Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste
Chapter 111: Developing Nobility

Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Developing Nobility

After the Duke of Gloucester agreed to all the conditions, Perfikot finally accepted the conferment document he brought.

"I never expected that I would now be a Count." Perfikot sighed. Although the title conferred was Count of Exploration, which is not the same as Count of Land, it still couldn’t hide the fact that she became a major noble with real power in the Empire at the age of fourteen.

The most crucial point is that, apart from inheriting a noble status from the family, Perfikot inherited the family’s hereditary Baron title by her own merit before reaching adulthood, which is rare among the nobles of the Victor Empire.

Not to mention that she now became a Count of Exploration at the age of fourteen, which is unprecedented in the Empire’s history.

The reason is simple, because Count of Exploration is an exploratory noble, which is completely different from other nobles in the Empire.

Empire’s nobles are usually divided into two types: Landed nobles and Honorary nobles.

Landed nobles are also divided into actual fiefdom and nominal fiefdom, but regardless, they have land in name, can enjoy profits from their land, and have legitimate power over it.

And the most important point, only nobles with land can be hereditary.

Honorary nobles are merely a title, enjoying noble status without the privileges of landed nobles, and the noble status can’t be inherited.

Take Brandlis Clan for example, although the family’s land is just a small town, all the mountain and forest products within the town belong to the Brandlis Clan, and they can legally manage these resources.

Whether to use the land for grazing, farming, or to plant all trees, it’s their freedom.

Regarding building castles and such, there’s no issue as long as they have the money.

Similarly, all the townsfolk on the land belong to the Brandlis Clan, and they can legally levy taxes on the townsfolk and promulgate laws they deem reasonable, as long as they don’t conflict with the Empire’s existing laws.

For example, if Perfikot wished, she could require every household in the territory to provide a suitable-aged female to be her maid, or recruit all suitable-aged males to be trained into a private army, which is permissible.

Although after the military reform, private armies are no longer popular among nobles, some major nobles still maintain guards.

Because the family has this land, the family’s noble title can be inherited for generations, reaching Perfikot.

As for exploratory nobles, they are a special type of noble.

In terms of power, they are similar to landed nobles but can’t be hereditary like honorary nobles.

The reason being exploratory nobles enjoy a special power - the right to expand territory.

That is, exploratory nobles can expand their land, as long as they can achieve actual control and pay taxes to the Empire based on the territory scale, those lands become your territories, regardless of the expansion size.

Of course, usually to avoid some uncontrollable situations, exploratory nobles will still be given a range limitation to restrict their scope of exploration.

This is reflected in their title, such as Perfikot’s Northern Expedition Count, limiting her exploration scope to the Northern Territory.

And when an exploratory noble passes away, their title automatically becomes a landed noble, and the territory scope is fixed, no longer able to expand.

Therefore, exploratory nobles are a rare existence for the Empire, and the Royal Family and Noble Council rarely bring them out.

This time, Perfikot’s title of Northern Expedition Count evidently arises from the Noble Council being really forced and devoid of other solutions; otherwise, they’d drop someone in to be above Perfikot.

But for Perfikot, it’s meaningless, it’s merely an empty title not granting her any real power.

The invaluable aspect of an exploratory noble’s title lies in the unlimited expansion of territory.

Yet now the world is on the brink of destruction, and you’re telling me to expand territory?

Besides, Perfikot has no troops nor people; what can she use to explore the Northern Territory?

Ultimately, she would rely on support from within the country, counting on the Noble Council and Crisis Management Committee to support her from behind.

And this is precisely the deft plan those vermin in the Noble Council and Crisis Management Committee devised, hoping to thus restrain Perfikot.

However, it’s evident that both the Duke of Gloucester and Perfikot have realized this point, and understand relying on these vermin’s scheme won’t smoothly execute the Northern Territory exploration plan.

Hence, the Duke of Gloucester agreed to Perfikot’s conditions, allowing her to evade the restraints of the Crisis Management Committee, and disregard the Noble Council.

It was also due to these reasons that Perfikot proposed her conditions, intending to avoid interference from that group of vermin.

Especially the title of Northern Guardian, not only provided her with the formal rightful management of the entire Northern Territory, but also laid a foundation for her legitimate control over armed forces.

At that time, even if the Noble Council wants to cause trouble or seize fruits, Perfikot who controls the military can directly refuse them with force.

As for the Royal Family withholding the title of Northern Guardian from Perfikot? Neither Perfikot nor the Duke of Gloucester worried about this.

On one hand, Perfikot has close enough relations with the Royal Family; she herself represents the Royal Family’s interests in this apocalyptic disaster, it’s impossible for the Royal Family to obstruct her on this point.

On the other hand, the Empire currently doesn’t have anyone else who can handle all this; apart from Perfikot, even if the Empire wants someone else to take over these issues, they wouldn’t know where to start; otherwise, the Noble Council wouldn’t have given Perfikot the title of Northern Expedition Count.

If they had other options, they’d have their own people assume the role, rather than consider letting Perfikot take over.

So Perfikot gaining the power of Northern Guardian is highly likely, only the actual situation will require the Duke of Gloucester to manage.

"Since that’s the case, Duke, are you returning to Langton now?" Holding her conferment document for the Northern Expedition Count, Perfikot looked at the Duke of Gloucester, thought for a moment, then retracted her earlier words: "If you’re eager to return, I can let the Flying Airship give you a lift."

"That would be great, I must say the Flying Airship’s speed is indeed fast; if possible, I’d like to order such a private Flying Airship for convenient daily travel." The Duke of Gloucester didn’t mind Perfikot’s previous words, and joked along with her.