LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 69
Chapter 69: Youngest Record
“Zilbagias, rejoice! You are being awarded the title of Viscount!”
Platy entered the room, looking more cheerful than ever.
It seems that after accepting Leila the day before, I was pondering whether I should report back to Mother, and somehow, I ended up promoted to Viscount Zilbagias.
“Viscount!?”
Currently, I’m the lowest-ranking squire among the nobility of the Demon Lord Kingdom. The hierarchy goes from Knight → Baronet → Baron → Viscount → Count… so this is quite the leap in rank.
“Yes! You are the youngest in the Demon Lord Kingdom!”
Of course! I’ve never heard of a five-year-old Viscount before!!
And the reason for this promotion is probably…
“The achievement in defeating Faravgi, right?”
—At present, Leila isn’t in the room. She’s probably learning about the shared spaces and daily life from Garunya by now.
In the end, her position has become somewhat vague, like a personal soldier or attendant-in-training, along with being my guest.
Her potential is incredibly high, but due to being neglected by the dark dragons, she can hardly do anything… although it seems she’s a pro at ironing.
Whatever we decide to do, we can’t move forward without some basic education.
So first things first: we’ll start with simple reading, writing, and arithmetic. Of course, Sophia will be the one teaching. I’ve been able to study on my own by reading books lately, so while I self-study, Sophia will teach Leila various things.
I used to absolutely hate studying after my previous life or just after being reborn.
And now? I’m at a point where I can decipher difficult treatises on tactics, geopolitics, and even lyrical poetry in elven script… People really do change…
Well, to add to that, I’m not even human anymore! Haha!
“Well, I originally intended for this to be a private exercise, but given the circumstances, it has been made official. Your first merit is recorded as ‘The Leader of the Dragon Tribe’s Traitors — Faravgi, the White Dragon.'”
…I see.
“There are not many warriors among us demons who can take down a dragon of that rank alone. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be strange for you to be made a Count…”
Here, Platy sank into the sofa, looking somewhat dissatisfied.
“Apparently, they decided to keep you as a Viscount due to your young age.”
Of course!!
Being a Count means you’re on par with the former clan leader Oalrug of the Olgi tribe or the leafy guy. And here I am, just a five-year-old? Their judgment is just too reasonable.
But still, I kind of wanted to see how that leafy guy would react upon being matched by such a younger brother… However, if I were to achieve such a rapid rise, the jealousy and envy from other lower-ranked demons would undoubtedly be overwhelming.
“Besides, being promoted from squire to viscount before adulthood is exceptional. If we frame it as having held back from being made a Count, then it’s fitting enough not to attract jealousy.”
When I commented this, Platy looked exasperated.
“You seem completely detached, as if it’s someone else’s matter. If I were in your position, I would be too frustrated to even sleep in the daytime.”
Well, because… Honestly, my status in the Demon Lord Kingdom doesn’t matter that much…
It’s just that having a better freedom is nice, even if it’s just a little…
“And not everyone thinks like you. It is indeed true that you have suddenly been promoted to Viscount. And there are countless people who languish below the Viscount rank despite years of military service.”
Platy’s eyes sparkled with a mocking yet somehow harsh light.
“To think that they would envy you… It shows how out of touch they are. And those very people will be under your command on the battlefield in the future…”
Just the thought of that makes me feel heavy…
“There will surely be family members among your clan who rejoice at your promotion but will wear bitter faces privately. If you’re going to be envied anyway, I think it would have been better if you were simply made a Count from the start.”
That’s a valid perspective.
“And now that you’ve become a Viscount, warriors of equal rank or higher may start to involve themselves with you more. Up until now, your title of ‘Squire’ served as a sort of talisman.”
“A talisman, you say?”
“They might think, ‘It would be disgraceful to take it seriously against a Squire,’ and laugh at you, right? But now that you’re a Viscount… Since you’re a power holder in your own right, you won’t have to worry about such whispers…”
So being seen as an equal means I can boldly challenge others.
“That means they might just want to break the nose of some arrogant young punk.”
“Exactly. See? Either way, it’s going to be a hassle, right?”
Now I get what Platy meant when she said it would have been better to be a Count from the start.
Being a Viscount is just right. Competent enough but still numerous. Those who think they can mess with me or challenge me will inevitably increase…
“What should I do? Can I just beat them up from the get-go?”
When I asked carelessly,
“That’s exactly what I wanted to say.”
Platy wore a fierce grin.
“Beat them down thoroughly. Make them suffer plenty. Prove that your power is suited for a Count. And make them regret ever challenging the prince of the Reiju tribe to the max. If you break their spirit and instill a sense of fear, they will become ‘weak’ towards you. It will be hard for them to oppose you too.”
Only a race of strong magical power could think that way. Using their magic as a curse to bind themselves.
And conversely, there will certainly be those who aim to instill fear in me while they still can.
“If, despite all that, they still don’t break and keep coming back for more — that might be interesting. Even if we can’t incorporate them into the clan, it wouldn’t hurt to build a friendly relationship with them.”
V-vicious brutes…!
“The hierarchy of the Demon Lord Kingdom, Zilbagias, is not about how great you are, but about how strong you are. Recently, it seems there are more fools who misunderstand that.”
“So you mean I should show the strength fitting my rank?”
“Exactly. In your case, it would be even better to show that your title doesn’t match your actual abilities.”
…But when I defeated Faravgi, I had to mention Alexander’s name and use holy attributes, pulling out every trump card I had.
Thanks to Leila (white eyes), I’m still cultivating even more power, but the cards I can show normally might make being a Viscount just right.
Nonetheless, I liked the idea of smashing anyone who comes to bother me without mercy. Since they’re demons, I don’t have to hold back.
“However, it seems there are a certain number of people who will voice objections regarding your promotion without having participated in a proper ‘battle,’ regardless of rank.”
………
“There might be some truth to what they say, as they might argue that you haven’t been baptized by the true battlefield yet. While I personally don’t think you need such rites anymore, it’s something only those who don’t know you well could understand…”
With a pensive expression, Platy gazed out the window.
“Unexpectedly, you’ve completed your first battle. However, you might need to experience battles against the allied forces as well…”
Is that time really approaching…?
It feels too soon… way too soon…
“Well, we’ll think about that later. By the way… it seems you’ve gotten a strange pet again.”
Leaning her cheek against the armrest of the sofa, Platy looked amused.
“It was unexpected for me as well.”
“What do you plan to do with it?”
“I think it would be closest to a personal soldier. I intend to have Sophia educate it. Moreover, since it has been forced to live in a human form for so long, its abilities as a dragon are severely underdeveloped. I plan to train it slowly so that once it can fly, I can utilize it for my personal affairs.”
“Are you planning to ride it yourself?”
Platy furrowed her brow.
“I oppose that idea. The Demon Lord doesn’t ride flying dragons to prepare for the rebellion of the dragon tribe. The same should be said for you — that girl, Leila, right? She’s the daughter of Faravgi. Who knows what whims might come if you ride on the back of your parent’s enemy? It would be better to use another dragon without any connection to that history for transportation.”
“I completely agree with you on that, Mother.”
I clasped my hands atop my knees and pondered.
Still, I desire an independent means of transportation without ties to the dragon race.
“I believe that factoring that in, I should build a level of trust with Leila such that I genuinely feel comfortable with her carrying me on her back.”
“Do tell me.”
Now, let’s see if I can convince her smoothly.