Nobility Title Secured

Nobility Title Secured

Gathering thirty gold coins too quickly would make Father Vic feel that he had asked for too little, making him likely to raise the price at the last minute.

Too late,

and he might lose the nobility title.

The timing had to be handled carefully.

After enduring two difficult days, Karl's "devotion" finally earned Father Vic's approval, and he agreed to bestow his blessing.

In this world, where powers beyond ordinary humans existed, only those blessed by the gods could become true nobles.

As for the ritual, inheritance was far less complicated than a knighting ceremony, but it still required bathing, changing clothes, worship, and prayer.

The entire process took one to two days.

Karl wore a white shirt and red robe, placing his weapons and soft armor upon the altar as he held the scriptures and swore an oath.

"I, Karl Bergman, swear before the holy statue of the great Lord of Dawn that I shall uphold loyalty and honor for the rest of my life..."

"As a noble, I shall treat the weak kindly, bravely oppose tyranny, and fight for those without weapons..."

"Baron Karl."

At the church entrance, a blonde woman nodded at Karl as he emerged from the completed ritual.

"Congratulations."

"Officer Dina." Karl stopped, surprise in his voice. "Why are you here?"

The woman before him had sharply defined features and a tall figure. A sheathed longsword hung at her waist, while her shoulder-length blonde hair curled naturally upward.

Her long pants clung to her slender legs, and her leather top perfectly traced the curves of her body, giving her a wild sort of beauty.

Dina Jaeger, South City Patrol Chief, Viscount Sassoon's third daughter, and Karl's immediate superior.

The two were not familiar with each other.

The young and beautiful woman took something from behind her back and handed it over.

"A gift."

"Thank you."

Karl bowed in thanks and accepted it.

It was a Gentleman's Cane, made of fragrant paulownia wood and decorated with silver. It was elegantly shaped and felt excellent in the hand.

"How could a nobleman not have a cane at his side?" Dina said with a light laugh. "I happened to have something to deal with nearby, so I came to take a look."

"Something to deal with?" Karl tapped the ground lightly with the cane and did not stand on ceremony. She clearly did not care about this little expense. "Do you need help?"

"No, you're still on vacation." Dina turned around with her hands behind her back. "Two commoners died last night. Someone said vampires did it, so I had no choice but to make a trip."

"Vampires?" Karl's expression changed. "Is that true?"

"Of course it's false!" Dina laughed. "It's hard to say whether vampires even exist in this world, but the victims' blood was indeed drained dry."

"Hmm..."

"Though it's a little strange, we can leave it to the constables."

Karl nodded.

They were patrol officers. Unless a case involved nobles or had a major impact, they would not intervene personally.

Routine peacekeeping and the capture of fugitives were handled by constables.

That was the difference between officers and constables.

"Karl."

As they walked, Dina spoke.

"Do you remember that I have a cousin named Martha?"

"Martha?"

A scene from a banquet flashed through Karl's mind. There had been a young, cheerful girl there.

"I remember."

"She isn't married yet." Dina glanced at Karl. "She's not much younger than you. Would you like to get to know her?"

"This..." Karl hesitated. "I don't want to get married so early, and looking like this, I'm afraid I might scare people."

As he spoke, he touched the scar on his face.

"Being handsome isn't much use to a man," Dina said. "Now that you're a noble, plenty of women would be willing to marry you and even bring wealth with them."

Karl said nothing.

He had no objection to living off a woman, but he was not used to having that sort of life forced upon him.

Before he became a baron, she had never mentioned this. Bringing it up now was nothing more than an interest in his nobility title.

Just like Uncle Gejier.

"If a family wants to prosper, one person alone is not enough." Dina continued, "The reason our Jaeger Family has reached its current position is because we have enough children and enough influence from our bloodline."

"Yes."

Karl nodded, then suddenly said, "It seems Officer Dina hasn't settled on a fiancé either?"

Damn!

The moment the words left his mouth, regret filled him. This woman was not someone he could casually tease, but it was obviously too late to realize that now.

"Hmm?"

Dina's face darkened, and she stopped walking. An invisible pressure descended over the area.

Her immense life force felt almost tangible, making Karl's breathing hitch.

A Knight Squire!

He had heard that she was already a peak-level Knight Squire and could become an Official Knight at any time. It seemed to be true.

The error-free version could be found on Yiyi.

The blonde beauty before him was not weak in the slightest. If they fought, even three of him might not be her match.

Karl had trained since childhood, true enough, but his physique was ultimately still within the bounds of an ordinary person's.

Facing a peak Knight Squire was like a mouse encountering a cat. The life force of a higher-level being carried an instinctive threat of life and death to him.

"Officer."

Karl swallowed.

"I just remembered that I still have matters to attend to at home. May I leave first?"

"..." Dina remained expressionless and gave a soft hum through her nose. Karl immediately hurried away.

"This guy..."

Watching Karl's retreating back, Dina's eyes revealed a trace of surprise as she muttered thoughtfully, "Has his personality changed from before?"

The old Karl had been reckless and prone to shouting at the slightest provocation. Though his behavior just now had been somewhat disrespectful, he had been far more cautious.

She rubbed her chin and lightly shook her head, no longer thinking about it. It was common enough for someone's personality to change drastically after experiencing a life-and-death crisis.

After returning home, Jenny was singing as usual, and her voice sounded even better than it had a few days ago.

She truly had a talent for singing.

Bang!

Karl threw himself heavily onto the bed, interlacing his fingers as he stared at the ceiling. He looked as though he were spacing out, but his thoughts raced.

"Having a noble identity really is much more convenient. Even Officer Dina has taken the initiative to play matchmaker."

"But what I want isn't money!"

If he wanted money and a respectable life, then marrying a wealthy merchant's daughter would undoubtedly be the best choice.

With the status of a baron, that would not be difficult.

But Karl did not lack money.

Well,

at least not for now. He probably would not lack it in the future either.

Though the other world was somewhat dangerous, acquiring a certain amount of wealth there was still quite easy.

"What I want is a Breathing Technique!"

As far as he knew, most Breathing Techniques were controlled by The Church, while some were passed down among great nobles and knights.

Very few had spread beyond them.

Obtaining one was even more difficult. Even some noble families with centuries of inheritance did not possess a Breathing Technique.

"Compared to this place, it will be easier to get a Breathing Technique in the other world. At least there, I have a chance to buy one with money."

Several days later.

Karl drew back the curtains and looked up at the full moon in the sky.

"Lord of Dawn, bless me..."

He closed the curtains, gathered all the items he had prepared into his arms, shut his eyes, and arrived at that mysterious place.

Passing through the mysterious place, Karl carried his supplies and once more arrived in the other world.

This time,

that bone-deep chill did not appear.

"On the Day of the Burning Moon, the fog dissipates, Undead Creatures do not dare show themselves, and Black City becomes safer."

(End of Chapter)