Chapter 154: Ennoblement (Part 2)

"My Lord, Earl of the Southeastern Border, in the name of knighthood, I pledge myself to your service. I shall be your sword and shield, and defend your honor…"

Though they had already pledged allegiance before, back then Aven wasn't yet a Earl. This new vow meant something far greater.

Seeing the two knights kneeling before him, Aven's expression turned solemn. He accepted the sword and touched their shoulders with it. "I accept your loyalty, my knights."

Sutter and Fessen exchanged excited glances. Aven then helped them to their feet and returned to his desk.

Seeing this, Uncle Mike hesitated, clearly wanting to follow suit—but Aven quickly stopped him. Had he gone through with it, Aven might have lost a few years off his life.

"Alright, now it's time we seriously discuss how to develop this territory," Aven said, his face growing solemn.

"Yes, my lord,"

Sutter and Fessen exchanged serious glances as well.

…

Noticing the strange expressions on the others' faces, Mike looked puzzled. The two knights' expressions—what had happened?

"Lord Earl, your title as Border Earl is quite different from that of a regular Earl," Sutter said with a deep breath.

With explanations from the two knights, Aven and Mike finally understood the real meaning behind the title of Border Earl.

Upon hearing about the right to expand the territory, Aven's eyes narrowed, while Uncle Mike's face lit up—it seemed like great news!

Aven sighed and said, "It seems we're in trouble."

Mike looked confused. He couldn't understand why Aven would say such a thing now.

Sutter and Fessen both nodded. Sutter explained, "Under normal circumstances, the other nobles wouldn't agree to you being named a Border Earl."

"The reason they're doing this now is probably to have you directly confront the threat coming from Marina City."

"Now that the entire southeastern corner belongs to you, when Marina City attacks, your territory will be the first to face them."

After hearing Sutter's explanation, Mike's face gradually became serious. Now he understood why everyone looked so grim.

"Is Marina City really going to attack?" Mike asked uncertainly.

Aven responded, "It's only a matter of time. Marina City has coveted Aspiration City's land for a long while now." Pokémon

"Then isn't Aspiration City trying to throw us under the bus?" Mike asked anxiously.

If that was the case, he felt it would have been better to just stay in Fruitvale Village—when Marina City invaded, Aspiration City's lord would bear the brunt of the attack anyway.

"That's not entirely the case. The title of Border Earl is a form of compensation."

"But it seems the princess hopes that we will take the initiative and go on the offensive?" Aven rested his chin on his hands thoughtfully. If their strength was sufficient, conquering Marina City didn't seem impossible.

Marina City bordered the ocean. While its land resources weren't as rich as those of Aspiration City, the resources of the sea were far beyond what land could offer.

With access to the ocean, he could fully develop the marine and transport industries, which would greatly accelerate the development of his territory.

Since the sea was full of various kinds of Pokémons, the marine industry in this world wasn't well developed yet.

To solve that, he would just need to build a team of water-type Pokémon guardians to protect the ships.

Of course, that was only a short-term goal. He knew that there were many other continents in this world.

With ships, he could reach those distant lands. That was one of his biggest dreams—to explore this ancient world.

"Aven, what should we do now?" Mike asked hesitantly, seeing Aven deep in thought.

"We'll do our best to strengthen our territory and prepare for the coming attack," Aven replied, looking around the room.

Now that his noble status and lands were officially granted, he could finally proceed with his next plans.

Everyone in the room nodded. It was the only viable option for now—once they had real strength, no challenge would be too great!

…

How to promote peaceful coexistence between humans and Pokémons—this was something Aven had been pondering lately.

Currently, nearly a thousand wild Pokémons were gathering outside the village, which understandably made some villagers uneasy.

Although the residents of Fruitvale Village had become relatively accepting of Pokémons thanks to recent outreach…

They remained cautious around wild ones. After all, every winter, beast tides caused significant damage, and in the last one, many had lost homes and loved ones. Such trauma couldn't be forgotten overnight.

"We must build up the trainer system."

"Only by living closely with Pokémons can people gradually learn to accept them."

"And when they've bonded with Pokémons of their own, they'll gain the power to fight magical beasts—and the fear will fade."

Sitting at his desk, Aven refined his plans. To quickly strengthen his territory, he had to help integrate Pokémons into village life.

And he had to move fast—there was no telling when Marina City might attack.

If the invasion came before he had raised enough power, he'd be forced to defend only Fruitvale Village, with no resources to protect the rest of the territory.

"Developing a full trainer system is tough, but I can start by training knights."

"Knights are already widely accepted in this world. I can use them as a foundation for becoming trainers."

From his perspective, "If a villager earns the trust of a Pokémon, they can become a knight and register officially. That will give them combat power quickly."

"Besides, this world is far more dangerous than the modern one. Trainers need combat ability anyway—so knight training is essential."

"Once someone becomes a knight, I can further train them into a full-fledged trainer."

Aven stroked his chin in thought. It was clear that educational reform also needed to happen soon.

In this world, there were no schools. The only way to learn was through private tutors, which meant literacy was rare.

And those few who could teach were highly respected and well-paid. Hiring them was expensive—another reason most people remained uneducated.

In a society where survival was difficult, who would spend large sums on learning?

"Maybe I should try building a school in this world…" he mused. In any era, education was the driving force of civilization.

"No matter what, the first step is ensuring that every villager can have a Pokémon of their own." Aven stood up and walked outside.

In fact, this plan had already begun in Fruitvale Village. Now, he just had to get everyone involved—his future subjects!

…

(End of chapter)