"Moreover, you shouldn’t envy bread and wine too much. Trade is increasingly flourishing, and the discovery of the New World has brought us an imnse amount of resources beyond our imagination. These resources won’t be monopolized by the nobility alone. I can assure you that as trade expands, the availability of bread and wine will increase, and their prices will beco more affordable. Even as a commoner, you will be able to enjoy bread and wine!"
Boshni ceased her crying and gazed at Howard with wide, curious eyes, asking, "Really? Can even the poorest families afford delicious white bread?"
Howard, brimming with determination, assured her, "Yes, I promise you."
Believing his words, Boshni’s tears dried up.
Howard took a deep breath and gently said to her, "Boshni, you want to be a noble, right? Your father is the village chief of Yami Village and had helped in my early days of developnt. I can fulfill your wish. I’ll speak with Anna and arrange for her to take over another village, so I can reclaim Yami Village and then bestow it upon you."
Boshni’s heart raced with excitent.
She attempted a noble’s gesture she had learned from the castle’s servants and curtsied to Howard.
Howard did not point out that her curtsy was flawed, understanding that her limited status had shaped her behavior.
He graciously accepted her imperfect gesture and said, "Very well, I will graciously accept your curtsy in advance. The ennoblent ceremony will be held in Yami Village in a week. You can go back and tell your father the good news."
Watching Boshni skip away joyfully, Howard felt a sense of healing in his soul.
He decided to overlook Rolf’s impertinence, letting go of his concerns as he descended from the tower.
Resarite, having heard of this incident from sowhere, hurriedly rode from Gokasu to Fernsouth.
Upon seeing Howard, he said eagerly, "My lord, if we were to confront Marquis Rolf, our chances of victory are high."
Howard, smiling calmly, pushed away Resarite’s hand and replied, "Let it be. Forgive Rolf this once."
Resarite stood dumbfounded.
Howard walked towards the garden, stretching leisurely.
Resarite, looking at Vettel sitting in the garden, was at a loss for words.
Howard sat down beside Vettel on the bench, observing the small yellow flowers that had grown into large ones.
He remarked contentedly, "Developnt is indeed the key."
A week later, in Yami Village, Boshni, her cheeks flushed with excitent, perford the noble’s curtsy perfectly before Howard.
Howard accepted it graciously, as the old village chief of Yami stood by, tears streaming down his face.
The imperial decree had arrived: out of three countships in the Croatia region, two were granted to Howard.
Intriguingly, the title of Duke of Croatia was bestowed upon a relatively obscure count, a clear display of the emperor’s political savvy and strategic thinking.
Howard, however, was indifferent to these maneuvers.
The ennoblent ceremony proceeded, with Boshni dressed in modest leather armor and a sword at her waist, kneeling on one knee before Howard.
The mont had co for Howard to speak the traditional words of ennoblent, but he found himself at a loss.
Truth be told, Boshni’s achievents were negligible; her work in the library had not yielded any significant scholarly contributions, and her horse breeding, while comndable, was not sothing to be lauded in this context.
Thus, Howard resorted to using the generic phrases prepared by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The words were ordinary, but Howard added a personal touch at the end, saying, "I hope you can demonstrate your worth in the future, and shine in this era where the role of knights is diminishing. Whether cavalry units are obsolete or not, it’s for you to decide."
Boshni looked up, a spark in her eyes, and declared, "My lord, I will prove it to you."
The ceremony concluded smoothly, and the artillery unit fired salutes in celebration.
The villagers of Yami Village were overjoyed, proud that one of their own, raised in Yami, had ascended to the status of a knighted noble.
So thought optimistically that Boshni, now a noble, would likely implent lenient tax policies.
Others considered the convenience of having the daughter of the forr village chief as a noble, making it easier to address village matters.
But most were simply delighted for the local girl who had achieved nobility.
In the crowd, a woman in her thirties with auburn hair covered by a white cloth bead with joy.
Her hands rested on the shoulders of a boy, about waist-high, his face lit with excitent.
Boshni had grown up in Yami Village under her watchful eye, and she felt genuine happiness for Boshni’s accomplishnt.
The boy, pointing excitedly at Boshni, turned to his mother and exclaid, "Mom, I want to be a noble too, just like Sister Boshni!"
His mother looked at him with tender affection, gently caressing his face, and said, "Lord Howard is a kind man. If you work hard, perhaps one day you really could have a chance."
Boshni stayed behind in Yami Village, her new fiefdom and her ho.
anwhile, Howard and his entourage of nobles returned to Fernsouth Castle, seeming to prefer Howard’s company.
Anna, due to personal reasons, disliked Catherine.
Therefore, whenever Howard was in Lagusa, Anna deliberately avoided the duke’s mansion, not wanting to see Catherine.
However, when Howard was elsewhere, Anna seized every opportunity to be near Howard, constantly seeking his attention.
Howard, mindful of the lord-vassal relationship, did not reprimand her but intentionally kept his distance.
In Howard’s domain, a professional army system had yet to be implented, and the conscription system was still in use.
Within this system, a lord’s military strength, beyond his directly controlled lands, depended heavily on the contributions of his vassals.
When there were no conflicting interests, there was no need to displease the vassals.
Lately, Resarite had shed his usual deanor of an army officer and often shared laughter and conversations with Howard.
However, Resarite’s skills in interpersonal relationships were admittedly lacking.
Even though Howard frequently indulged in discussions about army reforms to engage Resarite, their conversations often lapsed into awkward silences.
Riding together through the forest, they struggled to find common topics.
Eventually, Resarite voiced his request.
Pulling his horse to a halt, which reared up with a loud neigh, Howard too stopped and turned to face Resarite.
In a flustered tone, Resarite blurted out, "My lord, my wife has suggested that I should secure a countship in the Croatia region and beco a marquis."
Howard’s expression remained unchanged as he replied, "Oh, is that so?"
Resarite added, "My lord, there’s also my son, who is now eighteen. I wish for him to beco another count in the Croatia region."
Howard was initially inclined to agree, but before he could respond, he beca alert to the potential crisis this posed.
He quickly excused himself and left with his entourage.
By the ti Howard returned to Fernsouth and stepped onto its land, Resarite had already gone back to Gokasu to tend to his baronial lands.
Bosiden, looking visibly upset, said to Howard, "My lord, although it was Resarite who promoted to my current position, his demands are simply too excessive."
Vettel sighed and comnted, "Resarite’s ambition is far too great."
Anna expressed her disbelief at encountering such a shaless vassal, while Margaret noted that Resarite was overly greedy.
Kaido, fuming with anger, told Howard, "I always knew he was no good. Today he wants this, tomorrow that. The day after, he might even try to usurp your dukedom. Don’t fall for his tricks. Also, why did you overlook in the last round of ennoblents? Aren’t I your relative? How co you treat worse than the other vassals?"
Howard, trying to mask his discomfort with a cough, wished to ignore Kaido’s latter remarks.
Alonso, looking helpless, turned to Howard and asked, "My lord, what would happen if Resarite got both countships?"
Concerned that Howard might not fully grasp the situation, Bosiden hastily interjected, "To put it simply, Resarite would have two countships and a barony, and his son would have a countship. Resarite would beco the most powerful vassal under Lord Howard, a Marquis of Honor. If Resarite were to rebel, all of us other vassals combined might not be able to defeat him. It’s not conducive to Lord Howard’s rule."
Howard, taking over the conversation with a somber tone, inquired, "What other dangers might there be, my Chancellor?"
Bosiden straightened up and said, "Please calm your anger, Duke. I haven’t finished speaking. The most obvious issue is that Resarite becos a threat to your rule, Lord Howard. But the greater danger is still hidden in the fog."
Anna, with a fierce frown, demanded, "Out with it!"
Swallowing nervously, Bosiden replied, "Anna, do you rember how our lord acquired the title of Baron Fernsouth?"
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