Noble Ranks

Noble Ranks distinguish firm levels of authority between different types of nobility in the Helmut Kingdom. Two nobles with different titles, but at the same rank, can be considered to have similar levels of authority, though officially some titles will be higher even within the same rank.

There are ten recognized ranks of nobility. These ranks are taken from Chapter 29 of the Novel, "Reunion with Erich-nii-san".

Rank 1: The King
Rank one belongs solely to His Majesty, the King of Helmut.

Rank 2: The Royal Family
The Queen, as well as any Princes or Princesses, including the Crown Prince. This rank does not normally refer to any more distant relatives of the King, however relatives that were a Prince/Princess under the prior King (other than the Crown Prince) will likely be allowed to keep their title upon ascension of a new King.

Rank 3-4: High Nobility
Ranks 3 and 4 are generally considered to have the same level of authority, but Rank 3 is typically reserved for members of the royal family who cannot otherwise claim Rank 2, while Rank 4 are not typically members of the royal family.

Duke (Rank 3)

 * The Novel simultaneously suggests that Rank 3 has Dukes *and* other royals, but in the novels the only time we ever see Duke used is for a member of the royal family.

Marquis (Rank 4)

 * Although listed in the novels, this rank has not been shown to be used by anyone in the Helmut Kingdom.

Margrave (Rank 4)

 * Margrave is the title of the noble who proxy-controls the major regions of the Kingdom, such as Margrave Breithilde in the South and Margrave Browig in the East.


 * In the English translations of the Anime adaptation, Margrave Breithilde is introduced as a Duke.
 * This is likely because for American audiences, Margrave is a much less recognized title.
 * In Chapter 73 of the Novel, the King promotes Gerd Oskar von Browig, younger brother of the prior Margrave Browig and uncle to Karla von Browig, to the rank of Margrave but says that he is promoting him to the third rank.
 * This is a clear discontinuity with the list used here, but may be reconcilable on the basis that the Browig family was one of the oldest and most distinguished lines in the Kingdom, stretching back over 1000 years, which the Margraves of the West and South cannot similarly claim.

Rank 5: Middle Nobility
Unlike Ranks 3 & 4, two ranks with approximately equal authority, this rank is explicit in that the separate titles within the rank are formally of differing levels of authority. Listed in order from highest precedence to lowest:

Count/Earl (Rank 5, Upper)

 * Earl is the British term for Count, and can be used interchangeably.
 * This is the third title Wendelin is granted, upon successfully starting development of the demonic lands on the edge of the Baumeister Knighthood.

Viscount (Rank 5, Middle)

 * This is the title possessed by Cardinal Hohenheim, as well as the title Court Magician Christoph von Armstrong is granted after participating in the subjugation of the dragon in the grasslands (before that, Armstrong was a Baron).

Baron (Rank 5, Lower)

 * This is the second title Wendelin is granted, after participating in the subjugation of the dragon in the grasslands.

Baronet (Rank 6)

 * The Web Novel translation often lists this as "Associate Baron".
 * This is the first title Wendelin is granted, after successful subjugation of the Bone Dragon.
 * Katharina was granted an honorary Baronet title when her family nobility was restored, a rare honor as the Helmut Kingdom does not allow women to hold noble titles.

Rank 7-10: Knights/Pseudo-Nobility
The world of Hachinan tte, Sore wa Nai Deshou! treats Knights as a form of nobility, though with far less gravitas than the formal nobility ranks listed above.

Hereditary Knight (Rank 7)

 * This is the rank that Artur Baumeister, as head of the Baumeister Family, held as lord of their territory.

Non-Hereditary Knights (Ranks 8-10)

 * Ranks 8-10 can be made hereditary by grant of the King, but are presumed to not be by default.
 * Some high-ranking nobles have been granted permission by the king to name non-hereditary knights that are tied specifically to their territory, though this is rarely done.

Hereditary Retainers (No Rank)
While retainers of higher-ranking nobles likely have noble titles and ranks of their own, there are many instances of Retainers who do not have their own rank, but are given hereditary status. This status is inferred from context, and is therefore not explicitly listed as a rank in the novel.
 * Erwin von Arnim, Wendelin's first retainer, holds a position that will become hereditary. Louise Yorande Aorelia Oufelbeik and Iina Suzane Hirenbrant, who were also Wendelin's retainers prior to becoming his fiancees/wives, likely would have been in a similar position.
 * Rhodrich, estranged son of the late Baron Ruckner and nephew of Minister Ruckner, is acting as territory governor of the Baumeister Earldom, a hereditary position. He refused to inherit his father's title as Baron, but it will be reinstated with his heir when they take his position as governor.
 * Klaus, former village headman for the primary village in the Baumeister Knighthood, held his position as a hereditary grant from the territory's lord, until he was forced to resign it following a coup attempt.

Non-Hereditary Retainers (No Rank)
Some retainer positions are because of special skills. For example, since magic has low heritability, it is not always necessary for a retainer magician without any rank to be made hereditary. This status is inferred from context, and is therefore not explicitly listed as a rank in the novel.
 * Brantark Ringstat is a good example of this. He is a retainer to Margrave Breithilde in the position of Head Magician, but because his power cannot be passed down, the position is not appropriate to make hereditary.
 * Despite this, Brantark has significant assets from his adventurer days, and as a deliberately single man is constantly involved with ladies from the red light district. In order to avoid a dispute over his inheritance with prostitutes claiming their child is his, Margrave Breithilde insists he get married and produce an appropriate heir.

Difference between a Retainer/Vassal/Patron

 * A Retainer is someone *hired* by a noble for the purpose of serving that noble in an official capacity. It is not used for low-level positions in a noble's household, such as servants. Unless otherwise noted, a retainer is a hereditary position. A retainer may or may not also be a noble.
 * A Vassal is a person possessing a noble title, and typically possessing a territory of their own, who is technically under the authority of a higher noble.
 * It is also possible to be a vassal for more than one noble simultaneously, if the intermediate-ranked noble is themselves a vassal of the higher one. For example, a Knight may be the vassal of a Baron and a Margrave if the Baron is also a vassal of that Margrave. In that case, it is customary to refer to the vassalage by the closer-in-rank connection.
 * A Patron is a noble of sufficiently high rank that they have a lower noble under their authority. It is the inverse side of the Vassal relationship.
 * All nobles are vassals of the King, and in turn have the King as their patron, however it is customary that the term is reserved for noble-noble relationships rather than noble-royal relationships.
 * The sole exception is for those Knights who have been granted a non-hereditary peerage directly by a high-noble such as a Margrave, and with that peerage tied directly to that high-noble's territory. The right to exercise the exception has to be explicitly permitted to the high-noble by the King first.