The next day.
I was summoned to the study in the royal palace. As I stood at the entrance, His Majesty's voice drifted out from within.
"Is that you, Noah? You are injured, so there is no need for ceremony."
"As you command."
Even so, I offered a slight bow before stepping inside.
As always, His Majesty was attending to state affairs surrounded by a sea of books that could easily rival a library.
"Welcome, Noah. How fares your wound?"
"I have no excuse for my disgrace, Sire."
"Think nothing of it. Still, to inflict an injury upon a man as formidable as you... were the assassins truly that skilled?"
His Majesty looked straight at me as he asked.
I knew this was coming.
Though I had used that flimsy pretext yesterday to silence the assassins sent to silence others, I never imagined I could fool His Majesty.
Experience had taught me that his eyes and ears were everywhere.
A report that I had slashed my own abdomen had undoubtedly reached his desk already.
And so, I delivered the lines I had spent all night preparing.
"When it comes to strength..."
"Hmm?"
"I believe it is not merely a matter of swordsmanship. No matter how skilled one might be, an unexpected strike at the psyche can leave anyone bewildered."
His Majesty stared intently at me for a long moment.
"I see," he nodded.
Though his gaze had been probing just moments earlier, it had now softened into genuine admiration.
"I have a fine son. An extraordinary son whom I can proudly present anywhere."
He went so far as to say that.
It seemed His Majesty fully understood that I had owned up to wounding myself with full awareness of the consequences.
"If only everyone were like you, it would save me so much trouble. Tell me, Noah, do you know?"
"What might that be, Sire?"
"Out of ten emperors hailed as wise rulers, nine tarnish their later years."
"..."
I felt my brow twitch.
Tarnish their later years—he was referring to the Crown Prince's rebellion.
Flattery aside, His Majesty had governed the empire brilliantly.
It was no exaggeration to say he had ushered in an unprecedented golden age in imperial history.
Future historians would undoubtedly record him as a great and wise ruler.
However, had the rebellion succeeded...
Had he been forced to abdicate by the Crown Prince and propped up as an emeritus emperor...
History would have recorded that in his twilight years, he could not even keep his own son in check and had provoked a "righteous uprising."
That was precisely what it meant to tarnish one's later years.
The fact that His Majesty had brought this up so bluntly made one more thing abundantly clear:
He no longer trusted the Crown Prince.
The only reason he had not acted immediately was that disinheriting the Crown Prince would, in itself, "tarnish his later years" to some degree.
Since I had no absolute proof of this yet, I proceeded with the script I had mapped out last night.
"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, I have a request to submit."
"Hmm? What is it? Speak."
"Brother Henry, Brother Oscar, and I—all three of us have been appointed as imperial prince ministers by Your Majesty. However, this is unchartered territory for us all, and missteps are bound to occur."
"Oh?"
"Therefore, I believe we require someone to oversee and coordinate our efforts."
"Someone to coordinate you? Are you asking me to assign the First Prime Minister to you?"
"No. Just as I was appointed Imperial Prince Minister of Justice, I propose the creation of a new post: the Imperial Prince Prime Minister."
"The Imperial Prince... Prime Minister."
His Majesty rolled the title over his tongue.
"Yes. A prime minister—one who presides over all affairs. A role to oversee us imperial prince ministers. I humbly ask that the Crown Prince be appointed to this post."
"..."
His Majesty regarded me with a suspicious look.
His eyes held a hint of wariness, wondering what had possessed me to make such a sudden proposal.
At this stage, that was only natural.
I pressed on.
The scheme behind the Imperial Prince Prime Minister was simple:
By appointing the Crown Prince as the coordinator over our various ministries, it would allow him to play at being emperor, thereby quelling his treasonous impulses.
Having spent forty-five years as Crown Prince, he was desperately burning for the day he would take the throne. This would act as a release valve for that pent-up ambition.
Furthermore, final authority would remain entirely with His Majesty the Emperor. Since we would confer among ourselves before reporting up, it merely added an extra step on our end without placing any additional burden on His Majesty.
"However, what if the prime minister rejects a matter and refuses to bring it before me?"
His Majesty raised the obvious concern.
And because it was so obvious, I had already prepared an answer.
"To prevent such an outcome, I propose that each imperial prince minister be granted the right of direct appeal. Should any prince deem a matter 'imperative,' they would be permitted to appeal straight to Your Majesty without going through the prime minister."
"............Brilliant."
After staring at me in silence, the word slipped from His Majesty's lips.
It seemed he fully grasped my intention.
The true nature of this proposal was to place the Crown Prince upon a pedestal, granting him the illusion of prestige while denying him even a shred of real authority.
Though nominally our superior, ultimate authority remained with His Majesty; should an impasse arise, we could bypass the Crown Prince entirely and take the matter directly to the sovereign.
In short, the Imperial Prince Prime Minister was a figurehead—a cosmetic post that made little difference whether it existed or not.
"Indeed... If matters can be resolved that way, it would be for the best..." he murmured quietly.
As expected, His Majesty saw through everything, including the underlying motive behind my proposal.
He truly was a wise ruler worthy of the name.
Ensuring that His Majesty's legacy remained untarnished was, I firmly believed, the surest way for the people to live in peace.
"Mm. You have advised me well. I shall grant your petition."
"I am deeply honored, Sire."
"I will hash out the finer details with the prime ministers later."
With that, His Majesty walked slowly around his desk toward me.
Standing before me, he gently rested a hand on my head.
"Truly... if only you had been born sooner..."
"..."
I offered no reply. I didn't even nod.
I judged it best to pretend I had never heard those words.
Perhaps realizing that he had said too much, His Majesty withdrew his hand, cleared his throat, and took a step back.
"Now then, I must reward you, Noah. For a counsel of this caliber, mere gold would be far too dull—Cruz."
"Sire."
Right on cue, the trusted eunuch appeared without a sound.
"We are going to the treasury."
"As you command."
With that, Cruz quietly slipped out of the study.
His Majesty turned back to me.
"If I recall correctly, that ring was something you discovered through your own discerning eye."
"Yes, Sire."
His Majesty was referring to the ring on my thumb.
Though ordinarily a simple ring, it was a magic tool that transformed into armor upon activation.
Linked to Leviathan as it was now, it served as an automated shield, deploying and retracting whenever Leviathan sensed a threat to my safety.
"Let us go to the palace treasury. I wish to see that discerning eye of yours in action."
"In the treasury, Your Majesty?"
"Indeed. Choose whichever single item catches your fancy."
"Understood."
He was eager to see what I would pick.
I could see the anticipation gleaming in His Majesty's eyes.
Following him, I stepped into the imperial palace's treasury.
The room alone was larger than my entire estate.
Fitting for such immense space, a staggering collection of treasures filled every corner.
"Go on, make your choice."
His Majesty urged me, his excitement palpable.
After a moment's thought, I gave a silent command to Leviathan.
Encompassing the entirety of the vast treasury, while carefully shielding His Majesty and the attendant eunuch Cruz, it released an intimidating aura.
In the cavernous vault, a single presence reacted.
I walked in a straight line toward the source of the response.
Halting before a certain shelf, I picked up the jewelry box resting upon it.
When I opened the lid, I found a ring set with a gemstone that burned like living flame.
"I choose this one."
"Oh! To select it without the slightest hesitation—truly magnificent, Noah!"
His Majesty praised me, his expression radiant with sheer delight.
The reason I had commanded Leviathan to unleash that aura was to seek out an entity like itself—something possessing a will, a personality, or a soul.
And this ring was the only thing that had answered.
"To pick 'Lutye'... your eye is truly unmatched. Outstanding, Noah."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
With his blessing, I slid the ring—Lutye—onto the thumb opposite my armor ring.
Instantly, the status screen that always lingered in my field of vision flickered with change.
―――――――――――― Name: Noah Ararat Imperial Prince Minister of Justice Gender: Male Level: 1 / ∞
HP: F+F Fire: F+C MP: F+F Water: E+S Strength: F+E Wind: F Stamina: F+F Earth: F Intelligence: F+E Light: F Spirit: F+F Darkness: F Speed: F+F Dexterity: F+F Luck: F+F ――――――――――――
Perhaps partly because my base proficiency was so low to begin with...
Astoundingly, the plus modifier for my Fire attribute had skyrocketed straight to C.
"Mm, a truly magnificent eye."
Given how lavishly His Majesty showered it with praise, it seemed I had acquired an extraordinary ring indeed.