"We are outside the royal palace; unnecessary formalities are not required. Uncle, come sit beside me."
"Understood."
With His Majesty's permission granted, Indra reverted to his earlier boisterous manner and took a seat beside the Emperor.
Meanwhile, after glancing around our surroundings, I linked Lutye with the Ring of Armor to give it human form.
However, it was not the small, doll-sized figure I had made before.
It was full-scale—a one-to-one recreation matching the size of a human being.
I had the warrior clad in flames stand resolutely behind His Majesty, guarding his back.
"You exaggerate."
"This is not the royal palace."
I stated firmly.
"We must take every precaution. Moreover, an unforeseen disaster befalling Your Majesty—the Emperor—would be a misfortune for all the people. For a wise ruler like Your Majesty, nothing must happen aside from living out your natural lifespan."
"I see. In that case, Noah, I leave everything to you."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
I bowed to the Emperor, glanced all around once more, and then commanded Lutye to breathe fire.
Flames rose from the entirety of the artificial figure.
It truly looked like a fire demon.
At the same time, I used Leviathan to exert a subtle pressure over the surrounding area.
Not enough to overpower anyone, but just enough to instill awe and respect in the people gathered here.
A faint intimidation of that degree.
With that, I checked the surroundings one last time.
Lutye caught their eyes, and Leviathan reached their hearts.
I could feel pure sentiments of respect radiating from the people, without the slightest hint of treachery.
"Splendid, Noah."
"It's shocking how calm he is at that age. Ain't he the best among all your children, Emperor?"
"Umu, he is my pride. That is precisely why I bestowed the character 'Wise' upon him. Just like your 'Thunder,' Uncle, I consider it a fitting character."
"Kah-kah-kah, mine might be 'Thunder,' but before long, I'll just be a cantankerous old thunderhead."
The Emperor and Indra laughed together.
"Noah's 'Wise' is only just beginning. After all, it has been decided that he will undertake his maiden battle alone."
For a moment, the surroundings went dead silent.
Then, as if propelled by the rebound, the loudest cheer of the day erupted.
"A maiden battle... you mean that rite all the royals do?"
"He's doing that alone? Normally, they go under heavy guard, surrounded by soldiers, don't they?"
"Still, it makes sense... With this imperial prince, it makes total sense..."
Amidst the commotion, praise for me echoed one voice after another.
I thought about it for a moment, but the crowd's gazes and attention had naturally focused on me.
It was convenient for protecting His Majesty, so I decided to keep it that way.
No... could it be...?
I glanced at the Emperor, and our eyes met.
Seeing that, I became certain.
This was His Majesty's follow-up.
In response to my actions—surveying the surroundings to protect him—His Majesty had backed me up by publicly announcing my solo maiden battle.
Otherwise, there would have been no need to announce right here something that had been decided long ago and was already circulating as a rumor in the city.
In that case, I had all the more reason to play along.
"That is what makes Noah remarkable."
Hm?
"What do you mean by that, Emperor?"
Indra asked, looking dubious.
Amid the commotion of the crowd, the Emperor answered in a low voice that only Indra beside him could hear.
"I made that announcement just now to aid Noah. Yet, Noah understood with just a brief glance and played along."
"Ho, truly impressive. Even I didn't catch that just now."
"You are boisterous, Uncle, but you lack subtlety. It cannot be helped."
"Hmph, like I could bother with such petty details."
"Which is why your petty disputes with your wife never cease."
"Too true! Kah-kah-kah, all the more reason I can entrust my granddaughter to him with peace of mind."
The Emperor and Indra laughed together once more.
"Now then, Uncle. We have matters to discuss. Ride in the carriage with me."
"Sure."
—The main topic.
I understood that this was the reason His Majesty had gone out of his way to come here.
I gestured, summoning the Emperor's carriage, which had been waiting a short distance away.
The crowd parted cleanly to make way, and the carriage slowly approached.
When the carriage arrived, the subordinate eunuch accompanying it dropped on all fours like a dog right there, and the Emperor and Indra stepped on his back one after the other as a footstool to board the carriage.
Once both were safely inside, the coachman cracked his whip, and the carriage began to move slowly.
I flanked the side and had Lutye take the lead.
"So, what's this talk about, Emperor?"
"Umu."
The Emperor's expression clouded slightly as he began to speak.
Feeling a sudden jolt of tension, I ordered Lutye to breathe even more fire.
As flames enveloped its entire body like an aura, cheers rose from the people.
"I intend to depose the Crown Prince."
The Emperor's words were drowned out by the roar of the crowd.
Indra looked blank for a moment, but by his expression, he had clearly heard.
After glancing at me with a look that said "well done," the Emperor continued.
"I thought it might work out, but I am forced to conclude that he is no longer suitable."
"Why's that?"
"The matter with Gilbert."
"...I see."
Indra nodded heavily.
The matter with Gilbert.
Hearing just that, one might assume it referred to Gilbert's attempt to poison His Majesty and the Crown Prince, but that was definitely not it.
Even though I had skirted through every loophole in the Imperial Law to somehow keep Gilbert's punishment to a de facto life imprisonment—sparing His Majesty from killing his own child—Crown Prince Albert had pushed through with an immediate execution.
It was undoubtedly that incident.
"What he did was not wrong in itself. However, there were better ways to handle it."
"That gave me a chill, too. If that guy becomes Emperor, there'll definitely be a purge. Someone like me has been plenty insolent to the Emperor, so if he felt like it, I'd be on the chopping block."
"Indeed. With such narrow-mindedness, if he ascends the throne, Henry, Oscar, and Noah... those three would be the very first to be purged."
Most likely.
Brother Henry, Brother Oscar, and me.
The members who currently served as Imperial Prince Ministers.
From Albert's perspective, we were probably viewed as massive hindrances.
"I cannot entrust what comes after me to such a narrow-minded man."
"...That's fine and all, but who's next?"
"I have not decided."
"Then that's no good."
Indra stated flatly.
The Emperor had likely brought this consultation to Indra precisely because he was someone capable of speaking so bluntly.
"Emperor, you're getting up there in years. At your age, it wouldn't be strange if you dropped dead tomorrow morning. If you depose him and pass away before deciding on a successor, the Empire will tear itself apart."
"..."
The Emperor fell silent.
He was right; that was the entire point of having a crown prince.
Even in an ordinary household, parents passing away leads to vicious disputes over inheritance.
For the imperial family, the equivalent of that inheritance was the imperial throne.
Having a crown prince served the critical purpose of preventing conflict even if the Emperor were to die suddenly.
It was the same as publicly announcing a will in advance.
"If it were decided, I wouldn't say a thing. But if it ain't decided, it's no good."
"...It is not that it is entirely undecided."
The Emperor's tone turned remarkably flat.
It was a tone completely devoid of emotion, from which nothing could be read.
"However, making it public now would only cause unnecessary strife."
"Even so, it's better than not having a crown prince at all."
"Indeed..."
After pondering for a moment, an idea struck me.
I reconciled that idea with several realities, refining it into a feasible method.
Once it had taken solid shape:
"Forgive the intrusion, Your Majesty."
"Umu? What is it, Noah? Speak."
"How about merely announcing that Your Majesty's will exists? We can declare that the successor—meaning the de facto Crown Prince—is named within it."
"No good."
Indra rejected it immediately.
"The contents of that would only be made public after the Emperor dies, wouldn't it? Then anyone could forge it however they like."
"Yes, which is why the will would be hidden 'inside' His Majesty's body."
"Inside mine?"
The Emperor asked, surprised.
"It can be done through some method. A surgical procedure—or, to keep it simple, an engraved false tooth. Or perhaps through some form of magic. And if we make that fact public—"
"Brilliant!"
Indra, who had just rejected the idea, completely reversed his stance and cheered.
"That's a great idea. If the Emperor carries it on himself at all times, there's no fear of it being swapped!"
"Ho..."
The Emperor's eyes gleamed.
"Incredible, Noah! That is an exceptional idea!"
He seemed to take an immense liking to my proposal.