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“Uh-hmm. ......”
“You woke up huh”
The woman got up quickly and looked around her.
She had a look of confusion on her face, as if she didn’t know what had happened to her.
Most of the onlookers had already dispersed.
I rented the nearby teahouse’s eaves, laid her down, and let Gigi take care of her, which she did surprisingly quickly.
“You, what?”
“You’d better thank this person, he’s the one who saved your life.”
The owner of the teahouse, a good-looking woman, said to the woman and went to serve the customers in the busy store.
“How much do you remember?”
“I was fighting ...... and there was an attack from somewhere I wasn’t paying attention to.”
“The guy you were fighting had his guys sneak in and attack you.”
“Cowardly!”
The woman became angry and spat at the person.
“I don’t deny that it was cowardly, but you were too careless.”
“Ugh. ......”
“Why were you doing that in the first place? You never intended to lose no matter who your opponent was, did you?”
“You understand, ......?”
I chuckled.
Beyond what she didn’t say, I thought I heard her say, “A kid like you?” .
“I can tell that by looking at you.”
This time she gave a wary look, a look that said, “This guy’s not ordinary.”
“If I was going to do something, I would have done it while you were unconscious.”
“...... That’s true.”
“So, why were you doing that anyways?”
“...... I had no money for travel.”
“Travel money?”
She nodded and spoke with a bitter look on her face.
“I came to Royal Capital for this year’s knight selection, but I couldn’t make it. Thinking it was some kind of mistake, I stayed in the capital and waited for them to look into it, but I ran out of my expenses. I couldn’t even go back to my hometown at this rate, so I did what I did .......”
“Well, that’s strange.”
She was depressed and turned her head down when she mentioned that she was not selected for the knighthood, but when I replied, she looked up and glared at me with an angry face.
“What’s so funny?”
“Don’t get mad, that’s not the point. I just saw your skills. If you were to come with that skill set, there was no way you could fail the selection process.”
Even if you take into account the fact that she was just some person from the city, her skills were quite impressive.
She is no less skilled than Shirley, the only knight I’ve taken.
I can’t imagine her falling for that.
“I thought so too. That’s why I asked my contacts to check it out. Then, I was able to meet the Tenth Prince, the examiner. And for His Highness, a woman had .......”
The woman stammered, and her face turned bright red.
Her expression could not be taken as either shame or outrage.
“Okay, that’s enough. I understand what you’re talking about.”
The tenth prince, my brother, I know his character well.
I think he was very direct in saying that if you are a woman, you should offer your body.
That’s the kind of guy he is.
I thought about it for a while and asked the woman.
“Do you still want to be a knight?”
“Of course I do. I will come back next year. No matter how many years it takes, I’ll make it.”
“If so, there is no hurry to return home.”
“Eh?”
I took out a small bag from my pocket and handed it to the woman.
“Is this ...... money?
“It’s reens. Enough to last you a year in the capital.”
“Eh ......?”
“Gigi, weren’t there some empty houses on Tyler Street?”
“Yes, Master.”
Gigi, who had been quietly waiting behind me for a while now, answered.
“Tell Dylan to arrange for her to use one of them.”
“Understood.”
“W-What do you mean?”
The woman was puzzled.
She still didn’t seem to understand what was happening.
“Stay in the capital. It’s easier to get information about the selection of knights and take measures if you stay here.”
“It’s not that. I mean, why are you giving me this ......”
“I’m a patron of many people. And I like you, so I gave you money.”
“Me, you say?”
“I want you to be recognized for your abilities, not for your easy use as a woman. That’s the kind of person I like.”
“......”
“Who are you? You’re not an ordinary person.”
The woman stares at me with admiring eyes.
Then, an intruder, who did not read the air, arrived.
“There she is!”
After the voice, I heard many footsteps approaching.
I looked around and saw that there were roughly twenty people surrounding us in the entire teahouse.
At the center of it all was the man from earlier, Chad.
He had a first aid bandage on his shoulder and had changed into proper pants.
“You little bastard. Finish him off, all of you! Brother too, please!”
At Chad’s command, the men attacked in unison.
They never learn, do they?
I took a step forward.
While I was thinking about Leviathan, Luthiya made a direct appeal in my head.
Not only Leviathan, but also me.
Such feelings flowed straight to me, and I decided to respond to them.
I linked the two rings together.
Linking Luthiya and the armor ring, I transformed them into hand armor to cover both arms.
In an instant, I had two burning fists.
I intercepted the men with them.
Punching them in their unprotected bodies and through their gaping jaws.
Throwing flames that crawled on the ground, I grabbed their throat rings and blasted them at zero distance.
I replicated Luthiya’s technique, just as I had done with Leviathan.
Each time the attack hit, the men’s bodies would burst into flames.
Another characteristic of Luthiys’ technique is that it flares up for a moment and then quickly disappears.
“Amazing ...... speed and strength for a boy who looks ...... just like he does, but he’s so strong!”
The woman who was late to the game was marveling.
In the meantime, all the newly arrived men had been defeated, including Chad, who I could hardly be bothered to question anymore – I thought.
There was only one man, dressed like a knight, who had not fallen.
He was at the end of the line and didn’t attack, so I didn’t fight back and attack him.
The man looked as if he had bitten into a bitter bug.
If you do not want to fight, there is no need to bother, I told the knight.
“I’ll take these guys and go somewhere else...”
“You are! The Tenth Prince’s knight!”
“Hm?”
When the woman said that, the knight was startled.
When I looked at the knight, his face instantly turned pale.
“Ooh, I see. That’s how it is, huh.”
“—!”
I said so, and the Knight was surprised again.
It seems that the Knight is a knight of the Tenth Prince Dustin Ararat.
While I don’t know anything about the other side, of course they know about me.
Oh, by the way, Chad also said, “Brother, please.”
It’s okay that Chad had dragged him here, but knowing that it was me, and thinking that I didn’t know him, he didn’t attack me and kept quiet to see if he could get away with it.
But then, the woman who had probably seen him before, when she asked for backstage entertainment, told me.
It would have been fine if I hadn’t known about it, but now that it’s out there.
“Please forgive me! Your Highness the th.”
The knight instantly kneeled down to me on the spot.
The onlookers, who had once dispersed, gathered again and started buzzing.
“eh ......?”
The woman, too, looked at the knight and me in turn, as if she had been pinched by a fox.
“3th......? His Highness? Isn’t that the Wise Prince of the Minister of Justice?”
The woman was greatly astonished.
“Yeah. Noah Ararat.”
‘T-the real one ......? No, that knight is on his knees with such vigor. It can’t be fake. ......”
It seems that this knight also have something to say about it.
“You’re a prince and a minister, but you don’t flaunt your status and position. ......?”
The woman’s eyes were half in amazement and half in respect.
She could be left alone for a while, but the problem was the knight.
Unlike the time at Cobalt Street, this one is well behaved.
“Are these your people?”
“Yes,......, that....right... my friend.”
“If so, then just leave.”
“Didn’t you hear me?”
“N-no. I did. I ......?”
“Did you try to attack me?”
The knight man shook his head with such force that it seems like he would rip his neck off.
“I’ll let you off. Take them and get the hell out of here.”
“Oh, thank you for your greatness!”
The knight slammed his head into the ground with such force that you could hear it thump, thump, thump, and then he woke up his friends and left with them all.
Now, all that’s left is the woman–
Clap, Clap Clap.
I heard a resounding clapping sound while the onlookers were still buzzing around.
Looking towards the sound, I saw an old man clapping at a stall serving sake across from the teahouse.
“Well, you are quite a boy. Your face, as well as your skills, are first-rate. I’ve never seen such an amazing boy in recent years.”
The old man praised me, he seemed to have a certain air about him.
Just as I was wondering who the hell he was, I saw the golden gourd he had placed on the table.
My heart thumped! And I felt my heart beat loudly.
Dokun!
In this world, there are times when the most eccentric belongings are more famous than the person himself.
For example, a knight’s alias is the pattern of his favorite weapon.
The golden gourd is another example.
Recently, I came to know its owner.
I looked it up and found out.
I approached the old man and knelt down in front of him. |
After the mess of the black slave trade was over, I invited my brother to the mansion and we had dinner together.
In the large dining room, my brother and I were seated facing each other at a long table, with a considerable distance between us.
There was no need to be so particular with my brother Henry, but it was part of the etiquette.
The maids served the meal, and just as the main course was about to be served, Dylan, the butler, came into the dining room.
Dylan first bowed to brother and then spoke to me.
“...... Okay, you can step back.”
“What’s up, Noah, is there a problem?”
“It’s about First Prince – Brother Gilbert’s man.”
“Oh, what did he say?”
Brother stopped his hand and asked, his eyes flashing.
“Well, he got me. After questioning the scoundrel, I found out that he was doing business under brothers name. I would have taken him to court tomorrow, but he killed himself when we took our eyes off him.”
Brother and I both sighed.
A person is a treasure, but .......
After exchanging glances with brother, both of us nodded our heads with a slight tug of the chin.
Brother and I both know that the same words must have crossed our minds.
The lizard’s tail.
Dead men tell no tales, it’s the same in every age.
And to go to such lengths to silence them?
“The black market slave trader did what brother ordered him to do.”
Brother Henry nodded.
“Gilbert had always been like that. Business – owning a store, buying a manor. He’s always been into that sort of thing.”
“It can’t be helped, brother.”
Brother stared at me in surprise, raising his eyebrows.
“He was the first prince, but also was the son of a concubine, and because of that he could not become crown prince. Maybe he’s trying to vent his frustration, or maybe he’s looking for a suitable replacement because he can’t take over the empire itself. Business and the manor are in the territory of substitutes.”
“......”
After I said it all at once, Brother Henry continued to stare at me in silence for some reason.
“What’s the matter, brother?”
“No, ...... didn’t think you know that as well. You’re really amazing, you know that?”
“Is that so? I’m sure anyone can figure it out with a little thought.”
“No, not really.”
He smiled and took a bite of the main dish that the maids had brought over.
The food was not very tasty because of the disgusting things I had heard.
In the living room of the mansion, after Brother Henry had left.
Me, my guard Shirley, and a few other kids were in the same room.
In the room, lit by lanterns, the boys and girls who were about to be sold were kneeling in front of me as I sat down.
There were five of them, three boys and two girls.
They are about the same age as I am now, and with just a slight shift in their birthdays, maybe they would have been playing hide-and-seek together.
I asked these boys and girls.
“I have already taken care of it. You’re free to go. You will not be sold because now.”
“””......”””
The five of them didn’t seem too happy despite being declared free from slavery, but rather just stared at each other in confusion.
Is it ...... because of that?
“You can go anywhere you want. Do you have somewhere to go?”
“No. ......”
One of the girls, who was in the middle, the one who stopped my carriage first, answered in a muffled voice.
“There isn’t any?”
“Yes...... I was sold in exchange for this years paddy.”
“I was sold to pay for my mother’s funeral.”
“To reduce the number of mouths to feed......”
The boys and girls told me about their circumstances.
All of them have no place to go back to, or if they do, they will be sold again sooner or later.
By the way, it is more profitable for the parents to sell them to black market slavers.
It’s not that there’s some kind of trick to it, it’s just that the black market slavers don’t have to pay taxes, so they can turn that money around and buy them at a higher price.
Parents who sell their children to black market slavers are bound to sell them again, even if they come back.
“All right then. Dylan.”
I clapped my hands and called Dylan, the butler.
Almost immediately, Dylan came into the room.
“I’m taking all of these people in. Give them a place to sleep and assign them to appropriate jobs.”
“And if any of them are smart, make sure they study.”
“Yes. As usual.”
“A-Ah are you buying us?”
The girl asked, half surprised, half happy.
” I am not buying you, so if you want to leave, you can always go to .......”
I cut her off and looked at the boys and girls one by one.
They must have sensed something in my gaze, because they all shrank back and gulped.
“I will never take in anyone who has already left. It means I will not tolerate traitors.”
“””......””
Mmm? Was that too difficult?
As if he sensed this, Dylan came from the side.
“You just have to be sincere without betrayal. Hurry up and thank His Highness.”
He urged the children.
The children knelt down and thanked me, then Dylan took them away.
Alone in the room, I remembered something.
“Call Evelyn.”
I clapped my hands and said this, and a moment later Evelyn, the maid, appeared.
Evelyn, the maid, had been serving the guests at the house for a long time.
“You wanted to see me, master?”
“Yes, I brought you this.”
I took out a large envelope and handed it to her.
When Evelyn received it, she puzzled.
“What’s this?”
“A letter of appointment. You are now appointed governor of a small estate in Almeria.”
Evelyn mumbles in a flat accent, perhaps because the language is unfamiliar to her.(TN: instead of kanji she pronounced just hiragana)
“Also it’s valid immediately. You are now an official.”
“B-But why me?”
Evelyn asked back, she looked both surprised and happy.
The land granted to the Prince is quite large, and of course the Prince cannot do everything by himself.
Therefore, the land is divided into small areas and a governor is sent to rule on his behalf.
The acting governor of the Prince is also called a deputy governor by the common people.
From a maid to a deputy – that’s quite a rise.
“I’ve been watching you for many years, and you’re the smartest maid we have. That cleverness would be wasted if you were just a maid in charge of serving guests at the mansion. That’s what I thought.”
“W-Well but! You see, I’m .......”
She wandered her gaze.
It was obvious that she was choosing her words.
“I’d much rather serve my master than go out and get ahead!”
Evelyn begged.
The words were sincere, and I could tell she meant it.
“I know, but you will grow. And if you do, and you do well, then I will have been a good judge of character in appointing you.”
“Ah.......”
“And so you should go out and work for me.”
“Y-Yes! I understand!”
Holding the letter of appointment as if it were a lifelong treasure, Evelyn walked out of the living room with a look of equal parts happiness and determination on her face.
“Amazing .......”
“Hmm?”
I turned around and looked at Shirley.
She has been escorting me since a while ago.
It’s not just for personal safety that she is a guard in these cases.
Depending on the case, the aristocracy, because of their status, can lose just by “directly involving”.
This time it was the same, and even if the children were to get upset and attack me, I, as the prince, should not fight back directly.
It would ruin the nobleman’s status, and the other side would be guilty of causing trouble for the Prince.
That’s why I put Shirley in charge.
Shirley is a knight, not a nobleman.
If the children should do something, Shirley would take care of it and there would be no problem.
Shirley was staring at me with her mouth agape, looking impressed.
“What is it?”
“His First Highness and his use of people is totally–“
“Shirley.”
I cut off Shirley’s words.
“That’s enough, you can’t say that out loud even if you think it.”
“Y-yes! I’m very sorry.”
Shirley hurriedly apologized.
She apologized, but did not say anymore.
After that, she continued to stare at me with a look of respect.
The next morning.
I was summoned to the morning meeting of His Majesty and the ministers in the audience hall.
I was called in after I had gone through the government business, and I left the line of ministers and bowed to His Majesty on one knee.
After receiving the bow, His Majesty said.
“I heard about it, Noah. I heard that you defended Gilbert’s honor.”
“It was a coincidence, Your Majesty.”
He meant the black market slavers.
That means Brother Gilbert reported it himself.
You’re good.
Rather than hiding it, it’s better to offer it properly so that it looks like you have nothing to hide.
“However, there were some wicked people, using Gilbert’s name as a black slave trader. I wonder what the crime was in the black slave trade.”
“By imperial law, trafficking in unreported slaves is punishable by amputation of the dominant arm for the principal offender, and by military servitude for the second offender and below.”
“Is that so? First Vizier.”
“His Highness is correct, Your Majesty.”
The First Vizier, who was at the front of the column, answered with a slight bow.
“FumuFumu. By the way, was Noah injured? I heard that some of them got angry and attacked you.”
“Fortunately, I was able to turn it back.”
“I see. Well, it was Noah, so there was no way he could have been hurt. If it was me, I would have been beaten to a pulp while I was trying to decide whether or not to identify myself.”
“Then it would have been a crime of great blasphemy, punishable by death.”(TN: was confused whether to use Blasphemy or Disrespect)
The First Vizier replied to His Majesty as the conversation went on.
“I don’t think so.”
I countered.
“Under imperial law, the crime of disrespect does not apply to those who do not know His Majesty’s true identity, that is to say, if His Majesty was going incognito. In this case, it would be mere assault.”
At the moment I said this, the audience hall, which was already quiet, became even quieter.
The ministers were all staring at me.
I may have said too much, but “blasphemy” – in other words, whether or not to do something blasphemous to the emperor – is an inherently delicate subject.
In a metaphor like this, it might be better to say the word “disrespectful” as a cover, but it’s better to talk about it properly.
However, it’s also true that I said too much.
I was just thinking that I should apologize.
But then His Majesty suddenly started laughing.
“How about it, First Vizier, do I win this bet?”
“Umm, ......, what do you mean?”
His Majesty suddenly said “bet” and “win” and laughed with the First Vizier, and I was troubled to understand his intentions.
“I had a little bet with him. I was testing Noah to see if he could speak straightforwardly and only with the law.”
“Ha-haah ......”
Tested? For what?
“That’s great, Noah. No, I’ve known for six years that Noah is very strict when it comes to the law. I was just checking to make sure.”
“......?”
“Noah.”
“Yes.”
“In the name of the Emperor of the Empire, I hereby appoint Noah Ararat as Minister of Justice.”
.......
“‘”Oh, oh, oh!’?”””
After a breath of silence, a cheer went up from the ministers.
I was somewhat tested, and I was answering as usual.
And now I am appointed as the Minister of Justice. |
The next day, I woke up in the morning and found myself in the garden, in an Azumaya.[TN: Azumaya is a traditional arbor or summer pavilion found in formal Japanese gardens. “
The ‘Azumaya’, as it is also called, is a structure with no walls, just four pillars, and a ceiling on top of them.
[Like this one]
A cool breeze blew through the Azumaya, and with Zoe, the maid, by my side, I let Leviathan and Luthiya do mock battle.
I linked the Armor Rings to create altered bodies, and let them fight.
The Water Demon Sword and the fire ring were both very powerful, so we did it in a garden vestibule instead of inside the mansion so as not to break anything.
They fought ten times, and Leviathan won all ten times.
Both of them were highly skilled, but Leviathan was more dominant.
“It went up.”
I mumbled, my eyes shifting from the two figures after the battle to the status in the corner.
Name: Noah Ararat
Minister of Justice
Gender: Male
Level: / ∞
HPE+FMPF+FStrengthE+EStaminaF+FIntelligenceF+ESpiritF+FSpeedF+FDexterityF+FLuckF+F FireF+CWaterE+SWindFEarthFLight FDarknessF
My level went up by again.
Just like yesterday, I let Leviathan and Luthiya do mock battle.
This time, my strength has gone up one level, to E.
“Zoe.”
“Understood, Master.”
Zoe nodded, closed her eyes, and cast a status check spell on me.
It has been more than six years since she entered my residence.
She’s learned a lot of things because she’s been indebted to me and wants to return the favor.
One of the things she learned was the status check spell.
The magic she cast on me brings up my status instantly.
Gender: Male
HPEMPFStrengthDStaminaFIntelligenceESpiritFSpeedFDexterityFLuckF FireCWaterSSWindFEarthFLight FDarknessF
As usual, it’s completely different from what I can see, there’s no “+” after it, so it looks sum? Well it is displayed like this.
“Wow, ...... your level really went up without you fighting. ...... I’ve never heard of anything like this.”
“This is the result of these figures fighting.”
“T-Then. If they fight all the time, will your level go up endlessly?”
“It’s not that simple. The experience required to raise a level decreases the more you fight the same person. It took one fight to get to level , but it took ten to get from 2 to 3.”
“Ahh ......”
“If I let Leviathan and Luthiya continue to fight like this, I’ll get to level 4 over 100 times. If you’re patient, that’s fine.”
“I see. ...... it’s a shame.”
“Well, now I understand something else.”
“Understand what?”
“I’ve learned that it’s better to collect more like Leviathan and Luthiya because even if it takes 100 times, with 200 of them it’ll only take a second.
“Indeed!”
When Zoe convinced, I let Luthiya and Leviathan fight again.
It’s not nearly as effective anymore, but I still let them try.
It’s quite helpful.
Watching Leviathan and Luthier fight.
I know what they are capable of, and it’s great to see what happens when they use it, and from a third person’s perspective.
So I let Zoe serve me while I watched them fight endlessly.
So far, Leviathan was winning all the battles.
Luthiya is not weak as far as I can tell, but in comparison to Leviathan, a notch or two lower.
That’s why it was overwhelmed.
At the same time, I was able to understand Luthiya’s personality.
Unlike Leviathan, who is a loyal dog, Luthiya is a competitive one.
Even though it’s under my control, as soon as it loses, it immediately appeals to me with the emotion of “next”.[I am keeping it gender neutral]
And I let her do it endlessly.
“Ah!”
It found an opening in Leviathan’s movements after deflecting an attack.
It was stunned after the attack was deflected.
I can also use Leviathan’s techniques, so I could clearly see the gap.
At the same time, I knew that Lutiya would not be able to exploit it since I could also use its ability.
Unfortunately, Leviathan would win yet again by overcoming this gap.
Just as I thought this, Luthiya’s movements changed.
Though it lost its balance completely, it was able to regain it by blowing out flames to kill its momentum.
And then used the hand wrapped in flames to deliver a full swing hammer punch to Leviathan.
Leviathan’s body was severed in two and then burst into flames.
Luthiya had won.
Luthiya, who hates to lose, directly conveys the emotion, “I did it! I’ve done it!”.
“Nice work, Luthiya. You’ve really overcome yourself with that.”
A feeling of joy flowed from Luthiya.
At the same time, I saw a status move in the corner of my eye.
Level: 3 / ∞
HPE+FMPF+FStrengthE+EStaminaF+FIntelligenceF+ESpiritF+FSpeedF+FDexterityF+FLuckF+F FireF+BWaterE+SWindFEarthFLight FDarknessF
My level and ability remained the same, but the “+” in fire went up.
“You’ve grown more than I thought.”
Clap, clap, clap.
From behind me, I suddenly heard the sound of applause.
I turned around to see Brother Henry being led towards me by the new serving-maid (Evelyn’s Successor).
“Brother.”
‘As expected of you, Noah. Even though the ring has a will of its own, it still manages to grow.”
“Where were you watching from, brother?”
I chuckled.
“For a while now. It’s because you’ve been doing something interesting.”
“Is that so.”
As I laughed again, he walked into the room and sat down across from me.
“More than that, anything I can do for you, brother”
“Yeah, actually, the nest of monsters managed by the Ministry of Military Affairs has matured.”
The nest has matured.
It was a phrase that I learned after I was born into the imperial family as a prince, something I didn’t remember from my previous life.
A man of the imperial family, a prince, cannot go into battle without the emperor’s permission, to prevent his untimely death.
That’s why I was still at level 1 until yesterday.
And in order to prevent accidents in the actual battle – the first battle – there is a “reasonably safe” hunting ground, a monster’s nest that has been prepared in advance.
That is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Military Affairs.
Well, it seems that it’s ready.
“His Majesty has granted me permission. So I shall divine your first battle.”
“Divination?”
“Here.”
He then took out a seamless box and handed it to me.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a box from a famous fortune-teller. When you open it, it will tell you what you need to know. This time, it’s designed to tell you the strength you need for your first battle.”
“We have to be very careful in this area.”
My brother’s face became serious.
“If we have too many men accompanying us on the first battle, it will be a disgrace. And if there are too few, the danger will be too great. That is why we divine the appropriate number.”
“By the way...”
Brother’s expression changed dramatically, and he smiled mischievously.
“That’s 10,000 leen a piece.”
“That’s expensive.”
My sense of money has become more sophisticated since I became a Prince, but I was still surprised by this.
If I were a con man, I would have laughed it off, but the person who brought it to me was Brother Henry, the Fourth Prince, Minister of Military Affairs.
It would be an item worthy of the high price of ten thousand leens.
“What should I do with this?”
“Anything. Open it and you’ll find the answer inside.”
“Okay.”
With that, I applied force to the box, pushing and twisting it.
Then the seamless box came unraveled like a thread.
The thread disappeared further and further, and a piece of paper remained.
I grabbed the paper and read the words on it – mmm.
” what is...... mmm.”
My brother, who stood up and looked at the paper, was also surprised.
The only thing on the paper was the number “1”.
“Does this mean that ......just 1 person is enough?”
“That’s what it means. ...... you’re amazing, Noah.”
Perhaps because he had brought the box with him, my brother was convinced that the result of the fortune-telling was my ability. |
“You guys over there.”
Ignoring the two stunned men, I called out to a group of soldiers kneeling at a distance.
“Y-Yes!”
A man who appeared to be the Captain of the soldiers responded to my call, moving his feet dexterously as he knelt and stepped forward.
The soldiers gave me the awe-struck respect they would give to a superior being as I revealed my identity as the Emperor.
“Put these two in prison for now. And some of you, come with me.”
“Yes. W-Where to, sire?
“The residence of Governor Olcott.”
With soldiers in tow, we arrived at the residence of Dussel Governor, Olcott.
Even though it was nighttime, the house was so majestic that it was clearly visible.
With such a mansion, it was only natural that there would be a gatekeeper to guard it.
“Stop! Who are you?”
And, they asked me who I was, as a matter of course.
I did not respond.
The soldier who had brought me here, who I had revealed my identity as the Emperor, acted as a matter of course.
They seized the gatekeeper without saying anything and completely neutralized him.
“Please.”
“Umu.”
The main gate was opened and I entered the compound.
The commotion in the front quickly spread inside.
I saw a large number of servants and the man I had seen on the river a few days before in the lobby immediately after entering the mansion.
That man was the one who had scattered the gold.
It was Dusell’s Governor, Olcott himself.
“Who are you? Do you know where you are?”
“You insolent! You’re in the presence of His Majesty!”
“His Majesty?”
Olcott looked at me with a suspicious look.
It’s no wonder because he doesn’t know me.
Olcott is not the Governor I appointed, and never met in person.
Even if he is the Governor, it would not be surprising if he has never met me when I was Prince even though he has been in the region for a long time.
So I–
“Is this satisfactory?”
Saying this, I released the pressure to reveal my identity.
And Olcott with all the servants around him.
All of their expressions changed and they all knelt.
“I beg your pardon, I didn’t know it was His Majesty’s direct advent...”
“I don’t care about that. More than that–Olcott, you know your own sin, don’t you?”
“–!”
Olcott kneeled down, trembling as he kept his head lowered.
But such agitation was only for a moment, and Olcott quickly regained his composure, which had almost been shaken by the agitation.
“Not admitting, huh. It’s too late for that now, though.”
“I don’t know what His Majesty is referring to. I admit that I did not greet you, but there is no official record of your departure from the capital, and as long as you were on a personal visit, there is no crime–“
“You still refuse to admit it, huh. How much is a Governor’s salary? Is it enough to scatter gold around?”
“Well, what are you referring to?”
Olcott shrugged his shoulders.
He was agitated at first, but he seemed to have calmed down.
Now, which evidence should I start with?
A young voice suddenly interrupted me.
When I turned around, I saw a young man watching me from among the servants.
Looking at his clothes, I guess he was a low-ranked servant, probably a slave or something.
He had a look in his eyes that said he wanted to say something.
“Mind your manners, you are in the presence of His Majesty”
Olcott reprimanded him as a master should.
That is the way it is with status differences.
It is outrageous for a servant more so for a slave to interrupt the conversation between the Emperor and the Governor.
One can’t complain even if one were to be disrespected here and there.
However,
“It doesn’t matter. You have something to tell me, don’t you? Tell me.”
With I–The Emperor’s permission, it doesn’t matter.
“......”
As proof, Olcott frowned, but could not say anything.
The man gulped as he saw Olcott like that.
After taking a breath and being surprised, he stared at me.
“A-are you really the Emperor?”
“Well, that’s not what I meant. I just can’t believe that the Emperor would be here.”
“Is that so?”
“Really ...... the thing is ......”
The young slave and I had a not very meaningful exchange.
Olcott got grumpy when he saw it – but couldn’t interject.
I, the Emperor, gave him permission to speak and say what he wanted to say.
It was the equivalent of giving the young slave the right of direct appeal, albeit summarily.
The Emperor himself had granted the right of direct appeal.
To interrupt him would be an act of disrespect.
Therefore, Olcott could not say anything.
On the other hand, does the young slave understand this or not?
The young man was finally convinced that I was the Emperor and that I had appeared here.
“T-there’s something I want the Emperor to see.”
“What is it?”
“This!”
The young man removed the front of his garment.
I was wondering what he was suddenly doing when I saw something sewn into the lining of the garment.
The man ripped open the stitching.
He took out an envelope from inside his clothes and held it out to me.
‘What’s this?’
“My Lord–it’s the evidence of Olcott’s bribe.”
“Waa!”
Olcott exclaimed.
He then immediately jumped on the man and tried to reach out to grab what the young man was offering but,
“Gwaa!”
Leviathan’s mild intimidation caused him to slump down and not be able to move at all.
After stopping Olcott, I asked the man again.
“Why do you have proof?”
“M-My parents and my sister were killed because of Olcott.”
“So you went undercover to get revenge.”
“Yes! I got the evidence, but I couldn’t find anyone I could trust. Besides...”
“I had to keep it under wraps and wait for the right moment to use it because if I didn’t, it would be buried under the rug.”
“......”
I was impressed.
“What’s your name?”
“Eh? P-Phil Mohm.”
“Phil, huh.”
I looked at him admiringly so much so that even others could tell.
It’s not uncommon for people to turn themselves into slaves to avenge their families.
It is not that difficult to infiltrate and get evidence.
The most difficult thing is to hold on to the trump card in your hand for as long as you can and to snap it when you think it is effective.
I now understand what he meant earlier when he wasted no time in carefully checking that I was the Emperor.
He made sure that I am the Emperor, the supreme power of the Empire, and used his trump card.
Phil Mohm.
This fellow...
“Show it to me.”
I took the documented evidence and looked at it.
“Phil Mohm.”
“Well done. From now on, you are the Governor.”[TN: LOL]
“””.........................”””
As soon as I said that, everyone in the room froze.
Of course they did.
But.
“What’s wrong, you don’t want to be?”
“N-not that. Umm ......thank you very much!”
Phil bowed his head in a panic.
Either because he was too flustered or because he didn’t understand the situation.
Phil’s response lacked any manners.
But that’s not it.
――――――――――――
Name: Noah Ararat
Empire Emperor
Gender: Male
Level: + / ∞
HPC+BMPD+CStrengthC+SStaminaD+CIntelligenceD+BSpiritE+CSpeedE+CDexterityE+CLuckD+C FireE+S+SWaterC+SSWindE+CEarthE+CLight E+BDarknessE+B
HP’s stat that I can see out of the corner of my eye, it had it’s ‘+’ went up.
I thought that Phil was a rough gem, a talent that has yet to be polished.
The next afternoon, the ‘Former’ Olcott residence.
After Olcott was dismissed from office, I decided to use this place as my temporary residence.
In the study there, I met Zoe, whom I had called back.
“Your Majesty, how wonderful!”
Zoe’s eyes lit up when she heard what had happened last night.
“You selected him as soon as you discovered the right person for the job. As expected of His Majesty.”
“That good perception? It’s a natural thing, hard to get. I hope we can nurture him well.”
“It’s His Majesty, so it’ll be alright!”
“More importantly, how is the confiscation of their property coming along?”
“Ah, yes.”
Zoe hurriedly looked at the documents in her hand.
Olcott and the others who will be imprisoned for the salt tax will have their property confiscated.
I’m having that done as soon as possible, and I’m putting Zoe in charge.
“Ashley–well, the cheeky one’s residence, there’s a bit of a problem.”
“What is it”
“Well, actually, some human remains were unearthed in the yard, and they think he might be suspected of murder.”
“.......Fu”
I laughed.
“Fu........., Your Majesty?”
“That’s a common occurrence.”
“Eh?”
“When you’re confiscating property, the soldiers go there to monitor it, tally it up, right?”
“Y-Yes.”
“And, most of the time, they’ll sneak the subject’s assets back into their pockets. Well, it’s a little bit of a scam. And it’s pretty annoying.”
“Annoying, sir?”
“Yeah, the subject’s wives, concubines, etc. Those sorts of people, even in a situation like this, will cry and scream with their emotions bare. They will say, why is it only us”
“Ah, ......”
“So, when it gets out of control and interferes with the soldiers’ ‘pocket earnings,’ they are harassed. In this case, they bury human remains and falsely accuse them of murder.”
Isn’t ‘As expected’ too soon? I looked at Zoe, wondering.
“I already know it’s a false accusation. The ribs and pelvis of the human bones that came out looks like a mixture of male and female, and when soaked with water, I found out that the place where they were dug up was recent.”
So, it was quickly discovered at the site.
“Your Majesty is amazing. I can’t believe that you could figure it out right away before I even reported it to you.”
I smiled again.
I used to be the Minister of Justice.
Because of my experience in confiscating the property of many criminals, I know exactly how they do it.
That’s it.
“Now, ......, give me a rough estimate of how much will it be?”
Zoe looked at the paperwork and gulped.
“What is it?”
“Well ...... no less than million reens.”
“That’s quite an accumulation.”
While thinking that I admire them in a way.
“0 million ......”
The current national treasury is less than 5 million.
That’s an increase of 20 million all at once.
And on top of that, we can expect the normalization of the salt tax.
With this much money, we can do a lot of things, I thought. |
The next morning I awoke in the morning sun.
I woke up, got out of bed, and at about the same time, there was a knock at my bedroom door.
“Master, may I come in?”
I responded with my eyelids still not fully open from sleep.
Then the door opened and I noticed several people entering the room.
The first one was probably Mary, who knocked on the door and asked for permission.
The rest of them are probably her servants.
I felt Livyathan’s presence shake slightly.
It must be that girl who is showing hostility toward me, I thought.
I couldn’t help but smile at Livyathan’s usual loyalty.
“Excuse me. Please be on your feet.”
I got off the bed and stood up on my feet.
With my eyelids closed, I relaxed my entire body.
Then with a familiar hand, Mary helped me out of my nightgown.
I was undressed in my natural state and completely naked.
Mary, who had been a servant in the Imperial Residence for many years, naturally did not react to her Master’s nudity and helped me to get ready in the morning.
But the other servants were different.
When I stripped naked, I could see that they were all shaken up at the same time.
“I apologize, Master–my hands are full here.:
“Excuse me!”
After apologizing to me, Mary reprimanded the servants.
And with that, the servants began to move.
It was mostly Mary though.
She took off my clothes and put on new clothes.
After that, she brushed my hair and washed my face.
Especially, she cleaned my ears by carefully blotting them with a steaming towel.
This is something Audrey taught her about when she first met her.
Audrey believed that it is the parts of the body that are usually unnoticed should be cleaned.
This was also connected to politics, and I took it in stride.
Since then, the servants at the Imperial Residence cleaned my ears every morning.
Mary did that in the same sense as when she was at the Imperial Residence.
By the time the area around my ears was clean, I was completely sleepy.
“Excuse me, Master. Now then...”
“Oh, wait a minute. Mary and that girl stay behind.”
I picked out the girl, whom I sensed by her presence.
The girl was surprised, and I could see she was warier towards me.
“Very well. Then you guys go back ahead of me.”
“”Yes.””
At Mary’s command, the other servants left the room without question.
Only Mary and the girl remained before me.
“What is your name?”
“Eh?”
The girl was puzzled.
“It is an honor to be asked directly by Master. You must answer the question honestly.”
“Y-Yes. My name is Ivy.”
The girl– Ivy, answered nervously.
Although she was cautious of me and was hostile toward me, she actually seemed nervous about talking directly to her ‘Master’s Master’.
I chuckled.
“No need to be so nervous. Mary, you picked up a nice girl.”
“Yes. She is the smartest of all the girls we have.”
“I’m sure she is. Even though she’s not used to taking care of me, she’s been very good at supporting you. It’s not easy to be able to anticipate and anticipate quickly like that, and do it in a good way.”
“I am very impressed with your wise words, Master. I became able to do that about a year after the master picked me up.”
“You were able to remember things better than most.”
“I’m not trying to flatter you. I let John out because I thought you could act as his brakes and support when the time came.”
“......”
Mary was startled and speechless.
“John’s a seven, and you’re an eight. I figured you two together would make .–one and a half times what I’d expect from a regular retainer–so I let you out.”[TN: It’s like rating someone out of , and combined they got 5.... bla bla bla ...acting as one entity would be 1.5 times the single]
“–! Thank you very much! I can’t thank you enough ...... for giving me that much praise from you, Master”
Mary was moved to tears and burst into ragged tears as she said.
“Don’t cry so. It’s a compliment.”
“Y-yes. Thank you very much!”
“Don’t tell him about what happened, but you will get him through it. With you in his life, he will be more successful. Then, when the time is right, bring him back to the center and have him work even harder than he is now.”
“Yes! I’ll be sure to follow up with him.”
“hmm”
I looked at Ivy again.
“It’s a shame, though. If only I had found her first.”
I meant if I had, I would have taken Ivy with me.
Then Mary knelt down in front of me.
“Master, please take her with you.”
“Mary-sama!?”
At Mary’s sudden remark, Ivy almost screamed and stared at Mary in disbelief.
“Hmm? Are you sure? Don’t you want to keep her close?”
“Of course I do. Instead of smoldering in a place like this, it would definitely be better for her to learn under Master.”
“That’s not entirely true, though.”
I chuckled.
Well, I don’t intend to make it worse.
“Mary-sama! I haven’t repaid my debt to Mary-sama yet. So–“
“Silly girl! There’s no better way for you to repay back.”
“Eh?”
Ivy was puzzled.
Why was it something different than before? she looked at Mary with those questioning eyes.
“His Majesty always says, ‘People are treasures’.”
Mary cut off her words there and looked at me.
I nodded my head in silent affirmation.
Then Mary turned to Ivy again and continued.
“To be able to present a human being who can satisfy His Majesty’s eyes is more wonderful than presenting any gold, silver, or treasure.”
“That’s right. It’s the equivalent to 1 million reens.”
“T-That much......?”
Since I gave her a specific number.
Ivy was even more surprised.
“......, R-really. I can return Mary-sama’s favor with a ......?”
Ivy looked at me and at Mary and asked me as if she were trying to figure out what I was going to say.
“Umu.”
“I-I understand. I’ll follow you .......”
Ivy said timidly.
She still felt like she was returning the favor to Mary, but even if she was, it didn’t change the fact that she was a very promising recruit.
I felt a sense of satisfaction this morning, and I vaguely thought that today was going to be a good day.
After breakfast, I set out with John’s escort.
John provided a carriage and said he would escort me to the border of his jurisdiction.
While accepting this, I let John ride with me in the carriage and we sat facing each other.
“Children like Ivy.”
“How many do you take in a year?”
“Let’s see, ten, maybe a few more. ......”
John answered, “Why do you ask that?” He looked at me strangely.
“That’s putting a strain on you and your wife’s lives. Your stipend is not enough to protect and support you unless you take a bribe or something.”
“T-That’s ...... of course! I didn’t take a bribe, I swear.”
“I know. People’s everyday lives are reflected in the air. I don’t sense any elegance or richness in you. I don’t doubt that.”
“Thank you very much!”
“It’s rather the opposite. If you’re not receiving anything, then you’re putting a squeeze on your life together.”
“Y-yes. ......, it’s all right, sire. And Mary understands that.”
John looked me straight in the eye and assured me emphatically
It’s understandable because Mary is also from the same background.
“Let me tell you what my purpose is.”
“Y-yes, .......”
He was obviously puzzled by this completely out-of-context conversation.
“John, what do you think my purpose is as the Emperor?
“Every retainer understands your ambition, Master Noah!”
In turn, John strongly insisted.
“It is to create a peaceful world where people like us can live in peace.”
I said with a smile.
John widened his eyes in surprise.
He had not expected such a low score for his answer.
“That’s not wrong, but it’s not the goal. In the grand context, it’s more like a ‘means’ to an end.”
“ends...... means......”
“The true purpose in the grand context is to make me, and the Former Emperor, who found me and gave me the Imperial Throne, into a great sovereign.”
“H-His Majesty is firmly a great lord...”
“For the present, perhaps. If there is any misbehavior on my part, the history books will add a note saying that the successor lacked discernment. Therefore, there must be no great upheaval in my reign. No matter what.”
“Is ...... Oscar-sama plotting something?”
John suddenly said something like that.
This time I was surprised.
I was surprised at John’s way of thinking.
That’s right.
Oscar’s ambition has not disappeared.
If Oscar should start a rebellion for the throne, the history books would add it as a mistake of the previous Emperor.
Oscar is the Eighth Prince, and I am the former Thirteenth Prince.
If I had been the First Prince, his rebellion after receiving the throne would not be seen as father’s mistake, but because I was the Thirteenth, it would be a “dare” on his part no matter how it happened.
He dared to choose me, and as a result, a rebellion broke out due to discord between the brothers.
So, from my point of view, Oscar is someone I am always on the lookout for and wary of.
John sensed that.
I smiled and replied.
“No, I don’t think so. It can’t be. It shouldn’t be.”
John’s face grew increasingly grim at my triple-entendre phrasing.[TN: triple-entendre means three different phrasings giving similar meaning]
I was saying No, No, No three times in a row, effectively telling him it was possible.
“Master. I’m always ready. No, if something happens, I can go berserk on my own.”
John says with a straight face.
That means he’s talking about assassinating Oscar himself, as a bullet.
“Hold it down. If my retainers do that, the former Emperor will be called a man who gave the throne to a man who couldn’t even control his own retainers.”
“I-I’m sorry!”
John was shocked and lowered his head in a panic.
“That’s why as far as I’m concerned, I won’t touch Oscar. And Neither do you.”
“Yes, sir! As expected of Master. We were wondering why Master was so soft on Oscar-sama.
“Well, it’s just because that’s what he wants, that’s all.”
I turned my head to the side.
And stared into the distance through the wall of the carriage with a very distant look.
Well, it doesn’t matter now.
I turned to John.
“You’re very perceptive and quick with your words. Do you understand that means change according to the purpose?”
“Then what is your purpose?”
“My .......”
“For what purpose do you take in these children?”
“......!”
After thinking for a while, John gasped.
He stared at me with that look on his face for a long time.
Then he said...
“Master, I want to build a relief shelter on this land, will you allow me to do so?”
I praised John.
“Well done. If you want to save the poor, you can do it publicly, or you can appeal directly to me. I’m trying to be a great ruler, so I won’t reject that kind of thing outright.”
“Yes!”
“Well done. You’re clever.”
“It’s thanks to Master’s education! It is the master who is amazing!”
John looked at me with increasingly impressed, enthralled eyes.
“Okay, come up with a plan.”
“Yes!”
John nodded broadly, then switched his expression and asked timidly,
“Master ......, where did the ten points go wrong?”
“You just appealed directly to me, prepared to be punished–prepared to die.”
“It’s the same with me and for others. People are treasures. Don’t risk death for nothing.”
“—! Understood! As expected of Master. ......”
John seems to have grasped a lot of things.
Because I want to bring him back to the heart of the Empire eventually, I will teach him what I can when we meet.
I was satisfied that I could do something about it. |
Even after Henry left, Shirley and Jessica’s mock battle continued.
I intently watched the battle between the two of them.
Shirley is a serious and earnest person. When she concentrates, she will use her blade to achieve her goal, regardless of whether it’s a Prince or not, just as she did during the knight selection process.
Jessica is a similar woman. From the moment I ordered her to ‘fight seriously,’ the atmosphere around her changed completely, and she released a fighting spirit that was sharper and more refined than the warriors of the past.
It was beautiful to watch these two clash and fight with sparks flying both physically and mentally.
It was so beautiful that I wanted to watch it forever.
And, that was my mistake.
Serious fights, even if they are mock battles, can easily cross the line.
Shirley flicked Jessica’s sword, and with a stagnant movement, a lightning-fast thrust went straight for Jessica’s chest–
“Not good!”
I instinctively snagged my middle finger on my thumb and flicked it back with a recoil.
A chunk of air flew straight up and hit Shirley’s longsword.
Shirley stared in dismay as the longsword was flicked from her hand, whirled around, and stuck into the ground far away.
And Jessica, who was closed in, had fallen on her backside.
“That’s enough.”
As I said that, they both came to their senses at once.
I should apologize to them for putting them in danger because of my indulgence in fun.
“Sorr–.”
“That’s amazing! As expected of Your Majesty!”
“Just now that was a...... chunk of air. Did you just flicker a chunk of pure ...... air?”
Shirley was overjoyed and praised me innocently.
Jessica was surprised, and then gazed at me with fascinated eyes and a blush on her cheeks.
“Mu”
It was very difficult when those two gave me such looks.
“......That’s enough for now. Jessica, go get changed. Let’s go to father’s place.”
“Understood.”
Jessica’s atmosphere instantly switched.
She was a warrior before, but in an instant, she changed her air into that of a noble lady.
I watched Jessica’s back as she read my intention and returned to the mansion to change into her dress, and I reflected on what I had just done.
And .......
I took Jessica, who had changed into her dress, and requested an audience with my father.
It was the meeting between the Emperor and the retired Emperor which, in some cases, is accompanied by a rather solemn ceremony, but Father let us through into the garden and himself appeared in plain clothes.
“Father.”
“Umu, welcome, Noah. So that’s the new concubine, huh.”
Even after he gave up his position as emperor to me, his information network is still strong.
It seems that he is fully informed of Jessica becoming my concubine.
That’s good, saves me the trouble of explaining.
“Jessica, your greetings.”
Jessica stepped forward and bowed to her father.
It was an impeccable bow, perfectly executed in the manner of a noblewoman, a common concubine.
It’s natural, but the etiquette of Empress, direct concubines, side concubines, and common concubines differs greatly depending on their ranks.
And today, Jessica showed off her perfect manners as a common concubine.
“Well, she’s quite a woman, isn’t she?”
“I also think so.”
“Also, I heard she’s an expert swordswoman, let’s see what she can do.”
“I do beg your pardon, father.”
After what had happened with Shirley, I thought it would be best to leave that for another time.
Father glanced at me for a moment but said ‘I see’ and withdrew without complaint.
“So you intend to have the girl accompany the subjugation army.”
I nodded quietly, knowing that my father was quick with words.
“Yes, I intend to.”
“Shouldn’t the flowers remain in the vase?”
“People are treasures, Father.”
“Fumu?”
“And there’s still half a treasure left untouched. Jessica is only the beginning.”
“I see. Fufu, that’s just like Noah.”
Father laughed happily.
This shows that at least he likes my idea.
“So I would like to ask father for assistance.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Anyone who opposes this should attempt to appeal directly to father.”
“...... Umu, I have ten times as many concubines as Noah. And one would think that I would be the most affected because of Noah.”
Actually, nothing will be affected – I didn’t dare to say the words because I communicated that through eye contact with my father.
Even if I break the tradition by publicly announcing that I will make the consort my subordinate, it will have no real effect on my father.
However, the format may change.
There’s no doubt that those who oppose it will run to my father to get to the bottom of it.
“All right, I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you very much, Father.”
I bowed lightly, and Jessica did the same, silently, at my side.
A concubine is someone who treats her husband with respect.
Jessica, who is a common concubine, played the role perfectly.
“But,...... it’s been so long since your accession to the throne and yet there are only two ...., Noah, why don’t you add more at once?”
“All at ...... once?”
Father’s air changed drastically.
He seemed to be serious, but in fact, he was teasing.
It’s almost the same as when an old relative asks, ‘Aren’t you married yet?'[TN: I know that feeling]
“A man should always have a woman’s scent on him.”
“Haah.”
“The blood of the battlefield and a woman in his bed chamber are two essential smells for a man, Noah. And having or so concubines will push Noah to the next level.”
“That would be more than you, father.”
“That’s fine, that should be minimum for a man of Noah’s caliber.”
It was a tremendous recognition.
But even without such recognition- people are treasures.
“If I can find one, I will, father. I want quality, not quantity.”
“Fumu, that’s all right.”
Our conversation ended there, and I took Jessica and dismissed ourselves from the palace.
After we left the palace, Jessica spoke softly to me.
“Your Majesty.”
“Hmm, what is it?”
“I am heading for subjugation, but should I look over the women among the enemies, prisoners of war, and locals?”
“It’s because of Father’s words, huh.”
Jessica looked at me with a straight face.
She’s not joking and doesn’t look like she’s trying something.
She is only asking if she should do it, as she intended.
And as soon as I give the order, she’ll do it seriously.
“That’s not–aah no.”
I swallowed the words I was about to say and replaced them with something else.
“You heard what I said to my father, didn’t you? Quality is better than quantity. Bring me only those women you think are worthy from your viewpoint.”
“—-Yes!”
Jessica nodded greatly, taking my words as a sign of confidence.
I was alone in the study of the detached palace, and I brought out Apophis.
I took a deep breath and commanded Apophis,
“Do it.”
I could feel a slight hesitation from Apophis, but it still obeyed fearfully because it was my order.
“—–Gghh!”
The next moment, poison rushed through my body.
It was Apophis’s poison.
It was so poisonous that it spread over my body in an instant—.
“Erase it”
–With that command, it was gone.
“...... haaaa!”
I spat out what was rising from the bottom of my stomach.
It was purplish blood.
Poisonous blood, the proof of having been poisoned.
After spitting out most of it, I said,
“Apophis, one more time.”
This time, its hesitation was shortened, and it obeyed my order again, letting the poison circulate through my body.
And then erased it again.
“...... I–see.”
I experienced the poison and its disappearance twice in my own body.
The sensation is almost precisely what I expected.
When Apophis erases its poison, it does not make it disappear into anything at all but neutralizes it with the exact opposite force.
That opposite power was what I wanted now.
I knew it was there – three times.
To better feel what I know is there.
“Apophis, do it–erase it.”
I took the poison into my body again.
I spit out the poisoned blood again.
Purple blood spread all over the floor.
Thanks to that, I found what I wanted.
I reached out and concentrated all my attention on my outstretched index finger.
Before long, a glistening, transparent drop oozes from the tip of my finger.
The Ministry of War, the Minister Prince’s office.
I entered the room without knocking, and Henry said, ‘Who is it!’ but when he saw my face, he hurriedly got up from his chair.
“I apologize for not knowing that Your Majesty was here.”
He said as he knelt down on the spot.
“Good, more than that, what about the reports? And Jessica you can make yourself comfortable.”
Jessica, who had been talking with Henry, knelt the same way, so I helped them both to their feet.
“So ...... what brings His Majesty here?”
“Ahh, I had something to talk to Jessica about. And I thought if Henry could have a look at it, it would make it easier for me to assign it for the subjugation.”
I said so and took a small bottle out of my pocket.
A pale blue liquid was shimmering in the bottle.
“I thought I’d give this to Jessica to take with her. It’s just a prototype, but I’ll have a few of them for you by the due date.”
“What is it?”
“Look.”
First I slit my wrist with my knife-hand.
It was a pretty deep cut, and the blood was pouring out.
Henry and Jessica, who had prepared themselves for what I was about to do, were surprised.
“Your Majesty!”
“It’s all right, just watch.”
I stopped them, and I sprayed the liquid from the vial onto the wound on my wrist.
The wound, which should have been a deep cut, instantly closed.
“What!”
“I made this. Jessica, take this with you.”
“Y-You don’t mean to tell me that’s the Legendary potion?”
Henry asked, astonished.
“Potion? What is it?”
“You know that ancient civilizations that once flourished in the past had ‘recovery magic,’.”
It’s ancient magic that has been completely lost.
“Even if there is recovery magic, magic cannot be used by everyone. That’s why magic potions were made, which have the same effect as recovery magic.”
“I see, that makes sense.”
“Can it really heal injuries?”
“If it is only a cut. If the injury is so severe that the body parts are missing, it can only close the wound in an instant.”
“It is the legendary potion itself...... Did His Majesty make this?”
“Yeah, I made it.”
“As expected ...... sasuga, Your Majesty.”
But, the one who was most surprised was Henry.
Leaving Henry as he was, I turned to Jessica.
I handed her the potion.
I made this potion when I saw that she and Shirley were almost injured in the mock battle, and I tried to do something about it.
“Jessica.”
“You are also my concubine. Keep your body safe and use it as soon as you are injured.”
Jessica was moved and knelt down on the spot.
On the other hand, Henry, when he saw the potion.
“Amazing,...... if there were more of this,...... it would change the flow of the war,.......”
He had a serious look. |
With the loss of the ringleader, the Almeria rebellion was quickly put down by Brother Henry.
The cheers of the ministers echoed in the audience room of the royal palace where the news was delivered.
The messenger who brought back the news knelt before His Majesty and continued.
“Most of those who plotted the rebellion have been captured. We wish to seek Your Majesty’s approval.”
His Majesty nodded quietly.
The expression on his face is calm – it’s not that he’s unconcerned.
Rather, he was furious, as if he was about to blow fire from his eyes.
“Tell Henry to bring every single one of them to the capital.”
“Yes!”
“How do you intend to do this?”
After the messenger had left, the First Vizier stepped out of the ministerial line and asked His Majesty about his intentions.
“It’ s clear, I will not allow any rebellion in Noah’ s territory. Prepare the oxen and horses, they will dismember the whole clan.”
Understanding from His Majesty’s tone that his anger was genuine, the ministers agreed with him verbatim.
“Your Majesty,”
I left the queue and got down on one knee next to the First Vizier.
“Wait for me, Noah. I’ll get them —-“
“With all due respect, Your Majesty. This is not allowed.”
“– ripped to pieces at ...... what?”
His Majesty was surprised, and the other ministers were buzzing at the same time.
An act of outright disagreement with the enraged emperor.
Several ministers, famous for their weaknesses, were already pale in the face.
“What do you mean, Noah?”
The tone of His Majesty’s voice lowered as well.
Though the words were directed at me, several ministers shuddered in a jolt.
Their reactions were like indirect proof of the emperor’s authority.
I raised my face without hesitation and looked at His Majesty.
“Punishment should only be in accordance with the law.”
After confronting the basic premise first.
“Under Imperial Law, the ringleader of the rebellion is punished by beheading, the third degree and any co-conspirators are punished up to and including hanging, and the rest of them, based on the degree of their involvement. Although beheading is a conventional way to punish, no such punishment exists under Imperial law.”
“But they have smeared dirt on Noah’s face.”
His Majesty raised his eyebrows and insisted on that, but I passed it off.
“If the emperor takes the initiative to break the law, it will cause disorder in the land. Please reconsider.”
“......”
His Majesty was silent.
The ministers watched the course of events holding their breaths.
A heavy silence passed between audiences.
“...... Fuu. Noah’s reasoning is correct.”
After a moment, His Majesty murmured.
I could clearly hear someone – or several people – exhale in obvious relief.
“Well done, Noah. For admonishing me for my mistakes.”
“But that would not satisfy me. The punishment should be the heaviest within the limits of the law and should not be reduced in any way. So be it.”
“No problem at all, sir.”
I bowed my head once and then continued further.
“In past rebellions, there were many cases where even the third degree of the ringleader was overlooked because of the pity of the children or babies. If His Majesty is of that opinion, I think that is something we should pay special attention to.”
A child of a nobleman is not just a child.
There are countless examples of fallen or ruined houses being revived or avenged by surviving children.
Especially in the case of rebellion.
In the aristocracy, the conspirators can be overlooked, but the ringleader’s children must be eradicated.
So I advised him to do so, and His Majesty nodded, “You have made me well aware of this.”
“Third Vizier,”
“Yes!”
The Third Vizier, Jean-Brad Reydouk, called by His Majesty, bowed quietly from the line.
“You’ve heard the story. I leave this matter to you.”
That almost decided the treatment of those who had planned the rebellion.
At the same time, as if to dispel the heavy atmosphere that had been created earlier, a different kind of voice was raised.
“As expected of His Imperial Highness the Thirteenth. I didn’t expect him to be so direct.”
“And yet he never looked back, never blinked, just spoke his mind to His Majesty.”
“A genius gifted by the gods, a child prodigy.”
The ministers said this to each other.
Hearing that, His Majesty’s anger from earlier was nowhere to be found, and his mood became better.
“Noah!”
“If I make a mistake, you have to correct it.”
” Today it’ s ...... hmmm, the only reason I didn’t leave a bad name in history is because of Noah. There should be some kind of reward for that.”
His Majesty put a hand to his chin and thought about it.
Unlike the silence of earlier, this time everyone is at ease with the idea of what the reward for me will be.
“Umu, it’s been decided. Let’s give you a title.”
A moment later, there was a stir.
In the past, only a select few princes could be the imperial prince.
Nowadays, under imperial law, a prince had the status of imperial prince from birth.
In terms of rank, above the imperial prince was the Emperor, which meant that the imperial prince would never rise to the top, so to speak.
The idea was to give the title to the prince because there was no other reward for his achievements.
“Noah’s admonition was well done. My son can only remonstrate against me, but what makes it right is its irreplaceable quality. To make his wisdom known throughout the world, I will give him the title of ‘wise’.”
After His Majesty said that, there was another stir.
“Long live Master Noah, long live the Wise Prince!”
A cheer arose.
――――――――――――
Name: Noah Ararat
Wise Prince
Gender: Male
Level: / ∞
HPFMPFStrengthF+FStaminaF+FIntelligenceF+FSpiritF+FSpeedFDexterityF+FLuckF+F FireFWaterE+SWindFEarthFLight FDarknessF
And then my status changed, and I got a new title.
“I am grateful and happy.”
I kept my head down.
His Majesty got up from his throne, got off the red carpet, and came over to me.
I was on one knee and he came in front of me.
“If only you’d been born a little sooner.”
Three times, the stirring turned to a different quality.
It had been a few weeks since I became the wise prince.
On this day, I was in the Imperial City’s Horse Street Plaza – the largest plaza in the city.
A stage is set up in the middle of the plaza, with tables and chairs on it.
I was sitting in the chair, and there is a tea set on the table.
Knight selection.
We were holding that preliminary round.
It went exactly the way I proposed to His Majesty before, and I just relaxed and let the people I was selecting attack me as they pleased.
I didn’t do anything myself, instead the ring-linked Leviathan was blocking every attack.
One by one, they came up to the stage and attacked me – completely blocked and left the stage in disappointment.
“Damn, that’s impressive, considering it prevents all that magic.”
“For such a small guy, he’s extraordinary.”
“You’re being impolite. That man is the th Prince, no, the Wise Prince.”
Since it was being held in the biggest plaza in the city, the crowd of onlookers came in torrents.
I didn’t specify the criteria for passing, but it’s clear to everyone that all the challengers so far have failed.
They’ve all attacked me, and they’ve all been perfectly defended by the Leviathan.
In front of a large number of people, if you can’t even penetrate the defense of a relaxed child, the person doing it has to back down honestly.
It’s already been half a day since I’ve been doing that.
I was looking up at the western sky to see if the sun was about to set.
“Heyaaaaaaaaaaah!”
An attack was lobbed at me along with the energy of a cleaver.
It was a girl in white armor.
The girl thrust her sword out horizontally and rushed forward with a front hinge, as if to put her weight on it.
Leviathan reacted to it, transforming the linked ring and using it as a shield to prevent it.
So far, it’s just like that.
Exactly the same as what we have selected hundreds of people for today alone.
“This ...... thing, then!”
The sound of the girl’s teeth clenching was heard with a grind.
Right after that, the girl rushed even more forward, and at the same time, the shield cracked.
This girl rushed further through a shield that no one was able to break through for a whole day.
The cutting edge pierced my right shoulder.
The person who did it was most surprised.
She unconsciously pulled her hand away from her sword and backed away.
“You!”
“What the hell do you do!”
A group of soldiers who had been guarding the stage came over and seized the girl on the spot.
The people are buzzing below the stage.
I looked at the shoulder that had been pierced.
“Hmm.”
I nodded.
“Let her go.”
“Eh? No, b-but. She’s guilty of hurting your highness–“
“I said, Let her go.”
“—-!”
The soldier who had seized the girl freaked out and moved away from her.
The girl, stunned, raised her upper body only from the seized position and looked at me with eyes that said she didn’t know what had happened.
I pulled out the sword, blood spurted out.
“Master!”
The maid who had been serving me all day – Zoe – rushed over to me, ripped off her own maid’s clothes and tended to my shoulder.
“I-I’m really sorry!”
The girl came to herself and got down on her knees to me.
“Hmm? And also why are you on your knees?”
“F ...... for hurting His Highness.”
“Well, I never mentioned about a passing grade, but judging by what you just did, by all appearances, that was a passing grade, don’t you agree?”
The girl paused.
” So that was enough to pass”
“And she’ s been accepted.”
“To someone who has pierced his shoulder, ...... such a big caliber of a person ......”
As the onlookers buzzed around, the girl was still in a state of shock and didn’t come back. |
I left the Great Hall and returned to the Study with His Majesty.
I was the only one who was called to come with him.
His Majesty returned to his desk and sat down in his chair as usual, and I faced him across the desk.
“Well, Noah.”
“Yes”
“It’s about the hostages. What do you think about the idea of assigning one of the princesses as your concubine in order to give them a favor?”
” It would be better to have her as the wife of my son than as a mere hostage.”
It would be a political marriage. This is a standard procedure.
I thought about it for a while.
His Majesty said, “Give them a favor.”
That is the general policy that His Majesty thinks.
With that as the starting point – or rather, the unmoving endpoint.
He thought of something that would further benefit the empire, along with that.
After a number of things raced through my mind like lightning, I bowed to His Majesty and replied.
“I think it would be better not to take any hostages.”
“Hou? Do you have any interesting ideas?”
His Majesty looked at me with curious eyes.
“Yes. First of all, we don’t need hostages. Mother and sister. Not many people can hold those as hostages and completely split, no matter how much they know they need them.”
“Of course not.”
“So, let’s send them back. Instead, we will supply them with the food that we have discussed earlier. I’ll send it in weekly shipments.”
“Every week?”
“Yes, just enough to feed the people of the Rushi Tsar, every week.”
“And what will happen—–haa”
His Majesty was about to ask when he realized it.
He looked at me, first with surprise, then with a smirk on the corner of his mouth.
“That’s intense, Noah.”
With that one word, I was sure that he understood my intentions.
I nodded and continued.
“Yes, it’s all about baiting, sir. If we feed them, they will gradually become unable to stay away from this ration of food. Taking into account the fact that the supply will be cut off in case of emergency, this will become a de facto hostage.”
“Umu, that’s right.”
“Furthermore, if they become so dependent on this bait that they start to seek other sources of supply...”
“Double-dealing- the first sign of betrayal. Is that what you mean?”
I nodded quietly.
“We’ll send food, we don’t need hostages. It could be a way to kill two birds with one stone, to ingratiate ourselves and at the same time hold their lifeline.”
“Umu. That’s great, Noah. Okay, I’ll let you go ahead with that idea.”
His Majesty seemed to be satisfied with my proposal.
The next morning, I was at the residence of the Thirteenth Prince next to the Royal Palace.
When I entered the fief, I left Dylan in charge of this place.
Dylan, who had served me – the Thirteenth Prince – for many years, had maintained the mansion in the capital without a hitch.
I had some business to attend to in the capital for a while longer, so I decided to stay here for the time being.
Waking up in the morning in the room I had been familiar with for more than ten years, I had the maids I had left here get ready.
Now, where to start today .......
“Call Shirley and the rest.”
I ordered the maids and they immediately went to call them.
As I headed to the living room, I waited while I sipped the tea the maid had made for me.
After a while, two women came into the living room.
Shirley Glans and Sheryl Hyde.
Shirley was the only knight I took when I was a judge for the first time. Sheryl was an aspiring knight I had met before I met Indra, and after that, she was ambitious and promising, so I went in as a guest judge at the knight selection and brought her up.
As soon as the two of them entered the room, they knelt down and bowed to me as I sat on the sofa.
“You wanted to see us, Your Highness?”
“Yes. I wanted to check out the results of your training. Checking your homework, I mean.”
“I understand.”
The two exchanged glances, and Shirley drew her sword first.
“Aah, you can both come at me at the same time.”
“Ehh? But...”
“That is ......”
“It’s fine, come now.”
I said and stood up.
Stepping forward, I faced the two head-on.
They exchange another glance.
Nodding at each other, they shake off their doubts.
Sheryl, too, drew her sword and unleashed it.
“Haaaah!”
Shirley and Sheryl attacked from both sides as if they were pinning me down.
I stood there and didn’t move.
Shirley’s slash went into my neck, and Cheryl’s went into my waist.
Ding!
A high-pitched metallic sound rang out, and sparks flew.
The two slashes were blocked.
“Come again”
“”Yes!!””
Both of them are knights that I selected myself as a selector.
There was no hesitation in their attacks because they used the same methods as when I selected them.
I didn’t even move to receive the attacks.
The Armor Ring and the “absolute defense” of Leviathan and the other five bodies.
There was only Leviathan who did this first.
The Water Demon Sword and the Armor Ring were linked together to create an automatic defense shield away from the body.
That method was something that I, and Leviathan and the others, were slowly getting used to.
Now, they could put up a protective membrane that was almost like a thin layer of skin attached to the body.
In addition, not only Leviathan, but also Bahamut, Fuwawa, Behemoth, and Apophis.
They all have different specialties, and now they are able to better repel the attacks they are good at.
Leviathan can accurately block water and slashes, while Bahamut can almost completely nullify fire and combat.
Because of the skin-like covering on my body, from the side, it looks like I’m being slashed by both of them one way or the other without me doing anything, but the truth is that I have quite a bit of leeway.
This can be seen from the fact that I’m standing there with a calm face, while the two who are attacking me are already drenched in sweat.
The ferocious assault by the two continued for five minutes.
It was like holding your breath for five minutes in a mad dash.
The two of them were completely out of breath and fell to their knees on the spot.
“Umu. Well done, both of you. Shirley has become more and more proficient with the weight of her blows, and Sheryl has become more and more proficient with her moves.”
“T-thank you, .......”
“Your Highness is becoming more and more ...... amazing.”
“The distance between us just keeps getting further and further.”
“You guys still seem to have a lot of room to grow. You should work harder.”
The two responded in unison, putting their swords away and catching their breath.
I didn’t say that to comfort them, but both Shirley and Cheryl have improved since the last time I checked on their training.
There’s still room for them to get stronger if they continue to work hard, I really thought.
Clap Clap Clap.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of applause in the living room.
I looked and saw that my brother Henry had arrived before I knew it.
“Brother, when did you get here?”
“Just arrived. Oh, don’t blame the servants. I told them they need not report it.”
“I see. Please.”
I told Shirley and Sheryl to leave and sat down on the sofa with my brother.
As before, I let my brother sit on the top seat and I sat on the lower seat.
“It’s impressive, Noah. You said those two have gotten stronger, but I think Noah has grown even more.”
“That’s right, it may be s”o.
‘Fumu. That’s good, but isn’t that way of doing things really dangerous? You know, just in case.”
My brother asked the obvious question.
“The two of them are worth it.”
“Hou?”
“I want to be able to trust them when the time comes, so I want to know what they’re capable of ....... I believe the more you experience it, the more you understand.”
“You’re still amazing. I understand the logic, but if you were to ask me to do the same thing, I wouldn’t be able to.”
“I’m just putting up with it.”
“The privileges of the nobility, huh.”
”Fufu”, saying that Brother Henry laughed. |
Child Compensation
“‘Why is the chief’s daughter in this state? Answer me.”
“Uuh. ......”
Peiyu tried to remain silent, but, since the magic of absolute obedience had already been cast, she could not disobey my orders.
She bit her lips and answered my question in a choppy voice.
“My father made me flee.”
“The chief? But if you are the daughter of the chief, you must be a high priority as a target for the loot. It’s not that easy to get away, and even if you could, you wouldn’t be sold like this.”
“My father killed a different child along with my mother, and then committed suicide.”
Then I understand the story.
I looked at His Majesty, who had reigned at the pinnacle of the Empire for many years and had even made the occasional procession, and nodded quietly.
The chief probably realized that he was losing and staged a family suicide.
It is a common occurrence.
The end of a defeated warrior is usually tragic.
They would prefer not to live to experience it, nor for their children to experience it.
It is very common for a defeated leader to personally kill his family.
Perhaps after the chief did this, the headcount was right when the crime scene was examined, so it was cleared out.
“So you escaped, but you couldn’t manage to get away, so you were caught and sold to the slavers.”
“......”
Peiyu nodded quietly.
“I was told to throw away my name and go live a quiet life somewhere .......”
Well, now we know the story.
“Noah, what will you do with the girl?”
Peiyu shuddered when His Majesty asked.
As Minister of Justice, I pulled out the imperial laws that I’ve had all through my head.
“The Saeis were not originally part of the empire, so this was not a rebellion. Therefore, for the bloodline of the Chief, men are to be beheaded and women are to be given as slaves to those with merit.”
“Are you saying that there is no need to do anything special?”
“It is exactly as you say, sir.”
Peiyu is already a slave.
She can’t disobey my orders no matter what, because of the magic of absolute obedience.
If I order her to die here, she will scream and cry, but her body will move on its own according to the order.
I looked at her, and our eyes met.
Her frightened look quickly made her avert her eyes and look away.
She looked frightened, and I looked at her expression.
It was a face that correctly understood that the man in front of her had the right to kill her and was therefore frightened.
“Then, I’ll leave the girl to Noah.”
I dropped to my knees and bowed my head.
It seemed like a gift from His Majesty once again.
Standing up, I looked at Peiyu.
“So it is. From now on, you are my slave. You will be a maid in my house.”
“Maid?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You’re not going to kill me?”
“That won’t be necessary.”
People are treasures.
Because I had heard about Jerry’s success just before, and because Peiyu was already under the spell of absolute obedience.
I have no intention of killing her.
“...... Ah, um...”
After a slight hesitation, she summoned up the courage to speak up.
“Can everyone come ...... together?”
“Everyone?”
“Yes.”
Peiyu nodded nervously and looked around.
There were still many jute bags around her.
” Everyone is a friend who grew up in the same village. ......”
After nodding, I turned to the slaver who had been silent for a while.
“Everything you have here has been purchased.”
“Thank you for your patronage!”
“And did you catch our conversation?”
Then I took out the money and handed it to the slaver.
I gave him reens, the money I carry around in a bag.
“If there are any survivors of the Saei tribe, send them to the th Prince’s residence instead of selling them.”
“M-My Lord?!”
The slaver was exaggeratedly surprised.
“Understood. Please leave everything to me.”
“Is that all?”
“—-! Yes, sir! Thank you very much!”
Peiyu looked very impressed and smiled a big smile.
Her smile, although small, it was beautiful, but...
More than that...
Name: Noah Ararat
Minister of Justice
Gender: Male
Level: 15 / ∞
HPC+DMPE+D
StrengthC+AStaminaD+DIntelligenceE+DSpiritE+DSpeedE+EDexterityE+DLuckE+D FireE+AWaterC+SWindE+FEarthE+DLight E+CDarknessE+C
It was more noticeable with the “+” in physical strength had gone up one step.
A few days later, in the capital of Almeria, Nisir’s mansion.
I arrived in the early afternoon and called Zoe in the living room.
Zoe, the head maid. Her loyalty to me is proven, and I’ve entrusted her with the management of all my maids.
I called her up.
“I entrust you with all the slaves I brought back from the capital.”
” Understood. So they are all maids, is that correct?”
“Yes. They’re under a spell of absolute obedience, and I’ve told them to obey your commands unless I override them. They are all yours.”
“I respectfully obey.”
“And...”
As I was about to say a few more words just in case, the door opened and Audrey came into the room.
“Welcome back, Noah-sama.”
“I’m home. Have you experienced any changes in the house while we were away?”
“Nothing changed at the residence. Everything is as usual.”
“I have something to tell you, Noah-sama.”
“What it may be?”
I was a little surprised.
Standing up, I approached Audrey.
I knelt in front of her, though I couldn’t see it, stared at her belly, touching it gently.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“I see. Well done. I’m glad.”
It’s strange.
After Audrey told me, this feeling came up from deep in my chest.
This feeling of being filled with all kinds of things.
It was interesting to see the change that had developed in my feelings.
“Thank you very much.”
” We need to decide on a name.”
“Yes please.”
I stood up and thought for a moment.
Several names came to mind, and I narrowed them down to two.
“Sem if we have a boy.”
“I think that’s a great name.
“And if we have a girl then, Evis.”
Right when I said that. It was the same moment.
The scene I was familiar with for quite some time changed for the first time.
Level: 15 + 1 / ∞
HPC+DMPE+DStrengthC+AStaminaD+DIntelligenceD+DSpiritE+DSpeedE+EDexterityE+DLuckE+D FireE+AWaterC+SWindE+FEarthE+DLight E+CDarknessE+C
Not just abilities so far.
A ” + ” has been added to the level value as well.
“Did something happen?”
“Zoe, my status.”
I didn’t answer Audrey directly, but I ordered Zoe, who was standing at a slight distance from me in the middle of the conversation.
Zoe cast a spell on me in a familiar way, without bothering to ask me back.
Level: 16 / ∞
HPAMPCStrengthSSSStaminaBIntelligenceBSpiritCSpeedDDexterityCLuckC FireSWaterSSSWindEEarthCLight BDarknessB
My outward status was displayed.
Audrey glanced at it and said.
“Your level has gone up. When did it go up?”
“Now.”
“Eh?”
“I just named the baby in your belly and it went up.”
“—!”
Audrey and Zoe both had a look of surprise on their faces.
These two know that my abilities increase every time I have more subordinates or fiefs.
“Your level also increases ......? Amazing .......”
The two of them were immensely surprised by this first-time phenomenon. |
In the living room of the inner garden of the mansion.
I was standing in front of my maid, Zoe.
I was seated with my back leaning deeply against the sofa, and Zoe was standing directly in front of me.
” As per Master’s orders, I have secured four wet nurses. All of them are full-term mothers, and their milk production is guaranteed.:
“Hmm”
“I’ve also secured four babysitters as ordered, and sixteen educators. Two of the educators were recommended by Evelyn-san and one by Shirley-sama.”
” Okay.”
Four wet nurses, four babysitters, and sixteen educators.
These are the people I have lined up for my child who is about to be born.
The royal family does not allow mothers to raise their children on their own breast milk unless they are very lucky.
There are several reasons for this.
One is that it is considered unsafe and should not be done.
The other reason is that to put it bluntly, a noblewoman must continue to give birth until she gives birth to an heir, a male.
Therefore, rather than raising children, they need to recover to the point where they can give birth to another child as soon as possible.
In fact, I was reincarnated and have memories from the moment I was born, and I remember well that I was raised on the milk of a wet nurse instead of my mother.
Furthermore, if you are the Crown Prince, your siblings basically do not exist.
This is because they assign stillborn women as wet nurses.
Because siblings are special in some way, they eliminate the possibility from the beginning.
Before the Empire took over, the emperor’s brothers and sisters interfered in politics and tilted the country, so the Empire does not allow the Crown Prince to have milk siblings.
“But ...... this is amazing .......”
“Hmm? What do you mean, Zoe?”
“The child hasn’t even been born yet, and you’ve already provided almost twenty humans. I’ve never heard of so many wet nurses and babysitters.”
“Because it’s for the family.”
“For the household, you mean”
I nodded quietly.
“A good child will make the next generation of the family better. That’s why you have to put so much effort into it.”
“I see! As expected of Master!”
Once Zoe was convinced, I folded my fingers and counted the days until the birth.
Audrey’s belly was swelling steadily, and the doctor’s regular checkups indicated that she was doing well.
Can’t wait for the due date.
While I was thinking about this, there was a knock on the door, and Zoe head for it.
The door opened and one of the maids whispered to Zoey.
Zoe nodded and returned, closing the door behind her.
“Master.”
“What happened?”
“They say a good omen has appeared.”
“Again?”
I chuckled, looking half-amused.
Recently, I’ve been hearing a lot of good omens.
The first one was a meteorite that was said to have naturally formed the word “wise. This was a total fabrication.
Next, a child was born clutching a jewel.
And now, they say, another good omen has appeared.
“What is it this time? Has it arrived as a gift yet?”
“No, it’s not a gift.”
“Not an object, then?”
“Yes, please look out the window.”
“......?”
I nodded my head getting up from the couch and going to the window.
I was surprised, so much so that I gasped.
To my surprise, there was an Aurora in the sky outside the window.
A curtain of polar lights high in the sky.
Definitely, something you don’t normally see.
“Aurora here in this place?”
“There hasn’t been anything like this in Almeria for at least a few hundred years.”
“Maybe.”
Auroras are usually seen in the far north or the far south.
They don’t usually appear in places like here in Almeria, where the climate is warm enough for farming.
“Bahamut.”
“Is that some kind of man-made thing?”
{I can’t feel any such will.}
It appears to be naturally occurring.
I thought that makes sense.
It’s no wonder it’s a good omen.
“After all, it is amazing that Master’s presence can make such a thing appear .......”
Zoe’s reaction was normal.
Good Omens= something good that exists for rulers, so I was being looked at with admiration.
As it turned out, it’s was a good omen.
A few months later, Audrey was safely in her last month of pregnancy and gave birth to a gem of a boy.
The delivery was quite easy, and both mother and child are healthy.
“You did great, Audrey.”
I said to Audrey as she lay on the bed.
“Thank you very much.”
“Since we have a boy, we’ll name him Shem, as we decided.”
“Yes, .......”
Audrey nodded, her eyes closing softly with a faint smile as she finished her big task.
“Now, ...... Zoe.”
“I understand.”
Zoe approached the baby – Sem – who was being held by the caretaker and cast a spell.
It’s the same thing that was performed right after I was born – when I reincarnated.
A spell was cast to check his abilities.
Immediately after, the child’s status came up.
Name: Sem Ararat
Gender: Male
Level: /HPFMPFStrengthFStaminaFIntelligenceFSpiritFSpeedF
DexterityFLuckF FireFWaterFWindFEarthFLight FDarknessE
“””Ohhhh!?”””
The moment the status was displayed, the maids, wet nurses, and babysitters in the room all shouted in surprise at the same time.
“Upper limit of level 0?”
“As expected of Master, this is incredible. Master’s blood has been passed on to the young master.”
“That’s right.”
The upper limit of 100 levels is quite something.
Even level 15 is in the top 5% of the human population.
With the upper limit being level 100, it is a talent that is only found in one in tens of millions of people.
“I believe the good omen was a prediction of this.
“That may be so. ...... yeah. I have to grant this boy his domain.”
Although not as much as the Prince, the Prince’s children are generally given some territory as well.
It’s common, but of course, it’s not the only reason.
If the upper limit of the level is as high as 100 after inheriting my blood, then what about this unique power of mine that increases my abilities by adding territories and people?
“Let’s grant Dosso. Sounds good, Zoe.”
“Thank you very much!”
Zoe bowed her head happily.
Dosso is her homeland.
Giving it to my firstborn son, Sem, who is the most likely heir, would be a kind of gift.
After that, I ordered Zoe to call up the status again.
Name: Sem Ararat
Gender: Male
Level: 1/100
HPFMPFStrengthFStaminaFIntelligenceFSpiritFSpeedFDexterityFLuckF FireFWaterFWindF
EarthFLight FDarknessE
I see the “+” is still unique to me, and I guess I didn’t pass it on to my children.
Still.
“Level 100 is it”
“When was the last time there was three digits?”
“Wasn’t it about fifty years ago, General Grant-sama?”
The people around me naturally expected more from Sem, and at the same time, they looked at me with increasing respect.
With the birth of Sem, I flew to the capital.
When a child is born, especially if it’s a boy, it’s the prince’s duty to report it to the emperor.
To fulfill this duty, I returned to the capital, entered the royal palace, and sought an audience with His Majesty.
I was soon granted an audience, and I came to His Majesty’s study.
“Ohh, you’ve arrived well, Noah.”
His Majesty, who was in his study, raised his hands and came towards me with a big smile on his face.
I got down on one knee and bowed to him in the proper manner.
” No need to be so formal, raise your head.”
“I heard about your kid. Sem, was it?”
“Yes.”
“And the level limit is 100. It’s Noah’s boy alright.”
“It’s my pleasure. I will return to the fief and return to the capital with Sem soon, so I hope Your Majesty will hold him once.”
“Umu, I will. Noah, I have something to tell you.”
“Something to tell me?”
When I looked up, I was a little surprised.
His Majesty’s face was more serious than ever.
His face, which had been smiling so much earlier, suddenly became serious.
“That’s right.”
His Majesty nodded and dropped a bombshell.
“I am going to abdicate and become the Ex-Emperor.”
I was indeed surprised.
In the sixteen years since I was reincarnated, this is the most surprising moment.
” ...... What do you mean?”
“I’ve given it a lot of thought. Noah had also advised me, but I was still uncertain about that.”
My advice – implanting a will in your body, something that says who the next emperor will be.
“There is no difference between that and having the next emperor decided without me. So I thought it would be best to decide on the next emperor while I’m still able to make good decisions.”
“...... yes”
There is a point to what His Majesty said.
No, rather, I should say that it is as good as it gets.
“So – Noah, be the next emperor.”
“...... Sem, right?”
Instantly, a bolt of white lightning went through my brain.
A month or so ago, I wouldn’t have known.
But now I know.
Now that Sem was born, I knew what His Majesty was thinking.
“You’re really something, Noah.”
He complimented me.
“Umu. With a level limit of 100, Sem is a talent like no other in tens of millions. If Noah takes the throne, the empire is guaranteed to prosper for three generations.”
“That’s the idea. Perform well, Noah.”
“......”
I thought about it for a moment and then knelt silently.
“I understand. For the prosperity of three generations to come, I will do my best to live up to your expectations.”
His Majesty nodded and patted me on the shoulder.
“The ceremonies and such are yet to come, but as of this moment, I hand over the throne.”
At that moment, the status in the corner of my vision changed.
Name: Noah Ararat
Emperor of the Empire
Level: 15 + 1 / ∞
HPC+CMPE+CStrengthC+SStaminaD+CIntelligenceD+CSpiritE+CSpeedE+CDexterityE+CLuckE+C FireE+SWaterC+SSWindE+EEarthE+CLight E+BDarknessE+B
My title changed to Emperor, and all the “+”s have been raised one level.
...... I see.
When I became the Prime Minister, all of my “+”s went up to SSS.
But now, all of them have just gone up one level.
That means that even after becoming the Emperor – His Majesty – he still doesn’t intend to give up all his power.
So I said,
“I will continue to work hard and become an Emperor worthy of being entrusted with the entire Empire.”
“That’s the great thing about you. The second generation is in safe hands.”
His Majesty smiled happily.
Thus, I went from being the Prince to being the Emperor. |
It was nighttime, and this time I was in the living room of the mansion watching the mock battle between Leviathan and Luthiya, which I had ordered to be “restrained” when a maid knocked and entered the room.
It was a maid named Cecily, who took Evelyn’s place, and whose face was not usually seen at this time of the day.
“Master, you have a visitor.”
“Who is it?”
“An envoy of His Majesty’s, with an imperial order.”
I stood up quickly.
It was late at night, but I had no choice but to meet him.
“Let him through.”
Cecily left the room, and a moment later a man entered.
I was a little surprised.
It was a familiar face.
Rice Cake.[THIS NAAAME]
He’s one of my brother Henry’s men, the one who was out suppressing the rebellion a while back.
“Yes.”
I got down on one knee in front of Rice.
The messenger who came with the imperial order is the emperor’s representative, so to speak.
The courtesy must be done to the emperor in all respects, and in cases like this where the imperial order is being conveyed, it is a crime of disrespect for a third party to interfere in any way.
So I got down on one knee, lowered my head, and listened quietly.
“The first battle of the Wise Prince Noah Ararat shall be postponed. Stand by until further notice.”
I bowed and stood up smoothly.
The next moment, as if by turns, Rice knelt down and bowed to me.
“Long time no see, Your Highness.”
“Hmm? Oh, so you’re Brother Henry’s Retainer’.”
Rice bowed his head further in response.
The royal family sometimes sends their servants and employees out as officials and commanders.
A person with that kind of origin is called a “Retainer” in the sense of “a person brought forth from a noble family”.
I also sent Evelyn to be a representative of a small land in Armeria a while ago.
It’s the same thing, but Rice has risen much higher than Evelyn.
And there’s one important thing.
Rice has the status of a public official, but he is also a “servant” of the royal family.
At the same time, while he is Brother Henry’s servant, he is also my servant.
That’s why, as soon as the imperial order was given, Rice got down on one knee and bowed to me.
“Well, you can make yourself comfortable.”
And with that, I sat back down on the couch.
Rice, of course, stood and faced me.
“Zoe!”
Zoe walked in.
“Give the messenger his traveling expenses, reens.”
Zoe left the room and I faced Rice again.
“I understand His Majesty’s decree, but how did it come to this?”
“It’s all because of Your Highness.”
“What do you mean?”
“Henry-sama, when the Ministry of Military Affairs reported the results of the fortune-telling to His Majesty, he was very pleased.”
“In that case, he said, we must do something big. The Ministry of Military Affairs and the Ministry of Finance are going to work together to carry out a large-scale project.”
I nodded quietly.
That’s important, too.
The common people love a heroic tale.
If it’s the royal family that’s in charge, they need to spread the word.
“It’s unheard of for one person to be chosen for the first battle. His Majesty is working with Henry-sama and His Eighth Highness to find a way to spread his greatness throughout the Empire.”
I nodded further.
If that’s the case, then I guess I won’t be around for a while in relation to the first campaign.
The next day, I took Shirley with me to Cobalt Street.
Luthiya’s growth and the mock battle had raised my level.
Because of these two new powers, I came to Cobalt Street, where antiques and treasures are gathered, to find more items like Leviathan and Luthiya.
I walked around with Shirley in tow, but couldn’t find anything that looked like it at all.
Well, it’s not so easy to find something like Leviathan or Luthiya.
Both of them are real treasures, not something that comes along very often.
Deciding that it couldn’t be helped if I couldn’t find anything, I went around and came to the store, and I found Alan, a familiar face.
With a big smile on his face, he ushered Shirley and me into the back of the store.
In the guest room, I sat down and Shirley, the knight, stood guard behind me.
“What can I do for you today, sir?”
Alan asked, wringing his hands like a businessman.
“I’m looking for an item ......, yes, a magic tool that has a will of its own.”
“I see. ......”
“Do you have anything like that? Anything, like a cursed doll.”
“I’m thinking maybe one of those... oh, no, that’s, uh...”
“Hmm?”
Why are you stammering all of a sudden? I looked at Alan with such a look.
“The one I was talking about is a fake. It’s just an item to be forced on an amateur.”
I chuckled.
This is a store that deals in antiques and treasures, so of course, it happens.
“So there is no such thing, now?”
“Yes. ...... I’m very sorry. ......”
“Okay, then.”
I took out a leather bag from my pocket.
It’s the money in case I find a treasure.
“Keep it, I’ve got ,00 reens. Call me when you find a bargain like that.”
“Yes!”
“If you find it properly, I’ll give you a separate reward. See you.”
With that, I left the store with Shirley.
Alan walked us out of the store, bowing his head for all time as he saw us off.
Now, what to do – hmm?
“What’s the matter Shirley, you look so strange.”
After we left the store, I noticed that Shirley had been pouting the whole time.
“N-no. I was just wondering what was that now.”
“Now?”
“Umm...the money you handed?”
Shirley said in an unsure tone.
“What else it would be, shopping?”
“...... That was shopping?”
“I’ve never seen shopping like that. You paid 10,000 reens for something you didn’t even have.”
“Aah.”
“That was ...... amazing ....... And it’s not even close to the price.”
I know how she felt, in my previous life I would have reacted the same way Shirley does now.
But that’s what aristocratic shopping is all about.
With Shirley’s tongue rolling, we left Cobalt Street, taking one last look at the stalls.
“Aaaah!?”
Suddenly, I heard a loud man’s voice in the crowded street.
It seemed to be well heard by those around him, and the bustle of the antique market instantly quieted down.
“Say that again, what did you just say?”
In the silence, I heard the voice from before again.
I looked towards the voice and saw a man with a bald head, clearly visible from a distance, shouting at the owner of the stall.
“S-sir. This item was pre-ordered by another customer.”
“I’m the one who’s buying it!”
The owner of the stall cowered at the man’s renewed threat.
And I approached them.
“Stop.”
I said to the man.
“Hmm? Well, well, Noah-sama, isn’t it?”
“Do you know me?”
The man suddenly changed his attitude and became rather courteous.
No, that’s not it.
It was more like a superficial courtesy.
“I am sorry for the late introduction, but my name is Darren, a Retainer of His Highness Gilbert.”
“Daren.”
” I believe we’ve met at the Ministry of the Imperial Household?”
“Mmm.”
The Ministry of the Imperial Household is the ministry that oversees the royal family’s ‘internal affairs’.
While the Ministry of Finance manages the imperial treasury, the Ministry of the Interior manages the emperor and the royal family’s wallet.
Because of its close contact with the royal family, the Ministry of the Imperial Household tends to look down on other ministries with a strange sense of elite.
“That’s fine. What are you doing more than that? I heard you talking, but that was a threat.”
“Well, well, Noah-sama is the Minister of Justice, and you don’t know it?”
Daren looked at me with scornful eyes.
“People in the Ministry of the Imperial Household cannot be charged with any crime other than the crime of internal disturbance, so to speak, an extralegal privilege. This is in order to maintain the stability of the imperial family, and is firmly enshrined in imperial law.”
“......”
Indeed, it is.
I had forgotten about it because I don’t get involved with the Ministry of the Imperial Household very often, but it’s true.
Yes, but.
“So? I hope you don’t need to interfere.”
“N-Noah-sama......”
Shirley called out my name cautiously.
I’m sure I’m making a very scary face right now.
The royal family, especially the servants of the king, have a very high status in their own right.
Even a gatekeeper is considered to have the status of a low-ranking knight who is not involved with the royal family.
If you are a servant of His Majesty’s first child, the First Prince Gilbert, and you are a member of the Ministry of the Imperial Household with privileges, this attitude is not surprising.
“All right, that’s fine. But...”
“But?”
Daren looked at me with a “Is there anything more?” as if looking down on me.
“You’re my Brother’s Retainer, aren’t you? Then why are you just standing there looking at me?”
“Mmm.”
For the first time, Daren’s color changed.
That’s what Rice did to me yesterday.
It’s the same thing as when I knelt before Rice because he came to pronounce an imperial decree, but when he was done, he knelt before me as a ‘Royal Family’s Retainer’.
It’s the same thing.
Daren should have been more reverent to me.
“I-I didn’t notice...”
“It’s too late. Shirley.”
“Get this guy. Tie him to the ground and whip him.”
“Hey!”
Darren’s eyes widen in shock.
“You’re insane! I’m Gilbert-sama’s...”
“Don’t you understand that you’ve smeared dirt on Brother Gilbert’s face? Shirley, do it!”
When Shirley understood what he was saying, she stepped forward and grabbed Darren.
Daren resisted, but Shirley had the power to break through even the Leviathan’s protection.
She caught Darren without difficulty and twisted his hand behind his back.
“Um,......, the rope is .......”
“H-Here, please use this.”
A man stepped forward from the crowd and held out the rope.
“Thank you.”
Shirley took it, borrowed a post from a nearby store, and tied Darren up.
This time someone held out a whip, which Shirley took.
“Noah-sama, how many lashes do you want?”
I broke my sentence there, glanced at Daren, and then said to Shirley.
“If you or any of my maids, or any of my retainers, or any of my men, ever mistreat my people, I will execute you without mercy.”
“I understand.”
Shirley nodded, and without hesitation, whipped Daren out.
A cheer went up at that moment.
“Shameful.”
“He got what he deserved for being so arrogant.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
The people around were surprisingly overjoyed and laughed as they watched Darren being whipped.
Shirley continued to whip Daren until he passed out. |
“Hmm, this is fine”
When I came back to the mansion, I had my upper body stripped in the living room and treated myself.
I removed the cloth that the maids had treated me with and created an armor to adhere around the wound with a ring linked to the Leviathan.
The material, which feels like metal, but not metal, is a strange material, and I pressed it snugly around the wound to stop the bleeding.
Then I turned my attention to the girl who had been brought back.
The girl shrank back a little.
She looks like a child who is scared of her parents’ anger – or something more.
“Anyway, let me hear your name.”
“Oh ...... Ah excuse me.”
The girl panicked, poof, got down on her knees and just said her name.
“My name is Shi-Shirley Glans,”
“Shirley. Your armor is pretty well made, did you make it yourself?”
“No, It’s been passed down for generations....... um.”
“Hmm, what?”
“My matter earlier......what will happen to that....”
“That, for the crime of accidentally hurting His Imperial Highness... ......”
Shirley gets down on her hands and knees and simply looks up.
She looks extremely scared.
I thought I told everyone not to worry about it earlier.
“That crime doesn’t exist.”
“Huh? But in imperial law ......”
“That’s not true. I mean, if you’re guilty of accidentally hurting someone, it doesn’t exist.”
“What kind of ...... is that?”
Shirley tilted her head.
“Stand up Shirley.”
“Try that thrust again on me.”
“Huh? But ......”
“If you are a knight, you need to follow orders.”
“–Ha! Excuse me.”
Shirley stood up, drew her long sword and held it ready.
Her expression changed drastically, her scared look was almost blown away, and she had an imposing face.
As it was, she released a thrust with the spirit of a splendid shout of enthusiasm.
It is a thrust that is no less than the time of the knight selection.
I stopped it.
Or rather a shield put out by Leviathan stopped it.
“This much is...... eh?”
Shirley immediately noticed the “difference”.
She was surprised to find that the shield that she could penetrate during the selection process wouldn’t budge at all.
“It doesn’t budge at all, does it?”
“Yes, even if I press–pull back!? This is ...... amazing.”
It was as if the tip of the sword had been sucked into the shield, neither pushing nor pulling, and Shirley was taken aback by this.
“If I really wanted to prevent it, those attacks wouldn’t go through. So there’s no such thing as you did it ‘accidentally’. I made it happen.”
“W-Why?”
Shirley was even more confused.
“A knight is supposed to follow orders. You’re a slave at best if you can’t follow orders to the letter. I’ve got a lot of plans, but I don’t want anyone in there trying to get in my face and not really bothering me in the first place.”
“Ye-yes!”
“If I want slaves I would have collected them through the method one collect a slave. This time, I was selecting a knight. That’s what I mean.”
“So, ...... you have no regard for your own danger?”
“I wanted to know how people would react after hurting me. And even for the second time, you came for real on my orders. You passed.”
“......, yes.”
Shirley nodded with a chuckle.
She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth with a pout.
Then she looked at me with impressed eyes.
“So, you’ve passed. Just to confirm, you intended to be my knight, correct?”
Shirley hurriedly corrected her position, got down on one knee and bowed her head.
This etiquette was rather – no, that’s the one in the plays.
The formal etiquette of the aristocracy is not understood by the common people, it’s more passed down to the common people as something that looks good for a play or performance or something.
Shirley gave that kind of knightly bow, the kind you do in plays.
“I, Shirley Grans. I pledge my lifelong loyalty to His Royal Highness the Prince.”
Again, this wasn’t an official sentence, but the feeling came through.
Above all.
――――――――――――
Name: Noah Ararat
Wise Prince
Gender: Male
Level: / ∞
HPF+FMPFStrengthF+EStaminaF+FIntelligenceF+FSpiritF+FSpeedF+FDexterityF+FLuckF+F FireFWaterE+SWindFEarthFLight FDarknessF
My ability increases as I take in more subordinates.
This increase in ability for me was much more important and easy to understand than proper or improper etiquette.
Come to think of it, Shirley may have been the single individual who rose my abilities the most.
“I’m counting on you, Shirley”
“——Yes!”
After the talk with Shirley was over, as if waiting for it, the serving maid brought in a doctor.
A middle-aged man, fat and round, with a ratty mustache on his face.
He’s a familiar face. He’s the court physician, His Imperial Physician.
His name is Goode Croy, as I recall.
Although his real name was Bade, he was a doctor, and His Majesty gave him the name Goode because it was too sinister.(TN: Well his name was literally Bad and now got changed to Good, I just added ‘e’ at the end to sound it better than just Good and Bad)
That’s how much he is trusted by His Majesty for his medical skills.
“Even if you came, it’s an overreaction.”
“Ha. Let’s see the wound.”
“Ah.”
Since he came, I shouldn’t refuse him.
All I did was stop the bleeding as a first aid measure anyway.
I ordered Leviathan to release the armor that clings to my skin like an underclothing.
An instant later, blood spurts out in a pushy spray.
“–!”
“...... please be patient.”
Shirley gulped, but Goode, as expected of a doctor, looked at the mere non-life-threatening injuries at first glance, without moving an eyebrow.
“I will say. Luckily, the bones and tendons have been dislodged, so I hope you can keep the stitches.”
“I see. Do it.”
“Now, the anesthesia–“
“No, we’re in the middle of a conversation, so just do it quickly.”
“H-huh...Okay”
Goode nodded to me as I sat in a relaxed manner and took out a suture needle and thread.
Wiping the blood clean, he stitched together the skin’s surface.
When he finished sewing the front, Goode looked up and stared at me.
“What’s the matter, do I have something on my face?”
“Well, No, I’ve never heard of anyone who didn’t change their expression with these sutures, let alone their voice.”
“Really?”
“I’m impressed,”
With that, Goode went behind me and started stitching there, too.
Because Goode was gone from my sight, I saw Shirley, who had been hidden by the guy’s body, actually watching the stitching with great interest.
“What’s up Shirley?”
“Oh, uh, ...... I thought doctors were great.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve never seen a treatment for a cut like this before. It’s the first time I’ve seen it.”
“Have you never seen a doctor?”
“There is no doctor in the village.”
“What?”
I raised an eyebrow.
“There’s no doctor in the village?”
“Yes. That ...... is something wrong with it?”
“So what if people get hurt or sick?”
Asking Obaba-sama to pray for you, and paying her off for your sickness. “
” It s a common practice in poor villages.”
Goode interrupted me from behind.
The fact that he was sighing probably meant that he felt bitter as a doctor.
“Hey Goode.”
“How can one be a doctor,”
“Well, it is more common to be apprenticed to a doctor who is already in business or is already in practice.”
“Are you also taking disciples?”
“Yes, some of them.”
“Shirley”
“Your first order. Bring a clever, hard-working boy from your village.”
“Uh, ......?”
“Goode, I’ll provide you some apprentices.”
After a pause for a breath, Goode nodded quietly behind me.
“Uh ...... your highness? What on earth is ......”
Shirley still can’t seem to grasp the situation and asks me fearfully
“I’ll pay for tuition and living expenses. Bring me the one who is going to be a doctor and treat everyone in the village.”
“......, thank you!”
Shirley hurriedly dropped to her knees and bowed to me as if she were on the ground.
Knights don’t do it this way, so hey, I’ll have to teach her something.
Shirley, who only looked up, stared at me with an increasingly respectful gaze. |
When I returned home, I called Don in the living room.
He was still recovering from his injuries, and as soon as he entered the room, he got down on his knees with a mysterious look on his face.
It’s been twelve years since I was born as a Prince, and I’ve gotten accustomed to being flattered, but this was a little out of the ordinary for Don.
“I’m ready for it.”
“Ready?”
“Yes. I believe I will be accused of betraying the Lord and tipping him off. I will make no excuses. At the very least, I will be beheaded.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
A shaky voice interrupted Don’s rapid speech.
“Eh?”
“Who said anything about punishing you?”
“B-But ......”
“People are treasures, not to be killed for nothing. In the first place, imperial law demands that anyone accused of treason be acquitted. If you were to inform on something else, you would be guilty of a certain crime, but not treason.:
“......”
Don’s mouth gapes open in exasperation.
You didn’t know, huh.
“So. I called you here for a few reasons. First, Gilbert was executed. He’s been found guilty of treason and his forces will be destroyed without a trace. So you don’t need to change your name and leave the capital anymore. That’s one.”
“Y-Yes ......”
“And the reward for accusations of treason is set at a maximum of one thousand reens. That’s not enough, so I’ll put one zero on the end. This is my money. Feel free to take it.”
“Why such a large sum?”
Don shuddered.
He still couldn’t believe that he was going to be saved. It was a misunderstanding that he would be executed in the first place.
“You saved my father’s life. What more reason do you need?”
“Ah......”
“Third. At that time, I said I would send you to serve as a deputy, but now I can send you back to the Ministry of the Imperial Household as my retainer. Tell me what you want to do.”[I guess the nd one is the money]
“......”
“What, you don’t like that either?”
Don looked up quickly, jerked his head to the side, and then rubbed his forehead on the floor again, still on both knees.
“You are the one who deserves to be my Lord for life. I will follow you wherever you go.”
After saying this, Don raised his head again and looked at me.
His eyes were the eyes of a sincere vassal and admirer.
The next day, I took Gigi, my maid, to the city to relax.
Whether to go to Alice’s place or to Cobalt Street for a treasure hunt.
Or perhaps I should explore something new.
I decided to have fun all day long, so I didn’t take the carriage and walked with the maid.
“Master, there’s something interesting going on.”
There was a hint of excitement in Gigi’s eyes as she said this.
She has only been a maid for a short time and is still very young, so unlike Zoe and Evelyn, who is now a governor, she has not lost her childlike spirit.
That’s why, while thinking that it’s a good idea once in a while, I looked towards the “interesting things” that Gigi had mentioned.
There was a crowd of people, and in the middle was a woman.
She was swinging a sword, and the word “sword dance” came to my mind.
Is she some kind of street performer?
I thought it sounded interesting, so I headed toward the crowd with Gigi in tow.
As we approached and peered through the crowd, the woman who had stopped dancing said to the onlookers in a challenging tone.
“The condition is that you fight me and win, and the fee is three reens.”
“What will you give me if I win?”
One of the spectators asked in a tense voice.
From the way he raised his voice, he sounded like a man who was accustomed to being an onlooker.
“Myself. Wife, concubine, or servant, I will do whatever the victor commands.”
Instantly, the crowd of onlookers began to buzz.
So if you pay the entry fee, fight her and win, you get her.
“What does that mean?”
Gigi, standing next to me, nodded her head curiously.
“It’s a kind of auction.”
“That’s the one with bidders. In a normal auction, there is only money, but in this kind of auction, other conditions are attached. It started as a black market auction.”
“Wow, ......, you really know your stuff, Master!
Gigi looked at me with great admiration.
I, on the other hand, observed the woman at the auction.
She was objectively beautiful, although she had a tendency to be too stern.
The fact that I might be able to get her for three reens was quite tempting.
The price of slaves in the capital remains high, partly because only certain merchants are authorized by imperial law.
If you were to buy them normally, they would cost no less than reens each.
But for three reens.
Moreover, she is not caught by black slavery or anything like that.
The basic definition of a black slave trader in Imperial law is “buying or selling another person”.
Selling yourself is not against the law.
Immediately, one of the men was motivated and jumped out of the circle of people and in front of the woman.
“So, I should just defeat you?”
“Yes. But, One on one.”
“Huh, you don’t have to tell me – I’m not going to waste it sharing it with someone else!”
The man said, and with a disgusted look on his face, stuck out his hand and tried to grab the woman.
“”Ohhhh!?””
Instantly, a cheer went up.
The man with his hand out spun around and plunged back into the ground.
The man looked up at the sky, puzzled, not knowing what had happened to him.
The woman held out her hand to the man.
“Three reens.”
“......eh?”
“The entry fee. You didn’t pay it because you thought you’d win anyway, did you?”
“He went in there full of confidence and got himself thrashed.”
There were shouts of derision here and there from the surrounding onlookers.
The man turned red, took a silver coin out of his pocket, slammed it on the ground, and ran away.
The woman picked it up and carefully stored it away.
“Who’s the next challenger?”
She said.
Everyone saw that she had beaten the man in an instant, but it was quite tempting to get beauty as beautiful as her for three reens.
One after another, challengers came up to pay three reens, but they were all repelled by her.
“Heh, I guess it’s my turn now.”
“Let’s get the entry fee.”
“Don’t panic, if you beat me, I’ll give it to you.”
When the man said that, the crowd of onlookers around him started to hoot and cry.
By now everyone could see that the woman was no ordinary person.
Most of the onlookers were hoping that the new challenger would turn out to be as ugly as the first man. Such is the atmosphere.
“Well, here we go!”
The man shot his clenched fist at the woman as if to gouge her from below.
It was a punch that was expected to have some power, but everyone who had seen the fight so far expected the woman to win.
“—Gah!”
As the woman tried to dodge and counterattack, she seemed to be caught by something and stopped moving.
The next moment, the man’s fist gouged the woman’s stomach.
With a clean shot, the woman’s eyes widened, she let out a gasp, and she fell back to lean on the man.
“Heh, you promised, you’re mine now.”
The man then turned to leave, pushing aside the onlookers who were buzzing at the unexpected turn of events.
“Wait.”
I did the opposite and pushed past the on lookers and entered the circle of people.
“Yeah. You are breaking the rules.”
“What are you talking about?”
I walked up to him and turned up the hem of the woman’s ankle that he was carrying.
There’s a needle stuck in there.
“It’s two against one if you let your buddies do this to you, isn’t it?”
“What the hell are you talking about, this is–“
Thud.
A few feet away, a man collapsed.
I intimidated him with my Leviathan and took him down.
“He’s your companion, isn’t he?”
“Bullshit, Chad, that’s your henchman Rob.”
“You two had a drink together at my bar yesterday.”
“Let her go, that’s not fair.”
It seemed that everyone around them knew that they knew each other.
The man, Chad, turned red as the onlookers yelled at him.
“Shut up! You little bastard, you’ve done more than you should have!”
And then he got upset.
He left the woman and attacked me.
I guess I’ll have to hurt him a little.
So, I pulled Leviathan out of my bracelet.
First, I slashed Chad’s shoulders.
Chad’s arms were hanging down, his hands were useless.
With my reversed grip, I cut Chad’s waistband.
The belt was cut, and Chad’s pants fell to the ground with a snap.
“What the ......?”
“You still want to do this?”
I pushed Leviathan to Chad’s throat.
Chad’s face grew redder and he shivered.
The onlookers around him saw this.
“Holy shit, what was that? Where’d that sword come from?”
“I didn’t see anything, the technique was impressive.”
“That was so much cooler. Chad’s attitude is always so annoying.”
Chand was trembling and shaking as everyone around him was saying to each other.
“R-Remember that!”
And then he spat the words and ran away.
The crowd laughed at the sight of him running away with his hands useless, his pants cut off, and nude. |
On this day, I was in the center of Nisir.
Nisir, the capital of Almeria, is known as the “City of Water” because of the abundance of water that is constantly supplied to the city from a total of eleven water systems.
In the square in the center of the city, there is a large fountain made from a branch of one of the water systems.
The residents of Nisir gather around the fountain in the distance.
Protected by soldiers, I made my way to the fountain, which I had decorated for the ceremony.
Above the fountain, a banner read, “Special Water Service Opening Ceremony.”
When I reached the fountain, I drank a cup of the gushing water, and then another.
Instantly, a huge cheer went up.
“Wow, he really drank it, what a great guy!”
“Even the first-grade water needed to be boiled before it could be drunk, but to be able to drink it straight from the tap is amazing.”
“It seems that the Prince is the one who started the Special-Grade Water.”
“Wow, ......”
I took one last drink and then slowly left the place as everyone around me buzzed.
As I entered a tent set up away from the fountain plaza, I was greeted by one of my men, Don.
“Thank you for your hard work, Master Noah.”
“Oh, so this is the end of the ceremony.”
“Yes, sire. Now that the ceremony is over, we are officially upgrading the Appia Water System to Special Water System.”
I nodded silently.
This was the most significant work I had done since I entered the fief.
“I was surprised when I arrived in Almeria. There’s water, water, water everywhere.”
Don said admiringly.
His eyes were fixed on the flush toilet at the back of the tent.
“I’ve never seen anything like it, even in the capital.”
“This?”
The tent was erected in such a way as to enclose a public restroom for my use as the Prince, but public restrooms themselves are common in the city.
Nisir, the capital of Armeria, has a total of eleven water lines drawn from the abundant water sources around it, so that clean water can be used day and night.
The amount of water that can be used by the people is overwhelmingly three times that of the Imperial Capital on a per capita basis.
“But isn’t it a waste to leave so much running?”
“If we don’t let it run, we’ll be in big trouble.”
“Eh?”
“Third-grade water is used in public toilets. The first-grade water is for eating and drinking, the second-grade water is for bathing, cleaning, etc., which is not good if you put it in your mouth but is safe if it touches your skin, and the third-grade water is used to keep this toilet and the sewage from clogging up.”
“Using ...... for sewage?”
“The water gets dirty after use. If you leave it alone, it will clog. That’s why it has to constantly flow.”
“Well, both first-grade and second-grade water are kept flowing when they are not in use, and they are diverted so as not to clog the sewage.”
“I see! I’ve always thought that it would be less wasteful to install some kind of device at the end of the water supply so that it only flows when it’s used, not left running. It was for the sake of sewage, wasn’t it?”
“That’s what I meant. ...... for now, we have one, but I’m planning to turn the remaining ten into special water.”
“Why?”
“Same as a river, river water with sand and dirt in it will gradually accumulate and clog up. The same goes for the water supply. Maintaining third-grade water is more expensive than you think.”
“Isn’t the special-grade water more expensive?”
“At first, it is. But in the long run, it’s more economical. Besides, sometimes people die trying to clean up water lines.”
People are treasures.
So it’s better to eliminate such problems as much as possible.
“I’m glad you thought of that ......, Noah-sama.”
I smiled back at Don and listened to what was going on outside.
The residents of Nisir were very happy to see the opening of the special-grade water that can be drunk as it is.
“...... che.”
A few days passed, and I was in the study of the mansion’s outer garden.
When I read the letter that came back from Brother Oscar, I couldn’t help but click my tongue.
Don, who was in the corner of the room taking care of some political matters, noticed my clicking and came over to me.
“It’s a letter from Brother Oscar.”
“Is it an official document from the Ministry of Finance?”
“No, it’s just a private letter. For now, that is.”
I sighed and handed the letter to Don.
Don read it and I thought over the contents in silence.
It was a response to my request for a budget from the Ministry of Finance.
One of the eleven water systems, called the Yuria Water System, was in need of major maintenance due to the accumulation of impurities and damage to the water system along the way.
We applied for a budget for this to the Empire – to the Ministry of Finance.
Oscar turned it down softly in the form of a private letter.
“Next year ......huh”
Don looked at me and I gave him a small nod.
“This year’s budget is too tight, even for the Ministry of Finance, and they can’t afford it because of the war expenses in the north. They want to wait until next year.”
“......I’ve heard about the war in the north.”
Don made a difficult face.
“It is true that the treasury money is running out at an alarming rate. It’s no wonder His Highness the Eighth has said it.”
“I understand. That’s why my brother notified me through a private letter. If he returned it in official documents, the predicament of the empire would be recorded.”
In other words, the Ministry of Finance is in a situation where ‘you can’t give what you don’t have’.
“If we continue to use the water supply at this rate, it will cause serious damage to the water itself if we don’t stop it by the end of next week. And if we do, we won’t be able to afford the maintenance.:
“If it’s ...... Yuria water supply, wouldn’t it be okay to leave it alone for a year or so? It’s third-grade water, and it won’t affect people’s lives right away.”
“The Yuria water supply has third-grade water, but it’s the largest water supply. If we shut it down, it will affect public toilets and sewage. We don’t know what kind of negative impact it will have. The sewage must not be clogged. The toilets, too. Worst-case scenario, we could have an epidemic.”[This hits hard]
“But we don’t have any leeway”
“......, I’ll handle it myself.”
“Eh?”
Don was greatly surprised.
“Your Highness, are you going to do it? With your own money?”
“Yeah.”
“But the restoration and maintenance of the Yuria water system will require a considerable amount of money. It might even interfere with the sustainability of His Highness’ life. Please reconsider.”
“I should have said this before.”
“Patience is a privilege of the nobility. You see.”
Don’s mouth opened wide and he rolled his eyes in surprise.
Leaving Don alone, I calculated in my head the amount I needed and my current assets.
It would be enough if I gave away some antiques and treasures.
Thinking about this, I stood up and looked out the window.
I’ll have to keep this water city clean.
A few days later, while I was doing the same political work in my study.
Don reported to me that the maintenance of Yuria Water Systems had started since I had spent most of my cash.
“The damaged parts have been repaired. So there’s no need to shut it down.”
“Well, good.”
I stood up and looked out the window at the city of Nisir, just like the other day.
The city is as beautiful as ever.
The weather was fine today, and the water fountains for the common people here and there were sparkling and beautiful.
Suddenly, I noticed something.
There was a fire just a few steps away from my residence.
“It’s bad.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Look.”
I moved in front of the window. And Don followed me.
“A fire. There are too many ...... buildings in that area.”
Don immediately understood why I had mumbled, “Bad”.
Yes, the fire is in a dense downtown area.
Most of the buildings were huddled together, making it easy for the fire to spread.
In fact, many buildings have already been destroyed by the fire.
“What should we do?”
“You arrange for the evacuation of the residents. I’ll go put it out.”
“Eh? Ah, Noah-sama!”
I left Don in a daze and jumped out the window.
Due to my all abilities SSS, I’m currently invincible.
Jumping out of the mansion, I jumped up on the roof of a nearby house and rushed to the scene of the fire along the roof.
I head to the scene as quickly as possible and try to put out the fire using Leviathan.
If I went all out with the leviathan, it would probably blow up a few buildings, but in a fire, it’s more of a good thing.
By blowing up the surrounding area, I can also destroy and extinguish the fire so that it cannot spread.
I took Leviathan out of my bracelets, returned it to its original size, and rushed to the scene.
“......Hoo”
At the scene, it seemed that I wasn’t needed.
The fire had broken out in the downtown area, where the buildings were densely packed.
There are markets and restaurants there.
And – there is a third-grade water supply.
For example, it is used for cleaning after meat dismemberment, and there are more public toilets than others because there are more people there.
It was a place with a third-class water supply running through it.
Most of the residents used that water supply to run bucket relays.
Due to the abundance of water, the fire seemed to spread at first, but once the relay started, the fire was completely controlled and eventually put out.
As I didn’t have a turn to play, I came back to the study of the mansion.
Almost immediately after that, Don came back.
“How’d it go?”
Don bowed and began his report.
“One burned down, four half-burned. In addition, six people fell ill from smoke inhalation. ...... Considering the origin of the fire, I’d say the damage is almost non-existent.”
” Right.”
It was lucky that there was only that much damage in that dense area.
“...... And...”
“Yeah? What’s wrong, was it something difficult for you to say?”
“No. It was the Yuria Water System that was used to extinguish the fire.”
“Oh.”
“If the water supply had been shut down, the fire would have been like....Coronasia, no even bigger than that.”
“...... You’re amazing, Noah-sama. If I had stopped you at that time,.......”
Don had a look of respect on his face for me. |
After that, I listened to Alice’s song for a while, then left the shop and came back to the mansion.
For some reason, a number of men were getting down on their knees in front of the mansion at dusk.
Not only are they getting down on their knees, they’re getting down on their knees towards my mansion, the Thirteenth Parent House.
I enter the mansion, wondering what it is.
”Welcome home, Master.”
I was greeted by a young maid who specialized in hospitality.
She’s the first person I see when guests come in and when I come back.
In a way, she’s like a head maid of the th Prince’s residence.
“Evelyn, I saw some people getting down on their knees out front, do you know anything about that?”
“Yes, these are the people who have come forward with an apology to the Master.”
“Apology?”
“For some reason, they came to apologize to you with some men who displeased you, Master.”
“....Oh,”
So, the guy who owes the money and his boss.
I send him away, he comes back, and then he finds out it was me(Prince), and then the boss brings him here to apologize.
“...send them away. Can you meet the prince just because you want to? Tell them.”
” I understand, sir.”
My maid, Evelyn, took my orders and went out of the mansion.
“That’s a good measure.”
” Big brother!?”
As though they were swapping places, my brother – Henry the Fourth Prince – appeared from the back of the mansion.
“You’re here, brother.”
“Yeah. That was a good decision. Taking such people lightly would be a disgrace to the royalty and the King’s reputation. Well done.”
Brother Henry complimented me with a happy expression.
“There’s that too, but there’s another thing.”
“Huh?”
The first thing I told him was how things started.
I went to listen to Alice singing and they came to collect on her father’s debts, and I intervened to get rid of them.
After explaining the premise to that point.
” If I let them think I was still mad at them, they won’t be able to mess with Alice. Doing that would add fuel to the fire.”
“Hou”.
Brother Henry’s eyes lit up.
“It’s amazing that you think that much at your age.”
“Well after sometime, when they think I forgot about the matter they’ll mess with her again.”
“Well, some of them will be back when the heat dies down. Good call. However.”
“However?”
I wondered if I had done something wrong, but it didn’t seem to be that kind of thing.
Brother Henry grinned, the corners of his mouth dexterously lifted to one side.
“So that’s how good her singing was, huh?”
“Don’t take it off me, brother. I’m going to enjoy taking my time growing up.”
“You must have liked it.”
“Alice is growing. She’s the kind of person who just wants to keep singing.”
“Okay. So take me with you one of these days.”
We walked into the back of the mansion, chatting and laughing. We entered the living room I usually use.
Naturally, I offer my brother Henry the upper seat, and I sit in the lower seat myself.
Even though it’s my house, he’s still my brother.
So I told him to take the top seat.
It’s a difficult balance to strike between the two.
First of all, the crown prince is the superior of the throne.
He’s the crown prince, the next emperor, which makes him almost half lord to us.
Then there are the older brothers, like Henry, with whom my age gap is as old as parents and children, who are guests, but who are also invited to sit at the top.
From the th oldest brother, who is about the same age as me, they also sit at the top position than me.
If I make a mistake like this, I’m in trouble, but fortunately, I’ve never done it before.
“You’re always so polite.”
” It is only natural.”
“Not when you’re your age, Frank th to Garry th. They’ re all still kids. Especially Garry....”
“Little brother is a kid, big brother”
This is also difficult for the commoners, and not too much for the nobility.
We’re all children of Father, the Emperor, but we have different mothers.
However, with the same mother, brother Henry and Garry have a different kind of connection or bond with each other than the other brothers.
” No matter how many times I teach him, he never learns his manners. I don’t want to say it”s up to your level, but it’s not quite there yet.”
“Garry will understand in a little later.”
“I hope so.”
“More importantly, brother. What did you want to see me about coming alone? For someone as busy as you, brother, I don’t think it’s all about small talk.”
“....”
Brother Henry looks at me with a complicated expression, like he’ s smiling, or like he’ s biting down on a bitter bug.
“You’re really smart. There aren’t many people who can see that, even as an adult.”
“So that means you’re really onto something.”
“Yeah, the demonic sword.”
The Demon Sword, Leviathan.
It was a gift from my brother Henry and the Crown Prince.
In this case, it would be more correct for a nobleman to say that it was a gift from the crown prince.
”What is wrong with the demonic sword?”
” Well, it’s just a story, but I thought you’d want to hear it first.”
” It has a will, it doesn’t speak, but it has a definite will.”
“Really?”
“And the tricky part is, they seem to be entrenched in an awareness of hierarchy.
” Awareness of hierarchy.”
I murmured in return and brother Henry nodded clearly.
“Just think of it as a dog.”
“You can do that a little later, but you should get the hierarchy straightened out before you wield it. It’s better for both of you if you let him give in.”
“Give in...”
I rolled the words of brother Henry on my tongue.
’What if?’ was the word that crossed my mind.
“Wait a minute, brother. Someone.”
“Ha!”
As soon as I called out, the door opened and a male servant entered.
”Bring me that demonic sword of mine.”
“Ye-, Yes!.”
The male servant’s face obviously grew stronger when he heard of the magic sword. He was frightened.
“Actually, when I tried wielding the demon sword to test it out, he told me he didn’t feel good being near it.”
” Oh, if the Water rank is not above a C, it’s going to make you sick just being near it.”
“That’s why he’s afraid to go get it.”
About the same time Brother Henry was convinced, the servant from earlier came back with the box.
His face is visibly pale already.
“All right, all right, you can put it on the table and step back. If you need to put it away, let someone else come along.”
“Thank you very much!”
The man ran out of the room with great joy, as if he had gained forgiveness.
I open the box and pick up the Demon Sword Leviathan.
I tighten my grip on the hilt and recollect.
Through the hilt, a reaction came back to me.
The power of the demonic sword, the power of the water, is trying to invade my consciousness.
I have held it twice now, but never like this.
So I made a mental note to make it mine.
And sure enough, the demon sword repelled.
But that repulsion did not work on me.
The reactions of the servants who have held it so far, the things that didn’t happen when I held it, and furthermore, the fact that my water is E+S which is an SS.
I put those three things together and determined that it was okay.
And it was fine, just as I judged.
The Demon Swords try to invade me in succession, but it’s being blocked by the water rank SS.
I let it have its way with me for a while, and then TANG! And I thrust the magic sword to the floor.
Looking down, I pushed the hilt in as if it were a head.
After a while, a difference appeared.
I can feel it because I’m holding it directly, and the demon sword is giving up and telling me that it’s going to be under me.
At the same time.
――――――――――――
Name: Noah Ararat.
The 13th Prince of the Ararat Empire
Gender : Male
Level: 1/∞
HPFMPFStrengthF+FStaminaF+FIntelligenceF+FSpiritFSpeedFDexterityF+FLuckF+F FireFWaterE+SSWindFEarthFLight FDarknessF
――――――――――――
The always visible status has gone up.
Water went from S to SS.
I was right on target.
Succumbing to the Demon Sword.
What brother Henry taught me was probably just to master the demon sword.
However, my constitution somehow adds some of the abilities of those who follow me.
So why don’t I just subdue the demonic sword? I thought.
And it worked.
“That’s a face that says I did it.”
“Yes.”
I nodded and called a servant to cast a status check spell.
Of course, I couldn’t bother brother Henry with chores like this, so I called the servant.
Then, unlike the one I’m looking at, I got an apparent status without a “+”.
Level: 1/∞
HPFMPFStrengthEStaminaEIntelligenceFSpiritFSpeedFDexterityELuckE FireFWaterSSSWindFEarthFLight FDarknessF
Brother saw that and said.
”Mmmm....... so it’s true.... amazing....”
He was seriously impressed that the water had become SSS. |
I was swinging my sword in the yard and was covered in sweat and dirt.
So after that I took a bath to get rid of the dirt.
After taking off my clothes, I went into the bathroom to be washed by the full-time maids.
It felt good, in the normal sense of the word.
The parts of a person’s body that can’t be washed with one’s own hands inevitably come out, and when you’re tired, the way you wash yourself becomes careless.
The maids do it for me, so the dirt, grease, and even fatigue are washed away.
It’s no joke, it’s a bathing experience that will help recover your strength.
After that, I was dressed by another maid in the changing room, when the receptionist’s maid came in.
“Master, a visitor is here to see you.”
I looked at the business card as the maid held it out to me instead of accepting it.
Murray, Viceroy of Hojoi.
I have heard that name somewhere.
I leave the maid to get dressed and explore through my memory about the visitor.
“... oh, he’s an upstart from my domain.”
Somehow I managed to remember him.
The empire has a large genus-oriented aspect to it, partly because the empire has given the princes a fiefdom.
Unless there’s something very special, it’s common for them to look up to the royal family, the lords of their native lands, as their sovereign.
That man Marley, who is currently the governor of a different place than my fiefdom, should have a strong sense of being my people.
But what’s this Marley doing here no, I suppose I’ll find out when I see him.
“Send him to the parlor. I’ll be right there.”
“Understood”
The maid left the changing room with my orders.
I didn’t do anything special.
I let the maids make sure I was well dressed and groomed.
Finally, I hung the Leviathan around my waist and then leisurely walked out of the changing room and headed for the parlor.
A maid was waiting in front of the parlor, and when I arrived, she bowed and opened the door.
Inside the parlor, a middle-aged man sitting on the lower seat of the sofa stood up and knelt down to me in a fluid motion.
“Ded Murray. Your Highness, I am honored to meet you, sir.”
“Don’t be so formal. Sit down.”
“As you wish.”
Murray got up and waited for me to still get to the top seat before he sat down on the couch himself.
“Ded Murray. This is the second time we’ve met, as I recall?”
From memory, yes, but I checked it out just in case.
“Yes, I had the pleasure of greeting you about a year and a half ago when His Majesty assigned me to be the Viceroy.”
” Yeah.”
That means it’s an assignment greeting.
That’s also an essential courtesy for the lord of your home town.
“Well, it’s good to see you. How’s the assignment?”
“You look like you’ve bitten down on a bitter bug.”
” I have been ordered to do so largely because I am from Almeria.”
“Because you”re from Almeria...? Well, that reminds me, His Majesty ordered me to go to flood control.”
This time I remembered it perfectly.
Hojoi is a land that is situated at the corner of a great river.
Therefore, it has fertile land as a granary, but every once in a while a great flood occurs and it becomes a great disaster.
His Majesty’s idea was to completely eliminate this and make it a stable granary, and the Governor appointed to do so was Murray from Almeria, the land where the Water Clan lives.
“Doesn’t that look mean it’s not working?”
Marley gave me a small nod.
” The budget wasn’t coming down, and we couldn’t afford to wear a sleeve.”
“Budget? Why wouldn’t it be? It’s an edict from His Majesty.”
“Yes, but the Ministry of Finance gave a reason why,”
...Oh, okay.
So I guess that’s why you came to me, to see what I can do about the Ministry of Finance.
“Okay, follow me.”
“Eh? Oh, Your Highness!”
I left the mansion with a puzzled Murray.
I had my carriage ready, and Murray and I came to the Finance Ministry together.
It was a repurposed former detached building to the west of the Royal Palace, a building with a high level of prestige and pomp.
In the most prestigious room in the building, I was confronted by the Minister of Finance, Maybrick.
Maybrick is an old man in his sixties, his face wrinkled but with greasy eyes.
I sensed a certain emotion that was clear.
Disrespect.
On the surface, he appears to be respecting me, the prince, but deep down he’s looking down on me, saying, “You little bastard.”
I meet people like this all the time. I knew right away that this guy was one of them.
I sit down across from Maybrick, while Murray, whose “stature” is diminished, stands behind me.
“How is it that you came so unexpectedly, Your Highness Noah?”
“Murray told me about it. It sounds like you’re reluctant to give the budget.”
“I don’t think so.”
“So why don’t you release it?”
“I have a very good reason for this.”
If you’re going to tell me that I don’t understand anything just because I am a kid, then shut your mouth right now.”
Maybrick’s complexion changed.
The previous gaze of contempt retracted.
“Of course I won’t do that kind of disrespect.”
“Then explain.”
“Yes. Hojoi was flooded again last year.”
” Really?”
I turned around and asked Murray, he nodded.
“At that time, His Majesty had issued a royal decree exempting the Hojoi from taxes for a whole year.”
“So?”
“So, in other words, there’s a tax slush fund that’s up for grabs and we can spend it, in the view of the Ministry of Finance.”
“...Are you kidding me?”
“Nope.”
“Due to the flood, his Majesty waived the tax, you know why? Because there’s no tax to be extracted. That’s a favor, of course, but the fundamental problem is still there. You’re saying this as it is natural, do you take me for a fool, you dumb-ass?”
“Ah....”
I heard Marley let out an exclamation from behind my back.
I ignored it, glaring at Maybrick even more.
“Well, that’s not what I meant, sir.”
“So what?”
“Well ... actually, I can’t tell you right now, sir.”
“Why?”
“You’re aware of all the talk about building a new summer resort for His Majesty, aren’t you?”
“Yes. His Majesty is quite old, so you’re talking about building a summer home north of the capital, where it gets very hot every year, right? What about it?”
“Even though it’s a villa, it’s used by His Majesty. It’s the same with the detached palace. It will be a city for about five thousand people, in the name of a villa, at a very early stage. That will cost an enormous amount of money.”
“That’s why the treasury was cut off.”
“Shut up.”
“Eh”
Maybrick freaked out.
He was getting on a roll as he spoke, spitting forcefully, but he freaked out when he heard my low, stifled voice.
“You!, that’s a huge disrespect!”
” You are trying to make my father a fool of himself.”
“I’m...”
He tried to argue with me, but I wouldn’t let him say it.
“We need flood control in a flooded area, but can”t get the money out of the treasury now because we’re building a vacation home? You’re suggesting that you’d make His Majesty that kind of a fool.”
“You’re mistaken!”
Maybrick jumped up and got down on his knees in front of me.
“Then give us the money. Or would you prefer that I go straight to His Majesty?”
“Pl,Please don’t. Immediately, immediately get the budget for Hojoi!”
I glared at Maybrick, who was still on his knees, and then that guy screamed and jumped up.
He ran out of the room as it was, ranting something loudly.
Since the content was that he was going to send the money to Hojoi as soon as he was done blustering to his men, I let him do what he wanted.
I waited for him to come back to report once, so I waited it out.
In the meantime, Murray looked impressed.
“Excellent work, sir. This Ded Murray, admires you, sir.”
“Hmm?”
“A great negotiating push, skillful words that took advantage of the other party’s weaknesses and missteps, not his own position. I’m ashamed of my own shallowness in asking His Highness for this ”position”.”
So he thought that me, the Prince, was planning to forcibly have my own way on this matter.
“Actually.......Good gracious! Being lost for words against those verbal attacks. I truly am considering to prostate against you to show my respect”
Murray was so impressed that he kept praising me, lifting me up, until Maybrick came back.
I parted with Murray outside the Ministry of Finance.
He had to get back as soon as possible and push for flood control, so I didn’t keep him back, and we parted ways.
After completing my work, I climbed into the carriage and was about to return to the residence.
At that moment, a young eunuch came running from across the street.
He was a little older than me, about years old, and was wearing the eunuch’s uniform.
He came up to me and knelt down, gasping for breath.
“His Majesty wishes to see you. Please report to him on your way.”
” His Majesty? All right. Where to?”
“I’ll take you there.”
I followed in a carriage, led by the young eunuch.
Upon entering the Royal Palace, we were on foot.
As a rule, horses and carriages are not allowed within the walls of the palace, as it is forbidden to be standing higher than His Majesty.
So I dismounted and walked, following the young eunuch to the gardens, which are His Majesty’s favorite.
I found His Majesty feeding the birds in front of the fountain, and I gave the child eunuch a little money as pocket money, and then I went straight to His Majesty and knelt down on one knee.
“I have come in response to your summons, Your Majesty.”
“Come on, make yourself comfortable.”
“Thank you.”
“Let me start by saying good job.”
I tilted my head and wondered what he was talking about.
“It’s about Hojoi, I heard you smashed Maybrick.”
“-Oh!”
I was pleasantly surprised.
It just happened just a few minutes ago, I mean, I just got out of that Finance Ministry.
So how do you know about this already? Sire.
“Information is a weapon, and you should get in the habit of constantly polishing it.”
I bowed my head.
What can I say....... amazing. I mean, that’s all I can muster up.
” I say again, good job.”
“No, I’m just doing the obvious”.
” The obvious is hard to take for granted.”
His Majesty fed the bait he was holding to the birds that had flocked to him.
One by one, tossing it to them.
“Many of them have good mouths, and some use their sycophants. But there are few that can take it for granted.”
His Majesty turned towards me.
He approached me and gently patted me on the head.
“You’re only six years old, but you’ re really something...”
He had a strange expression on his face, a father and an emperor, two happy expressions mixed together. |
After sending Byron back, I was holding Leviathan in my room.(TN: I swear it sounds weird)
Leviathan, a demon sword and also my loyal dog.
I wasn’t worried about betrayal or anything like that because of its fierce ‘personality’, but I did want to figure out what it could do for me.
So I was asking Leviathan and asked what other things it could do and to try those things on a smaller scale.
Just then, there was a knock on the door of the room.
“Enter”
I gave my permission and Zoe, the maid, came in.
I was touching Leviathan while waiting to see what she wanted, but Zoe didn’t say anything for any length of time.
So I looked at her again, wondering.
“What’s wrong, you don’t look well?”
Zoe looked like a dead person with a bloody look on her face.
She freaked out when I asked, then slumped into a cowering position and got down on her knees to me.
As expected, this wasn’t just a normal thing, I got up from my seat and stood in front of Zoe.
“Th- this ...”
Zoe held out a small leather bag with her quivering hands
I received and opened the bag.
There was money inside.
“What’s this? It’s a lot of money ... hmm, reens or so?”
Immediately after I mentioned it, I noticed something.
Zoe is just a maid at the residence of th Prince, and is paid more than someone who works outside.
That said, she shouldn’t have received enough to save 00 reens.
In the first place, she was about to be sold to a brothel a while ago because she had no money.
She couldn’t have such an amount by any means.
“ST-, a stranger gave it to me. That person said if I give this to Master, this money will be my reward.”
Her voice was shaky and her content was to the point.
I accepted the small bottle Zoe offered me, then took the lid off and sniffed it.
“What’s this?”
“He said something about sleeping pills.”
“...... Heh?”
“I’m sorry!”
As the tone of her voice lowered, Zoe made more and more of a flat-out apology as she rubbed her forehead against the floor.
“They want you mix this into my drink or something and hand it over if I pass out, right?”
“Y-Yes!”
“I see.”
I looked at Zoe, who was completely frightened, and thought.
It’s probably the Almerians again.
They tried to attack me and failed, so now they’re trying to bribe my maids to kidnap me.
They want me that badly, it seems.
But we’ll leave it at that.
I turned to Zoey.
“Get your head up.”
I said.
“Ha, yes ......”
“You’ve made your point. But why did you bring this to me?”
“I cannot betray my master! You even helped me and the village I live in.”
“Hmm.”
“But he threatened to kill me if I didn’t do it, and he forced me to take these pills and money. But I couldn’t betray my master. Um, um, .......”
Perhaps she was still panicking, but there were so many “buts” in Zoe’s words that she couldn’t seem to say what she wanted to say very well.
Still, I got the general idea of the story.
“They threatened you and made you grab a lot of money, but you still couldn’t betray me, so you came to confess. So that’s it.”
“Yes!”
I turned myself around and went back to the chair I had been sitting in earlier and quickly ran a pen over the paper on the table.
I come back to Zoe again and hand it to her.
“Is this ......?”
“This is your reward. They tried to buy your betrayal with 500 reens. And since you didn’t betray me, I’ll add one zero to that.”
“one more 0 ...... 5000 reens!?”
“Yeah, I put my signature on it. You can get it from the accountant tomorrow.”
“Oh, no! I can’t take it!”
“You should have it for not ratting me out.”
An invitation to betrayal, a big money reward.
Zoe couldn’t get her head around the whole thing, and she was left to her own devices.
“Thank you ...... thank you ....... Master is a really big caliber ......”
“But you need to do one more thing for me.”
“–Hey! I’ll do it! I’ll do anything!”
“Hm, I’ll take these pills. If I pass out, just do what they tell you to do and hand me over to them.”
“...... eh.”
“Once you hand me over, you run and hide immediately, and no doubt they will try to shut your mouth.”
“............”
Zoe was still in a state of confusion and didn’t come back.
As I watched her, I simulated in my mind what I needed to do.
I woke up and found myself in total darkness.
I was tied up hand and foot, lying on what looked like hay.
It’s a hut somewhere, and from the smell it looks like a stable or something.
“Hey, the fire’s going out. Go get some wood.”
“All right. You just keep an eye on the kid.”
“Hey, why don’t we take that dagger and kick it to the curb? That’s all you have to do.”
“They told me that was a last resort, you idiot. Are you going to admit to yourself, ‘I couldn’t catch a single child’?”
I heard a coarse-talking voice from outside the hut.
They got me.
I shook my head on the hay.
My ears chattered behind my ears, and after a few shakes, something popped out.
The one that came out was something the size of a pea grain, and when it came out of my ear, it returned to its original size.
Demon sword, Leviathan.
I touched it, and it transformed the linked ring and cut the rope binding my limbs.
I ask Leviathan about the situation.
A moment later, an image ran through my mind.
I told Zoe in the mansion.
I could never take it with me when I got caught, so I made the Leviathan, which can change size, into a pea-sized piece and hid it in my ear. Unlike weapon, the ring can’t be removed, so I left it in place.
Then I took the pills Zoe had brought me, my consciousness was cut off here.
This is where Leviathan’s memories came from.
Zoe left the room, and a short time later, several men dressed in black entered the room.
The men tied my hands and feet, Zoe quietly disappeared at this point.
The men carried me away from the mansion and pushed me into the back of a carriage waiting outside and drove the carriage.
We left the capital and took a short break for the night at a great distance.
What I thought was a stable, it seemed, was simply the back of the wagon, covered with a cloth.
I untied the rope and grabbed the leviathan and told him to work hard.
The Loyal Sword Leviathan was so delighted by that alone that a dog’s tail would have been torn off, and the joy flowed directly into my heart.
I stood up and slashed the cloth that was covered with it with a slash.
“What!”
“The kid is on the move!”
“Who’s the one! The one who didn’t tie the rope properly!”
I stand on the back of the cart and look around.
An empty grassy field, a little off the road.
Ten men in black were sitting around a bonfire.
I moved, but there was no tension whatsoever.
The kid made a move – they are carefree cause they think that I am just a kid.
I leapt at the guys from the back of the truck.
The nearest man who saw me like that and laughed at me.
In a flash, the man’s throat was slashed and blood spurted out in a terrific gush.
“What!”
“You little shit!”
The expression on the men’s faces finally changed after one of them was killed, and they all drew their swords and pointed their cutting edges at me.
“Too slow.”
The hostile spirit finally came out, but the feeling of crisis was still fatally lacking.
However, I’m not going to point it out to them, though, I kept wielding my Leviathan and cut them all down with the Leviathan’s sword technique.
There were ten of them in total. It didn’t even take a minute.
“That was a waste of time.”
I chuckled.
I took Zoe’s sleeping pills, knowing that Leviathan would tell me later what it saw and heard from me.
I was captured, and while I was asleep, I ordered Leviathan to listen to the secrets told by the men who held me captive.
But I didn’t get much information.
They are part of the Almerian Rebellion, and since they failed in their previous raids, they have bribed their servants to kidnap me and take me back to Almeria.
I didn’t have any more information than that, so I took care of him.
“Well, let’s go home–hmm?”
Which way to the Imperial City? And as I looked at the front and back of the street, I saw countless lights coming towards me in the distance.
After waiting for a while, a squad of soldiers approached us holding a torch.
Along with that soldier, I saw Zoe.
They’re coming for me.
“My lord!”
Zoey looked at me like she was terribly worried about me.
“What’s this?”
“Yes! I’m worried about master, so, I mean, I asked the soldiers to help me.”
“So, You came here to help me.”
Zoe nodded vigorously.
“Well, good job then,”
“But ...... this is ......”
Zoe looks at me, then at the men in black who are falling around me, then at the leviathan I have again.
“Is this done by master alone ......?’
“Yeah.”
“Awesome ......”
Zoe murmured, and the group of soldiers buzzed.
Well, I didn’t need any help, but it helps to have a manpower.
“You guys, who’s the captain?”
“Ha!”
A young man stepped forward and knelt down on one knee and bowed to me.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Your Highness the Thirteenth Prince.”
“I’ll have you bring these guys in. They attacked me a few days ago, have them look for anything in common.”
“I understand!”
The captain had his men carry the body of the kidnapper away under my orders.
Then I heard a cracking sound.
I looked down and saw that a dagger had fallen from one of the bodies onto the ground and was resting on a rock.
“—-!”
The moment I saw it, my whole body shuddered.
Murderous intent.
A tremendous killing intent could be felt from that dagger.
“Don’t touch that.”
I stopped the soldier who was trying to pick it up and stood in front of the dagger and stared at it.
This is the dagger that the men were talking about when I woke up .......
Through the Leviathan, I can feel a “curse” along with a killing intent.
It’s not just a dagger, it’s also a spell and the human thoughts that went into it – a great deal of resentment.
...... Maybe...
I drew my leviathan and set it up.
“Can you do it?”
When I asked it, the reply was yes.
“Then, do it!”
The moment the order is given, Leviathan is overjoyed.
Immediately after that, a column of water gushed into the heavens from the blade I raised.
It’s much thinner than the one I shot before, only about as thick as a six-year-old’s arm.
It did however ascend to the sky and then turned and went flying on the way.
Far, far away.
Even farther away than over the horizon, the water column flew away.
Zoe, and the soldiers.
They all looked unsure of what had happened.
The next day, in the royal palace’s flower garden.
As soon as His Majesty saw me when I was summoned, he smiled happily.
“Great, Noah, well done!”
He came toward me faster than I could kneel down and bow, grabbing my shoulder and revealing his joy.
“A man named Baker, the rebel leader, was apparently shot between the eyes by a water column that appeared out of nowhere last night. It was Noah, wasn’t it?”
“...... Yes.”
I’m half surprised and half relieved.
The surprising thing is that His Majesty’s ears are still very quick.
Of course I was relieved that Leviathan’s ultra-long range snipe was successful.
That dagger, a dagger with a tremendous curse and grudge, was used as a marker to snipe the Lord of the grudge with the Leviathan.
Leviathan said it could be done, but I was a little concerned about its ability to reach Almeria, which is almost in the middle of nowhere.
“The loss of the leader has decimated the rebel chain of command. Henry has told me that they will be catapulted in a few days. Well done, Noah!”
His Majesty praised my accomplishments with the most excited feeling ever. |
Demonic Sword Resistance
The Thirteenth Prince’s Palace.
It was one of the residences of the imperial princes that surrounded the perimeter of the Emperor’s Palace.
That was where I woke up in the morning.
It’s been six years since I moved here, and in those six years of my life, I’ve gotten used to my new life.
After I woke up, I got off the bed and stood still in my pajamas.
Then, the maids waiting outside the room soon entered and washed my face, did my hair, and changed my clothes.
I don’t know who hired them, but the maids were pretty much all around ten years old except for the head maid.
Having my buck naked body being seen my young girls every day made me feel excited — only for the first week or so. I quickly got used to it.
“Master, I have finished dressing you.”
“I am very handsome as always.”
With a gentle nod, she left the bedroom.
From here, I head to the dining room.
“Noah is a handful, ain’t he.”
“Really?”
“Yep, yep. Normally, you’d be embarrassed at that stuff, but he teases you young ‘uns like nothing. And he stays calm. Quite like the Emperor.”
Turning my back to the gossiping of the maids, I headed to the grand dining room.
Name: Noah AralightGender: MaleAralight Empire’s Thirteenth Imperial PrinceLevel: /∞
HP: FMP: FSTR: FVIT: F+FINT: FMND: FAGI: FDEX: F+FLUK: F+F Fire: FWater: E+SWind: FEarth: FLight: FDark: F
While walking, I brought out my status page in a corner of my vision.
I have a few questions about my status page, but in the six years since I reincarnated, I was able to answer one of them.
The plusses change whenever my — no, the The Thirteenth Imperial Prince Noah Aralight’s subordinates change.
I don’t know all the numbers, but the plusses change every time I gain or lose a subordinate.
And the plus is invisible to everyone but me.
With the few dozen maids I had now, a few of my stats had a small buff.
I get stronger with more subordinates, but as a prince, I have various ties of obligation.
I couldn’t do anything as a six-year-old; I had to wait a few more years.
In the spare time walking through the halls, I thought about a few things.
I soon reached the dining room and was served breakfast by a different maid.
“Master.”
Just a bit after I finished eating, a maid came in.
She wasn’t one of the maids that served my daily needs. She was trained as a reception maid for visitors.
“The Crown Prince as well as the Fourth Imperial Prince have come to see you.”
“Huh? Right now?”
“They are waiting in the living room. The Crown Prince wishes for Master to come after Master eats.”
“Lead me to them.”
It would be rude to keep the Crown Prince waiting, regardless of what he said.
I stood up from my chair, and the maid guided me to the living room.
When I entered the living room, I saw the two men there.
The Second Prince and Crown Prince, Albert Aralight.
The Fourth Prince, Henry Aralight.
The two of them were Noah’s elder brothers, but as one might tell from me being the Thirteenth Prince, they were both middle-aged. The Crown Prince even had tufts of grey hair above his ears.
I performed the customary bow to my brothers, who were old enough to be my father.
“Good morning, elder brothers.”
“Oh, you finally came.”
“Dispense with the formality, sit down.”
“Thank you very much.”
I sat down in a lower seat.
The highest seat was, of course, being sat on by the Crown Prince, Albert.
Although he was my sibling, he was also the Crown Prince.
He was a major part of ruling the country, a sort of half-Emperor.
“Hmm, you’re very polite and smart for your age.”
Albert complimented me.
“The four other kids around your age are much more childish compared to you.”
“Thank you very much, elder brother.”
“Wise beyond his age, I see promise in you. We might have our future Prime Minister.”
“I will work hard to achieve that goal.”
“I bet you will. Hey, Henry.”
“Yeah.”
The Fourth Prince, Henry, gave a silent nod then looked at me.
He was younger than Albert, but based off the calmness in his eyes, one could easily believe that he was the older one.
“Noah understands.......his intelligence is bounds above his siblings.”
I felt that there was some deeper meaning to this, but I also felt that I shouldn’t overthink it.
“Excuse me for changing the topic. What might you have come here for, today?”
“Yeah, I almost forgot. I have a present for you.”
Albert clapped his hands twice.
Right after, a servant came from outside the room, holding a box.
For some reason, the servant had a pale face and was shaking.
“Open it.”
With a commandeering tone of voice, Albert gave the servant a single order.
The servant, with a face as white as paper, opened the box.
Inside the box was a sword.
“This is?”
“Didn’t I say? It’s your present.”
“Haahhh...”
“Try holding it.”
I looked over at Henry, and he gave a silent nod.
With the two of them giving approval, I took the adult-size sword to my hand.
It was slightly heavy, and the tip of the scabbard fell and bumped into the floor.
Even so, it wasn’t something that I couldn’t carry.
For a six-year-old to carry it, it must be fairly light.
However, I noticed something.
When I took the sword out of the box, the servant’s face began to regain color.
I had no idea what to make out of that fact.
“Oh, amazing.”
“What is?”
“That sword’s name is Leviathan.”
“Levia...than.”
“It’s also called the Blade of the Sea Demon. It ranks up pretty high amongst other demonic swords, and around a hundred and twenty people died before it was first tamed.”
“What!?”
I was so surprised that I almost instinctively dropped the sword.
“Don’t worry.”
Probably as he saw how uneasy I looked, Henry consoled me.
“Those who can’t hold it instantly die the moment they wield it.”
“Exactly. You have SS in water, don’t you? S-ranked users of demonic swords are basically incarnations of death, but what about SS-ranked users?”
What kind of reason was that, sh*tty Crown Prince — oh, wait.
If I continued to say insults like those in my head, it might accidentally be said aloud someday.
“Hey, Noah, do you really feel fine?”
“Yes. Well, it is a bit heavy.”
“Huh, amazing. Well, I got to see something good.”
My SS-rank was praised with the demonic sword, but I still felt that there was something missing. |
“Zoe.”
“Yes.”
“Take the beggar to safety. He’s just exhausted over there, so let him rest and get some good food.”
“I understand.”
Zoe nodded, helped the fallen beggar up, propped him up, and walked out of the alleyway.
And there was only me, Kate, and the remaining assassin guy.
Immediately after, a throwing knife stabbed the slumped man in the back with a thud.
“Aaah!”
Kate screamed.
“M-Master! The knife!”
“...... Eh?”
Kate, on the contrary, became calm since I was calm.
“You’re ...... not surprised?”
“I expected the other party to keep an insurance policy. That’s how you shut their mouths. That one would probably be closer to the ringleaders, so I let it happen.”
“Really!?”
I nod and start walking.
It took me less than a minute to reach the direction from which the throwing knife had come.
I find a man lying further down the alleyway.
He was dressed in black, with only his eyes showing.
He was shaking and struggling to getaway.
“See”
“Was this Master’s doing?”
“Yeah, the moment the knife flew in, I figured out its firing point and took the guy down.”
“Amazing, Master! How did you do it? It looked like you didn’t do anything.”
“I’ll tell you later.”
I said this and approached the man in black.
The man tried to turn around, but his body was so paralyzed that he could not even turn his head.
I kicked him lightly and turned him from face down to face up.
“Talk now, who ordered you to do this?”
“K-Kill me.......”
“Speak now and I won’t make it worse.”
The man did not answer, instead, his larynx moved.
He seemed to swallow something.
The man closed his eyes.
I didn’t do anything and waited for a while.
Nothing happened.
Since nothing happened, the man opened his eyes again and looked at me with astonishment.[TN: Apophis can control poison so it didn’t work, for those who forgot or didn’t know.]
“W-Why ......?”
“I let you go this far, there’s no way I wouldn’t have expected you to commit suicide if you failed. I dealt with it.”
“Master is amazing......”
“You won’t get to harm yourself. Now, talk.”
“What’s wrong, you don’t want to talk?”
“Kill me. ...... kill me, please.”
I creased my eyebrows and tilted my head.
I didn’t expect this reaction.
Kill me! I did expect it would pop up but, kill me, please! It wasn’t something I had anticipated at all.
When I looked at the person’s face, there was a pleading look there, just as said.
“What do you mean? pleading to kill you?”
“If I fail, I must die swiftly or my family ...... my daughter!”
I get the story.
It was a story that was so easy to figure out that it made me nauseous.
They took this person’s daughter hostage, and there was nothing he could do to stop them.
Moreover, if they fail, they have to commit suicide, with no choice for them.
Sighing, I waved my hand.
A purple liquid oozed out of my bracelet and shot out like an arrow.
The poison arrow struck the man’s body in a straight line.
With white eyes and foaming from his mouth, he said this before he collapsed with his last ounce of strength.
Kate, on the other hand, saw this and looked somewhere between surprised and frightened.
‘”I-Is he dead?”
“If you check, you’ll understand.”
Kate nodded and fearfully went over to the lying man, putting her hands on his neck and the tip of his nose.
“He’s dead. ......”
She muttered.
“Um, hmm ......”
The man woke up on his bed, in a room with the windows closed, moaning.
“You’re conscious huh”
“Eh ...... th-this place!”
The man jumped up and looked around the room.
“Rest assured, it’s not the afterlife.”
“You–I’m ...... alive!”
“I thought you killed me!?”
He shouted at me as if he was about to grab me.
“Don’t worry about that either, you’re properly pronounced dead.”
“Eh?”
I held out my hand and extended my index finger.
A drop of purple liquid dripped from my fingertip onto the floor.
It was the poison I had injected into the man’s body earlier.
“It’s a poison that puts people in a state of temporary death. Someone has confirmed that you are dead.”
“Put into a state of temporary death ...... t-there’s no way it’s possible......”
“You want to try it again? I wouldn’t recommend it because it’s toxic to your body in its own way.”
The guy still looked incredulous when I told him.
“Rather, look around yourself.”
“What’s ...... around my body ......? It’s like burnt skin.”
The man picked up something on the bed that looked literally like charred skin.
The skin had a human shape around the body as if the man had shed his skin.
“You were cremated once. I managed to get my hands in it, and it only burned one layer of skin.”
The numbing and temporary death poisons used on the man were from Apophis, and the one used at the cremation was controlled by Bahamut.
The Bahamut possession made the fire ineffective, and the skin burned by the Armor Ring on top of it cheated the subsequent confirmation.
There are grades of cremation.
In a cremation like that of an unrelated person, they are appropriately burned and disposed of properly.
Only when there is someone who will take care of the body is it burned to ashes.
“A-amazing .......”
The man looked at me as if his eyelids were about to split open as he said this.
“I didn’t know you could do that. ......”
“Who the hell ...... are you?”
“More importantly, here.”
I tossed the leather bag to the guy.
It was a bag containing reens worth of silver coins.
“Just for the time being, you’ll have to go away until this matter is settled. Otherwise, your family will be in trouble, right?”
“......, but...”
The man hesitated, still holding the bag of silver coins in his hand.
He hesitated for a moment, then looked up as if he had made up his mind and opened his mouth.
“I was made to do—“
“No.”
“—-eh?”
“Don’t say anything.”
“But...”
“If I get information from you, there’s a chance they’ll find out you’re the source. And if that happens, your family will be in danger.”
“It’s not just about your life. You tried to tell me something. That fact alone is enough.”
The man looked at me with gritted teeth but impressed eyes.
“T-Then... Just one thing.”
“It’s about their next move. They always try to bribe someone close to the person they are dealing with.”
“I see. That’s enough information for you to share.”
“I’m sorry I can’t help you.”
“I told him not to worry about it.”
The man bit his lower lip more and more and looked frustrated.
He must be a righteous man by nature.[TN: .......]
If it weren’t for encounters like this, I would have taken him in and made him my subordinate.
Knock-knock, there was a knock at the door.
The man was startled.
“Come in.”
By the presence, I already know it’s Zoe.
Zoe entered, having done her job.
“Master.”
“Hmm, what is it?”
Zoe turned to me and held out a leather bag.
“What is it?”
“Looks like gold about ,0 reens.”
“3000 huh.”
“With this, I am to tell them about Master’s identity and any future updates I may have.”
“That was quick.”
I giggled.
Meanwhile, the guy who saw the exchange between me and Zoe was astonished.
“Eh ...... you weren’t bought ......? Even with 3000 reens ......?”
I chuckled and smiled.
It was nostalgic, I thought.
It was nearly ten years ago.
The people who tried to assassinate me tried to bribe Zoe, but instead, she let me know about it and offered me the money as she got it.
It was the exact same scene as now, and I felt nostalgic.
“When I get back, you can have 30,000. Keep the 3,000.”[TN: Dang Zoe, you are already richer than most of the population]
“Thank you very much.”
This exchange is exactly the same as last time.
“3-30,000 ......! Wh-What do you ......?”
The man was still astonished and did not come back. |
Morning, I woke up, got out of bed as usual, left the maids to change my clothes, and moved to the main dining hall for breakfast.
There were already several maids waiting for me in the dining room, and they all bowed their heads at the same time as I showed up.
One of the maids pulled out a chair for me to sit on, and they began serving me.
A young maid brought in food from the kitchen, which Zoe, the maid, took and placed in front of me.
Some brought Drinks. Zoe takes those as well from them and fills my glass.
There is a hierarchy among the maids.
Zoe has been in my service for many years, so she has a certain status among the maids.
I’m the Wise Prince.
And if one want to serve me directly, they have to rise to a certain level among the maids–that’s somewhat the rule of the nobility.
As I brought the accustomed breakfast to my mouth, I suddenly noticed that the young – or rather, still young – maid was fidgeting.
The maid, who was a little younger than the twelve-year-old me that I am now, was constantly looking out the window.
“You there, what’s your name?”
“Her name is Gigi.”
My question was answered by Zoe instead.
“I see. Gigi, what’s wrong with the window?”
“That.....there’s a huge line outside .......”
“Line?”
I turned my gaze to Zoe and asked what she meant.
“Master will soon be celebrating his th birthday, so people from all over the land are lining up to bring you gifts.”
“I see. You’ve never seen anything like that before?”
This time I asked Gigi.
“Y-yes, that’s true. It’s been three days now and the line is still going strong.”
“That’s the way it is. Just because you receive it doesn’t mean it’s over. You have to receive, check, and record them. That’s why the line doesn’t end. Last year, I think it was .......”
I turned my attention to Zoe again.
I asked my servant about such “residential” matters.
“It lasted about a week.”
“Wow, ...... that’s amazing ....... A week of birthday presents? I can’t imagine that many birthday ...... gifts.”
Gigi, who was probably from some rural area, rolled her eyes more and more, but Zoe scolded her a little and hurried back to work.
After breakfast, I walked out of the mansion.
The line for the gifts was sent to the back gate, and they had people line up there, but the line was so long that it went on for a week, and there were so many people that they kept coming until it was completely over, so even when I went out the front gate I could see the crowd.
We passed through such a scene that symbolized the status of Wise Prince, and took a carriage to the destination.
The Ministry of Military Affairs in the east of the capital, this is where I’m working now.
I entered the grounds of the Military Affairs, got off the carriage, and entered the building.
“Where’s brother?”
I asked a middle-aged official who greeted me.
“He’s In the minister’s office. Currently having a conversation with a knight. His Highness has asked you to come as soon as you arrive.”
I strode forward and headed straight for the minister’s office.
I stood in front of the most prestigious door in the building and knocked.
“Noah here.”
“Yes, come in.”
I waited for the gatekeepers on either side to open the doors before entering.
There were two men in the room, which itself was as formal as the door.
One was the Lord of this room – or rather, this Ministry of Military Affairs.
Minister of Military Affairs Henry Ararat.
Brother Henry, who has been in charge of the Military Affairs Ministry since the incident in Almeria.
And the second person is a familiar face too.
My brother’s knight, Rice Cake, who is a very military man with a big face.
” You’ re late, Noah.”
“Sorry, brother.”
“Good morning, Your Royal Highness.”
I looked at Rice.
He was a knight that my brother had selected in a knight selection process about ten years ago, and he was my brother’s direct subordinate, so to speak.
He’s like Shirley to me.
In addition to his personal bravery, he has a great talent for leading an army, and is the most prominent among the several knights under his brother’s command.
He is now in charge of the second army out of the several regular armies in the empire.
“So brother, is it already decided to dispatch the second army?”
“Yes, it was ordered by His Majesty. The barbarians in the south will take advantage of us if we show them a friendly face, so we have to send a regular second army to show them the difference in power.”
“I see.”
I thought.
And both brother and Rice looked at me.
I’m currently working with my brother at the Ministry of Military Affairs.
My older brother was appointed to the Ministry of Military Affairs because of his success in subduing Almeria, and I was appointed because of my complete mastery of the Demon Sword Leviathan.
I’m only twelve years old, but since the appointment came directly from His Majesty, my brother listens to my opinions very carefully.
I thought for a moment and then asked Rice.
“Tell me one thing. What is the actual number of the second army?”
“Eh, .......”
“What do you mean, Noah, the actual number? And Rice, what are you hiding?”
My brother furrowed his brow and glared slightly at Rice.
Rice got down on his knees, and his face became even more grim.
“Wait, brother, it’s no big deal. The regular army of the empire receives its budget and other things from the Ministry of Finance according to the number of registered soldiers.”
“Ah.”
“Therefore, we often register miscellaneous people who are not soldiers, as well as merchants and collaborators from the nearby villages where we are stationed, and pocket the budget for them.”
“What did you say?”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
Rice continued to rub his forehead on the ground.
There is no proof, but because whether it was me who confronted him, or because it was in front of the Lord, Rice practically confessed.
“You ......”
“Hold on, brother. Don’t be intimidated, Rice. It’s within the general’s authority to count miscellaneous people as a headcount. I don’t blame you for that.”
Rice raises his head while on his knees.
Then why did you ask that? That’s the face he’s making.
“Usually, that’s fine. Even nominal numbers can be a deterrent.”
“...... Fumu, that’s true. For example, even if the actual number is not that great, it may be better to say a large army of ,00.”
“That’s what I mean, brother.”
“You know your stuff, Noah.”
I smiled back and spoke to Rice again.
“But not this time. His Majesty’s decree, so to speak, is to win overwhelmingly. We can’t send out an army of fake numbers. That’s why I asked how much deception there would be. Answer honestly.”
“Y-Yes. About two thousand.”
“Okay, make sure you replenish that number.”
“Understood! I’ll do it right after.”
“Oh. Brother, may I borrow a pen and paper?”
“Okay.”
My brother nodded and handed me a piece of paper and a pen on his desk.
I took it, ran my pen over the paper, and then handed it to Rice.
“What’s this?”
“Go to the Ministry of Finance, they’ll give you a budget to manage another two thousand people as miscellaneous expenses. I’ll give it to you.”
“S-Such thing!”
“Just take it. In exchange.”
I cut my words and stared at Rice with a straight face for the first time since I came into the room.
“You have to get the numbers right. And don’t lose, okay?”
“Y-Yes,.”
Rice took my note, bowed to brother for the last time, and left the minister’s office.
My brother and I remained in the room.
“That’s great, Noah. Your use of the whip and the candy is exquisite.”
My brother looked at me with an impressed expression. |
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