At Keith's shop on Raid Street.
Inside the establishment, Alice was singing while playing her harp as usual.
His Majesty sat in the finest seat in the house, listening intently.
At times he stared straight ahead; at others, he closed his eyes and swayed along with the rhythm.
His Majesty was thoroughly savoring Alice's song.
Behind him, Cruz and I stood waiting in attendance.
I made full use of Apophis.
Accommodating Alice's steadfast rule that she would only perform in the shop and never hold private recitals at private estates, His Majesty had come to Keith's incognito.
Naturally, there were quite a few regular patrons around.
Unless something extraordinary occurred, no one could harm His Majesty with me beside him.
However, there was a strong chance that thoughtless people who couldn't read the room might spoil His Majesty's pleasant mood.
To prevent that, I used Apophis to take countermeasures.
Medicine and poison are two sides of the same coin.
Medicines that work on humans are, for the most part, nothing more than poisons with weakened toxicity.
Using Apophis, I put every customer in the shop to sleep.
It would be troublesome if they started snoring, so I paralyzed them slightly to prevent that, robbing their bodies of freedom.
Everyone here was just an ordinary patron. Not a single person could resist Apophis's poison—and without so much as a struggle, they were put to sleep by me.
As a result, His Majesty's private viewing proceeded smoothly in tranquil silence.
Even so, I cast my eyes around and remained vigilant, just in case.
Suddenly, my gaze met Cruz's, who was also waiting in attendance.
—Truly magnificent.
He moved only his lips, speaking without uttering a sound.
It was a simple phrase, easily read from the shape of his mouth.
So he noticed, did he?
The duty of a eunuch is to serve royalty and high nobility.
Unlike ordinary servants, because eunuchs are castrated, they can no longer be anything else. As a result, they specialize purely in their ability to serve—the refined skill of making the nobility's time as comfortable and pleasing as possible.
Cruz was an exceptional standout even among their ranks, having continually served the Emperor himself.
Serving the Emperor, who held far more power than any ordinary noble, made Cruz all the more skilled in that art.
If Cruz was silently praising me, then my actions to ensure His Majesty's enjoyment had indeed been the right choice.
I continued to command Apophis, maintaining the perfect atmosphere for His Majesty's appreciation.
☆
During the intermission, Alice temporarily retreated backstage.
Just moments prior, I had released all the patrons from their sleep and paralysis, and the establishment erupted into applause.
Most of the customers wore bewildered expressions, but swept up by the momentum around them, they clapped all the same.
"That reminds me, Noah."
"What is it, Your Majesty?"
"I hear the battle in the south against the Saei Clan has reached a lull."
"The Saei Clan, is it?"
Why bring that up now? I wondered briefly.
The Empire was a nation of warriors; somewhere along its borders, wars and the suppression of rebellions were constantly underway.
In the south, fighting had recently been waged against the Saei Clan, a forest-dwelling tribe that refused to submit to the Empire.
"We have been assessing merits and awarding honors, and reports indicate that a man named Jerry Eisen served with particular distinction."
"Jerry... is that so?"
That bandit fellow, huh.
I had captured him and sent him into the army under penal military service, but he rose to prominence surprisingly fast.
"After losing a localized skirmish, that man Jerry rallied the surviving troops and drove the enemy back. By all accounts, it was a truly heroic, fierce display."
"I see."
"According to him, Noah, he wishes to repay the debt of gratitude he owes you."
"A debt of gratitude to me?"
"'He gave me a new, second life where I can see hope. He is, so to speak, a father to me.'"
"A father..."
I muttered in a half-monotone.
I bore no ill will toward Jerry, but being called a father by a man like that was a bizarre sensation.
To begin with, in terms of age, he was probably twice as old as me.
"As expected of you, Noah."
His Majesty smiled in high spirits.
"A former bandit turned into a capable soldier. What is more, if he rallied soldiers and commanded them like his own limbs, he must possess the makings of a general."
Well, of course.
He was originally the leader of a bandit troupe; I had known from the start that he possessed the ability to command men.
"You recognized his worth and placed him where he belonged. As always, you are remarkable, Noah."
"People are treasures, as well as possibilities, Your Majesty."
"Umu, and this is truly a moment where that possibility has borne fruit."
His Majesty laughed warmly.
"Continue your good work going forward."
"Yes, Sire."
☆
After the performance concluded, His Majesty mentioned that he wished to see a bit more of the town, so I accompanied him as both companion and guard.
Departing Raid Street, we arrived at Horse Street.
Horse Street was the most bustling thoroughfare in the imperial capital.
Thanks in part to its colossal plaza, it frequently served as the venue for grand events like military departure ceremonies and major festivals, making it lively even on ordinary days.
"Hmm? What is that over there? Are those goods for sale?"
His Majesty showed interest in a stall set up in the middle of the plaza.
At a glance, it looked like an ordinary street stall, but its merchandise was far from typical.
It was a simple booth with several gigantic hemp sacks lined up, their openings tied shut with cord.
"That is a slave merchant, Your Majesty."
"Slaves?"
"Yes, likely a legitimate, licensed slave trader."
Saying so, I approached the merchant's stall.
Confirming from the corner of my eye that His Majesty and Cruz were following, I addressed the vendor.
"Where did these slaves come from?"
"Freshly acquired slaves from the Saei Clan, sir. Yes, indeed."
"So, from our victory against the Saei Clan."
I feigned ignorance, making the sort of casual remark expected in this situation.
The Empire was always fighting somewhere; having penal military service among its lawful punishments existed for that very reason.
And the Empire always won, taking a vast number of captives each time.
The majority of prisoners were funneled directly to licensed slave merchants.
Slaves of no particular standing were stuffed into hemp sacks like this and sold literally by the bundle.
"I see. So this is how the slave trade operates."
From behind me, His Majesty murmured in intrigued amusement.
I turned and bowed slightly to him.
"Yes, Master. Would you care to purchase a few?"
"How much for one?"
"Ten Rien per sack, sir," the merchant answered with a practiced sales smile.
"Is that cheap? Or expensive?"
When His Majesty inquired further, I stepped in to answer.
"At ten Rien, these are likely the type enchanted with absolute obedience magic on the sack itself."
"Magic?"
"Yes. Upon opening the sack, the captive will recognize the first person they lay eyes on as their master and obey any order without question."
"Just like a newborn chick."
"The sacks are designed with that exact principle in mind."
"Fascinating."
His Majesty examined the hemp sacks with keen interest.
He might actually buy one.
Since the absolute obedience magic was in effect, there was little danger, but I placed a hand on the outside of a sack to check for concealed weapons just to be certain.
"Hm?"
"What is the matter, Noah?"
"Is something wrong, customer?"
"This sack..."
Keeping my hand on it, I stared intently at the fabric.
Just as I thought. There was no mistake.
I drew ten Rien from my breast pocket and tossed the coins to the merchant.
"I'll take this one."
"Thank you for your patronage!"
"What is the meaning of this, Noah?"
"Please give me a moment."
I untied the cord binding the sack, and a single woman emerged from within.
Her hair was unkempt, and her garments were nothing more than tattered slave rags.
It was a common enough sight, but that was not what drew my attention.
It was the status display hovering in my field of vision.
―――――――――――― Name: Noah Ararat Imperial Prince Minister of Justice Gender: Male Level: 15 / ∞
HP: C + D Fire: E + A MP: E + D Water: C + S Strength: C + A Wind: E + F Stamina: D + E Earth: E + D Intelligence: E + D Light: E + C Spirit: E + D Dark: E + C Speed: E + E Dexterity: E + D Luck: E + D ――――――――――――
The instant I touched the girl inside the sack, the "+" modifier on my MP had jumped up an entire tier.
An ordinary slave could never cause such a change.
Without a doubt, she was someone of consequence.
To confirm her identity, I had paid the merchant, opened the sack, and triggered the absolute obedience magic.
Then, I asked:
"What is your name? Who are you?"
The girl knitted her brows and tried to clamp her mouth shut like a clam, but the absolute obedience magic took hold.
"Rou Peiyu. Daughter of the Saei Clan's chieftain—ah!"
She gasped in shock at having answered against her own will, but the rest of us were just as stunned.
"The chieftain's daughter... She was swept up among them?"
"What! You saw through that, Noah?!"
"Truly magnificent, Your Highness."
Both His Majesty and Cruz stared in sheer astonishment.