Chapter 142: Title: Small Lord

Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Title: Small Lord

In the study of the Baron’s Manor.

Vili sat before his desk. A Reward Decree lay in front of him, bearing Count Lumbar’s personal signature in the bottom right corner.

"[You have been officially ennobled as a Baron, gaining the title [Small Lord]. Reward: 1.5 attribute points.]"

"[Upon acquiring the title [Small Lord], you will gain the ability [Reputation (Level 2)]. Within White Bear Town, you will be the most authoritative figure. Every resident will feel intense respect or fear in your presence, depending on your mood.]"

[Vili Ferren—Constitution: 8; Intelligence: 7.5; Attribute Points: 6.5]

’So, the Title Attribute Panel has officially recognized me as a Baron...?’

Vili muttered to himself as he looked at the Title Attribute Panel before him.

Although Vili didn’t think much of the 1.5 attribute points, he valued the Level 2 Reputation ability quite highly.

’Once I get through this busy period, I’ll continue with my Knight training.’

Vili mused. He knew very well that the title of Senior Knight was far more difficult to obtain than that of Middle Knight.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Vili called out.

The door opened, and a young man in exquisite armor walked in.

He was around twenty years old, sturdily built, with a chiseled face. There was a slight resemblance to Vili in his eyes and brow.

It was none other than Vili’s older brother, Sopps, who had rushed over from Diamond Town.

"Good morning, Lord Baron."

Sopps said with a smile, his tone lacking the reverence of Sandoor and Dane.

Vili smiled and stood up. "Big Brother—no, my Personal Guard Captain. Good morning."

After speaking, they met each other’s gaze and burst out laughing.

Although he hadn’t known his older brother for long, Vili was deeply impressed by Sopps’s resilience, sincerity, and sense of responsibility.

Now that the governing structure of White Bear Town had been reorganized, Sopps’s past experience as a minor leader in Diamond Town had prepared him well. Therefore, just a few days after arriving in White Bear Town, Vili directly appointed him as the Captain of the Personal Guard Team.

The Personal Guard Team was the department closest to the core of power in almost every noble’s domain, so it was best to place it in the hands of a trusted individual. Due to the constraints of the nobility system and their harmonious family relationship, Vili didn’t even consider the possibility of internal family power struggles. Such melodramatic affairs rarely occurred in the households of minor nobles.

However, since Sopps’s experience was still limited, Vili assigned one of Baron Enton’s former subordinates to be his deputy and help him handle more complex matters. Once Sopps could manage all difficulties on his own, Vili would consider letting him take full charge.

"Here is the full roster of the Personal Guard. Take a look."

Sopps didn’t bother with pleasantries and sat down directly.

When dealing with Vili, Sopps still acted more like a brother. However, when it came to official business, he was not the least bit careless. He would not skip a single step of the reporting and approval process required by Vili, treating each one with the utmost seriousness.

Vili flipped through the thick document, which detailed the family situations of every member of the Personal Guard.

"Good work, Big Brother."

Vili offered a word of encouragement. He was most pleased that Sopps showed no unfamiliarity when facing him.

"By the way, in a few days, you should communicate more with Sandoor and Dodo. After all, the town’s development requires your three core departments to work together."

Vili instructed.

Currently, Sopps served as the Captain of the Personal Guard Team. Sandoor had been appointed as the Town Mayor of White Bear Town’s Town Hall and also served as Vili’s Secretary. As for Dane, he had been named Captain of the newly established Coastal Defense Team, also wielding significant power.

Since they were all young and certainly lacked management experience, each of them was assigned an experienced old official as a deputy.

The three of them had roughly equal status, making them the most powerful figures in White Bear Town aside from Vili himself.

"I understand."

Sopps nodded and proceeded to report to Vili on the troubles he had encountered and the problems he had solved these past few days.

Although his younger brother was younger than him, he had far more experience. Therefore, Sopps was willing to let Vili point out his shortcomings, and he felt no embarrassment in doing so.

Vili and Sopps talked for a full half-hour before Sopps finally left the study.

Vili walked to the window, a satisfied smile gracing his lips as he looked at the distant coastline.

By the sea, fishing boats came and went, bringing in an abundance of fish.

Guards stood at their posts, protecting White Bear Town’s coastal defenses.

In recent days, White Bear Town had been almost free of large-scale Pirate attacks.

This was all thanks to the thunderous methods of Grand Knight Kirk.

He had annihilated the Green Shell Pirate Gang with storm-like intensity. While he was at it, he also wiped out several other large Pirate Gangs to make an example of them. Under the weight of his murderous authority, even the most ferocious Pirates had to tuck their heads in. They weren’t fools; they had no desire to walk willingly into the line of fire.

Furthermore, spring was the busy farming season. The Pirates had their own settlements and needed to divert some of their manpower to farming.

Thus, due to this combination of factors, the pressure on the coastal defenses had lessened considerably.

However, Vili did not let his guard down in the slightest. On the contrary, he urged Dane to remain vigilant at all times and not to relax, as the scene of Blue Whale Town’s destruction was still fresh in his mind.

’Before long, White Bear Town should be able to return to the glory of Blue Whale Town at its peak...’

Vili murmured to himself, his gaze fixed on the sea.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Just as Vili was gazing into the distance, his door was knocked on again.

"Come in."

Vili had grown accustomed to this high density of work.

Colson pushed the door open, his face alight with a pleasant surprise as he looked at Vili. "Lord Baron, I have something very important to tell you."

After speaking, he cautiously closed the door, as if afraid of being overheard.

"What is it?"

Vili asked the talkative young man.

"Well, it’s like this..."

Colson had just started to speak when Vili suddenly cut him off.

"Just get to the point."

Vili knew Colson all too well by now.

Whenever he started with words like "Well, it’s like this...", it was guaranteed to be a load of nonsense. He would only get to the key point at the very end, giving his listener a massive headache.

"Okay..."

Colson paused abruptly. Getting straight to the point was something that required actual thought for him.

"My Ability has improved again."

Colson scratched his head. "I discovered that I can transfer the Power of Life to accelerate the growth rate of poultry."

"What?"

A look of astonishment appeared in Vili’s eyes.