Chapter 42

On a clear morning, I stepped out into the garden of the mansion.

I stood in front of a banyan tree, a type of tree commonly seen in the Almeria region. The banyan tree is a distinctive plant with aerial roots that hang down from the trunk like a beard.

When these roots gather and intertwine, they form a new trunk, but since they are originally thin, thread-like roots, they remain taut even after intertwining and hardening, giving the tree the appearance of an old man's body. Combined with the original "beard," it is called a "longevity tree" or "sage tree," a tree with auspicious connotations.

I drew Leviathan and slashed at the banyan tree's roots, as if sweeping them away.

The magic sword, which left a trail of blue light, struck the roots—but failed to cut them.

Starting with this, I unleashed a series of slashes. The roots, which a child could easily pluck by reaching out, showed no signs of being cut no matter how many times I struck them.

They were designed not to be cut.

Leviathan contains a sword technique that allows the user to control the blade's path so that even easily cuttable objects cannot be cut. I had been practicing this technique as part of my morning routine for some time.

After swinging Leviathan for about thirty minutes, I sheathed the sword and took a breath.

Looking at the ground, I saw that not a single root had been cut today.

"Indeed, Master Noah."

I heard a girl's voice and the sound of clapping from behind.

Turning around, I saw a girl about my age, around fifteen, approaching with the maid Zoe in tow.

The girl's name is Audrey. She is the granddaughter of Prince Indra, the Thunder Prince, and my official wife.

"Your performance was as splendid as always today."

"Well, that's about it."

"Until I met Master Noah, I never imagined such swordsmanship existed in the world. Indeed, you are Master Noah."

Audrey said this and came closer. Then, standing in front of me,

"Would you like to have breakfast here?"

"I'll have it here."

"Understood. Zoe."

"Yes, ma'am."

At Audrey's command, Zoe, now the head maid of the mansion, went to prepare the meal. After briefly returning to the mansion, she came back with several maids.

The maids quickly set up a table and chair in front of me and arranged a tablecloth and tableware on it.

Then, the food was brought in. The maids brought the dishes, and Audrey received them, placing them in front of me as I sat in the chair.

"Please, Master Noah."

"Hmm."

It was a typical morning, with Audrey serving me breakfast.

When a royal marries, the roles of the servants in the household change dramatically.

Serving my meals is Audrey's job, and in the future, it will also be the job of the concubines who will join the household.

Even the head maid Zoe cannot serve me directly when a "lady" is present. Furthermore, unless there is a special reason, the official wife and concubines do not dine with me.

There are two reasons for this.

One is to emphasize that the head of the household is the royal—me, in this case. It's like a miniature version of the royal palace. Therefore, the official wife, Audrey, serves me.

The other is to elevate the status of the wife. Only the wife can "do something directly" for the head of the household, emphasizing that she is the second-in-command in the household.

While being served by the official wife, Audrey, I engaged in small talk.

"By the way, you'll be turning fifteen next week, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Finally, we can perform the 'Name Removal Ceremony' then."

"Yes! I've been looking forward to it!"

Audrey's eyes sparkled as she answered excitedly.

There is another difference for the wives of royals compared to commoners: they lose their last name.

Currently, Audrey's full name is Audrey Aralat. The 'Name Removal Ceremony' is a ritual that removes her last name, Aralat, leaving her simply as Audrey.

It's an old custom. Once a woman becomes a royal wife, divorce is not allowed.

The last name signifies the "family of birth." Removing it is an old custom that implies she has no family to return to.

"I know that commoners envy the 'Name Removal Ceremony,' but were you like that too?"

"Yes! Because this means I will truly become Master Noah's wife."

"I see."

It's not the ceremony itself, but the fact that she will belong to me.

"Finally, finally."

"Don't get too worked up. It's just a ceremony. As you can see from the maids, I have no intention of giving anyone else what I have given them."

"Yes! Thank you!"

Audrey smiled even more happily.

☆

Almeria Province, the capital, Nishir.

At fifteen, I moved to my fief with my official wife, Audrey. According to tradition, I would live in the fief for several years to study governance.

However, I had been appointed as the Minister of Law for a long time and had been consulted by His Majesty on various matters of governance.

Moving to the fief was not particularly tense; it felt like a regular day.

Today, after finishing the usual administrative tasks, I went out into the city around noon.

Nishir, being the "capital," was quite prosperous. It had everything that the capital had, but on a smaller scale. Nishir was like a downsized version of the capital.

I went straight to a specific shop.

I had heard that she would be there from today.

As I approached the shop,

"She's here."

I smiled.

The song I heard was Alice's.

Alice, whom I had once saved and later became my patron, had continued to sing and had become one of the top singers in the empire.

As a result, she began to perform in various parts of the empire. Of course, her travel expenses, her mother's living expenses, and even the purchase of the venues where she performed were all covered by me.

I continued to support her so that she could focus solely on singing.

When I entered the shop, it was similar to the one in the capital, Keith, but a bit smaller. As soon as I entered, I made eye contact with Alice, who was singing.

Before Alice could do anything, I raised my hand to stop her, signaling her to continue singing, and took a seat.

I listened to Alice's song, and I was satisfied with her improved performance.

After one song, Alice retreated to the back of the stage.

The customers, who had been listening quietly, began to talk. Some shared their impressions, while others engaged in casual conversation.

I quite enjoyed the diverse atmosphere typical of such shops.

"By the way, I'm moving to Gora next month."

"Gora? Why such a place?"

"Don't you know? The current magistrate of Gora, Evelyn, is amazing."

I overheard a conversation between two men at the next table. Evelyn, the magistrate of Gora, was undoubtedly the same Evelyn I had sent from my household.

Since it was not an unrelated conversation, I was curious about what was so amazing.

"Since Evelyn arrived, the security has been tightened, and now Gora is so safe that you don't even need to lock your doors at night."

"No way, man."

"Seriously. Of course, if you commit a crime, it's a different story. But I don't do that, so I decided to move there."

"Wow, that's impressive."

"Yeah. After all, she's a 'Kenshin.'"

"What's a 'Kenshin'?"

"A 'Kenshin' is an official appointed by Prince Kenshin. The rest are 'Imperial Appointees,' officials appointed by the Emperor."

The man paused and then, as if it were his own achievement, said proudly,

"There aren't many 'Kenshins,' but they are all excellent magistrates. They have made their regions prosperous and safe. I'm not saying that 'Imperial Appointees' are bad, but 'Kenshins' are just better."

"Wow, that's impressive. So, it's because Prince Kenshin has a good eye for people?"

"That's part of it, but according to merchants who have spoken directly with the magistrates, they all swear great loyalty to Prince Kenshin and are determined to repay his kindness."

"It's impressive that they are so respected by their subordinates..."

I listened to the men's conversation for a while, but no new information emerged.

I had received reports that the Evelyn I sent was doing well. It was good to hear positive feedback from the people.

I thought about sending a letter to commend Evelyn later.

As I was thinking, Alice returned to the stage. Applause broke out, and the conversations subsided.

The next song was about to start—

"Are you Alice?"

—but it didn't. Three unsavory men approached Alice from below the stage.

Alice's eyebrows twitched for a moment, but she maintained a cold expression as she replied,

"Yes, but what is it?"

"Master Pascal likes you. He's inviting you to sing at his mansion."

"I'm sorry, but I don't accept such invitations, no matter who it is. If you want to hear me sing, come to the shop."

"Hey, do you understand who you're talking to? Master Pascal, the magistrate of this Nishir. And it's just for one night, got it?"

"I've already said it. No matter who it is, come to the shop."

"Hey, you still don't get it. I am—"

"Enough."

I watched the situation unfold, and my voice echoed in the quiet shop.

I stood up from my chair and slowly walked toward the stage.

"What? Who do you think you're talking to, brat?"

"We are Master Pascal's messengers."

"I don't care."

"Then I'll teach you."

The men sneered, and one of them reached out to grab my shoulder.

"Bahamut"

'Understood.'

In the next instant, flames enveloped my arms.

I punched the man who had lunged at me, sending him flying several meters and rolling on the ground, engulfed in flames.

"What?"

"You!?"

The remaining two men attacked me. I hit them with the same flaming punches, turning them into human torches.

The flames lasted for only a few seconds and then abruptly disappeared.

"What was that?"

"Wow... he's controlling the flames at will?"

"Who is he?"

The customers in the shop were in an uproar. A group of people burst in from outside. They were the city's guards, dressed in uniform and armed.

"Who is it!? Who's causing a disturbance here?"

"It's me."

"You—!? You're His Highness the Thirteenth Prince. I apologize!!"

The guard, recognizing my face, immediately knelt before me.

"His Highness the Thirteenth Prince?"

"Could it be Prince Kenshin?"

"The lord of this Almeria!"

The commotion in the shop reached its peak. Ignoring it, I said to the guard,

"These men were trying to take someone from the shop. Arrest them and put them in jail for a while."

"Yes, sir!"

"Then, Pascal will send his men to demand their release. Tell them to come to me."

"Understood!"

The guard, following my orders, arrested the men, who were still smoking, and left. I turned to Alice.

"Are you okay? You don't have to be stubborn in situations like that."

"No, Master Noah always comes to the shop to listen to me. I cannot go with anyone, no matter who it is."

"I see. Then, sing a bit more for me here."

"Yes! I'd be happy to!"

I turned around and, under the gaze of the crowd, returned to my seat and enjoyed Alice's performance as she began to sing again.

Midway through, Pascal came to grovel, but I ignored him and kept him groveling until Alice finished her song.