After utilizing some cleaning magic, I donned my rainbow flame vine and leaf dress. The root cocoon we appeared to be trapped in suddenly opened on its own. Sophie and I departed, realizing we were at the center of the Spirit Forest. On one side stood rainbow flame trees, while on the other loomed shadowy darkness trees. "How long have we been here?". "A hundred years," a spirit replied. I remained unfazed; time in the Spirit Forest is peculiar. Requesting the spirits' guidance to navigate our way out, we roamed the forest for what felt like an eternity until finally emerging. Uncertain of the duration in the spirit Forest, we proceeded to the teleportation circle and returned to the hub. We meet with one of the Twelve Demon Knights upon arrival at the hub.
We have been officially summoned by the Demon Lord, and it seems he's here to escort us. Hastily, we follow him to the Demon Lord's castle. The castle, naturally colossal, is further enlarged by spatial magic inside, owing to its positioning atop a ley line, rendering the interior even more expansive than its already grand exterior.
Upon arrival, it becomes evident that an official celebration for newly appointed Lords is underway. However, despite having been granted the title of Knights some time ago due to our S-rank status, it was not officially recognized. Nonetheless, the Demon Lord commends us for our significant contributions during the war. Our notable achievement in creating a spirit forest was deemed of great merit, far surpassing the mere dispatching of soldiers. In recognition, both Sophie and I were appointed the rank of Viscount. Such a promotion, skipping an entire rank, is nearly unprecedented. The title of Knight is typically attainable through monetary means or by an S-ranked individual, and from then on, contributions are needed; noble status can be not inherited by one's descendants.
Although technically we've been nobles all this time, at least not recognized officially because we haven't had our lord ceremony, which is conducted every so often due to the number of those receiving titles of knights being astronomical. After all, it can be purchased with money. As such, the Demon Lord likes to conduct ceremonies every so often to get everyone out of the way. However, you don't really officially become a noble until you reach the rank of Baron. Even a knight is able to act as a squadron leader. The higher the noble rank, the higher the military rank, with the exception of general, since this is something that can only be appointed by the Demon Lord, and most of the time, these titles simply act as honorary. They only take a placeholder position. It was set up by the Demon Lord that way, as there isn't a need for a permanent military. After all, full-scale war is quite rare; we went three hundred years without one. Crossing the sea is difficult with all the sea monsters. I believe the US military had some kind of special material which made it more difficult for the sea monsters to locate their ships, so they weren't being overwhelmed by numbers. However, these honorary titles are full-fledged military ranks during wartime.
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The Baron title grants you the ability to purchase exclusive items as well as restricted items. Also, a certain amount of clout comes with it, allowing you to participate in actual governing matters. Let alone as a Viscount, the step up from Baron. Nobles don't rule over territory in Australia; they do participate in governing matters, various administrations, and government projects. They can also get people arrested, and given how efficient the court systems are with the truth stone, you'll be fucked if you've actually committed any crimes.
The Demon Lord ordered us to explore the spirit forest and then mentioned she had a projection for me to work on after I finished that task, stating I was the perfect fit for such a project. After everyone left the operation, the Demon Lord declared the practice battle over; our true enemy has yet to arrive. We must be prepared to face them. Only one of the 12 Demon Knights heard this and had a look of concern on her face. However, the Demon Lord then turned to a certain location. "How long are you going to hide behind the invisibility spell? I've known for a long time that you're probably as strong as myself. It seems you are no longer remaining low key with your recent actions as an indicator. The time for remaining low key has indeed passed. With the upcoming enemy".