"Shall we go to the drawing room?"
"Haha, that is quite all right. Since I am taking up Your Highness's time, I cannot burden you with the trouble of moving elsewhere as well. That would not be a subject's proper conduct."
Germain clasped his hands behind his back.
"Your Highness's abilities are truly astonishing. After all, you have breathed new life into a North that was only dying."
"Did you come here to pay me compliments?"
"Haha, how could I possibly dare?"
Germain was coming at me with nothing but the lowest of postures.
But I could tell.
Germain wasn't bowing to me.
It was different from the Northern trait of not carelessly lowering one's head to others.
Right, that was arrogance.
'The arrogance of thinking he can use me all he likes and then toss me aside.'
Hm, my mood turned a little gloomy.
What should I do? I kind of want to fire off some magic?
But I held it in.
I am a patient man.
"Skip the pointless preamble. What's this interesting proposal? That's what whets my appetite more."
"As expected of His Highness the Prince."
Germain turned his head.
"Do you know Marquis Malachai Balbas?"
"There's no way I wouldn't. After all, I passed through the Balbas Marquisate on my way to the North."
"Haha, I see. Considering the route from the capital to the North, cutting across the Balbas Marquisate is the fastest way, after all."
"Unless you're trying to test my memory, stop beating around the bush. I don't like wasting time."
"......Yes, understood."
Germain cleared his throat.
"The truth is, Marquis Balbas and I are close friends."
Come to think of it, this guy was a marquis too.
Well, it was only natural for nobles to share friendships.
The thing was, when someone brought up their relationship with another noble to a third party, it usually meant some shady business was about to change hands.
"So what about Marquis Balbas?"
"The truth is, a very attractive proposal has come to Balbas. I am asking in case...... Your Highness might find it of interest as well."
"Go ahead and tell me."
"Yes."
The corners of Germain's lips curled up despicably.
"Not long ago, a letter in Her Majesty the Empress's own hand arrived for Marquis Balbas."
......Oh, wow.
I almost flinched without meaning to.
"What was written in it?"
"A matter concerning the North."
"The Balbas Marquisate only borders the North. It isn't the North, is it?"
"Who knows. After all, this frigid frozen land may soon be absorbed into the Balbas Marquisate."
I wondered what kind of bullshit that was.
But a picture soon formed in my head.
How many years had I spent watching every vile scheme Cassandra pulled?
'Seems she was pretty surprised when no news of my death arrived.'
The fact that I had survived probably wasn't a big problem for Cassandra in itself.
'And yet Cassandra is trying to force an unreasonable move.'
Wasn't the real problem...... that I had blended into the North rather well?
After all, even a deposed crown prince was a different story once he joined hands with the Grand Duke.
And the one who had reported my activities in the North to the Empress.
It had to be this snake bastard sneering right in front of me.
'But it doesn't seem like he's reported anything about the pay-to-win yet.'
Well, of course not.
Golden tools flew around and buildings sprang up....... How could anyone make a report like that?
With Cassandra's cantankerous temperament, she'd obviously think he was deceiving her.
"Absorbed, huh."
I deliberately feigned ignorance as I opened my mouth.
"Since when has a marquisate been in a position to swallow a duchy? Did the noble ranks change while I wasn't looking?"
"The order of the ranks has not changed. However...... as Your Highness has seen for yourself, the North's situation right now is such that it could collapse at any moment, is it not? Were it not for Your Highness's power, it would already have met its ruin when the Monster Wave struck."
Germain went on, hypocritically acting out his regret.
"The Empire's code of law contains this provision. The preservation of territory......."
"You must mean Chapter 3 of the 'Provisions on the Preservation of Territory and the Protection of Residents.' Go on, recite it."
Germain's eyes wavered.
'Who's he to quote books at me?'
I was someone who had lived holed up in the Imperial Library.
Aside from the librarian who had guarded the library for 50 years, there was no one who could surpass me when it came to the Empire's books.
"Uhm, yes....... In any case, the Empire's law clearly stipulates it. That regardless of the height of one's rank, a noble who fails to properly manage his territory is declared by the Imperial Household to be in a 'state of incapacity to govern the territory.'"
"Be precise, Germain. Only after at least three official inspection teams are dispatched to conduct a rigorous investigation, and a separate special resolution is passed at the Imperial State Council, is a 'state of incapacity to govern the territory' proclaimed. Would such a grave matter of state be decided by a few nobles running their mouths?"
I folded my arms.
And I poured out words so as not to give Germain a chance to speak.
"The territory of a house that has lost its capacity to govern is confiscated by imperial command, and its rule passes to the adjacent territory able to exert the strongest deterrent force nearby, or to the house with the highest contribution to the Empire that year. On rare occasions, it's also granted to a commoner who has rendered great service, as a reward of elevated status."
"Y-Your Highness is truly erudite."
"It's the most basic of basics, Germain. Then let me recite the shallow lines that come next for you, too."
"Pardon?"
"The Empress doesn't approve of Grand Duke Freyja. So she must be hatching a scheme. She intends to dispatch inspection teams and claim that Grand Duke Freyja is neglecting her duties as a lord. In a State Council made up solely of the Empress's closest aides, it'll pass unanimously. Hmm, no house has rendered great service lately, so naturally the nearest adjacent territory will inherit the North. Who could that be, I wonder? By my guess, Marquis Malachai Balbas looks like the perfect fit. What do you think?"
"Ah, w-well......."
"Don't roll your eyes around. You'll make me want to drop a Falling Fire Meteor on you."
I let out a big sigh and unfolded my arms.
Whoosh!
At the same time, dark red flames shot up.
Fire crawling along the ground cut off Germain's retreat.
"And shall I make one more deduction? Germain, you were going to ask me to cooperate with Marquis Balbas absorbing the North....... No, you meant to threaten me into it. Saying that as long as I cooperated, you wouldn't snitch on my special ability to the Empress's side."
"How could I—"
"You brought up the Empress, and you still have the nerve to play dumb."
In a way, yesterday's Justitia and today's Germain might not seem essentially different.
After all, both had tried to pressure me by bringing up the Empress.
But the two differed at a fundamental level.
Justitia's reason had been paralyzed by fear of her own blood relative, who was closing in on her by the moment.
When the deal kept dragging on, she had merely brought up the Empress out of desperation.
On top of that, she herself clearly recognized it as rudeness that crossed the line.
Germain, on the other hand, was different.
He showed an insolent attitude, as if the Empress's power were on his side.
As if a deposed crown prince were nothing but prey he could cook up however he liked in the palm of his hand.
The thought that his attitude was rude didn't even cross his mind.
That was what decided their evaluations.
'Well, even setting aside the difference in character, the evaluations would differ, though.'
Wasn't Justitia, after all, the one who'd be bringing home precious gold?
She wasn't someone a mere Germain, busy only wagging his tongue, could dare compare himself to.
"This is absurd, Germain. Did you think I'd be afraid of the Empress?"
I let out a chuckle.
"I'll admit it. When I was in the Imperial Palace, I was powerless. It felt like being locked in a prison. You know what? A bird kept in a cage for a long time can't easily take flight even when the door opens. Even though it plainly has wings."
What's more, that bird was living its second life.
Even so, it had no choice but to be powerless.
"For a bird like that to soar, it needs a trigger. A very special trigger."
That trigger was in the North.
I had seen silver.
Silver holding a deep blue flame.
"And the one who gave me that trigger sends me unconditional trust. So how could I repay that with betrayal? Whether it works or not, the right thing to do is to plant my feet and kick off toward the sky first. Not falling for a snake bastard's words goes without saying."
"......."
"Oh my, why have you gone mute? From what Freyja told me, I heard you were a man who'd wag his tongue even peddling the previous Grand Duke's name. Your complexion's gone ashen. Shouldn't you go see a doctor or something?"
......Hm, come to think of it, there's no hospital here.
That was a slip of the tongue.
"Try saying something back, Germain. Even a woman far younger than you threw the same threat at me and still stuck to her guns."
"Wh-Who are you talking about?"
Huh?
What the hell is with this bastard?
He doesn't know Justitia came?
'Was he holed up at home all day yesterday or something?'
Well, it's none of my business.
Whether Germain is a shut-in or not.
'No.'
Come to think of it, it might be a good thing.
After all, I'm going to stuff Germain somewhere dark.
If he likes gloomy places where the sun doesn't even reach, it'll be a perfect fit.
To be this considerate even of someone I dislike.
I was a man who had both patience and consideration.
"If you don't know, never mind. By the way, you have ambitions, so why are you trying to lick Marquis Balbas's ass? Didn't you want to usurp the Grand Duke's title? Ah, I see. You were planning to betray Balbas later too!"
Once my mouth opened up, unrestrained venom spilled out mercilessly.
There was definitely not only the Emperor's blood flowing in me, but my mother's too.
Every time I spat out harsh words, a strange thrill tingled up my spine.
I wanted to enjoy it a little longer, but it was about time to wrap up.
I had to finish my routine quickly to reach the residential district around the time the territory residents woke up.
"Anyway, thanks to you, I've fished out some good information. That Malachai Balbas is one of the Empress's underlings, and that he harbors the potential to bring harm to the North."
Snap!
I snapped my fingers.
The flames that had been blocking Germain's rear sprang up from the ground.
Whoosh—!
A rope of fire roughly bound Germain's entire body.
"Kh, khaaaagh! H-Hot, hooot!!!"
The pain is a bonus.
By the way, the flames hadn't moved all that fast.
"Tsk tsk, a so-called elite knight can't cut through that? You should've at least dodged it."
"Y-You will regret this!"
"What damn regret?"
"Have you forgotten!? Before I am a knight, I am an imperial marquis!"
"So what do you want me to do? You're a frontier marquis who doesn't even own a territory. Or do you have vassals who blindly pledge their loyalty to you? You don't."
"You crazy deposed crown prince bastard......!"
"And."
I seized Germain's lower jaw in a vise grip.
I detonated unrefined, intense heat from the center of my palm.
Sizzle—!!!
Germain's snout began to cook and burn in an instant.
Thanks to that, not even a scream could leak out.
Much better.
"I'm a prince, you bastard."
Even if I was a deposed prince.
The only one in the Empire who could reign above me was the Emperor himself.
Meaning it wasn't a position a mere marquis could dare climb over.
"Still, I do feel a little sorry."
I hadn't been aware of it, but it seemed anger toward the Empress's faction of nobles, who had ignored and insulted me in the capital, had settled deep inside me.
On top of that came the venom built up from Ignis's curriculum.
And Germain had splendidly detonated all that pent-up stress.
"Well, what can I do? You're the one who landed the last hit."
Thud!
In the end, unable to bear the extreme burning pain, Germain passed out.
It'd be a problem if he died, so I dispelled the flames.
"If you're going to make a troublesome proposal, at least have some ability to back it up."
I brought up the [Map].
Among the facilities, I tapped the [Training Ground (E)], which would have deep ties with knights.
A roster appeared in turn.
Incredibly, two perfectly contrasting names came up.
===[Resident Roster]===
Graive(S)
Germain(F)
.......
======
"What is this?"
F?
The Northerners, who had no connection to farming, had aptitudes of E as farmers.
Then just how worthless did that make Germain?
"Or...... is it because he has no intention at all of teaching others as an instructor?"
Just in case, I looked over the other facilities too, but Germain consistently boasted F-Grade aptitude.
"So he'd slack off on the job no matter where he's assigned?"
He was a man not even worth using as an ally.
Cassandra probably hadn't had high expectations of him either.
A disposable game piece was probably exactly his level.
'Still, it's a little strange.'
How should I put it?
Too hasty?
He might be expendable, but he was still a marquis.
It would be a waste to use him on such a sloppy and abrupt plot.
So why had she used him up in such a crude way?
'Even supposing she was worried that Freyja and I would join forces, she's suddenly making moves to confiscate the territory?'
And she'd even let that slip to me.
'Germain might have just acted out on his own.'
But Germain's personality made that hard to believe.
This guy was an extreme egotist.
He was the kind of bastard who would have played it safe if he judged the Empress's orders to be harmful to his own safety.
'He'd follow the Empress's instructions to the letter, but he's not the type to rack his own brain to carry them out.'
What on earth are you thinking, Cassandra?
What are you aiming for?
'Not enough clues.'
No answer came.
Racking my brain in this situation was a loss.
In that case, I'd just take out some insurance.
"First...... I should ask Johannes to put more effort into keeping watch on the Imperial Household's side."
On top of that, I should also tell Justitia to bring back whatever she can get her hands on when she leaves for the capital.
Hm, this is what talent is.
Assign them one task and they create ten times the value.
I smiled.
My mood was no longer gloomy.
"Ignis! Keep an eye on this guy."
At my call, the rabbit appeared.
"You're not killing him?"
"For now, I'm going to throw him in prison."
Of course, it was a prison in name only.
With the residents' housing only just starting to go up, there was no way we'd have a proper prison, was there?
I planned to lock him in a gloomy solitary cell deep inside the Intelligence Bureau.
"Kyuu, what if he escapes? He's all show, but he's a Sword Expert in his own way."
"That'd be good in its own way."
"......Kyu?"
"There are ways to recycle even trash. Anyway, if he starts to wake up, smack him with your ears and knock him out again."
"Got it, kyu."
Leaving Ignis glaring venomously at Germain behind, I began running laps around the garden.
In that moment, notifications popped up one after another.
[You have answered the earnest wishes of your territory residents!]
[You have isolated a subversive element plotting with impure intentions within the territory!]
[Many territory residents now feel favorably toward you! 'Curious'→'Favorable']
What's this?
Were there really this many people who hated Germain?
But nobody should know I beat Germain to a pulp....... Oh.
A pair of pigtails was peeking out through the manor's back door.
It was Anna.
It's still early in the morning, so why are you awake?
The sight of Germain being set on fire was a scene harmful to a child's emotional well-being.
It was the moment I prayed Anna hadn't seen it.
[As a reward, you obtain the item 'Ancient Compass'!]
[Tip: The Irregulars left clues so that their legacy could be found.]
Right, so what if she sees something a little harmful?
Anna isn't a child who'd be shaken by something like that!
I blamed myself.
How could I have so little faith in my territory residents?
An apology for my lack of faith was needed.
'I'd better make flowers bloom in the North quickly.'
And I'd have to visit Anna's flower shop.
Every single day.
In the not-too-distant future, Anna's flower shop's regular customer would surely be me.
'If only for that future.'
I finished my routine in 1 hour and 12 minutes.
It was a new record.
Was it because I wanted to check my reward even a little sooner?
As if answering my will.
Fwoosh!
Golden light rose above my palm.