The nobles looked down on Simon for being born a commoner, but Derek was a true-blue Northland noble.
There were certainly people jealous of Derek, but he had earned his title through military merit—the most prestigious path to ennoblement.
So there were even more people who admired him.
Some knights born into noble families even saw Derek as a model for rising against the odds.
After all, Baron Augusta's Fief was enough to ensure that the family name would endure for generations.
Especially after they had repelled the Holy Cross Kingdom's first counterattack, that possibility had risen sharply, to the point where it could no longer be ignored.
Even if Saint Myra Province were to fall one day and return to the Holy Cross Kingdom's hands, the Augusta name would not easily die out.
For most nobles in this world, that was the ultimate goal of a lifetime's struggle.
Of course, Derek now had another halo around him—the son-in-law of the Perella Family.
Add to that the goodwill of the new Count Jefferies, and the entire circle of Northland Nobles had completely opened itself to Derek.
Layer upon layer of prestige surrounded him. That was Derek's public image.
The Northland Nobles were willing to associate with him and give him face.
Caravans flying Derek's banner could travel freely between the Northern Province and Saint Myra Province, and even pay far less in tolls.
Businesses under Derek's name could openly operate in any city across the two provinces without fear of being sanctioned by local powers.
At the very least, across these two provinces with a population of two million, Derek's name carried weight everywhere.
This was what he sought: a new beginning, a larger market, more resources, all of which could rapidly expand his power.
So when Count Perella saw