Chapter 62 – 6. New Family (2)
Lemoen Citadel, entrance.
A man walked aloof from the gate in the direction of Havre. Dressed in his ceremonial attire like a stylish gentleman from society, he was a strong man whose strong body stood out even under the thick suit of his. The scars across his face were that of a very seasoned knight.
Romuald of Dior, who arrived at the checkpoint beyond the city gates with a flawless pace, faced Vincent, who had been dispatched from the center. He bowed his head in a rather respectful manner, not looking down on his youthful, slender appearance of his.
“Your Excellency the Court, I greet you from Romuald, the son of the Duke of Dior.”
“Well.”
The two finally met face-to-face in front of a carriage bearing the royal family’s coat of arms. Vincent asked, showing interest as if he was very interested in Rome recognizing me who he had just been commissioned. Originally, the title of count at the court of Gaul was an appointed position, a so-called one-of-a-kind nobility.
“Are you Romoald Dior, the favorite of the deceased Grand Duke Alexandre, the invincible knight who guarded Lumiere, the hero of Limousin, and the savior of Lemoen?”
He said, “He has taken too many honors beyond his minutes. I am just Your Majesty’s lowly sword.”
“Don’t overdo it. The main officer is Superintendent Vincent Renoir, acting as an agent under the orders of His Majesty Alphonse de Gaul, the great King of Gaul, who is lawful and solemn, whom the heavens look down on. Like you said, I am also the current courtier.”
Vincent looked around for a moment. The weather, still badly frozen, showed no sign of stopping even in the yard where a snowstorm raged. As for the capital, it wasn’t a very wise choice to expose myself to the outside for a long time in the north like this.
“There are many stories I want to share. But I’ll have to put off solving the hoepo until later. Since the days are cold, it seems like the first thing to do is to do the execution first.”
“What kind of executive are you talking about?”
“Listen first.”
He patted his chin and muttered, then opened the scroll he was holding in his hand. At the same time, he ordered the soldiers under him to stand in their designated positions, and immediately opened their mouths in a trial-like format.
“Romuald, the son of the Duke of Dior in Gaul, uphold this teaching!”
The identity of the scroll was Gyoji. In that place, which was the king’s order, there were written words of joy congratulating the knight who had made a lot of achievements and a list of items to be given as a reward.
“Your Majesty’s sword now responds to the call.”
Rom bent on one knee and bowed his head in front of Vincent. Even though it was simple, what was in front of me at this moment was no different from the monarch who had seized the hegemony of Gaul, so the courtier who represented the king soon read out a phrase that surprised everyone in the Marquis standing around him .
“The worst times or the best days. I commend Romuald Dior, a knight who has never stopped worrying ever since Jin’s subjects suffered from wars taking place in various parts of the continent, but proved his qualifications as his as a privileged class with ceaseless military exploits despite his inherent limitations.”
“I am ignorant.”
“You have won seventy-nine battles great and small, captured forty enemy generals, and defeated countless opponents. In the continental swordsmanship contest held in Lumiere, the capital, he won the championship with overwhelming skill, raising the honor of Gallia. Limousin, who had lost all its commanders and was about to be captured, was saved with only the might of his own. I saved Lemoang from the evil beast of the vice-count who dared to commit a dirty rebellion.”
Rom just shook his head without saying anything. Vincent continued reading the scroll. The contents written in the school paper were all discussing the incredible activity. Those who kept a little distance for the role of witnesses opened their mouths silently.
Seventy-nine victories at such a young age, he must have only been on the battlefield after becoming a knight.
‘It’s not a specter of war…’
Moreover, he captured forty enemy generals. It is said that commanders of small units can also be bossed, but it is not easy to capture such a number. What’s more, with only a single Pilma like him.
‘As I’ve heard, he’s a real monster.’
How about the continental swordsmanship contest held in Lumiere? In the competition held every year at a different place, no Gaul has ever won. The article of such disgrace achieved a splendid feat by sweeping the year held in the capital of its country.
‘If it wasn’t for his low birth, he would have been able to get the count’s position long ago.’
Lumiere’s invincible knight, Limousin’s hero, and Lemoyn’s savior!
‘Our driver must have been more amazing than I thought.’
All of Rome’s prestige was born that way.
“… With all respect, I hereby seal you as a baron by the right of the king based on the heavenly god.”
Vincent declared in a solemn voice. Others were horrified, even though they had been tipped off earlier that titles would be awarded. At most, it was thought that he would be sealed as a quasi-baronet in name only, but it was because the baronetship, which could exercise real power, was handed down.
‘Hmm, I didn’t expect this either.’
It was truly an unprecedented greeting. Because it was literally a reversal of status. Rom, who calmly organized the situation with a calm face, squirmed as he listened to Vincent’s words his.
“As the Baron of the Northern Territory, defend the border and find a new name to raise the family. Become the progenitor of the family name you chose yourself and build a family.”
The conference of a title was not a mere formality. If that was the case, there would be no reason to allow the extreme measure of branching out. It is shocking news that an illegitimate child born of a humble Cortijan becomes a nobleman, no matter how duke.
Moreover, being given the freedom to choose a surname as a new hereditary aristocrat is truly unprecedented and unprecedented.
“God Romuald, Your Majesty’s sword is in your hand.”
“Excellent. With this, you are a new baron in the northern part of the kingdom.”
Then Vincent, who had folded the scroll, signaled to his men. It meant getting ready to step inside. No matter how much time had passed, the cold that had become more severe than before had finally become life-threatening.
“It sounds like you have a lot to ask. As the weather is the weather, it would be better to discuss the details inside. If you don’t mind, ask for guidance.”
“Of course. Your wife will be waiting for you too.”
Rom was the lord. Only then did the knight who had finally bent his knees stand up again as a baron.
“Follow me.”
It was an unprecedented leap forward.
* * *
After entering the fort, the courtiers unpacked and warmed up in the hastily prepared room until evening. And thanks to that, Rom, who had some time to spare, gathered in Oriane’s office and started an emergency meeting.
“You said that Your Majesty sealed Sir Dior as a baron?”
“Yes, I was very surprised too.”
“You’re talking about hereditary baronetship, not appointment, right?”
“If you see that the branch family’s permission has gone, it will be like that. I thought I should listen to Antoine for details, so I called him here.”
There were all three attendees. One was Rome, newly sealed as a baron, two were Oriane, who took his place as the ruler of the Marquis, and the last three was Antoine, who had been called to find out the situation.
“Captain Antoine, how did the courtier come to accompany you?”
Oriane, who was sitting at her desk in a rather calm posture, asked. Antoine, who was exhausted from the rigorous schedule, answered the Marquis Marquis’ question with sincerity. As you can guess, the unexpected special promotion and the motivation derived from it seemed significant.
“Honestly, I don’t know much, so I can’t tell you much.”
“It’s okay. It would be a great help if you could just point out what you remember.”
“Yes, then…”
He took a slight breath, and opened his mouth.
“The court baek showed up the very next day after I delivered the letter to the knight’s home. He said that he had finished talking with his little brother, Prince Charles Dior, and gave him a few things to know before asking him to lead the way.”
“Wait a minute, who was it that got my letter before?”
This time Rom asked. He had been pondering the situation by Oriane’s side all along, and tilted his head as if he felt puzzled as he listened to Antoine’s answer to her.
“He was the butler, but…”
“Are you an old man with a long beard, a blunt personality and a monocle?”
“Ah, that’s right.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I know that he delivered the knight’s letter to Prince Charles Dior. In fact, he called me that evening, so I went and met him myself.”
The home of the Dior family, located in Lumiere, the capital of Gaul, boasts an enormous size even for its mansion alone. Not to mention the size of the building, including gardens and outbuildings, even Antoine, who took a party of about 10 people, might not have received much attention.
There are times when up to dozens of guests come and go to that house every day.
In the same context, I thought it would take quite a while for the letter to be delivered properly. A man named Charles was as arrogant as he was ambitious, and he was of a single character who had little to do with his subordinates.
“It’s strange.”
“What is it, Sir Dior?”
“The butler in my family is a person who values principles very much. He was really conservative, and when his father his was alive, he only followed his word his. And following the rule of deficit inheritance, you will be serving the first older brother who is carrying out that position, not the second older brother who is trying to take the position of head of household.”
Therefore, if it is indeed the butler who handed over the letter from Antoine, there is absolutely no confirmation that Charles will receive it right away. Nevertheless, the messenger here insisted that he had done his duty admirably, and that he had meticulously taken care of even the smallest request given to him.
“Ha, but I’m sure Prince Charles Dior even said that he received the letter well from me!”
“Calm down, Antoine.”
“I swear to heaven I am not lying… !”
“I know. And I’m not blaming you or suspecting you. I can only speculate on how things turned out that way. So, if you think of another singularity, please let me know. It is an important matter for the future of frozen land.”
Antoine, who complained of regret, soon shut his mouth and nodded. Then, not long after, he recalled the request he had received from someone and reported the work.
“Well, come to think of it, there are people I’ve met briefly besides Prince Charles Dior.”
“I wouldn’t be the first older brother.”
“Yes.”
“You mean the third brother? Haven’t you heard that you’ve returned to your home?”
“No, she was a very beautiful woman. Judging from the way the servants of the mansion treat her, I think she might be a hostess. The driver asked me a lot of questions about how I was doing, and after hearing about what had happened, he said this.”
“What do you mean?”
Antoine delivered his words without making a mistake.
‘Tell that child. Margaret says hello. It looks like you liked it, but I hope things go the way you want them to. There must be ways to help in many ways, so if you don’t mind, please don’t hesitate and tell me to accept it.”
Then, realizing how things had turned out, Rome burst into laughter. With Orianne hearing the name Antoine said, she asked if she wanted to be his old woman his.
“Do you know someone?”
“Yes.”
Rom responded promptly. Then she added with confidence.
“Marguerite Dior, my stepsister.”
This must be a picture drawn by a beautiful and kind woman.
