During the afternoon of that very day, Werner introduced Rafed, former Lesratogan spy, to his other men.
Afterwards, he ignored the dissenting opinions of the others in attendance and left with his retainers to practice with his new spear. Behnke and the others remained seated as they watched them depart. Even in the end, Behnke was opposed to employing Rafed, but Werner had insisted that, “Our kingdom has, in the past, enlisted foreign knights who slew our own.” With that, the others sensed the intent behind Werner’s actions and decided to drop their opposition.
After that, Goecke returned to his mercenaries and Rafed left, saying he needed to acquaint himself with the Apothecaries’ Guild and review the medicinal herbs the Merchants’ Guild had for sale. This left only Behnke, Kesten, and Holzdeppe.
“Did you know of this, Sir Behnke?”
“I knew he sought leave from the capital to have a criminal serving under his watch, but I had no idea it was a man who once served as a foreign spy.”
Behnke answered Holzdeppe’s question with a wry smile. Werner had used a specious argument, but it was the truth; he had said he would keep Rafed under his watch, but he had never promised that Rafed wouldn’t be allowed to act autonomously. He knew that Werner must have decided on this before they had voiced their dissent.
Kesten folded his arms. “I do wonder if His Majesty is aware.”
“Who could know? At the very least, the crown prince must have granted permission to someone at the Ministry of Justice.” Behnke regained his composure and continued, saying, “But there is still room to wonder why he has kept it a secret.”
Holzdeppe voiced his doubts. “That still doesn’t explain it. Whether it be making use of this man or encouraging his moniker of the In-Debt Deputy, the viscount seems to be deliberately ruining his reputation here and at the capital.”
“Good grief.” Kesten nodded in agreement. The three worked directly under Werner, and from their perspectives, he was working too hard, even considering they were likely facing an attack by the Demon Commander.
In this half a month, he had entrusted Kesten with training new recruits and offloaded the entirety of governing the domain onto Behnke. Still, he paid attention to what the townsfolk were saying about him and also had created jobs to deal with the supplies sent from the capital. While he had cracked down on crime, he’d cultivated a reputation in Anheim as a strict but friendly deputy.
At the very least, he distanced himself from luxury and excess, and given his age, it wouldn’t be strange if people held him in higher than average esteem. It may have been an exaggeration to say he was living fast and recklessly, but it was clear something had lit a fire under him.
They weren’t mistaken in their judgments. From Werner’s perspective, he had the issue of the Demon Commander’s assault right before his eyes but also a pressing need to return to the capital before the Demon army attacked it. There certainly was something driving him.
“What do you make of it, Sir Behnke?”
“Hm…” Behnke stroked his beard as he thought it over. He cracked a conflicted smile, and said, “For one, he seems to me to be preparing to return to the capital.”
“He’s doing all this in order to go back?” asked Holzdeppe in disbelief.
“As you yourself know, we foresee an attack from the Demon Commander. But what will happen next?”
“Huh?”
“Should his sound governance win the day and revive the town, what will become of him?”
“People might say it would be best that he remains here to rule Anheim… I see.”
Holzdeppe and Kesten shared a glance and nodded. Next, Kesten offered his thoughts. “But if his reputation at court is in tatters, they may recall him.”
“Rather, if Lord Werner defeats a formidable foe like the Demon Commander, further efforts against the Demon army shall go over smoother. Considering that, there may be some who’ll wish to seize his current post,” added Holzdeppe
“I suppose a province like this could get boring for a young viscount,” responded Behnke with a bitter grin. Anheim did have a red-light district, but its overall atmosphere was depressing. Whatever liveliness now coursed through it was just the restless wartime energy. It really wasn’t suited for young folks.
Still, they knew well that Werner was no playboy. Behnke’s words were nothing but an ironic joke.
Kesten unfolded his arms and turned to Behnke. “You said, ‘for one.’ Is there anything else?”
“Well simply, if he has a poor reputation, fewer proposals of marriage will be coming his way.”
“Is it true that he’s already betrothed?”
“I’ve never heard of any girl.”
The three exchanged glances. They had all sensed that rumors of Werner’s engagement were contrived, but they each had their own suspicions as to who had spread them.
Kesten cleared his throat and returned the conversation to the topic at hand. “I wonder if he truly has any other reasons.”
“We cannot know if Lord Werner has considered all this. I am perhaps overthinking things. I do ask that you keep my musings to yourselves.”
With that, Behnke opened his mouth and shared his own predictions. As the conversation continued, the two began to scowl.
To a noble house, family name usually reigned supreme over blood. Carrying on the family name was a priority, and establishing branch families was a preferred method of ensuring that.
In other words, if Werner became head of the new branch of the family with his rank of viscount, that would be seen as a boon for the Zehrfelds on the whole. Of course, that would also mean that Werner’s abilities had been deemed worthy of heading a house, despite his young age, so it would be an honor for him too.
However, Werner was also the heir to a count family. Should he begin his own branch family, the head family would have to adopt a new heir. Of course, there were many candidates of suitable age, but few were suitable for the noble Zehrfelds, a family decorated with their own crest.
Still, there was one person suited for the position. Of course, that relied on him proving successful in eradicating the Demon Lord, but at the very least, none would raise objections given his accomplishments. The Hero, Mazel Harting, could be named the adopted heir to Count Zehrfeld by imperial decree.
Should he prove victorious against the Demon Lord—and therefore prompt such a royal decree—it would be a distinct honor for the Zehrfelds. With his achievements as Hero, many houses would see his worth, and his rank might even be raised to marquess. There was even a chance he’d be wed to the second princess.
With that, the kingdom would be able to bind Mazel in both name and blood, and House Zehrfeld would receive the honor of adding a princess to their family. On the other hand, “Mazel Zehrfeld” would be unaccustomed to the ways of nobles, limiting the political power held by the Zehrfelds.
At the same time, even if Werner’s branch family earned him an independent viscountcy, he would lack necessary years of governing experience, and vassals to support him. Raising such a group would take ten years.
In other words, the Zehrfelds would gain outward power through accolades. However, it would simultaneously be divided into a branch house with a renowned lord lacking in influence, and a main house with achievements, honor, and considerable holdings, but a patriarch ignorant of the machinations of nobles. They would be quite compromised.
But this had a condition, and that was Werner being suitable to act as head of his own family branch. With the great debts he had incurred and his decision to welcome a foreign spy into his crew—especially one that had subverted his own kingdom—could he really be considered worthy of such a privilege?
While an extreme example, a troubled child like Mangold capable of raising his voice at another count would have still been able to take over a count house if he hadn’t conspired with demonic beings. No matter how poor his reputation, Werner was still fit to inherit his father’s station, though not without eliciting criticism.
But given his reputation, there was sure to be resistance if he was named head of a new branch family—that is, deliberately made the head of a new noble family. Establishing a house under a lord who drowned himself in debt and consorted with criminals would set an unspeakable precedent.
If anyone had plans of splitting House Zehrfeld, Werner hiring Rafed as his underling would put a hitch in their plans. It was nowhere near sedition or rebellion, but it would send the message that he was playing on his own terms. And his tactics would be quite a shock to those who saw him as just a manipulable brat who would follow any orders from above.
“Few targets are easier to exploit than a branch family with the lofty rank of viscount, still dependent on the protection of a main house led by a neophyte. There may have been some noble families moving with the goal of using Lord Werner for their own gain.”
“This truly should be a shock to those who thought they succeeded in demoting him. It’d be one thing if he was the head of a viscount house, but the heir to a count can’t just be left out in the provinces forever, however poor his reputation is. He’ll be called back to the capital sooner or later.”
Behnke purposefully kept his words vague with the pronoun “they.” He skirted the subject, making it sound like it both was possible noble society hadn’t been planning to split House Zehrfeld and that Werner’s actions hadn’t been in consideration of that plan. The others followed suit, speaking in subtleties.
Holzdeppe tilted his head and said, “Does he want the title of count?”
“Rather, I believe he is keeping such a dubious reputation so he can shield the Hero in the realm of politics.”
Should, for example, Mazel become the heir to a noble house—for example, that of Count Friedheim, who had fallen and left an empty seat after the battle to defend Finoy—Werner could support him in court if he had the title of count behind him. No matter what Werner was aiming for, the three had seen plenty that made them think he was working more for the sake of others than himself. Hearing Behnke’s words, the others nodded.
Knowing who stood at his back, the three shared glances. Finally, Kesten began to whisper with a wry grin. “Still, it is clear our lord viscount is quite the odd one.”
“Indeed.”
“I do wonder what he has in store.”
Werner was most likely the first noble in this world who had so little regard for his own honor. Behnke and Holzdeppe concurred, and with that, the three erupted into laughter.