Swinging my sword in the courtyard had left me drenched in sweat and coated in dust.
I took a bath to wash away the grime.
Stripping down, I entered the bathhouse and had my dedicated maids wash me.
It felt genuinely great, in the purest sense of the word.
A person inevitably has spots they just can't reach on their own, and whenever you're exhausted, you tend to get sloppy with your scrubbing.
When you leave it to the maids, you don't run into those issues. Grime, sweat, and even fatigue itself get washed away completely clean.
No joke, it was a bath with actual stamina-restoring effects.
Once that was finished, I went to the dressing room to have a different set of maids help me get dressed, right as a reception maid arrived.
"Master, you have a visitor."
Without taking the calling card the maid held out, I simply read it.
Governor-General of Haujoy, Murray.
I'd heard that name somewhere before.
Leaving the maids to handle my clothes, I searched my memory for the visitor.
"...Ah, he's the top achiever from my domain."
I managed to remember.
Partly because the Empire granted fiefs to imperial princes, it operated heavily on a regional basis.
Unless something extraordinary happened, it was customary for people to revere the imperial family member governing their birthplace as their lord.
This man named Murray was currently serving as a governor-general elsewhere, outside of my fief, but he must still possess a strong awareness of being my subject—my child.
Still, what had Murray come here for...? Well, I'd find out once I met him.
"Show him to the reception room. I'll be right there."
"Understood."
Having received her order, the maid left the dressing room.
I didn't rush myself.
I let the maids finish dressing me properly and tidy up my appearance.
Finally, after strapping Leviathan to my waist, I leisurely stepped out of the dressing room and headed toward the reception room.
A maid was waiting outside the reception room, and upon my arrival, she bowed and opened the door.
"Ah."
Inside the room, a middle-aged man seated in the lower seat on the sofa stood up and dropped to his knees before me in one fluid motion.
"Ded Murray. I am utterly overjoyed to be granted an audience before Your Highness."
"No need to be so stiff. Please, have a seat."
"As you command."
Murray stood up, but he still waited for me to take the head seat before sitting down on the sofa himself.
"Ded Murray. If I recall correctly, this is the second time we've met, isn't it?"
That was what my memory told me, but I checked just in case.
"Yes. About a year and a half ago, when His Majesty appointed me governor-general, I came to pay my respects."
"Right."
Which meant it was a greeting before taking up his post.
That, too, was an indispensable courtesy to the lord of one's homeland.
"I see. Welcome. How is your post going?"
"..."
"What is it? You've got a look on your face like you've chewed on a bitter bug."
"The primary reason I was appointed is that I hail from Almeria."
"Because you're from Almeria...? Ah, I remember now. His Majesty ordered you to oversee the flood control, didn't he?"
"Yes."
Now I remembered completely.
The land known as Haujoy was situated along the bend of a massive river.
Because of that, it possessed fertile soil that made it a breadbasket, but occasional massive floods caused terrible devastation.
His Majesty's plan was to resolve that entirely and turn it into a stable granary, and the man appointed governor-general for that purpose was Murray, who hailed from Almeria—the land where the Water Clan dwelled.
"Judging by that expression, things aren't going well?"
Murray gave a small nod.
"The budget hasn't been disbursed, so I've been left in a position where I can't make something out of nothing."
"The budget? There's no way there isn't one. It's an imperial decree from His Majesty."
"That is true, but the Ministry of Finance keeps making up one excuse after another..."
...I see.
So that was why he came to me. To see if I could do something about the Ministry of Finance.
"All right, follow me."
"Huh? Ah, Imperial Prince!"
Taking the bewildered Murray along, I left the mansion.
☆
Having a carriage prepared, Murray and I headed together to the Ministry of Finance.
It was located to the west of the royal palace, a repurposed building that had once served as a detached palace, boasting a high-level blend of prestige and splendor.
Inside its most formal and prestigious room, I sat face-to-face with Maybrick, the Minister of Finance.
Maybrick was an old man past sixty, his face heavily wrinkled, but with greasy, sly eyes.
I clearly sensed a certain emotion coming from him.
Contempt.
On the surface, he acted respectfully toward me as an imperial prince, but deep down, his face screamed that he was looking down on me as a mere brat.
The very definition of polite insolence.
I'd met plenty of people like him before. I knew immediately that he was of that ilk.
I sat opposite Maybrick, while Murray, being of lower rank, stood attentively behind me.
"To what do I owe this sudden visit, Prince Noah?"
"I heard the story from Murray. Sounds like you're being stingy with the budget."
"Nothing of the sort, I assure you."
"Then why aren't you releasing it?"
"There are deep, complicated reasons for this—"
"If you're about to yap that a child wouldn't understand, shut your mouth right now."
"..."
Maybrick's complexion changed.
The scornful look he'd harbored until now vanished completely.
"O-Of course, I would never commit such disrespect."
"Then explain it."
"Yes. Haujoy was struck by flood damage last year as well."
"Is that true?"
Turning around, I asked Murray, who nodded.
"And what about it?"
"At that time, through His Majesty's benevolence, an imperial decree was issued exempting Haujoy entirely from taxes for a full year."
"And?"
"In other words, there are leftover tax funds, and the Ministry of Finance's view is that it would be best to utilize those."
"...Are you looking down on me?"
"Wh-What?!"
"A flood struck. His Majesty waived the taxes. Why? Because there were no taxes to collect in the first place. It was an act of benevolence, of course, but that's the fundamental issue. Yet you're speaking as if that money actually exists. Are you looking down on me?"
"Ohh..."
From behind me, I could hear Murray gasp in admiration.
Ignoring him, I continued to glare at Maybrick.
"Th-That is not what I meant—"
"Then what is it?"
"The... The truth is, we cannot disburse the funds right now."
"Why not?"
"You are, of course, aware of the plan to construct a new summer resort for His Majesty, yes?"
"Yeah. His Majesty is getting up there in years, so the plan is to build a summer villa north of the capital, which gets sweltering every year, right? What about it?"
"Though it is called a villa, it is for His Majesty's use. It is essentially the same as a detached palace. To put it simply, it will be a town of about five thousand people under the guise of a 'villa.' It requires an immense amount of money."
"..."
"Because of that, the national treasury is stretched to its limits—"
"Silence."
"Eep!"
Maybrick flinched.
As he had spoken, he'd gotten carried away, passionately arguing to the point of spraying spit, but he jumped at the sound of my low, suppressed voice.
"You scoundrel, that borders on high treason."
"Wh-What?!"
"Are you trying to paint His Majesty—my father—as a foolish, incompetent ruler?"
"I—"
He tried to argue back, but I didn't let him.
"A region hit by floods requires flood control, yet you claim we cannot spare money from the treasury because we're building a villa? What you are saying makes His Majesty out to be just such an incompetent ruler!"
"I-It's a misunderstanding!"
Maybrick leapt out of his seat and fell into a full prostration right before me.
"Then disburse the funds. Or would you prefer I go directly appeal to His Majesty myself?"
"H-Heaven forbid! Immediately, I will release the budget to Haujoy immediately!"
"..."
When I continued to glare at the prostrating Maybrick, he let out a shriek of "Eek!" and sprang to his feet.
He bolted out of the room, shouting orders at the top of his lungs.
The gist of it was that he was bossing around his subordinates to dispatch the funds to Haujoy right away, so I let him do as he pleased.
He would have to come back to report anyway, so I simply waited.
During that time, Murray spoke with a look of utter awe on his face.
"Truly magnificent. This Ded Murray is filled with the deepest admiration."
"Hm?"
"The way you cornered him in that negotiation was incredible. Rather than relying on your status, you used clever words that struck at your opponent's weakness and blunders. I am ashamed of my own shallowness for having merely sought Your Highness's 'status.'"
I see.
So he'd originally come to me, an imperial prince, intending to have me force the issue through sheer authority.
"To think that... Good heavens, a verbal assault that left him utterly speechless. I truly feel like falling to my knees in reverence."
He must have been thoroughly impressed, because Murray continued to praise and flatter me right up until Maybrick returned.
☆
Outside the Ministry of Finance, I parted ways with Murray.
He said he had to return as soon as possible to push the flood control forward, so I let him go without holding him back.
With my job done, I climbed into my carriage to return to my mansion.
Right at that moment, a young eunuch came running from the opposite direction.
He was a child of about ten, slightly older than me, dressed in the garments of a eunuch.
The boy ran up to me and fell to his knees, out of breath.
"R-Report for the Thirteenth Prince!"
"What is it?"
"His Majesty summons you. He requests that you come see him at once."
"His Majesty? Understood. Where is he?"
"I shall guide you."
Led by the young eunuch, I followed behind in my carriage.
Once we entered the royal palace, we went on foot.
As a matter of principle, one was not supposed to be positioned higher than His Majesty, so horses and carriages were strictly forbidden inside the palace walls.
Thus, I stepped down from the carriage, walked alongside the young eunuch, and arrived at His Majesty's favorite garden.
Spotting His Majesty feeding the birds in front of a fountain, I tipped the young eunuch a small amount of spending money, walked up to His Majesty, and dropped to one knee.
"I have answered your summons and presented myself, Your Majesty."
"You're here. At ease."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"First, let me say: well done."
"Huh...?"
As I tilted my head, wondering what he meant, he continued.
"I speak of Haujoy. I hear you utterly crushed Maybrick."
"—?!"
I was immensely shocked.
That had happened just a moment ago. In fact, I'd only just left the Ministry of Finance.
How did he already know? His Majesty, that is.
"Information is a weapon. You would do well to make a habit of constantly sharpening it."
"...Yes, Sire!"
I bowed my head.
How should I put it... Incredible. "Incredible" was the only thought that came to mind.
"I say it once more: well done."
"No, I merely did what was obvious."
"It is precisely that 'obvious' which is difficult."
His Majesty tossed the feed in his hand to the flocking birds.
Throwing it grain by grain.
"There are many who are smooth-talkers, and many who flatter. Yet there are few who can do what is obvious as a matter of course."
Turning away from the birds, His Majesty looked toward me.
He walked over and gently stroked my head.
"Only six years old, yet so remarkable..."
His expression was a curious blend of two kinds of joy: that of a father, and that of an Emperor.