Chapter 49

After nearly being assassinated and feeling extremely weak, Lawrence entrusted everything to his son Linus.

If it had been any later, he would have died, but the method used was designed to make it look like a natural death without leaving any signs of injury. The fact that it was in time means that while he is weak, he is not injured. As long as he survives, all he needs is rest.

With that, Lawrence left everything to his son and went to settle things with Pascal.

Pascal's mansion is located in the center of Nishir, and it is a fairly grand building. As expected, there are guards at the front gate, but I approached them without hesitation.

"Stop! Who are you!?"

The guard, loyal to his duty, pointed his spear at me and demanded to know who I was.

"Is Pascal here?"

"Calling the magistrate by his first name!? Who do you think you are?"

"I am Noah Aralarat."

"Noah... what... oh, Aralarat!?"

The guard, who had been lively a moment ago, suddenly paled.

Even if he didn't recognize my face, he clearly knew the royal surname Aralarat. It seems he also knew that I had entered my fief.

"Could it be... Your Highness, the Thirteenth Prince..."

"Is Pascal here?"

"Y-Yes! In the mansion!"

"Hmm."

I nodded and slipped past the guard, entering the mansion. I left the stunned guard behind and approached the mansion.

As I reached the front gate, I encountered another person, a man who looked like a butler. The butler, recognizing me, hurriedly knelt before I could introduce myself.

"I did not know Your Highness was here, I apologize—"

"Where is Pascal?"

I interrupted him and asked as I continued forward. The butler hurriedly stood up and followed me.

"R-Right this way. I will call him immediately, please wait in the parlor."

"Fine."

I continued forward and entered the mansion, heading towards the "inner chambers" as the man had said.

I passed several servants and maids along the way, but seeing the butler follow me with a serious expression, as if dealing with a noble, no one tried to stop me.

When I entered the inner room, Pascal was there, half-undressed and fondling a woman who looked like a prostitute. He was drinking, eating, and playing with the woman, enjoying himself.

When I entered the room, Pascal looked annoyed.

"I said no one was to enter until morning... right..."

As he said this, he looked at me. The moment he recognized me, he was speechless.

"Prince Noah, what a surprise. I apologize for the unseemly sight—"

"Enough with the pleasantries. You tried to silence him, didn't you?"

"N-No, why would I need to silence Lawrence?"

"I didn't say I was Lawrence. Even if we assume, for the sake of argument, that you and Lawrence are in the relationship of a magistrate and a criminal, it's not a relationship where silencing him would be the norm."

"Ugh..."

Pascal gasped and started trembling.

"...Bahamut."

"Here."

"Teach him a lesson."

I said this and linked my armored ring to summon Bahamut. The spacious room of the magistrate's mansion suddenly felt cramped with his appearance.

Such a massive body, such a presence.

"Make sure he doesn't become a cripple, but make it rough."

"His life?"

I shook my head.

"People are treasures... and hope. Even someone like him might change in the future."

"Indeed, my lord. I apologize for not understanding your wisdom."

"Leave it to you."

"As you wish."

I left the mansion, entrusting the still trembling and unable to even lash out Pascal to Bahamut. The mansion was filled with continuous screams, as if all the pain in the world was condensed into one place.

☆

That night, in the inner garden of the mansion.

I returned and quietly read a book.

Knowledge is necessary to do various things. Whenever I had free time, I would immerse myself in reading.

Across from me sat Audrey.

I had ordered her to sit when she was not serving.

"Prince Noah?"

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Audrey called my name. I put down my book and looked at her.

"I have a request."

"What is it? Speak up."

"My grandfather asked me to request that you take my sister, Anya, as your concubine."

"Hmm."

I put down my book and looked straight at Audrey.

For nobles, this is not an unusual request. In fact, under certain circumstances, it is quite common.

Marriages between nobles serve to bind families and also to continue the bloodline.

When the main wife cannot have children, it is common to take a blood-related sister as a concubine to increase the chances of producing an heir.

It's not an uncommon practice.

"I understand. I have no objections."

"Really!?"

"Yes. It would be more comforting for you to have a familiar sister among the concubines."

"Thank you..."

Audrey looked delighted, blushing and looking down.

"When will it happen?"

"If you agree, my grandfather said it could be done immediately."

"He must really want your firstborn to be a blood relative of Prince Rai."

Currently, I only have one main wife, Audrey, but as a royal, I will likely take on more concubines in the future. Unlike the emperor, a prince's heir is not as crucial. As long as the bloodline is clear, it is acceptable.

Therefore, the eldest son often inherits the position.

"Reading your grandfather's letter, I felt—"

"Hmm?"

"Your grandfather really likes and respects you."

"Really?"

"Yes! I hardly know anyone he respects that much."

Audrey said this, looking at me with adoration and a flushed face.

"Prince Noah... you are amazing!"

☆

The emperor's summer retreat, while nominally a villa, houses the empresses, eunuchs who care for them, cooks, and other servants. There are also security guards.

Including all these, the villa is a substantial size, easily exceeding a thousand people, making it a small town in itself.

On the road back to the fief from the villa, Prince Rai Indra sat in his carriage, maintaining a straight posture as he gazed at the horizon.

In his mind, he was thinking about the conversation he had with the emperor at the villa.

"Three, huh..."

Although the emperor's words were vague, Indra understood from his tone that the list of potential successors—meaning the next emperor—had been narrowed down to three.

The Fourth Prince Henry.

The Eighth Prince Oscar.

And the Thirteenth Prince Noah.

He understood this. From Indra's perspective, these three were the most outstanding among the nearly twenty sons of the emperor.

Indra was certain that the next emperor would be chosen from these three.

And among them,

The Thirteenth Prince was not just a step ahead—no, he was far ahead, Indra thought.

"Wow, kid. I've never seen the emperor praise a prince so highly, not as a father but as an emperor."

In the succession race, Indra saw Noah as the clear favorite.

That's why he sent a letter to his granddaughter Audrey via a fast horse.

He also moved to have his other granddaughter, Anya, become Noah's concubine.

Indra, the old man, had a gambler's personality. When he felt it was the right time, he would bet everything to win.

Indra was now certain.

The next emperor would undoubtedly be Noah, he was certain.