Low-Fantasy Occultist Isekai

Silence filled the hall following the proclamation. About a hundred people were present, from the Crowley family at the center to clerks, soldiers, and a few curious townspeople who had noticed the commotion and slipped in.

There was no real protocol for meeting the King's Shadows. They weren't supposed to appear in public, after all, and even when they did, they typically conducted their business and left without interacting with anyone beyond what was absolutely necessary.

This, the recognition of a Prestige, was the only exception—the one time the Shadows came into the light.

There was something solemn about the way the dangerous man stepped until he stood before Eugene. He was not here as a powerful warrior in his own right, but as a physical extension of the King's will.

"Eugene Crowley," his voice rumbled through the Town Hall, and Nick wasn't surprised that people outside heard it too. The entirety of Floria stilled, realizing something momentous was happening. "His Majesty has seen your efforts, your struggles to protect His land from the depredations of monster hordes and fae courts alike. He has seen your dedication to your people, your willingness to put yourself and your progeny at risk if it meant following your duty."

No one dared to speak, but Nick could see awe and respect coloring the room. He didn't even need [Empyrean Intuition] to notice it; the emotion was so evident.

Floria hardly ever received Royal attention. To witness an agent of the crown recognize their lord as commendable and deserving filled everyone with a sense of pride.

I imagine that's part of the carrot. By making a spectacle out of this, he's solidifying Dad's authority over the town. The stick will come soon.

Nick couldn't help but wonder what Marthas thought of this. He hadn't shown up in the days since Eugene's rank-up, and now, with the confirmation of the Crowleys' rule, he risked losing the influence he had over Floria.

But then again, temporal power had never been his goal. Marthas was wise enough to know when to push and when to give.

"Your defeat of a Prestige-tier Ice Elemental protected the kingdom's western border and proved that you are among the most stalwart of His Majesty's nobility." Now he's really hamming it up; that probably means something big is coming.

Indeed, the entire chamber was holding its breath. Even without sensory techniques, they knew they were nearing the climax, and that the Shadow wouldn't offer such praise without a good reason.

"It is with this in mind that I am here today to confer upon you the title of Baron, according to His edict. You bowed as a Captain; you may now rise as a true noble."

The silence was deafening. Nick snapped his mouth shut, barely aware that it had fallen open.

A Baron? He's making us into an actual noble house?!

Eugene didn't show any signs of surprise; his face remained entirely impassive. He slowly rose to his full height, towering over everyone else who was still kneeling, not having been given permission to rise.

"I accept His Majesty's will!" He replied firmly, and Nick noticed the faintest hint of a sardonic smile cross the Shadow's features.

Yeah, not like he could've done anything else. But a Baron… This has to be a trap, right? Being a Captain meant little more than being in charge of the local militia and holding some responsibility over the trade routes. A Baron can impose taxes, raise a levy beyond what is strictly necessary, and has a much larger territory to oversee…

That, Nick realized, was probably the true reason for the promotion. Berea's western flank had a scarcity of noble houses that could be called upon in an emergency.

The Crowleys weren't the only minor nobility around, but they were the most accomplished and, with Eugene's rise, the most powerful.

And the kingdom was currently experiencing a resurgence in activity, both monster-related and otherwise, in the mountainous north, which would inevitably cause problems throughout the grassland.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Some of that would be managed by the Duke of Alluria, who controlled a significant portion of the area, but he didn't reach everywhere and likely refused to intervene beyond his borders without extracting some form of concession.

So, how could the King ensure that someone would watch over the sparsely populated land of the northwestern grassland without having to lower himself by negotiating with his own nobles? Simple: raise a new Baron and give him command over the problematic province.

This also helped explain why they hadn't been promoted during his grandfather's reign as Captain of Floria. He, too, had been a Prestige warrior, but Nick hadn't heard anything about a possible promotion.

No, the King was hitting three birds with one stone. He was rewarding Eugene for his achievement, addressing a wayward province he couldn't justify deploying more forces to protect, and securing the undying loyalty of a new noble house, one that was born from an exiled scion and would not have been given the same chance in other times.

It was truly genius.

"Then be known to the world as Baron Eugene Crowley, warden of His Majesty's westernmost lands that stretch from the far reaches of the Shearing Mountains' foothills to the last villages before the Sunland, and from the great forest to the first river of the grassland." The Shadow proclaimed, and just like that, House Crowley had become one of the largest among the minor nobles.

Counts, Dukes, and Marquises controlled more land, but among the Barons, only a few could claim larger estates.

It was a massive increase in prestige and wealth, but it also brought along numerous responsibilities. Chief among them was the need to address the situation in the north, where the Royal Army continued to struggle against the dark dwarves and waves of monsters.

The Shadow didn't stay for long after that. He gestured for everyone to rise, handed Eugene a scroll of vellum that glowed a faint gold and was embossed with the sigil of the royal house—a golden crown on a field of purple—and then departed.

One moment, he was there; the next, he was gone. Such a dramatic exit. I guess he has to get his kicks somehow.

Eventually, people began milling about, shifting from stunned joy to murmured speculations about what it all might mean.

Floria had become a major center with the stroke of a pen, and while no one said that Eugene had to allocate the taxes he'd collect from the new land to the community, simply passively enjoying the benefits of hosting a Baronial house would greatly boost local commerce.

The man of the hour himself was busy discussing strategic matters with Elena and Darien, and fortunately, everyone had the good sense not to interrupt him. "We need to send out riders to all the villages. I want the local Chiefs and both Sir Poules and Sir Quack to recognize my authority within a day. After that, we can begin to consider the central organization of the militias. We don't have much time, and I doubt things are going well up north if this was necessary."

Darien nodded curtly. "I will send our best horsemen. Just draft the letter and they will leave within the hour."

"Don't forget that we need to readjust our calculations for the tax season. Everything was based on our old rate, but if I'm not mistaken, Baronies have a different system," Elena added.

After a moment, Eugene nodded. "Have the clerks start running the number, and if they can't, we'll have to get an expert from Alluria."

His gaze then moved to Nick, who was skillfully pretending to be engaged in a guard's explanation about an updated version of [Thrust] he had been testing and how much everyone wanted him to come train with the militia more frequently. He motioned for Nick to come over.

"Ah, sorry, my father needs me," he said with an apologetic smile. Before the young man even realized what that meant, he vanished, gliding through the crowd effortlessly.

"What is it?" He asked, as if he didn't already know what they'd been talking about.

Eugene gave him an amused look, "Are you caught up?"

Nick nodded, making no effort to conceal his actions.

"Alright, as you can imagine, we need to get every local leader to acknowledge the change and to swear loyalty." Eugene began, "I don't expect trouble from the village Chiefs; they will likely be happy to have someone who is not the crown to bring their complaints to. But there are two Captains who govern Oakenhallow and Honeyton who need a more direct hand."

He raised a hand to forestall the question on Nick's lips, who fell silent. "They won't reject it. I believe the Royal Clerks should have sent out an official document to both of them by now, so they can't exactly contest my overall command, but the specifics of our relationship will be defined in the coming days."

"So you want me to act as the muscle?" Nick finally asked. He didn't mind much, since it meant visiting the two southern trading towns he wouldn't have bothered to see otherwise, but he wanted to know what his role would involve first.

Eugene clicked his tongue. "Ideally, you would only need to be there to show some respect. I can't go, both because I will be terribly busy in the coming days, and because it's just not done. But sending my second son should show them I haven't gone crazy with power and make it so they can't ignore my summons. Had it only been a runner, they would have been able to say he'd gotten lost or that he'd taken his time, and it'd be the man's word against theirs. This way, they will have to come. But I expect you will face some resistance."

Nick nodded, grasping the subtext. Sir Poules and Sir Quack had been his father's equals in title, though not in personal power, until that morning.

The way they reacted to his presence, how quickly they mobilized, and the whispers exchanged among their people—all of that was something he was uniquely suited to discover.

Nick had no intention of changing his plans for the future. He would be leaving Floria, preferably within the month, but that didn't mean he couldn't help his family get established while he was still around.

Poor Devon. He set off with dreams of becoming a great knight, unbound by the rules, as he did everything to protect his community, only to end up as a noble heir, burdened with all the responsibilities that entails. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Dad recalls him sooner once I leave.

That was a conversation for later. He glanced at Dorian and his mother to see if they had anything to add, and the gruff soldier grunted. "Poules is a good man, I doubt he'll give you too much grief, though he might drag his feet a bit to show that he won't be too subservient, but Quack is a right bastard and will need watching."

Elena's lips twisted, but she nodded. "Sir Quack is a strong knight. I believe he once participated in tournaments and duels all around Berea, before his father passed away and he was recalled. He is the most likely to resist this change, as he's always seen us as far too rustic for his taste."

Nick opened his mouth to object to that characterization before closing it. Despite being technically nobles, the Crowleys had no official attendants, no house worthy of being called an ancestral seat, and even struggled to maintain control of their own town.

Hell, they had just recently gotten a real bathhouse, instead of a wooden outhouse.

Well, all that may be true, but we have a Prestige warrior now. And I really want to see how these knights will handle me.