Ryan's face darkened at Black's answer.
Indeed, it was precisely because of Ryan's Frozen Earth Territory that he had sought him out.
As long as he pledged himself to Ryan, he would only need to give the young man a sum of money every year. He could also continue controlling his own territory under Ryan's name. One was in the far north, while the other was in wealthy Silver Stream County. After struggling in Northwind Province for over a decade, could he not handle some brat?
As for the possibility that the fall of a fifth-rank noble would cause knights to lose their noble status as well, Black was not worried. He had his own sources of information.
Ryan came from the Count Clayton Family, and after that Count had recently returned to the Empire, he had sent over everything that had originally belonged to this Baron. It was clear that the relationship between Ryan and Clayton was not as tense as the rumors claimed.
With the Count Clayton Family behind him, Baron Ryan's status would be difficult for the Empire to erase, even after Ryan's death.
That way, Black could safely become a knight and then gradually scheme his way into becoming a fifth-rank noble.
Deep down, Black did not consider knights to be nobles at all. In his view, it was merely a fig leaf for the Empire and the nobles of the South.
He had to become a Baron in order to safeguard his family's wealth.
But who could have imagined that a brat would refuse a territory capable of bringing in over ten thousand Gold Coins every year?
The thought made Black furious, because there was no Baron better suited for him to pledge himself to than Ryan.
Over the next few days, before Count