Chapter 6

I stood there, staring intently at the magic sword.

After listening to Brother Henry's story and subduing this thing, for some reason, it started to fit my hand better.

When that happens, other thoughts come to mind.

"What are you thinking?"

"Well, since I've subdued it this far, I want to carry it around from now on."

"Interesting. But that's difficult. It's impressive that you've subdued it as a magic sword, but physically, it's too large. It's too long to hang from your waist or even to carry on your back."

"Yes."

"Well, just wait a few more years. His Majesty and your other brothers were all tall, so you'll grow soon too."

"That's true."

Even so, I couldn't give up.

The feeling after swinging it was just that amazing.

Right then.

---

A voice echoed in my mind.

It wasn't human speech, but strangely, I could understand the "meaning."

"What's wrong, you look strange."

"Excuse me, Brother."

Since I didn't know what would happen, I warned Brother Henry.

Then I gripped Leviathan tightly, closed my eyes, and focused.

As I desire, as it desires.

"Ugh."

Brother Henry groaned.

I opened my eyes and looked at Leviathan in my hand.

The magic sword had shrunk.

Leviathan, which had been a greatsword for a six-year-old like me, had shrunk to a well-proportioned longsword suitable for a child.

"Yep."

I gripped it several times to check the feel.

The fit was as good as ever—no, even better than before.

I tried placing it at my waist; it was the perfect length.

After checking everything, I looked up and said to Brother Henry.

"Now I can carry it."

"..."

"Brother?"

For some reason, Brother Henry was stunned, and I tilted my head, peering up at him.

"...Ah, no, it's just unexpected."

"Unexpected?"

"Changing the size of that magic sword, Noah, was it you?"

"Yes."

"Unprecedented. It's been isolated as a national treasure for two hundred years, and there are records from before that, but nothing like this has ever happened. Just amazing—hats off to you."

"It was this thing's suggestion."

"I see."

Brother Henry smiled.

"So you've tamed this mad dog so thoroughly."

"Yes, that's how it is."

Brother Henry looked at me with even more admiration.

In any case, I can now equip Leviathan.

I decided to carry it from now on.

☆

As the sun set and Brother Henry was leaving, I went out to see him off.

A maid came to the reception area, first bowing to Brother Henry, then reporting to me.

"Master, an invitation from the Third Chancellor."

"An invitation?"

"Yes, he's holding a party at his house tonight and would like you to attend."

The maid said this and handed me the Third Chancellor's card and invitation.

I didn't take it; nobles don't read the contents themselves in such situations.

Maintaining my noble pride, I asked the maid.

"What time?"

"Whenever you please."

"I see."

I've learned to read between the lines in such situations after six years of reincarnation.

In other words, I'm the guest of honor tonight, and the start time is when I arrive.

Such an invitation, and from the Third Chancellor.

I couldn't refuse.

"Brother, how about you?"

"I'll pass. I don't like noisy places."

"I see. Understood."

If so, I'll go alone.

I just ordered the maid to prepare and went outside with Brother Henry to see him off.

Brother Henry got into the carriage and walked with me to the gate of the mansion.

"Hmm?"

"What is it, Brother?"

"Is that them?"

I followed Brother Henry's gaze from inside the carriage.

There were several men prostrating themselves on the ground.

Ah, those debt collectors.

"Right."

I nodded and turned my gaze back to see Brother Henry off.

Even Brother Henry, who had no relation to them, averted his gaze.

Then,

"I can't take it anymore! Don't ignore us!"

One of the prostrate men stood up, glaring at us.

His shoulder was bandaged, a familiar face.

One of the men who had been collecting Alice's debt.

"You—"

"..."

The man who tried to confront me, ignoring his companions' attempts to stop him, suddenly lost his strength and fell to the ground, dazed.

His companions grabbed him from behind, pressed his head to the ground, and forced him back into a prostrate position.

"What did you do?"

Brother Henry, sensing that I had made the man fall, asked.

"Excuse me."

I apologized and did the same to Brother Henry as I did to the man.

A partial release of Leviathan's power as a warning, which subdued the man.

Of course, what I directed at Brother Henry was much weaker.

Brother Henry seemed to understand this.

"Can you control it to that extent? Amazing."

He praised me more than when I first subdued the magic sword.

☆

After a few minutes in the carriage, we arrived at the destination mansion, having crossed half the capital.

The carriage bore the crest of the Thirteenth Prince, so we were welcomed without any questions, even from inside the carriage.

As I jumped out of the carriage, the mansion's doors opened wide, and an elderly man stood in front.

Not my type, but he had a trendy beard, a rather dapper older man.

The Third Chancellor, Jean-Blade Raidouk.

A noble with a compound name from a prestigious lineage.

Raidouk, seeing me land firmly, approached with large strides and knelt before me.

"Welcome, Prince Noah."

"Thank you for the invitation. It looks like it will be a pleasant night."

"I will do my best to entertain you. Please, come in."

Raidouk stood up and, despite being a chancellor, followed me like a servant.

I led the way into the mansion.

We walked through a path formed by a line of servants and stopped in front of the door to the party room, which is a must-have in such mansions.

Raidouk signaled, and the servants opened the heavy door—then.

A wave of applause erupted.

Inside the party room, hundreds of men and women in formal attire gathered, all clapping for me.

I was a bit surprised but quickly realized it was on Raidouk's orders.

This was a way to show that I was being welcomed, a kind of preemptive strike.

But I didn't mind.

I walked down the aisle of applause, followed by Raidouk.

"That's the Thirteenth Prince."

"He's so young, yet so dignified."

"He's not intimidated at all, so calm and composed. Truly the son of His Majesty."

I walked through the voices coming from all directions.

When I reached the center, everyone gathered around.

However, it wasn't chaotic.

This was a party hosted by the Third Chancellor with the Thirteenth Prince as the guest of honor, and all the guests were from the upper class.

Therefore, there was a clear order, and the sequence for greeting me was predetermined.

It seemed orderly as they approached me one by one.

"By the way, Your Highness, the item at your waist... I don't remember seeing it before."

Before the next person could greet me, Raidouk asked.

"This? This was given to me by the Crown Prince. It's called Leviathan."

Instantly, everyone held their breath, then started murmuring.

Everyone was probably wondering, hence the murmurs.

Representing everyone's curiosity, Raidouk asked further.

"Leviathan, as in the—?"

"The one."

Since everyone knew this, I just nodded.

"Oh, the national treasure—"

Raidouk knew about the magic sword.

"Given to you directly by the Crown Prince?"

"Right, the Thirteenth Prince's fief is Almeria."

"I see, that makes sense!"

Because everyone's voices were in unison, even a small whisper stood out.

"Huh, just a toy. Probably a fake."

The person who said this was probably just muttering to themselves, but the moment the words were spoken, the room fell silent.

Everyone turned their attention to the person who spoke.

A young man in his early twenties, dressed in formal attire.

The young man flinched for a moment but, unable to back down, forced a sneering smile.

Hmm, what to do—

Instantly, the atmosphere in the room changed.

Everyone turned pale.

Even the women in dresses collapsed.

Everyone looked as if they had seen something incredibly terrifying.

"Wait."

I whispered.

"Sit" might have been more appropriate, but "wait" was fine too.

The tension in the air eased.

Leviathan had snapped.

The mad dog had become a loyal dog.

Thus, it reacted fiercely to the insult to its master.

The killing intent emitted by the magic sword Leviathan, which could overwhelm just by existing, suppressed everyone in the room.

That was good, but it was also excessive.

Many were relieved to be freed from the killing intent, but many were still pale.

Leviathan had released that much killing intent.

I was wondering what to do when Raidouk came to my rescue.

"Indeed, Your Highness is impressive."

"Hmm?"

"Everyone here must have felt the same thing just now, the presence of 'death.' That is the power of a national treasure. And that—"

Raidouk suddenly turned to everyone, but his hand pointed at me, making a theatrical gesture.

"Is the greatness of the Thirteenth Prince, who can control such overwhelming power."

A forced summary, but it was effective.

Because everyone had faced death, their reactions came from the bottom of their hearts.

Even more enthusiastic applause broke out than when I entered, and everyone praised me for taming the magic sword.