The Elevation of Count Fix
Eleven days as Count Fix. Short if brief, long if drawn out. Ed and his companions returned to the Empire after eleven days. They had completed their assigned mission flawlessly and come home. However, the moment Ed set foot back in the Empire, he was summoned to the imperial palace. It was to receive the reward the Emperor himself intended to bestow in recognition of his merits.
“Edga Fix, hear this. You have…”
The imperial official, unrolling the golden scroll and reciting the Emperor’s edict, stood before Ed, who knelt on one knee to receive the imperial command. At the head of the hall sat the princess, acting as the Emperor’s proxy, her eyes sparkling with interest as she glanced around the chamber. The expressions on the faces of the gathered officials and nobles were far from ordinary.
‘Heh. I can practically hear their minds spinning from here.’
Nobles and officials rolled their eyes this way and that, frantically calculating their next moves in their heads. The reason they were all so busy scheming was simple: the Empire’s power structure was shifting. The small breeze named Edga Fix had become a raging typhoon.
“…and for such achievements, having greatly contributed to improving relations between the two nations, I intend to grant you a title befitting your accomplishments and abilities.”
And so, the moment had finally arrived. The investiture ceremony. The first commoner to rise to the nobility through his own merits was about to be born.
‘I should have done more back then!’
The Sword Saint was filled with regret. The memory of declaring he would take Ed in as a male concubine circled in his mind, making it hard to breathe. If only he had marked him as a son-in-law candidate right then and there.
‘Still… I was the first to recognize his talent.’
At least he had approached Ed first and made his own appeal. That should count for something, right? Ed hadn’t seemed particularly displeased, either. In fact, it was already an honor for a ducal house to extend a hand to a commoner first. Of course, that only applied to ordinary commoners.
“…For these reasons, I had intended to personally grant you a new surname. However, having also heard of the speech you gave at the entrance ceremony, I will respect your will and allow you to retain the name ‘Fix’.”
Meanwhile, the edict continued, declaring that Ed would keep the surname Fix even after receiving his title. The man once called Sir Fix in jest had now truly become Count Fix.
“…I command you to uphold honor as a warrior, to establish justice as the head of your house, and to become the protector of your people as their lord. Do you swear it?”
The final step, the reading of the oath, followed. Ed answered that he would swear it, and before he knew it, he was kissing the ring on the princess’s finger, receiving the authority of the imperial family through its proxy.
“Rise, Count Fix.”
Thus, the title granted to Ed was that of Count—an extraordinarily generous reward. The nobles, who had expected at most a barony, could only murmur in shock.
‘The imperial family intends to claim him.’
Only the quick-witted nobles, like Ireia, could read the true meaning behind the ceremony. The imperial family wanted to make Ed their own sword. After all, he already belonged to the Elena-princess faction and was a promising talent who excelled in every field. The fact that they had given such a lavish reward the moment a proper pretext appeared confirmed it.
“……And so, because of the truth you revealed, these lands now await a new master. You are to deliberate carefully and choose the territory where your house will take root…”
Then things took an interesting turn. Ed was to govern one of the three territories belonging to the houses of Kroto, Eguwa, and Arjie—the corrupt knights who had been executed after his revelations.
“However, I am concerned. While your abilities have been proven time and again, governing a territory requires the experiential wisdom that comes from the stains of life. Therefore, I…”
Yet there was one condition attached to granting Ed the territory: he must choose his own guardian to guide him. This was the imperial family’s way of testing Ed’s judgment and political acumen.
‘This is…’
‘An opportunity!’
‘I must become his guardian at all costs!’
Just as the imperial family had planned, the nobles’ eyes began to change. Some sought to profit by forging strong ties with Ed. Others hoped to exploit his ignorance of territorial management. Still others aimed to approach him with marriage alliances in mind. Each licked their lips with different intentions, gazing at Ed with greedy eyes. For their houses to prosper, they needed to win Count Fix’s favor.
‘Son-in-law Ed! Just you wait!!’
Thus, beneath the surface, a fierce contest for the Empire’s most eligible bachelor, Edga Fix, had begun among the nobility.
***
He had received quite the flashy reward. Not only had he become a count, but he had also been granted a territory. Even he hadn’t expected the imperial family to move so aggressively.
“Hmm……”
Yet despite such a monumental event, he felt no particular excitement. Perhaps it was because his previous dozens of lives had all been spent as a noble. It felt like simply reclaiming something he had always taken for granted.
“Well, nothing’s going to change much anyway.”
In truth, little had actually changed. He was still an academy cadet and would spend most of his time there. Even with a territory, he would rarely have reason to visit it.
‘Except during breaks, that is.’
The academy’s vacation periods were long. The institution valued strength gained through personal reflection more than rigid instruction, granting two months of independent training each quarter. The intent was for students to hone themselves during that time and prepare for the next semester.
‘But.’
He now had to manage not only his own training but also his territory. Greater authority and rights came with greater responsibilities.
“Well, it’s not a loss.”
If asked whether this was a disadvantage, the answer was an emphatic no. It was merely an increase in troublesome matters, while the influence and reach that came with his new status were immense. The same words spoken by a commoner and by a noble carried vastly different weight. In a world where the class system was firmly rooted, higher status was naturally better.
“The deadline… I’ve got about three months left, I suppose.”
The Emperor had ordered him to select both his guardian—who would manage the territory in his stead—and the territory itself before the break began. He wanted to test Ed’s judgment and political skill, to see whether the hunting dog he had scouted was as capable as expected or disappointingly mediocre.
“It’s all so transparent.”
But he was a veteran of this game. He already knew exactly who to choose as his guardian and where to set his starting point. That said, there was no need to rush the decision. This was a good opportunity to observe how the nobles would position themselves toward him.
‘Duke Cruel, you’d better handle this differently this time.’
If he took the same stance as before, there would be no deal.
***
“What!? You’re saying Enya slept in a male cadet’s dormitory!?”
“Yes. According to our informant, it is certain.”
Meanwhile, a furious roar erupted from the Cruel family head’s office. The Sword Saint had only just arrived, hoping to rest, when news reached him that his daughter had spent the night in another man’s residence. How could the daughter of a grand duke—his precious, beautiful daughter—commit such an outrageous act—
“And the place she stayed was Edga Fix’s dormitory, they say.”
—Not at all. Well done, my daughter!
“Kuh, khm. I-is that so? H-how could this be!”
The Duke of Cruel tried to look angry, but couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from twitching upward. He had already decided to make Ed his son-in-law. A genius without precedent in history had appeared; it would be the height of foolishness not to bring such a man into the family.
“W-we must give Enya a stern warning! Summon her to my office at once!”
“Yes. It shall be done as you command.”
Gram, the Duke’s right-hand man, smiled faintly as he watched his master struggle to hide his joy. From the atmosphere, it seemed the Duke intended not to reprimand his daughter, but to probe the nature of her relationship with Ed.
‘He must hold Edga Fix in very high regard.’
Of course, if the young lady had spent the night in any other male cadet’s dormitory, the story would have been entirely different. For a ducal daughter to share a bed with a male cadet was unthinkable. Had that cadet so much as laid a hand on her, the repercussions would have been dizzying to even imagine. If he had been from some insignificant house, that family would have been destroyed and forced to live in silence for the rest of their lives. No one could ever know that the young lady’s body had been defiled.
‘But if it’s Edga Fix…’
Touching her was acceptable. The Duke had already marked him as a future son-in-law. He would likely have used the incident as an opportunity to demand responsibility and force a marriage.
‘But Edga Fix isn’t that foolish.’
Edga Fix was no fool who would lay hands on the young lady. He was a cunning serpent with broad vision, the ability to see to the heart of matters, and masterful political instincts—a nine-dan politician in an eighteen-year-old body. The Duke probably already knew this, which was why his lips had twitched the moment he heard Ed’s name. He could trust that Ed wouldn’t act recklessly. And if, by some chance, he made a mistake, all the better.
‘Edga Fix… So he’s this year’s rising star. The other houses must be in an uproar over his title as well.’
Gram thought to himself that the other noble houses would be just as busy reacting to the news of Edga Fix.
“What!? Becoming his friend would be an honor!”
His prediction proved accurate. Other nobles who had witnessed Ed’s investiture or heard the news were already making swift moves. However, there were those within the academy who had consistently been hostile toward him—those filled with inferiority complexes, having nothing to boast of but their birth.
“What in the world possessed you to make an enemy of him!? Of all people, Edga Fix!”
The anti-Ed faction, who had bolstered their self-esteem by belittling him, were now being scolded by their parents. Having offended a rising star under the imperial family’s protection, their houses’ positions had become extremely precarious. Now that Ed had been officially recognized as a count, they had no choice but to improve relations somehow.
“Apologize to him at once! We can’t afford any further trouble!”
Some family heads, whose children’s childish actions had restricted their political options, were now suffering headaches. While they fretted, other houses smiled. The Verdian house of Charlotte. The bedridden head of the Verdian family praised Charlotte for becoming Ed’s friend. He also advised that, in his view, Ed would be a key figure in the future “conquest of the demon lands,” so it would be wise to stay close to him.
“Isabella, do you have feelings for him?”
Far to the north, in the grand ducal residence of the Graham family, a conversation took a strange turn. The flow was far too peculiar for an ordinary father-daughter talk.
“……Yes. He doesn’t displease me. Rather, when I’m with him… I feel at ease.”
“Hmm… Then it seems you’ve finally found him. Your match.”
“……”
“Take him. Just as I devoured your mother, you must devour him as well.”
Grand Duke Graham spoke while emitting black haze from his entire body—an overwhelming presence that instantly filled the office.
“Only then will you prove yourself worthy as head of the house. You will become the successor who follows after me.”
He smiled a grotesque smile. Isabella stared at him with cold eyes. A monster. A monster obsessed with power who had killed his own wife to become head of the house.
‘I despise you.’
She felt sick. The cursed fate of this power was unbearably painful.
“Isabella.”
At that moment, Adrian, head of the Graham family, called her name with a stiff expression. Black haze still emanated from him as he spoke.
“You should practice hiding your expressions a little more. If you look at your father with those eyes…”
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the office door burst open. The black energy surged outward. Isabella shot to her feet.
“I-I’m sorry! I’ve been rude…!”
She gasped for breath, cold sweat running down her face. The moment the black energy stopped, Adrian’s crescent-shaped eyes turned toward her.
“Yes, Isabella. Remember this well. Your sister’s life depends on your attitude.”
“……Yes.”
Isabella sat back down with a respectful posture. Adrian looked at his daughter with satisfaction and continued.
“First, we must invite him to our house. We need to confirm whether he’s a suitable offering for you.”
“……Yes.”
“Then move quickly. If it isn’t him, who knows when such an opportunity will come again… If you miss your chance and fall out of the running for succession, the consequences will all be yours to bear.”
“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”
In that moment, Isabella decided to accept her fate. And the one who would meet ruin because of that fate was none other than…
‘I’m sorry, commoner. It can’t be helped.’
…Edga Fix, the man to whom she had given her heart. The ancient curse of the Graham royal line had now reached him.
Having made that fateful decision, Isabella smiled a grotesque smile and clenched her fist. The expression was exactly like that of the father she despised.
‘I’ll become just like him too.’
And in that instant, she could sense that one day she would become the very father she hated—a monster who devoured the one she loved in pursuit of power alone. That was the destiny of the Graham family.