An Unexpected Baron Hatton

An Unexpected Baron Hatton

Nobles of merit were, by definition, lords of the five ranks—duke, marquis, count, viscount, and baron—who had rendered outstanding service during the Empire's founding and development.

In other words, both grand dukes and barons could be called nobles of merit, and their descendants were born a cut above others.

Moreover, nobles themselves were often among the extraordinary, or rather, they controlled the vast majority of paths to becoming extraordinary. That was why this rigid hierarchy had never changed.

The Empire's baronets, meanwhile, were a rank below barons but above commoners and knights.

Baronets did not belong to the noble titles, but since they stood wholly above commoners, they were still considered part of the nobility. Even if they were the lowest tier of nobles, they were still nobles.

Baronets had no lands of their own, no subjects of their own, and even had to pay taxes to the Empire.

That was the greatest difference between baronets and the five ranks of nobility. Even the most impoverished Baronial Territory belonged entirely to its baronial lord.

So why had they created the title of baronet?

The Empire's stated reason was that, in the name of the Lord of Dawn, it hoped the continent's nobles would bravely expand their territories and emulate their forebears in earning glory.

The reason sounded commendable, even entirely reasonable. It occupied the moral high ground.

But Ryan thought it was bullshit.

It would have been one thing if this applied only within the Empire, but the Baronet System was meant to be implemented among all nobles across the entire continent.

With that in mind, Ryan detected the scent of political struggle beneath those grandiose words.

In the end, it all traced back to the War of the Deities Across Planes.

Humanity now huddled in the southern third of the Norris Continent.

The War of the Deities had ended, but the disasters continued.

Anyone with common sense knew what sort of people had the greatest chance of surviving when disaster struck.

Those with strength and power stood at the peak of survival. Even the disaster of Fierce Winter could not necessarily freeze them to death.

Thus, many nobles had moved south into this remaining third of the land. There were empires, kingdoms, scattered duchies, and territories belonging to nobles great and small.

The disasters had taken away thirty percent of the nobles once found on the Norris Continent, but the remaining seventy percent had been crammed into land that was only a third of what it had once been.

After years of development, too many nobles had gathered within this third of the continent.

Everyone understood that the number of nobles could not remain fixed. In fact, with no one wanting war after the disasters, the number of nobles was increasing.

Yet there was one fatal problem.

An increase in nobles required more territory.

A baron needed at least a village- or town-level territory. Its size could vary, but the territory had to exist.

Yet humanity could now occupy only a third of its former land. It could hardly be called vast and sparsely populated.

Under the threat of the orcs, territories were even lost every year.

Why had Grand Duke Mayers launched an expedition to Northwind Province back then? Why were the nobles of Northwind Province still leaving their homes despite having inherited their lands for generations?

There was only one reason: in the struggle over southern territories, all their domains had grown smaller and their wealth had dwindled.

The addition of Northwind Province had at least eased a considerable portion of the disputes and bloodshed caused by the emergence of so many new nobles.

Take Ryan, for example. If Ryan's barony had been in the South, where would they have carved out land for him? It could only have come from someone else's bowl.

And because of that, Ryan, who had taken a share of someone else's interests, would inevitably have enemies of his own.

This was not the first time such a problem had arisen. The Empire strictly forbade nobles from killing one another in any form. After all, every prohibition existed for a reason.

Conflicts had erupted before, and quite a few nobles had died. But nobles were all connected by blood or marriage. One careless move could lead to war between two nations.

If Ryan died in Frozen Earth Territory, would the Count Clayton Family simply ignore it? What followed would involve far more than the death of a single baron.

In short, there was not enough territory to distribute among the new nobles.

Yet nobles, especially great nobles, had an essential need for more noble titles.

After all, a great noble had only one title to pass down. If they could not expand the source, some melodramatic struggle would eventually break out. No great noble wished to see his descendants slaughter one another.

So what could be done?

Now, a solution had emerged: grant noble status, but not land.

What title could they grant? Baron? Viscount? That was obviously impossible, so they could only create a new title.

Thus, the baronet was born.

Hearing Ryan's question, Haton sat up slightly straighter and raised a hand with an unusually serious expression. Only then did Ryan notice the emerald ring on Haton's finger. Set into it was a ruby, within which a warhorse rearing on its hind legs had been carved.

"Baron Ryan, please address me as Baron Divine Steed. From now on, my territory shall be called Divine Steed Territory."

Haton lifted his chin at Ryan, then suddenly began to laugh.

"Ryan, honestly, you should have a baronial crest of your own too."

"Once the Baronet System is implemented, every noble will have the right to grant baronetcies. That means even barons like us will rise another rank in status."

"And what is the most important part? From now on, it will be hundreds of times harder for others to become barons than before."

"Our status will become unshakable."

"Most, most, most importantly, remember Walter? That fellow's son has appeared, but with the Baronet System in place, that Walter brat will have little chance of becoming a baron like us."

"At future balls in Zero Crossing City, we barons can finally hold our heads high."

The more Haton spoke, the louder he laughed. Ryan, meanwhile, looked at Baron Divine Steed in surprise.

Although Haton seemed to have accomplished nothing in any regard, his political sensitivity surprised Ryan. Ryan had thought Haton would fail to see the truth behind this matter and become enraged over the creation of more nobles.

Seeing Ryan's expression, Haton assumed the boy had not caught on yet and could not help saying,

"Ryan, you need to understand that this is a good thing for nobles like us, who already possess noble titles and territories. In the future, there may only be fewer barons, not more."

"With fewer of us, our status, rights, and wealth will all rise."

"Baronets exist by relying on us nobles of the five ranks. We have the authority to appoint baronets, and once we fall, those baronets will lose their titles as well. In that case, do you think the baronets attached to us will not do everything possible to protect our families?"

"And most importantly, Ryan, you need to understand that this system was devised by the imperial royal family, the great nobles, and those great nobles of the South."

"Our interests align with theirs in major matters. Do you think the rules they establish would harm themselves?"

"Since that is impossible, the noble system they create must benefit them. And if it benefits them, it will inevitably benefit us as well."