Volume 3 Chapter 12: An Audience, and then…

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Author: 夜州 (Yashu)

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While the knights and guards were gazing at the fortress-like walls, wondering just when it had appeared there, a hole opened in the fortress, and out came a single child.

The guards cautiously pointed their swords at him.

“Everyone, it’s Viscount Silford. Lower your swords.”

Dime immediately realized it was Cain, and told the guards to lower their swords. At those words, the guards relaxed and put away their swords.

“Viscount Cain, just what is going on with this fortress…”

Dime asked Cain while looking up at the fortress.

“All of this is the stronghold of the Dark guild, so I made it so they couldn’t escape,” said Cain, smiling, stunning the guards.

Just how powerful magic would one need to make such a fortress in a split second? The guards couldn’t even imagine it.

“And the criminals…?”

“I have, of course, captured the ringleaders and their client. As the rest of them can’t leave, you can just go and catch them all in order.”

“Understood. You lot, go catch the ones inside there.”

At Dime’s words, the knights and guards flowed inside the fortress through holes Cain had made for them in the wall.

Cain and Dime stood around, waiting for Darmeshia to come out.

“But still… that power really is something fit for an apostle-sama… oops, my bad. You just surprised me again, Sir Cain…”

Muttered Dime, looking up at the towering, fortress-like walls.

“Because His Majesty said ‘Catch them,’ I haven’t killed anyone. Some of them were a bit mentally challenged, but that shouldn’t be a problem any more.”

“But still, to have found the headquarters of the Dark guild that we couldn’t find no matter how hard we looked this easily…”

“That’s because I have excellent servants.”

Cain replied to Dime with a smile, making him shiver.

The guards dragged the captured and tied up people away. The members of the Dark guild muttered ‘Why is there suddenly a wall here…’ while being taken away.

And then, the leaders of the Dark guild and the Marinefordean captain were the last to be brought outside by the knights.

And behind them, a middle-aged man in a neat butler’s uniform, Darmeshia also exited the walls.

“Cain-sama, I have handed them over unharmed.”

“Darmeshia, thank you. With this, my reputation has been saved. Having you come to the royal capital was the correct choice.”

“Nono, this too, was done purely with your power, Cain-sama.”

Dime broke out in a cold sweat next to the two people smiling at each other.

(This butler is no ordinary person… but I have absolutely no idea what his true power is like either. Just what kind of people does Sir Cain have following him…)

As there were so many people they had captured, they wouldn’t all fit in the simple prisons on the carriages, so some members of the Dark guild were taken along behind them, still tied up.

It was still night-time, so Dime told Cain that the audience would be held the next day, and thus Cain returned to his mansion.

After talking to Dime for a bit, Darmeshia too, returned to Drintor.

Cain started his morning by getting ready to go to the royal castle. The noble’s clothes Silvia had given him had, unlike normal, borders made of golden thread, making the clothes flashier than what he usually wore.

“Can’t I just go in my usual clothes?”

Silvia shook her head, smiling.

“I guessed you would have an audience with the king today, so I prepared some formal wear for you.”

Silvia’s words reminded him of how the king and the people there would be angry at him, so Cain put on the formal wear.

When he arrived at the royal castle in his carriage, the lower-ranked nobles had already gathered in the audience room.

None of them knew why they had all been gathered together, and rumours started flying around while they were waiting for the higher-ranked nobles to arrive.

The higher-ranked nobles, starting with the counts, also started to arrive, until only the royal family was left.

Then, the band started playing the music that announced the entrance of the royal family, after which the king and Hinata made their appearances.

The king sat down on his throne, while Hinata sat down next to him in a chair prepared for her.

Once they were all done, Magna stepped forwards.

He cleared his throat, then began to explain.

“Last night, the headquarters of the Dark guild that has been infesting the royal capital were found, upon which tens of knights and guards performed a raid.”

At those words, voices of surprise could be heard coming from the lined up nobles. Then, rejoicing voices came from throughout the hall.

Although, not from all of them, of course. There were also people with guilty consciences.

Waiting for the voices to subside, Magna continued.

“The trigger for all of this was an attack on the Saint-sama yesterday when she and church-affiliated people were handing out food in the slums, putting the Saint-sama’s life in danger. However, she was healed, and, as you can see, she has made a complete recovery. And thus, the person who discovered the location of the Dark guild’s headquarters, as well as led the capture of its members… Viscount Silford, come forward.”

Surprised that he was suddenly called out, Cain still walked before the king, and, getting down on one knee, bowed his head.

Having confirmed Cain had bowed his head, Magna continued.

“Thanks to your speed in capturing the Dark guild, there was plenty of evidence left behind. Also, the fact that all knights and guards made it out unharmed is also worthy of praise. His Majesty will bestow a reward on you. Your Majesty, if you would…”

Having confirmed that Magna had stepped back, the king nodded and opened his mouth.

“Viscount Silford, good work in capturing the Dark guild, which could also be called the darkness of the royal capital. The Saint-dono making a complete recovery is also your achievement. Also, good work in having the precious knights and guards of this country not suffer any injuries. Viscount Cain von Silford Drintor, I will elevate you to the rank of Count. Continue governing the town of Drintor well.”

Cain’s eyes widened in surprise at hearing that he would become a count. He hadn’t heard anything about this before. But, he had no say in the matter.

Then, he took a deep breath and lowered his head once again.

“As Cain von Silford Drintor, I will continue to do my best for the Kingdom of Esfort, and I thank you for your generosity.”

At that, the nobles lined up in the hall really made a racket. Although viscounts were the highest-ranked lower-rank nobles, their influence and financial power were nothing compared to that of higher-ranked nobles. He was the head of a family, and now this ten-year old child had been conferred the title of Count, a higher-ranked noble. They could only be surprised.

The king gestured to the nobles to settle down, then started speaking.

“However, the Saint-dono was attacked when you were absent from your post as her guard. You were ordered by me to be her guard, and as such, your leaving your position will be punished. And as such, Count Silford, even though I was intending to exempt Drintor from having its taxes collected, come next year, you will have to pay the regulated amount of tax. That will be your punishment.”

The king had discussed this punishment with Magna in advance. They had thought that whatever punishment they gave to Cain, it wouldn’t be a big deal for him, so they had decided they would help the kingdom instead. If they had deprived Cain of his title, he would have happily become an adventurer, and likely even left the country. Also, there was no way they could leave him to his own devices when he was an Apostle. And thus, they had decided on enriching the nation’s coffers from the taxes of a town, which, when developed a little, might grow to, and past ten thousand inhabitants.

“Understood,” Cain replied, bowing his head deeply.

However, there were naturally also higher-ranked nobles who didn’t find it amusing at all that he had become a count.

Their most outspoken member was, of course, Marquis Corgino.

“Your Majesty, please wait! Why has he been elevated to a high-ranked noble when he should be punished? Moreover, he is only ten years old, and only governs over a small town of a few thousand people. I oppose his promotion. It is unbelievable that he would be named a higher-ranked noble!”

The people in Marquis Corgino’s faction raised their voices, saying ‘Indeed! That is strange!’.

At those words, the king frowned.

“Marquis Corgino, didn’t you know? Drintor is currently undergoing redevelopment, and has already reached ten thousand inhabitants. And Count Silford is not the only one who will be receiving punishment. You will be too. It has come to my attention that you summoned Count Silford for some trifling reason, for nothing, while he was guarding the Saint-dono on my orders. And during that time, the Saint-dono was attacked. It is only natural that you would also receive punishment. Marquis Corgino, as punishment, you will pay ten platinum coins to the country. So rethink your words.”

“B-but… U-understood…”

Ten platinum coins were equivalent to one-hundred-million yen(~911 015 $). It wasn’t an amount of money that could be paid so easily.

Marquis Corgino made a face as if he had swallowed something sour and lowered his head back to its original position.

The giving out of the rewards and punishments having finished, the nobles present thought that the audience would be over, but then Magna continued on.

“Then, we have one more announcement to make. Your Majesty, if you would.”

The king nodded at Magna’s words, and opened his mouth.

“I have another announcement to make. Count Cain von Silford Drintor, – – will be announcing his engagements with Third Princess Telestia, from the royal family, the eldest daughter of the Santana family, Lady Silk, and Honorary Viscount Tifana von Leebert.”

There was an outstanding amount of cheers at the king’s words. Everyone was surprised that the king had announced that the emerging head of a count family, even if he was only ten years old, would be marrying a member of the royal and a ducal family. Moreover, Tifana was said to be the strongest in the country, and the commander of the royal knights, so even more so.

Cain himself hadn’t been told of this either, so his eyes widened in surprise.

Marquis Corgino, who had been making a frustrated face, also widened his eyes in surprise, his mouth hanging open.

Duke Eric, who was also present, smiled as always.

“The official announcement of their engagements will be in twenty days.”

Saying that, the king closed his mouth again, and Magna stepped forward once more.

“With this, I close this audience. His Majesty and the Saint-sama will be taking their leave.”

The king nodded, and disappeared away with Hinata, who had not said a single word from beginning to end.

After that, the higher-ranked nobles left, still discussing what had just happened. It seemed like they had been really surprised.

Some of the nobles who had been aiming for Cain heaved bitter sighs.

They had wanted to marry their daughters off to him, but there was no way they could compete with members of the royal or ducal families.

Cain also left, but as he couldn’t just return to his mansion, he was shown to the usual reception room by a maid.

Waiting alone, he killed time drinking a cup of black tea.

Then, the king, Magna, Eric, and Garm entered the room.

The king sat down in the middle. He seemed to be happy at having finally announced Cain’s engagements.

“Now I’m relieved. Cain, you did well. I was constantly being bugged by Telestia about ‘When will you announce our engagement?’ too. Naturally she couldn’t become your wife unless you were a high-rank noble, so this came at just the right time.”

The king said, smiling and stroking his beard.

“Seeing as you announced it so suddenly, even I was surprised. I didn’t even hear about him being promoted either.”

Garm hadn’t heard of it either, so he was really surprised. However, he was smiling, as he was happy his son had gotten a promotion.

Then everything that would be happening from then on was explained to Cain, and he was eventually let go after an hour.

Feeling dead-tired mentally, Cain returned to his mansion in his carriage.

When he entered the mansion, Koran and the maids were all lined up inside. And, including the decoration dragon that was behind them, everyone looked at Cain.

“I’m home. I have something to talk about… I became a count during the audience today… And then, my engagements have been officially made public. The announcement party will be in twenty days. Everything will be quite hectic from now on, but please do your best.”

“““““Cain-sama, congratulations on your promotion to count”””””

His servants all bowed.

Thanking them, Cain went into his office.

Now, he was only with Koran and Silvia, who made black tea, which they then drank, taking a break.

“To think you would become a higher-rank noble so fast… as expected of Cain-sama.”

Koran was rejoicing as if it was something that had happened to himself, while Silvia had a huge smile on her face. Indeed, as a butler and steward, it was Koran’s duty to protect the mansion when Cain was away. When he had become Cain’s butler back when he had been a baron, he had been chosen to be his butler, beating out rivals in an open competition. And now, the head of the family he was serving had been promoted to a count, so he couldn’t help but be happy.

“I want you to slow down a little from now on though…”

Said Koran to Cain, who was slumped down in his chair.

“But first… we’ll have to deal with all of this…”

Koran looked at the two mountains of letters from nobles who had aspired to have Cain marry members of their families.

Cain too, looked at the mountains of letters, and lied down on his desk in despair.

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