There's no such thing as a free lunch.
No matter what the newly ascended Tsar Nicholas II was thinking, this widely recognized underachiever was not the type to whimsically bestow a title of nobility on a foreign businessman. Even if the new Tsar suffered from a bout of adolescent fantasy, Great Elder Vite would not follow suit in folly.
Increasing rank and title was generally a reward for meritorious service or, at times, a transaction—known as the sordid business of "selling offices and titles."
Since it was a matter of business, and the other party had offered the price of a "Count" — albeit in name only, the title conferred by a legitimate state still carried some weight — the next step was to find out how much the Duchy wished to gain from the consortium.
Money? Technology? Intelligence? Or, like Albion, did they want us to hurry up and arm for independence struggles to alleviate some pressure on the Duchy?
