The completely wrecked study was being tidied up as best as possible by the servants and maids.
There was no point in lingering there, so I headed out into the garden.
Under the starlit sky, I checked my status.
――――――――――――
Name: Noah Ararat
Imperial Prince Minister of Justice
Gender: Male
Level: 15 / ∞
HP: C+E Fire: E+A MP: E+E Water: C+S Strength: C+A Wind: E+F Stamina: D+E Earth: E+D Intelligence: E+D Light: E+C Spirit: E+D Darkness: E+C Speed: E+E Dexterity: E+D Luck: E+D
――――――――――――
My abilities were completely back to normal.
They hadn't increased, nor had they decreased.
Holding that meteorite seemed to have caused only a temporary effect; defeating those tentacles appeared to have restored everything.
Just to be safe, I tested the powers of all five divine artifacts.
I worked my way up the hierarchy established during our earlier mock battle, finishing by summoning Bahamut's hellfire.
I held out my hand, palm up, and a ball of flame hovered roughly ten centimeters above it.
The brilliant, blazing sphere illuminated the surrounding area as bright as day.
"Oh, magnificent!"
An admiring voice called out from behind me.
Turning around, I saw Don had returned.
"As expected of Your Highness. Even in that fierce battle, you were holding back—suppressing your true power, were you not?"
Don stared in awe at the undeniably impressive fireball.
"More importantly, did you catch him?"
"Yes! It appears he brought it all the way to Nisir himself and had a servant deliver it to Your Highness's residence. However..."
"However?"
"When I arrived, the fellow looked delighted, as though thinking, 'I've been waiting for you!' He seemed to believe his reward had finally arrived. Even after we intimidated and interrogated him, he maintained that he merely 'found a meteorite and carved the character into it.'"
"So he was just trying to suck up to me?"
"That is the impression I received. Naturally, there is a chance it is an act, so I am having the interrogation continue."
"Understood. In that case, I'll leave the matter to you."
"Yes, Sire!"
With nothing left to report, Don bowed and withdrew.
It was good that my abilities were back, but a mystery still remained.
☆
Imperial princes residing in their fiefs were obligated to return to the capital once a year to report on their governance to His Majesty.
As that time had arrived, I departed Nisir—and Almeria—to return to the capital where I was born and raised.
Without stopping by the Thirteenth Imperial Prince Mansion in the capital, I headed straight for the imperial palace.
I requested an audience with His Majesty through a eunuch I knew, and I was immediately ushered into his study.
Stepping inside, I dropped to one knee before His Majesty with practiced ease.
"Oh, if it isn't Noah."
"Your servant Noah presents himself for the annual report."
"I see, I see. More importantly, I heard about your feat. You vanquished quite the monster with nothing more than a single blade, did you not?"
His Majesty was as quick to hear news as ever.
It had happened right before my departure, yet he had already caught wind of it.
"Splendid as always, Noah. Truly an imperial prince worthy of our 'Land of Warriors.'"
His Majesty was in remarkably high spirits.
The formal name of the realm was the "Miles Empire," which meant "Land of Warriors" in the ancient tongue.
An imperial prince of that very realm had proven his might in battle.
His Majesty took immense pride in that.
"As one entrusted by Your Majesty with not only Almeria but also Ararat, I never neglect my daily training."
"Umu. Strive to apply yourself even further henceforth."
"Understood. On that note—"
"Ah, the report, was it? We can put that aside for the moment."
His Majesty cut in.
I tilted my head slightly, looking at him in confusion.
"A foreign envoy has arrived, you see. I must grant him an audience first. Noah, you shall join us."
"As you command."
Foreign diplomacy naturally took precedence.
With that, His Majesty rose and left the study.
I followed in his wake.
Walking through the palace corridors, we were led into the Grand Hall.
Its basic structure resembled the throne room, but His Majesty's seat was elevated atop a dais roughly two stories high.
This hall was not used for daily governance, but rather for occasions like receiving foreign dignitaries, where imperial prestige needed to be emphasized.
The First and Third Prime Ministers were already waiting at the foot of the dais, along with several officials and scribes standing by.
His Majesty slowly ascended the platform, while I took my place below, standing beside the Third Prime Minister.
Though we were well acquainted, this was hardly the place for casual chatter, so we merely exchanged silent nods.
The moment His Majesty settled onto the throne, he raised a hand. At the gesture, the eunuch stationed by the grand doors cried out in a high-pitched voice:
"The envoy of Russi Tsari approaches!"
Russi Tsari?
I had never heard that name before. Was it different from the Russi Kingdom?
As I stood waiting and pondering the name, a man strode in from outside.
He was dark-skinned, with a thick, unruly beard.
Upon reaching the designated spot, he knelt on one knee and offered a stiff, awkward bow.
Then, he spoke.
It was an unfamiliar tongue.
"He says, 'It is an honor to gaze upon Your Majesty,'" one of the waiting officials relayed.
I see, so that official was an interpreter.
His Majesty gave a majestic nod, and the envoy spoke further.
Having listened to the end, the interpreter's brow furrowed.
"Er, I come as... an envoy of the great, um... I have a petition... that is, for the even greater Emperor..."
The interpreter faltered, stumbling through a disjointed translation.
His Majesty shot him a piercing glare. Naturally so; anyone watching could tell the man was hopelessly botching it.
Under that cold gaze, the interpreter broke out in a heavy sweat.
"First, ask him what Russi Tsari is."
"Y-Yes, Sire!"
The interpreter addressed the kneeling envoy.
This, once again, only deepened His Majesty's displeasure.
I couldn't understand the words, but the envoy repeatedly tilted his head, looking thoroughly baffled.
It was glaringly obvious that they weren't communicating at all.
"Just as I feared, it is futile," the Third Prime Minister, Jean-Brad Reidouk, murmured under his breath so only I could hear.
"Do you know something about this?"
"That appears to be a southern dialect of the Russi language. An ordinary court interpreter would find it beyond their grasp."
"I see."
I nodded.
Russi referred to the Russi Kingdom to the north of the Empire.
Between the fierce, aggressive temperament of its people and a martial culture that rivaled the Empire's, it was often called the Land of Rakshasas.
Skirmishes with the Empire broke out frequently, so interpreters were always kept on hand for negotiations.
However, as was common among linguists, standard speech was one thing, but regional dialects were an entirely different matter.
This was bad; His Majesty's temper was steadily deteriorating.
If this continued—just as the thought crossed my mind...
'Leave it to us.'
Bahamut's voice echoed in my head.
(Leave it to you?)
'We are beings that transcend humanity, capable of communicating with any soul.'
What did that mean? Just as I wondered...
'So, tell the Emperor. Tell him I am an envoy representing Russi Tsari, come to forge an alliance with the Empire.'
The man's foreign words, completely indecipherable moments ago, suddenly registered with crystal clarity.
It felt similar to hearing Bahamut speak, or sensing Leviathan's emotions.
In that very manner, the strange sounds entering my ears translated seamlessly into intelligible thought within my mind.
'I will relay it.'
When I spoke up, both the envoy and the interpreter stared in shock.
I turned toward His Majesty and looked up to address him.
"Forgive the interruption, Your Majesty. This man states that he is an envoy representing Russi Tsari, seeking to forge an alliance."
Instantly, the hall stirred with murmurs.
"You understand him, Noah?"
"Yes, Sire."
"...Ask him what Russi Tsari is."
His Majesty considered this for a moment before giving the order.
I turned back to the envoy.
'What is Russi Tsari? Are you not of the Russi Kingdom?'
'We are those who rose against the tyranny of Russi. We have already brought the kingdom's southern territories, bordering the Empire, under our control. Russi Tsari is the name of our newly founded nation.'
I relayed what I had heard directly to His Majesty.
"Hm. Remarkable, Noah."
Listening to my translation, His Majesty looked at me with genuine admiration.
...Knowing His Majesty, he likely already knew all of this.
No, even setting the Emperor aside, anyone at the helm of state affairs would be expected to know.
A neighboring country with which we were in sporadic conflict had suffered an internal rebellion, leading to the secession of part of its territory.
It was a major development that any ruler would keep track of.
Yet I, who supposedly knew nothing of the matter, had accurately translated it on the spot.
"Splendid, Noah. Continue to interpret."
"As you command."
"What manner of alliance does Russi Tsari wish to forge with the Empire?"
'We merely rose up because we could no longer endure Russi's oppression. We have no desire to antagonize the great Miles Empire. We seek permanent peace along our shared border.'
"What proof do you offer to convince Us of your sincerity?"
'We are prepared to offer our King's mother and elder sister as hostages.'
The moment I translated his reply, a collective gasp rippled through the ministers and Prime Ministers alike.
The envoy gave me a respectful nod.
Even without understanding my language, the court's reaction told him I had translated his words faithfully.
Voluntarily offering the King's own mother and sister as hostages carried that much weight.
"We understand the situation. We shall confer with Our chief ministers before rendering a decision. You may withdraw and rest for today."
'We are profoundly grateful.'
The envoy bowed one last time, rose to his feet, and turned to leave the Grand Hall.
Once the envoy had departed, His Majesty addressed the room.
"You have heard his words. I wish to hear your counsel."
The Third Prime Minister stepped forward, inclined his head slightly, and spoke.
"I believe we should decline. Even under a new name, they remain of the blood of Russi—the Land of Rakshasas. They are not to be trusted."
To that, the First Prime Minister countered.
"We are not currently at war with their fledgling state. I believe we should accept their overture and demonstrate the vast magnanimity of the Empire. If they remain subservient, well and good; should they lose their senses and turn hostile, we need only crush them then."
The First Prime Minister was in favor; the Third Prime Minister was opposed.
With those two leading the debate, the other ministers voiced their opinions one after another.
Once the discussion had run its course, His Majesty turned to me.
"Noah, what are your thoughts?"
I paused to consider.
My thoughts drifted back to my estate in Nisir, Almeria.
To think the strategy I had envisioned for the perimeter of my estate would find an exact parallel on this grand scale.
"I am in favor. In fact, I believe we should actively support them."
A murmur swept through the assembled ministers.
"Silence. Noah, explain your reasoning."
"Yes, Sire. If I may explain using a map..."
"Bring a map at once!"
At His Majesty's command, four eunuchs brought forth a map the size of a war banner.
It depicted the Empire and all its neighboring realms.
Taking a brush from the scribes' desk, I drew a line across the map—just north of the border between the Empire and the Russi Kingdom.
In the corridor between the imperial border and that new line, I wrote the words "Great Wall."
"I believe it would be ideal to shape Russi Tsari's territory in this manner."
"Hm. So you would shape them to completely sever the Empire from the Russi Kingdom?"
"Precisely. Our history of conflict with the Russi Kingdom is long. Despite employing every conceivable strategy, we have never been able to eradicate them. Far from it, they have never once shown any inclination toward peace."
"Umu."
"On the other hand, Russi Tsari is so eager to ally with the Empire that they are willing to surrender their King's mother and sister as hostages. If that is the case, our best course of action is to support Russi Tsari and turn them into a breakwater."
"...I see. Not a rampart of stone, but a Great Wall formed by an entire nation, is that it?"
"Precisely, Your Majesty."
I nodded firmly.
This was the very concept I intended to implement back at my estate.
Once, there had been an attempt on my life.
Assassins had tried to bribe the maid Zoe to poison me.
Yet Zoe, feeling indebted to me, had secretly warned me instead.
Drawing from that, I had planned to encircle my estate with people who felt deeply indebted to me, forming a protective perimeter.
I had assumed that project would have to wait until next year or beyond due to this year's tight finances—yet here I was, encountering a virtually identical scenario on an imperial scale.
"If we do this, the Russi Kingdom will never be able to reach the Empire without first battering through Russi Tsari."
Hearing this, His Majesty smiled broadly.
"Umu, remarkable, Noah! A truly magnificent strategy."
"It would also serve us well to place them in our debt by providing further aid. Having just launched a rebellion, they are bound to be short on supplies. Haujoy in Almeria can readily supply surplus grain to feed one million people."
"Umu! Splendidly said! First Prime Minister!"
"Sir!"
"Deliberate the details along those lines."
"As you command."
With my proposal adopted, not only His Majesty, but all the ministers in the hall looked upon me with genuine admiration.