Chapter 61: Promotion to Baron

Five days later, the official decree of appointment arrived in North County. At the same time, the royal family announced to all nobles across the kingdom that this time the envoy from the kingdom was not the female baroness Donald had expected, but a genuine royal member—a male noble named Covain, granted the hereditary title of Viscount.

The previous appointment of Catherine had been due to the queen’s personal interests, and the outcome had been perfectly in line with her expectations. The female baroness had also privately informed the queen of this.

Although it was merely an announcement of the appointment, the envoy from the kingdom specially invited Bantrey, the high priest of the Temple of the Agricultural Goddess who oversaw religious affairs in North County, to attend and witness the event upon arriving at Stonehold Castle. Martin, the priest Donald had met before and who served as the high priest’s assistant deacon, naturally joined the delegation as well.

The actual ceremony of conferring the title required Donald to personally go to the capital to receive it from His Majesty the King. This was merely an advance notice so that he could take possession of his lands in advance and prepare.

“Your Lordship Viscount Covain, and Your Eminence the High Priest, the Melinna family welcomes you!”

Dressed in formal attire, Donald personally led a group of over a dozen people, including butlers and servants, to stand in line outside the manor to greet them. The manor’s servants were all dressed in new uniforms, looking distinguished and valiant.

High Priest Martin held a special status, so he merely exchanged a few polite words upon meeting them.

In contrast, Viscount Covain was extremely enthusiastic.

“Baron Melinna, please don’t be polite. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, a genius mage, for a long time!”

Although he had not yet officially received his title, the experienced Viscount Covain promptly began using Donald’s new title.

Under the witness of the high priest from the Temple of the Agricultural Goddess, Viscount Covain then read out the decree. Donald received the official document, meaning he had now officially acquired his lands.

Thus, the Melinna family truly restored the glory of their ancestors. They were no longer just nobles with titles but fallen nobles; instead, they became true local rulers with real power.

Although they had previously purchased two manors, including the original lordship, they were merely his personal property and not hereditary noble lands. He could not gather subjects or form private armies. The people employed at Darkhold Manor were merely tenants who could leave at any time and were not Donald’s subjects.

Only by receiving an official appointment from the royal family or higher nobles could one be considered a true noble. Otherwise, even with a hereditary title, he would still be nothing more than a fallen noble, with a status not much higher than those with non-hereditary lifetime titles!

Of course, the territory isn’t fully developed yet, and only his manor is inhabited across the whole land—it needs extensive development. It’s still too early to call him a true noble with real power. However, Donald isn’t worried about territorial development at all. With the Truth Book as an ultimate cheat tool, the infrastructure work that troubles other nobles is as simple for him as playing a game. In fact, this allocation of lands was basically part of Donald’s plan, and those high-ranking figures in the capital perfectly fulfilled his wishes. For Donald, the additional wasteland between the Green Cloak Forest and Castle Rock was a pleasant surprise. Although this connected his territory to his rivals, causing some trouble and inconvenience, confident as he was, Donald wasn’t afraid at all. Donald didn’t want those small territories, though fertile, trapped between rival noble forces—such places were far from conducive to the growth of his own power. The Green Cloak Forest and the Azuma Mountains, a demilitarized zone between human and alien forces where he had already established a foothold upon arriving in this world, were the perfect choices for him. There was vast untapped land waiting to be developed, and even if external forces weren’t considered, it was more than enough to establish a duchy. As for the dangers of the Green Cloak Forest, Donald wasn’t as concerned as those native noble classes. With the Truth Book and the help of summoned creatures, conquering the Green Cloak Forest and the Azuma Mountains wasn’t an impossible task. On the contrary, such a large territory excited him greatly. Though he wouldn’t need to worry about occupying more land once he became strong enough, he knew he was still far from being powerful enough to influence all factions. So once he returned from the capital and officially inherited his family’s title and territory, he could develop these hundreds of square kilometers of land without hesitation and with full legitimacy. The previous covert efforts to establish his manor could now be done openly. As long as his territory prospered further, he could even build the kind of town base for magical beasts he had always desired. “My Lord Baron, the king’s decree has been read out. From now on, the lands between Castle Rock to the north and the Green Cloak Forest to the south belong to your family’s territory. If you wish to change the title of your territory in the future, you may submit an application to the Noble Administration in Castle Rock and then report it to the Noble Council. As long as it doesn’t violate the kingdom’s laws, an official ruling will be issued soon!”

“Thank you, Lord Viscount. Thank you, Lord Bishop, for coming at such trouble. Please come in and have a seat; the banquet will be ready soon!” Donald had prepared some products from his estate as gifts for them and had already instructed his butler to arrange the banquet in advance.

In response to Donald’s invitation, Bishop Martin showed little interest, citing busy duties before taking his leave. After all, he had met too many high nobles in his lifetime. He agreed to attend out of respect for Viscount Covain and because he saw potential in Donald. As a clergyman devoted to serving the gods, he had no interest in banquets or such things.

Donald maintained a cautious attitude toward bishops of such rank, as his secrets were even coveted by the true gods. After trying to persuade him a bit longer and seeing that he was determined to leave, Donald accompanied Viscount Covain to see him off.

Viscount Covain, on the other hand, was very excited about Donald’s banquet. After watching Bishop Bantrey’s carriage depart, he said, “I’ve long heard that the moonlight wine produced by your estate can compare to the two finest wines in the kingdom. It’s a pity there’s not much of it, and whatever reaches the capital is shared among the king and other important figures, so I’ve never had the chance to try it. It would be great if I could taste it today! By the way, there’s also that mage’s drink—I’ve only seen the kings drink it in Wangfuli. It’s said to help spellcasters if consumed regularly, so it must be extremely rare.”

Donald replied with a smile, “Please rest assured, Lord Viscount. Although there isn’t much moonlight wine, I still have some for my own use. As for black tea, it’s actually not rare; it’s grown in small quantities elsewhere as well. It’s mainly used as an ingredient for potions, so not much is needed. I plan to increase cultivation areas soon, and I believe it will soon be available in most noble households in the capital!”

“Is that so? I wonder if ordinary estates can also grow this black tea?”

Donald, seeing his interest, explained, “The true name of black tea is Red Licorice. It has a mild, fragrant taste, slightly bitter with a hint of sweetness. It has always been used as an auxiliary ingredient in alchemical potions. Although it is an alchemical herb, it is not a high-grade magical plant. It does not require a special growing environment; ordinary sandy soil is sufficient for cultivation. With proper management of water and fertilizer, even ordinary farmers can try growing it! The only thing to note is that the processing of the final product involves a bit of trouble—specific requirements must be met, otherwise, it will affect the taste. If Lord Viscount intends to try growing it in his own estate, he can send people to learn from me!”

“Lord Baron is truly generous. If I were to possess such a novel product, I would surely keep it firmly under my control!” Donald replied with a smile. He had never thought about monopolizing black tea, as it was not a unique species or formula. Even moderately knowledgeable apprentice mages or ordinary herb traders could easily identify its origin.

So, it was better to share it openly and build some connections. As for the growing environment, what he didn’t mention was that although Red Licorice could be grown everywhere on the continent, the black tea produced in regions with distinct seasons and large temperature differences, like the Northlands, was of the highest quality. This was also why high-quality tea was mostly found in the mountains.

With scarce sandy land in the Northlands, the cultivation area would likely be limited, yet the profits from it were already quite substantial. Moreover, since he was the first to invent black tea, people would instinctively assume that the quality produced by Darknight Manor was the best, which would hardly affect the earnings from his own estate.

While waiting for the lunch to begin, the two nobles conversed in the villa. After some exchange, Donald also gained a basic understanding of this royal envoy. Viscount Covain was not like ordinary members of the royal family, who could only receive wealth and a court title upon reaching adulthood. He had inherited a knightly domain from his wife, the daughter of a deceased knight, thus becoming one of the landed nobles.

Although the knightly domain was only the size of three small villages and somewhat too small for a viscountial title, having a domain completely changed his status. Theoretically, he could now resign from his positions and duties in the kingdom and live a life as a local noble. After all, he owned two profitable estates, along with the income from his domain, making him far richer than most court nobles.

Yet Viscount Covain did not abandon his duties as a member of the royal family. Over the years, he dedicated himself wholeheartedly to handling matters of the kingdom, even serving as a diplomatic envoy to other countries on the continent on multiple occasions. As a cousin of the king, he earned the deep trust and reliance of King Serth XV and, along with Finance Minister Rutherford, was regarded as one of the king’s right hands. Donald guessed that King Serth XV had sent this trusted figure to announce the grants out of appreciation for his own genius mage. During the banquet, Viscount Covain, like the countess, was deeply impressed by the unique and innovative cuisine of the Merlin family. He stayed in the villa’s guest rooms that night, enjoying the advanced living conditions, and the various wonderful and comfortable facilities in the villa left his status as the king’s right hand in awe, further fueling his envy of the master mage’s position. The next day, officials from the Stone City’s noble administration came to measure the size and boundaries of the Merlin family’s territory. With his own tasks to attend to, Viscount Covain had to bid farewell and return to the capital to report. Yet, reluctant to leave Darknight Manor, he expressed to Donald his desire to visit again on several occasions. Donald, of course, welcomed this greatly; having connections with such a figure from the central power structure of the Serth Kingdom would undoubtedly bring many benefits to his family’s influence. After seeing Viscount Covain off, Donald, along with the butler and everyone in the manor, eagerly devoted themselves to developing the new territory. The guards and servants in the manor who saw the future prospects of the Merlin family also began to consider moving to the new territory and becoming its official residents. The Williams family, who had already fully followed Donald, made their decision that day, while those brought in from the northwest, being servants under Donald’s command rather than externally hired staff, automatically became subjects of the new territory.