Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke

161 Seeds of a Kingdom

Harald's expression hardened.

An imperial inspector.

A representative of the Emperor himself, sent when there were suspicions of tax fraud, rebellion, or conflict among nobles.

Though the position was temporary and changed hands often, the authority it carried was absolute.

Whoever the inspector was, their words carried the weight of the Emperor's judgment.

And now, one had been sent to the North?

A chill settled over Harald's shoulders.

The entire region was already on edge—paranoid about imperial interference.

An inspector's presence here could very well ignite a full-scale rebellion.

Yet—

William laughed and patted Harald's shoulder reassuringly.

"Relax," he said. "I asked His Majesty to send one."

Harald froze.

"…You what?"

"The request was made before I even left Hern."

Harald turned fully to face him, his mind racing.

If William had waited until he arrived in the North to send the request, there was no way the inspector would have arrived this quickly.

The Emperor would need to select an inspector, issue official orders, and give them time to prepare and travel.

But instead, the inspector was already here, on time, and had clearly been en route long before.

Harald exhaled.

"…You planned for this?"

William smiled.

"Think of it as insurance."

Harald frowned.

"Insurance?"

William didn't answer right away.

Instead, he motioned toward the entrance.

"We should go greet our guest, don't you think?" he said casually. "After all, it would be rather rude to keep His Majesty's representative waiting outside."

Harald sighed, rubbing his temples before reluctantly nodding.

He still had questions, but for now…

They had a guest to receive.

When William stepped outside to meet the inspector, he stopped in his tracks.

A familiar face greeted him with a wide grin.

"Sir Glenn?"

"Lord William," Glenn replied with a chuckle. "It hasn't been that long, has it?"

Sir Glenn—an imperial knight of the Black Scale Order.

The very same man who had aided William during his brief stay in the capital, offering him guidance and even providing a secret passage when he needed it.

William had expected the Emperor to send a loyal bureaucrat or some high-ranking noble.

Instead, they had sent a knight.

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A man with combat experience, who had already demonstrated trust in William.

An unusual choice.

William's mind immediately started piecing things together.

'The Emperor is being extremely careful with this.'

Technically, an imperial inspector could be chosen from any branch of the government.

For the Emperor to send a knight, rather than a noble or an administrator…

It meant two things.

First—this was not just a routine investigation.

Second—Glenn was meant to be more than just an observer.

He was here to protect William's interests.

Glenn clapped a hand on William's shoulder, grinning.

"You have no idea how glad I was to find you," he said. "When His Majesty told me to deliver this decree, but refused to tell me where you were, I thought I'd be searching the entire North."

William let out a soft laugh.

"Sounds like it was difficult."

"Oh, not at all." Glenn waved a hand dismissively. "It's easy to track someone everyone is talking about."

William raised an eyebrow.

"Am I that famous already?"

Glenn smirked.

"A rising legend, they say."

William huffed.

Flattery.

But useful flattery.

If even the capital was buzzing about him, then his influence had already spread farther than expected.

Still, as much as he enjoyed the conversation, there were more pressing matters to discuss.

"I assume you carry an official decree?" William asked.

Glenn's expression hardened, the humor vanishing from his face.

With a formal posture, he pulled out a sealed scroll and raised his voice.

"William Hern, son of Sigmund Hern, hear the decree of His Imperial Majesty!"

William immediately dropped to one knee.

This was protocol—the same as if he were standing before the Emperor himself.

Glenn's voice rang clear through the courtyard.

"Karl Vin Bay Austria, ruler of the Empire, acknowledges William Hern's rightful claim to the Grimaldi inheritance."

"The lands, titles, and wealth of the late Grand Duke Grimaldi rightfully belong to William Hern, and any opposition to this decree shall be considered an act of defiance against the Crown."

William's lips curled into a slow smirk.

'Perfect.'

No matter what House Calix tried—

They could no longer deny him.

This alone was enough to force their hand.

But then—

Glenn continued.

"…Additionally."

William's fingers twitched slightly.

There was more?

"By Imperial decree, William Hern is hereby granted the title of Margrave, with the full authority over the border territories."

A Margrave?

William's eyes widened.

Before he could even process that, Glenn spoke again—

"Furthermore, His Majesty grants permission for the restoration of House Grimaldi, along with the right to bear both the Grimaldi and Hern names."

William froze.

His thoughts raced.

Margrave.

Dual inheritance.

Full recognition.

"…What?"

Even Harald, who had been standing behind him, let out a choked noise.

The other knights and retainers stood in stunned silence.

Glenn smiled.

"Congratulations, Lord William." He tilted his head. "Or should I say… Duke Grimaldi?"

William's mind reeled.

This went far beyond what he had requested.

Previously, he had refused a Margrave title—because accepting it would mean giving up his claim to Hern.

And yet, now—

The Emperor had changed the rules.

William was being granted both.

A power unprecedented in the Empire's history.

'This is too much.'

He wasn't naive.

This wasn't just a sign of favor.

There was a reason behind this generosity.

William's gaze flickered to Glenn, searching for answers.

Glenn, still smiling, simply patted his shoulder.

"I imagine you have questions," he said smoothly.

William exhaled slowly.

"That would be an understatement."

Glenn chuckled.

"Then perhaps we should continue this discussion inside."

His smile faded, replaced with an expression of quiet seriousness.

"This… isn't a conversation we should have in the open."

William studied his face for a long moment.

Then, he nodded.

"…Agreed."

Glenn turned to Harald.

"Margrave Harald, might we borrow a reception hall?"

Harald, still staring in shock, jolted at the question.

"A-Ah, of course!" He cleared his throat, trying to regain composure. "Right this way, Sir Glenn!"

William followed, his mind still reeling.

One thing was certain—

This decree changed everything.

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Author's Note: Dear readers, wot do ye think? 🤺 I wonder if any of ye could've predicted this or seen it comin'? Hahaha! To be clear, I want the secondary characters to come alive. Not everything is in the hands o' the main lad—he ain't the son o' heaven. Now ye must be buzzin' about where things are headin'! I'll say one thing—chaos is about to come! ⚔️🔥