From what he remembered of his previous life, Marshal Ikenroga seemed like a true career soldier. Even though he was related to King Sulluka, more or less, he hadn't directly involved himself in the struggle for the throne.
During the civil war, he had traveled far and wide, working to keep the Imperial Guard fleets stationed along the borders out of the conflict. He had done his utmost to maintain stability at the Empire's frontiers and prevent the loss of its main fighting forces.
Brunhild seemed to appreciate his selfless devotion to the public good. After ascending the throne, she hadn't lost faith in him just because he'd refused to take sides. In fact, he had soon risen above the many brilliant generals serving under the Empress to take the helm of the Grand Marshal's Office, and later entered the Privy Council as a matter of course.
In his later years, he had even received a hereditary countship.
It was worth remembering that the Empire had plenty of nobles. Even nonhuman alien species who had rendered exceptional service could receive an annual stipend from the College of Heraldry. Under extreme circumstances, a human general might even bow to a noble starfish. But the bar for hereditary nobility was another matter entirely.
In Yu Lian's view, the thing the Empire's rulers throughout the ages had loved most wasn't expanding their borders and competing for dominance over the universe. It was kicking every class in the Empire equally. For the military aristocracy, that meant constantly finding ways to reduce nobles' fiefs and stipends.
The Empire's supreme rulers probably believed that was the only way to ensure social mobility and preserve the Empire's vitality to the greatest extent possible.
Seen in that light, the value of a newly granted hereditary title was obvious.