In the morning, out in the mansion's garden.
I lifted a massive boulder that served as part of the landscaping.
It was twice the height and width of a grown man, but I hoisted it effortlessly and pumped it up and down as if I were doing strength training.
―――――――――――― Name: Noah Ararat Imperial Prince Prime Minister Gender: Male Level: 10 / ∞
HP: SSS Fire: SSS MP: SSS Water: SSS Strength: SSS Wind: SSS Endurance: SSS Earth: SSS Intelligence: SSS Light: SSS Spirit: SSS Darkness: SSS Speed: SSS Dexterity: SSS Luck: SSS ――――――――――――
I glanced at my public status, which I had displayed using magic, set the boulder back where it belonged, and unsheathed a longsword I had also prepared before tossing it lightly straight into the air.
The blade arced upward, paused, and then plummeted straight back down with the tip pointed at me.
It was about to pierce the crown of my head—only to bounce off like rubber and clatter onto the ground.
My abilities were flawless.
Right now, to put it mildly, I was probably the strongest being in the world.
"Incredible... Have you grown even stronger, Master Noah?"
"Hm?"
Turning around, I saw a familiar face struck speechless.
Cindy Alan.
She had been a ten-year-old girl when we first met, but now, on the cusp of twenty, she had blossomed into a true beauty.
"You're here."
"Yes. I received a personal letter from Lady Ada and wanted you to look it over, Master Noah, so I could ask you directly how we should proceed."
"A letter? What sort?"
"Right here."
Cindy produced the letter and offered it to me.
Ada was the low consort I had recommended, who had subsequently entered the inner palace.
Although she had yet to bear a child, His Majesty was thoroughly taken with her—to the point where calling her the most favored woman among all his consorts would hardly be an exaggeration.
I opened Ada's letter and skimmed it.
There wasn't much to it.
It merely stated that His Majesty was leaving the palace for a summer retreat, and that all the low consorts would be accompanying him.
That was the entire message.
"I see."
"From this alone, there's no telling how His Majesty is actually feeling. I was thinking of asking Lady Ada for more details, but I wanted to consult you first on how best to approach the matter, Master Noah."
"No, there's no need for that."
"Pardon?"
"This letter already tells us everything."
I chuckled softly.
"What do you mean?"
"His Majesty is full of vigor."
Given the subject, I deliberately phrased it crudely.
"Full of... vigor?"
"Taking every single low consort along is proof enough. What are low consorts for? Their duty is to receive His Majesty's favor—to share his bed."
"Ah..."
"If he were truly ill and in need of convalescence, there would be no reason to bring all the low consorts with him. His Majesty is likely quite well."
"I see."
"On the contrary, we would have cause for alarm if he had taken the Empress."
"Why is that?"
"If his illness were grave and the succession were up in the air, he couldn't simply ignore the mistress of the inner palace, the Empress. Whichever way the chips might fall."
"I understand now... What an incredible deduction. All the low consorts... I never would have thought of that."
Cindy looked at me with eyes full of admiration.
Her emotions had grown far richer compared to when we first met.
Well, setting that aside.
Now that I knew His Majesty was in relatively good health, whatever his true intentions might be, I had only one duty.
State affairs—simply prioritizing the people.
☆
To handle the immense volume of state affairs as Imperial Prince Prime Minister, the existing study in the mansion wasn't nearly enough, so I had a larger one hastily constructed in the garden.
There, attended by Olivia Coil in a maid's uniform, I set about working through the administrative backlog.
"Here is the next document. It is an impeachment against Ames, the magistrate of Coronthia."
"What are the charges?"
"It seems he is accused of the unauthorized diversion of this year's tax revenue while it was in transit to the capital."
"Hm... Hm?"
"Is something the matter?"
Olivia tilted her head.
"Let me have a closer look at that."
I held out a hand, and Olivia passed the document over.
Unfolding it, I examined its contents.
Official government documents contained an executive summary alongside the main text.
The empire was large—a bit too large for an emperor to govern by himself.
Therefore, even for matters requiring imperial sanction, it was standard practice to attach a summary to the front of the actual paperwork.
Drafting those summaries fell to the prime ministers, from First to Fourth.
This offered the distinct advantage of having the prime ministers review the matters first, allowing the Emperor to consult them whenever he found himself conflicted.
The documents forwarded from the capital had already had their summaries drafted by the prime ministers.
Olivia had only read that summary, but since something felt off to me, I opened the document to study the main text directly.
"I see."
"What does it say?"
"It looked suspicious from the start. The summary frames it as embezzlement, but skimming funds while they're already in transit makes no sense."
"...Indeed! If one were lining their own pockets, they would have done it beforehand."
"Exactly. Taxes in transit have already been tallied; what's more, the ledger is completely public. No one could be foolish enough to lay a hand on money like that. That's why I checked the details."
"And what was written there?"
"A great fire broke out in Coronthia just prior. The air was dry and the winds were fierce, fueling a blaze so massive that it burned down eighty percent of the city."
"—!"
Olivia gasped.
A fire fierce enough to wipe out eighty percent of an entire city was nothing short of a catastrophe.
"Naturally, everything went up in smoke. So Ames intercepted the transport carriages carrying the tax shipments, used the funds to purchase food from neighboring towns, and distributed it to the afflicted populace."
"That is... a difficult situation."
I glanced at Olivia.
As a retainer of Gilbert's—born into a noble household, even if only as a servant—it was natural for her to feel conflicted.
Once transit had begun, the money belonged to the imperial treasury—or rather, to the Emperor himself.
Spending the Emperor's money without authorization constituted lèse-majesté.
Even so, given that the funds were used for urgent disaster relief, the decision was understandable.
A born commoner would have applauded Ames whole-heartedly, but Olivia, who was born into an imperial prince's household despite being a commoner herself, saw both sides of the coin and found it complicated.
"Demanding the death penalty? Ridiculous."
"However..."
"I said it's ridiculous. People are a treasure; the citizenry is the ultimate treasure."
"Ah..."
"Personal malice is plain to see throughout this impeachment document. It was almost certainly written by someone who held a petty grudge against Ames."
I took up a pen and paper and began recording my verdict.
"Ames is not guilty. In fact, for his distinguished service in disaster relief, grant him a one-year salary increase."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Issue a Reprimand to his accuser."
An imperial Reprimand was no mere scolding.
It was a formal punishment, carrying a weight equivalent to an actual pay cut.
"As expected of you, Master Noah. But are you certain this is wise?"
"About what?"
"If you hand down a ruling like this, it will establish a precedent. Whenever a massive disaster strikes, revenue delivered to the imperial treasury will fall, and the bur... the imperial family will bear the brunt of it, will they not?"
Olivia swallowed the words "His Majesty."
She was likely hesitant to say them aloud.
Since she had held her tongue, I pretended not to notice.
"Then we simply put on a brave face and bear it. Prioritizing the weak and shouldering the burden—that, too, is a privilege of nobility."
"...Incredible. I have never seen a noble willing to see through such ideals..."
Saying she had never seen anyone carry through with it was likely a sentiment born from her time in Gilbert's household.
Afterward, I issued orders for food aid from the breadbasket region of Haujoy, arranged "preferential treatment" with empire-licensed slave merchants, and prioritized the dispatch of construction materials and labor for the rebuilding efforts.
Throughout the entire time I handed down these commands, Olivia watched me with unwavering respect in her eyes.
☆
That night, in the mansion's outer court.
I summoned the maid Zoe to the study.
"There's somewhere I need you to go: Coronthia."
"Coronthia... is it?"
"Yeah. The region that was ravaged by the great fire."
I explained the situation in Coronthia to Zoe in full detail.
Zoe's expression grew visibly rigid as she listened.
"So, I want you to go there as an inspector. You'll have full authority. Go and make sure no one tries to undermine my orders."
"Understood! I'll give it my all!"
Zoe was thoroughly fired up.
In the past, Zoe's hometown of Dosso had suffered from devastating floods.
She had pleaded for help, and I had answered her call.
Having lived through a disaster firsthand, she would never turn a blind eye to corruption during the reconstruction.
"I'm counting on you."
"Leave it to me!"
Bursting with determination, Zoe hurried out of the study.
A short while later, following a knock at the door, two men stepped inside.
Foster and Howard.
Both had once been subordinates of Albert, but after losing their master in that incident, I had taken them into my own service.
"You sent for us, Your Highness?"
"Yeah, I have a job for you."
I told them that I was sending Zoe as an inspector.
"I know it's asking a lot, but I want you two to disguise yourselves as ordinary soldiers and accompany her."
"Shall we act as Lady Zoe's bodyguards?"
"No, ensuring her safety is given, but your primary duty is to watch those around her."
"?"
Foster and Howard exchanged puzzled glances.
The confusion was written plainly across their faces.
"I may have dispatched Zoe, but unlike Evelyn, she's an ordinary maid from my estate. Seeing an inexperienced girl, people will inevitably try to deceive her—no, take advantage of her."
Howard's eyes widened in realization.
"You see it now? Exactly. That's why I'm having you two go in disguise."
"I see. If men like us, who once served under the Crown Prince, lower their guard by posing as common foot soldiers..."
"We'll see right through whatever cheap tricks they try to pull."
"Precisely."
"Brilliant, Your Highness."
"Indeed, anticipating points of failure before they happen is nothing short of extraordinary."
"I'm counting on both of you."
"Consider it done."
"You spared our lives, Your Highness. We can finally begin to repay that debt."
No less motivated than Zoe, the two men dropped to one knee, bowed their heads, and pledged their service.