Volume II: The Iron-Blooded Baron Chapter 123: Thieves from the Sea (Part 9)

After hearing Huck’s words, Berion nodded with a bitter smile. Huck then asked, "My Lord, although you handled yourself perfectly in front of them, I feel that you are still in great pain inside, aren't you?"

Berion’s gaze turned piercing as he stared at him for a long time. Letting out a long sigh, he replied, "Some people are unscrupulous for the sake of power, while others are unscrupulous for the sake of survival. I am merely the latter, doing nothing more than ensuring that those around me can survive well."

Having said this, Berion smiled at Huck and continued, "As for pain, everyone has some painful matters in their hearts. Compared to joy, pain is always so persistent, like the patient movement of a snail, while joy is very fleeting, like a hare’s tail brushing across an autumn field."

Bran repeated Berion’s words under his breath, then slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "My Lord, that is so philosophical! I must write it down in a moment, and when we return to Norlandenburg, I will have Brother Drew include it when he composes his long poems."

Berion kicked him and laughed, "Get lost!"

Bran chuckled, "My Lord, you are truly amazing. I really admire you; I can learn so much from following you."

"Scram!" Berion scolded. "You little brat, when we get back, have my formal attire ready for tomorrow. If there is even the slightest mistake, you’ll be off to move bricks at the Liano construction site for a month."

"Ouch!" Bran pulled a miserable face. "My Lord, isn't that too unfair? Why do you always make me do these chores?"

Berion patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Because you aren't clever and you don't study diligently. You must strive to learn and improve. Once you grow and become capable of handling more, you naturally won't have to do these tasks."

Outside, Oromi and the others heard only Bran’s miserable wails from inside the carriage, followed by the laughter of Berion and Huck. Wondering what had happened, they quickly stopped the horses and knocked on the door to check, only to find the three of them tangled up in playful chaos.

Oromi shrugged helplessly and smiled, "Even though he is already a Baronet, he is still a child under twenty years old."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Berion lunged at him with a punch, which Oromi dodged with a nimble shift. He then laughed as he vaulted onto his horse, "Hehe, my Lord Berion, the promotion ceremony is tomorrow, you had better save your strength! Hahaha!"

"Fine, I will spare you this time," Berion said with a huff.

After returning and washing up, Berion rested early. Having spent most of the day acting and forcing smiles for the two lords, his face felt stiff. With another day of smiling ahead, he needed to rest and recover his spirits.

Early the next morning, before Berion was even up, there was a knock at the door. It was none other than his uncle, Sir Rudy, the High Sheriff of the Direct County. His family of four had arrived early at the small courtyard provided for Berion by Viscount Merry.

"Uncle Rudy, Aunt Liv, Cousin Dany, and my little cutie, my brother Karl, why are you here so early?" Berion, having just crawled out of bed, greeted them with a yawn.

Sir Rudy slapped Berion on the shoulder and scolded him with a laugh, "You little brat, such a big event as your promotion to Baronet, and the sun is already high, yet you’re still not up? If word of this gets out, other nobles will mock our House Tuck."

Hearing his uncle’s criticism, Berion scratched his head sheepishly and mumbled, "I drank too much with the Count and the High Sheriff last night, didn't I? It doesn't matter; isn't the ceremony in the evening anyway?"

The people of the Veylin Continent worshiped the Fire God, so important ceremonies were often held at night, as the bonfires lit in the dark made for a more striking and solemn atmosphere. Berion’s promotion ceremony was also set for that evening, so he wasn't in any hurry.

"You child, honestly, you didn't even think to ask. Although the ceremony is in the evening, you must go to the church in the morning to pray to the Fire God. Furthermore, the various tedious procedures at the church will likely take up half the day. Do you intend to finish the church formalities only after dark and go straight to the High Sheriff’s residence for the banquet?" Lady Liv, Sir Rudy’s wife, complained.

Berion was stunned, asking in surprise, "Is it that troublesome? The knighthood ceremony I had in Valombre wasn't this complicated."

Sir Rudy patted Berion’s shoulder and said with a smile, "Is becoming a knight the same as becoming a noble? A knight is only one rank above a commoner; in the eyes of the high nobility, we knights are no different from farmers. You are a Baronet now; if you work hard, becoming a Baron is not impossible, and the ceremonies then will be even more complex."

With that, Sir Rudy insisted that Berion put on his formal noble attire and hauled him off to the Amondine Church. On the way, Berion learned that Sir Rudy’s early visit was not only out of his duty as an uncle but also because he had been designated by Viscount Merry as the "Guiding Knight" for Berion’s promotion. A Guiding Knight is a veteran knight who leads the candidate through all the steps of a promotion ceremony to ensure no mistakes occur, maintaining the solemnity of the holy ritual.

Led by his uncle, Berion went through the church proceedings like a puppet. He didn't even know how many steps he had completed. At noon, he had a meal of very poor quality with the Cardinal in the church; had it not been for the fact that the white-haired old priest was eating with such relish, he would have turned his plate over.

In the afternoon, after confession, scripture reading, and other processes, Berion was exhausted by late afternoon. He was then placed in a carriage and sent to the High Sheriff’s residence, where a lounge had been prepared for him to rest and don his armor while awaiting the start of the ceremony.

After entering the room, Berion put on a suit of fine chainmail custom-made in Yanvikshuo, then collapsed onto the bed with his helmet in his arms and fell asleep. He didn't know how long he had slept until he heard someone tapping on his helmet, waking him up.

Opening his eyes, he saw his uncle, Sir Rudy, looking at him with a helpless expression. Seeing Berion wake up, Sir Rudy quickly pulled him up, helped him put on his helmet, and while adjusting his armor, said, "You are the first Baronet of our House Tuck. Do not panic later; you must not lose face for the family."

"Don't worry, Uncle," Berion replied nonchalantly.

Suddenly, Sir Rudy grabbed his wrist tightly and said solemnly, "You must not panic. The procedure is very simple; just follow the priest’s instructions."

Berion looked at his uncle in confusion, wondering why a man who was usually so energetic was being so nagging today. Then, noticing the tears in Sir Rudy’s eyes, he finally understood. It wasn't Berion, the protagonist of the day, who was nervous, but his uncle. Sir Rudy was so overwhelmed with emotion that his family finally had a Baronet that he was afraid of losing his composure during the ceremony and embarrassing House Tuck.

A warmth spread through Berion’s heart. He hugged Sir Rudy and whispered, "Uncle, don't worry. We will both walk through this with grace. Just watch me complete the ceremony quietly. Our House Tuck has finally taken this step, and in the future, we will reach even greater heights!"

"Hahaha!" Sir Rudy laughed and gave Berion a few hard thumps, "Since my grandfather's time, we have looked forward to our family rising above the rank of knight. The aspiration of three generations has finally been realized in you today; why should I be nervous! No matter how great you become, you are still my nephew and the blood of House Tuck!"

Berion rubbed his shoulder, which had been hit hard by Sir Rudy, and said with a bitter smile, "Old Uncle, be happy all you want, but don't hit me anymore. If you injure me, how can I finish the ceremony?"

"Come on, get out there, you brat. The guests are waiting," Sir Rudy said, pushing Berion out.

Berion stepped out of the small courtyard and into Viscount Merry’s banquet hall. Everywhere he looked, there were men and women in fine attire, gathered to celebrate his promotion to Baronet. This scene stood in stark contrast to the sparse turnout at his knighthood ceremony, and there were even more people than at the victory banquet following the recapture of Maple Manor.

Indeed, everyone is opportunistic. When you are doing well and are powerful, everyone is willing to add flowers to the embroidery, but when you are in trouble, few are willing to offer help in the snow.

Before Berion could ponder this further, Sir Rudy began his duties as the Guiding Knight, shouting, "Court Knight of Brick, Deputy High Sheriff of the Direct County, Lord of Norlandenburg, and the protagonist of today's ceremony, Sir Berion is here!"

At the sound of Sir Rudy’s voice, the chattering crowd fell silent. All eyes turned to Berion, followed by a burst of applause and cheers. Fortunately, having experienced similar scenes after arriving in this time and place, especially in the city of Yanvikshuo, Berion was able to maintain a calm and composed appearance, though he felt terribly awkward inside, wondering how anyone could stand a crowd of people faking smiles at them.

Berion walked to the center of the hall, where Count David, Viscount Merry, and the Cardinal were waiting. Berion quickly stepped forward to pay his respects, and under the Cardinal’s lead and the witness of the crowd, the promotion ceremony began.

The process was similar to that of the knighthood, and the oaths were identical, though it was indeed more solemn. After the ceremony, Count David handed Berion the court-bestowed garments and the patent of nobility.

Led by Sir Rudy, Berion returned to his small room to change into the monarch’s gift before returning to the banquet. Once inside, Berion took off his helmet, threw it aside, and quickly opened the patent of nobility to see if there were any surprises beyond the promotion.

After checking it carefully several times, he realized his monarch was still as stingy as ever. He had only been granted several tracts of forest and grassland, including Red Lake Ridge, which increased his territory to 150,000 mu, and the forest lake became an inland lake of Norlandenburg. He could now be addressed as the Baronet of Norlandenburg.

Aside from that, there were thirty gold coins and some other minor goods. There were no surprises; in fact, not only were there no surprises, but his positions as Deputy High Sheriff of the Direct County and Captain of the Patrol were also revoked. Since his uncle, Sir Rudy, was only a hereditary knight, it would not be appropriate for a Baronet to serve as a deputy to a knight.

However, Berion didn't care. Being free of official duties allowed him to focus his energy on the development of his territory without worrying about the messy affairs of the county.

Could it be said that there were no substantial benefits to being a Baronet other than the expansion of his territory? That wasn't true either. As a Baronet, Berion could now appoint two knights and three apprentice knights, and the number of his squires had increased to ten.

With five actual noble titles, Berion’s rule over Norlandenburg became more powerful and legitimate. Moreover, it gave his brothers the hope of rising in the world, making them even more motivated to follow him. Those who hadn't received titles would work even harder, knowing that if they followed Berion well, they would not be treated unfairly.