Noble Reincarnation: Born Blessed, So I'll Obtain Ultimate Power (貴族転生 ～恵まれた生まれから最強の力を得る～)

I bring a report.

Details about the man who recently entered your service,

Don Orts, have come to light.

He seems to be quite cleverly hiding it,

but he—along with his parents—are employees of the First Prince.

He's well-established there, then.

The households of nobles, especially royalty,

are managed quite strictly on various fronts.

In the interest of preserving confidentiality,

there are often strict limits on who employees can interact with.

In many cases, they marry other employees per their master's recommendation.

And children born to such marriages

also swear their loyalty to the master.

I believe that the First Prince sent him here as a spy.

Probably.

Don't tell anyone what you've discovered.

Now that we know he's a spy, we can use him.

Of course.

The insight to recognize him as a spy during a first impression...

Your Highness never ceases to amaze me.

I'm not sure I'd call it insight.

Even after I agreed to let him work for me,

Name: Minister-Prince of Justice Noah Ararat Sex: Male Level: 3 / ∞ E+F Fire: F+B F+F Water: E+S Strength: E+E Wind: F Stamina: F+F Earth: F Intelligence: F+E Light: F Spirit: F+F Dark: F Speed: F+F Dexterity: F+F

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my stats didn't increase.

That made it obvious.

Also, someone from the Bardsley store has requested an audience with you.

They say they have found the treasure you were seeking.

Right.

I guess that 10,000-rean bait I gave him paid off.

Ah, if it isn't the Wise Prince!

I pray this day finds you well.

A good preface.

What have you found?

Ah, of course.

I do hope it pleases Your Highness.

A painting?

That is correct.

A painting known as Huwawa.

It is the work of a renowned artist,

but it is, of course, no ordinary painting.

Is it cursed?

Most impressive, Your Highness!

Behold.

This is a replica made around the same time Huwawa was painted.

A replica?

I can see it.

It looks like the same girl in both, but...

A cursed painting that matures?

Precisely.

Through Leviathan, I can tell that the original

is giving off a strange aura.

In which case...

Y-Your Highness?!

What?!

Wh-What is this?!

Born Blessed, So I'll Obtain Ultimate Power

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Uh-huh. Uh-huh. I see.

Huh? Y-You can understand what she's saying?

Yes. She says this piece was painted with her blood.

Its painter killed her while she was still a child

and mixed her blood into the paint.

I had no idea...

"I want to repay you for freeing me," eh?

In that case...

swear loyalty to me.

I understand.

I-Incredible...

I never thought a cursed painting could turn into this...

So cutting her bonds with Leviathan

made it possible for her to enter and leave her vessel at will?

My earth magic gained a slight plus.

Name: Minister-Prince of Justice Noah Ararat Sex: Male Level: 3 / ∞ E+F Fire: F+B F+F Water: E+S Strength: E+E Wind: F Stamina: F+F Earth: F+F Intelligence: F+E Light: F Spirit: F+F Dark: F Speed: F+F

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That means she'll probably be useful in the future.

Episode 9

The Highest Trust

Well, give it a try, Huwawa.

Huh?!

I-Is... that... m-me?!

She says she can do more, too.

Like this?

Try touching her.

What?!

My left hand can touch her, but the right hand passes through!

She can make it work for both, but this is only a test.

I-Incredible... For someone I only met today to replicate me so well...

Well, the physical form is thanks to her link with my armor ring,

but I think this can definitely be called transformation magic.

Well done. As thanks, I'll pay any price you name.

Contact me if you find anything else.

I will!

Byron Alan Merchant

What brings you here today? And what is that behind you?

Ada has been honored with His Majesty's favor

and officially accepted as one of his attendants.

This is merely a humble token of my gratitude.

Oh?

Ada is the girl Byron sent to the palace as a servant.

So the servant he chose six years ago, per my advice,

has risen to the level of attendant.

I see. You really splurged, didn't you?

That's worth about 30,000 rean.

What's the matter?

Oh, nothing... I'm just surprised you guessed the amount.

Brilliant as always!

At any rate, that's good news. So she starts as an attendant?

Yes. I'm hoping she'll achieve the status of wife eventually.

Indeed.

Consorts are divided into four ranks.

Attendant

First are attendants, then concubines,

Concubine

and above them are wives.

Wife

And standing above all of them as the emperor's legal wife is the empress.

Empress

They rise in the ranks based on how much the emperor favors them

and how high their sons rank.

Noah's mother reached the rank of wife

when the emperor granted Noah his "Wise" title.

Thirteenth Prince

Wise Prince

It goes without saying that there's only one empress.

So if you're aiming for the top, the rank of wife is as high as she can go.

Right.

All I can do now is pray that she earns more and more of the emperor's favor.

No, it's all politics from here.

Of course, earning the emperor's favor is the fastest way to get there,

but outside of that, what's important is the politics among the consorts.

Is that so?

For example...

what if someone were to switch Ada's perfume with a scent the emperor dislikes?

Based solely on how cutthroat consorts can be,

the inner palace is even more of a den of demons than the world men live in.

I... I see!

Send her money.

Now that you know it's all politics, you know what you must do, right?

Yes, of course! Thank you so much!

Zoey.

Yes, Master?

Take this letter to my mother along with 10,000 rean.

U-Um... wouldn't Dylan be a more suitable messenger to the palace?

Men are forbidden to enter the inner palace where my mother is.

That's why I only see her around once a year.

Princes are taken from their mothers soon after they're born.

Only once... a year?

And please give my mother a message for me.

Of course. What shall I tell her?

"I consider myself Ada's guardian."

Y-You mean to use your mother for politics?

That's right.

But... she's your mother...

That's how the imperial family works.

Even between parent and child, profit and status take priority over emotion.

If Ada rises in the ranks,

she could be a good ally to my mother.

What a... fascinating world you live in...

Understood. I will go at once.