Even though it's called 'entering service at the palace,' the scale is so massive that it's more like commuting to a regular workplace than reporting to a castle.
When I arrive in the lobby of the needlessly extravagant building, I can see a few of the new recruits here and there.
They're civil officials wearing brand-new suits.
There are people like me, from noble families, who can walk the elite path without taking any proper exams.
The ordinary civil officials are true bureaucrats who have survived fierce competition to be here.
The class system allows us to order them around with just a lift of the chin.
Hooray for being on the winning side.
When I arrive, the civil officials in the lobby start to murmur.
I thought they were surprised by the appearance of a great noble like me, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
Turning around, I see a man in a red suit surrounded by men in black. Is that a white scarf? He has it draped over his shoulder.
If you asked me whether it's appropriate attire for a civil official, I'd have my doubts, but from his demeanor and the reactions of those around him, I can tell he's a noble.
And what's more, he's likely an heir.
Is he about a hundred years older than me? For nobles, as long as you finish your training by the time you're around two hundred, no one complains.
Because of that, it's normal for people from the generation above me to be in training.
Which means we sometimes have the chance to meet as part of the same cohort.
The man in the red suit ignores me and walks away.
Watching him go, I regret not bringing a large number of my own subordinates.
“Damn him. If it were allowed, you should have told me. I would have brought twice as many as he did.”
I have subordinates waiting out of sight, but I didn't bring any conspicuous ones like that man in the red suit.
Because I thought that having guards on the first day would make me look like I brought my parents along.
As I'm stewing in my own sense of defeat, a man approaches and speaks to me.
“It's an honor to meet the famous Count Banfield.”
He was a foppish-looking scion of a noble house, dressed in trousers.
In addition to wearing his suit like a host club entertainer, he was exuding a certain charm. The gazes the surrounding women directed at him were clearly favorable.
The women's eyes, when they look at me, hold a hint of fear, and they do their best to avoid my gaze.
It's fine that they fear me, but what's with the difference in treatment between me and this guy?
“What do you want?”
With a fluid movement, he gives me a deep bow.
Every single one of his gestures is so damn flashy.
“I am Marion Sera Orgren. Are you familiar with the Viscount Orgren family?”
Searching the noble family names in my head, I find information on the Viscount Orgren family among the knowledge crammed into me by an education capsule long ago.
They're a branch family of the Margrave Orgren, who defends the border.
A vassal of the Margrave—in other words, a subordinate with blood ties.
Officially, they are direct retainers of the Empire, but the Viscount Orgren family also serves as a subordinate to the main Orgren Margrave family, which is powerful in their local region.
It's a position similar to the barony I was looking after, which I recently crushed.
“The territory on the border with Gudwar, right?”
“I'm relieved that you know of us.”
He has short, silver hair, but his bangs are long. His eyes are purple, slightly drooping, and he exudes a strange charm. My first impression is that of a cheeky brat.
“What do you want with me? Where is your master?”
When I sugarcoat my message—'Someone of your station shouldn't be speaking to me. If you're going to talk to me, at least bring your master'—he lets out a small laugh.
“My training period didn't align with that of the Margrave's sons and daughters. Thanks to that, I'm serving at the palace all alone and lonely.”
“You didn't graduate from the military academy, so you managed to avoid being drafted, huh?”
Marion must have entered the elementary school after coming of age, then proceeded to the Imperial University, choosing the path of a civil official first.
Is he not yet eighty years old? To me, he's a junior.
“That stings. With my family and the main house in a crisis, I honestly wanted to participate. However, it seems a brat with no military experience isn't wanted.”
Why did this guy approach me?
It's obvious. To receive support from a powerful noble, or to get them to send reinforcements.
He probably intends to get close to influential nobles during his training period and maneuver to gain their cooperation.
“Sorry, but I'm not free.”
“You're so cold. But we'll be colleagues from now on, so please get along with me, Liam-senpai.”
The friendly smile he shows gives him a lingering air of childishness.
Because he possesses a strange charm unbefitting his age, there's a gap there. Around us, the women were showing strong interest in this Marion.
“That man, he's from a viscount family, you know.”
“If it's a branch of the Orgren family, they're prestigious.”
“This year is amazing too, isn't it?”
The department I've come to—well, the building I've come to is a gathering place for the elite.
Not only excellent bureaucrats, but also future great nobles come here for their training.
So, just by being here, it means the Empire recognizes you as an outstanding noble.
—The effect of never skimping on my gifts has paid off.
I should stay on good terms with the Prime Minister.
When I start walking, Marion follows diagonally behind me.
He's fiddling with his long bangs with his fingers.
“A popular workplace is like a noble's trade fair, isn't it? The person over there is from a count's family.”
“I'm a current count.”
“Oh, and over there is someone from a family with ties to a marquis house. I'd definitely like to get on good terms with them.”
“I'm a future duke.”
Every last one of them is some big shot. It's getting annoying.
I try to compete a little by emphasizing my status, but it's starting to feel hollow.
Marion is looking at me and laughing.
“Liam-senpai, you really hate to lose, don't you?”
“That's because I don't think I'm losing. Besides, the ones here are the spares, not the heirs, right? They're nothing special.”
Hearing my words, some of the people related to nobles turned to me with annoyed expressions.
Marion gives an exaggerated shrug and calls my name with emphasis.
“Only you would say something like that here, Liam-senpai. As expected of Count Banfield.”
He must have been trying to be considerate of the others in his own way.
Hearing my name, many of the noble scions openly avert their gazes. Among them are some idiots who glare at me, perhaps not knowing who I am.
When I glare back, the people around them hastily drag them away.
“Not bad. You're quite thoughtful.”
When I praise Marion, he seems a little embarrassed.
“Anyone can do that much. More importantly, is it alright for a Count to report for duty without an entourage? I thought you'd at least bring a few people.”
Rosetta, who is also entering service like me, has her entourage following her.
But I don't need one.
No—I don't have an entourage.
Just recently, I gave them a little 'education' to tighten things up.
There was a baron's family that looked down on me, and others who betrayed me. So, I threw all of their children—without question—into a military re-education facility notorious for being extremely harsh.
As a result, my entourage disappeared.
I thought Wallace would stay, but he's still a former royal, rotten as he may be.
A special job was prepared for him at the palace.
Thanks to that, I have zero followers.
—In plain sight, that is.
When Marion and I get on the elevator, we're alone. Leaning his back against the wall, Marion brings up the topic of elementary school.
“More importantly, there's something I've always wanted to ask. Is it true that you killed your opponent in the elementary school's mobile knight tournament? There were several other unbelievable legends about you, too.”
“Legends? I don't know about that, but I did kill that piece of trash named Derrick.”
Faced with my nonchalant reply, Marion was surprised. 'So it was true?' I thought there would be records from that time, but apparently the instructors hid them.
It's a stain on the elementary school's reputation, so I guess it can't be helped.
“Is the story about you raiding the second school building true? And I also heard that the second building has become much stricter with its discipline?”
“I don't know about the discipline, but it's true I raided them.”
I was bored back then, so I took Kurt and Wallace with me and stormed the place.
It's a memory from elementary school, but Rosetta was so easy to win over that it all feels hollow now.
How much trouble does she think I went through for her?
“I heard you were an excellent student, but you've caused quite a bit of trouble, haven't you?”
“As long as my grades were excellent, the instructors kept their mouths shut.”
“—Liam-senpai, you're quite interesting.”
The way Marion looked at me was as if he were sizing me up.
“I'm not happy to have your interest. Give up on getting support for the Orgren family.”
“Couldn't you at least give me a little hope?”
“I told you I'm busy.”
I really am busy, so I don't have time to get involved with the Orgren family.
The elevator reached its destination, and when we both stepped out, the new recruits for this term were gathered there.
Those who passed the exams through hard work.
Those who got in through connections or bribes.
And then there were us, the nobles, the winners from birth.
It's a plaza large enough for an entrance ceremony, but it looks just like a party venue. Preparations for a standing buffet are underway.
Looks like it's a banquet for the rest of the day.
As expected of the Empire! It seems they don't hold work or stuffy briefing sessions on the very first day.
I could see the man in the red suit who had ignored me in the lobby earlier, now surrounded by other nobles and chatting amiably.
Seeing me arrive, he smirked, the left corner of his mouth twitching upwards.
A subordinate of the man in the red suit approaches me.
“You are Count Banfield, I presume.”
“I am.”
“Lord Randy wishes to greet you.”
“Randy?”
Marion, who was diagonally behind me, whispers to me.
“The Marquis Langran family. That's Randy Sele Langran. He's His Highness Cleo's cousin, and the heir to the marquis house.”
His Highness Cleo's biological mother's family is the Marquis Langran house.
In other words, they were a house that should have been His Highness Cleo's backer.
But His Highness Cleo's backer is me.
“You'd use a subordinate to summon a future duke? Call your master over here.”
The man in black is clearly flustered, turning to look back at Randy. The onlookers are watching with bated breath.
Giving in, Randy walks over to me.
“My apologies, Count Banfield. I heard His Highness Cleo is in your care, and as his cousin, I was concerned. I'm glad to have this chance to speak with you.”
He says this now, after judging that Cleo had no chance of becoming emperor and offering no support until now.
Well, I'd say the same thing in his position.
“Please rest assured. I will protect him well.”
When I show him a smile, Randy smiles back—while directing hostility toward me. Once you reach my level of skill, it's easy to sense what your opponent is thinking.
Especially when dealing with someone who has no real power.
Randy takes a glass from his subordinate and offers it to me.
“From now on, the Langran family will also support Cleo. There were some mutual misunderstandings before, so we couldn't support him properly. We've caused you trouble as well, Count Banfield.”
It seems he's now regretting not backing Cleo, who looks likely to ascend the throne.
That's right. It's a shame, isn't it?
But I won't hand him over.
“It's no problem at all. His Highness Cleo's faction is well-united. However, it would be reassuring to have the Langran family join us. Let's join forces, shall we?”
However, you'll be under me!
I toast with Randy and drain my glass.
So, Cleo's family has finally shown up.
—I knew this day would come.
Brian (´;ω;`): "Lord Liam has a junior! This Brian is so happy to see Lord Liam grow up so splendidly. And now, the story of Lord Liam's childhood has become a book! It will be released on July 25th, and it's even more powered-up than the web version!"
Waka-gi-chan (The Sapling) ( ゜∀゜): "It's ten years too early for you to be advertising before me! The story where this Sapling-chan plays an active role—"
Brian (´;ω;`)r鹵~<≪巛;゜Д゜)ノ Aaaargh!
Brian (´・ω・`): "...Evil has been vanquished."