Early afternoon in the study.
Together with Don, I processed one official document after another.
Lately, I had grown completely accustomed to the work. Whenever the prime ministers attached an executive summary, I could grasp most of the content from that overview alone, which dramatically increased my efficiency.
Even so, I had to ensure that handling things in an assembly-line fashion didn't lead to careless mistakes, so I kept my focus sharp as I worked through the state affairs.
Just then, Lawrence came to see me.
Entering the room, he dropped gracefully to one knee before me.
"You're here. There are a few matters I'd like your opinion on. Don."
"Right away, Sire."
Don nodded and went to fetch the documents set aside in the corner of the study.
They were a wide range of hand-picked administrative matters meant to test just how capable Lawrence truly was.
I was about to ask how he would handle them, but Lawrence lowered his head even further.
"Before that, Your Highness, I have a request."
"What is it?"
"There are two individuals I wish to persuade and introduce to Your Highness by all means."
"Understood. Go ahead."
"............"
Raising his head while remaining on one knee, Lawrence stared blankly, mouth agape.
"What's the matter? Why that strange look?"
"N-No... I haven't even told you who they are, nor what kind of men they might be. I am simply astonished that you would grant permission so readily."
"Is that all?"
I let out a soft chuckle.
"I trust you. Besides..."
"Besides?"
"People are a treasure. If a man of your caliber wants to introduce them, there's no doubt they're worth having."
"..."
Lawrence was rendered entirely speechless, looking more dumbfounded by the second.
After freezing solid for a full minute, he snapped back to his senses, taking a deep breath to compose himself.
"Your Highness truly is remarkable. I feel utterly ashamed that I ever hesitated to enter your service."
"That's in the past."
"Yes, Sire. While I cannot guarantee I will succeed in persuading them, they are men who will undoubtedly prove invaluable to Your Highness's rule."
"Oh?"
Until then, I had planned to leave the matter entirely in Lawrence's hands, but his choice of words piqued my interest.
Stopping my work completely, I looked straight at him.
"Undoubtedly, you say?"
"Yes. Two men far more capable than myself."
"I see."
I nodded and rose to my feet.
Turning to Don, I said,
"I'll be stepping out for a while. I leave the rest to you."
"As you command."
"Your Highness?"
Don nodded, while Lawrence looked even more bewildered.
"Lead the way."
"Pardon?"
"If they warrant such high praise from you, courtesy dictates that I go meet them in person."
"...Truly, an extraordinary master..."
Lawrence offered a wry smile and cast his gaze downward.
☆
Mounting our horses, we departed the provincial capital of Nisir and headed south.
Though the road was well paved, the city eventually faded completely from view behind us, giving way to a deserted countryside.
Riding alongside me, Lawrence kept pace at my flank.
"So, what are the names of the men you want to introduce?"
"Yes, Sire. They are named Rion and Cles."
"Rion..."
"Is something the matter?"
"No, it's nothing."
The name sounded familiar, but assuming it was just my imagination, I shook my head and dismissed the thought.
"What kind of men are they?"
"I was once a student at a private academy run by a scholar named Walter Miller. It was an institution that taught practical, worldly knowledge."
"Hmm."
"Rion and Cles entered the academy and both finished the curriculum in just three months. They were so exceptionally gifted that toward the end, there was nothing left to teach them, and they spent their time instructing the other students instead."
"Heh, impressive."
If they were truly that capable, I wanted to meet them and recruit them all the more.
People are a treasure. If I could secure those two, my own abilities would surely rise even further.
I continued listening as Lawrence shared more about them.
Cles was relatively mild-mannered and frequently returned to the Miller Academy to offer guidance, but Rion was quick-tempered. In the end, Rion had gotten into a brawl with other students and left the academy on bitter terms, kicking dust in their faces on his way out.
Their personalities were complete opposites.
"Yet they get along wonderfully and are the closest of friends. They always act together, and even now, they live in the same secluded mountain far from civilization."
"I see."
I now had a solid grasp of what kind of men Rion and Cles were.
We pressed our horses forward.
Suddenly, I noticed a cloud of dust rising further down the road.
Squinting, I saw a man being pursued by something.
The pursuer was a tiger—and a massive one at that, twice the size of a normal beast, its body draped in pure white fur.
"Rion?!"
"What?"
Glancing over, I saw Lawrence staring in shock.
"Is that the Rion you were talking about?"
"There's no mistake! What ridiculous stunt has he pulled this time...?"
Though there was urgency in Lawrence's tone, there was no surprise.
Evidently, this sort of thing was an everyday occurrence for Rion.
Having heard that he stormed out of the academy after a massive brawl, I wasn't particularly surprised either, but rather found myself nodding in understanding.
"Ah!"
Lawrence's panic deepened.
The distance between the giant tiger and Rion was closing fast.
At this rate, it would run him down in less than ten seconds.
"We have to save him!"
"Leave it to me."
I rose in the stirrups, kicked off my mount's back, and leapt into the air.
All stats SSS.
I judged that moving on my own two feet would be faster than riding a horse.
And I was right.
Closing the distance in an instant, I threw myself between Rion and the giant tiger.
The beast roared and pounced.
As it bore down, its massive frame completely blocked out the sun, plunging my field of vision into darkness like night.
I drove my fist straight toward the colossal body.
Swinging a lightly clenched fist, I struck the beast squarely between the eyes.
Crack.
The sound of shattering skull and snapping neck resonated through my own body.
Killed instantly by a single blow, the tiger crumpled limply to the ground.
Hmm, magnificent fur.
Perhaps I should have it skinned and presented to His Majesty.
As the thought crossed my mind, a voice spoke from behind me.
"Whoa, whoa, taking this monster down in one hit? You're incredible, pal—wait."
"Hm? You're..."
The man looked completely stunned, and turning to face him, I was equally surprised.
It was a familiar face.
Rion.
He was the very man who had come to my estate disguised as a beggar not long ago.
Realizing that I was Noah, an awkward grin spread across his face.
Riding over while leading my horse, Lawrence tilted his head in utter bewilderment at our reactions.
☆
Guided by Rion, we made our way into the mountains where he lived.
Nestled quietly within a modest, low-lying mountain range stood two small cabins.
Inside one of them, Lawrence and I sat across from the cabin's owner, Rion.
"Man, that was a real lifesaver. If you guys hadn't shown up, I'd be sitting in that tiger's belly right about now."
"Why was that tiger chasing you in the first place?"
"That beast is called a white saber tiger, see. Word has it that if you feed its milk to a human child, they build up incredible immunity and won't catch any childhood sicknesses at all."
"Ah, I've heard of that."
It was only a rumor, but I had heard tales of children raised on white tiger milk growing up far larger, sturdier, and stronger than average.
"So I got curious about what the milk was like, and when I heard she'd had cubs, I snuck in to milk her... and, well, you saw how that turned out."
"Of course it did!"
Lawrence barked.
"Approaching a wild beast that's nursing its young—do you have a death wish?!"
"Don't lose your head. Hey, I managed to squeeze out a little, so want to try a sip together?"
"Why, you...!"
Holding back the fuming Lawrence, I turned to Rion.
"Your name is Rion, correct?"
"Yeah."
"Lawrence recommended you to me. Along with Cles."
"Lawrence did?"
Rion looked at Lawrence, genuine surprise on his face.
"You finally gave up on Pascallous?"
"..."
Lawrence offered a strained smile and said nothing.
Rion's nickname for Pascal, and Lawrence's lack of objection to it.
It seemed the very exchange Lawrence and I had shared had already played out between these two friends.
With an awkward look still lingering on his face, Lawrence finally spoke.
"Presently, I serve His Highness."
"Huh..."
Rion studied me intently.
"To win over this stubborn, thickheaded fool, you must be something special. Between that and what happened in Coronthia, you're quite the man."
"Coronthia?"
"Yeah, you sent three of your subordinates over, didn't you? Thanks to them, the reconstruction is going smoothly."
"I see."
I had received regular reports from Howard and the others, but it seemed the recovery was progressing well even from an outsider's perspective.
"All right. If that's how it is, I'll become your subordinate. Leave Cles to me too."
"Are you certain?"
"Yeah. I was leaning that way from the start, and once he hears you're the genius who knocked some sense into Lawrence's thick skull, Cles won't object either."
"Is that so?"
"I'll be in your care from now on—My Lord."
Though his tone remained casual, right before he placed his hands on his knees and bowed from where he sat...
The look in Rion's eyes was deadly serious.
☆
A few days later, while I was handling state affairs in the study, Cruz arrived once again.
Just like before, I dropped to one knee and lowered my head before the eunuch serving as the imperial envoy.
Beside me, Don knelt as well.
Cruz recited the imperial edict from memory.
His Majesty had made a full recovery and would be returning to the imperial capital from the summer villa.
Accordingly, I was relieved of my duties as Imperial Prince Prime Minister.
Instantly, the status display in the corner of my vision shifted.
―――――――――――― Name: Noah Ararat Imperial Prince Minister of Justice Gender: Male Level: 10 / ∞
HP: D+E | Fire: E+A MP: E+E | Water: D+S Strength: D+E | Wind: E+F Stamina: E+E | Earth: E+F Intelligence: E+D | Light: E+C Spirit: E+D | Darkness: E+F Speed: F+E Dexterity: E+D Luck: E+D ――――――――――――
All the SSS ranks granted by ruling the entire empire vanished, reverting to my previous baseline.
The fact that my stats were slightly higher than before, with several rising to D, was undoubtedly the result of adding Lawrence, Rion, and Cles to my retinue.
As I studied the numbers, pondering how I should continue raising my abilities moving forward...
"For this occasion, you have administered the affairs of state with great distinction. Accordingly, Apophis shall be bestowed upon you, and Ararat shall be added to your fief."
"I-Incredible..."
Don, who was supposed to be listening in absolute silence, let out an involuntary gasp of astonishment.
I was equally surprised.
The fief of Ararat.
Today, it was a desolate frontier that yielded virtually nothing, but true to its name, it was the historic land where the Ararat clan had first raised their banner in rebellion.
It was only natural that Don couldn't contain his amazement.
On the other hand, I managed to remain somewhat calmer.
The moment Cruz proclaimed the decree, my status surged once more.
―――――――――――― Name: Noah Ararat Imperial Prince Minister of Justice Gender: Male Level: 10 / ∞
HP: D+E | Fire: E+A MP: E+E | Water: D+S Strength: D+A | Wind: E+F Stamina: E+E | Earth: E+D Intelligence: E+D | Light: E+C Spirit: E+D | Darkness: E+F Speed: F+E Dexterity: E+D Luck: E+D ――――――――――――
The modifier on Strength skyrocketed straight to +A.
The modifier on Earth also climbed to +D.
Two stats had increased simultaneously.
The territory of Ararat held very little of value today.
Considering that when I was born, only Water increased upon receiving Almeria as my fief, and factoring in the true prosperity of Almeria...
It was hard to believe that the land of Ararat alone could boost two separate attributes.
Which meant—
Looking up, I saw the attendant Cruz had brought forward carrying a treasure chest.
Setting the chest before me, they opened the lid.
Inside lay a cane adorned with an intricate serpent motif.
So this is... Apophis.
Reaching out, I touched the cane.
Resonance.
Leviathan.
Bahamut.
Huwawa.
Behemoth.
And now, Apophis.
All five entities stirred at the exact same moment—a true, harmonic resonance.
I was genuinely startled, but looking around, neither Cruz nor Don showed the slightest reaction.
So it's only perceptible to me.
Even so, everything was clear now.
Apophis was the exact same kind of existence as Leviathan and the others.
In that case, it was a treasure beyond compare.
Lowering my head to Cruz—the representative of His Majesty who had bestowed it upon me—I voiced my formal gratitude:
"I accept with the deepest humility and thanks."
☆
That night, I had a strange dream.
Within the dream, five mysterious entities were conversing among themselves.
"To think he could subjugate five of us, and so effortlessly at that."
"This is a first in history. What a magnificent man."
"With this... perhaps..."
"Indeed. It may truly be possible for him to accept all of us."
"And become the one capable of awakening the Ark that slumbers in the land of Ararat."
"Once the Ark awakens, everyone, including the humans on the surface, will be able to reach paradise. My expectations are high."
"Indeed, high expectations."
"Let us place our hopes in him."
"In our master, who commands infinite possibilities..."
"Let us place our hopes in him."