considered equal to the formal heir of a noble with a domain.

In other words, according to the kingdom’s laws, I too am protected by various legal protections as a noble and can exercise privileges, while this guy, apart from his father being a count, is legally just a commoner.

While connections might matter to ordinary people who might be impressed by the title “third son of a lord,” I, as a formal noble, have absolutely no reason to bow to that fellow.

Moreover, though I’m embarrassed to say it directly, my mother is… a truly influential figure.

With authority even higher than the count who leads the noble faction (anti-royalist faction), and with justification on my side, I have nothing to fear.

The justification of insulting my honor is valid enough even in modern times that there exists a crime called “defamation.”

So in this era where the value of non-material things like honor is even stronger, I could literally challenge him to a duel and kill him with justification on my side.

That’s why I was leaving without worrying about the aftermath… when suddenly a thought occurred to me.

Thinking about it carefully, what those fools had done seemed quite strange.

Why would someone like a count, who surely understands how the world works, allow his third son to run wild like this?

If the count were truly cold and calculating, he wouldn’t just stand by watching his third son destroy his reputation daily and disrupt the succession structure.

Like the cold nobles of this world, he would at least send him to a monastery or the frontlines to be naturally weeded out, or worse, the son might “accidentally” end up dead.

Even if the baron were a person overflowing with affection for his family, this is strange.

If he were a ruler capable of managing his county normally, wouldn’t he at least try to control or protect his wayward third son?

Just as overprotective parents from my previous life rarely let their children go astray, simply leaving him unchecked seems illogical.

It’s as if he’s not choosing not to intervene, but rather cannot interfere for some reason…

‘…Ah, I need to go.’

Of course, such thoughts were only momentary.

Believing it would be a defeat to waste energy on such a pathetic group when I had business to attend to, I arrived at the Alchemist Guild where I could obtain alchemical solution, erasing them from my memory.

‘Let’s see… alchemical solution…’

There was absolutely no value in allocating memory space to third-rate thugs.

※ ※ ※

“That, damn barbarian bastard!!”

-BANG!!

In a back alley of Lyon County, on a remote street in a city with a dead commercial district.

“M-Master… please calm down…”

“───Shut up!!!”

In this street that had a strangely unpleasant atmosphere—not quite a slum or poor district but avoided by the lord’s castle residents—the count’s third son began venting his frustration about this morning’s humiliation on his subordinates.

“Do I look easy to you because I hang out with lowly creatures like you? Huh?”

”'”…That son of a bitch.””’

Though the gang that gathered for the third son’s money and background cursed him inwardly, no one here dared to challenge their backer and financier.

“You…!! You lowly creatures, do you think anything will be resolved if you just keep your mouths shut?!! Do you think I’m funding you for this?!! You pieces of shit!!”

The identity of these adventurers who called themselves the third son’s subordinates was a gang of smugglers who also worked as adventurers.

They mainly engaged in power-affiliated crimes such as smuggling illegal alcohol or drugs using their connections, or laundering stolen goods in cooperation with local collaborators.

Naturally, this clearly illegal “business” was conducted based on the power of an authority figure (the third son) and underworld figures…

“Damn it! Nothing’s going right these days!!”

Unfortunately, as the underworld figure’s “business” deteriorated, his own “business” also began to decline daily.

The third son, in his agitated state, was determined to punish the “arrogant barbarian” who had triggered his sensitive nerves.

“…Do you understand?”

“B-But young master… that man is a silver-grade adventurer. He’s intermediate level!”

However, his subordinates, former adventurers themselves, had no intention of following the third son’s seemingly insane order to attack an intermediate-level adventurer.

Unlike the third son who was hysterically sharpening his knife of revenge, they knew their limits well.

Knowing the power possessed by someone who had reached the intermediate level in any field, they instinctively felt reluctant.

The incident they caused previously had only happened because they lost their reason due to extreme intoxication.

“Shut up?!! Do you think I don’t know that?!!”

Of course, the third son, as a member of a noble family, knew very well that an intermediate level could not be easily confronted except by another intermediate…

And that’s why he desperately wanted to restore his wounded pride, even if it meant going to extremes.

“Call our partner—the Blood Sucker! If we offer him a share of the business, he’ll move!”

To the extent of proposing a separate deal to the Blood Sucker, his partner and an underworld figure.