Rising Shadows: The Fight for Freedom I

Chapter 13: The Noble Duty

On the continent of Isilia, the Kingdom of Bailins is not particularly vast, yet among all the northern human kingdoms, it stands as a formidable nation with an expanse of six hundred thousand square kilometers and a population of eighteen million.

Situated at the northernmost point of all human realms and bordering the Naglan Prairie, Bailins is perpetually threatened by the savage orcs that roam the plains. Thus, from the very day of its establishment, the Kingdom of Bailins has revered martial prowess. To combat the fierce and barbaric orcs, who are as swift as the wind, the common folk of Bailins begin their training in martial skills from the moment they are born, acquiring the abilities necessary to survive the frequent incursions of these marauding beasts.

Dahn, the youngest son of the Governor of Rutania, has never faced the dangers that ordinary citizens endure since birth. However, he has been deeply influenced by the martial ethos that permeates the very essence of the Kingdom of Bailins. Due to his lineage and the fact that his father, Antonio, is a formidable warrior, Dahn naturally finds himself ahead of most of his peers.

Although as the pampered youngest son, Dahn does not exert himself as diligently as his elder siblings, he nonetheless attained a fourth-tier martial rank by the age of fifteen. In contrast, most of his contemporaries in Bailins are still struggling in the apprentice stages, ranging from the first to third tiers.

Perhaps it is due to his father's overwhelming strength and the exceptional talents of his siblings that, despite consistently asserting his dominance among his close friends through sheer physical prowess, Dahn has never perceived himself as particularly remarkable.

At this moment, feeling the tedium of the long journey away from his parents, Dahn could not resist engaging in a friendly spar with his two companions, who were also en route to the capital, Beneto. Winning, as expected, brought him no joy; instead, he was left with a profound sense of frustration and an even deeper boredom.

"You two are truly disgraceful! Surrendering so quickly shows a complete lack of the noble spirit!" Dahn exclaimed, one hand clutching the snacks he had pilfered from Barb Yusaitus and the other counting the pocket money he had scavenged from Ranjilo Gragu.

"You... you thief! Give me back my things (money)!" The two defeated boys were equally indignant, yet they huddled in a corner of the carriage, none daring to reclaim their lost possessions.

"Don't be ridiculous! As nobles, we must speak with evidence!" Dahn scoffed, casually placing his spoils into the storage compartment of the carriage while pocketing a small bag of gold coins embroidered with the Gragu family crest.

"I merely claimed my rightful spoils; this was the wager we agreed upon beforehand. How can you equate this with thievery? That is utterly unjust!"

"You, you, you..."

The two boys trembled with indignation, wanting to argue that they had never agreed to any wager, that the so-called friendly sparring and the notion of the loser paying a forfeit were entirely Dahn's unilateral declarations. However, considering that Dahn was already a fourth-tier warrior while they remained stuck at the second tier, Barb and Ranjilo swallowed their retorts and fell silent.

"That's more like it! A wager must be honored; that is the virtue of a noble! Here, don't say I lack consideration for my friends; I shall share some of my good fortune with you!"

Perhaps out of a sense of camaraderie, Dahn pondered for a moment before generously returning half of his 'winnings' to his two friends.

"Wah, thief! I should never have come to your carriage; I should have stayed in my own, no, no, I should have remained in Rutania, just like Cassius and Augustus, then I wouldn't have to endure this wretched exploitation!"

Damn it, only ten gold coins-half of what I had! Counting the coins in his hand, Ranjilo's face immediately fell.

Heh, this kid! Just because I 'won' a few coins, he acts like this? Hmph, with the ability of a government official to amass wealth, those few coins in your hand are hardly significant!

With this thought, Dahn looked down on Ranjilo, but remembering the coins warming in his pocket, he chose not to expose Ranjilo's hidden wealth and instead shifted the topic.

"By the way, what do you think your fathers were thinking, allowing you to attend that so-called Magic and Martial Academy? Are the Yusaitus and Gragu families no longer interested in thriving in the prestigious positions of tax and administrative affairs, but instead wish to pursue careers as warriors and mages?"

"Who knows? Perhaps they hope we will make some refined and useful friends in the capital! Hey! Attending the Kingdom's Magic and Martial Academy doesn't conflict with our family's traditional strengths at all!" Ranjilo retorted, suddenly realizing the underlying implications of Dahn's words.

What nonsense! According to law and custom, not only are noble titles hereditary, but the positions held by nobles can also be passed down through generations, provided there are no significant blunders and they do not involve crucial roles directly overseen by the king!

Under this premise, all nobles regard the bureaucratic positions held by their families as sacred, absolutely forbidding any slip-ups. Thus, when Dahn jokingly made a remark, Ranjilo, who was of similar youth, immediately grew serious, and even Barb, the chubby boy who usually only cared for food, widened his eyes in earnestness.

"Ah, why are you two so serious? Can't you tell when I'm joking?" Dahn glanced at his two friends and burst into laughter. Although he had inadvertently touched upon a taboo topic among nobles, surely these two wouldn't think I was speaking on behalf of the Spencer family!

Indeed, after a moment's thought, Ranjilo and Barb returned to their laid-back demeanor, and the conversation shifted back to their journey.

"Don't you think our trip feels rather rushed? That Viscount Norman seems to have decided to move at the last minute; something feels off!" Ranjilo remarked, glancing out the carriage window. Before the four-wheeled carriage occupied by the three noble youths, countless heavily laden carts passed by, resembling a bustling merchant convoy from a distance.

"Of course! I've sensed something amiss for quite some time!"

Looking out the window, Dahn recalled the multitude of maps, military reports, and soldiers he had seen in his father's study. What could all this signify? It could only mean war! Yes, the orcs from the prairie must be preparing to invade again! But why do they always harass the human kingdoms during the winter and spring? Why this time...

"Dahn, you're the governor's son; you must know why we're heading to Beneto!" Barb inquired, his face a picture of innocence.

"Of course I know!"

"Why then?"

"The orcs are about to invade our Kingdom of Bailins!" Reflecting on Viscount Norman's unusual behavior and the legal obligations of the nobility, Dahn suddenly had an epiphany!

Dahn was not foolish; he was quite intelligent, though he rarely applied his intellect where it was needed. However, as a noble scion, especially the son of a provincial governor, once he settled down to think seriously, he could analyze most matters with remarkable accuracy.

Just like now, connecting the dots between his father's increasing official duties, the documents he had glimpsed, and the events unfolding around him, Dahn quickly deduced the true reason for their journey.

And having guessed the reason, Viscount Norman's actions became understandable. If faced with an orc invasion, even if Norman held no official position, he could not leave Rutania during such a crisis, simply because he was a noble!

Nobles, a class endowed with various privileges that commoners look up to, enjoy countless powers that many desire. Yet behind this power lies a corresponding duty; the greater the rights, the greater the responsibilities. This adage, said to originate from ancient sages, fits perfectly here.