Baron Valdemar enthusiastically welcomed Roan's participation. A moment later, however, he fell into thought before speaking again.
“But there is one thing I am curious about. Why did you choose to help Dragonbane of all places? A man of your caliber would surely have been warmly welcomed by a larger territory—Solsgard, for instance.”
There was curiosity in the baron's voice, along with a hint of wariness. He carefully studied Roan's expression as he waited for an answer.
“And then there is the matter of compensation. You have already seen that our territory is hardly prosperous··· I would like to hear what terms you want. Tell me. I will meet your demands as much as I reasonably can.”
Baron Valdemar looked at Roan with a serious expression. He did not want to lose this outstanding knight, but at the same time, he knew the limitations of his territory all too well. He waited for Roan's answer with a tense look on his face.
“Just now, I also said that I prefer to dispense with the preamble in conversation. So I will speak plainly. If I render great service in the territorial war, please grant me a fief.”
The moment Baron Valdemar heard Roan's words, his eyes widened and he drew in a breath.
“I see···!”
The baron slowly nodded.
Solsgard was wealthier than Dragonbane. However, it also had that many more vassals, so no matter how great Roan's achievements were in the territorial war, Solsgard likely would not have been able to grant him a fief. In that respect, Roan's decision to choose Dragonbane was not a bad one.
‘A fief···!’
In truth, if they could only win the territorial war, granting Roan a fief would not be much of a loss. Rather, it would benefit the baron. If Roan were given a fief, he would effectively become a vassal of Dragonbane. Of course, since Roan had already stated that he had no intention of serving a lord, it would be difficult to obtain a true oath of allegiance from him. Even so, it seemed entirely possible to form a kind of lord-vassal relationship through the fief.
The problem, however, was the various complications that could arise from accepting Roan.
First, the definition of “great service” was vague. They needed to establish a clear standard for how much merit he would have to earn before qualifying for a fief. That was a fundamental issue in forming a contract with Roan.
Second, determining the size and location of the fief would be difficult. They would have to grant Roan enough land to satisfy him in a manner befitting his abilities, but at the same time, they could not hand over a strategically important region.
Third, there was the shift in the existing balance of power. Granting Roan a fief could alter the power structure within Dragonbane. The existing vassals, in particular, might strongly resent granting land to an outsider who had suddenly appeared, and that could lead to internal conflict.
Fourth, there was the question of securing Roan's long-term loyalty. A fief alone could not guarantee his continued allegiance. If Roan received the land and later switched allegiance to another lord, it could become a major loss for House Dragonbane.
All of these were matters Baron Valdemar had to consider just as carefully as he wanted to accept Roan. He did not want to let this opportunity slip away, but neither did he want to create even greater problems through a hasty decision.
‘···Wait. Am I getting too far ahead of myself?’
A moment later, however, Baron Valdemar let out a hollow laugh as he pondered the matter.
The war against Solsgard was still raging even now. They had not even won yet, so worrying about the rewards that would come afterward was an exceedingly foolish thing to do.
‘That's right···! Winning the war is what matters most right now! And honestly, none of those problems are more serious than the ones we would face if we lost the war!’
In the end, Baron Valdemar made up his mind. For now, he decided to accept Roan's proposal. Winning the war was the most important task at hand. It certainly would not be too late to think about everything else once the time came.
“Very well. I accept your proposal.”
“···!”
When Baron Valdemar nodded gravely, Roan's eyes widened.
Truthfully, he had expected Baron Valdemar to deliberate for at least a day or two. Even for a poor territory, a “fief” held tremendous value in this world.
First, a fief provided a stable economic foundation. The crops, minerals, taxes, and all other resources produced by the land belonged to the owner of the fief, providing a steady source of income.
A fief was also directly tied to power. Owning land meant being able to control its resources and manpower, and that led to considerable influence.
Furthermore, a fief was a symbol of social status. A person who possessed one was recognized as a full-fledged member of noble society, which in turn expanded that person's political influence.
Most importantly, most fiefs could be inherited, allowing their owners to pass a stable future down to their descendants. That gave them long-term value beyond any short-term benefit.
For these reasons, a fief meant far more than mere land. It was power, it was the future, and it was a symbol of status. That was why Roan could not hide his surprise at Baron Valdemar's swift decision.
“However, Sir Roan. I have one condition.”
“What is it?”
“During the war, I would like you to follow Sir Adeline's command.”
Sir Adeline was Dragonbane's only knight, as well as Baron Valdemar's loyal confidant and vassal.
By contrast, no matter how outstanding a knight he might be, Roan was still an outsider. From Baron Valdemar's perspective, it was only natural that he could not entrust Roan with command of the troops.
‘But Sir Roan is a knight himself, so he must have considerable resistance to serving under a knight weaker than himself. Sir Adeline may be loyal, but Adeline is not especially formidable in combat···! Good grief, I have no idea how I am going to persuade Sir Roan!’
Convinced that Roan would reject the condition, Baron Valdemar began considering how he might respond.
But what was this?
As if making all the baron's worries meaningless, Roan readily nodded.
“Understood. I will follow Sir Adeline's command.”
“W-Wait. I-Is that truly all right?”
At this point, Baron Valdemar was the one who ended up surprised.
He asked worriedly,
“Sir Roan, are you truly fine with that?”
“Of course. After all, I'm merely the stone that rolled in. How could I possibly covet command authority?”
In truth, Roan was not confident that he could properly command troops. He had absolutely no experience doing so. On top of that, he knew little about the terrain of Dragonbane and Solsgard. By contrast, a knight of Dragonbane like Adeline was bound to know the surrounding terrain extremely well.
In other words, no matter how he considered it, it was only right for Sir Adeline to hold command.
‘···Good heavens! So this young knight is not merely exceptional in combat!’
Meanwhile, Baron Valdemar was deeply impressed by Roan's response. In an instant, his estimation of Roan rose several levels.
Most knights possessed pride that seemed to pierce the heavens and considered taking orders from another person a terrible humiliation. If they were told to obey someone weaker than themselves, they would usually bristle and refuse.
But Roan was different. He accepted Sir Adeline's command without the slightest hesitation. Most knights would have tried to flaunt their abilities or, at the very least, voiced their displeasure.
Moreover, ordinary knights tended to pursue only personal glory and honor. To them, earning achievements for themselves mattered more than the victory of the whole. Roan, however, seemed to understand the importance of teamwork. He even humbly acknowledged his own position by describing himself as “the stone that rolled in.”
Even more impressive was Roan's judgment. He understood perfectly well that he was an outsider in unfamiliar territory. Most knights would act recklessly while relying solely on their own abilities, but Roan seemed capable of assessing the situation objectively.
Baron Valdemar organized all of these thoughts in his mind in an instant. Then he became certain.
Roan was on an entirely different level from ordinary knights. He was a man who possessed the qualities of a true hero.
‘For someone like this to come and help Dragonbane··· What incredible fortune!’
Joy shone in Baron Valdemar's eyes. He smiled at Roan and spoke.
“Sir Roan, I am sincerely grateful. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish from here on. Please, lead us to victory together with Sir Adeline.”
“Of course. I will definitely, definitely live up to your expectations, Baron.”
“Ha ha ha! Excellent!”
Now every single word Roan spoke sounded pleasing to Baron Valdemar's ears. How could someone possibly be this likable?
A satisfied smile never left Baron Valdemar's face. He felt as though victory in the territorial war had drawn one step closer.
* * *
As soon as his private audience with Baron Valdemar ended, Roan was shown to a large guest annex.
The annex stood very close to the baron's residence, which surely meant that the baron thought very highly of Roan.
“Paul, I do not see the merchants.”
“Ah, they spoke with the butler and then went somewhere together. Torin said it sounded like the deal went well.”
“Is that so?”
Judging by that, it seemed the Northern Frost Merchant Company's deal with Dragonbane had gone smoothly as well. Roan nodded in satisfaction before speaking to Paul.
“Paul, by the way, I think it's about time we started your training.”