Chapter 22

After the commotion with the dark slave traders was over, I invited my older brother to the mansion and we had dinner together.

In the large dining room, my brother and I sat facing each other across the long table, quite a distance apart. There was no real need to be so formal with my brother Henry, but this was one of the rules of etiquette.

The meal progressed with the service of the maids, and just as the main course was about to be served, the butler Dylan entered the dining room. Dylan first bowed to my brother, then whispered something in my ear.

"…I understand, you may leave."

"As you wish."

"What is it, Noah? What happened?"

"It's from the First Prince—Gilbert's household."

"Hmm, what did they say?"

My brother stopped his hand, his eyes gleaming as he asked.

"They caught the culprit well. After interrogating the scoundrel, it turned out he was impersonating me in the slave trade. I was planning to hand him over to the court tomorrow, but he committed suicide when I wasn't looking."

"…I see."

My brother sighed, and I sighed too. Really, people are a treasure...

We exchanged glances, and without a word, we nodded slightly. Both of us understood, and the same thought must have crossed our minds.

Cutting off the lizard's tail.

A dead man tells no tales, in any era or place. And the fact that they went to such lengths to silence him means...

"The dark slave trade was something you ordered, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

Brother Henry nodded.

"Gilbert has always been like that. Business—owning shops, buying estates. He was always obsessed with such things."

"There's no helping it, brother."

"What?"

Brother Henry was surprised, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at me.

"Gilbert is the First Prince but the son of a concubine, which is why he couldn't become the Crown Prince. Is it to vent his frustration, or because he can't inherit the empire and is seeking a substitute? Business and estates are just his alternative territory."

"…"

After I said this, Brother Henry continued to stare at me silently.

"What's the matter, brother?"

"No… I didn't realize you understood that. You really are something, Noah."

"Is that so? It's not hard to figure out."

"Not necessarily, but…"

Brother Henry smiled and began to eat the main course that the maids had brought.

The meal wasn't very appetizing after hearing such a distasteful story.

☆

In the living room of the mansion after Brother Henry left.

I was there with my guard Shirley and a few young boys and girls.

In the room lit by the lanterns, the young boys and girls who were about to be sold were kneeling in front of me. There were five of them in total—three boys and two girls. They were about my age, and if our circumstances and birth had been slightly different, we might have been playing hide-and-seek together.

I asked them.

"I've taken care of it. You are free now. You won't be sold this time."

"…..."

I declared their liberation from slavery, but the five of them didn't seem particularly happy. Instead, they looked at each other in confusion.

"You can go wherever you want. Do you have any place to go?"

"No..."

One of the girls, who was in the middle and had stopped my carriage first, answered in a barely audible voice.

"You don't have anywhere to go?"

"Yes... I was sold in place of this year's seed money."

"I was sold for my mother's funeral expenses."

"It's to reduce the number of mouths to feed..."

Each of the young boys and girls explained their situations. They all had no place to return to, or if they did, they would likely be sold again.

Incidentally, it's more profitable for parents to sell their children to dark slave traders. There's no trick to it; dark slave traders don't have to pay taxes, so they can afford to buy at higher prices.

Parents who have once sold their children to dark slave traders will likely do it again, even if the children return.

"I understand. Dylan."

I clapped my hands to call for the butler Dylan, who entered the room almost immediately.

"Did you call for me?"

"Take them all in. Provide them with a place to sleep and assign them appropriate work."

"As you wish."

"And if any of them are smart, let them study."

"Yes, as usual."

"Are you buying us!?"

One of the girls asked, half in surprise and half in joy.

"I'm not buying you. You are free to leave whenever you want, but..."

I paused and looked at each of them one by one. Sensing something from my gaze, they all stiffened and held their breath.

"I don't take back people who have left. It means I don't forgive traitors."

"…..."

The young boys and girls were stunned. Hmm? Was it too difficult?

Dylan, sensing this, interjected from the side.

"Just be loyal and serve with all your heart. Hurry up and thank His Highness."

The children, urged by Dylan, thanked me while still kneeling, and then were led away by him.

Alone in the room, I remembered something.

"Call Evelyn."

I clapped my hands, and after a while, the maid Evelyn appeared. She had been in charge of reception at the mansion for a long time.

"Did you call for me, my lord?"

"Yes, I have something for you."

I said this and took out a large envelope, handing it to Evelyn. She looked puzzled.

"What is this?"

"It's an appointment. You will be the governor of a small territory in Almeria."

"Governor..."

Evelyn repeated the unfamiliar word in a flat tone.

"It takes effect immediately. You will be an official now."

"Why me?"

Evelyn asked, half in surprise and half in joy.

The fief given to the prince is quite extensive, and naturally, one person can't manage everything. Therefore, the land is divided into smaller sections, and governors are sent to manage them on behalf of the prince.

The prince's representative governor—commonly known as a magistrate.

From a maid to a magistrate—a significant promotion.

"I've observed you for a long time. Among the current maids, you are the smartest. Your intelligence is too valuable to be wasted as just a maid in the mansion."

"But... I want to serve you more, my lord!"

Evelyn's gaze wandered, clearly choosing her words carefully.

"I want to serve you more than to go out and advance in the world!"

Evelyn pleaded earnestly, and I could tell she was sincere.

"I understand, but you will grow. And if you grow and excel, it will prove that I have a good eye for people."

"Ah..."

Evelyn looked surprised.

"Go out and work for me."

"Yes! I understand!"

Evelyn held the appointment close to her chest as if it were a treasure, and left the living room with a face half filled with joy and half with determination.

"Amazing..."

"Hmm?"

I turned to look at Shirley, who had been guarding me the whole time.

The role of a guard in such situations is not just for personal safety. Depending on the situation, nobles have a disadvantage if they "get their hands dirty" directly.

In this case, if the children had rebelled and attacked, I, as a prince, couldn't retaliate directly.

It would lower my status as a noble, and the attackers would be punished more severely for troubling a prince.

That's why I had Shirley there.

Shirley is a knight, not a noble. If the children had done something, Shirley could handle it without any issues.

Shirley was looking at me with amazement and admiration.

"What is it?"

"The First Prince and the way he uses people is completely different—"

"Shirley."

I interrupted her.

"That's enough. You shouldn't say such things out loud."

"Yes! I'm sorry!"

Shirley hurriedly apologized.

She apologized and didn't say it out loud, but she continued to look at me with respect.

☆

The next morning, I was summoned to the audience chamber for the morning meeting with His Majesty and the ministers.

After the usual state affairs were handled, I was called. I stepped out of the line of ministers, knelt on one knee, and bowed to His Majesty. After accepting my bow, His Majesty said:

"I've heard the story, Noah. You protected Gilbert's honor, I hear."

"It was a coincidence, Your Majesty."

He must be talking about the dark slave traders.

So Gilbert must have reported it himself. Clever of him. It's better to report it properly than to try to hide it, making it look like there's nothing to hide.

"Still, it's a shame that there were such scoundrels, impersonating Gilbert in the dark slave trade. What is the punishment for the dark slave trade—what was the crime?"

"According to the Imperial Law, unauthorized slave trading—human trafficking—is punishable by the amputation of the dominant hand for the principal offender, and military service for the accomplices."

"Is that so? First Chancellor?"

"That is correct, Your Highness."

The First Chancellor, standing at the front of the line, bowed slightly in response.

"Hmm. Noah, were you injured? I heard the culprit attacked you in a fit of rage."

"Fortunately, I was able to subdue him."

"I see. Well, it's Noah, so I wouldn't expect you to be injured. If it were me, I would have been beaten up while hesitating whether to reveal my identity during an incognito visit."

"In that case, it would have been a crime of disrespect, punishable by death."

The First Chancellor continued the conversation, but I interjected.

"No."

According to the Imperial Law, disrespect is not applicable if the person does not know the true identity of the emperor, i.e., before the emperor reveals himself during an incognito visit. In this case, it would be just an assault.

The moment I said this, the already quiet audience chamber became even quieter. All the ministers were looking at me.

I might have said too much. "Disrespect" is a delicate matter, and in such a metaphor, it might have been better to flatter and say it was a crime of disrespect. But it's better to be precise in such matters.

Still, I might have said too much. I thought about apologizing, but then—

"Haha."

His Majesty suddenly laughed.

"What do you think, First Chancellor? I won the bet, didn't I?"

"I was mistaken."

"Um... What do you mean?"

I was confused by His Majesty's sudden talk of a bet and a win, and his laughter with the First Chancellor.

"I was just testing Noah to see if he would speak strictly according to the law. That's all."

"Ah... I see."

Testing me? For what?

"Amazing, Noah. I've known for six years that you are strict about the law. I just wanted to confirm it."

"…?"

"Noah."

"Yes?"

"By the authority of the Emperor, I hereby appoint Noah Ararat as the Minister of Justice."

...

"O-O-O-O-O!?"

After a moment of silence, the ministers burst into cheers.

It turned out that I had been tested, and by answering as usual, I was appointed as the Minister of Justice.