Revive Rome: Wait! Why not make the empress fall in love with me first?
Chapter 244 - 42: Becoming a Lord in Divine Luo

Chapter 244: Chapter 42: Becoming a Lord in Divine Luo

"Be a knight?" Aske was somewhat astonished.

After sparring together, Ludwig entered the training ground, exchanged pleasantries for a moment, and then suddenly threw out an offer.

"Yes," Ludwig said with a smile, "In the Weisbach family, we are always eager for talents. Since Squad Leader Aske possesses such strength, he is certainly capable of assuming the role of a knight."

"Hey, what are you up to, brother!" Eleanor complained, "He’s my squad leader, and you want to be his lord—does that not make you my supreme leader?"

Who’s interested in being your leader, little sister! Ludwig was speechless. Isn’t this all for the two of you? Once he becomes my vassal, father won’t be able to harm him. Can’t you see my good intentions!

"Thank you for your graciousness, Lord Viscount," Aske said, "but after all, I am the leader of the mercenary group..."

"That’s not a problem; if you don’t have time to stay in the domain, you can leave the related matters to my cabinet staff," Ludwig explained with a smile, "As for the domain, it is currently set to be Berg Village, a small village located on the shore of Stanberg Lake, with exceptionally beautiful scenery."

"That place is very close to Mingxing City," Eleanor added, "If I remember correctly, many nobles in the duchy have private estates there."

"Exactly," Ludwig thought, relieved his sister finally understood, and continued, "Thus, as the lord of Berg Village, just the monthly taxes from the land alone are a substantial fortune. Moreover, interacting more with other nobles can greatly benefit your networking within high society."

"That’s strange," Eleanor eyed him suspiciously, "Are you really willing to grant that land? That doesn’t sound like you, big brother!"

Ludwig remained silent; if not for your dowry, would I ever part with it!

Having watched the sparring earlier, Ludwig realized that Aske’s capabilities were not merely that of a typical mercenary group leader. His skills in swordsmanship suggested that he was more than qualified to be a knightly lord.

However, becoming a lord required not only personal strength but also connections, prestige, and a good relationship with the suzerain.

Normally, Squad Leader Aske would start as a landless knight, then accumulate military service and credentials through wars, gain recognition from other vassals and favor from the suzerain, and subsequently receive a domain after the war concludes.

The first domain granted wouldn’t likely be somewhere lucrative like Berg Village but usually in a border area between the Bavarian Duchy and other duchies or a poor, remote village at the foot of the Alps.

Then, manage the domain, slowly accumulate wealth through taxes and trade, spread those assets through gatherings and socializing to gain a better reputation and connections in the society of the duchy—only then would one qualify to swap domains.

Of course, it was just a qualification; one still had to wait for another domain to become vacant, the so-called "one turnip, one hole." The position could only be yours if another lord passed away without an heir or was stripped of power due to rebellion.

The promotion cycle for a lord was indeed lengthy; no wonder marrying was seen as the quickest shortcut!

At this moment, Ludwig granted Berg Village to Aske to swiftly elevate his status, for otherwise, Aske would have to climb slowly up to a position to seek marriage with Eleanor—and that’d take forever!

"Thank you for your recognition, Lord Viscount," Aske pondered, "I..."

"Since it’s in name only, just hang onto it," Eleanor blinked, "You don’t really need to deal with the administration personally, do you?"

Aske gave a wry smile. Indeed, the work of a noble lord in this world was vapid to the extreme, more relaxing than being a landlord with a dozen apartments in major cities back in reality—after all, the latter still had to collect rent monthly, while the former had professionals handle taxes and management for him.

"Well then, it’s my honor," Aske finally agreed, since he already had a plethora of nicknames, adding "Lord of Berg Village" wouldn’t really make a difference.

"Should we have a ennoblement ceremony then?" Eleanor excitedly drew her Longsword.

"There’s no need for such complicated rituals among family," Ludwig waved his hand dismissively.

Eleanor: ???

Aske: ???

What did he mean by ’family’?

Ludwig’s refusal to hold a ceremony was also part of his scheming. Without a formal ceremony, there would be no official enfeoffment contract, and Aske, wanting to act as the lord in Berg Village, would have to rely on Ludwig’s Cabinet subordinates for assistance.

This meant he was merely holding a nominal title of lord, and an illegitimate one at that, with the actual authority over the territory still in Ludwig’s hands.

Should the day come when he and his sister parted ways, Ludwig could logically and effortlessly strip him of his lordship, leaving him powerless to resist. If the two were to truly establish a relationship, and Aske were ready to propose, Ludwig could then issue an enfeoffment contract, instantly turning Aske from a nominal lord into an official one, thereby qualifying him to request the Duke of Bavaria’s daughter’s hand in marriage.

This was a trick belonging to the nobility, a game everyone played. Eleanor, having no experience as a lord, naturally didn’t understand; and as for Aske... even if he understood, what of it? A lordly title was still a title!

Ludwig was quite confident about this, although, unbeknownst to him, Aske really didn’t care about the noble title.

"Lord of Berg Village, that means entering the nobility system, right?" Eleanor pondered, "Can the Squad Leader hold a titular rank?"

"No," Ludwig explained to his sister. "I am the Viscount of Gotting, effectively my father, the Duke of Bavaria’s deputy. A viscount cannot bestow other titular ranks. Therefore, upon becoming the Lord of Berg Village, Aske’s position is equivalent to that of a knight, serving as my vassal, with no right to hereditary rule over his territory."

"If our father accepts him later on, he might grant him a baronetcy, which would make both the title and the territory hereditary," Ludwig winked at his sister, implying, "The key question is whether you’ll marry him or not."

Eleanor furrowed her brow; she understood not only the surface meaning of Ludwig’s explanation but also caught the implied ’acceptance,’ which seemed to have a special significance...

Could it be that her brother had already discovered the Squad Leader was a Transcendent? Eleanor was startled.

If so, then her brother suddenly offering the highly sought-after territory of Berg Village made perfect sense.

With the Squad Leader’s unfathomable and fearsome power, not just any village lordship, but even offering him her brother’s Gotting viscountcy would be completely justifiable for the family!

Does that mean, once our father returns and personally verifies his power, he will offer more favorable terms to fully win over the Squad Leader to our Weisbach family?

If so, being the next most powerful Transcendent after the Squad Leader, wouldn’t I rightfully earn my own territory and title?

"I understand," Eleanor clasped her hands in thought and slowly said, "Aske, I firmly believe father will accept you, so for now, please bear with being the Lord of Berg Village."

"Oh," Aske frowned.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was an underlying message in their conversation. Was it just his imagination?