Chapter 92

"Congratulations on your ennoblement, young heir."

The middle-aged man smiled pleasantly and extended his hand for a shake.

"Thank you. From now on, I hope you will work with all your heart and soul."

Sora replied with a touch of sarcasm and shook the offered hand. It was a greasy hand.

At that moment, a party to celebrate Sora's ennoblement was being held in the grand hall facing the garden of the Daikyu Pavilion. Sora was dressed in formal attire tailored to his height. The black ensemble emphasized his slim build while exuding a sense of composure. Though not overly ornate, it had a refined and elegant overall appearance. Even the lazy Lazette had put in effort for this day.

In the hall, nine out of the ten officials of the viscount's domain had gathered, excluding the one who had fled from Crossport last year. The official from Jira, the town at the center of the viscount's domain, had sent a representative. Sora's eyes met with the representative, Yella, who stood before him.

Yella was about the same age as Chaff, or perhaps a little older. Among the officials, who were mostly middle-aged or older men, Yella stood out significantly. His distinctive silver hair, which was not often seen even in the densely populated capital, made him stand out even more.

"Lord Sora, I congratulate you on receiving the title of viscount from His Majesty the King."

Yella bowed gracefully, performing a flawless salute. His movements were so perfect that they could have been taken from a textbook. The fact that he did not seem to be doing it reluctantly set him apart from the other town officials.

—He's a cut above the rest.

Even with Sora's keen eye, he couldn't tell if Yella was acting or not. Sora put on an innocent smile and spoke.

"Thank you. Yella, you're here as a representative, but would you mind telling me the reason?"

In response to Sora's question, Yella answered without a flicker of expression.

"My father has fallen ill, and he felt it would be inappropriate for a sick man to attend a celebration, so he sent me. My father was overjoyed at your ennoblement, and the strain might have taken its toll on him."

Yella added a playful reason to deflect Sora's probing.

"...I see. It's a pity, but it can't be helped. I thought I might hear some interesting stories from the oldest official in the viscount's domain. Please convey my best wishes to him."

"I will do so. My father will surely be pleased."

"Make sure he doesn't get too excited."

Sora added with a wry smile. Yella smiled mischievously and yielded the floor to the next official.

"I am Holger, in charge of the eastern town of Grand East."

The official introduced himself with a polite but insincere demeanor and extended his hand. Without making any expression, he looked down at Sora. When Sora took his hand, Holger gave it a weak shake and immediately let go.

"The shortage of personnel in the viscount's domain is severe, but with me, Holger, you can rest assured."

With that, Holger turned and left without another word. Despite not having said anything to Sora, his departure was unilaterally abrupt.

—If Chaff were here, he might have challenged him to a duel...

Sora sighed. Although Holger's attitude was terrible, his eyes had been observing Sora the entire time. Despite his attempts to hide it, Sora could see through his gaze.

—Two troublemakers. Yella is the better actor.

As Sora analyzed, the last person appeared. A man in his early thirties wearing glasses. The glasses seemed heavy, as he constantly adjusted their position.

"I am Zasha, the official of the northern town of Gransuono."

Zasha bent his waist and knelt on one knee, bringing his eyes to Sora's level.

"Congratulations on your ennoblement."

A matter-of-fact greeting, stating only what was necessary. Sora could see through his attempt to gauge his actions and measure his capacity. Unlike Yella and Holger, Zasha was a different kind of troublemaker. It seemed that being entrusted with a town by the Pig Viscount was not without reason.

"Thank you for your kind words. As the northern town, there is a possibility that the bandits who caused the fire in the Bartz侯爵领 might have infiltrated. Be on your guard."

When Sora mentioned the bandits, Zasha's eyebrows twitched slightly. Noticing this, Sora narrowed his eyes.

"Do you have any leads?"

"...No, I don't have any leads. However, it was a tragic incident where a forest, carefully cultivated, was reduced to ashes, even in the territory of the mage noble."

Zasha answered with a detached tone.

"You speak as if you've seen it firsthand."

"...I can imagine it from the stories of merchants."

Sora and Zasha exchanged a silent gaze for a moment.

—This guy is definitely hiding something...

However, Sora couldn't find an opening to probe further. He decided to keep it in mind and let it go.

"That was a strange thing to say. Forget it. I look forward to working with you."

"Understood."

They shook hands lightly, and Zasha turned away. Confirming that all the officials had finished their greetings, Sora encouraged them to relax freely. The officials began to chat in groups of two or three, but no one approached Sora, who was supposed to be the guest of honor.

Sora had no complaints, as he had the opportunity to observe the officials.

—Now, who should I cut loose?

From the interactions, there was no doubt that the officials looked down on Sora. To change their perception, Sora planned to expose the incompetent ones. In any case, he needed to free up a seat for the official from the Bartz侯爵领.

—Yella, Holger, and Zasha will be dealt with later.

Deciding to put the three troublemakers on hold, Sora shifted his gaze to the remaining six town officials. He already had an idea of how they were conducting their malpractices. The issue was how the people of the domain would perceive the officials' removal.

The relationship with the mage noble Bartz侯爵领 had already made him unpopular with the church followers, who were actively looking for flaws in his political policies. If Sora were to start purging officials in the current situation, the targeted officials would claim that the evidence was fabricated. The church followers, while suspicious of the officials, would likely condemn Sora, who was close to the mages.

Sora needed to tarnish the image of the officials in the eyes of the church followers before taking action. While plotting, Sora put on an innocent boy's act and joined the circle of officials. All to expose the incompetent ones.