After wrapping up the routine military duties, I stepped out of the Ministry of Military Affairs alongside Brother Henry.
It was just past noon. Although the worst of the heat had subsided, the sun still hung high in the sky, making it far from ideal weather to linger outside.
"Shall we make a stop somewhere?" Brother asked from his carriage.
"How about Keith's place?"
"The one with that songstress you're patronizing? Very well."
Brother agreed to the suggestion.
I instructed the coachman to head for Keith's teahouse, and our two carriages set off side by side.
Attendants accompanied us on both flanks.
The capital's main thoroughfares were built wide to accommodate the nobility's frequent use of carriages. Even with two traveling abreast, the street never felt narrow; there was ample room to pass any carriage coming from the opposite direction.
"Come to think of it, Noah, you haven't seen actual combat yet, have you?"
"No, Brother."
As I answered, my eyes drifted to the status window resting in the corner of my vision.
―――――――――――― Name: Noah Ararat Wise Imperial Prince Gender: Male Level: 1 / ∞
HP: F+F | Fire: F MP: F | Water: E+S Strength: F+E | Wind: F Stamina: F+F | Earth: F Intelligence: F+F | Light: F Spirit: F+F | Darkness: F Speed: F+F Dexterity: F+F Luck: F+F ――――――――――――
Even at twelve years old, my level remained at 1.
This was due to imperial regulations.
Children of the imperial family often died young—namely, during infancy.
Publicly, this was attributed to epidemics like smallpox.
Those with a bit more insight pointed out that imperial princes were separated from their mothers immediately after birth and raised by wet nurses and servants; lacking their birth mothers' milk, their immune systems were naturally weak.
Certain loose-lipped gossips and those privy to the darker truths whispered of poisonings rooted in power struggles.
Whatever the cause, the high infant mortality rate in the imperial family was an undeniable reality. To preserve the line of succession, imperial princes were strictly forbidden from engaging in actual combat without a direct decree from the Emperor until they had properly come of age.
Because of this rule, my level was still stuck at 1.
Brother Henry had suffered his share of loss as well; though he had fathered more than ten children, only three had survived to this day.
"You're already twelve, so the time is nearly right. Experiencing a bit of battle before taking over your fief would certainly look better on paper."
"Whenever His Majesty gives the command, I am ready."
"Mm... You also wield a magic sword, so it shouldn't prove too difficult."
"When was your first battle, Brother?"
"Mine was—"
Just as Brother began to answer, the horses whinnied sharply, and the carriage came to a sudden halt.
I pitched forward, barely maintaining my balance by catching the edge of the carriage.
What in the world was— Before I could even demand an explanation...
"P-Please, help me!"
A girl roughly my age was prostrated on the ground before the carriage, looking up at us with desperate, pleading eyes.
Her clothes were tattered, and her hair was a tangled mess. She was barefoot, looking for all the world like someone who had just made a break for it.
A few seconds later, several more boys and girls came fleeing out of an alleyway.
Every one of them was dressed the same way.
Moments later, a group of adults chased after them.
There were about ten men in total, their faces marked by the unmistakable brutality of underworld thugs.
"Making us run around, you little brats!"
"Get over here!"
"Noooo!"
"L-Let go of me!"
The men grabbed the youngsters and began dragging them back toward the alley.
Despite the commotion on a bustling thoroughfare, the numerous onlookers simply kept their distance, watching with cold indifference.
"Noah."
"I'm on it."
Nodding to Brother, I vaulted down from the carriage and stepped between the thugs and their quarry.
"Hold it right there."
"Haaah? Who the hell are you?"
"Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, kid."
"Where is your registration?"
"Huh?"
"Where is your registration? Where are your permits? What is the name of your establishment?"
I fired off the three questions in rapid succession.
The men choked on their words, caught off guard.
I glanced back at Brother, and we exchanged a knowing look.
Just as I thought.
These men were illegal slave merchants.
"No registration, then? You do know that unlicensed human trafficking is a severe felony under Imperial Law, don't you?"
"Shut your mouth! Hey, it's just one kid! Take him out!"
At the leader's shout, another man released his grip on a runaway and lunged straight at me.
I held my right arm out to the side, and Leviathan materialized in my empty hand.
Fitted to the inside of my wrist was a bracelet designed to store Leviathan. It was a custom piece, capable of shrinking the blade down to the size of a needle so it would fit securely within. I had previously concealed it in my ear, but this method offered far superior stealth and ease of draw.
I swung Leviathan.
Trailing an azure afterglow, the blade sliced across both of the man's shoulders.
Blood erupted in twin jets, and his arms fell limp at his sides.
"Splendid," Brother called out in applause from behind.
"I only severed the tendons. You'd best stop here; push any further, and this won't end as a laughing matter."
"Guh..."
"H-Hey... What do we do...?"
"I-It doesn't matter! He's just one brat! Swarm him all at once!"
It was a desperate order, but the men followed it, charging me as one.
I swung Leviathan.
My level was still 1 and my basic stats were lacking, but I wasn't about to lose to ruffians of this caliber. Calling upon the swordsmanship etched into Leviathan's memories, I severed the limbs of every last attacker, thoroughly neutralizing the threat.
"Whoaaa!?"
Almost the instant the last man hit the ground, shouts of admiration erupted from the surrounding crowd.
"Did you see that? That was incredible!"
"He's so cool... like a true master..."
"Which noble house is that young master from?"
Tuning out the chatter of the crowd, I walked over to the boys and girls sitting and trembling on the ground, staring at me in wide-eyed shock.
"Are you all right?"
"Y-Yes..." answered the girl who had stopped our carriage, the first to run out.
"I see. Are these men illegal slave merchants?"
"Yes, all of us were—"
"Whoa there, hold your tongue."
Just as the girl nodded and began to explain how they had escaped, another man emerged from the shadows of the alley.
He was short, and unlike the thugs from before, he clearly didn't rely on brute strength for a living. Yet the murky coldness in his eyes and the slime in his voice made him far more dangerous than the muscle-bound brutes.
He walked right up to me, looked me in the eye, and offered a perfunctory bow.
"It is an honor to meet you, Wise Imperial Prince."
"And who might you be?"
"Merely a man who earns a living through children like these. As for my name... it would be best if I refrained from sharing it."
"...And why is that?"
"Because, you see, I am in the employ of the First Imperial Prince."
A sickening smirk spread across the man's face.
"...The First Imperial Prince, you say?"
"Indeed." The man nodded.
I see. He was entirely different from those common thugs.
Knowing full well who I was, he was subtly threatening me to back off, leveraging the First Imperial Prince—my eldest brother—as his backing.
Several options raced through my mind.
I scanned our surroundings; a large crowd had gathered.
Turning toward Brother Henry, I asked, "Brother, do you recognize this man?"
I accompanied the question with a deliberate wink.
Brother looked puzzled for a split second, but catching my drift, he played along. "No, I've never seen him."
"Brother does not seem to know you. And neither do I."
"Why, of course. Someone of my lowly station would hardly—"
I didn't let him finish.
I leveled the drawn Leviathan straight at him, releasing an aura of sheer intimidation. Caught point-blank by the bloodlust of the Magic Sword of Water, the man foamed at the mouth and collapsed into unconsciousness.
Then, raising my voice so the surrounding spectators could clearly hear, I announced theatrically:
"Good grief. An insolent scoundrel daring to impersonate my brother's retainer! You might be able to fool the public, but you cannot deceive my brother and me."
"Wait, he was an imposter?"
"Who are those two, anyway?"
"I know them! That's the Wise Imperial Prince, the one who sponsors Alice!"
"Then he's the real prince? Those guys were fakes all along?"
It seemed a few people recognized me, and the rumors swiftly gained traction in the exact direction I intended.
Turning around, I addressed the servant waiting beside the carriage.
"Tie these men up and take them to the First Imperial Prince Mansion. Hand them over and tell them, 'These insolent scoundrels were using your name in broad daylight.'"
"Right away, Your Highness!"
"Take the children to my estate for now. I will question them later."
Our servants bound the unconscious men with rope and escorted them away alongside the children.
With the situation settled, I climbed back into the carriage. Brother leaned in, speaking in a low murmur meant only for my ears.
"Well done, Noah. You handled that masterfully."
"I had no choice," I replied with a sigh. "If he truly is Brother's subordinate, we couldn't simply cut him down. That would only earn us his grudge, not to mention confirm that the First Imperial Prince is running an illegal slave ring. Treating them as imposters and letting Brother handle them himself is the best approach."
"Heh heh."
"What is it, Brother? What's so funny?"
"I was merely thinking that your methods are always so delightfully unpredictable."
Brother smiled, looking thoroughly amused.