"—That's right, what about the damage to the town—huh?"
Oscar came to his senses, only to fall speechless once more as he looked around.
The destruction he had anticipated from the pillar of water was nowhere to be seen.
The torrent, which had fired like a beam and blasted away whatever had burst from the grimoire, hadn't caused the slightest bit of damage to the town.
Though both the merchants and shoppers on Cobalt Street had been startled by the sudden upheaval, not a single person, building, or antique had been harmed.
Oscar looked at the water pillar flying far off into the sky, then turned his gaze back to me.
"Don't tell me... Noah, you..."
"Yeah, I did this."
I extended my index finger and traced a diagonal, upward trajectory to show him.
Six years old and holding the book, my gaze had naturally been directed downward.
Normally, the pillar of water would have shot horizontally or angled down toward the ground.
And had that happened, just like when I blew a massive crater in the garden, it likely would have claimed dozens of lives.
That was why I had reacted on instinct, firing from low to high.
The upward blast had obliterated the grimoire's vengeful spirit and nothing else, soaring harmlessly into the distant sky.
"You're saying you aimed upward in that single split second?"
"Yeah."
"What unbelievable situational judgment..."
Oscar was momentarily at a loss for words, but his familiar smile quickly returned.
"No, as expected of Father's son. As expected of my little brother."
He offered his praise in high spirits.
Because we offered no explanation and no harm had been done, Cobalt Street rapidly returned to normal, as though nothing had happened at all.
Still, that didn't mean everyone had simply ignored the spectacle.
"Pardon me, might I have a moment of your time?"
A man called out to Oscar and me from the side.
He was a well-dressed, slightly plump man sporting a neat little mustache.
"Who are you?"
"I am the proprietor of that shop over there. I happened to witness what just occurred. There is an item I would very much like you to see."
"What's this? Do you have some sort of treasure?"
"Something along those lines, yes."
The man bowed respectfully.
Something along those lines, huh?
A rather noncommittal answer.
"All right, lead the way."
Since Oscar was intrigued, I decided to humor him.
Following behind the man, we entered the shop and were guided straight into the back.
Neither Oscar nor I hesitated to follow.
Nobles never conducted their business at the storefront.
Especially in establishments dealing in high-end antiques like this, being ushered into a private VIP parlor in the back was standard practice.
This place was no exception, and we were led into a room appointed with fairly decent furnishings.
"Please wait just a moment."
With that, the man left us alone in the room.
I glanced around the interior and murmured, "Huh."
"What is it, Noah?"
"Nothing, just thinking it's rather clever. This room is deliberately styled one rank below what you'd find in a noble's estate. It's a very skillful presentation of 'the finest hospitality a commoner can provide.'"
"What? You can already tell that?"
Oscar stared at me in surprise.
"Incredible... I only began to understand such nuances when I was twelve."
This time, Oscar sounded genuinely impressed.
We sat together on the sofa and waited for the man to return.
A few minutes later, he came back carrying a jewelry box.
The moment he stepped into the room, he dropped to one knee before Oscar and me.
"Please forgive my delayed introduction. I am Alan. I offer my humble greetings to Your Imperial Highnesses."
"Mm."
Oscar nodded as though it were only natural.
We hadn't given our names, but as evident from being brought to this room, he already knew our identities.
In that situation, remaining silent regarding one's name was proper noble decorum.
After all, nobility carried themselves under the assumption that everyone naturally recognized them.
Even so, I didn't press him.
I waited quietly for him to state his business.
Still on one knee, Alan raised his head and met our eyes.
"I had the privilege of witnessing what transpired earlier. I am simply in awe of Your Imperial Highness the Thirteenth Prince's immense power."
"It was nothing special. I caused the mess in the first place, so I merely cleaned up after myself to keep the public out of harm's way."
As I replied, I caught sight of Oscar smiling warmly with evident pride.
"Oh, what magnificent magnanimity. A person of your caliber could surely unravel the mystery behind this piece."
I exchanged a glance with Oscar.
Apparently, I was the one he had invited, not my brother.
Moving to the main topic, Alan opened the jewelry box and presented it to me as if offering a royal tribute.
"This is the greatest treasure in my shop."
"A ring... isn't it?"
"It is."
"What kind of item is it?"
"I do not know."
Alan stated flatly.
It was my first time hearing a merchant declare with such complete certainty that he had no idea about his own merchandise. It felt almost like something out of a comedy routine.
"According to legend, when its true owner appears, this ring will reveal its true form. That is the extent of what is known."
"Its true owner, you say?"
"Yes. I have discreetly shown it to various individuals over the years, but it has never once revealed its true nature."
"So after seeing what I did out there, you thought you'd test it on me?"
"Forgive my presumption."
Alan bowed his head while keeping the jewelry box extended.
"Testing it is fine, but what I'm more curious about is why you've held onto it for so long. As merchandise, it has no real value to you, right? Not when you know nothing about it. So why keep it?"
"Even if I throw it away, or sell it off for pennies, it always returns."
"It returns?"
"Yes. Before I know it, it finds its way back into this shop of its own accord. So even without knowing the details, I could only conclude that 'there must be something to it'..."
"I see."
Under those circumstances, it was only natural he'd think so.
"Sounds fine by me. Noah, why don't you try putting it on?"
Oscar, who had been listening in silence until now, eagerly urged me to try it.
To be honest, I hadn't cared much until a moment ago, but hearing that it returned even when discarded thoroughly piqued my curiosity.
I took the ring and, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, slipped it onto my thumb.
Looking down at the ring resting snugly against my finger, I wondered if anything would happen—and right then:
(Level cap confirmed... Rarity: SSS.)
"What? What is that voice?"
(Acknowledged as new master—Forming Armor.)
Following the illusory voice, something suddenly erupted from the ring.
It enveloped my entire body, solidifying into a suit of knightly armor in the blink of an eye.
"Ohh!"
"Th-This is..."
Oscar gasped in admiration, while Alan was struck dumb.
I looked at myself.
Using the windowpane as a mirror, I inspected my reflection.
Clad in pristine white armor, it looked—strangely enough—like a perfect fit, even to my own eyes.
Incidentally, my stats hadn't changed.
Presumably, it was an entity similar to Leviathan.
"Alan, I'll take this."
"Yes! I gladly present it to you!"
"I will have a proper reward sent to you later."
"No, let me pay for it."
Oscar produced the ten thousand Rien he had brought along and handed it over to Alan.
"Brother?!"
"Consider it a gift from me. First the magic sword, and now this armor? Heheh, you truly are cut from a different cloth, Noah."
Oscar chuckled in genuine delight, his eyes narrowing affectionately as he took in my armored appearance.
☆
The armor housed within the ring could be equipped and dismissed at will through my thoughts.
Even if damaged, as long as the ring itself remained intact, it could gradually repair itself over time.
I learned all this through the mental link, just like with Leviathan, and explained it to Oscar during our carriage ride back.
"Isn't that marvelous? I've never heard of such a thing."
"Is that so?"
"Then again, this is Cobalt Street. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised no matter what kind of treasure turns up."
So that was the reputation the place held, huh.
"At any rate, you've shown me quite a spectacle today. Let's attend an audience together soon so we can show it to His Majesty as well."
"Sounds good."
As we talked, we arrived back at my estate, the Thirteenth Imperial Prince Mansion.
I hopped down from the carriage and turned to bid Oscar farewell.
"Diiiieeeeee!"
Suddenly, a furious roar tore through the air as something lunged at me from behind.
"Look out!"
Oscar shouted, his face twisting in terror—CLANG!
An impact rang out.
Whatever had attacked me was deflected by something that materialized behind my head.
The moment I repelled the blow, the assailant was pinned to the ground by Oscar's coachman.
Rather than the attacker, Oscar was far more fixated on something else.
"A shield?! Where on earth did that come from?"
He stared in disbelief at the shield hovering behind my head, which had just deflected the ambush.
"I tried linking the ring to Leviathan."
"What?"
Oscar's eyes went wide.
"Leviathan is remarkably sensitive to hostility directed at me, so I figured linking them might work—and it ended up serving as an automated defense."
"You've mastered it already?! Incredible..."
Oscar was left in utter awe once again.