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It was a large mansion five stories tall full of different decorations, giving a somewhat gaudy atmosphere or that of a parvenu. Of course, Sol knew that underestimating the Duke just because of that would be stupid.

"Welcome your highness."

Stepping out of his carriage, Sol paused at the reception reminiscing of what happened with the Highland.

Only this time, rather than rows of soldiers, what greeted him were two rows of beautiful women clad in skimpy maid clothes that barely covered their curves.

Sol had to admit that being greeted by such a line up was a turn on. If he wasn\'t already used to his maids, he would be grinning or blushing like a fool currently.

\'Seems like Lilith\'s objective was meet.\'

Smiling, he began to walk toward the entrance of the mansion where a stout short man was waiting for him without paying attention to the maids around.

Sex was something he could have at any moment. So he didn\'t crave it as much as most people.

Behind him, Setsuna was walking with a frown on her face at the blatant attempt of seduction while Milia keep a calm and serene smile.

The maid she chooses always wore rather conservative dresses that went past their knees, but she knew that those clothes had a greater allure for Sol.

What\'s more, she had absolutely no worries. She was always there to help Sol relieve himself if he needed it.

Thinking about that brought her mood up and erased any ill feelings she might have from the meeting with her colleagues.

Hermes Traver, seeing the prince walk unfazed, had to increase his opinion of the prince.

Being strong didn\'t mean much to him. After all, at the end of a day, for a kingdom, while à powerful Ruler was necessary, what truly mattered was nothing more than money.

War costs money.

Peace costs money.

Only the goddesses or the divine beings could escape this law.

So more than his fighting prowess, what mattered to him was the prince mindset. At least for now it didn\'t disappoint him.

Giving a genuine smile once the prince reached him, he bowed and said in a clear voice,

"Welcome your highness. Your presence brightens and honor my house. I hope you will have a pleasant stay."

----

After a somewhat surprising warm welcome, Sol alone sat in the main office of the Duke with a pondering expression.

Milia and Setsuna were currently outside of the room but were ready to rush in at any moment.

After all, while the Duke Highland was very trustworthy, The Duke Traver didn\'t have such a glorious reputation. So they had to be careful.

Sol on the other was rather curious.

He was ready for many things, but not something like that. After all, even Duke Highland took his time to observe him more before beginning to discuss serious matters.

Still, it did not bother him.

Facing him, was the Duke Hermes Traver, sipping on a cup of tea.

Silence hung in the room, but Sol wasn\'t in a hurry to dispel it. He felt as if he would lose if he talked first. So he simply closed his eyes and began to meditate.

Hermes, seeing Sol so relaxed was once again pleasantly surprised. He could see that it wasn\'t him acting, but that he was truly at ease in the current situation.

Deciding that staying silent longer than that would just be a waste of time, he coughed a little to get Sol\'s attention.

"If I may ask, how was your meeting with the old man?"

Sol, giving a small smile, leaned on his chair with his legs crossed in a rather arrogant way, while his chin pointed upward and his gaze fixed downward in a condescending manner.

"If by, old man, you mean Duke Tyr Highland, then know that he accepted to leave his neutrality and swear true allegiance to me."

Hermes was once again surprised but not overly so this time. After all, he had already received the rapport from his spies and knew what he had to expect.

Still, it seemed that him throwing his lot with the prince was truly the best way.

If he did so, the prince would have two of the four Duke on his side.

Arachne\'s opinion on the matter was obscure, but he was sure that with her obsession with Mars she would at worst choose to be neutral.

Meaning that the last one would be Loki Gorfard.

\'Ohohoh~! The situation is truly interesting."

If at first, he had only accepted to join the prince because of his <<Gambler instinct>> and the matriarch, now, he was willing to give his all.

Still, he decided to ask,

"Your highness, what do you think is the most important for a kingdom? Money? Power? Wisdom? Loyal subjects?"

Back then when he asked this question to the previous King, Mars, he had answered that the most important were loyal subjects. He really wondered what answers the prince would give.

Sol, who was previously relaxed, sighed a little. It seemed that no matter where he went, people were always testing him.

Still, he wasn\'t angry. At the end of the day, he was just a young boy with no credentials to his name.

Wining in the colosseum was enough to not be disrespected or underestimated, but it wasn\'t enough to instill trust and confidence in people without showing more.

\'What is the most important for a kingdom?\'

This was a question worth pondering over. After all, sooner or later he would become a king.

"My answer may be still a little immature, but I believe that wisdom and loyalty, while important, aren\'t the most necessary. The most necessary are money and power."

"Oh~? Please could you elaborate your highness?"

"Loyalty is without a doubt very important at a personal level. Having few and truly loyal people surrounding you is a true blessing. But, it\'s impossible to expect an entire kingdom to swear eternal loyalty to one king. Not even the goddesses can do so."

This was something very important to understand. For example, even though Milia swore loyalty to him, it didn\'t mean that all the crown\'s shadow was truly loyal. The same went for Duke Tyr and his ducal house.

"A necessary amount of wisdom is without a doubt important. But at the end of the day, one or few people can\'t direct everything in the affairs of a kingdom."

The Lustburg kingdom was the size of the Canada. How could one or few persons deal alone with all the affairs of the kingdom? As such only a certain amount of wisdom was necessary.

"That\'s why I believe that Power and Money are the most important. The two together."

Money was something a kingdom couldn\'t do without. You needed money to live.

At the same time, being too rich and not having the means to protect your resources was a sure way to be robbed or annexed by a more powerful kingdom.

"Loyalty may be important. But filling one own stomach is more so. Rather than believing in feelings, believing in common interests is better."

Many people could betray their faith, but few could betray their own interests. This was the sad truth of the world.

"Enough power can stop any thoughts of rebellion from arising."

"The carrot and the stick."

"Indeed. A kingdom needs enough carrots to instill and enough sticks to truly function. Once those two conditions are reached, loyal subjects full of wisdom would without a doubt gather around you."

Why would people be loyal to you if you didn\'t have something special? Why would smart people surround you if they didn\'t believe they could obtain something from you?

"Of course, I believe that focusing on all aspects would be the most ideal. Having loyal subjects willing to lay down your life for you is without a doubt the greatest dream for any ruler. But reality isn\'t so sweet. Soldiers need money to take care of their loved ones. Otherwise, why would they sacrifice themselves."

Hermes could feel his heartbeat strongly in his chest, this was it. This was the answer he wanted to hear.

"So do you idealistic people are stupid?"

"Are they stupid? I do not think so. I truly find them beautiful and admirable. People willing to lay down their lives not for some interest but for their own beliefs of justice are people worthy of respect. I would never look down on them."

Sol didn\'t believe that he was particularly cold or calculative. Even though he wasn\'t willing to die for some ideal, he was willing to discard his pride and his life if it meant protecting his loved ones.

But that was just him. This wasn\'t enough to make a kingdom function.

"Beautiful. Very beautiful. Your highness, your answer truly moved me. I also believe that mutual interest is the way to go rather than simple blind loyalty. Then your highness, since the two of us believe in mutual interest. Pray tell me, what can you give me to make me swear allegiance to you?"