I Was Reincarnated as a Marquis in Another World

“You know well, SIEL, that… the Academy is a place where the children of other nobles wish to go but cannot. It’s somewhere you wanted to go and prepared so much for. So why are you suddenly saying you won’t go?”

In the setting of the novel, the Academy holds a status as high as that of prestigious universities in Korea, like Seoul National University’s medical or law school.

Thus, even the commoners, or the most humble serfs, can enter the ranks of society’s oligarchy, receiving treatment comparable to that of nobility if they graduate successfully.

Considering that among nobles of the same title, those who graduate from the Academy are favored, from the perspective of a Count, the decision I’ve made seems insane.

“If you go to the Academy, won’t you only learn manners, dignity, and swordsmanship necessary for becoming a knight? I think that as the lord of the Count’s territory, you should be learning how to manage your domain properly instead.”

“Indeed, the skills you need as a knight and the knowledge and abilities you must acquire as the lord of the Count’s territory are different. However, you are only 15 years old, are you not? First, spend four years at the Academy to acquire the skills necessary to become a knight, and then you can learn the knowledge and abilities of a lord from me.”

Typically, a son would be persuaded to change his mind upon hearing such words from his father.

“I lacked foresight. Therefore, I will go to the Academy, learn diligently, and afterward learn how to govern a territory from you, Father.”

But what if he knows that bending like this would lead to a 100% catastrophe?

Bowing down like that would be folly.

Moreover, the Academy is essentially a graduate school combined with a terribly elite social circle specific to the nobility.

Enduring hardship and facing destruction there would be a hundred times better than proving my abilities and not attending.

“I believe I already possess all the abilities necessary to live as a knight. Therefore, I consider it a waste of time to go to the Academy and relearn the dignity and manners of a knight. From now on, I wish to learn how to govern my domain in order to support you, Father.”

Hearing this, the Count suppressed his anger, took a deep breath, and then spoke.

“I see what you’re thinking. However, I am still in my mid-forties and in good health. Moreover, I already have capable administrative officers working under me, so you need not worry. So, SIEL, focus on going to the Academy in Elysium now, learn diligently, meet many people, and forge good connections.”

Good connections, my foot. Even though the beginning of the story has only just been laid out, I don’t know the narratives to the end…

If I go there, I’ll just be treated poorly for being a countryside Count, and in that process, I’ll likely receive a proposal from the lower nobles of the Academy to rise up against the absurdities of the imperial capital.

Even if I do enter the Academy, I would refuse all such proposals, but even if I don’t join, the young nobles from the Academy will start a rebellion.

If the Emperor sees this and decides to eliminate the lower nobles attending the Academy to root out the seed of rebellion—students like us, of merely a Count family, would all be at high risk of being stripped of our title inheritance.

Ah, and before that, thanks to the incompetent Nante Count, my lord, we might lose our territory altogether.

Just as indicated in the storyline of the novel.

So, I spoke to my father with a desperate heart.

“Think rationally. Our Croilet family is merely a Count. Here, in the Count’s territory of Nante, we are all respected as Count and his family, but going to the imperial capital, I am nothing but the heir of a provincial Count. What kind of good connections can I make there?”

Upon hearing this, the Count became furious.

“Therefore, it’s imperative that you, SIEL von Croilet, attend the Academy! If you can gain recognition for your abilities there, our family won’t just remain a provincial Count family but will be reevaluated as a family with a competent heir! After that, you must return to your domain and serve Lord Schwabin as my successor!”

According to the novel’s setting, Schwabin, who will become the future Count of Nante, is described as human trash.

There’s no way I can serve such a man after graduating from the Academy.

It’d be far more realistic to teach a monkey to study and send it to university.

Analyzing my current situation objectively… it’s difficult to convince the Count verbally anymore.

At this point, I need to produce definitive results demonstrating my qualities and governance ability as the heir of the Count’s territory, in exchange for a promise that I won’t be sent to the Academy.

Steeling my resolve, I took a deep breath and then looked directly at the Count with a calm voice.

“Excluding our family, there are six Count families in Nante. And I know the leaders of those families are all capable like you, Father. Thus, they will probably serve Lord Schwabin. However, among us, aside from you, me, the knight with the territory, and the administrative officers, aren’t the other nobles just warriors without knowing anything else?”

It’s impossible to ask them to study and take care of administrative duties.

This is because, in this age, many nobles possess only governing authority without practical skills for tasks outside military duties.

The Count made a sound with his lips upon hearing this, and then spoke in an angry voice.

“Nevertheless, even up until now, the territory has been governed well with just me and the administrative officers. It will continue to be so. Thus, you should just hurry to the Academy and study!”

“No, I cannot sit idly by as your successor governing this territory in this situation. I want to be of help to you as soon as possible.”

This is my thought.

From now on, I will assert to my father that I already possess the ability to govern and revive the territory.

In doing so, I will negotiate for a small town.

Then, using the historical knowledge I possess, I will rapidly develop the granted territory.

Since I know nothing about the situation here now, I should begin exploring the Croilet Count’s territory to find what I need to achieve visible results.

“SIEL von Croilet, I warn you for the last time. Go into your room immediately and reflect on this matter, and prepare to leave for the Academy in two weeks!”

The Count’s face was flushed like a boiled octopus, perhaps because he was already heated up.

And he trembled with his fists clenched tightly.

Thus, I spoke loudly in the strongest voice I had to show the Count that my resolve could not be changed.

“I am willing to put everything on the line to prove what I believe.”

“SIEL… von… Croilet…”

After saying this, the Count picked up the command baton from his desk and strode towards me.

Seeing this, I knelt with one knee on the ground and bowed my head.

Then, the Count halted his action of striking me with the baton and spoke.

“Do you know what it means to kneel on one knee and bow your head as a knight…?”

In this novel, or anywhere in Europe for that matter, a knight or noble kneeling with one knee and bowing their head is a gesture of swearing loyalty to their lord.

Thus, what I say now is not just a mere word from a son to his father, but a plea to my lord with my life at stake.

Moreover, this action signifies…

“Yes, if I fail to take responsibility for my words, you may do as you wish, Father. I will stake my life and honor on it.”

Although I said this, since I am the only legitimate son of the Count family, he cannot kill me.

However, if I fail to prove my words as a noble, I will lose my honor.

And losing honor as a noble is akin to being branded with a criminal record in our country.

The Count, taken aback by my actions, stammered as he struggled to articulate his thoughts.

“Father, I am sincere. Please give me a chance.”

At that moment, countless pieces of knowledge I had investigated for papers and books surged in my mind.

Technologies that dramatically advanced world history proven by history, social systems, education, culture…

Alongside many theories of war proven through history that require power, including military reforms and training.

If I leverage all of this, I can surely make this territory prosperous.

The Count pondered for a long time, then struck my shoulder with the baton and said.

“Very well, SIEL. Then I will grant you a chance, so show me your capacity as the heir of the Count’s territory. Convince me.”

“Yes, Father.”

At this point, no matter what method I use, I will produce results that will astonish the Count.

Thus, I will demonstrate my abilities and survive well in this world.

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