The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 59

8. Liang: The Acquired Scoundrel

Before departing for Liang.

I found out what reward Lord Lloyd had been waiting to give me.

“Therefore, Henon Lloyd is recognized as the rightful heir to the Lloyd family, and accordingly, is granted the title of ‘Viscount.’”

It was a peerage ceremony.

I knew I would become the official heir after defeating the demon, but I never imagined I would receive a title as well.

Later, when I asked Zion, he said that giving a title to the heir was common in great noble families.

“Still, your case is exceptional, Master. This is the first time I’ve seen an heir receive the title of Viscount.”

Usually, baronet or viscount families would grant a knight title to their heirs, but in noble society, a knight title is almost meaningless, so it’s often not given.

Therefore, it was common for families of Count rank or higher to grant a baronial title to their heirs.

Originally, one had to own land to receive a title, but receiving a title without land was meant to solidify the person’s position as the future head of the family, he added.

“Your achievements must have been impressive enough for the King to acknowledge them.”

No matter how influential Lord Lloyd was, he couldn’t arbitrarily grant a viscount title to his heir.

But this time, an envoy from the royal palace came directly to bestow the title upon me.

We all knelt on one knee to greet the envoy who carried the King’s letter, and Lord Lloyd was no exception.

Thus, I became a legitimate Viscount of the Elden Kingdom, recognized by the King.

Considering my origins as a bastard, it was an unprecedented promotion.

I’m sure the gossips in the capital, who love to talk about others, would be buzzing about this for a while.

The gift I received after becoming a Viscount was a blue sapphire ring that was refreshing to look at.

The nobles of the Elden Kingdom each receive different colored jewels according to their title, and in the case of a Viscount, it was sapphire.

For reference, Barons receive platinum, Viscounts sapphire, Counts ruby, Marquises emerald, and Dukes and above receive diamonds.

To me, who had a mountain of gold acquired from the Dragon Lair, this sapphire ring was of little monetary value, but it was a convenient accessory to flaunt my status.

Also, the brooch was still attached to my left collar. A sword surrounded by flames. It was a brooch signifying sponsorship from Karina, the Northern Commander.

I’m wearing more and more things on my body.

It may seem like vanity, but the more accessories I have, the higher my social status and the wider my range of movement.

It was a necessary accessory for me, who would be active in noble society, so I decided to keep it for now.

“Wow!!!”

“Viscount! Congratulations!”

“Lloyd the Demon Slayer!!”

The people of the Marquisate’s territory congratulated me with one heart and mind, so I waved my hand to respond.

Before I knew it, my nickname had naturally changed from the Immortal to the Demon Slayer.

Considering that the meaning of the Immortal started from tearing off Campbell’s balls, I liked this nickname better.

Perhaps my fame spreading across the continent would also be as the Demon Slayer.

The peerage ceremony was successfully completed.

In the meantime, Zion and Campbell had fully recovered and were swinging their swords fiercely again.

The way they risked their lives during sparring made me think I could take them with me, so I decided to leave the Marquisate.

“Fall back immediately if it seems dangerous.”

“Of course. Haven’t I done well so far? Trust me.”

“I know. But you should always test the waters before crossing a stone bridge [look before you leap].”

Lord Lloyd added words of caution as if he were entrusting a child to the care of someone else.

It was amazing how a person who was so worried about his son had been so indifferent to Henon all along.

That meant the Marquis had been suffering and struggling a lot internally.

“Take good care of Henon. Zion, Campbell.”

“Leave it to us, Marquis.”

“This Campbell will protect the Vice-Captain with his life!”

His appearance of pounding his chest like a gorilla and snorting was ridiculous, but it seemed trustworthy.

“Be safe on your journey.”

Since we weren’t going on a trip, we rode horses instead of a fancy carriage.

The three of us took out the patrol uniforms we wore in the North and wore the hoods deeply.

Anyone who saw us would think we were mercenaries rather than nobles.

* * *

Now, stopping by Cave Manor before departing somewhere had become an annual event.

It was on the way to Liang, so we stopped by to replenish our supplies.

As I appeared at the entrance of the village, the village chief, the drunkard Harrison, proudly showed off his red nose and ran out in a hurry.

“Who is this! Isn’t it Young Master Henon? Ack, now I have to call you Viscount Lloyd.”

“Call me whatever you’re comfortable with.”

I didn’t want to bother the villagers, so I was just going to quietly get some rye bread and leave, but Harrison and the villagers all grabbed me and insisted on holding a village festival.

“Hahaha! Anyway, we have to focus on farming or village repairs every day unless the Viscount comes. We’re taking a break thanks to the Viscount.”

The festival continued.

The youths who were excitedly singing folk songs while beating small drums, and the maidens who were spinning and dancing to the music.

The uncles who were drinking and chatting, and the dirt-covered children who were swarming around and picking up food with their hands, thinking this was their chance.

Finally, the young mothers who were constantly bringing out food and scolding the troublemaking children.

Every moment was a sight that could never have been seen again because of the necromancer Raul’s greed.

The entire village could have been in the bellies of ghouls, rotting in cold caves, or becoming the same ghouls, unable to be saved and suffering.

I changed the fate of those villagers by chance.

It was exciting.

It was fun.

[Self-purification is activated.]

[Immune to abnormal status.]

I couldn’t get drunk on alcohol, but I got drunk on the mood.

It’s just a world in a game. — But the joy and happiness they felt came to me so vividly.

Until now, I had been single-mindedly focused on escaping this world and running forward.

However, seeing them enjoying every moment to the fullest made this world feel like a real world beyond a game.

“I ate well.”

“Have some more before you go.”

“It’s okay. I have to go because I have something to do.”

“Please take care of yourself. And please visit us again. Our manor always welcomes the Viscount.”

I left Cave Manor with enthusiastic support.

Before leaving, I touched the sub-space gourd, and the mountain of gold inside was clearly visible in my sight.

[Searching the sub-space gourd···]

[Taking out 100 gold.]

Harrison’s eyes widened as a heavy leather pouch suddenly appeared in the air.

I handed him the leather pouch containing 100 gold.

“Take it.”

The golden light overflowing from within.

This amount was enough for the entire village to live on for half a year if they saved it, or three months if they spent it generously.

Harrison jumped up and waved his hands.

“No! I owe my life to my benefactor, how can I receive even this? Please put it back.”

“Don’t stand on ceremony and take it. There may still be a lot of harvest left now, but even by next spring, the children might be starving, are you just going to watch?”

Harrison, who lowered his head, carefully receives the pouch with a tearful voice.

Another village chief might have taken such a large sum of money and monopolized it, but this pot-bellied man, who lost his family because of the necromancer and lives with the villagers as his family, would use the gold coins wisely.

“Thank you···”

“See you next time.”

Cave Manor gradually faded away.

* * *

Our next destination was Albus Territory.

The former lord of Albus Territory had gone missing, and the command system had collapsed.

Worried that the territory would become a lawless zone, I entrusted the temporary command of the area to Rakan, the Blue Hawk Mercenary Captain, who had recently sided with me.

When I arrived at the Albus Castle gate, Rakan, the mercenary captain who had been contacted in advance, was there to greet me.

“Welcome, Viscount Lloyd.”

“Formal speech is unfamiliar. Please speak as usual.”

“You have become a formal noble with a title, so I must show respect. I heard the news. You have achieved great feats. You even have a glorious title.”

Rakan led me to his office.

Rakan, who brought me a cup of warm tea, looked at me with curious eyes.

“To be honest, at this point, I doubt if you are human.”

“As you can see, I am human.”

“The fact that you brought down Albus Castle with a single word was an amazing sight that I, who have been in the mercenary world for decades, have never seen before.”

“I see.”

“I thought to myself at that time. I will never see anything more amazing than this in my life. But to defeat a demon… How much more are you going to surprise me?”

“You’re giving me too much credit. That doesn’t mean I’ll raise your pay.”

“No. I am purely telling you what I feel. Perhaps not only me, but all the Blue Hawk mercenaries will think this way.”

You’re praising me too much.

The Blue Hawk mercenary captain I know is quick to profit, so he’s not the type to give such meaningless compliments.

As expected, there is a postscript attached.

“In that sense, I would like to make a suggestion to you.”

“I’m listening. Speak.”

“If we are paid appropriately, our Blue Hawk Mercenary Corps would like to become your exclusive mercenary corps. No, if you wish, we will throw away our mercenary status and become direct soldiers of the Lloyd family.”

Blue Hawk Mercenary Corps.

Although their size is not very large at 2,000, the quality of the soldiers compared to the number is good, so they are a strong armed group that ranks among the top five in the Elden Kingdom.

This armed group now wants to be loyal to me.

In short, 2,000 territory war-specialized soldiers will not accept any other requests and will only accept my requests.

“Of course, you know that hiring a mercenary corps exclusively costs a lot of money. And I don’t want to help you, I don’t want to put a financial burden on you. In that sense, we will only receive 30% of our usual daily wage, and even this will be subject to repayment within 10 years.”

This is a huge condition.

Rakan realized that he was making a gambling investment with his and the mercenary corps’ future at stake.

“Do you know what you’re saying right now?”

“I know exactly.”

“Repayment within 10 years… Frankly, you may end up running the mercenary corps for free for 10 years.”

“That’s right. I can afford that much with the wealth I’ve accumulated so far.”

“I might wash my hands clean [renege on the deal] and abandon you in ten years. By that time, I will be Lord Lloyd, so there won’t be much the Captain can do even if I stab you in the back.”

“I am proposing this because I believe in your potential and character. Are you really going to abandon us in ten years?”

That can’t be.

I, who lived in a capitalist society, know the importance of contracts better than anyone else.

Unless the Blue Hawks do something gangster-like first, I will never turn my back on them first.

But even so, there is one thing that bothers me about readily embracing the Blue Hawk Mercenary Corps.

“I’m sorry.”

“You refuse. May I hear the reason?”

“The Blue Hawk Mercenary Corps is too weak for me to embrace.”

Rakan’s face turns red at the blunt words.

“Of course, our mercenary corps may not be up to par in your eyes, Viscount, who defeated the demon. But we are one of the top mercenary corps in the Elden Kingdom…”

“Do you think my dream is just the kingdom?”

I cut off his words in a cold tone.

Then I ask him.

If he is qualified to join me on my journey.

Rakan’s pupils shook violently at the expression that the kingdom was just a kingdom.

“Ha… I see. Hahaha! Hahaha! It seems I still underestimated you, Master. This is a shame.”

“No. It’s too early to be disappointed.”

I made a counter-proposal to Rakan, who was resigned and drooping his shoulders.

“You can’t come because you’re weak. If you interpret that differently, wouldn’t it be something that can be done if you get stronger?”

“Get stronger… We are already training to the maximum and equipping ourselves as much as our finances allow, but there is a limit to what a small and medium-sized mercenary corps can do beyond this.”

The mountain of gold currently sleeping in the sub-space gourd is truly buried with all kinds of treasures.

This includes not only simple gold, but also various kinds of jewels, and elixirs such as the mandragora that I gave to Zion before, and expensive weapons and armor.

In addition, there were quite a few books that could not be priced, including the martial arts books of ancient masters that have now disappeared into history.

[Searching the sub-space gourd···]

[Taking out the Ancient Empire Swordsmanship Book.]

[Taking out the Ancient Empire Spear Technique Book.]

[Taking out the Ancient Empire Formation Book.]

Rakan looked puzzled as I took out an old book from the air. I handed him the book.

“What is this···”

“Please check it out.”

It wasn’t long before Rakan’s face was filled with astonishment as he flipped through the book.

“What on earth is this···”

“How is it?”

“There’s nothing to say. It’s hard to understand because it’s a language I’ve never seen before, but even if I infer it from the pictures, this is a revolution.”

The quality of the books inside was definitely top-notch, to the point where he, who had been holding a sword all his life, said this.

“If you come under me, I will give you this book for free.”

“Really?”

“Instead, the mercenaries who learn this must become stronger as soon as possible. Is that possible?”

Rakan calculates in his head.

This man with a strong merchant spirit finished his calculations faster than expected.

Then he jumped up, knelt on one knee, and paid his respects to me.

“I will serve you as my lord. Please take us in.”

The Blue Hawk Mercenary Captain no longer presented complicated numbers. He was just begging to be taken in as a perfect subordinate.

“Okay. I will only allow you to call me lord if you fulfill one condition.”

“What condition?”

“Use this to train the Blue Hawk Mercenary Corps. I hope that at least all the mercenaries will rise to User within a year, and at least twenty will rise to Expert.”

“!!!”

One year.

It’s too short.

It was a harsh request to hear.

But I offered a return that was just as hot.

“If that happens, the daily wage will be 200% instead of 30%.”

“Is that possible? Even if Lloyd Territory is large…”

It’s a natural reaction for Rakan, who doesn’t know about the existence of the golden mountain.

But I have wealth that would not be enough to feed dozens of mercenary corps of that size for decades.

“I don’t want my mercenary corps to be inferior to anyone. I want them to be the best in the kingdom, and beyond that, the best on the continent. I will support them accordingly.”

Rakan has an expression as if he had been hit hard in the solar plexus [gut-punched].

“Are you ready to join me?”

He couldn’t answer for a while because his head was confused, so I took it as a sign of refusal and put my hand on the martial arts book on the table and pulled it back towards me.

Then Rakan’s hand moved like lightning and prevented the book from moving away.

When I glanced at him, Rakan was already grinning with his teeth bared.

“Please take care of me, Lord.”

“Not yet, Lord. Continue to train while stationed in Albus Territory. I hope to see you again as a stronger group next time.”

“Of course. The Blue Hawk Mercenary Corps is ready to become the best on the continent.”

From today, the Blue Hawk Mercenary Corps will work hard with determination.

If they succeed in coming under me, I will have an armed force that ranks among the top in the kingdom.