The Thirteenth Imperial Prince Mansion.
It was one of the estates belonging to the imperial princes, standing adjacent to the imperial palace and encircling its outer perimeter.
There, I awoke to the morning.
Six years had already passed since I moved into this mansion, and having turned six, I was finally growing accustomed to my new life and its daily routine.
Upon waking, I climbed out of bed and just stood there blankly in my pajamas.
Right on cue, the maids waiting outside entered to wash my face, comb my hair, and change me out of my sleepwear.
I had no idea who hired them, but aside from the head maid managing the group, almost all of them were fresh-faced girls in their teens.
Being dressed by young girls like that and having them see me bare every single day used to make my heart race—but I had grown used to even that.
Today as well, I stood in a daze, letting them change my clothes while waiting for my brain to kick into gear.
"There, you're all changed, Prince."
"You look dashing as always today."
"Mm."
Giving a slight nod, I stepped out of the bedroom.
From there, I headed toward the main dining hall.
"My, Lord Noah really is extraordinary."
"You think so?"
"Of course. Normally, boys his age start complaining about being shy, or they start pulling pranks on young girls like you. But he never does any of that; he's always so composed. I wonder if that's what they call a ruler's presence."
Leaving the maids' idle chatter behind me, I continued on to the dining hall.
――――――――――――
Name: Noah Ararat
Thirteenth Imperial Prince of the Ararat Empire
Gender: Male
Level: 1 / ∞
HP: F Fire: F
MP: F Water: E+S
Strength: F Wind: F
Stamina: F+F Earth: F
Intellect: F Light: F
Spirit: F Dark: F
Speed: F
Dexterity: F+F
Luck: F+F
――――――――――――
As I walked, I brought up my status display in the corner of my vision.
Regarding the various questions surrounding my status, six years after reincarnating, I had figured out just one thing.
The "+" bonus portion changed based on my—Thirteenth Imperial Prince Noah Ararat's—subordinates.
I didn't know the exact math behind it, but whenever the number of retainers and subordinates under me fluctuated, the value following the "+" shifted along with it.
Furthermore, no one else could see this; it seemed to be visible to me alone.
Even right now, having several dozen maids in the estate provided a slight boost to my base stats.
Gaining more subordinates would make me stronger, but an imperial prince—a prince has his own tangled web of obligations and restrictions.
At six years old, there was nothing I could do about it for now; I would just have to bide my time for a few more years.
Time slipped by as I pondered everything I would do once I was free to take action.
Meanwhile, I arrived at the main dining hall and ate breakfast, served by a different group of young maids.
"Master."
Almost the precise moment I finished eating, a maid approached.
She wasn't one of the personal maids who tended to my daily needs, but a polished attendant specialized in receiving guests.
"His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince and His Imperial Highness the Fourth Imperial Prince have arrived."
"Huh? Where are they right now?"
"I have escorted them to the parlor. The Crown Prince mentioned that you may take your time finishing your meal before joining them."
"Lead the way."
Even if the Crown Prince himself offered such leeway, arriving late would be an insult.
I rose briskly to my feet and followed the maid to the parlor.
Upon stepping inside, I found two men waiting.
The Second Prince and Crown Prince, Albert Ararat.
The Fourth Prince, Henry Ararat.
Both were my biological older brothers, but as one might guess from my position as the Thirteenth Prince, the two of them were already well on in years—the Crown Prince was an aging man with gray hairs dusting his temples.
Before these two older brothers who could easily pass for my father, I bowed according to proper imperial etiquette.
"Good morning, elder brothers."
"Oh, you're here."
"No need to be so stiff. Please, take a seat."
"Thank you, brother."
With those words, I took the lower seat.
Naturally, the seat of honor belonged to Crown Prince Albert.
Blood brothers though we were, he was still the Crown Prince.
Entrusted with governing affairs, he was effectively half an emperor.
Relying on the court manners I had drilled into myself over the past six years, I paid him the formal respect of a subject.
"Hmm, but truly, Noah, you are exceptionally polite and clever," Crown Prince Albert remarked, sounding impressed.
"The eleventh and twelfth, and the fourteenth and fifteenth—the ones close in age to you—are still mere children."
"Thank you, elder brother."
"Possessing such wisdom at your age is quite a feat. You show great promise. In time, you will make a fine prime minister."
"I will do my utmost to live up to that."
"I know you will. Isn't that right, Henry?"
"Indeed."
Fourth Prince Henry nodded quietly before turning his gaze toward me.
Though slightly younger than Albert, his eyes held a calm, observant stillness that occasionally made him seem like the elder of the two.
"Noah understands. His brilliance stands far above our other brothers."
His tone hinted at some deeper meaning, but I figured it was best not to pry.
"More importantly, elder brothers, what brings you here today?"
"Ah, right, right. I have a present for you, Noah."
With that, Albert clapped his hands twice.
At the signal, a servant entered from the hall, carrying a box.
For whatever reason, the man was deathly pale and trembling from head to toe.
"Open it," Albert commanded, his tone dripping with the ease of a man born to issue orders.
With a complexion turned as white as paper, the servant opened the box.
Inside rested a single sword.
"What is this?"
"I told you, didn't I? It's a present for you."
"Right..."
"Go on, try picking it up."
I couldn't fathom his true motive.
I glanced toward Henry, who gave a quiet, reassuring nod.
With that push, I reached out and lifted the adult-sized sword.
It was somewhat heavy, and the tip of the scabbard tapped lightly against the floor.
Still, it was just ordinary weight.
It wasn't that the blade was abnormally heavy, merely that a six-year-old child couldn't handle it easily.
And yet, that was when I noticed.
The moment my hands wrapped around the weapon, color gradually began returning to the servant's drained face.
What is going on here? I wondered.
"Oho, impressive as expected," Albert murmured in genuine admiration.
"What do you mean by that?"
"The name of that sword is Leviathan."
"Levia...than."
"It is also known as the Magic Sword of Water. It apparently stands at the absolute pinnacle of magic swords, and some hundred and twenty men died before it was first subdued."
"What?!"
Stunned to my core, I nearly dropped the sword right then and there.
The only reason I didn't was that the thought of it being an imperial gift from the Crown Prince lingered in the corner of my mind, allowing me to barely keep my grip.
"There is no need to fear," Henry said gently, having seen right through my panic. "Those deemed unworthy are cursed to death the instant they touch it."
"Quite so. You possess a Water affinity of SS, do you not, Noah? Even an S-rank wielder must shave away their very life to handle such a magic sword, so I simply wondered what would happen in the hands of a Water SS."
"I see..."
*You risked my life just for curiosity, you royal bastard—*whoops, bad habit.
Harboring such venom in my thoughts risked letting it slip out loud someday, so I quickly reined it in.
"Tell me, Noah, can you truly wield that without issue?"
"Yes, well. It is rather heavy, though."
"Heh, truly remarkable. Yes, you've shown me quite a magnificent sight."
Though my Water SS affinity had earned high praise thanks to the magic sword, it left me with a lingering, bitter taste of discontent.