章 17: Chapter 16: They left and those who Joined.
I left the restaurant with Byron immersed in the lingering effects of the song.
I got an unexpected satisfaction from Alice's evolution.
She grew! I knew it would happen sometime, but I didn't expect it to be this fast.
It was a happy miscalculation.
While savoring the lingering effects, I asked Byron, who had followed me.
"So, what are you doing here?"
"I was just passing by and saw His Highness."
"You're lying."
"Eh?"
Byron was surprised, I turned around with a smile as I walked and looked up at the merchant I had just met.
"A merchant wouldn't waste his time, especially if he's a successful merchant."
...
This time it was Byron who was exclaiming in a different way.
He stared at me with his eyes wide as if his eyeballs were about to pop out.
"What's the matter,"
"No, I'm surprised that at your age ... and a nobleman, you understand merchants so well."
"Me, on the other hand, it's kind of my job to waste time."
"Your Highness."
I smiled at him, and glanced behind me.
The shop where Alice is located is slowly moving away from me.
Her patronage comes from a peculiar aristocratic habit.
To put it bluntly, it's a form of debauchery, and debauchery also means enjoying the waste.
"If you're a merchant, you wouldn't be raising them like that."
"No. ... Oh, well,"
"What were you about to say?"
"Eh, its ..."
Byron stammered on in an awkward tone, but eventually gave up and replied.
"Some people would spend money or time to find a mistress."
"Huh, I see."
He remembered that I'm six years old, so he interrupted before speaking.
"So?"
"Yes, I would like to ask Your Highness to do me a favor ... I'm sure you know that it's time to hire some servants at the Royal Palace this year."
"Hmm."
Byron is right.
Once a year, the royal palace hires a large number of female servants in bulk.
Although nominally it's a recruitment of servants, if someone catches the eye of His Majesty, they are ordered to work the night shift and have the chance to become a concubine, etc.
That's why the selection criteria are so strict, and the number of people who apply is high, making every year a tight squeeze.
"What's the matter with that?"
"Well, you know what they tend to do, you know?"
"You want to send someone to the palace."
...
Byron nodded with a straight face.
The "government" and the " business" have been inseparable from each other since ancient times.
If a person in the palace who is in charge of the situation is in the palace, he or she will be able to get information as soon as possible, and if she becomes a queen or even an empress, it will be a great advantage for business.
This is what Byron wants to do.
"Of course, I won't ask for free. I have already sent my sentiments to the mansion."
Paying it forward, or don't do it.
It would be second-rate to say "When we succeed–" here.
So, what to do?
As long as I take my share, I don't mind.
I'm the prince, the emperor's son.
As a prince, I can take a merchant's gift with a simple "well done" and be done with it.
That's the status of a prince.
But I like this man.
That girl he found and adopted.
So I like this man, Byron, for doing it.
So I started thinking about what we could do.
Suddenly, two faces popped into my head.
One is Alice, whom I just parted with, and the other one is the Emperor in the palace.
His Majesty is very fond of me now, and if I recommend him, he will readily accept my recommendation.
"There is one.
"Who's the person."
"... I can put my recommendation on, it if she's the kind of girl I like."
After I said that, I glanced behind me – in the direction of where Alice was.
It wasn't unconditional, I could feel that she really was someone I liked.
Byron was apparently smart.
After alternating between me and the store where Alice was, he bowed his head in great delight.
"Thank you! I'll choose a girl who fits the bill."
"Yeah. Well, you've got one shot at the real thing, but I can give you as many tries as you want to qualify."
I would add, lest I be misunderstood by the ingratitude and no-goodness.
"For your generosity, my lord, thank you!
"Hmm ... you still look like you have something to say."
I read it in Byron's face as he raised his head.
"H-, how did you know that?"
"I can see that look of determination on your face, and I can tell."
"Your Highness the Thirteenth Prince, I'm honored by your wisdom."
"Start talking."
"Yes, ..., if you would allow me to put His Highness' insignia on my board."
This is amazing.
Putting my insignia on the board.
Which means he's going to be completely under my command.
"You sure?"
"Yes! It's only been a short time since we've met, but having seen firsthand what a great man His Highness has been, I hope to be allowed to join your command."
"Yeah, then okay."
"Then, will you allow it?"
"The only thing I won't tolerate is betrayal."
"Thank you very much!"
Byron got down on one knee to me in spite of the fact that we were on the street.
At that moment.
―――
Name: Lucas Ararat
Title: The 13th prince of the Ararat Empire
Gender: Male
Level: 1 / ∞
HP: F
MP: F
Strength: F+F
Stamina: F+F
Intelligence: F+F
Spirit: F+F
Speed: F
Dexterity: F+F
Luck: F+F
Fire: F
Water: E+SS
Wind: F
Earth: F
Light: F
Darkness: F
―――
With Byron under my command, I had a "+" in both intelligence and spirit.
At night, I look at the status in my room.
I was looking at the statuses that had been raised due to Byron becoming a subordinate.
It was about time I filled in the whole thing.
If I hadn't blown up that grimoire, I would have gotten a "+" on the wind, but well, it wouldn't matter if I said that now.
Just to be sure, I called a servant to call up my " public " status as well.
―――
Name: Lucas Ararat
Title: The 13th prince of the Ararat Empire
Gender: Male
Level: 1 / ∞
HP: F
MP: F
Strength: E
Stamina: E
Intelligence: E
Spirit: E
Speed: F
Dexterity: E
Luck: E
Fire: F
Water: SSS
Wind: F
Earth: F
Light: F
Darkness: F
―――
It reflects well on this side too.
I was satisfied with this.
There will be more to come.
I am the emperor's son, the 13th prince.
It is difficult for me not to have more people in my position.
And the more people who are underneath, the more "+" minutes they have, and their actual abilities will increase.
The fact that it will actually go up as well is proven by the fact that I made Leviathan a loyal dog.
I'll just continue to stay a nobleman and increase the number of subordinates and I'll get stronger and stronger.
The future I imagine is bright and I'm satisfied.
But something strange happens.
"–!"
I stood up quickly as if I was being bounced.
The status I'm looking at now has changed.
――――――――――――
Name: Lucas Ararat
Title: The 13th prince of the Ararat Empire
Gender: Male
Level: 1 / ∞
HP: F
MP: F
Strength:F+F
Stamina: F+F
Intelligence: F+F
Spirit: F+F
Speed: F
Dexterity: F+F
Luck: F+F
Fire: F
Water: E+S
Wind: F
Earth: F
Light: F
Darkness: F
―――――――――――
The one at Water has decreased.
It was SS right before and now it's S.
What happened?
The "+" is a correction for the subordinates, and the water SS was attached to me when I brought Leviathan to his knees, and the S was attached to me the moment His Majesty declared Almeria to be my enclosure right after I was born.
In other words – an anomaly(incident) in Almeria.
What's more, it's an incident that makes me out of my control.
....
I ran out.
"Master,"
As I ran out of the room, the maid who was waiting in the hallway was startled and followed me.
"Is something wrong, master?"
"Get the carriage ready, we're going to the palace."
Yes!
The Maid wasn't in position to ask, "Why?" , she hastily obeyed my orders and prepared a carriage.
It was night, and in spite of the fact that I had come out of the blue to visit him, His Majesty met with me.
In His Majesty's study, which is the size of a library, I got down on one knee and reported to His Majesty.
"Something is happening to Almeria, Your Majesty."
"... How do you know?"
Huh?
What is this reaction of His Majesty?
It's as if–
"Did you know about this?"
"Not until I got indications."
"So,"
I looked up from my position on one knee.
"There should some anomaly that happened,"
...
His Majesty raised his eyebrows and stared at me.
A few moments later, His Majesty's confidant, Eunuch Cruz, came in and spoke something to His Majesty in his ear.
"I see. All right."
His Majesty nodded, and Cruz bent down and left the study.
His Majesty sighed one sigh, then looked at me.
'"Amazing, Lucas,"
"Could it be ...?"
"Yeah."
His Majesty nodded.
"There's been a revolt in Almeria."
I knew it.
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