Chapter 500: Birth of the Honorary Viscount
The Prime Minister continued speaking.
“—Furthermore, Viscount Tauro Giro Sugar shall be granted a territory allocated from the royal demesne. As for the location—”
Tauro had been listening to the chancellor’s words in a daze up to this point, but quickly came to his senses and, though aware it might be rude, interrupted him.
“—P-Please wait, Your Excellency! A viscount title is far beyond what I deserve. Besides, I have no intention of becoming a landholding noble! I believe I already conveyed this to Viscount Musai.”
“……”
The Prime Minister listened silently to Tauro’s words, paused for a moment, then turned back toward the king.
“Your Majesty, as I said, this person is not very interested in honors. As Prince Fleue said, he is a born adventurer. And besides, he is only fourteen years old. To bind him to one place at such a young age would be cruel.”
The king remained silent after the Prime Minister’s words.
“…Hehehe. Hahahaha!”
and burst out laughing.
“Forgive me, Tauro Graundewald. This matter of the peerage—I forced it through by pressuring Gret, Prime Minister Gret Barriera. The contributions of Giro Sugar to this country have truly exceeded all imagination. It’s why I wanted to give him a noble title, even if somewhat forcefully, and hoping he’d continue serving the nation. But I take it this won’t do?”
“Thank you so much for your kind words… I am truly honored and humbled by Your Majesty’s kindness, but I still want to travel the world with my companions. I want to have adventures and enjoy the world.”
Tauro did not deny the king’s generosity outright but gently declined receiving the Viscount title and land.
“Hmmm… A young person should not be bound… I remember something from a few years ago. It was when you were falsely accused and captured by Viscount Saishi. At that time, many came to me pleading for your life. I was amazed that such a young boy could move so many nobles, many of whom were so self-indulgent. You have a virtue that moves people. You have also contributed to the cultural development of our country. Moreover, I owe thanks to you for helping my son. As king and as a parent, I must thank you—Tauro Graundewald, I am grateful. Thank you.”
The king bowed deeply to Tauro, the adopted son of a nobleman and one of his subjects.
The Prime Minister, the royal guards, and officials all averted their eyes, pretending not to witness the scene.
When the king lifted his head, he called out to the Prime Minister:
“—Gret!”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Tauro Graundewald, you are hereby ennobled as an honorary viscount. You shall be allowed free use of the facilities within the territory directly under the royal family’s control with unrestricted entry. As for your family name, as mentioned before, it shall be Giro Sugar.”
Prime Minister Barriera smiled knowingly as he informed Tauro.
“Hahaha! I humbly accept!”
Even Tauro didn’t have the courage to refuse any more.
This was because he felt the silent pressure from the Prime Minister, the royal guards, and the court officials present.
Tauro had actually thought that if he received something like an honorary knighthood, it would be useful for his future adventures, so although it was a shocking turn of events, he decided to interpret it as a bonus that would make his adventuring easier.
After leaving the room, the group returned to the waiting chamber, exhaling with relief.
“Phew… When the leader refused the viscount title, even I thought that was pretty bad. Hahaha!”
Ankh laughed and teased Tauro.
“But if I got land, I won’t be able to go on adventures with everyone anymore. I’m trying my best too, you know.
Tauro responded, sounding like a child (which he was).
“But that was surprising. I never thought he’d suddenly be given the rank of Viscount. Like I said earlier, even an honorary viscount is still a viscount. And having free access to enter and leave facilities under the direct control of the Royal Family? I’ve never heard of anyone getting that before. Usually, you always have to apply for permission first.”
Aeris emphasized the freedom within the royal demesne more than the honorary noble rank.
“So that means we can enter the dungeons managed by the State now? That means we can call on our dragonkin friends!”
Ragune happily interpreted Aeris’s words.
“Tauro-sama. I was granted the title of Honorary High Priest of the Kingdom, but what does that mean exactly?”
Zion tilted her head, still not fully understanding what had happened.
“You can think of it as a rank or title slightly below that of honorary nobles. Holding it means you can avoid minor troubles from now on. It’s truly an honorable thing.”
Aeris explained it to Zion in Tauro’s place in an easy-to-understand way.
“Hah… I never imagined I’d be given something like that…”
Zion blinked and stared at her hands, still not quite able to comprehend the reality.
“I never thought I’d become an Honorary Knight of the Kingdom either… Haha! For someone who was just a mercenary… it’s unbelievable, really. What a surprise.”
Ankh laughed joyfully and lightly patted Zion’s shoulder.
“I never thought I’d be given the title Honorary Mage of the Kingdom. Well, It’s not like a ‘Saint’ or anything, but… that’s fine.”
Aeris gave a wry smile but was happy nonetheless.
“I’m an honorary Knight of the Kingdom too… I’m happy, but I’d have preferred Dragon Knight.”
Ragune was delighted, but also wished for a non-existent title.
“Hahaha. I’m glad everyone found something to be happy about.”
Tauro decided not to complain since his friends seemed quite happy.
Of course, in Tauro’s case, he thought he was overrated, but still.
“Oh, official-san. By the way, if Tauro had accepted the title of Viscount straightforwardly, which territory would he have been given?”
Aeris suddenly became curious and asked an official who was waiting in the corner of the room.
“I heard it was planned to be the former Viscount Saishi’s territory. Since it’s the birthplace of Honorary Viscount Giro Sugar, Prime Minister Barriera recommended it to His Majesty as a fitting choice.”
“Eh!?”
Not Aeris but Tauro was the first to be surprised by the official’s answer.
“…I see. That’s kind of disappointing, I guess… —Ah, no, haha, just kidding!”
Tauro laughed awkwardly, masking whether he was joking or speaking sincerely.