Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys

Further inside, lie the viscounts' mansions, numbering only five or six, resembling larger and more luxurious villas in small wooden house style.

And at the very center, like stars clustered around the moon, naturally stands Earl Habs Mansion, the land under Lord Rein's feet at this moment, spanning the most extensive area and boasting the greatest luxury.

Within the baron-tier, Lord Rein's gaze slowly swept over and quickly noticed the mansion marked with 'the Crowley family.' Not far from it, roughly three mansions away, there was a white tag indicating a temporarily vacant baron's mansion.

After a moment's thought, Lord Rein pointed to that one and said, "Would this be alright, Lord Henrik?"

"Of course, as long as you like it, my lord Baron."

"Then it's this one!"

"Very well, by the way, Baron Lord Rein, since you don't have an estate yet, shall I register it as the Baron Rein family mansion, if that's alright with you?"

"Of course," Lord Rein nodded.

In the Empire, for male nobles without their own lands, they are generally referred to as 'Lord plus name' or 'barony plus name.' For example, others could call Rein, 'Lord Rein' or 'Baron Rein.'

However, once they have their own land, for instance, if Rein's estate were named 'Normandy,' the formal address would primarily be 'Baron of Normandy.'

Of course, the two previously mentioned forms of address can be used in informal occasions without any issue.

About estates, this aspect was a bit different from Rein's memory of his previous life. In the Dragone Kingdom, titles ranged from duke, marquis, earl, viscount, baron, lord to knight.

Nobles do not receive estates upon their initial ennoblement unless it is through inheritance.

To acquire one's land, one must exchange the corresponding Merit Points. The Empire's aim in doing this was to encourage the noble class to continue serving it.

Also, to strictly limit the nobles' annexation of peasants' lands.

The Empire has strict limitations on the size of territories for all ranks of nobility within the imperial borders. For instance, the maximum land area for an earl within the Empire is one thousand hectares.

Thus, when a particular earl's estate reaches this limit, they can no longer exchange Merit Points for more land.

Count Habs' estate, for instance, includes Habsburg and the northern region of Flashgold Town, and it's said to have reached the upper limit for an earl.

But for an earl, this area isn't considered large, as it doesn't even encompass a small town.

However, to motivate these nobles, the Empire issued the Pioneering Regulation, where Merit Points can be exchanged for pioneering orders of different levels, allowing them to claim large tracts of land outside the imperial territory, as long as they hold a pioneering order.

"Additionally, Baron Lord Rein, every year you will receive 1% of the profits from Elim Mine, obtain exemption from Imperial Public Order Management regulations, so long as it's not murder...." Steward Henrik listed the benefits one by one.

Lord Rein listened and nodded along.

He finally had his own exemption rights!

It was a feeling akin to a serf finally turning over a new leaf.

Moreover, do not underestimate the 1% annual income from Elim Mine; that alone amounted to nearly one thousand imperial gold coins.

"Being a baron grants you a seat automatically in the Meister County noble council...." Steward Henrik continued.

Rein wasn't too interested in these details.

His aim was clear: to acquire resources more conveniently through advancement in imperial office or an increase in noble rank.

These resources included those necessary for advancing further along the paths of wizardry and knighthood that he wished to pursue.

"That's everything. If Baron Lord Rein has any questions, please feel free to inquire at any time," Steward Henrik said.

"Thank you for the information, Lord Henrik."

"By the way, Baron Lord Rein, would you like to inspect your mansion now? In case there are any issues, I can help you make a timely exchange," Henrik inquired.

"Ah... that would be good!" Lord Rein nodded.

It was perfect timing, as Baroness Crowley and Jenny should still be waiting for him in the carriage. Having them help him check over the place couldn't be more appropriate.

...

The group quickly arrived at the baron's mansion Lord Rein had chosen and began to tour the property.

It was a three-story, standalone villa located in the middle of the noble residences, occupying approximately three to four hundred square meters with the main building. The front courtyard spanned over three hundred square meters, and the rear courtyard was a staggering fifteen hundred square meters.

The vast size of the backyard was primarily due to its training grounds and a stable that could accommodate ten horses.

Thus, the total area of the villa was about two thousand square meters.

What Lord Rein valued most was the training grounds in the backyard, similar to the one he saw at the Crowley family's place last time.

It hadn't taken long for him to have his own private training ground, which made him quite happy.

As for the stable, it was quite necessary for Rein at the moment, especially since he was currently feeding growth potions with mutations to his black horse.

Upon the clean and tidy training ground, Lord Rein couldn't help but pull out his Glimmering Greatsword with enthusiasm, performing a set of the Giant Bear Sword Technique.

"Whirlwind Slash!"

"Smooth Cleaving Slash!"

"..."

The bold and resolute movements, coupled with the smooth flow of the technique, dazzled the pair of women watching from the side.

After inspecting the training ground, the group went inside the villa to tour from the first floor up to the third. Lord Rein found that the County Town administration had maintained the estate very well.