Chapter 56

Leaving the grand hall, I returned to the study with His Majesty.

I was the only one called to come along.

His Majesty returned to his desk as usual and sat down in his chair, while I stood across from him, separated by the desk.

"Well, Noah."

"Your Highness."

"I have a matter regarding the hostages. To curry favor, I'm considering assigning one of the princes' concubines to them. What do you think?"

"A concubine, Your Highness?"

"Better than just a hostage, wouldn't you agree? It would be a political marriage, a standard move."

I thought for a moment.

His Majesty had mentioned "currying favor."

This was His Majesty's broad outline.

Starting from this point—no, as an unchanging endpoint—I considered what else could benefit the empire.

After various ideas flashed through my mind, I bowed to His Majesty and replied.

"I believe it would be better not to take the hostages."

"Hmm? Do you have an interesting idea?"

His Majesty looked at me with keen interest.

"Yes, Your Highness. First, we don't need the hostages. The mother and sister. No matter how necessary they may be, it's hard for anyone to completely cut ties with their loved ones."

"Of course."

"That's why we should send them back. In exchange, I propose we send the food supplies I mentioned earlier, on a weekly basis."

"Weekly?"

"Yes, just enough to feed the people of Luczar, every week."

"And what would that accomplish—ah!"

His Majesty was taken aback, first in surprise, then with a twisted smile, looking at me.

"You're ruthless, Noah."

With those words, I was certain His Majesty understood my intent.

I nodded and continued.

"Yes, in essence, it's about conditioning. If we condition them, they will gradually become dependent on our food supply. If we consider cutting off the supply when necessary, it will effectively serve as a hostage."

"Indeed, that's true."

"Furthermore, if they become completely dependent on this supply, should they ever seek a new source—"

"Signs of betrayal. That's what you're saying."

I nodded quietly.

"Sending food, not taking hostages, can serve as a two-pronged strategy to curry favor while controlling their lifeline."

"Indeed. Well done, Noah. Let's proceed with this plan."

His Majesty seemed satisfied with my proposal.

☆

The next morning, at the residence of the Thirteenth Prince, next to the palace.

After moving to my fief, I entrusted the management of this place to Dylan.

Dylan, who had served me, the Thirteenth Prince, for many years, had maintained the mansion in the capital well.

I would be staying here for a while, as I still had business in the capital.

I woke up in the room I had been familiar with for over a decade and had the maids help me get ready.

Now, what should I start with today...

"Call Shirley and Cheryl."

I ordered the maid, who immediately went to fetch them.

I moved to the living room and waited, sipping the tea the maid had brought.

After a while, two women entered the living room.

Shirley Granz and Cheryl Hyde.

Shirley was the only knight I had selected when I was an examiner. Cheryl was a woman who aspired to be a knight, whom I met before meeting Indra. Due to her strong ambition and potential, I infiltrated the knight selection as a guest examiner and promoted her.

As soon as they entered the room, they knelt on one knee and bowed to me, who was sitting on the sofa.

"Did you call for us, Your Highness?"

"Yes. I want to see the results of your training. It's like a homework check."

"Understood!"

They exchanged glances, and Shirley drew her sword first.

"Both of you at the same time is fine."

"Wh-What? But—"

"Then—"

"Come on, it's fine."

I said this and stood up, stepping forward to face them directly.

They exchanged glances again, nodded, and dispelled their hesitation.

Cheryl also drew her sword.

"Yaaaaah!!"

"Haah!!"

Shirley and Cheryl attacked from both sides, as if to sandwich me.

I didn't move from my standing position.

Shirley's slash aimed for my neck, Cheryl's for my waist.

Clang!!

A high-pitched metallic sound rang out, and sparks flew.

Their attacks were blocked.

"More, come on."

"Haah!!"

Both were knights I had selected as an examiner.

Since I used the same method, they didn't hesitate to attack.

I didn't move, receiving their attacks.

With the absolute defense provided by the armor ring and the five Leviathans.

At first, only Leviathan could do this.

The water magic sword and the armor ring linked to create an automatic defensive shield at a distance from my body.

Over time, I and the Leviathans became accustomed to this method.

Now, we could create a thin, almost skin-like defensive membrane around my body.

Moreover, not just Leviathan, but Bahamut, Fwawa, Behemoth, and Apophis as well.

Each of them, with their different specialties, became more adept at deflecting attacks.

Leviathan could accurately block water and slashing attacks, while Bahamut could almost nullify fire and melee attacks.

From the outside, it looked like I was standing still while being attacked, but in reality, I was quite relaxed.

This was evident from the fact that while I stood coolly, the two attackers were already drenched in sweat after their intense assault.

Their fierce attack lasted for about five minutes.

It was like a sprint at full speed for five minutes.

Both were out of breath and had to kneel on the spot.

"Hmm. Both of you did well. Shirley, your strikes have become heavier, and Cheryl, your speed has improved."

"Thank you, Your Highness..."

"Your Highness, you've become even more formidable..."

"The gap between us and Your Highness is growing wider."

"I believe you both still have room for improvement. Keep working hard."

"Haah!!"

They responded in unison, sheathed their swords, and caught their breath.

I wasn't just saying this to comfort them; both Shirley and Cheryl had improved since the last time I checked their training.

If they continue to train, they can still become stronger. I genuinely believed this.

Clap, clap, clap.

Suddenly, the sound of applause echoed in the living room.

I looked up to see that my older brother, Henry, had arrived.

"Brother, when did you—"

"I just got here. Don't blame the servants; I told them not to inform you."

"I see. Please, sit."

I dismissed Shirley and Cheryl, telling them it was enough, and sat down with my brother. I let him take the seat of honor, while I sat in the lower seat.

"Indeed, Noah. You said those two had improved, but it seems you've improved even more."

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Hmm. That's good, but isn't that method dangerous? What if something goes wrong?"

My brother raised a reasonable concern.

"Those two are worth it."

"Really?"

"In a crisis, I want to trust them, so I need to always know their strength... experiencing it firsthand is the best way to understand."

"You're truly remarkable. I understand the logic, but I couldn't do the same."

"I'm just enduring."

"A noble's privilege, I suppose."

Henry chuckled.