Reborn as the Failed Lord with my Resource Gathering System.

The conversation with the elf and the King went on for a while, with both sides trying to explain their side of the story.

It went as far as the elf revealing the plan for them all to relocate to the Aurelain barony, despite the fact the King herself gave the offer for the elves to come live in the palace with her like the rest of the elves.

Revina figured Dorian had to be telling the truth; as such, she stopped prying and fully intended to thank him for his service, although this was after the elf had been escorted back out.

Looking at Dorian with hard eyes, refusing to bow, she finally managed to utter a few words, though they were mostly silent.

"Thank you for rescuing the elves. The kingdom and the demi-humans owe you one."

Seraphina and Maria smiled; they were heading toward a good start.

"If you have time on your hands, I would like to discuss more about the dragon you have with you; of course, that is if you don't mind sharing."

Dorian was silent for a while, as though weighing his choices, or at least that was what Revina thought, until Dorian opened his mouth to talk.

"Whaaaaat?! That is it? Only a thank you? I risked my life, you know."

Maria immediately looked away, knowing fully well Dorian was about to do something she had explicitly asked him not to do.

Seraphina was quite curious on the other hand, her eyes on him the entire time.

Confused, Revina spoke back.

"I don't understand what you mean. Are you saying a thank you is not enough?"

"I mean, I nearly lost my life. I had to kill about what, 40-"

"50," Seraphina corrected.

"Fifty nobles all by myself, that's not to mention the number of elves I had to save in the process. Quite frankly, Your Highness, I was expecting something more."

Revina's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

Dorian knew she could do nothing to him since she was still not sure if he was truly a Dragon Monarch or not, and he planned to use every bit of it to his advantage.

Before the King could speak, Alex chimed in from the back.

"I mean no disrespect when I say this, but aren't you being a bit too greedy right now? It should be more than an honor to receive such praise from Her Majesty."

Seraphina frowned at him, obviously ready to clap back with an even greater argument of her own.

However, Revina spoke right after.

"It's fine, Alex. There is a bit of truth to what he says. Since we are not in the throne room, I don't intend to waste much time here." She gestured. "Please, tell me what it is you need as compensation for your deed. Do bear in mind we would need to interrogate the nobles you have brought here."

Dorian smirked.

"You need not worry about that. One of the nobles already signed a contract of truth with me. If he so much as lies, the law says I can do whatever it takes to get him to speak the truth."

Normally, Dorian would have made a pact instead, but ever since the fight with Ciel, he had no access to the God of Gamble.

And it wasn't just him; it was mostly that people hadn't noticed yet. As such, the contract was the best thing he could go for.

Revina sighed; there was no use arguing with him about that. "Please just tell me what it is you want."

Dorian answered immediately. "A higher noble title."

"What?"

"As of this moment, my influence and power in the kingdom are very limited, and this is affecting the potential I have to improve this land and everything in it. If I had a bigger, more influential title, it would help me in the long run." This was Dorian's response to her confusion.

Even Seraphina decided to add her part as well. "Also, as it stands, the richer Dar—I mean, Lord Dorian gets, the more abnormal it would be for a baron to be richer than a duke."

Revina's eyes widened at the thought. Something about what Seraphina said opened her eyes to something.

For months now, she had heard about the workings of the Aurelain barony and the mastermind behind it, Dorian Aurelain. Not once did she pay it any mind.

The discovery of the dragon ore mining ground did catch her eye, but since it was from a baron, she figured it would never last or mean anything good.

She did think of snatching it a couple of times, but Alex advised against it since it was stated the mining ground was in terrible condition.

That said, with the power this man possessed, if he was truly a Dragon Monarch, he could so easily take over the kingdom after waging a war.

Chances are he would figure out how to reproduce with dragons, since only the Dragon Monarch was capable of such, and if that happened—

A slight hint of fear showed on her face. Then she responded calmly, "I agree with your proposition. What noble title would you like? I'll see what I can do about it."

"Hmm, let's see…" Dorian hummed as he thought to himself.

Mid-way, Maria leaned to the side and whispered into Dorian's ear.

"My lord, please try to think about this carefully before picking. Whatever title you pick will forever change how things work. I hope you know this." The moment she said this, she pulled away, her face calm as though she never said anything in the first place.

'I mean, she is right. If I were to say prime minister, chances are I'll be spending way too much time in the capital rather than with my people. I am looking to retire, not work till I am sixty.'

Dorian finally made up his mind. "Duke," he announced.

This caught everyone off guard.

"You want to be a Duke?"

"Yes, that is the noble title I want; I want the noble title of a Duke," he repeated once again.

Alex could not help but butt in, his face white with shock. "A Duke? One of the highest ranks of nobility? Why would you ask for such a thing so carelessly?"

Dorian looked at him, this time with his pinky finger in his nose.

"Think about it for a second. At some point, I am going to grow beyond containing. Isn't it better to give me a title that would make it easier? And the way I see it, I could just as well leave this kingdom with all the power and knowledge I hold."

Then his eyes gradually shifted to Revina.

"But I am sure Her Majesty doesn't want to lose this trump card so easily. With my help, this kingdom has the chance of becoming an empire on its own. All I ask is your support, and I can make it happen."

There was silence for a while, with all eyes focused on Revina, waiting to see what her response would be. As for Revina, a lot of thoughts swarmed her head in that moment.

At the end of the day, she gave a response.

"Do you swear to remain loyal to this kingdom and the throne?"

"On my wives' lives, I do."

Maria's eyes widened a bit before giving Dorian a knowing look.

"Very well then. I shall grant you the title you speak of."

"Your Majesty!" Alex fumed at the side.