Within the human imperium, the noble peerage takes on a caste system like England’s, with a few small differences. The leaders of the human empire are the king and queen. Unlike in England, the noble peerage has a greater emphasis on an enclave that is a hybrid of the sect structure and traditional noble hierarchy.

  Under the king and queen are three dukes, with a fourth provincial duke that controls the land between the human and elven lands. When the human kingdom controls a majority of the lands on the border of the human kingdom and elven empire, a fourth duke will be appointed to control, protect, and develop the border land. When the elves advance, the duke title is relegated, normally to a margrave. The border duke also has several margraves that will serve alongside to help protect the border. Earls serve as the lynch pins of estates that foster magi, commonly called the main branch, and under them are baronies, commonly called sub-branches. These baronies own plots of land within the earldom.

  The knights are fostered under the king, queen, duke, or earl. The high cost of training and equipping a knight, often means that barons and margraves are unable to bear the financial cost. When a knight academy is formed, the baronies can sponsor knights, who will later serve under that subbranch. Earldoms, dukedoms, or even the king or queen can dispatch knights to serve nobles. This is particularly common for margraves, who are under constant threat. While a margrave may not be the most lucrative of estates, they do serve as the backbone of the defense of the kingdom.

  -Notes taken by Jason Kelley from lessons on the noble peerage by Steward Alyssa of the house Kelley of the Heartbran Earldom

  “I do not understand why the king and queen are giving over so much power to the earldoms. Each one feels like a mini nation. A central government has been shown to be far more effective in times of war. It gives a clear command structure, cuts down on political wrangling of the nobles, and aids in recruiting larger armies.” I ask Alyssa. Instead of training, Alyssa and I spent the morning going over noble hierarchy, etiquette, and the utility of knights in the noble estate.

  “While a large portion of the authority does lie with the king and queen, it’s important to understand that the chief concern of the noble peerage is to level high enough to keep command. Knights may make up most of the martial force, but half of the military power, if not more, comes from the nobles. Relegating command into the estates allows for quick access to resources for leveling within a community and pushes a significant amount of responsibility for the costs to maintain a martial force on the local nobility. While it may seem like most of the power is given away to the dukes and earls, the royal lines’ high levels mean they do not need large levies; they are an army unto themselves.” She explains.

  I ponder her words thinking about how much emphasis and power is given to nobles with the sole purpose of getting stronger. In traditional medieval society, levies are raised, and the non-nobles are used as light infantry. If what she says is true, the average citizen will be less than cannon fodder in the eyes of the military.

  “What about levies? What happens when a duke needs an army? Say the elven force tries to hit the Dukedom. What if the Heartbrans are part of the defenese?” I ask

  “The Heartbran are Earls under the Silverward dukedom. If the Silverwards decided to fully mobilize, there would be a few citizens who would be recruited, but it would take a threat greater than we have seen in the last century to cause a noble force to recruit citizens as a militia, let alone mobilize an entire dukedom.

  “It has happened, but it is very rare. The use of citizens as light infantry at that point would be… desperate. Normally, only a few are recruited for logistical support, but those are normally contracted estate merchants. Adventurers might be pulled in but they would likely be elevated to knights or in more extreme cases used as mercenaries.” She explains. Some of my fears are put to rest, though her lecture speaks to a greater class divide than was on medieval Earth.

  “Who are the other dukedoms?” I inquire.

  “We are part of the Silverward dukedom; the other two are the house Jadespears and house Rubyforge. Silverward controls most of the western coast, which is a mix of farmland, swamps, and coasts. House Jadespear controls the southern plains, which extend into the deep southern snowy tundra. The Rubyforge estate is a mix of heavy forest and mountain caverns. Most ore comes from House Rubyforge’s territory, food from Silverward, and House Jadespear has numerous roving earldoms that specialize in hunting. Part of why the mine Sandridge took over is so lucrative is because most ores need to be shipped from far to the East.”

  I nod along. I want to ask more, to learn about the advasaries within the Silverward dukedom hounding the Heartbrans, but I’m reaching my limit. I need time to digest this and I still have much I want to accomplish today.

  As if in reply to my thought, I hear a knock at the door. I move to the door and find a man in metal plate armor with a closely shaven head. On his back are a gleaming sword and shield.

  “Hi, I am Knight-Protector Reagan from House Ashmoore here to report to Baron Kelley.”

  The man is young, with short black hair and a cut figure. He doesn’t look like a bodybuilder, but I can see a toned physique that speaks of hours of training. I take a second glance to see the small bag of items he carries with him.

  “Hi, I am lord Kelley. Welcome, Knight Reagan, I’m happy to have you here.” I say, putting my hand out to shake.

  The knight bows in response to my proclamation. “A pleasure to meet you, m’lord.”

  I pull back my hand awkwardly. “The pleasure is mine. My steward Alyssa will get you settled in. You are the first knight to grace my household.”

  “Thank you, m’lord.” Alyssa leads him back into a small building on the estate tucked away for knights to use. I idly wonder if he will now be my knight commander, leader of my knights, considering he is the only knight I have in my employ. Will he be unable to inherit it since he is only a temporary knight? Not that the position amounts to much, my household is not large enough to have any political weight behind it.

  Once he is settled in, I have all my staff meet for lunch to introduce Knight Reagan. Amanda is aloof as always, George gives a polite bow, Alyssa gives him a warm thanks, and I, of course, welcome him as well with a toast.

  “So, Reagan, you are the first knight to grace our halls. Do you have any suggestions on what I should do with you?”

  He chuckles, “That is a loaded question. When I was informed I would be transferred to house Kelley, I was told to aid and protect. I am a knight-protector with a specialization in sword forms. I also have moderate proficiency in sword and shield skills.”

  I rub my chin, thinking about how I would treat him if he were a party member in an RPG game. The shield and plate armor give me the idea he can take a hit, but I’m a bit concerned he might not have any range capabilities. Based on what Alyssa has been telling me in her lectures, ranged attacks are the territory of magi. Knights defend the magical powerhouses or run interference.

  “Do you have any magical artifacts?”

  He nods, “My boots give me a boost to my poise and a slight boost to strength.”

  I wait for him to continue, sure that a knight of his capability would have other artifacts. When he doesn’t continue, I nod. “How is your aura capacity?”

  “Close to half full,” he replies.

  I head up to my room and bring down the light plate armor and one of the minor rings the knights from the dungeon had. I’m tempted to give him the short sword as well, but I don’t think switching out swords will be as easy as equipping in a game. He has honed his skill with the long sword. He tries on the armor and grins like a kid who just discovered candy.

  “This is great. Our armor skills mitigate some of the weight, but I feel like I’m floating.”

  I shrug, “It was just sitting in my room collecting dust. I have a few other items, but I don’t think they will be useful at this time.”

  “My aura is at capacity with the armor and rings. Still, I appreciate you loaning me your artifacts; this is a very generous welcome.”

  I nod. “As my acting knight captain, how would you advise me?”

  He shrugs, “That is for you to decide. Our options are low without any other knights. Setting up guard schedules, patrols, training, or practicing for dungeon runs are some of the common activities knights perform.

  “Once you fill out the ranks, I can sort that out. While we wait on the other knights, Knight-Captain Johnson mentioned you used a sword in the dungeon. I can help you hone that skill, if you would allow me.”

  “Oh yeah, sure!” His comment knocks me off guard.

  I had started gaining a few skills back on the island, but I had largely ignored them in favor of developing my magical talent. It is a good idea. I found it a little funny that the knight saw me fighting a boss with a variety of magical abilities and decided to go out of the way to let me know my sword form could use work.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  We head out into the woods, find a clearing, and he pulls out two wooden swords for us to use. He takes a position, and I mimic him. He notices me trying to mimic his stance and stops.

  “Have you had any training with swords before?” He asks me.

  “Yes…” I say. It is true I have, but I’m a bit embarrassed now that I’m in front of someone who trained his skill in swords to kill monsters. Practicing the swords on Earth was a past time I used to relax, not for survival.

  “Maybe let’s start with the basics.”

  He slides his practice sword into his belt and walks over. My sword training from Earth helps some, but Reagan still spends hours positioning my feet and showing me how I should move with each sword swing. Very little is focused on the sword. It’s more about how to shift my weight, how to move my body to position myself for the next strike, or how to hold my arms. Despite my increased physical stats, I’m sweating by the end and even feel a little sore as I use muscles in ways I have never done so in my last life.

  In the training session, I take a pose, like freezing mid sword swing. He spends a minute correcting my feet, my arms, my torso, and just about everything I’m doing. When he’s done, I hold the stance for thirty seconds to get a feel for it. Then practice transitioning between positions ten times. We spend the whole day rehearsing a few simple stances and sword swings.

  “Whoa, I got three levels!” I exclaim.

  He smiles, “The first twenty-five levels can be earned through practice like this. At around twenty-five, you need to spar to gain more levels, and after that, you need to hone your skills in combat.”

  “Are there teachers for some of the utility skills?” I ask, curious if I could get a few other skills to help me.

  “There are… most of the basic martial skills are trained in the knight academy. If you want anything specialized, you will likely need to request a teacher specialized in that skill. I think we have a few on the Heartbran estate. One for fishing and one for farming.” He says.

  I rub my chin in thought. Farming and fishing are not something I’m particularly interested in learning. I enjoy fishing as a pastime, but I want to focus my time on skills that will increase my chances of surviving the next few months. Still… If the teacher is here, learning the skill could be useful.

  The Silverward dukedom was known for farming, and I might be able to find a few cash crops. My knowledge of a few farming innovations, mixed with an actual teacher, could be just what I need to jumpstart the economy of my estate. I will need to talk to Alyssa later. I’m still a bit short on funds, but maybe I could take out a loan against future earnings.

  After washing up, we head back to the house. Aching from the training, I decide to lie down and check on my undead rats. A few more have been eaten, but I can still see most of the estate. I cycle through the rats, accessing their magically enhanced memory. I reposition a few back-ups I have hidden. While reaching out to my undead, I see Morgana on the roof, lounging about and idly watching people going in and out of the house. Once I’m done with my magical introspection, I head over to Alyssa.

  “Alyssa, I want to take out a loan. Is there a lender somewhere nearby?”

  “A loan?” She asks, tilting her head in confusion.

  “Yeah, like they give me money, and I give them more money back with interest.”

  “Why would you take money from someone only to give them back more? Just use what you have.”

  A short conversation later, and I learned why there are no loans.

  “That is crazy. If you cannot pay back the lender, you become a slave?”

  “For a minimum of a year.” She nods.

  That flies in the face of everything I know about modern investing and banking. The ability to borrow money and start businesses is the cornerstone of growth. If you go into slavery for owing a quarter to someone, no one will be willing to take financial risks.

  “Why would you make someone a slave for owing money?”

  “Why would you not? If someone is unable to adequately manage their resources, putting those resources into the hands of someone more capable only makes sense. If anyone, regardless of capability, could handle the gold for an estate, we would have people starving all over the realm. Not to mention it would impact the noble's ability to gain levels.”

  On a high level, her words make sense. If the idea is taken to the extreme and anyone could walk in the door to handle the finances of the realm, someone would eventually mess it up. I take a mental step back and realize they probably don’t have risk management, degrees, or certificates that normally act as a check against such extreme irresponsibility.

  In my world, some of the largest companies often ran on a deficit for years before turning a massive profit. The ability to put the entirety of profits into growth allowed for considerable expansion. If they had to rely on their profits alone, at least half would fail, and those that survived would grow to a fraction of their current value.

  It gives me more ideas for what I can do to grow my own estate. I invest in farming, or maybe find a way to give small loans without the slavery. If I can use the population of the estate to farm new small businesses and build them with loans, I might become the most powerful house in the next few years. I will need to give more thought to how I can enact banking loans that won’t put people into slavery. Convincing people I’m not a loan shark and upending the current economic model are no easy feats.

  I read the message and smile. I will need more gold coins before taking on the questline, but I have other ideas I hope will pan out.

  “Alyssa, tell me more about the farming in Silverward. Are there any cash crops?”

  “What are cash crops?” Alyssa says, pronouncing the words ‘cash crops’ as though tasting them.

  “It is a crop that is particularly lucrative.”

  A long conversation later, about farming alien crops, and I learn there is a particularly lucrative cash crop: Mana herbs. Mana herbs are part of a rare group of plants that can absorb mana from an environment and were used in manufacturing most, if not all, magical potions.

  There are two issues with farming mana herbs. One is that it’s incredibly expensive to purchase enough of the plants to grow them, and they do not produce seeds. The second is that the herbs absorb most of the mana in an area.

  One year’s crop will make an area devoid of mana for years to come. Since mana helps most plants and animals. A mana-devoid zone means anything that grows in the area would be particularly feeble, if anything at all grows. I’m sure there are a few ways around making the land desolate, and I’m going to talk to the farming trainer Reagan had mentioned earlier to find out.

  “Alyssa, Reagan mentioned there was a farming trainer on the estate. I want to work with him for a day. Schedule a training session with him in the next few days.”

  Alyssa gives me some strange looks but nods. I can feel she thinks it’s below me, but she chalks it up to me being a wilder.

  I smile as I review the notification for my second business venture idea today. There were a few other opportunities, one of which Alyssa had mentioned earlier, namely the ability to have houses on my land. I hoped to introduce apartments. They might not be as attractive as a house, but I hope to start with a living structure that’s more efficient and then grow into homes when I acquire more money.

  These are a few great starts. If my plans all bear fruit, I will probably need to spend gold on a few other things, such as infrastructure, but that can wait until I’m swimming in gold coins like a certain eccentric cartoon duck.

  Starting with the farm will be best. Once I have the basics of the farm underway, I can easily expand my crops to create cheap food for later, which will help support tenants to fill apartments. I want to introduce a few other new ideas in the apartments. Indoor plumbing might not be the golden boon with disease practically extinct, but a water tank and indoor plumbing will provide hot showers, a luxury everyone will enjoy.

  “By the way, the laborer I purchased is waiting out back.”

  I jump out of my chair and run out back to find a dirty young man who looks like he was just out of puberty with some ratty clothes. It’s not until I ask Alyssa later that I find out he is one of the few who were desperate enough to agree to work with chicken feces all day. I lead him through the process of taking buckets of feces so we can refine what I will need for gunpowder.

  For the entire hour, he watches until the dark of night is heavy on the land. I take a shower to wash off the sweat and the stink of working with the feces. I bring the boy with me, not wanting him to go home dirty.

  The boy is quiet but grows upset when I wash him down with water. He sulks the rest of the time he spends with me. I try to explain the importance of hygiene, not only to not smell, but I feel through my empathy that he is obstinately opposed to forced showers.

  Thinking over the day, I have not made significant progress on any one project, but I have many of them started, and I have growing excitement for what will come next.

  While eating dinner, Alyssa probes, “So how did things go with Eric?”

  “Good. We started the first wash. He is a bit antisocial, but he seems to grasp the concepts. I think I will need to spend a few more mornings showing him how things are done, and then he can operate on his own. At least until we scale things up.” I reply.

  Reagan perks up, “Oh? Is this some kind of secret project? What are you doing?”

  “He is washing chicken droppings,” Alyssa says flatly.

  Regan pauses as his brain processes.

  I jump in, “It is a bit more complicated than that. I want to make weapons. The first step is to refine the nitrates from the…” I continue to explain for another minute, before I notice Reagan’s eyes are glazed over.

  “So, you are washing chicken poop to create a weapon?” He asks, unconvinced.

  “A little over summarized, but yes.” Reagan and Alyssa share a look, and I don’t need my empathy to understand what is conveyed between them. They think I’m crazy.

  “It is fine, you will see,” I say, assured of my impending victory.

  After a brief pause, Alyssa chimes in. “Speaking of, I want to mention I have secured a meeting with merchant Evergreen tomorrow. So, if you could wait until after his visit to continue your work, I think it may be prudent.”

  “I promise I will not have diplomatic meetings smelling like poop,” I promise.

  “I’m glad to hear. M’lord is very wise.” My eye twitches as I feel relief from her through my empathy. I’m a little confused why she thinks I would protest, but I let it go.