Published: January 4, 2026
“Oh, you know about me?”
The old man chuckled heartily, “Kakaka.”
Prince Lei, Indra Alarate.
He was Your Majesty’s uncle, and right after His Majesty’s ascension, he once served as the regent prince, holding the core of power.
Five years after His Majesty took the throne, he relinquished the regency and returned to his fief.
Since then, Your Majesty began his direct rule, ushering in the empire’s golden age.
Right after the ascension, the empire was in chaos due to His Majesty’s young age, but Indra suppressed the disorder with an iron fist. When His Majesty matured—though he was only twelve, the same age as me—Indra stepped back, enabling His Majesty’s direct rule. For this, His Majesty granted him the character “Lei” (Thunder), and now as Prince Lei, he lives quietly in his fief.
I was a bit surprised; I never expected him to show up in the Imperial Capital.
“You’re a promising kid. Hey, don’t stand so stiffly over there, come on, sit here.”
“Yes.”
I stood up and sat to Indra’s right.
Since this was a street stall, the surrounding onlookers murmured excitedly.
The woman I had just helped, and my maid Jiji, both wore confused expressions.
Ignoring all of them, Indra took a sip from his Golden Gourd, then stared straight into my eyes.
“So, you’ve already done your research on me. I take it you’ve heard the story?”
“Yes, directly from Your Majesty.”
“Hmm, I see. Then you must know why I came here?”
“…To size me up?”
I chose my words carefully and replied to Indra.
“Exactly. You know, among the seventeen princes with titles, you’re the only ‘wise’ prince like me. The emperor trusts you and expects a lot. Normally, I wouldn’t even need to verify, but…”
What Indra said would enrage the officials of the Inspection Ministry; they’d want to impeach him.
Though he is a prince and my uncle, he is still a subject. Calling His Majesty “the emperor” is the height of disrespect.
But somehow, I felt Indra wouldn’t care about impeachment, and His Majesty wouldn’t blame him either.
We had only just met, but I sensed, “he’s that kind of character.”
“It's a lifetime issue for my precious, adorable granddaughter. I have to see it with my own eyes.”
“I understand.”
“So, I came to size you up.”
“By the way, what happens if I don’t meet your standards?”
“Nothing much.”
Indra snorted.
“I just won’t give her away in marriage.”
“This is by imperial edict, though.”
“Doesn’t matter. If it’s an order from the emperor, I’ll obey—even if it means charging straight into the enemy’s midst. But this is my granddaughter, my precious, precious granddaughter!”
Indra repeated that line three times.
Ahh, a grandfather fussing over his granddaughter. Makes sense.
“In that case, this isn’t politics but a family matter, and the other party is my nephew—someone I’ve even let play on my lap. I’ll stop him even if I have to slap him.”
“I see.”
I thought he was an interesting person.
Among the royal family, occasionally, people pop up who are utterly endearing despite their eccentricities.
Although they are subjects before His Majesty, 99% of them become polite and formal as if molded from sugar art.
Regular people would dutifully serve them.
But about one percent turn out to be hopeless oddballs like this.
And typically, such people have no desire for power.
So, while they may be “rude” or “disrespectful,” they rarely get punished and are often favored by the emperor.
If Indra yelled, “I’m not giving away my precious granddaughter!” and stormed in, it’d probably be accepted without fuss.
“So, am I passing your test?”
“I’m going to check now.”
“Huh?”
The next moment, a heavy weight pressed down on me.
The scenery around me hadn’t changed, but something invisible enveloped my entire body, trying to crush me.
Several thoughts flashed through my mind before I instantly found the answer.
It was the same thing I always do.
Using Leviathan to intimidate.