Chapter 21

After handling all the military affairs, I left the Ministry of War with my older brother, Henry.

It was just past noon; the peak of the heat had passed, but the sun was still high, and I didn’t want to stay outside for too long.

"Want to stop somewhere?"

My older brother asked me from atop the carriage.

"How about Keith’s place?"

"The place with your favorite songstress? Sure, why not?"

My older brother agreed.

I instructed the driver to head to Keith’s shop, and the two carriages started moving side by side, with servants accompanying us on either side.

The main streets of the capital are wide because they are often used by nobles in carriages. Even with two carriages moving side by side, it doesn’t feel cramped, and there’s enough space for another carriage to pass from the opposite direction.

"By the way, Noah, you haven’t experienced actual combat yet, have you?"

"Yes, brother."

As I answered, I glanced at the status in the corner of my vision.

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Name: Noah Ararat

Wise Prince

Gender: Male

Level: 1/∞

HP: F+ F Fire: F

MP: F Water: E+S

Strength: F+E Wind: F

Stamina: F+ F Earth: F

Intelligence: F+ F Light: F

Spirit: F+ F Dark: F

Speed: F+ F

Dexterity: F+ F

Luck: F+ F

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Even at twelve, my level is still 1.

This is due to the royal regulations.

Many royal children die young—specifically, as infants.

Officially, they often die from diseases like smallpox.

Those who can delve deeper point out that royal children are separated from their mothers immediately after birth and raised by wet nurses and servants, leading to low immunity.

Some "loose-lipped individuals" and "those who know the truth" suggest that the deaths are due to poisoning from power struggles.

Regardless, it is a fact that many royal children die young. To ensure a successor, princes are not allowed to engage in actual combat until they have grown up, without the emperor’s direct order.

This is why my level is still 1.

Incidentally, my older brother Henry’s children have also died young one after another. He has had over ten children, but only three are still alive.

"You’re twelve now, it’s about time. It would look good if you had some combat experience before taking over your territory."

"Whenever the emperor gives the order, I’m ready."

"Indeed... You have a magic sword, so it shouldn’t be too difficult."

"When did you last engage in combat, brother?"

"I—"

Just as my older brother was about to answer, the horse neighed, and the carriage suddenly stopped.

I lurched forward in the carriage and grabbed the edge to maintain my balance.

Before I could ask what was happening—

"Please, help me!"

A girl about my age was kneeling in front of the carriage, looking up with a plea for help.

Her clothes were tattered, her hair was messy, and she wasn’t wearing shoes. She looked like she had just escaped from somewhere.

A few seconds later, more children, boys and girls, ran out from the alley, all dressed similarly.

Then, a group of adults came chasing after them.

There were about ten of them, and their faces showed the brutality characteristic of those deeply involved in the underworld.

"You’re giving us a lot of trouble!"

"Hey, come here!"

"No, no, no!"

"Let go of me!"

The men tried to catch the children and drag them back into the alley.

There were several witnesses on the main street, but everyone was standing at a distance, pretending it was none of their business.

"Noah"

"I understand."

I nodded to my older brother, jumped out of the carriage, and intervened.

"Stop it."

"What? Who are you?"

"Mind your own business, kid."

"Registration?"

"Huh?"

"Registration? Certificate? What’s the name of your shop?"

I fired off three questions in quick succession.

The men were momentarily taken aback and choked on their words.

I glanced at my older brother and made eye contact.

As expected.

These were dark slave traders.

"No registration? You know that unregistered human trafficking is a serious crime under imperial law, right?"

"Shut up! Just a kid, take him down!"

One of the men shouted, and another let go of the escaping slave and lunged at me.

I extended my right arm horizontally, and Leviathan appeared on it.

On the inside of my wrist, I have a bracelet that stores Leviathan.

It’s a custom-made item that shrinks Leviathan to the size of a needle and fits it perfectly.

I used to hide it in my ear, but this is an even more covert and portable version.

I swung Leviathan.

It left a cyan trail and cut through the man’s shoulders.

Blood spurted out like arrows, and his arms hung limply.

"Brilliant."

My older brother applauded from behind.

"I just cut the tendons. Stop here, or it won’t be a joke anymore."

"Ugh..."

"Hey, what do we do..."

"Who cares! Just a kid, we can take him down together!"

It was a desperate order, but the men followed it and attacked me all at once.

I swung Leviathan.

Even though my level is still 1 and my abilities are limited, I’m not outmatched by these roughnecks.

Using the sword techniques stored in Leviathan’s memory, I cut off the limbs of all the men, rendering them powerless.

"Whoa!?"

As the last man fell, the onlookers around us burst into exclamations of amazement.

"Wow, that movement was incredible."

"He’s so cool... Like a master..."

"Who is that kid?"

Ignoring the comments from the onlookers, I addressed the children who were sitting or lying on the ground, dazed.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes... yes..."

The first girl who had run to our carriage answered.

"Good. These guys are dark slave traders, right?"

"Yes, we are all—"

"Wait, stop there."

Just as the girl nodded and was about to explain why she had run, another man appeared from the back of the alley.

He was short and didn’t seem to be a brawler like the others.

However, the cloudiness in his eyes and the sinister tone in his voice were several times worse than the roughnecks.

He approached me, looked me straight in the eye, and gave a brief bow.

"It’s an honor to meet you, Wise Prince."

"Who are you?"

"I deal in children like these. My name... it’s better not to say."

"Why?"

"Because I am under the first prince."

The man smiled nastily.

"The first prince?"

"Yes."

The man nodded again.

I see, not a roughneck.

He knows who I am and is threatening me not to interfere because the first prince—my brother—is his backer.

Several options flashed through my mind.

I looked around; there were many onlookers.

I turned to my older brother.

"Do you know this man, brother?"

As I asked, I gave him a meaningful look.

My older brother was momentarily puzzled but then played along, saying, "No, I don’t know him."

"Brother doesn’t know you. Neither do I."

"Of course, someone like me—"

I didn’t let him finish.

I brandished Leviathan, which I still had drawn, to intimidate him.

The man, hit directly by the killing intent of the water magic sword, foamed at the mouth and fainted.

Then, I said loudly enough for the onlookers to hear.

"Really, impersonating my brother’s retainer. You can fool others, but not me or my brother."

"Was he an impostor?"

"Who are these two?"

"I know them. That’s the Wise Prince who is the patron of Alice."

"So they’re the real deal? The others were impostors?"

It seems there were people who knew me, and the rumor quickly spread in the direction I wanted.

I turned and instructed one of our servants, who had been standing by the carriage.

"Arrest these men and take them to the first prince’s residence. Tell them they are 'impostors who impersonated my brother in public.'"

"Yes, sir!"

"Take the children to my residence for now. I’ll talk to them later."

Our servant tied up the men and took them away with the children.

Once everything was settled, I jumped back into the carriage, and my older brother whispered to me.

"Great job, Noah. You handled it well."

"There was no other choice."

I sighed.

"If he was under my brother, I couldn’t just leave him. If I did, my brother would resent me, and it would also make it true that my brother is involved in the dark slave trade. The best course of action was to have my brother deal with the impostor."

"Hehe"

"What’s so funny, brother?"

"Your methods are always unexpected and impressive."

My older brother laughed, looking extremely pleased.