So did the gentry, the religious institutions and the upper elements of the mercantile class including those in various guilds. However being wealthy and havin

So did the gentry, the religious institutions and the upper elements of the mercantile class including those in various guilds. However being wealthy and having soft power via your wealth doesn’t make one a noble. If a poor ”noble” isn’t still “worth” more than a rich commoner merchant in some circumstances then you don’t have a real class system.