Ch. 6: Ennoblement
Konrad not only survived the beating, but somehow he'd even become nobility.
And once the healers left, he resembled a mummy, too. Still, whether they wrapped him in bandages or used salves, every inch of his body throbbed with pain.
He wouldn't even notice when that tribal girl healed him.
And that was after talons ripped his lungs open, not some lazy guards' bullying. Now he smelled like menthol, and that was it, zero relief.
Only watching the spearmen get punished made him feel a little better.
Their captain arranged a room, cutting no corners on his treatment. And yet, the difference was day and night, and not because of how gorgeous Lily was—
No. Magic was superior to everything in this world. And rare.
He wanted it so bad, and now that they misidentified him as a noble—
"My Lord, the Duke of Aset, Lord Schwertburg has arrived, wishing to apologize in person."
He was so, so dead.
The duke carried a ceremonial falchion the size of Konrad's thighs. And from his attitude, it was clear he wouldn't take his sudden ennoblement lying down.
"Captain Vargas, are you bringing aristocrats back from the dead now?!"
He was almost seven feet tall and terrifying.
"Your Highness, I'm aware of the Halstadts' demise," the captain shielded him on the bed, where he trembled. A head shorter than the duke, he still wouldn't budge.
But if his stupidity got Konrad executed—
"I fought in the battle claiming Lord Erwin's life," Vargas dropped to one knee. "But even if the Halstadts lost their title, we should not offend Kasserlane's noble houses."
Hold the hell on. Did this man know his family? Or, was it even his family in the first place?
"What supports his claim?" the duke demanded.
Claim? Konrad didn't say a damn thing. Which, in a sense, was his fault. He should've told the captain he was wrong before things escalated.
"Does he even know of his so-called father's exploits?"
Well, at least that was easy.
"You mean keeping the mountain tribes in line?" Konrad spoke before thinking, and "My Lord" was a mere afterthought. It almost got his head chopped off right away.
"Halstadt was a powerful rival. I have nothing but respect for him," the duke rasped, the light glinting on his blade. "And that's why any impostor will pay with their lives."
Yep, execution was most likely. Rivals?! Apologizing could've been an option, but—
"With all due respect, My Lord, but stop offending the boy, and let him prove his identity."
As much as he was thankful to Vargas, he wanted to strangle him so bad.
"Fine. He has the triad, but that's easy to fake," the duke sneered. "Does he even know his family's history? Who did Erwin sign his famous pact with?"
Konrad hickupped, but it might have sounded like a scoff. How the hell would he know?
It was some tribal high chieftain, but peddlers were so terrified of them, they'd never even name one. And seeing the duke's eyes narrow, he realized he had screwed it up. Again.
He took a deep breath to think about his choices.
He had none. The only way out was to double down and lie his way out with confidence.
"My Lord, please don't insult me with simple questions like this." He couldn't hide his trembling, though. "Every villager knows the answer."
Well, he didn't, but the duke didn't have to know.
"I tell you something much more convincing." He offered his sheathed sword. "This blade was a gift to my house from a tribal blacksmith, Welf. And I have ties to the sorceress Liliana."
Okay, he only wished he had ties to her, but—
"Y-you've met Lilith?!" a girl shrieked, and he didn't even realize she was there until now. Her flowing blue dress only appeared when she stepped out from the huge man's shadow.
Her skin was pale like porcelain, her face delicate, her hair darker than black and—
She was somehow familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"Gabby, don't get too excited." The duke's artificial-sweet voice sounded sickening. "I can't have you lying in your bed sick for another week."
It was Konrad's turn to go pale. "Gabby, as in—Gabrielle?"
The dream came back sharp in his memories, complete with Lu's face and—
Hold on. Wasn't she Lu? Like, a female version, of course, and without the wings, and—
"How dare you address my daughter?" the duke demanded, his sword lifting off the ground.
It was his daughter?! And why exactly did he have to avoid—
"Father, please," the girl grabbed his arm, then whispered something only he could hear.
The man sighed, then patted her head.
"Show me that sword to verify," he ordered, and the guards borrowed Konrad's blade. They whispered for a long time before the next question. "Do you know Maou Midori, too?"
This damned name again. Konrad let out a frustrated sigh before he could stop himself.
"That's a children's story from the far east, what does it have to do with anything?"
The girl prevented another outburst, then bowed towards him.
"Sorry, Ser Konrad, we were testing your honesty," she said, voice so soft he had to concentrate on every word. "I understand they call you the Prodigy of Haiten, right?"
"I, um," he couldn't help but blush, "some peddlers do."
She was not a minute older than the boy, but she seemed so fragile and delicate. Graceful.
And resembled his guardian so much that he could cry.
"And what brought you to Aset?" she asked with a smile, even adding, "My Lord?"
Was this still part of the interrogation? Did they accept his nobility now?
"I am, uh, here to learn magic from the Green Mage," he stated, anchoring lies in truth. "It has been long arranged, but I wanted to earn his respect without flaunting my heritage."
Because he never had any to begin with, but this might've defused the situation.
"I can give you a letter of introduction for your troubles," the duke's tone became much more measured. What happened? "You'll find him in Eytjangard village, but we can't escort you."
Did namedropping the Green Mage make him almost faint?
He had a way to test that.
"When the guards assaulted me," he started, unsure if he should press his luck. "They mistook me for a thief who stole something. And he dared to lie that he was the Mage's apprentice."
If that wizard was so scary, and they accepted his nobility, he wanted his crystal—
"I'm afraid that wasn't a lie, Lord Konrad." Vargas cleared his throat, catching him off guard.
The duke nodded, too, hands so tight on his sword that his knuckles went white.
"That bastard Zoltan?" he asked, lips twitching. His daughter grabbed his arm to calm him down. "He's indeed the Green Mage's only learner, making life in my town miserable."
Huh? He was? And he even made that part up.
"We have a warrant against him," Vargas added, "but we can ill afford to anger the Mage."
Okay, so that guy was that scary. He took a mental note of that.
"As for your claim," the duke sent his sword back. "I'll write an official letter to the king, and he'll clarify it himself. If you speak the truth, he might give you your family's titles back."
Wait, no. Did they have to involve half the kingdom?
Although if he could gain lands from this—
"And if they're unfounded, expect the Royal Executioners."
Oh. He was so screwed.