Chapter 176: The Request of Baroness Crowley

Chapter 176: The Request of Baroness Crowley



After some contemplation, Rain initially leaned towards the third option—becoming the Governor and Sheriff of Fishing Harbor Town.

The reason was simple: there would be ample combat opportunities, allowing him to gain significant growth through battles.

Rain's hesitation stemmed from his lack of knowledge about the strength of the enemies in Fishing Harbor Town.

As for why the appointment was primarily as Governor and secondarily as Sheriff, Hamilton had mentioned this during their previous conversation.

Generally, in an imperial town, the Sheriff was usually a Knight, and occasionally, a Quasi-Knight or a Baronet, like Hamilton, could take on this role.

However, it was quite rare for a Baronet to serve as a Sheriff.

If a Baron were to be appointed as a Sheriff, it would imply a clear demotion.

The Noble Residence District was also divided by rank.

This made her hesitate for a moment; firstly, Rain was too young, and secondly, there was her daughter Jenny. So, when Rain went to visit Baron Harris, she explicitly mentioned to her daughter Jenny about Rain's importance to the Crowley family and the actions she might take. But to her surprise, she received Jenny's strong support.

Baron Habsburg's butler, Henrik, was actually a noble with the title of Lord.

Moving inwards, one would find the residences of Barons, which were more numerous in the County City. These were considered the backbone, and their numbers were significantly fewer than those of Knights and Lords.

For instance, the typical example was the recent plunder of Bordeaux Vintage.

At this moment, inside the room, there were only two people: Rain and Baroness Crowley.

"Thank you, Madam," Rain said, raising his cup and taking a sip.

Further in, one would find the residences of Viscounts, which numbered only five or six. The small wooden houses had larger and more luxurious villa-like designs.

Rain couldn't help but feel delighted that he now had a private training ground of his own.

"Now I understand why Baron Rain, despite your young age, has such formidable strength. Aside from your exceptional Knight talent, your hard work is also beyond what ordinary people can achieve," she said.

"That's all. If Baron Rain has any further questions, you can come to me at any time," Butler Henrik said.

The lady felt increasingly that there seemed to be a hidden hand in Master County, manipulating certain people and forces, intending to gradually erode the Crowley family.

Although only Rain, Baroness Crowley, and Jenny were dining, the meal was extremely sumptuous.

As for the stable, it was quite necessary for Rain, especially since he was feeding his black horse with the mutated growth elixir.

Additionally, the 1% annual income from Elim Mine, which seemed insignificant, amounted to nearly a thousand imperial gold coins.

If they knew that Baron Harris wanted to understand Rain's situation, no one would dare to not report honestly.

Once they encountered strong winds and waves, the ship would be in danger of capsizing.

"After all, the security in the County City is relatively better, so I'll feel more at ease."

On the outermost part were the residences of Knights and Lords, which some upper-class nobles didn't consider as true nobles. Although their numbers were the largest, their mansions occupied the smallest area in the County City, where land was scarce.

Rain followed the lady upstairs to the second floor of the villa.

For example, Count Habsburg's fiefdom included the northern area of Habsburg and Shangjin Town, reportedly reaching the limit for a Count.

In the very center, like the moon surrounded by stars, stood the grandest, largest, and most luxurious mansion—Count Habsburg's Manor, the very land Rain was standing on at this moment.

"Yes, indeed, Madam. In a way, Miss Klaya has been a guide on my path as a Knight," Rain said frankly.

On the clean training ground, Rain enthusiastically drew his faintly glowing greatsword and spontaneously performed a set of Great Bear Sword Technique.

But soon, the lady realized that despite her capabilities in business and family management, in this world where strength was paramount, the Crowley family, without its core combat power, was like a sailing ship without a mast.

"Hmm, go to Rossby County and study under a Swordmaster for about a month," she said.

The current position of the other party as the Crowley family's Guardian Knight was far from enough!

The group soon arrived at the Baron's mansion that Rain had chosen and began their tour.

"Baron Rain, these are the available mansions. You can choose freely," Butler Henrik said, pointing to the three small wooden houses with white tags on top."

The lady, aware of Rain's extraordinary status as a Knight and his unusual appetite, specially arranged for the kitchen to prepare two types of expensive mutated beast meat.

However, when she saw the goods returned this morning, she instantly felt that this young man, who was around the same age as her, had a tall and robust physique like a sturdy shield, capable of protecting her and the Crowley family's future.

"Ding-a-ling!"

"A clean cut!"

The Empire has strict area exchange limits for all levels of noble fiefs within its territory. In other words, assuming the Empire's county is under the jurisdiction of a count, the maximum limit is one thousand hectares of land.

Among the Barons, Rain's gaze slowly swept across, and soon he spotted a mansion marked with the Crowley family crest. Not far from it, about three mansions away, there was a white-labeled, temporarily vacant Baron's mansion.

At this moment, the beautiful woman was also quite nervous about what she was about to do.

However, if he were to choose to take up the position in Fishing Harbor Town, it would mean that he couldn't set off for the Golden Coast in the short term.

"Of course, as long as you like it, Baron."

His goal was clear: to obtain resources more conveniently by advancing in his position within the Empire or, in other words, by elevating his noble rank.

The Earl of Harris shook the bell on the table.

"Yes, little William of the Stand family has also passed the Enfeoffment Examination. The Empire hasn't officially announced it yet, but little William has already held a banquet at home, and it's been going on for three days now," Jenny said disdainfully.

This left Rain speechless; he was as innocent as could be.

Once a count's fiefdom reaches its limit, they can no longer exchange land through merit.

To obtain a fiefdom, one must exchange it for the corresponding merit points. The Empire's purpose in doing this is to encourage the noble class to continue serving it.

"Thank you, Lord Henrik."

"Whirlwind Slash!"

Immediately, Rain followed Baroness Crowley and Jenny into the Crowley family's banquet hall, which was also their dining room.

Everything that needed repairing had been repaired, and when Rain touched the wooden handrail, he found it as smooth as new.

"By the way, Baron Rain, do you need to go and inspect your mansion now? If there are any issues, I can help you with the exchange," Jenny said.

It was perfect timing, as Baroness Crowley and Jenny were probably still waiting for him in the carriage. Asking them to help him with this was the most suitable choice.

However, when he followed the beautiful woman into a room, Rain felt something was amiss.

"Of course," Rain nodded.

Regarding fiefs, this was a bit different from Rain's previous life's impression. In the Kingdom of Dragorn, the titles were Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Baron, and Knight.

This made the beautiful woman quite troubled.

After a moment's thought, Rain pointed to the mansion and said, "Lord Henrik, how about this one?"

"Since you hold the title of Baron, you automatically gain a seat in the Master County Noble Assembly." Butler Henrik continued.

"By the way, if you encounter any issues you can't resolve, you can contact me. This time, I'll bring the Blue Helmet Pigeon that Jenny gave me," Rain said with a smile.

Jenny mentioned that she had invited her best friend, Agatha, to accompany the other party to visit the library, but the other party showed no interest in Agatha either.

Unfortunately, the other party seemed completely uninterested in Jenny, a noble lady, from the very beginning.

However, once a fiefdom was obtained, for example, if Rain's fiefdom was named 'Normandy', then the official title would primarily be 'Baron of Normandy'.

Soon, an elderly man in a tailcoat entered and led Rain to a room on the first floor.

From that moment on, the beautiful woman was determined to find a way to 'tie' herself to this promising young man.

"Alright, Baron, Baroness Crowley, Miss Jenny, I have some matters to attend to with the Earl. So, I bid you farewell for now." Butler Henrik bowed slightly in farewell.

"Of course, Sir Rain, please follow me." The tipsy beautiful woman had a seductive smile on her face. She stood up and led the way.

The beautiful woman knew that for the Crowley family to continue standing tall in Master County in the future, they must find a powerful figure to support them.

"Also, Baron, you will receive 1% of the profits from the Elim Mine annually and will be exempt from the Empire's law enforcement regulations, as long as it's not a criminal offense," Butler Henrik explained.

In fact, Jenny had witnessed her mother's struggles to keep the Crowley family afloat over the past year.

This morning, they had helped the Crowley family retrieve their stolen Bordeaux vintage, and in the afternoon, they visited Count Habsburg and saw the future Baron's mansion. Time had flown by so quickly.

After all, from a certain perspective, Rain had already gone against the will of his superior officer.

Jenny had grown rapidly over the past year.

"Thank you!" Rain nodded and began to inspect the mansion.

Hearing that Rain was enhancing his strength, the beautiful woman's eyes lit up, and she nodded in agreement, smiling as she said:

Seeing this, Butler Henrik couldn't help but laugh and said, "Baron, the County Administrative Hall has arranged for someone to clean the mansion every three days.

So, you can move in at any time."

Especially, the other party is also giving you a face, giving you the choice.

Looking at the amber-like red wine, Rain smelled a hint of aged oak barrels mixed with the wine, which made him want to taste the red wine of this world.

After inspecting the villa from top to bottom, Rain accompanied Baroness Crowley and Jenny back to the nearby Crowley family.

Because this was obviously a bedroom, a luxurious bed was placed in the center of the room, with bedside tables and dressing tables on both sides. Late at night, he entered the bedroom of Baroness Crowley, which was obviously not very appropriate.

After a brief silence in the room, Count Habsburg finally spoke.

As expected, the Habsburg estate also belonged to this Count, whether it was the estate manager, Knight Lloyd, or the swordsmanship instructor Perez, and even including the head maid, Shadia.

He had planned to take the books related to armoring and return to his home in Shangjin Town, but now it seemed a bit late.

"Sir Rain, this is the twenty-year-old Bordeaux vintage you helped retrieve. Please have a taste." The beautiful lady smiled and gestured to the wine glass.

"Yes, Sir Rain, you've helped the Crowley family a great deal this time. Please do us the honor." Jenny also smiled and said.

From this perspective, the other party agreed to his trip to the Golden Coast, and he might have benefited from Klaya's influence.

It seems that as long as it is a human society, the power hierarchy is solidified, and the situation is basically the same.

Rain thought for a moment and said, "As soon as possible. I plan to settle my family here and then leave Master County for a while."

Therefore, as Baron Rain, a normal appointment would not be limited to just a town sheriff.

This is a three-story detached villa located in the middle of the Noble Residence District, occupying about three to four hundred square meters. The front yard is over three hundred square meters, and the backyard is even more impressive at one thousand five hundred square meters. The reason for such a large backyard is mainly because it includes a training ground and a stable that can accommodate ten horses.

It was just a dinner invitation, and the host had repeatedly invited them, so it would be inappropriate to refuse again. Rain politely nodded.

"That's good!" Rain nodded.

"Hmm? Is Sir Rain leaving again?" The beautiful lady asked in surprise.

However, it was different for the magistrate, who was in charge of all the affairs of a town and was the top authority.

When he mentioned this, Rain felt his scalp tingling as Count Habsburg's gaze was fixed on him.

After some thought, Rain decided to be straightforward with Count Habsburg:

Hearing the last sentence, Rain's expression brightened. He hadn't expected that Count Habsburg would also help him secure this position.

"Okay then!" Rain nodded.

"Of course, thank you for your understanding and support, Count."

"Sir Rain, it's already dinner time. I've instructed the servants to prepare a feast. Please do us the honor." At this moment, the beautiful lady invited him with a smile.

So, accompanied by Baroness Crowley and Jenny, Rain enjoyed a satisfying meal.

After viewing the training ground, the group entered the interior of the villa and walked from the first floor to the third floor. Rain discovered that the county city administration office was doing a great job in maintaining the mansion.

The walls of the banquet hall were adorned with shields, antlers, and other decorations, and more than ten triangular candles illuminated the entire hall, making it bright and clear. On an antique long table, various foods, fine wines, and large bouquets of flowers were displayed.

"Of course, thank you for your understanding and help, Count." Rain bowed slightly.

For nobles, during their initial ennoblement, unless they are inheriting a title, they do not receive a fief.

He was surprised to find a model resembling a large sand table in the room, which clearly presented the terrain of the county city, including major streets.

Watching the two climb the stairs, Jenny slowed her pace.

However, Rain now thought of something.

After Rain finished a whole roasted red-crowned turkey and a pot of stewed cliff thorn wild boar, a warm current rose in his stomach and spread to his limbs and bones.

Therefore, the total area of this villa is approximately two thousand square meters.

Especially in the Noble Residence District, each mansion was simulated with small wooden houses, making them lifelike and almost like scaled-down versions.

Instantly, the rich and mellow fruit aroma and wine flavor swirled in his mouth, and the taste was surprisingly good.

During dessert, Rain asked, "Lady, regarding the book on armoring, I'd like to borrow it for a read. I wonder..."

Of course, the two titles mentioned earlier could be used in informal situations without any issues.

Until today, when she momentarily lost her composure and hugged him, she realized that the young man seemed to be quite interested in her.

What Rain valued the most was the training ground in the backyard, similar to the one he had seen at the Crowley family.

In order to motivate these nobles, the Empire enacted the Frontier Ordinance, allowing them to exchange merit points for various levels of Frontier Orders. With these orders, one could claim a large piece of land beyond the Empire's borders.

"This... won't be too much of a disturbance, will it?" Rain looked up at the sky, and indeed, the sun was setting.

But when he turned around, he realized that Jenny, who had been following him, was no longer there.

It wasn't uncommon for a baron to serve as the town's magistrate.

If given a choice, anyone would know that the best candidate was the young and promising Baron Rain.

These resources included what he needed to progress further on the paths of wizardry and knighthood.

This reminded Rain of an old saying from his previous life, 'The prime minister's servant is a seventh-rank official.'

"This one will do!"

"Haha, good, Rain. If you ever need help in the future, you know where to find me. Remember, Master County will always be your home."

When Jenny heard her mother's plan, she felt a pang of sadness, but she understood the importance of the situation.

At the same time, to strictly limit the nobles' land acquisition from the commoners, the Empire implemented the Land Acquisition Ordinance.

The robust and sturdy movements, combined with the fluid and graceful techniques, captivated the two women, leaving them in awe.

Now, she was powerless to resist this dark force!

When the butler, Henry, opened the door, Rain was surprised, furrowing his brows.

However, for a count, this area was not considered large, as it didn't even encompass an entire town.

After their conversation, Count Habs suddenly changed the topic with a smile, "Rain, I heard that you and Klaya have known each other for a long time?"

Before leaving, he gave Rain a knowing smile.

Ever since her husband, Baron Crowley, passed away a year ago, the stunningly beautiful Baroness Crowley had attracted the attention of many, including wealthy merchants and nobles. Initially, she believed that with the Crowley family's background and her business acumen, she would be able to manage the situation.

"Hmm?" Rain immediately realized that the Count had probably investigated him thoroughly.

The main reason, however, was that the promising Baron Rain had no interest in her but instead in her mother. This made the young lady lower her head and glance at her own chest, feeling disheartened.

Finally, he had obtained an exemption! It felt like a peasant had risen to sing a song of freedom.

After the other party was granted the title of baron, the plan to marry into their family became completely unfeasible!

Rain wasn't particularly interested in these matters.

As the saying goes, challenges foster growth.

"Count, regarding my appointment, I'd like to postpone it for a while. I'm currently in a period of rapid growth in strength, so I'd like to go and study swordsmanship under a master swordsman. Therefore..."

"Let's leave it at that for today. I still have some matters to attend to, and my butler, Henry, will assist you with the necessary procedures."

Although Rain could easily make a choice among the three options presented by Count Habs, the issue now was that he actually wanted to continue serving as Hamilton's deputy in Shanggin Town.

The Empire addressed male nobles without territories as 'Name + Excellency' or 'Name + Title', such as Rain, who could be addressed as "Baron Rain" or "Rain, Excellency".

"Baron Rain, when do you plan to move in?" Baroness Crowley asked, playing with the hair by her ear.

Rain nodded, "Indeed, it's well-maintained. Thank you for bringing me here, Lord Henry. I've decided on this one."

Rain's next plan was to go to the Golden Coast to study under the swordsmanship master, Gondor, for a while. By continuing to serve as the deputy of Shanggin Town's security, he could maximize his free time, as Hamilton would handle many matters for him.

"Alright, then I'll give you a month. However, in that case, I'll arrange your appointment directly. After a month, Rain, you'll become the magistrate and security officer of Harbor Town."

Rain nodded as he listened.

"Okay, by the way, Baron Rain, since you don't have a fiefdom yet, I'll register it as the Crowley Manor, is that okay?"

This person could be Baron Alonso or any other noble, and now, there was one more, Baron Rain.

As he pondered how to broach the subject, the beautiful woman bent down, turned her back to Rain, and lifted her loose woolen waistcoat, revealing her voluptuous hips like ripe peaches. The contrast with her slender waist was visually striking.

The sudden sight left Rain's mouth dry and his throat parched.

The woman suddenly turned her head, her cheeks flushed, and she played with her slightly disheveled hair by her ear, saying in a soft voice, "Baron Rain, can you help me with something?"

"The armoring you requested is in this cabinet, but it's probably buried at the very bottom."

Thank you to the new readers for your support!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end