"'Lutye'… so it possesses the power of fire."
"You saw through to that?"
"Yes. What's more, it seems to hold considerable power."
"Mm. Care to test it? Let us go outside, then."
With that, His Majesty began walking ahead.
Leaving the treasury behind, he summoned his confidant eunuch, Cruz, and ordered him to prepare a "target," but—
"That will not be necessary, Your Majesty."
"Oh? You have the look of someone with a plan."
"Yes."
"Then show me."
With His Majesty's permission, we stepped out into the garden.
I bowed to him and took up a position a short distance away.
Lutye, which had added a "+" modifier to my stats, shared two traits with Leviathan.
The first was possessing a will of its own. I presumed that was precisely why it had granted the "+."
The second was that it could unleash an attack purely through the ring's inherent power, completely independent of my personal ability.
The same charged attack Leviathan possessed existed within Lutye as well.
I unleashed it—aimed straight at myself.
In an instant, flames engulfed my body.
"Noah?!"
His Majesty cried out in shock.
Startled enough to reflexively take a step forward, he reached out a hand.
"I am fine."
I spoke from within the blaze.
Because my voice sounded so completely normal, I saw His Majesty startle a second time—eyes wide with shock.
I casually brought out Leviathan and held it up for him to see.
"…I see."
A few moments later, His Majesty's expression shifted to one of understanding.
I had directed Lutye's flames at myself, but Leviathan had reacted in turn.
Linked to my armor ring, Leviathan had immediately deployed a shield imbued with the power of water.
Water and fire were each other's natural weaknesses.
If evenly matched, they would simply cancel one another out, but if one held a decisive advantage, its effect would amplify exponentially.
To put it into numerical terms:
Attacking with a fire power of 100 would normally produce an effect of 100. The same applied to water.
However, if an attack of 100 fire power struck an opponent with 99 water power, the effect would jump nearly twofold, to around 200.
Conversely, if 99 fire power attacked 100 water power, the effect would plummet to near zero.
That was precisely what was happening now.
"Mmm… To be entirely unfazed even as the ground around you melts away. Truly impressive, Noah."
Just as His Majesty noted with astonishment, Lutye's flames were fierce enough to reduce the earth around me to molten sludge, yet they had no effect on me whatsoever.
That was undeniable proof that Leviathan's power surpassed Lutye's.
"Hm?"
"Is something the matter, Your Majesty?"
"Despite heat potent enough to melt the ground, I feel no warmth at all."
His Majesty tilted his head in wonder, holding his palms out toward me as if warming his hands before a bonfire.
"Please look at the ground once more."
"The ground…? Ah, the melting is contained entirely within the 'circle'?"
"Yes. I am suppressing it so it does not spill outward."
"Incredible! That is truly remarkable."
"I am deeply honored."
I bent low at the waist, bowing deeply at His Majesty's praise.
I had grasped the extent of Lutye's power and demonstrated it to His Majesty.
With that, I commanded Lutye to withdraw the flames.
Though I had been a pillar of fire only moments before, I returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
Not a single scorch mark marred my hair, skin, or clothes.
Only the melted, sludge-like ground bore witness to the sheer magnitude of Lutye's power.
"To master it so completely is exceptional, Noah."
"You flatter me, sire."
"Mm. I hereby bestow Lutye upon you once more. Use it to strive ever more diligently for the Empire."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
His Majesty turned on his heel with a satisfied look, bidding me, "Follow me," as he walked away.
Leaving the garden, we headed straight back to his study inside the palace.
His Majesty took his seat behind his desk, while I stood in the position befitting a subject.
"There is one matter on which I wish to hear your opinion, Noah."
He drew a single document from the mountain of reports and held it out to me.
I took it and skimmed its contents.
It stated that His Majesty's younger brother—my uncle, Graeme Ararat—had voluntarily offered to pay a fine of thirty thousand Rien.
"Did Lord Graeme do something?"
"Graeme's son—my nephew, that is. He ran rampant in Graeme's domain, indulging in every sort of tyranny, and ultimately, while dead drunk, murdered a man during a quarrel."
"Good heavens."
"He was charged with an appropriate offense for that, but Graeme himself offered to pay a fine, claiming it was due to his failure to properly supervise his son."
"Under Imperial Law, Lord Graeme bears no guilt. Just as a child has no obligation to repay a parent's debts, a child's crime does not extend to the parent."
As the Imperial Prince Minister of Justice, I offered a legal interpretation of the matter based on Imperial Law.
"Mm. I said as much myself. Even so, Graeme is likely terrified. His intention is probably to buy peace of mind by offering the fine himself."
I looked down at the document I had been handed, double-checking the figure written there.
Thirty thousand Rien.
A staggering fortune.
In the Imperial Capital, the average monthly income of an adult male was ten Rien.
Thirty thousand Rien was three thousand times that amount.
Roughly two hundred and fifty years' worth of earnings.
"What do you think, Noah?"
"…I believe it should be resolutely rejected."
"Your reason?"
"A fine cannot be collected where there is no guilt, even if offered voluntarily by the individual."
"Hm. Then what if we amended the law to codify it?"
His Majesty fixed his gaze on me.
"The national treasury is perpetually in jeopardy. Disaster relief, quelling rebellions—each and every thing costs money."
So he wanted this kind of extraordinary revenue, then.
I understood how he felt. I understood, but…
I spoke plainly, my expression serious.
"If we set such a precedent, those with means will come to believe that 'as long as one pays money, one is innocent.' While Imperial Law does not actually function that way, allowing such a mindset to spread will lower the barrier to crime."
"Mm, precisely. The deterrent power of the law would die."
"Furthermore, the majority of such individuals are merchants, nobles, and officials. That will inevitably circle back and foster political corruption."
"I see."
"A deficit in the national treasury is a grave issue. However, it ought to be replenished through legitimate means."
"…Indeed, it is as you say, Noah. You have advised me well. I shall consult with Oscar regarding the treasury. Though I expect I will be asking for your opinion again."
"Whenever you require, sire."
As I answered, His Majesty nodded and began writing on a sheet of paper before him.
Once finished, he signed it and pressed his seal.
An official imperial document—an edict.
He held it out to me.
I received it and read through the text.
It opened with high praise, naming the Thirteenth Imperial Prince—namely, myself—a Wise Imperial Prince of rare caliber, and concluded by appointing me to the post of Prime Minister Advisor.
The title derived from the Imperial Prince Prime Minister post I had suggested; this was its advisor.
"…"
"It is an honorary post. Is it not to your liking?"
"No… Your Majesty."
"What is it, then?"
"Paying money to escape punishment is out of the question, but what would you think of having people pay money for the sake of honor?"
I shared an idea with His Majesty, born from this honorary post of Prime Minister Advisor that had undoubtedly just been invented on the spot.
"Honor?"
"For instance, what if we granted an honorary knighthood to anyone who donated one thousand Rien to the national treasury?"
From the knowledge and memories of my previous life, I understood human nature well.
Once people acquired a certain level of wealth—more money than they could ever spend in a lifetime—they inevitably began to seek honor over material goods.
The fact that nobles patronized various individuals stemmed in part from this very desire.
Using surplus wealth to foster talented yet underprivileged individuals raised their own prestige as nobles.
This was the exact same principle.
"I see."
A distinct gleam sparked in His Majesty's eyes.
"However, it must remain strictly honorary. A proviso must be attached stating that an honorary knight cannot subsequently participate in the Knight Selection, nor will the title ever lead to real authority."
"Hm."
"In exchange, they will receive a direct commendation from Your Majesty."
"Specialized entirely in honor alone, is that it?"
"Precisely."
"A magnificent idea… Truly splendid, Noah."
His Majesty's eyes shone with even greater enthusiasm.
"Cruz. Summon Oscar. Make haste."
His Majesty seemed so thoroughly taken with my proposal that he was eager to hammer out the details with Oscar, the Imperial Prince Minister of Finance, without a moment's delay.