094: 3 Years

June 4, 2022 – 4 minutes read – 647 words

What is a family crest?

It’s a coat of arms that represent a house.

The Royal Family is the only one that can use the Eagle in their crest.
Military families will often use swords or spears in theirs, or alternatively, some strong animal.

Many families use a specialty of their territory, like ears of wheat.
The former Riggsby crest was made of wheat ears.

The big taboo is using a monster in the family crest as this could be seen as challenging the Royal Family.
Note that this taboo is unique to the Kingdom, plenty of nobles in other countries use creatures like dragons in their crests.

I forgot to submit a family crest.

Really, what’s the purpose of a family crest?

Any document submitted to the Royal Family on behalf of a noble family must be stamped with the family’s crest.
Other documents are fine with just a signature.
Most of those documents are tax-related, but I haven’t paid the tax yet.

I didn’t forget it! New aristocrats are given a tax exemption for their first year.
In that year, plans for paying tax in subsequent years must be decided upon.
Well, I think I can pay in wheat and liquor.

The King took it upon himself to submit a family crest for me and I just received the final version from the government office.

It’s two snakes entwined with a dagger.

“Well, it’s Snakes for the Snake family.” Pat

The stamp is actually an expensive magic tool.
The tool stamps using the magic person of the person who pressed it down.
This prevents counterfeiting, since it won’t bleed or fade like normal ink.

Along with the stamp is a dagger with the crest of the Royal Family on one side and my crest on the other side.
This is proof of an aristocratic house.

I’ve started spending half a month working with my Eighth Army and the other half in my territory.
This is a common pattern for military nobles.

Now that I’m a Count, I’ve gotten busy.
I have to read and sign all sorts of documents.
Even if I don’t agree, I have to sign the Reject area of the document.

In addition, I have to travel all over the territory to check on the maturity of the whiskey and brandy in the main brewery, sake in the other brewery, and a locally made plum wine I named Inesh.
In the former Harter territory, I started the cultivation of sweet potatoes, I’m looking forward to those sweet potatoes.

Yep, I’m going to make shochu.

When I’m in the Royal Capital, I split my time among training with the Eighth Army, my personal training, and occasional practice with the First, Second, or Third armies.
The other day, the King’s Guard practiced with my Eighth Army.
Now even my Uncle is calling me the Grim Reaper, which made me a little depressed.

The Eighth Army has advanced in our primary skill, running.
Originally we would run in battle uniforms, but the army is now running in full battle equipment.

I’m fully convinced that the Empire is going to declare war as soon as the five-year non-aggression pact expires.
That’s what I’m working towards with the Eighth Army training.
Well, whenever the criticism gets annoying, I gift some whiskey to the soldiers.
That cheers them up quickly.

One day, I was summoned to the Royal Castle to sit across from a certain woman.
I have seen her regularly around the Royal Castle and surrounding areas.

That’s when the King told me why I was summoned.

“Seriously?!” Pat

I hurriedly sat down and apologized.
I was more surprised than when I became a Count and a Lieutenant Colonel on the same day.

I’m engaged.

All you readers should know exactly who the other party is.

Editor Note: The fourth wall break is in the original text.