NOVEL NEXT ‘Tale?’
‘Wasn’t he a commoner?’
The nobles all frowned.
And Deni Von Rinse also had a strange facial expression.
Simon realized that and quickly opened his mouth.
“As the 1st prince of Rinse Kingdom and the owner of the Regate Dagger, I was grateful to Roan and his merits and performances, so with that meaning, I gave him the title of baron.”
“Ah!”
Deni III let out a low cry of exclamation.
He was kind of flustered.
‘I wanted to give him the title of baron as the reward, what do I do?’
However, he cleared his throat and returned to his original demeanor.
This was because of the gazes of several of the nobles.
“Mm.”
The nobles were in silence with complicated expressions on their faces.
‘A commoner troop commander became a baron in one go?’
This was unprecedented.
There were cases where a commoner knight or a baronet became a baron after several years.
But they didn’t become a baron right from the start.
‘It’s an exceptional greeting.’
‘Did he really like him that much?’
Well, looking at it from another perspective, Roan’s merits were indeed amazing.
Because it was to the point where all of the nobles wanted to meet him at least once.
On top of that, it was also their first time seeing someone like Roan.
Geniuses that led the kingdom were mostly graduates from an academy.
And even most of the grand merchants came up from regional academies.
Cases like Roan, who had accumulated enough merits to become a baron despite not having studied at all, were really scare–especially considering how young he was.
But even so, it was a clear thing even if it was difficult for them to admit it.
“Right. Right. If there were this many merits, it’s worthy of doing so.”
The eyes of the king moved towards Roan.
“Baron Roan Tale. The merits you have raised until now were really amazing.”
Roan bowed at the compliment.
“I just did my best as a citizen of the kingdom.”
It was a composed but solid voice.
Deni III looked at that Roan.
‘Ahem. As he had already received the title of baron I should give him something else…….’
It was something he hadn’t expected.
His eyes kept moving towards the place where the dukes were seated.
‘Ugh. I don’t know.’
Deni III had half given up.
“As you have raised the greatest merits in this subjugation, I should give you a reward suitable of that.”
The merit reward started.
Roan bowed and didn’t show any reactions.
Deni III looked at Simon.
“Did you also give him a territory?”
Right after he finished speaking, Simon nodded.
“Yes. Fortunately, Count Io Lancephil gave him the southern part of his region including the region of Tale.”
“Oh! Count Lancephil. You made a hard decision.”
The sight of Deni III moved towards Io.
‘He even gave him territory? This is really troublesome.’
His emotions felt really complicated.
Io didn’t know how Deni III felt and smiled brightly and bowed.
“I was also able to keep my life because of Baron Tale. I just wanted to pay him back.”
“Right. Even so, you’ve made an amazing decision.”
Deni III laughed awkwardly and nodded.
He touched his chin and fell towards his thoughts.
“Then, we are finished with territory…..”
Even if he wanted to proceed with the merit awarding ceremony, he couldn’t think of anything.
Deni III tilted his head and said.
“First, I will give him a reward befitting the hero of the subjugation and exempt the region of Tale from taxes for five years.”
Those were the only things he could think of.
“Mmm.”
The nobles had surprised expressions on their faces.
But even so, they weren’t in a position to stand up and oppose it.
They had obviously expected the reward, and the exemption had happened quite a few times.
But on the other hand, five years was a really long time even when compared to other things.
‘He saved the life of the prince and the count……’
The nobles forced a smile on their faces and applauded Deni III.
However, it seemed like Deni wasn’t planning to end it like this.
He was thinking that it wasn’t enough.
“This much is lacking……Mm.”
Then, Simon, who was looking at the situation, put on a faint smile.
“Your majesty. A bigger reward is impossible even when I look at it. Instead, how about giving him the right to a privilege?”
“A privilege right?”
Deni III asked back with a surprised expression.
And that was also the same for the other nobles.
‘A privilege right……’
‘When was the last time a the right to a privilege was given……..’
It had been such a long time that they couldn’t even remember.
Because of that, everyone had completely forgotten about privilege rights.
“Yes. You should give Baron Tale the rights to a privilege to use it when he has a request, some advice, or a favor to ask.”
“Mmm. The rights to a privilege…………”
The privilege rights were something that existed only in the royal palace.
It was a document given in the name of the king, but the one who had this had to request something which the dukes weren’t opposed to.
In this case, the king had the task and responsibility to listen to the request of the owner.
It may look like a really powerful privilege, but it was actually merely a piece of paper.
‘First, it has to be a request that doesn’t harm the royal palace and even after passing that, it has to get the approval of more than half of the dukes.’
It wasn’t an easy thing to accomplish.
Because mutual understanding was a part of it, you couldn’t request for something grandiose with a privilege right in itself.
All you could do was recommend a genius or ask for forgiveness for a sin.
Even so, the reason Simon brought it to the king.
‘Roan wanted it.’
The reason Simon brought up of the privilege right, which everyone had forgotten about, was because Roan had requested for it.
He had asked him what he wanted from the merit awarding ceremony while coming to the capital of Miller.
‘If he wanted a territory, I would have given it to him even if it was unreasonable….’
However Roan suddenly brought up the privilege rights.
Simon hesitated because it was a document without any meaning, but he followed through with Roan’s will.
‘If it’s Roan, something will be different…….’
He thought of that.
Meanwhile, Deni III, who had fallen into his thoughts, smacked the left armrest of his chair.
Tang!
“Fine! I will give the rights to a privilege to Roan!”
“Thank you, your majesty.”
Simon immediately bowed.
It was to stop the other nobles from butting in.
“Huh?”
“Mm.”
The nobles couldn’t do anything and just glanced at the dukes.
The dukes pondered for a moment but then shook their hands.
‘Even if he tries to do something with it, if we oppose it, it’s the end.’
‘It’s a useless piece of paper.’
There was no need to stand up and gain the enmity of Deni III.
At the reaction of the dukes, the other nobles laughed awkwardly.
Soon, with the order of Deni III, the privilege right was copied.
“Baron Roan Tale. I will be giving you the rights to a privilege for the merits you have accumulated until now.”
At those words, Roan carefully stood up and walked in front of Deni III.
A white piece of paper that was difficult to see, shined brightly.
Roan carefully took it and stepped back.
‘So this is the privilege right…….’
It was something he had heard rumors of in his past life.
There were several reasons why he wanted this.
‘Other’s won’t have anywhere to use this, but I’m different.’
He thought about several large cases and accidents.
‘It’s good if I ask to enter the old library of the kingdom, or visit Habok Prison that’s near the Grain Mountains, or it’s also good to ask for a field trip to the academy.’
For others it would seem useless, but these were all places that held amazing secrets and futures.
However, Roan was discrete.
‘The old library, Habok Prison, the academy, and the other places…… I may be able to enter these places without the privilege right if I work harder.’
He wanted to use the privilege right for the bigger picture.
‘For example……’
His eyes trembled.
‘Tell them to give me the ownerless Poskein Lake……’
A smile appeared on his face.
“Now, next comes Tommy’s and Kallum’s merit awarding ceremony?”
At Deni III words, Tommy and Kallum stood up.
A reward and a villa close to the Mass River was given to the two people.
When comparing it to Simon, it was an unparalleled difference.
After that, the merit awarding ceremonies of the other nobles took place.
After half a day had passed, it had finally ended.
“Then, lastly………”
Deni III looked towards Simon, Tommy, and Kallum and smiled.
“Shall we settle who will be the owner of Grain, just like we had discussed before the subjugation?”
The Grain Great Plains.
The territory to be acquired by the crowned prince of Rinse Kingdom.
It meant that it was a symbol of who would become king.
Simon, Tommy, and Kallum obviously had nervous facial expressions as did several nobles and they all looked towards Deni III.
Deni III put on a weird expression and then shook his head.
“The three people had all raised incredible merits, so I can’t decide on a specific person.”
“Ah…..”
Several cries of exclamation flowed out from everywhere.
Some were covered with dense regret and some with relief.
Simon, who had a faint smile all the time, had his face contort in an instant.
‘Does he mean that it’s not enough with this?!’
It was a feeling that his efforts were being ignored.
At that moment, his heart trembled.
His brown eyes repeatedly turned black several times in a row.
Then, the voice of Deni III was heard.
“But it’s true that Simon is at the front. If time continues like this, Simon will climb to the throne. Hohoho.”
He laughed and looked at Simon.
Only then did Simon calm himself down and bowed.
“I will work harder, your majesty.”
He blamed himself for his hasty behavior.
‘How could you not endure a little dissatisfaction?!’
He felt anxious.
He felt that if he stayed like this, it would really turn bad.
‘My grandfather has to get the new medicine quickly……..’
Simon looked at Duke Bradley Webster with anxious eyes.
Bradley was just smiling brightly and nodding without knowing how Simon was feeling.
“Well! Like this, the boring merit awarding ceremony has ended. Tomorrow we are going to celebrate the victory of the subjugation and host a party. No one is to miss it and everyone is to attend it. Hohoho.”
Deni III laughed in a really joyful voice.
‘It finally finished. Finally! I did well, right?’
His eyes kept going to where the dukes were seated.
“Yes. We will certainly attend, your majesty.”
The nobles all stood up and bowed.
Deni III shook his hand lightly and left the room.
“Whew.”
Several deep sighs came out from everywhere.
At the same time, the nobles that had connections with each other gathered up and talked about the merit awarding ceremony.
Roan neatly folded up the rights to his privilege and then looked up towards the ceiling.
‘Did I just finish one thing now.’
There was a pile of things that he had to finish before leaving the capital of Miller.
‘I will have to move around busily.’
A celebration party was unexpectedly added to that.
One worry passed by his head.
‘When I go to the party……’
His expression slightly changed.
‘What do I wear?’
Roan only had his armor and fighting clothes.
******
‘I can’t get a grip on myself.’
Roan was half astounded because he had to face the nobles that were coming and leaving the room.
Even if he had lived two lives, he didn’t know about a noble’s mannerisms or their world, so because of that, his actions and words were poor.
Especially the mockery and ridicule by the nobles supporting Tommy and Kallum, it really was a displeasing experience.
‘Just wait. I will become someone whom you won’t be able to act as you please.’
He was confident to be able to do so.
He was overflowing with confidence after receiving the title of baron.
‘But anyways, where was the Airin Clothes Store?’
Roan moved busily and checked around him.
He was now trying to find a clothes store to shop at for the party.
These were the words that Simon said to Roan, who was pondering in what to wear for the party.
Roan went to Sears Street, where all the high class stores were located at, after he finished up with the party with the nobles.
However it wasn’t easy to find the Airin Clothes Store amongst the countless stores and crowds.
His feet moved aorund dizzily.
Then.
“It’s been a while. No, I can’t talk informally now.”
A familiar voice spoke out.
Roan turned his head to find the owner of the voice.
“Ah…..”
At that moment, a low sound exclamation came out.
It was a boy looking at him while he was leaning on the wall of a store.
It was obvious that the boy was the son of a noble family just at first glance because of his white skin, well trimmed brown hair, and luxurious clothes.
Roan had met this boy once before.
He put on a faint smile and moved next to the boy.
And at the same time, he extended his right hand with a pleased smile on his face.
“It’s been a while. Sir Ian Phillips.”
******
A luxurious office.
The walls decorated with gold and jewels looked overly luxurious.
“Whew. The merit awarding ceremony was really boring.”
The owner of the voice was none other than Deni Von Rinse.
He leaned his body into a comfortable leather chair and shook his head.
“This much is enough, right?”
It was a different look than what he showed in the previous room.
He was excessively light, so you couldn’t even find a trace of pressure from him.
“Yes. You have done well.”
A heavy and gravelly voice was heard.
Deni III loosened his tight clothes and then said.
“But must I act like this?”
“It’s all for the royal palace of Rinse.”
The solemn voice was heard once again.
The owner of the voice was an old man.
Surprisingly enough, he was one of the four dukes of Rinse kingdom, Francis Wilson.
He, who was the only one that didn’t have a maternal relative, didn’t support any of the three princes and was known to be neutral.
Because of that, he was friends with the three other dukes.
And he was alone with Deni III in this room.
Deni looked at Francis and frowned.
“Francis. When Simon came up with the plan to subjugate the lake, I agreed as you had suggested and promised the throne to the three princes. And the one that raised the greatest merits among the three was Simon. Can’t I just give the territory of Grain to Simon? Then, the competition for the throne will disappear.”
“You can’t yet.”
Francis shook his head.
“What about Tommy? His grandfather is Duke Edwin Voisa. The strongest person in the kingdom. How about giving the plains to Tommy?”
At the questions that were pouring out, Francis replied as if he was whispering.
“Your majesty. You can’t give it to anyone yet. The moment you decide on one prince, the royal palace will end up splitting into three parts. That’s because the three princes still have solid forces. And……”
His words dimmed.
‘I still don’t know if they are suitable for the throne.’
But he didn’t say those words and just swallowed them.
“Anyways, now is the time to gain some balance. Endure it for a little bit more.”
At Francis’s words, Deni III let out a long sigh.
“Whew! Is raising the palace and hunting at the same time that difficult? I can’t even do that as I please. Tch.”
He clicked his tongue and stood up.
The loosened clothes naturally fell.
“Francis. Do you know how difficult it is to memorize everything you tell me? Whew.”
Deni III was annoyed at having to act in front of the nobles.
Francis looked at that and let out a short sigh.
‘Whew. The late king is taking care of his majesty because of his fame but……..’
It was now reaching a limit.
Deni III became less interested in forces as time passed by.
The moments where he had to act had increased as time passed by.
Francis closed his eyes.
‘Simon Rinse, Tommy Rinse, Kallum Rinse. Who will be the real king among them.’
It was troublesome for someone like Deni III to become king again.
‘Then, it’s the end of the royal palace.’
They were barely holding on because of the three dukes keeping the others in check.
Francis felt bitter.
‘If there was someone to break this stifling situation, how good would that be.’
A corner of his heart felt sour.