Inside the imperial palace, in the Emperor's study.
Although called a study, it was practically a library, housing over a hundred thousand books and nearly every official document produced since his enthronement.
Summoned to this study, I was kneeling before my father—the Emperor.
"Did you send for me, Father?"
"Mm."
Father nodded magnanimously, his voice brimming with majesty.
Even as I offered my greeting, he glanced over a document, signed it, and handed it to the eunuch waiting upon him.
Only after his administrative affairs had reached a stopping point did Father finally look up at me.
"Have you been well?"
"Yes, I devote myself to my duties each day."
"Mm."
Father gave a slight nod and jerked his chin toward the eunuch who had so deftly processed the paperwork a moment before.
That eunuch, practically his confidant, issued an order to a lower-ranking eunuch, who then stepped over to my side.
He cast a spell on me.
It was appraisal magic to view my status—the very same spell cast right after I was born, which had astonished everyone present.
Before long, my status materialized for all to see.
――――――――――――
Name: Noah Ararat
Ararat Empire Thirteenth Imperial Prince
Gender: Male
Level: 1 / ∞
HP: F Fire: F
MP: F Water: SS
Strength: E Wind: F
Stamina: E Earth: F
Intelligence: F Light: F
Spirit: F Darkness: F
Agility: F
Dexterity: E
Luck: E
――――――――――――
"Oho, it has risen again. Unlike last time, your Strength is now an E."
Looking impressed, Father rose from his desk, walked over to me, and peered down at the display.
"And yet your Level remains at 1, does it? Remarkable. I have never heard of someone whose abilities grow while their Level stays fixed. You truly are a wondrous child."
"Thank you, Father."
This anomalous constitution had astonished everyone that day and was now deemed "wondrous" by Father.
In the six years since my reincarnation, I had gradually come to understand the mechanism behind it.
It was linked to my "subordinates."
Unlike ordinary people, only I could see the part following the "+." That bonus portion increased or decreased depending on the people under my command, such as subordinates and servants.
Come to think of it, my stats had risen right after my fief was decided back then, and this time, bringing that entire flood-ravaged village under my umbrella had turned my Strength from F+F into an E on the public display.
Incidentally, this was how it looked to my eyes right now:
――――――――――――
Name: Noah Ararat
Ararat Empire Thirteenth Imperial Prince
Gender: Male
Level: 1 / ∞
HP: F Fire: F
MP: F Water: E+S
Strength: F+F Wind: F
Stamina: F+F Earth: F
Intelligence: F Light: F
Spirit: F Darkness: F
Agility: F
Dexterity: F+F
Luck: F+F
――――――――――――
After realizing this, I had investigated and discreetly asked around, but no one else had a "+."
It seemed to be unique to me.
Furthermore, while I still didn't understand what the "∞" meant, it appeared to be another private trait that no one else possessed.
That was why I kept quiet about it for now, even from my father, the Emperor.
"Is this why you summoned me, Father?"
"Hm? Ah, right. The main matter is something else. Noah, it seems you bought an entire village whole."
"..."
I caught my breath.
I was stunned. That had happened only a few days ago, and I hadn't even reported it yet—how did Father know?
"Do not look so startled. I did not summon you to reprimand you. Quite the opposite, in fact."
"Pardon?"
"..."
Father clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing through the library, looking deep in thought.
"No matter how severe a natural disaster may be, opportunists always emerge to profit from it. In most cases, by the time word reaches me, those scoundrels have already sucked up all the sweet nectar. And then I—the empire—must pour in men and coin to clean up the aftermath. Cleaning up the double devastation of a natural calamity compounded by man-made exploitation."
"..."
"How did you learn of it?"
He stopped and turned his head toward me, keeping his hands behind his back.
I answered honestly.
"A maid working at the Thirteenth Imperial Prince Mansion hails from that village. I heard she was on the verge of being sold into a brothel."
"I see. A coincidence, then?"
"...Yes, pure coincidence."
"A coincidence, is it? Perhaps it was heaven's will. Had it been Albert, I would have had to wipe his backside for a triple mess."
The Emperor grumbled.
It sounded like a jab at the Crown Prince, so rather than chiming in, I let it pass in silence.
After a few moments of quiet, Father spoke to me once more.
"In any case, well done. I shall reward you. Cruz."
"Sire."
The trusted eunuch, who had been standing at a distance with his presence masked, stepped forward in response.
"What is Noah's stipend looking like at present?"
"The Thirteenth Imperial Prince's stipend is currently 8,000 Rien per year."
"That is meager."
It was plenty.
The average monthly income for a thirty-year-old working in the capital was 10 Rien—120 Rien a year.
My stipend was worth about seventy men's wages; it was by no means meager.
"For now, raise it by 1,000. Retroactive to the start of this year."
"Understood."
Cruz acknowledged the command and departed to convey the order.
"Noah."
"Yes, Father."
"You did well. Going forward, lend me your strength whenever matters fall within your reach."
"Understood."
☆
Leaving the Emperor's study, I made my way back down the lavish corridor.
Before long, I spotted a familiar face approaching from the far end.
The moment he saw me, his face broke into a broad, fawning grin.
"Lord Noah!"
Calling out my name, the young eunuch dropped to one knee right where he stood.
His name was Ceese. He was an unranked, low-ranking eunuch assigned to odd jobs.
When he first entered the palace, he had been assigned to my mother's quarters, which was how I came to know him.
"What a blessing to see you, Lord Noah! Just looking upon your face fills me with vitality for the whole day!"
"You're full of flattery the moment you open your mouth, as always. Here."
Reaching into my breast pocket, I drew out a leather pouch I kept on hand for moments like this and tossed it to him.
It was a pouch of silver coins containing roughly 100 Rien.
This was another lesson I had learned since reincarnating: nobles considered almsgiving a virtue.
Bestowing charity upon the less fortunate of clearly lower status was deemed commendable, and it also served to flaunt that one had the wealth and power to do so.
A eunuch's salary was pitifully low—just 5 Rien a month.
Even so, it paid better than farming in rural villages, and because the nature of the job guaranteed permanent employment, there was never a shortage of applicants seeking stability.
Still, that didn't change how meager the pay was, making tips like this entirely routine.
Catching the weighty pouch, Ceese's grin widened even further.
"Thank you very much!"
"Don't hoard it all for yourself. Share some with your close companions, at least."
"Oh, as expected of your noble grace! Everyone says so, you know—that the Thirteenth Imperial Prince is not only kind to the likes of us, but is a saint who looks out for those who aren't even here!"
"Your sweet talk is getting sharper by the day. Have you been sneaking bites of the imperial honey or something?"
"Perish the thought! Every word comes straight from the bottom of my heart, yes it does!"
"Let's go with that, then."
I started walking, and Ceese fell into step beside me, buttering me up from every angle.
"Come to think of it, Lord Noah. Have you heard about the up-and-coming singer making waves lately?"
"A singer?"
"Yes, my lord. A woman performing at a parlor called Keith on Raid Street. Her name is Alice. She's still a bit unpolished, but people say she has immense potential. Even folks like us have been frequenting the place, you see."
"Huh."
Letting his idle chatter wash over me, I made my way out of the palace.
☆
After leaving the imperial palace, I took a leisurely stroll around the capital.
The imperial capital was the pinnacle of prosperity—easily the most flourishing city on earth.
People, goods—and coin.
Everything congregated here.
Naturally, it offered every pleasure imaginable to satisfy human desires, but trapped in a six-year-old body, there was very little I could actually indulge in.
Though I had come out into the city, all I could really do was wander around.
Suddenly, I remembered what Ceese had mentioned.
An up-and-coming singer, was it?
If I had heard that from a minister or one of my older prince brothers, there would have been some carnal motive involved.
However, Ceese had specifically said, "Even folks like us have been frequenting the place."
Eunuchs were men whose manhood had been severed to prevent any mishaps from ever taking place in the palace.
As a result, they had no libido (though they tended to develop an obsession with money instead). If they were patronizing the parlor, it had to be purely for the music.
In that case, even a six-year-old like me could enjoy it.
With that in mind, I directed my steps toward Raid Street.
I found the establishment called Keith right away. It was a teahouse where patrons could enjoy stage plays and musical performances.
Stepping inside, I paid the cover charge and was shown to a good seat.
The server gave me a bewildered look for a split second, but recognizing from the quality and embellishments of my clothes that I was of noble blood, he treated me with utmost deference.
Sitting down, I asked him,
"Is the woman named Alice performing today?"
"You're in luck, young master! The one singing right now is Alice herself."
"I see... Just bring whatever for my order. No vegetables or leafy greens."
"Right away, sir!"
Once the server hurried off, I turned my attention toward the front of the hall.
The layout featured a stage with seats fanning out in a radial pattern.
The further back you sat, the harder it was to see, but thanks to the generous cover charge I had paid, I was seated on an elevated platform in the back row, giving me an unobstructed view of the stage over the heads of the crowd.
Up on stage, Alice was singing while plucking a harp.
I listened intently for a while.
Not bad at all.
Her technique was still unrefined, but you could tell she sang with absolute earnestness and dedication.
Music was a clear window into a person's character, much like handwriting.
I had only known about such things for about six years in this world, but I could plainly tell that Alice had a sincere, hardworking nature.
At this rate, I wouldn't mind frequenting the place for a while, and if things went well, perhaps becoming her patron—
Crash!
The song was shattered by the sound of breaking glass.
It wasn't just a stray cup; the smashing continued relentlessly until the music ground to a complete halt.
Alice's fingers froze on the strings, and the audience turned toward the commotion.
Several men who had just barged into the parlor were making their way toward the stage, grabbing glasses and plates from nearby tables and smashing them onto the floor.
"Oi, oi, oi! What are ya dragging your feet singing here for, huh?!"
"Gentlemen, please, this is a—grah!"
The server who stepped in to mediate was struck across the face, flying backward and crashing into a table.
Murmurs of panic rippled through the parlor.
"I'm working to earn the money—"
"Like hell you are!"
The man who appeared to be the ringleader barked in a menacing tone, kicking over a nearby table.
A cheap intimidation tactic.
"There's no way in hell you're paying off the debt your old man racked up with pocket change like this!"
"B-But I don't have any other way..."
"Hah? Don't make me spell it out, girl. A woman's got a woman's weapon to make real coin, don't she?!"
"...!"
Alice bit her lower lip, hanging her head in bitter humiliation.
...
I stood up and walked toward the stage.
"Hey."
"Haaah? A brat? Go run home and suck on your mommy's tits!"
"Imperial Law, Article 67, Section 2: A child shall not be required to assume liability for the debts of a parent."
"Hah?"
"I have no intention of debating the ethics of moneylending, but demanding a daughter repay her father's debt—and by selling her body, no less—is an outright crime."
"You little snot, don't look down on adults!"
Losing his temper, the man lunged to grab me by the shoulder.
Knowing it would come to this, I activated the item I had prepared.
The magic tool, Splash.
It was a single-use tool that unleashed a spell regardless of whether the user possessed mana.
Its effect scaled based on the user's elemental affinity.
The triggered water magic generated violent torrents of water matching the number of thugs, piercing straight through their shoulders.
"Gwaaah!"
"Hiiieee!"
"Wh-What is this kid?!"
The men, so full of bravado just moments ago, were now clutching their bloodstained shoulders, falling on their backsides and scrambling backward in terror.
"Do you want another round?"
When I raised my hand, the thugs shrieked and scrambled over one another to flee the shop.
A hush fell over the room—and immediately after...
An explosive cheer erupted.
"Holy crap, that was incredible!"
"Way to go, kid!"
"Idiot, watch your mouth! That's a high-born noble!"
Amid the cheers, I beckoned over the server who was clutching his bleeding nose after taking the punch.
"Y-Yes, my lord, how may I serve you...?"
"If those thugs come back demanding debt repayments, tell them to take it up with me."
Saying that, I pulled a token from my breast pocket and handed it to him.
The server's eyes bugged out the moment he saw it.
"A-An Imperial Prince?!"
The parlor erupted into an even louder commotion.
Ignoring the stir, I turned toward Alice, who stood there half-dazed.
"Your performance earlier was good."
"Ah, th-thank you very much..."
"How much do you need for your monthly living expenses?"
"Huh? Um... my mother's medical bills are also..."
"Twenty-five Rien."
I cut Alice off before she could finish.
"I will provide that amount every month, so sing without worry. If your skills improve, I'll increase it."
"—Thank you! Thank you so very much!"
Overcome with emotion, Alice bowed deeply.
Between my position as an imperial prince—a noble—and the unique nature of my abilities...
Just like that, I continued finding the people I needed, one by one, and taking them under my wing.