On the day of the internal affairs meeting, one of the nobles brought up the bizarre rumors circulating in the capital as an agenda item, and other nobles began to criticize Ian’s opinion.
“Your Majesty, the citizens living in the capital are still grumbling about the policy proposed by the Third Prince. Would you reconsider?”
The harsh criticism from the nobles caused the Emperor to look toward the First Prince. Since the First Prince implicitly had the nobles’ support, his opinion needed to be heard.
“Kyle, what do you think?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. While the direction of Ian’s proposed policy isn’t entirely wrong, rising prices could make life difficult for the citizens and hinder stockpiling military supplies for emergencies.”
The Emperor skipped over the First Prince, who had his head bowed and was not making eye contact, and looked directly at Ian.
Sensing that the attention was on him, Ian stepped forward and presented his opinion first.
“I agree with the First Prince’s opinion.”
When Ian expressed agreement with the First Prince’s opinion, some nobles looked at him suspiciously.
“Then, can we assume you are withdrawing the proposal you made at the last internal affairs meeting?”
Withdrawing his proposal would undermine his authority as a royal. Admitting that his suggestion was wrong would tarnish his reputation, and the nobles would link this to his incompetence.
“Not at all. I believe a slight adjustment to the direction is all that is needed.”
“What kind of adjustment are you suggesting?”
“For essential goods, we won’t increase the toll. We’ll only increase the toll for luxury items.”
Earl Liam stepped forward with a triumphant smile.
“Your Highness, that might quell the rumors circulating outside, but if the guards at the checkpoints have to inspect each item, wouldn’t that be more trouble than it’s worth?”
Earl Liam inwardly scoffed, thinking Ian was an amateur who knew nothing about practical matters.
“What if there’s a way to avoid that trouble?”
Ian spoke confidently, causing Earl Liam to respond with a slightly flustered tone.
“If such a method existed, wouldn’t we have already implemented it?”
Seeing Ian’s confident demeanor, Earl Liam started to feel uneasy. Viscount Helington, who should have shown up by now, had vanished since sending a letter the previous night.
“Your Majesty, may I bring my attendant to this meeting?”
When the Emperor nodded, Ian called for Tom. Tom approached Ian with a fairly large pouch.
“Does anyone here know what’s inside this pouch?”
“Third Prince, how could we know what’s inside without being mages?”
“Then let me show you.”
Ian pulled out a palm-sized prototype of the ‘Detector’ from his robe and activated it, projecting the contents of the pouch onto the conference room wall.
“I see a bottle of liquor and gold coins. Do the rest of you see it as well?”
“Is… is this real?”
The nobles’ trembling voices echoed the astonishment felt by everyone in the room.
Having memorized the faces of all the key nobles, Ian spoke to one of them.
“I think the most skeptical among us, Earl Liam, should come and verify the contents directly. You might think I’m deceiving you otherwise.”
“May I really check?”
When Ian nodded firmly, Earl Liam walked forward, opened the pouch, and took out the items.
“It’s… it’s really a liquor bottle and gold coins.”
“How is this possible?”
“Did the Third Prince learn magic?”
As the murmuring grew louder, the Chancellor raised his hand to calm them.
On the eve of the internal affairs meeting, the sudden visit of the Third Prince surprised the Emperor. He couldn’t remember the last time his youngest son sought him out first.
Had it not been for the Chancellor’s report, the Emperor might not have allowed the meeting, assuming it was about alcohol, women, or some subordinate-related issue.
“What brings you to seek an audience with me and the Chancellor?”
“I came to claim the reward for solving the problem the Chancellor posed last time.”
The Chancellor was taken aback by Ian’s response, as it had only been about a week.
“I appreciate that you get straight to the point. However, I’ll need proof to make a decision.”
“For that proof, may I bring in my attendant?”
With the Emperor’s permission, Ian clapped and called for Tom.
“Your Majesty, please observe this closely.”
As Ian activated the Detector, revealing the gold and liquor bottle in the pouch, the Emperor’s eyes widened despite not sensing any mana being used.
“Explain what this is.”
Noticing the slight tremor in the Emperor’s voice, Ian smiled satisfactorily. He had successfully caught the attention of the highest decision-maker.
“Think of it as my solution to quell the bizarre rumors about me circulating in the capital.”
The Chancellor, more astonished than the Emperor, quickly composed himself and began to voice his thoughts. He realized the immense potential of the ‘Detector’ from this demonstration alone.
“If we had this device, we wouldn’t need additional personnel to distinguish essential goods.”
“Exactly. And there’s another advantage.”
“It would be useful for catching smugglers.”
“Indeed. I believe this is a very good solution.”
Despite nodding, the Chancellor didn’t stop his probing questions.
“What is the potential for mass production? I’m not sure how this device works without a mage, but it seems costly.”
Ian nodded at the critical question. The biggest hurdle for new products was always the possibility of mass production.
“That’s correct. It won’t be cheap. But we can’t afford to miss out on this obvious opportunity, can we?”
‘And the person who can fund this is the final decision-maker of this empire, right here.’
As Ian looked at the Emperor, the Emperor, having seen the Chancellor’s pleased expression, asked Ian.
“What do you need?”
“Support for the necessary mana stones and budget.”
“Very well. Since this will benefit the empire, I will support the budget. Discuss the details with the Chancellor.”
‘Deus, brother’s bringing the budget. Let’s stay on the development path for life.’
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The Chancellor, pleased with the Detector, asked Ian in an excited tone.
“Do you need additional personnel?”
“First, let’s focus on getting one prototype right. We can consider adding more people afterward.”
The Chancellor seemed eager to mass-produce the Detector as soon as possible and deploy it not just in the capital but also in other key cities.
However, to ensure the Emperor and the Chancellor understood the utility of the Detector, Ian needed to demonstrate its effectiveness firsthand. When that time came, the power dynamics would shift, allowing Ian to secure more budget and high-quality personnel.
“Is there anything else you desire?”
“Serving the empire is my duty; how could I ask for a reward?”
“You don’t need to be modest. Rewarding those who achieve and punishing those who err is the fundamental principle that allows the empire to keep expanding.”
Receiving confirmation from the Emperor, Ian spoke of what he currently needed most and would continue to need. This world exposed him to even greater dangers than modern society.
Even now, he faced the threat of being beheaded by Kyle in five years.
“Please assign me a personal guard.”
“A personal guard?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. As you know, I have no talent for swordsmanship or magic.”
Ian’s candid admission of his lack of talent piqued the Emperor’s interest.
“And?”
“Looking at this Detector, I believe my actions will provoke many nobles in the future.”
Seeing Ian objectively recognizing his situation and speaking candidly about it, the Emperor felt, as the Chancellor had reported, that the Third Prince had changed a bit. If he grew further, he might become someone the Emperor could manipulate as needed.
“What I seek is not to harm anyone in the palace but merely a ‘shield’ to protect myself.”
Impressed by Ian’s honest acknowledgment of his shortcomings and confident request for a solution, the Emperor laughed heartily. The Chancellor and Ian both flinched slightly at the Emperor’s booming laughter.
“Interesting.”
The Emperor looked at Ian for a moment before addressing an unseen presence.
“Duncan.”
“Assign a suitable personal guard to the Third Prince.”
“I will prepare it.”
A voice like scraping metal echoed briefly in the chamber and then faded away.
“Do you need anything else?”
“No, I shall take my leave.”
When receiving a reward from the ultimate decision-maker, it was crucial not to be greedy. Excessive greed, or rather the attitude of excessive greed, could ruin the relationship with the decision-maker.
As Ian departed, the Emperor called for the Chancellor.
“Arteus, what do you think?”
“I believe your wish will come true, Your Majesty.”
After pondering for a moment, the Emperor spoke to the Chancellor.
“Release the budget previously withheld from the Third Prince. And ensure generous funding for the development of the Detector.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
After the Chancellor left, the Emperor called for someone else.
“Duncan.”
A shadowy figure knelt before him.
“Do you have someone suitable for the Third Prince’s personal guard?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I plan to send my apprentice.”
“I see. And report everything about the Third Prince’s activities to me.”
“I will compile daily reports for you.”
After Duncan disappeared, the Emperor, left alone on the throne, thought to himself. He hoped the changed Third Prince could make the First Prince and the entire empire anxious. That way, he could find the rightful heir to pass on the empire he had built with his blood and sweat.
Cliche Novel 