Chapter 126: Count Seres (1)
As one of the bigger duchies in the kingdom, the Therindor Duchy had seven counties, each with one main city and several smaller towns and villages scattered like freckles across its expanse.
The counts governed these regions alongside their appointed deputies—viscounts and barons—tasked with overseeing the people and ensuring the steady collection of taxes.
Power moved down bloodlines, and as long as one did their job well and kept their skeletons hidden in the dark, the system worked without much protest.
After all, nobility wasn’t always about justice—it was about control. And inheritance didn’t ask if you deserved the seat, only if you had the name.
To the west of the duchy lay the County of Seres, a fertile and industrious land long ruled by the Seres family. It answered only to the ducal line and had done so loyally for generations.
The county was known for its rich farmlands, sprawling forests, and mining districts that fed raw materials into the duchy’s heart. While it wasn’t without trouble—occasional monster threats and a few mid-level to high-level dungeons kept adventurers busy—it was considered a thriving domain.
On this particular night, darkness blanketed the county like a warm quilt, and most of the towns and villages had long settled into sleep.
But in the county’s capital, the city still stirred. Certain districts were alive with the sounds of late-night merriment.
Tavern doors swung open to bursts of laughter, flickering lamplight, and the twang of stringed instruments, while night merchants hawked skewers and dice games in shadowed alleyways.
About a kilometre from the city centre, tucked behind gently sloping hills and a copse of whispering trees, stood the Seres Manor—the seat of the ruling count.
The manor wasn’t the grandest in the duchy, but it carried an air of stately grace. Built of grey stone veined with ivy, its walls stood firm under the moonlight, the lamps glowing like warm eyes in the dark.