Chapter 122: A Meeting with the Songstress
I stared at the young man and thought for a moment.
“…Understood. That story is valuable; don’t tell anyone else.”
“Of course! I won’t tell anyone.”
“You will return to Oscar’s mansion and work as usual.”
“Got it! I will be cautious about various things—”
“No, that’s fine.”
I interrupted the young man’s words.
“Huh?”
“You don’t need to consciously try to dig for information.”
“But… then—”
“Just do as I say.”
“—Yes…”
When I spoke firmly, the young man reluctantly backed down.
He clearly showed his dissatisfaction, thinking “ I wanted to be more useful but I am not allowed?”.
“Look at this.”
I summoned Fuwawa from the ring and created my original crest in the air between the young man and me.
“What is this…?”
“Look closely and remember it.”
“Huh? Y-Yes…”
The young man stared at it intently. Although it was a crest, I had altered some parts compared to the usual one. I had made a pattern to show only to this young man.
“Did you remember it?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Good.”
I nodded and dismissed Fuwawa.
“If you need me, make sure to contact someone who has something related to that crest. When you see it, think of it as my representative.”
“Understood!”
The young man’s brow opened up.
It felt like his excitement surged as he understood he was needed.
“I’ll say it again, do not act with awareness. Oscar is clever.”
I said this with a serious expression, staring straight at the young man.
“If you try to consciously probe, it will definitely be revealed. So don’t be aware of it. Working diligently at Oscar’s mansion is the best way to help me.”
“Got it! I’ll work diligently!”
“Good.”
I nodded and put my hand in my pocket—but then I hesitated, pulling my hand back and returning it to its original position.
“That’s all for today. If he realizes we’re meeting, it won’t be good.”
“Understood!”
Saying this, the young man kept his posture low and left the establishment.
I watched his figure disappear.
This was unexpectedly excessive. Or perhaps it was always like this.
The situation with Dosso was done to help Zoe.
I bought most of Dosso’s land to protect her from the merchant swarms that appeared after the flood, like locusts.
Even then, I was thanked by Dylan.
The elderly man who had been my steward when I was the Thirteenth Prince, Dylan.
He was also originally from the area around Dosso.
It could be said that something similar has happened again.
“It’s good to do good deeds.”
I smiled slightly and reached for the snacks on the table.
“Noah-sama.”
A soft voice called my name.
When I looked up, I noticed that the song had ended at some point, and Alice had come to the side of the table.
“When did you… Well, have a seat.”
“Yes, excuse me.”
Alice said this and sat down next to me.
“May I ask you something, Noah-sama?”
Because we were inside the establishment,
Alice was considerate and referred to me as “Noah-sama.”
However, that consideration didn’t actually mean much.
Almost every regular customer at this establishment knows that I, the patron of Alice, am the former Prince of the 13th and the Emperor of the Empire.
In this establishment, calling me “Noah-sama” doesn’t actually have any significance.
However, pointing that out would be rude considering the thoughtfulness behind it, so I let it be.
“What is it that you want to ask?”
“Weren’t you just about to give that man a reward?”
“Oh, that matter?”
I was so engrossed in the conversation that I hadn’t noticed, but it seems Alice had a clear view as she came closer after the song ended.
Yes, at the end of my exchange with that young man, I reached into my pocket. My usual practice is to give him about 1000 reens as a gesture of appreciation.
Alice, having known me for a long time, was probably curious as to why I didn’t give him anything this time.
“If that person were a servant of my mansion or someone I didn’t know well, then it would be fine, but he’s a servant of Oscar’s mansion.”
After a brief pause, I continued.
“Looking at his outfit, it seems he’s just a lowly servant doing menial tasks. In that case, his monthly wages must be—well, at Oscar’s mansion, it should be around 15 to 20 reens.”
I knew Oscar well.
He was known for his gentle nature and was categorized as a kind prince, especially toward his servants.
In the capital, the average monthly income for an adult male was about 10 Reens.
Oscar was likely paying around twice that.
Still, even at 20 reens a month, giving someone like that a reward of 1000 reens would…
“If a person suddenly comes into a large sum of money, they’ll become the subject of rumors, no matter how much they try to hide it.”
“That’s true.”
Alice nodded with a slight wry smile. She had experienced this herself.
Back when I first discovered her, the rumor of her being a Cinderella girl spread throughout the capital.
“For me, I could give rewards as much as I want, but if it attracts attention, it won’t be good for that man.”
“I see… It’s amazing that there’s so much to consider even when rewarding someone.”
I smiled lightly.
“Yeah, I think about a lot of things regularly.”
“Is there anything else you’re considering?”
“Yeah. The poorer the recipient, the more I think about giving a reward first.”
“Is that so?”
“For example, Alice, if you received a 10 reens tip right now, how would you use it?”
“Huh? A tip of 10 reens?”
I nodded. Alice looked thoughtful, contemplating deeply. After considerable deliberation, she concluded:
“Maybe… I wouldn’t use it, because there’s nothing I need to buy right away.”
“Then, for instance, back when we first met, if you suddenly got 10 reens?”
“When we first met? That would be… for my mother’s medicine.”
“That’s just it.”
I nodded again, this time more clearly. Alice looked confused as if she didn’t fully grasp my “that’s just it.”
“When you have a certain amount of money, you won’t have the urge to spend it right away, even if you come into it. But the poorer you are, the quicker you’ll want to use that money. Moreover, the way it’s spent is closely tied to daily life. In your past, it would be for medicine, or for a large family, it would be for a feast or warm clothing for winter. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes.”
“By spending money this way, it circulates. If you give 10 Reens to a poor person, they will spend it right away, and that person who receives the 10 Reens will also spend it. Furthermore, the next recipient will create an economic cycle where the reward generates more impact than what I provided.”
“Ah…”
“And that’s how it works.”
“That’s amazing, Noah-sama… I’ve never heard such a story before, but you truly are remarkable.”[TN: Ah, yes the praises]
I smiled softly.
This too was something learned from history.
While I didn’t need to explain this to Alice, during the latter days of the Parwar Empire, there was a strong sentiment that the national treasury—meaning the country needed to achieve a budget surplus.
There were several reasons for this, but the biggest one was the perception that the government was wastefully conducting public works and indiscriminately spreading money to the private sector.
However, history would later conclude that this was a mistake.
At the time, both public and private sectors condemned public works as unnecessary and wasteful spending. Yet, regardless of being labeled as waste, that money didn’t vanish into thin air.
The money used for public works is paid to the laborers who worked on the projects.
Unlike the wealthy, who can only hoard excessive earnings, commoners—laborers—tend to spend nearly 90% of their earnings as soon as they receive them.
First, the money is spent on food, drink, and entertainment.
Drinking copious amounts of alcohol and paying for women, for example.
The money spent at restaurants and similar establishments flows through merchants to farmers as payment for supplies.
Farmers, too, are a type of people who spend money when they receive it.
There are countless stories of farmers saving up a lump sum of money and using it to get married.
Even if they don’t, they might repair their homes or stock up on thick, cotton-filled clothing for the winter—there is no shortage of ways to use money.
But that flow has stopped.
By cutting off public works, the source of this economic cycle, the flow of money has clearly diminished.
As a result, commoners have become poorer, and tax revenues have declined.
The Parwar Empire, as an additional misstep, resorted to raising taxes—but that is, well, another story.
Even if the country’s finances are tight, I believe it’s necessary to distribute funds to those “who immediately spend money once they have it.”
Indeed, I learned this from history.
Well, that’s not something to say to Alice.
“More importantly, about the next matter, I’d like you to enter the palace to start preparing.”
“Yes.”
Alice nodded quietly.
“Audrey, my wife has expressed a desire to meet you as well.”
“Your Majesty—no, um, your wife?”
Alice looked surprised and bewildered.
Given our long acquaintance, she was able to smoothly differentiate between “Noah-sama” and “Your Majesty,” but it seemed that engaging with the “Empress” was almost a first for her.
“Pfft.”
“W-what’s wrong?”
“Well, I was just thinking that you seem more nervous or scared about meeting my wife than about me.”
“Ah…”
Alice shyly looked down.
Then, with a resentful glimmer in her eyes, she shot a glance at me from below.
“Sorry, did I tease you too much?”
“N-no, um, when… should I go?”
“Whenever it’s convenient for you.”
“Got it, I’ll just check in with the master.”
Alice stood up and headed over to the shopkeeper, who was waiting a bit away.
That’s when it happened.
“Hey, move it, move it!”
“I said you’re in the way!”
Right next to me—three thuggish-looking men entered from the store’s entrance.
One was leading the way, flanked by two others.
All three swaggered as they walked.
It was a classic intimidation tactic, trying to appear physically larger.
“What’s this, is it full?”
“Just move someone out of the way.”
“How about that seat over there?”
As the men said this, they approached our table.
Then it wasn’t the apparent leader at the front, but one of the goons behind him who stood right in front of me.
“Hey, give up that seat.”
“If you hand it over quietly, we won’t resort to roughhousing.”
“…”
I was a bit taken aback.
Even though I was incognito outside the palace, everyone in this establishment, from the owner to the customers, knew who I was.
The only ones who didn’t know were casual customers.
And for a first-time visitor, it was impressive that they could engage in such a classic and cliché intimidation tactic in a place that would naturally feel like an away game.
“You guys—”
“Wait, Master.”
“Alice? Why are you stopping me? At this rate—”
“What would happen if you deprived that person’s opportunity to shine?”
“Huh? No, but—”
“Those kinds of men wouldn’t even be able to lay a finger on him.”
“That’s… true, but…”
A little further away, Alice and the shopkeeper were exchanging words about something.
What are they talking about? As I turned my gaze that way—
“Hey! Are you even listening?”
“Hm? Oh, sorry, I wasn’t listening.”
“—! You!”
Thinking I had ignored him, one of the men got furious and raised his fist.
In that instant, various scenarios flashed through my mind.
Among the options I had considered, I chose one.
I slightly shifted my body.
Then the man’s fist grazed my cheek.
“””—!”””
In an instant, the inside of the store became chaotic.
From regular customers to the staff, everyone turned pale, without exception.
The only ones who remained unaffected were me and three thugs who were unaware of the situation.
Even though they didn’t know what was happening, they seemed to have the ability to read the atmosphere.
They noticed that the surrounding air had changed completely, and their expressions showed that they were witnessing something terrifying.
“W-What the hell…?”
It felt more alarming than an obvious backlash.
Everyone had faces as if they were witnessing the end of the world.
Realizing that something was off, the three of them hesitated in that strange atmosphere.
I touched my cheek.
There was faint blood.
It was just a minor scratch, as if I had cut myself on the edge of paper, but the fact that my face had been hurt and was bleeding was undeniable.
“Your Majesty! Are you alright!?”
Alice rushed over to me, her face pale with worry.
“‘Your Majesty?’”
The three were taken aback by Alice’s words. It seemed they didn’t even understand the meaning of what she said.
For now—I’ll just keep it to myself.
“I’m fine.”
I said this to Alice as I stood up. Then I turned to face the three.
“W-What the hell?”
“This qualifies as self-defense now.”
I pointed to my cheek and declared.
“—You’re mocking me!”
One of the men, the one who had charged at me first, raised his fist once more.
It seemed his anger had shaken off any confusion.
There was no obligation to let him hit me a second time. I swiftly dodged his punch and grabbed his wrist.
And then—dislocate it.
With a snap! sound, the man’s wrist joint came loose.
“Ahhh!”
“W-What the!?”
“You bastard!”
The man whose joint was dislocated grabbed between his wrist and elbow, screaming as he collapsed to his knees.
I approached the remaining two.
They were agitated and launched their counterattack.
Like the previous man, they clenched their fists and carelessly came at me.
Using the martial arts I learned from Lutiya, I dislocated both of their wrist joints as well.
With exactly the same motion, all three had their right wrist joints dislocated in the same manner.
The three of them, having their wrists dislocated in a lightning-fast manner, groaned and curled up on the ground.
Then, the leader-like man, despite being on the ground, glared at me with beads of cold sweat on his forehead.
“You… don’t think you can get away with this, do you?”
“I’ll get away with it.”
“What!?”
“According to Imperial law, the one who is attacked first has the right to retaliate accordingly. I was hit by you guys and bled, so I dislocated your joints to prevent you from using your fists. It’s 99% likely to be recognized as lawful.”
“That has nothing to do with this! You’ve done this, and I will absolutely—”
“…”
I had said all I needed to say; now it was time to deliver the finishing blow in a way that didn’t involve words. I closed my mouth, released my power, and manifested the emblem behind me.
“‘H-His Majesty!’”
At that moment, every person in the store knelt before me. It was a technique where I applied the power of Livyathan to instill in others directly the realization that “the person before them is the Emperor,” rather than creating “fear.”
When I did this, everyone knelt simultaneously.
That was all the customers did.
However, the men who had attacked me began to shudder as they knelt before me, trembling.
I slightly lessened my intimidation.
As a result, the men screamed, “Eek!” and crawled away as if their paralysis had been lifted.
After the men left, the place fell silent.
“—Your Majesty!!”
The first to regain her composure from the intimidation was Alice, who had been my companion for a long time and had a deep bond with me.
For her, the intimidation still lingered, as she had called me differently than just a moment ago.
Alice rushed towards me and reached out her hand to touch my cheek, but then she stopped midway, flustered.
“Pl-please wait a moment; I need something to wipe with–“
“No, it’s not necessary.”
Stopping Alice, I took a small bottle out from my pocket. I dropped some of the liquid from the bottle—the potion—onto my finger and applied it to the wound on my cheek.
And then…
“Th-the wound…”
Alice gasped, speechless. Was this her first time seeing a potion?
“What is this…?”
“I made it; as you can see, it heals minor injuries right away.”
“Y-your Majesty did!? Amazing…”
I let out a small laugh and put the potion bottle back in my pocket.
The scene of me using the potion and my explanation reached the eyes and ears of everyone present, and all the guests prostrated themselves, cheering in awe.
There is –>discord<— to get update notifications and releases? I am lazy af these days.
Happy New Year!
Thanks for the treat.
Happy New year