"Hoo, he certainly is impressive."
"Was he always that good-looking when we saw him before?"
"Indeed, Baron Logan has quite an outstanding appearance. And I hear he's still unmarried?"
"Ahem, not unmarried, but—"
All around him, Isaac could hear the nobles' evaluations. Now that he himself was a full-fledged noble, he didn't feel out of place among them.
"He'd make the perfect new face of the kingdom. After all, looks are a kind of ability too."
"Pah, how can appearance be considered an ability? It's just something inherited from your parents. Back in my day, I looked just as good—"
"Oh, shut it. By that age, you were already going bald—"
As the nobles exchanged sharp and teasing remarks, Isaac naturally headed toward none other than Princess Clarice.
"Your Highness, seeing you here again feels quite different."
"Ha, and yet you've already come to several banquets with me."
Knowing it was flattery, Clarice crossed her arms and grumbled.
Prince Raphael and Queen Del, who stood beside the princess, also nodded and greeted Isaac.
Queen Del, in particular, greeted him warmly.
"It's been a while. Have you been well?"
"I greet Your Majesty. You look truly radiant now that the shadows have lifted from your face."
"Hehe."
To Del, Baron Logan was nothing short of a benefactor. He had taught her the gap between social classes and shared that he, too, had once experienced such love.
Of course, at the time, Isaac hadn't done it for Del's sake, but rather for Princess Clarice's.
"Ahem."
And let's not forget—Prince Raphael once followed them around, thinking Isaac and Del were on a date.
"Don't get too close to my wife, will you?"
Prince Raphael gave Isaac a subtle look of caution, prompting Del to laugh playfully.
'Looks like they're doing well.'
From a mere baker's daughter to queen—Del's journey reminded Isaac of his own, from a lowly boatman to Helmut's son-in-law. He'd given her some advice back then, and perhaps it had helped. Seeing her doing well now gave him a sense of relief.
"Sigh, Isaac?"
Having come to greet her but now turning his attention to others, Clarice clearly didn't like it. She poked him on the shoulder with her finger.
"You're the guest of honor, so don't be rude, okay?"
"Did I do something wrong?"
"Wearing that and smiling at everyone like that—!"
"Ahem!"
Clarice was about to protest with a pout, but Heirad quickly stepped between them, preserving their dignity.
And then—
Two figures approached them naturally.
"…Isaac, you look good."
"Hey, how long are you going to stay over there?"
It was Liana and Silverna, the two flowers of the banquet hall who captured everyone's attention.
Though they greeted Isaac in their own ways, it was clear they were both feeling a bit hurt that he hadn't gone to see them first.
After this victory celebration, both of them would return to their respective territories.
And Isaac too, would leave for Volten.
"…Is it really okay for you two to come to me?"
Feeling awkward, Isaac glanced around.
Silverna's father, Uldren Caldias, looked like he could leap at Isaac any moment.
Thankfully, Selene was holding him back, supporting her daughter.
Liana was even more surprising.
They hadn't officially ended things. In this era, it was rare for a married couple to separate. For those two to be speaking like this, the nobles watched their conversation with great interest.
"It's fine."
Liana nodded calmly, unaffected by the eyes around them—just like her.
"My mother actually told me to go talk to you."
Silverna even puffed up a little proudly, saying she was pushed here with her mother's blessing.
At that moment, Clarice seized the chance and asked the two women for help.
"Look at this! Look! Just look at the way Isaac dressed today!"
"Your Highness, please lower your voice a little…"
At Heirad's desperate plea, Clarice leaned in and whispered so only they could hear.
"Look at his clothes and hair. He totally dressed up for today's event—putting all his effort into his look."
"…You're right. He does look good."
"Ha! And clearly enjoying it, too."
Suddenly surrounded by three women, Isaac was bombarded with playful teasing from all sides.
"You seriously don't know how to tone it down a bit? Just look—young ladies, noblewomen, even some maids are sneaking glances at you."
"Isaac, I do think you went a bit overboard."
Sniff sniff "You're wearing perfume too? You smell good. You really came here planning to seduce women, didn't you?"
"…It's not that bad."
Isaac let out a sigh, clearly embarrassed.
Even the streets one normally walks can seem different if you're holding gold—suddenly, everything and everyone looks like a potential thief.
That was exactly what these three women were acting like now.
"What, planning to spend the night being all seductive? Since you're leaving Evergard soon, figured you'd charm some women without worrying about the consequences?"
"You sure dressed up way more than usual. You used to hate dressing up when we went to balls together."
"So now that you're finally free and the war's over, you're just here to have fun?"
As the three women poked at him relentlessly, Isaac decided he might as well answer shamelessly.
"That's right."
"Huh?"
"…"
"What?"
"I said you're right. I came to charm some women. I wanted to show just how good I could look if I tried. Seems like it's working better than I thought."
As the three women stood speechless, Isaac gave a small smirk and added,
"So hurry up and come over. I'll be waiting."
Their emotions wavered and their faces flushed red. They looked as though they wanted to scold him on the spot, but—
"Baron Isaac Logan, please step forward."
Just then, Princess Adeline arrived and called Isaac with a smile.
It was time for his promotion.
As Isaac stepped forward with perfect timing, the three women stood frozen, their mouths opening and closing in disbelief.
Kneeling on one knee before Adeline, Isaac showed no sign of nerves despite having just rattled the women's hearts. His expression was calm and composed.
"Baron Logan, your achievements are by no means small. The bravery and decisiveness you showed in the war against the Transcendents—a threat that could have endangered the kingdom—have become a shining example for the entire nation."
Since this had already been expected, no one was particularly surprised.
In fact, the fact that this was being done at a victory celebration rather than a formal setting made it feel more like a casual event.
"Therefore, we hereby promote Baron Isaac Logan to Count, and bestow upon him the territory of Volten to elevate his status and authority within the kingdom."
Skipping over the rank of Viscount and going straight from Baron to Count was already a huge honor.
But more shocking to the nobles was a specific part of the announcement:
"Did she say Volten?"
"Wait, what? Did Baron Logan fall out of favor or something?"
"Tsk… Is the princess discarding her hunting dog after the hunt is over?"
Naturally, the nobles were full of speculation, but Isaac bowed his head and replied,
"I am deeply honored."
With a satisfied smile, Princess Adeline tapped his shoulders twice lightly with the ceremonial sword.
"From this moment forth, let him be known as Count Isaac Logan of Volten. As you requested, we grant you the land of exile—so I trust that one day, Volten's name will be known far and wide."
"I will keep that in mind."
As Isaac rose and bowed deeply once more, the hall burst into applause.
"Congratulations, Count Logan!"
"We look forward to the transformation of Volten!"
One by one, nobles came forward to offer their congratulations, and Isaac smiled gracefully, meeting each of their eyes and offering his thanks.
Rather than feeling burdened, his eyes shone with resolution.
His gaze was steady, and his voice firm.
And the fact that he had asked for Volten himself changed the nobles' perception.
They had no choice but to view Isaac in a new light.
A man who saw even his military accolades as opportunities to further dedicate himself to the kingdom's growth.
"What an extraordinary young man."
"No wonder the princesses favor him."
"My daughter is nearing marriage age… I should pay him a visit later."
To the pragmatic nobles, Count Isaac Logan was a valuable figure they had to connect with, no matter what.
To the more conservative nobles, he was a loyal aristocrat willing to sacrifice his own rewards for the kingdom's sake.
Thus, their attempts to court Count Logan would become all the more aggressive.
Meanwhile…
"…"
"…"
"…"
It was, unfortunately, news that the three women could only take with great displeasure.
[So hurry up and come over. I'll be waiting.]
That single line from Isaac continued to echo hollowly in their minds.