The earldom of Glamorgan has been newly established, governing eighteen villages and three towns (Gien, Chinon, and Devon), claiming legal rights over half of the Charlon Forest, as well as legal claims to two villages currently under the control of the fallen Duchy of Belayon, including a vampire stronghold by the Grismore River north of Charlon Forest—Spike Palace.
The earldom can add three baron titles, and Ryan now also possesses ten royal knight slots and eighty ranger knight slots. The allocation of royal knight slots is strictly limited, but for an earl, theoretically, there's no limit to how many ranger knights can be appointed—as long as the finances allow.
The population within the earldom is over fifty-six thousand, making it a rich land.
Ryan began to gradually take over his new territory, with Duke Theodorick of Belayon feeling furious that the king partitioned land that belonged to him to Ryan, but he was powerless—those lands were currently in the hands of Count Tobalo of Estalia, and legally, since the land was lost and could not be reclaimed for a long time, the king had the right to confiscate and revoke titles.
What shocked Theodorick happened.
After hearing about this, Count Tobalo of Estalia voluntarily ordered the abandonment of these two villages, allowing Ryan's men to take over, and withdrew all troops.
The southerners are scared. Over the years, every piece of news about Ryan has shaken the continent, with countless feats and enemies vanquished. Count Tobalo truly feared this Lady's Chosen Champion; having fought against Duke Theodorick for many years and knowing each other's strengths and weaknesses, facing Ryan was something he genuinely wished to avoid.
This guy is too powerful.
Count Tobalo also sent an envoy with Estalia's specialties to Gien, showing goodwill, which Ryan accepted without refusal.
"The vassals of my vassals are not my vassals," goes the saying. The war between Belayon and Estalia was Theodorick's own, unrelated to Ryan. The king could intervene in this war, as could other dukes and Theodorick's own earls, but it had nothing to do with Ryan.
In July, during the midsummer season, at Ryan's earl's castle.
After becoming an earl, Ryan still set his administration in Gien and his baron's castle. The old Glamorgan earl's castle had long vanished within Charlon Forest, reportedly razed to the ground after a brutal siege.
Ryan's stronghold was already as secure as a locked barrel; there was no need to move his administration.
In the morning, the sunlight was already very blinding, and at this time, Ryan was installing a brand-new magical device in the second-floor parlor.
Witch Teresa wore a pearl-colored cinched waist dress, her black hair, shining with a faint luster, tied into a ponytail resting on her full chest. She directed the craftsmen to install this magical device.
Ryan stood by her side, watching the witch work with a hint of pity and an indescribable emotion in his eyes. He spoke softly, "Teresa, feeling better?"
"Much better," Teresa replied, her gaze towards Ryan filled with resentment, her silver eyes full of dissatisfaction: "You only remember me when you need something."
"I visited you every day when you were unconscious, and after you woke up, I still visited you every day, spending at least half an hour with you before leaving. Have you forgotten?" Ryan, dressed in a deep red earl's attire, was tall and handsome. After years of trials, he now carried a very confident and commanding aura.
This is the hero of humanity.
The beautifully decorated parlor, filled with wooden furniture and thick curtains covering all windows, still felt uncomfortably warm, an unavoidable situation.
Castles were never meant to be comfortable living spaces; they're secure but not cozy, cold in winter and hot in summer. If it's winter, one could rely on fireplaces to warm up, and if wealthy enough, like Duke Francois, one could install "underfloor heating" in their castles.
But there's no remedy for summer, except to endure.
Ryan thought of air conditioning. Making an air conditioner wouldn't be difficult in this world of magic technology, given a stable energy supply.
Taking advantage of Witch Teresa's recovery but idleness, Ryan shared his idea with her. Teresa said it was too simple: set up a magic circle, use magic-conducting metals for conduction, input sufficient energy, and the air conditioner would work. The required magic power was minimal; Ryan could power an air conditioner for several days with just a little of his magic.
Thus, many rooms in his castle were equipped with air conditioners, benefiting mostly the dark elf Olica, the earl's personal maid from the cold Naggaroth, who disliked the sweltering weather and often appeared sickly. The air conditioner made Olica feel much better.
"There are twenty-four hours in a day, Ryan." The witch's tone still carried complaints.
"There are only twenty-four hours in a day, Teresa." Ryan retorted. He indeed had abundant energy, but as a newly appointed baron, he indeed had many matters to attend to. Had his troops not smoothly taken over the territory, he might have been even busier.
"My mother wants to send some witch apprentices to your territory for internships, to enhance their spellcasting experience and help build your land. Do you need them?" Teresa activated the magic circle, then eagerly said.
"Of course, I welcome them, but I suggest waiting until you're settled here first." Ryan nodded, pointing to the luxurious wizard's tower outside the window: "Veronica's Dawn Wizard's Tower will be completed by the end of the year. Margarita, the Speaker, has already talked to me. She will send twenty witch apprentices here to train with Veronica, and a new covenant will be signed between me and the Garland Council."
Teresa frowned naturally upon hearing this news, feeling she was a step behind.
She thought this needed to be discussed with her mother thoroughly. Now that Ryan had become a hereditary grand earl, commanding respect, she found herself unsure of how to interact with him: "I'll discuss it with my mother."
In the Old World, there are no more than three hundred earls, placing Ryan at the very tip of the aristocracy's pyramid. Moreover, he's a very powerful Grail Knight, a Chosen Champion.
"Of course, you need to decide on the location for your wizard's tower soon." Ryan nodded.
"Of course, I will build a wizard's tower that won't lose to Veronica's." Teresa said irritably. Before Veronica appeared, she was very close to confirming a relationship with Ryan. Unexpectedly, Veronica had been involved with Ryan for years, always a step behind, which was quite displeasing to the witch.
But Ryan was too outstanding. At twenty-eight, a legendary peak, he rose to an earl by his own efforts. How many in this world could achieve that?
"By the way, it seems a lot of ranger knights have come to Gien recently? I see the inns in town are full." The witch brought up a topic of interest.
"They all want to be ennobled by me, seeking spurs from me." Ryan, with a
faint smile on his handsome face, pointed at the crowd in front of the castle: "Britannia, the land of knights, where every noble's offspring and descendants automatically enter the knightly rank. But dear Teresa, do you know what it really takes to become a knight?"
"Let me think. To become a knight, one must start as a squire, until becoming an apprentice knight, then wait for a noble's ennoblement. So, these knights are all here for your ennoblement?" Teresa said interestedly, taking Ryan's arm.
"In Britannia, there are no apprentice knights. A squire recognized becomes a ranger knight automatically, but there are still differences." Ryan nodded: "Ranger knights can be real or nominal. For example, Lops, Olivier, and others in my territory are real, with positions and salaries. Nominal ranger knights, however, have nothing but a knight title, so..."
"You could've just said vagrant knights and ranger knights, why make it so complicated?" The witch glared at him.
Indeed, after Ryan became an earl, all young, unenfeoffed ranger knights in the knightly kingdom were stirred. Who wouldn't want to campaign under the banner of the Lady's Chosen Champion? Who wouldn't want to charge into battle alongside a Grail Knight?
By the afternoon, the self-nominating ranger knights nearly filled the town, with almost a thousand knights clogging the streets, leading their warhorses, sweating profusely under their chainmail or plate armor in the fierce sunlight, waiting for an opportunity to meet Earl Ryan Makado.
Le Angoulême's "Blue Beast," Bastogne's "Red Dragon," Connet's "Leaping Lion," Lyonesse's "Red Lion," Bordeleaux's "Poseidon's Trident," Winfort's "Pure White Pegasus," Belayon's "Battle Axe," Carcassonne's "Red and Blue Sword," Montfort's "White Castle," Parravon's "Yellow Pegasus," Gisoreux's "White Stag."
Today's Gien was practically hosting a Britannian family crest exhibition. These ranger knights had to meet Ryan in turn, undergoing martial and cultural examinations. The outstanding ones would receive a "probation period" of three months to a year. If they performed well during this period, they would officially become Ryan's ranger knights.
Many ranger knights also eyed Ryan's royal knight slots. For ranger knights to advance to royal knights was a hurdle; royal knights meant owning one's lands.
Ryan thought it felt like holding imperial examinations.
The few ranger knights who followed Ryan were all promoted to royal knights. The five royal knights were Anglaron, Armand, Lops, Olivier, and Hex. Ryan still had five royal knight slots left, waiting to be filled.
Ennobling a royal knight meant losing a directly governed village. Currently, Ryan controlled fifteen such villages.
The newly appointed Earl embarked on the painful process of selecting ranger knights.
Meanwhile, in the castle's guest room, Knight Sulia was having afternoon tea with her maid Sylvia.
Sulia, wearing a deep, jewel-toned, sleeveless, elegant dress, her long golden hair draped over the chair back, exuded a regal and elegant demeanor. She lifted her teacup, smiling, "It seems quite lively outside."
"Yes, miss. This time, it's said that over eight hundred knights have come, all wishing to be ennobled by Lord Ryan and fight alongside him," maid Sylvia, wearing a colorful pleated dress, her golden hair tied behind her head, shared recent amusing news: "It's said many ranger knights are inquiring everywhere about where Lord Ryan usually appears in town, which pub he prefers, and what he drinks, then they follow suit. Many pubs have sold out."
"Normal. Wasn't my father the same? After completing the Grail Quest and returning to the duchy, he liked to fish by the river. The next year, several ranger knights drowned trying to emulate him. In winter, he liked to wander near Helen Hild in the early morning, and soon after, ranger knights started to form groups for early morning strolls to 'accidentally' meet him," Sulia chuckled.
The status of a Grail Knight in the nation is such that their every action is emulated by many, who know the what but not the why. But that doesn't stop everyone from mimicking the Grail Knight's actions, as it might bring them closer to the Grail.
"Speaking of which, Lord Ryan is really amazing. He's already an earl. Miss, you're so fortunate to love and match someone who is also the Lady's Chosen Champion," Sylvia solemnly said: "Lord Ryan's future is boundless."
"Constant competition, so much pressure." Sulia was also satisfied with this marriage arrangement, but she whispered, "No choice. To satisfy me and ensure equal status, competition is inevitable. If there's no competition, either I'm not satisfied, or the status is unequal. That's why most of us ducal daughters end up in unhappy marriages. I'm really lucky."
"Miss, what are you worried about? Emilia and that dark elf Olica are just maids. The witches from the Garland Council can't compete with you by nature. Just give them a lady-in-waiting title," Sylvia said dismissively.
"...Never mind, you wouldn't understand." Sulia looked thoughtfully upstairs.
For now, the knight indeed seemed unbeatable, but she always felt a bit uneasy, suspecting someone behind the scenes was manipulating her and Ryan's marriage.
...
The selection of ranger knights took a full three days, with Ryan choosing sixty among the cream of the crop from various duchies. These ranger knights would form the earl's knightly force.
Just as he finished recruiting the ranger knights, Ryan received another piece of good news.
Veronica's Wizard Tower was completed ahead of schedule.
Update! The protagonist is finally an earl! Please vote!
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