Chapter 881: Family Traditions – Noble Etiquette II

CH881 Family Traditions – Noble Etiquette II

***

The people present watched the scene unfold with disguised amusement.

Aside from the few seated members who flinched at the exact moment of Alex’s attack, reaching for their weapons before stopping themselves, there was hardly any movement to stop Alex’s attack.

Most Furys were battle-thirsty, yes, but that didn’t make them stupid. At least, not the people seated in the meeting hall for the Clan Council.

They could tell that Alex wouldn’t actually kill Aiden at the meeting. Even if the Mad Earl didn’t stop him, the youth was unlikely to actually go through with it.

This was just a play. After all, Alex’s actions and subsequent words were subtle slaps to Baron Aiden’s face.

While it was debatable whether it was intentional or not, Aiden Fury’s actions—or rather, choice of words—could be seen as being disrespectful to the Patriarch.

What Alex had done was establish that Aiden’s life or death rested on the whims of the Patriarch he had arguably disrespected.

As a cherry on top, by completely ignoring Earl Mathias when the old man spoke so authoritatively, Alex impressed upon everyone that not even the old man could save Aiden should Drake wish his death.

Of course, there was also the minor matter of whether Alex could actually kill Aiden. Aiden himself wasn’t necessarily weak.

While his rank progression wasn’t publicly known, due to his age, it was still expected that he would have a higher rank than Alex. So, if Alex had indeed intended to kill Aiden, the man should have at least been able to put up a fight.

Watching Alex then announce his arrival was the final icing on the cake.

This was because Aiden had previously proposed stripping Alex of his heir candidacy until his life status could be confirmed.

By announcing his arrival this way, it was another subtle slap to Aiden, as his life status was now known, thus invalidating Aiden’s proposal—a proposal which had been built on disrespect towards the Patriarch.

Essentially, Aiden lost on multiple fronts with nothing to gain from it.

"What is the meaning of this, Alex Fury?" Earl Mathias spoke once more.

The old man had no choice but to speak if he wanted to contain the damage to his son’s reputation.

"I would ask that Sir Earl please refer to me by proper peerage etiquette. I would remind you that I am a landed noble, same as you are," Alex said.

The hall froze. Aside from the five on the high seats, none of those present dared breathe aloud.

Even as Earl Mathias moved to aid his son, Alex still took it as an opportunity to jab the man.

Alex was also a Baron. However, unlike Aiden, Alex was a landed noble who obtained his land through his own efforts, while Aiden’s title was an honorary one, received as the young lord of Earl Mathias’ fiefdom.

This was on top of the more overt intent of his words, which was to remind Earl Mathias that he could not speak to him as if speaking to a commoner.

Earl Mathias’s eyes flashed, but settled back into his impassive look. He stamped his walking stick against the ground as he partially leaned on it while he sat.

"Very well, Baron Alex Fury. Can you explain why you, a noble of the empire, would disregard etiquette and draw your blade at a fellow noble clansman during a Clan Elder Council meeting?" Earl Mathias said.

"Gladly, Sir Earl." Alex bowed. Then he replied, "According to both noble etiquette and Fury clan tradition, it is a punishable offence for any clan member to disrespect, disregard or deny the authority of the family head or Patriarch.

"By our clan traditions, by referring to the Patriarch during this Clan Elder meeting by his name and title, Baron Aiden has committed this grave offence against the authority of the Patriarch."

"That is false!" Aiden spoke.

Alex turned to him. "You carry yourself with the flair of an outside noble. Do you mean to tell me you meant no offence by refusing to refer to the family head as ’Patriarch’?"

"It is exactly because I carry myself with the proper etiquette of a noble of our great Virellian Empire that I addressed the family head by his title, which is more recognised across the empire," Aiden retorted.

Contrary to his expectations, Alex suddenly smiled.

"Then I am sure you realise that, in an event of this nature, a lower noble such as yourself is supposed to address a higher noble with the salutation ’Sir’ before their noble title."

His eyes flashed with cunning.

"To refer to a higher noble by both their name and title is to place yourself on the same level as said higher noble. Are you telling every Fury here that you consider yourself equal to the Patriarch?"

"I—" Aiden’s words died in his throat.

Alex had set a cunning trap for him.

If Aiden denied it, he would be admitting that he was lower in rank than Earl Drake Fury, meaning he had committed an offence by referring to him as ’Earl Drake’ rather than ’Sir Earl’, as Alex had done when addressing Earl Mathias.

If Aiden agreed, however, it would be interpreted as a challenge to Earl Drake’s right to sit as the head of the Fury Clan. In that case, Earl Drake would have to defend his right to rule the clan by facing Aiden in a duel—something whose outcome was never in doubt.

Whatever answer he chose, Alex had trapped him in a lose-lose situation.

"Seeing as you arrived late to the meeting, I presume you are not aware that the Patriarch himself instructed Baron Aiden to ’speak freely’ given the sensitive nature of the matter being discussed," Earl Mathias said, stepping in to save his son from the trap.

"You acted without knowing this, and thus became the one undermining the Patriarch’s authority."

All eyes turned to Alex, waiting to see how he would respond to the accusation.

"As you have said, Sir Earl. I was not aware of the Patriarch’s instructions. I merely acted on what I heard." Alex said, seemingly taking a step back.

"That may be so, but it does not change the result of your actions. As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions." Earl Mathias pushed.

It sounded as though the Earl had successfully cornered Alex.

Yet the youth merely smiled.

"Indeed, the road to hell is paved with good intentions." He nodded brightly.

Then his eyes flashed crimson.

"However, some intentions lead to ruination faster than others. Just as the consequences of some actions can outweigh the circumstances surrounding them. Wouldn’t you agree, Sir Earl?"

***