That bard is such a charmer!

Chapter 133 The Commemorative Ring for the Hundred-Man Slayer

Charles VII lamented, "Without you, my daughter would surely be in grave danger, and the bloodline of the Ash Duke would be extinguished by the monster—"

Richard bowed and said, "Your Majesty, you flatter me."

"You are too modest. Just for slaying Vespera, you are worthy of being called a young and promising hero!" Charles VII proclaimed in his aged voice. "And heroes must receive the honor they deserve!"

Then, Prime Minister Ned stepped forward and discussed the matter with Charles VII. Before long, they decided to reward the escort team.

The three siblings, Peiguoti, who were already nobles, received a new fiefdom.

Holcher, who had already returned to the western part of the continent, was posthumously awarded a reward, which was subsequently delivered by a designated person.

As for Richard, Charles VII immediately made him a baron of the empire and granted him a fiefdom near the eastern coast—but Richard declined these gifts.

After all, he didn't intend to stay in the local area as a lord, nor did he plan to live in the capital for long.

In his view, this world is ultimately about individual strength, and his cheat requires him to constantly find items that can be charmed.

In other words, if he wants to become stronger, he has to cause trouble everywhere—no, he has to travel everywhere.

Of course, he couldn't say it outright; he simply put forward the argument that true bards shouldn't live a life of luxury but must travel the world.

On the other side, Charles VII, seeing that his reward had been refused, was not angry, but instead praised Richard's spirit.

The old man has seen plenty of adventurers with strong personalities.

He consulted with the Prime Minister and decided to retain the title to be given to Richard, but to convert it into an honorary title unique to the Empire. It would make him a nobleman, but without land, taxes, or military allegiance.

Subsequently, they were given an additional treasure from the royal treasury, as well as the hereditary right to the profits from a royal forest near the capital. The latter would amount to approximately 1,500 gold coins per year.

Richard blinked.

Does this mean you only need to take the benefits and not take any responsibility?

Hey, we poets love this!

He immediately thanked the emperor.

Charles VII stood up with a smile, ordered his sword to be brought, and completed the investiture ceremony for Richard on the spot. Since Richard was not a formal vassal, the process was relatively simple and ended quickly.

From this point on, Richard could be addressed as Lord within the Empire.

For the next half hour, Charles VII focused his attention on Elsa and Mary, inquiring in detail about the mother and daughter's situation and showing them great concern.

However, as he spoke, His Majesty the Emperor's head drooped, and in the end, right in front of everyone in the hall, he fell asleep on his throne, snoring away!

This surprised Richard a little.

This left Elsa and Mary, who wanted to thank the Emperor for his concern, stunned.

Fortunately, Prime Minister Ned seemed quite adept at this, smoothly taking over the responsibility of presiding over the meeting, reassuring the mother and daughter, and then announcing the end of the audience, saying that His Majesty needed to rest, and politely escorting everyone out of the palace.

Once outside, Richard couldn't help but ask Isabella, "Why has your father aged so much?"

Isabella sighed softly: "When he was young, he was attacked by a lich and almost had his soul annihilated. Although he was lucky enough to survive, his lifespan was greatly reduced—it was a fundamental damage that could not be repaired by blessings or magic."

"He was still in better spirits a few years ago, but after my mother died unexpectedly from her illness, he completely lost his strength —"

Richard suddenly realized.

Furthermore, it makes more sense why the princes and princesses would start a PUBG competition. After all, the father on the throne is so old that he falls asleep halfway through his sentences. Which ambitious person wouldn't have the thought of taking his place after seeing this?

At noon, the group returned to Isabella's mansion.

Richard didn't have a moment's rest for the next few hours.

On the one hand, he needed to fill out some paperwork for his new title, including designing a coat of arms for himself. Although his baronyship was just an honorary title, he still had to have the necessary formalities.

Finally, Richard, referring to the harpist's badge, drew a pair of crossed lutes and a one-handed sword intertwined within a blue circle.

On the other hand, he needed to meet with the steward of the royal forest and sign a series of contracts in order to officially receive his share of the rewards.

Although the process was somewhat tedious, Richard refused Grace's ill-intentioned offer to take on the task and completed it all himself.

By the time the above work was completed, the sun had already set halfway down.

Just then, another palace servant knocked on the door of the princess's residence, bringing several invitations and a gift box.

The invitation was for everyone to attend the royal ball that evening—all nobles are the same, always eating and dancing, and now that Her Highness the Princess has returned victorious, this classic event is naturally indispensable.

Inside the gift box was the treasure that Charles VII had promised to give Richard, which was said to be the legacy of a famous bard from decades ago.

"Um----"

Richard took the gift box, went back to his bedroom, and eagerly opened it, finding inside a gold ring.

【Name: Commemorative Ring for the Hundred-Man Slayer (Can be charmed)】

Rarity: Very Rare Description: A ring crafted by a poet to commemorate achieving the feat of killing 100 people. It can enhance the wearer's reproductive ability and stores one Otto Dance. It can be used once a day.

Note: Otto's Dance, a Tier 6 spell, can target a visible creature within 10 meters and, through focused casting, make it perform a comical dance in place, lasting up to 1 minute.

Wow, that's pretty good!

First, it can be alluring.

Secondly, it is extremely rare and contains a high-level spell, making it a perfect trump card!

Your Majesty, you have such a good eye for gifts!

The name and the description that it can increase fertility are a bit confusing—but considering that this is something a poet used, it's not surprising.

Richard curled his lip and, when no one was looking, cast a charm spell on the ring.

[The commemorative ring for the 100-man kill: Look what I see! My new owner is also a handsome poet! Haha, this is wonderful!]

Yes, it's an item that belongs to someone who likes poets.

In that case, it should be easy to increase favorability, right?

Richard smiled slightly and began to chat with the ring.

But the next line after the ring was:

[Hmm, is this the new owner's bedroom? Wait, why is the bed empty?]

[As a poet, how come there's no woman in your bed?]

[What do you mean by "it's normal for no one to be around during the day"? You know nothing, are you underestimating bards?]

[Hmph, it seems I need to teach you how a true poet should behave.]

Richard: "?"

>