The Duke has always wanted to go on the quest for the Grail, but his father died when he was still out on his errantry tour, and Alberic has never felt able to hand the responsibilities of the dukedom on to someone else. His eldest son, Frermund, would be a fine candidate, but he left on his own Grail Quest. This and the Duke’s advancing age seem to have pushed him to do more than wish; solid rumour suggests that he is looking for a reliable steward to run the dukedom in his absence.[1a]