Reincarnated Hero System

Among the reactions, a handful of nobles smiled warmly, clearly pleased with the news. Others were indifferent, merely casting a passing glance at the trio before resuming their conversations, viewing the engagement as inevitable.

It was only a matter of time.

However, not all reactions were positive. Some of the vassal nobles of the Eris Duchy exchanged dark looks, their displeasure evident.

They had been garnering support to pressure Evan into their plans, believing he wouldn’t act until he came of age in two years when he would automatically earn a Marquis title.

They thought that would be the best time for him to make a move and planned to execute their schemes before then.

But Evan once again decided to fuck with their plans and disrupt their carefully curated power dynamics.

One particularly vocal vassal of the Eris Duchy, Count Brandt, leaned towards a fellow noble and muttered.

“This is unacceptable. We cannot allow this union to pass. Is the Duke even aware of this?”

His companion, Viscountess Selene, nodded in agreement.

“Indeed, we must prioritize the Duchy’s interests. In this case, we must keep a hold on Evan Eris. There’s no way we’ll let such potential slip into another country’s hands.”

Similarly, several nobles aligned with the Imperial faction were none too pleased. To them, the Royals deserved nothing less than the best, and Evan, being the most outstanding of his generation, was their ideal choice for the only unengaged Royal.

They also hoped the Emperor would use this chance to tie Evan down to the GWE, having studied the boy’s personality and discerning that he was not the kind to stay rooted without a strong binding force.

They feared that without such ties, Evan might one day leave, hindering the GWE’s ability to leverage his rapidly growing international influence.

Evan’s peerage as a Count was insufficient in their eyes, especially since he had often insinuated at passing his position as the Duke’s heir to Arnold. If he could easily give up being a Duke’s heir, merely being a Count wouldn’t anchor him.

Thus, his engagement to Eliza was met with a mix of shock, disappointment, and frustration among these nobles, seeing it as a missed opportunity to secure Evan’s loyalty more firmly through a more politically advantageous match.

◇　◇　◇

As the evening continued and the revelry peaked, Count Brandt, a prominent figure among the vassals of the Eris Duchy, seized a moment when Evan was briefly alone and led a small contingent towards him.

Brandt, a distinguished vassal awarded his title by the former Duke, owed allegiance directly to the Duchy before the Crown.

Murmurs and sidelong glances from other nobles trailed them, revealing their keen interest in the unfolding drama, which furrowed Brandt’s brow. Nonetheless, he approached Evan with purpose, intending to speak to him privately.

“Lord Evan, may we have a word with you?”

Though his tone was polite when he asked this, it was also firm. However, Evan was not someone so easy to handle.

Despite being astute to the nuances of noble protocol, Evan didn’t give the kind of answer they expected. He had intended to use this opportunity to definitively crush this matter, so he wasn’t willing to entertain a “private” discussion.

“Hm? I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Count Brandt. I’d be taking my leave quite soon and I have a few more business talks that are of utmost importance to handle before then.”

Brandt paused for a moment, considering his next move carefully. After a few seconds of thought, he asked.

“…If that’s the case, could we arrange a discussion at the Main Residence tomorrow morning?”

“That’s a pity, Count.

I regret to inform you that I will not be able to return to the Main Ducal Mansion in the Capital as you requested.”

“…may I inquire why?”

“Oh, yes. It’s not a secret anyway.

I have a meeting with the Vice President of the Utraria Republic scheduled for noon tomorrow, requiring me to depart from Gerfast first thing tomorrow morning.”

Evan’s involvement in the Television Advent on Aidos was widely recognized, and with the Utraria Republic being the leading manufacturer on the Alpha continent, his having discussions with their leaders was quite natural, given he was involved in a venture that boosted their economy by greatly in less than a year.

As such, the Count’s expression hardened slightly as he processed Evan’s explanation.

“The Utraria Republic? Tomorrow morning?”

“Yes, Count Brandt. Given the critical nature of the discussions with Utraria, I must leave promptly.”

Evan responded with an affirmative nod. However, before the Count could say anything more, he drove the nail in the coffin.

“I will not be returning until next year.”

“…”

The vassals’ expressions darkened further when he said this. They wanted to schedule another meeting for when Evan returned from Utraria, but he beat them to the punch by declaring he wouldn’t be back for over a month.

Regardless of whether this was true or not, who knew just what Evan could pull off in that time?

‘For him to do this now, he must have some sort of plan. He could completely cut off all our avenues for movement within that ‘month’ so we can’t afford to wait that long in protesting this matter!’

With the other nobles discreetly observing the exchange—despite their feigned indifference—the Vassals of the Eris Duchy wanted to refrain from discussing their grievances openly.

Especially since Eliza, Laurene and Arnold who were involved in the matter were within earshot.

Laurene’s icy glare on their backs that had them sweating bullets reinforced their apprehension and they wanted to choose caution over confrontation in a public setting.

Despite their discomfort, Evan offered them no reprieve.

He deftly redirected their inquiries, suggesting they address whatever concerns they had with Arnold since he was the Duke’s first son, or wait until the Duke returned from his meeting with the Emperor.

This manoeuvre left the vassals with few options but to engage in the discussion then and there.

“I see.”

After a few glances at his peers, Brandt finally replied, his tone conceding.

“It appears our discussion must proceed here and now, then.

The vassals of the Eris Duchy have expressed their concerns about your…engagement, Lord Evan. There are apprehensions about the implications of this, especially without prior consultation from us.

We such a significant decision should have been brought to the Duke and his council before being made public.”

“…”

When Evan remained silent, another one of the Vassal Nobles spoke up, his brows furrowed slightly in concern.

“Lord Evan, surely you—as the Duchy’s Heir—understand the importance of consulting with the Duke and his advisors on matters of such magnitude?”

“Since we have already expressed our reservations to the Duke regarding other matters (Arnold being reinstated as Heir), we assumed there would be a consensus that decisions concerning the future of the Duchy would be collectively deliberated upon.”

The vassals chose their words carefully as they spoke, but anyone who heard them could understand what they were implying.

They insinuated that as the Heir to the Duchy, Evan should not have made such a significant decision—like his engagement and choosing a future duchess—without consulting the vassals and informing the Duke beforehand, confident that Duke Roger would not approve if he knew.

Evan listened silently, his expression betraying no hint of agitation despite the mounting pressure. He knew this conversation was inevitable, and he had prepared his responses.

“I understand your perspective. However, the circumstances evolved swiftly, and since the opportunity presented itself, I acted swiftly.”

The vassals exchanged skeptical looks, their expressions revealing confusion about what ‘circumstances’ Evan referred to and what ‘opportunity’ had presented itself.

As they sought to grasp leverage in the conversation, Evan glanced toward one of the hall’s doors, sensing approaching presences. After a quick calculation of their estimated arrival based on their current walking speed, he refocused on the vassals before him and delivered a response that left them stunned.

“I appreciate your candour. But you see, the Duke is already aware and is fully informed about this matter.”

“…what?”

Was it Count Brandt who spoke? Even if it wasn’t, the speaker voiced the shared sentiments of the vassals.

Just then, as if it was prearranged, a side door to the banquet hall swung open, revealing the Emperor, Empress, Crown Prince, and the assembled Dukes of the Empire, Cheverton, Eris, Bowthe and others, returning from their meeting.

The sight of Evan’s little group and how almost everyone’s attention was directed at them naturally did not go unnoticed and Emperor Rudeus expressed his interest.

Instantly, a chamberlain approached the Emperor, updating him on the situation.

Upon hearing the summary, the Emperor’s response stunned everyone present, particularly the Eris Duchy vassals.

“Huh? You’ve already announced it? I thought you were going to wait for us to return.”

Rudeus remarked in mild but genuine surprise. The agreement he made with Evan was that they were to formally announce it towards the end of the party, as well as make plans for a formal ceremony to take place at the beginning of next year.

Hearing Rudeus’ words, Count Brandt and the other vassals turned expectantly towards Duke Roger, hoping for support, but the ever-stoic Duke only spoke one line.

“His Majesty has granted his approval.”

His definitive statement underscored that the engagement had received Royal endorsement, leaving the vassals with no recourse against Evan’s decision. They exchanged uncertain glances, their earlier confidence in challenging Evan’s decision faltering at the mention of the Emperor’s involvement.

Those who were collaborating with Imperial Faction nobles due to shared interests glanced at the collaborators, however, the Imperial nobles were too busy being surprised by the Emperor’s words.

This surprise of theirs only lasted a moment as they immediately began speculating on potential behind-the-scenes agreements between the Emperor and the Duke.

Empress Claudia approached Evan with a knowing smile as she commented.

“I told you it was better to host a full party just for this. You only just submitted the betrothal registration this morning.”

“As much as I’d want to, pressing issues abroad prevent me.”

Evan replied with a shrug, explaining why he chose to announce the engagement immediately rather than keep it under wraps until a formal engagement party could be arranged upon his return.

While Empress Claudia assumed his reference to “pressing issues” related to his meetings in Utraria just like everyone else did, unaware of his deeper plans involving the Celestials in Tarse, their conversation inadvertently disclosed that the engagement had already been legally formalized, bearing the official seals of both the Emperor and the Duke.

Claudia and Evan continued their conversation as they walked away from the group, while the other Dukes gave Roger side glances before dispersing to attend to their wives and companions.

Meanwhile, the Emperor and Crown Prince Richard, having observed the unfolding dynamics, approached Laurene with some questions they had.

As for the vassals of the Eris Duchy who had been left to digest the implications of their plans now in shambles, they had no recourse but to retreat.