Chapter 3: Meeting the Bride

Pondering the identity of paladins in this world, he settled into the chair. A small cloud-like window appeared before him, depicting a knight in armor identical to his own.

The cloud displayed numerous numbers, but four main parameters stood out:

Strength - 4 (7)

Dexterity - 3 (5)

Intelligence - 10 (4)

Luck - 7 (3)

All the equipment was marked in red, with the following note: (-96%)

The numbers in parentheses were a little unclear, but the others probably represented Victor's attributes, while the percentages indicated a 96% reduction in armor effectiveness.

As he pondered, Lulu entered the library and approached him. Remembering the hovering cloud in front of him, he tried to dissipate it with a wave of his hand.

"What's the matter with you?" the chambermaid asked.

"She can't see it? Apparently only I can," he thought, trying to mentally dissipate the cloud, much like he had done with his armor. Surprisingly, it dissipated.

"Sorry, just a fly buzzing around," Victor replied, smiling at her.

"Young sir, shall I serve dinner?" the petite maid asked.

"Yes, please," he replied, heading for the dining room in a completely different wing of the mansion.

The entire house resembled a palace, capable of comfortably accommodating at least a hundred people.

After dinner and a bath prepared for him, he retired for the night.

Early the next morning, Lulu and two other maids woke him. They stood ready with towels, ready to help him clean up.

When all was done, he stood in front of a copper mirror that reflected a blurred image of himself. The mirror, a meticulously polished sheet of copper, made noticing fine details an act of folly.

After breakfast, he went to the main mansion. As soon as he entered, he was escorted to his father's study.

The count sat behind his desk, engrossed in writing, and did not look up for half an hour.

"I wish to inform you that you will now receive the title of Baron. After the betrothal, you will immediately leave for your estate on the western border of the county," the count declared, throwing his quill on the desk. "I don't expect you to do anything remarkable, but don't cause any problems. The estate may not be the best, but the territory is worthy of a viscount."

"Yes, Father, I appreciate your generosity," Victor replied.

He began to search his memory for information about this area. The western area was arid, with an inexplicable barrenness; nothing grew properly, except for its access to the sea. However, maritime trade was undeveloped, practically non-existent.

About 5,000 serfs lived there, enough for even a viscount to live comfortably. However, the title of baron was a significant demotion.

Being the son of a count, he had a status far superior to any lower-ranking noble. But as a baron himself, no one would care about his father. Victor, cut off from the main family line, felt content with this arrangement. It allowed him to live peacefully, far from his father and the risk of exposing himself as a transmigrant.

Becoming a noble from an ordinary person on Earth? That was cause for celebration, not regret. It was as if everything had been handed to him on a silver platter.

After the Count rose from his desk, Victor followed. They walked out into the street, where a carriage and 40 knights in shining armor awaited them.

Strangely, he could sense their auras, something only magicians could do. But now he felt it, too.

The auras emanating from them made him slightly breathless, but he hid his discomfort.

All the knights sat on huge horses with monstrous bloodlines. Such horses cost a quarter of a baron's territory, and only the highest nobility in the world could afford fifty of them, given the exorbitant cost. The upkeep of each horse was equivalent to the annual expenses of a commoner's family.

That's because they were fed on Elysian grass grown by alchemists. These individuals charged exorbitant fees because they used their own potions to grow the grass. Monsters only lived in areas where nature was steeped in black magic.

There were no more than 2000 such horses in the entire kingdom.

Servants and butlers stood on either side of the exit, and one of the knights stood by the carriage, holding the door.

As they boarded, the knight loudly commanded the carriage to leave, and with the clatter of hooves, the carriage set off.

"I apologize, Victor," the count spoke suddenly. "There is nothing more I can do for you. I loved your mother very much, but I cannot allow a man-less person to lead the family."

Victor's brain seemed to shut down for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and delved into his memories, trying to recall the relationship between father and son.

But he found nothing. Up until the age of 6, his father was either campaigning or busy with the affairs of the county. And now he was apologizing to him.

A wave of emotions surged through Victor's chest - a mixture of regret, sorrow, and joy all at once.

The first thought that occurred to him was that the soul of the former owner was responding to the words of the man before him. Perhaps this was what he had been waiting for all his life from the only person he could call family in this world.

"I understand, Father, and I'm grateful for everything you've done," he replied, calming down a bit. "You made the right decision. Andros will bring honor to our family."

Alexander Shermanin looked at his useless son with surprise, for he, too, was cornered by circumstances related to the child's lack of mana.

"Don't expect anything from this marriage. All you need is to be officially married, and later you can take any girl as your wife," the count spoke again.

The level of concern in Victor's eyes was already off the charts, and he just nodded as he listened.

After these words they continued their journey in silence. It was nearly 1200 kilometers to the Duchy, and even with horses with monster blood, galloping at speeds of not less than 80 km/h, and a magically strengthened carriage, it was impossible to reach it in one day.

So they stopped on the territory of a neighboring county. Although the two counties did not have good relations, the aristocratic circles turned a blind eye to such things if they were notified in advance and accepted them as honored guests.

Since they were notified in advance, they were expected and a mansion was prepared for them. A banquet was arranged for the same evening.

Early the next morning they left again. This was repeated three more times until they finally arrived at the duke's palace.

If he had thought that his father lived in an overly large palace, he now realized that this was beyond comprehension.

The palace was five stories high, with an enormous number of windows on all sides. At the main entrance, there was a small fountain with a Water Magic Crystal suspended in the middle, constantly drawing water from the pool and creating small waves.

At the main entrance, they were greeted by a butler and numerous servants with knights. In the foreground stood a girl. Victor immediately guessed that she must be his future wife, as such conventions were common in this society.

A duke would never greet a guest of lesser status, not even if the guest was his beloved brother. It was considered normal to send a family member ahead to show respect.

As the carriages stopped, a knight approached and opened the door. The count stepped out first, followed by Victor.

"Good day, Your Grace," the count said, bowing deeply and straightening. Following his example, Victor repeated the gesture.

Such subtleties were foreign to him; he simply followed what the count did.

"Welcome, Count Shermanin," the girl spoke in a soft, melancholic voice and bowed elegantly.

Unlike the two of them, the girl from the Duke's house bowed only slightly, already showing generosity in her address to them. She looked at Victor, who began to introduce himself and stood upright, bowing again.

"Welcome, Baron Victor," the girl simply nodded, implying that he should be grateful that she had noticed his existence. "My name is Sylvia Leomville. I am pleased to welcome you."

"It is a great honor, Your Grace," Victor replied.

Only now did he have a chance to examine her.

She was shorter than him, about 175 cm, with a figure that seemed to have been molded from a goddess, and golden hair. That was no exaggeration; her hair shimmered golden in the sunlight.

Bright blue eyes sparkled, reflecting the rippling water in the fountain. Clean features seemed as if a sculptor had meticulously carved her face, trying not to disturb her lines. A straight nose and seductive lips drew the gaze like a magnet.

At some point, Victor unconsciously licked his lips, but the girl either didn't notice or didn't pay attention.

At her invitation, they entered the palace and went into the living room. She sat her down on the sofa, informed her that her father would be arriving shortly, and then left the room.

Until now, Victor hadn't given this woman much thought. During their travels, however, he had heard rumors at banquets that this girl was to marry the second prince of the kingdom. However, the engagement was broken off, and no one knew exactly why.

He could guess that it might have been due to her lack of mana. From the same rumors, however, he learned that she still tried to approach the prince, often finding reasons to speak with him at balls and banquets.

As he pondered these things, he realized how much it bothered him. Maybe it was normal in this world, but he was from another one.

And if she ended up with another man after the engagement, he wasn't sure if he could bear such humiliation. Who would want their wife to sleep with someone else? Even if it was the norm, he unconsciously began to feel jealous of a girl he had yet to meet.

He couldn't and didn't want to compete with the prince. He didn't want to spend his whole life at the bottom.

If he could figure out the power of the paladin he had received, he might become a much more important person in this world. However, in that case, a wife who cheated on him would become his stigma.

Unconsciously, he clenched his fists. The next moment, the living room doors opened and a tall man entered.

Standing two meters tall, he was dressed in a ceremonial uniform with a sash that hung a sword that was obviously encrusted with magical stones. Instead of a scabbard, a brightly glowing fire stone adorned his waist.

He had the same hair as the girl, a square face with far-set blue eyes and a nose with a bump. His lips were flat, and what caught the eye were his thick eyebrows, like swords.

His whole appearance spoke of his strength and status.

As far as Victor knew, unlike his father, who was at the highest level of a Golden Knight, the Duke was at the highest level of a Land Knight. This allowed him to live for at least 200 years, but if he was lucky enough to become a heavenly knight before the age of 80, his lifespan would extend to 500 years. Only then would he have a chance to rise to the legendary level.

Currently, there was only one legendary knight in the kingdom, who was said to be over 800 years old and served as the guardian of the royal family.

There were four land knights in the kingdom: two dukes, a marquis, and Count Calisito, whose territory was in the north, bordering the kingdom of Armandel.

The ranks in this world were divided into 10 levels: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Land Knight, Heavenly Knight, Legendary Knight, and the theoretically possible Eternal Radiance, although it only existed in legends.

According to the history of this world, the continent where the kingdom was located was once larger. However, the Knight of Eternal Radiance sacrificed his life to divide it in half with impassable mountains to separate the lands of the demon lords from the human world.

Though demons still appeared in human territory, their numbers were not as significant as they could be.

Now this continent was split in two, and the only way to cross was through water. But even in the water, it was not completely safe, for the monsters that dwelled there were much more terrifying than those on land.

When the Duke entered, the Count and Victor bowed deeply and greeted him. He walked past them, paying no attention, and sat down in a chair. Then he waved his hand and made them sit down as well.

"Alexander, I have everything prepared. There will be a banquet at the end of the week to announce Sylvia's engagement to your son. I hope you have no objections?" the Duke informed.

It was a statement rather than a question, for no one would dare to reconsider.

"Of course, Your Excellency, all arrangements will be honored," the count replied promptly.

"Good, then you may leave," the man ordered, without even looking at them during the entire conversation.

The two got up, bowed and left.

All the way, Victor couldn't understand why they bothered to come just to hear a proposal.

"Is this another aristocratic nonsense? What was that? My future disgrace and the other one who spoke as if with servants - does the title of count mean nothing here?" Victor cursed inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged.

It was a result of the previous owner of the body, the manners and the control over his own body.