Leaving the Grand Hall behind, I returned to the study with His Majesty.
I was the only one summoned to accompany him.
As usual, His Majesty took his seat behind the desk, and I sat across from him.
"Now then, Noah."
"Yes, Sire."
"Regarding the hostages. To put them in our debt, I am thinking of making them concubines to some of the imperial princes. What do you think?"
"As concubines, Sire?"
"It would be far better to make them concubines to imperial princes—to My sons—rather than keeping them as mere hostages."
A political marriage, in other words. A textbook maneuver.
I took a moment to think.
His Majesty had said "to put them in our debt."
That was the general direction he envisioned.
Taking that as a starting point—no, as an immovable end goal.
I searched for a way to align with that goal while securing even greater benefits for the Empire.
After various possibilities flashed through my mind like lightning, I bowed to His Majesty and answered.
"I believe it would be best not to accept the hostages at all."
"Oho? Do you have an interesting idea?"
His Majesty looked at me, his eyes brimming with curiosity.
"Yes, Sire. First, we have no need for hostages. They are a mother and an elder sister. No matter how necessary someone knows it to be, very few people can remain completely detached when their own flesh and blood is held captive."
"Naturally."
"Therefore, we should send them back. In return, regarding the food supplies I suggested earlier, we should deliver them in weekly installments."
"Weekly installments?"
"Yes. Every week, we send the bare minimum required to keep the people of Russi Tsari fed."
"And what will that achieve—ah."
Mid-sentence, realization struck him.
His Majesty was surprised at first, but then his lips curled into a sly grin as he looked at me.
"That's ruthless, Noah."
With those words, I knew for certain that he grasped my intention.
I nodded and pressed on.
"Yes, Sire. In short, it is taming by feeding. If we keep feeding them, they will gradually become incapable of surviving without our rations. Provided we factor in cutting off the supply in an emergency, this effectively turns the food itself into our hostage."
"Mm, indeed."
"Furthermore, if they become utterly dependent on this feeding, the moment they begin seeking an alternative source of supply—"
"It will serve as an omen of a double cross—of impending betrayal. Is that it?"
I nodded quietly.
"We send food and refuse the hostages. It places them in our debt while simultaneously seizing their lifeline, killing two birds with one stone."
"Mm. Splendid as always, Noah. Very well, let us proceed with that plan."
His Majesty seemed thoroughly satisfied with my proposal.
☆
The next morning, at the Thirteenth Imperial Prince Mansion adjacent to the imperial palace.
Ever since I departed for my fief, I had entrusted the management of this place to Dylan.
Having served the Thirteenth Imperial Prince—me—for many years, Dylan had maintained the capital residence without a single fault.
Since I still had business in the capital for a little while, I was staying at this mansion in the interim.
Waking up in the morning in the bedroom I had grown fond of over a dozen-odd years, I had the maids I left behind here attend to my dressing.
Now then, what should I tackle first today...?
"Summon Shirley and Cheryl."
When I gave the order, the maid hurried off to fetch them.
I moved to the living room and waited, sipping tea poured by another maid.
Before long, two women stepped into the room.
Shirley Grands and Cheryl Hyde.
Shirley was the sole knight I had recruited during my first stint as an examiner. Cheryl was an aspiring knight I had crossed paths with before meeting Indra; seeing how fiercely ambitious and promising she was back then, I had slipped in as a guest examiner during the Knight Selection to bring her into my service.
The moment the two entered, they dropped to one knee before the sofa where I sat and bowed their heads.
"Did you summon us, Your Highness?"
"Yeah. I figured I'd see the fruits of your training. Think of it as checking your homework."
"Yes, Sir!"
"Understood."
The two exchanged a glance, and Shirley was the first to draw her blade.
"Ah, both of you can come at me at once."
"Huh? But..."
"Against the two of us...?"
"I don't mind. Come."
With that, I rose to my feet.
Taking a step forward, I faced them head-on.
The two exchanged another glance.
They nodded to one another, shaking off their hesitation.
Cheryl drew her sword as well.
"Yaaah!!"
"Haaah!!"
Shirley and Cheryl launched into motion, striking simultaneously from the left and right in a coordinated pincer attack.
I stood completely still.
Shirley's slash came for my neck, while Cheryl's aimed straight for my waist.
Clang!!
A sharp, metallic chime rang out, sending sparks flying.
Both of their slashes were cleanly turned away.
"Keep coming."
Yes, Sir!!
Both were knights I had chosen myself during their examinations.
Because this was the exact same method I had used back then, neither hesitated to press the attack.
Without budging an inch, I took every blow head-on.
Protected by the Ring of Armor and the Absolute Defense granted by the five entities, including Leviathan.
In the beginning, Leviathan was the only one capable of this.
The Magic Sword of Water and the Ring of Armor would link together, projecting an automated barrier at a distance from my body.
Over time, both I and Leviathan's group had grown accustomed to the technique.
By now, I could form a razor-thin defensive film that clung almost directly to my skin.
Moreover, Leviathan was no longer alone; Bahamut, Huwawa, Behemoth, and Apophis had joined the fold.
With each possessing different proficiencies, they could deflect the attacks in their respective domains with even greater efficiency.
Leviathan could flawlessly ward off water and slashes, while Bahamut could almost entirely neutralize fire and physical combat.
Because the barrier was stretched over me like a second skin, an onlooker would think I was simply standing there taking a one-sided beating from two armed knights. In reality, I had plenty of breathing room.
That was made abundantly clear by the contrast between my composed, relaxed expression and the two knights, who were already drenched in sweat from their relentless assault.
Their fierce onslaught continued for a full five minutes.
It was essentially equivalent to sprinting at full speed without taking a single breath the entire time.
Thoroughly winded, the two sank to their knees on the spot.
"Mm. Well done, both of you. Shirley, the weight behind your single strikes has grown even sharper, and Cheryl, your attack frequency has been polished even further."
"T-Thank you very much..."
"Your Highness, rather... you have become so formidable..."
"The gap between us and Your Highness only seems to keep widening."
"It looks to me like you both still have plenty of room to grow. Keep applying yourselves."
Yes, Sir!!
The two answered in unison, sheathing their swords as they caught their breath.
I hadn't said it merely to be polite. Both Shirley and Cheryl had genuinely improved compared to the last time I tested their skills.
If they kept training diligently, they had the potential to grow much stronger—I truly believed that.
Clap, clap, clap.
Suddenly, the sound of applause echoed through the living room.
Looking over, I saw that Brother Henry had slipped in unnoticed.
"Brother, when did you arrive?"
"Just now. Ah, do not blame the servants; I told them there was no need to announce me."
"Is that so? Please, have a seat."
I dismissed Shirley and Cheryl with a brief "That will be all," and sat on the sofa with my brother.
As before, I ushered him to the seat of honor and took the lower seat myself.
"Splendid as always, Noah. They said they have grown stronger, but haven't you improved even more than they have?"
"Well, yes, to a fair degree."
"Hmm. That is all well and good, but isn't that method a touch too dangerous? What if the unthinkable happened?"
Brother voiced a perfectly natural concern.
"Those two are worth taking the risk."
"Oho?"
"When the time comes, I want to be able to place complete faith in them. That means I need to constantly gauge their strength... with my own body. Experiencing it firsthand is the best way to truly understand it, after all."
"You really are something else. I understand the logic, but even if I were told to do the same, I could never bring myself to do it."
"I'm merely putting on a brave face."
"The privilege of nobility, is it?"
Brother Henry gave a soft chuckle.