When night fell, I was back in the mansion's living room watching a mock battle between Leviathan and Lutye—having ordered them to keep things restrained—when a maid knocked and entered the room.
It was Cecily, Evelyn's successor, whom I rarely saw around this hour.
"Master, you have a visitor."
"Who is it?"
"An envoy from His Majesty. He says he bears an imperial decree."
I sprang to my feet.
It was late, but an imperial decree left me no choice.
"Show him in."
"Right away, Master."
Cecily left the room, and a moment later, a man stepped inside.
I was mildly surprised.
It was a face I recognized.
Rice Cake.
He was one of Brother Henry's men, someone who had been out suppressing a rebellion until recently.
"An imperial command."
"I hear and obey."
I dropped to one knee before Rice.
An envoy carrying an imperial decree was effectively the Emperor's proxy. All protocol had to be observed as if facing His Majesty in person, and while a decree was being delivered, any interruption from a third party constituted lèse-majesté.
So I knelt on one knee, bowed my head, and listened intently in silence.
"The maiden battle of Wise Imperial Prince Noah Ararat shall be postponed. Await further orders on standby."
"I accept with deepest gratitude."
After offering my reply, I bowed once more and rose smoothly to my feet.
The very next moment, as if exchanging roles, Rice dropped to his knees before me and bowed his head low.
"It has been far too long, Your Highness."
"Hm? Oh, right. You're Brother Henry's 'houseman.'"
"Yes, Sire."
Rice answered, bowing his head even further.
Members of the imperial family sometimes sent their own slaves or servants into the world to serve as government officials or military commanders. Those with such backgrounds were called "housemen," in the sense of "people produced from a noble house."
A short while ago, I had dispatched Evelyn to serve as magistrate over a small tract of land in Almeria. Rice was in the exact same position, though he had risen considerably higher in the ranks than she had.
And there was one crucial detail to remember.
While holding the public status of an official, he was fundamentally a lowly servant of the imperial family. Rice was Brother Henry's servant, which made him my servant as well.
That was why, the instant the imperial decree had been proclaimed, Rice had dropped to one knee and bowed to me.
"I see. You may put yourself at ease."
"You are most gracious, Sire."
Since that was the case, I settled back onto the sofa. Rice, as expected of his station, remained standing opposite me.
"Zoe!"
"Did you call, Master?"
Zoe stepped into the room.
"Give the envoy his travel allowance. Five hundred Rien."
"Right away."
Zoe left the room, and I turned my attention back to Rice.
"I understand His Majesty's decree, but why the sudden change?"
"It is entirely due to Your Highness's extraordinary prowess."
"What do you mean?"
"When Lord Henry—the Ministry of Military Affairs—reported the divination results to His Majesty, His Majesty was overjoyed."
"I see."
"He declared that if that were the case, it must be celebrated grandly. It was decided that the Ministry of Military Affairs and the Ministry of Finance would organize the campaign jointly on a massive scale."
I gave a quiet nod.
Appearances mattered. Commoners loved tales of heroism. If the hero was an imperial prince, the court needed to broadcast it far and wide.
"Undertaking a maiden battle entirely alone is unprecedented. His Majesty is currently deliberating with Lord Henry and the Eighth Prince on how best to spread word of your feat across the entire Empire."
I nodded again.
If that was the situation, I wouldn't have any part to play regarding the maiden battle for the time being.
☆
The next day, I headed to Cobalt Street with Shirley in tow.
Lutye had grown, and I had leveled up from watching their sparring match. Seeking to build on these two new sources of strength, I came to Cobalt Street—where antiques and treasures gathered—to look for more items like Leviathan and Lutye.
With Shirley trailing behind me, I walked around searching, but nothing of the sort caught my eye.
Then again, items like Leviathan and Lutye weren't easy to stumble across. Both were genuine treasures; they didn't just appear out of thin air.
Accepting that coming up empty-handed was par for the course, I finished making the rounds and headed to the shop of an acquaintance, Alan.
Inside, Alan greeted us with a broad smile and ushered Shirley and me into the back.
In the VIP room, I took a seat while Shirley, ever the dutiful knight, stood vigilantly behind me with her feet planted firmly apart.
"What manner of item might you be looking for today, Your Highness?"
Alan asked, rubbing his hands together in classic merchant style.
"I'm looking for an item... Let's say, a magic tool that possesses a will of its own."
"I see..."
"Do you have anything like that? Anything will do—a cursed doll, for example."
"Well, if that's what you seek, I do have one—ah, no, well, that is..."
"Hm?"
I shot Alan a look that plainly asked, Why the sudden hesitation?
"Strictly between us, Sire, the one I had in mind is a fake. Merely something meant to pawn off on amateurs."
"I see."
I let out a soft chuckle. It was an antique and treasure shop, after all; that sort of thing was to be expected.
"Which means you don't have anything suitable at the moment."
"Yes... I offer my sincerest apologies..."
"Don't worry about it. In that case..."
I pulled a leather pouch from my coat. It was the coin I had set aside in case I found something worth buying.
"Keep this. There's ten thousand Rien inside. If you come across a promising find, let me know."
"Yes, Sire!"
"If you find something truly worthwhile, I'll reward you separately. See you later."
Leaving him with those words, I took Shirley and exited the shop.
Alan escorted us outside and remained bowing deeply until we were well out of sight.
Now then, what should we do next—hm?
"What's the matter, Shirley? You're making a strange face."
I noticed that ever since we left the shop, Shirley had been staring blankly into space.
"N-No, it's just... I was wondering what that was just now."
"Just now?"
"Um... Did you just give him money?" she asked, her voice brimming with uncertainty.
"What do you mean? It was shopping, wasn't it?"
"...Is that what shopping is?"
"Hm?"
"I've never seen anyone shop like that before. Handing over money—ten thousand Rien, no less—without even receiving an item..."
"Ah."
"It's just... incredible... And you didn't even ask about the prices."
I could understand her shock; if I were still living my previous life, I would have had the exact same reaction.
Still, that was simply how nobles did business.
Leaving the stunned Shirley to her thoughts, I skimmed over the wares displayed at the street stalls as we made our way off Cobalt Street.
"Haaah?!"
Suddenly, a harsh, booming male voice cut through the bustling crowd.
It carried so well that the lively chatter of the antique market died in an instant.
"Say that again! What did you just say to me?!"
Amidst the sudden silence, the voice barked out once more.
Looking toward the commotion, I spotted a man whose balding crown was conspicuous even from afar, screaming at a stall owner.
"B-But sir! Another customer has already placed a deposit on this item—"
"I said I'm buyin' it!"
"Eeeek!"
At the man's renewed intimidation, the stallkeeper shrank back in terror.
I walked over.
"Stop that," I told the man.
"Haaah? Well, well... If it isn't Lord Noah."
"You know who I am?"
The man's demeanor shifted abruptly into deferential politeness.
No, that wasn't quite right.
It was more like insolence thinly veiled behind formal courtesies.
"Forgive my late introduction. I am Darren, a houseman in the service of Lord Gilbert."
"Darren."
"Did we not cross paths at the Imperial Household Ministry?"
"Tch."
The Imperial Household Ministry was the department that oversaw the internal affairs of the imperial family. It also handled royal finances; while the Ministry of Finance managed the Empire's national treasury, the Imperial Household Ministry controlled the imperial family's personal coffers.
Perhaps because of their constant proximity to royalty, the people working there were notorious for an insufferable sense of elitism and a habit of looking down on other ministries.
"Never mind that. What do you think you're doing? I heard the whole exchange—that was blatant extortion."
"Oh my, oh my. Lord Noah, you are the Imperial Prince Minister of Justice, yet you are unaware?"
Darren looked down his nose at me with utter contempt.
"Officials of the Imperial Household Ministry cannot be prosecuted for any crime short of high treason or foreign collusion. An extraterritorial privilege, if you will. It exists to safeguard the stability of the imperial household, and it is explicitly codified in Imperial Law."
"..."
He was right.
I had forgotten about it since I rarely dealt with the Imperial Household Ministry, but the law did indeed state that.
Even so...
"So then? I would appreciate it if you refrained from interfering in my business."
"..."
"L-Lord Noah..."
Shirley called my name tentatively.
I must have been wearing a rather terrifying expression.
Servants of the imperial family—especially those serving an imperial prince—wielded immense status on that merit alone. Even a mere gatekeeper was treated with as much respect as a low-ranking knight with no imperial backing.
When it came to a houseman serving First Imperial Prince Gilbert, His Majesty's firstborn son, who was also an official of the privileged Imperial Household Ministry, this brazen attitude was hardly shocking.
"Very well. That's fine. However..."
"However?"
Darren sneered, his expression practically demanding, Is there still something else?
"You are my brother's houseman, are you not? Then why are you still standing there staring down at me?"
"Tch."
For the first time, the color drained from Darren's face.
It was the same dynamic as Rice yesterday.
At first, because Rice had come to deliver an imperial decree, I had knelt before him; but the moment that duty was fulfilled, Rice had dropped to his knees as a houseman of the imperial family.
This was no different.
By all rights, Darren should have been prostrating himself before me.
"I-I failed to realize—"
"Too late. Shirley."
"Eh? Ah, yes!"
"Seize him. Tie him to something nearby and flog him."
"What?!"
Darren's eyes bulged in absolute shock.
"Are you out of your mind?! I belong to Lord Gilbert—"
"Do you still not realize you've dragged Brother Gilbert's name through the mud? Do it, Shirley!"
"Yes, Sire!"
Grasping the situation, Shirley stepped forward and seized Darren.
Darren struggled, but Shirley possessed enough brute strength to shatter even Leviathan's barriers. She subdued the thrashing man with ease and twisted his arms behind his back.
"Um... Does anyone have a rope...?"
"P-Please, use this!"
A man stepped forward from the surrounding crowd and offered a coil of rope.
"Thank you."
Accepting it, Shirley commandeered a pillar from a nearby stall and lashed Darren securely to it.
Next, another onlooker handed her a whip, which she took in hand.
"Lord Noah, how many lashes should I administer?"
"If..."
I paused, cast a cold glance at Darren, and then addressed Shirley.
"If you, the maids, my housemen, or any of my subordinates ever dare to oppress the common people, I will execute them without mercy."
"Understood."
Shirley nodded and brought the whip down on Darren without a shred of hesitation.
Instantly, the gathered crowd erupted into cheers.
"Serves him right!"
"Always strutting around like he owns the place—he finally got what was coming to him!"
"Bless the Imperial Prince!"
The onlookers were surprisingly thrilled, laughing as they watched Darren take his lashes.
Shirley continued to flog Darren until the man drew his very last breath.