Mira stood atop the towering city walls of Aspiration City, gripping a ruby scepter in her hand.
Her gaze stretched into the distance, where the silhouettes of a vast number of knights appeared on the horizon.
"They're coming..." she murmured.
A smile emerged on the lord's face. These were the knights who had defended Aspiration City.
As the group drew closer, the commoners gathered outside the city gates erupted in thunderous cheers, welcoming the knights' return.
Though they did not know how brutal the battle in the northeastern corner of the territory had been, the sight of displaced residents migrating into the city and the increasing number of knights gathering inside had created a shared sense of urgency.
Now that the knights were back and the crisis resolved, these warriors who had driven away the invading monsters were hailed as heroes of Aspiration City.
Mira continued scanning the approaching knights. She first spotted Kevin at the front, but her eyes kept searching... until she had looked through them all.
A look of disappointment appeared on her face. She whispered, "He didn't come back?"
Her gaze shifted to the solemn faces of the nobles on the city wall. She sighed slightly, having guessed a part of the reason.
Kevin, riding atop a Rhyhorn, led the knights. As the captain of the knight corps, his merits were unquestionable.
Soon, the knights arrived at the city gates. Mira, the lord holding the ruby scepter, personally welcomed them, bestowing honor upon the knights with a ceremonial gesture.
…
Inside the Castle Council Chamber
Kevin had changed out of his heavy armor into a more comfortable silver suit. Mira sat at the head of the council table while the councilors sat on either side, listening to the knights' report on the battle in the Abyss Caverns.
She had already read a written report about the battle but remained composed as the knights recounted it. However, her expression shifted slightly as more details emerged.
The council, on the other hand, erupted into a flurry of whispers. What Kevin described was simple and clear: The reason the battle ended so quickly was entirely due to Aven's contribution.
If Aven hadn't discovered the method to dispel the gray mist, the defensive lines would have collapsed under the monster assault.
Baron Ruize listened in silence. As the commander of a knight regiment, he could easily discern truth from exaggeration. He had no grounds to refute what was said.
Especially Aven's final strategy of splitting the troops and coordinating with the mist-dispelling strategy—it had sealed the victory decisively.
Had Kevin chosen a different approach in the final moments, the outcome would have been entirely different. The defense line would have certainly fallen!
In terms of merit distribution, Aven unquestionably earned the highest honors. Even Kevin, the captain, couldn't take that away.
Such situations were rare in wartime. Under normal circumstances, the top credit would always go to the captain.
Around Baron Ruize, several nobles kept giving him meaningful glances, hoping he would speak up.
If the merit was officially credited to Aven, his achievements would be so immense that he could be elevated from a commoner to a noble! And if that happened, they would no longer be able to use their usual noble-versus-commoner tactics to rescue their children!
One of the noble sons imprisoned by Aven was Sir Berrin, Ruize's own son. They saw Ruize as an ally on this front.
But no matter how much they hinted, Baron Ruize remained silent, which left them anxious and frustrated, wishing they could speak on his behalf.
Mira surveyed the room and said, "There should be no objection to awarding Aven the highest merit for this Abyss Caverns battle, right?"
Her words caused some nobles' expressions to shift. Their worst fear had come true, yet none dared object.
Even Kevin, the captain, had admitted Aven's merit. Baron Ruize, the regiment commander, also hadn't voiced any disagreement. The matter was practically settled.
Some nobles frowned and glanced at Kevin. How could he just give away such a significant accomplishment?
"Now, let us discuss rewards," Mira continued. "Everyone here understands the gravity of the Abyss Caverns incident. It was a matter of life and death for Aspiration City."
"Now that Aven has discovered a way to dispel the gray mist, Aspiration City no longer needs to fear the threat from the Abyss Caverns."
"Based on his merit, he fully qualifies to be granted a noble title. I trust no one has any objections?"
Her voice fell into silence. While the lady had the authority to grant noble titles, the nobles also had the right to object.
After all, every new noble meant one more person competing for the same limited territory and resources. It would upset the balance among the upper class.
There was only so much land in Aspiration City's domain. Once divided, it couldn't be taken back. Thus, they had to strictly control how the "cake" was shared.
But Aven's achievements were too significant to challenge. There was no room for argument.
Unless they shifted the credit back to Kevin—but Kevin was clearly not on their side.
They couldn't help feeling uneasy. Technically, Baron Ruize should have been appointed commander for this battle. But the crown princess had instead sent her chief knight, seizing the role.
The princess had also blocked their attempts to rescue their imprisoned sons, clearly siding with Aven.
And now, with the Abyss Caverns monster tide over, Aven had claimed the greatest honor and was about to become a noble.
Once Aven held noble status, many of their usual strategies would no longer work. Rescuing their sons would become even more difficult.
"Since no one objects," Mira took a deep breath and declared, "I now formally confer upon Aven the title of Earl of the Southeastern Border!"
She tapped the ruby scepter in her hand against the marble floor. The crisp sound echoed through the hall.
Silence followed.
Earl of the Southeastern Border...
The nobles who registered what they had just heard all widened their eyes in shock, staring at the lord in disbelief.
A Border Earl—this was not a title given lightly! It was typically reserved for those who had expanded territory for the domain or saved it from the brink of destruction.
The title gave its bearer the right to expand the territory outward, and all the land they reached would fall under their domain.
(End of Chapter)