Chapter 153
TeKp5FBy nature, Casval was not exactly a distinguished combat knight.cbs5
TifCcTAt best, he could fight one knight to a draw; facing several at once was unthinkable.GWn
o5qSo it was no surprise when he was subdued in an instant and dragged without resistance before Lucian.MQi7m6
k6eXr“Your Highness! What does this mean? Do you realize what you are doing to an imperial inspector?! Do you truly intend to become a rebel?”MXADQ
zuR5“A rebel?”867
vtHAt Casval’s words, Lucian formed a faint smile and lifted his chin. In response, Denis, who had been waiting to the side, stepped forward.SdG8Hc
ztrDGFixing Casval with a cold gaze, he spoke.ZFt
ogGam“Pleased to meet you, Sir Casval. My name is Denis. As you can see, my official position is nothing more than that of a simple attendant.”PPolaJr
ZLHSW“Damn you! And what is that supposed to mean? I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care!”qWo
96n“Of course you don’t know me. I didn’t know you either. But I do know one of your lies.”RUu
b88tTa5“Lies?”QMJZKB8
VYt“My other position is that of one of the eyes of the former emperor. I was included as part of the gifts His Majesty granted to the duke.”Yac4
7YeC2“…!?”iAhtQ3O
Ss4PCasval jolted at that unexpected confession.1dt
oktUCvZFor a spy—especially one of the emperor—to reveal his identity was, in itself, a grave affront to the empire.BkU
necL2c2The confusion soon turned into anger. That someone who claimed to serve the former emperor would sully his name with his own words was despicable, both as a knight and as a vassal.2YFI
AwTIzq“If what you say is true, you should be ashamed! If you truly were one of the eyes of the former emperor, you should have bitten off your tongue rather than stain his honor!”8PL
SlrYe“You are correct. Revealing myself like this is, for an eye, an unforgivable sin. Once your treason is made clear, I will accept whatever punishment is due.”57KnEYL
cGijT“Treason? What the hell have you been talking about all this time?”Mxj42j
WnMI“You know it. You know that His Highness the first prince attempted to communicate with the outside using a magical artifact. Do you know who received that communication?”JJS
O8NQNYhCasval felt as if someone had struck the back of his neck with a hammer.NNw95O
pmVIt was true that the second prince’s faction knew the first prince had briefly attempted to contact the outside using a magical artifact. But they had not considered it serious.4ANOK
XlzjBpbThe former emperor had never allowed that artifact to circulate outside an extremely limited circle.hDAT
hvjRBy logic, whoever received the message would be nothing more than a minor knight or a spy. Even if they learned something about the palace’s situation, they would have no way to influence anything.dxtg
mJL09‘And that spy was here…?’LM6
IGUdPFJNot even the worst luck could be so cruel.nOxGlbJ
1OtPWhile Casval cursed silently, Denis continued.7wu
wAnQ“The first prince told me this it is treason. Gather an army. Call the duke. Tell him to come immediately to help me. Cedric, that bastard.”e8unoo
Mm3U“……”vHo
eaCj5YP“He was agitated, and there was interference as well, so it was hard to understand everything. But there was one thing that became very clear.”tei
ooLCThat the second prince, Cedric, had won the struggle for power and was holding the first prince under arrest.TqOqGym
OXdQqFor Denis, who knew whom the former emperor truly wanted as his successor, that was a devastating blow.85XLs6
uP1AN7S“Sir Casval, allow me to ask you a question. Why does the second prince covet a throne that does not belong to him?”ZuaExVx
Z5Wi“Does not belong to him? He is also a son of the former emperor! He has a legitimate right to the throne!”Fo2Wdf
l1Bruj1“Don’t play dumb. The person the former emperor wanted as heir was the first prince.”3k0w
EFz“The former emperor left no testament. Therefore, he designated no heir either.”oUOYDa6
M7nM3That the former emperor wanted the first prince to ascend the throne was a fact known to all, and Casval did not deny it.toY
5ZDBut a personal inclination and an official designation were different things.KG82sEI
UaMgHIWho could be certain that, in his final moments, the emperor had not changed his mind for the sake of the empire’s stability?aLnpUU
77Cvx4“Therefore, neither I nor His Highness the second prince deserve to be called rebels. As long as there is no official designation, he also has a right to the throne.”Ydnxl
7FUfZ0“But even the second prince knew the former emperor’s will, which is why he placed the first prince at the forefront. Then, using any excuse, he will claim to have received an abdication and usurp the throne.”jYIgWJF
FjlEls“I don’t know. The future is uncertain. And even if the first prince were to abdicate voluntarily for the sake of the empire, there would be nothing strange about it.”Wm9hJu
raRKlyCornered, Casval began shamelessly shielding himself with excuses.WvKlZ
KdwBHe could not hide the truth, but he was also unwilling to yield even an inch on political ground.5T6fGUy
kvX2qw“Duke! I don’t know what this man may have told you, but if you reject the imperial invitation based solely on conjecture, the entire world will doubt your loyalty. Keep that firmly in mind!”3FKfpv
NZJhKEven with everything exposed, Casval did not bend and even went so far as to threaten Lucian. Then he bowed his head calmly, as if his life no longer mattered.M5i3H
O61th1Lucian watched him and smiled with contempt.KXX
4izTJ“Even if you die here, you cannot block your lord’s path? An admirable attitude for a vassal.”VKyng
s8ZvmqJ“……”IzY
pDU6s“But at the same time, you are pitiable. Because the second prince never had the right of succession.”AQQo7
iKJ“What…?”xQEe
B0GbXt“Do you remember what I told you earlier? About the conditions to activate the magical artifact.”XrmS
qffinAny member of the direct imperial line could activate it.FvkgmL
cvD4FJAt that simple sentence, Casval’s face froze.L80wg
6xGKyWAt the same time, he remembered the second prince trying, again and again, to activate the artifact without success.hsM
eqHO25SLucian passed by Casval, who had been left petrified, and gave the order.RC9XOj
idnhxU“Lock this traitor in the underground dungeon and bring the messenger. I am going to confirm what the second prince’s true intentions are.”Svru
x7N***XqWAGev
cnnLucian’s actions in imprisoning the imperial inspector spread rapidly throughout the neighboring territories.9JR7z0c
rpxPJncThe feudal lords were horrified by what appeared, at a glance, to be an act of rebellion, but it did not take long for them to receive an explanation from Lucian’s side.zO8G1P
gn5eCQH“What? The second prince is keeping the first under arrest and merely using his name?”caPl
rFDHg“They say he even tried to lure the duke with a false order from the first prince to assassinate him.”9oB
B7M“Does he intend to dump all the filth onto the first prince and then receive the abdication with clean hands?”IC5OC
8bcSD“Well, who would have thought that such a pure incarnation of ambition had lived until now pretending to be a meek lamb?”szlq
DiaNFlOf course, not all lords trusted Lucian. As long as the truth had not been fully clarified, everything remained a unilateral claim on his part.eHJQ
58FyGhtSome even suspected that Lucian himself intended to start a rebellion, using the safety of the first prince as a pretext.aRw
Q2yR“It’s unclear. Perhaps the assassination attempt was planned by the first prince himself, but Lucian doesn’t dare blame him and so shifts the responsibility onto the second.”UQ2JP
sfOD24“Rather, Duke Lucian’s intentions are suspicious. Perhaps he seeks to exclude the second prince and remain as the final winner.”xRTTK
PWPV“After receiving so much grace from the former emperor, does he dare dream of becoming the master of the empire?”6CDy
LyduP“Tsk, tsk. There isn’t a trace of honor left. From the seed of a lion was born a dog.”tGnU
YE8pAmid the conflicting opinions, Lucian announced to the entire empire the dispatch of an emissary.5e92
opgkP6If there truly was nothing to hide, the first prince should appear in person before that emissary and explain the situation.FKm
UCrJ15cIf he could not do so and only the second prince appeared, then Lucian would have no choice but to mobilize in order to rescue the first.cq9
ZcqWIt was Lucian, the dominator of the north and lord of Asagrim, who had uttered the word “war.”nar
Q4LVCONThe situation could easily escalate into a large-scale conflict that would drag the entire empire into it.URycC
IpRIn the midst of that explosive tension, Lucian gathered his vassals.U2Dvr9h
mmZtxbG“The agreed date for dispatching the emissary is almost here. How is public opinion within the empire?”WtgvMH
S0Z“It is unfavorable. Most lords do not openly express their stance, but it is evident that they distrust Your Highness.”yTjIv
ElQkod“As expected. For now, my claims have no proof.”lujht9
GjdycXLucian was convinced of the spy’s identity thanks to the red stone he used to communicate with the emperor, but the other lords did not even know of the existence of such a magical artifact.Cczh1pT
atD6iDEven if he revealed all the details, not only would they fail to understand them, they would think it was merely a well-embellished story.jMtY80O
vBWorV5“Your Highness, this time you acted too hastily. We have enough information to trust that spy’s words, but the others do not. If you fail to secure public support, you will be the one labeled a rebel.”WFqNF
AxT2J“Even if the truth is revealed that the second prince is using the first as a puppet?”mcElEJ2
LNviB“I hesitate to put it that way, but the second prince also possesses a right of succession. People will think he simply won the struggle for the throne and subdued the first prince, not that he committed treason.”tod
xuEKsoNaturally, it was nothing worthy of praise, and the image the second prince had built until now would collapse. However, for those who hold power, corruption was almost an inevitable sin. People would frown upon his actions, but they would not question his legitimacy to the throne.JfCNFMy
c6U“What matters is the legitimacy of the succession. Unless a testament from the former emperor appears declaring that the first prince would inherit the throne, that legitimacy cannot be shaken.”Y6P2VRv
K5IXNrq“…Huu.”zCD6wl
n1BWAt Raymond’s words, Lucian let out a deep sigh.pwSiPh
koyTIt was not regret for what he had done, nor remorse over a mistake.KnP
HtDIU0xIt was the tension of being on the verge of revealing a secret he had kept for so long.rO6
0LDc1In times of peace, knowing the inner secrets of the imperial family in detail would have been a crime in itself.PQ6
LnIO4zyBut in an era of chaos like this, that knowledge could become a blade sharper than any sword.CMMHSV
NoTAfter steadying his breath, Lucian looked around and spoke.BRD
Hib“The emperor asked me to look after the first prince. In truth, Asagrim, the Order of the Blue Rose, the numerous troops, and even the rights over unauthorized mages were nothing more than the price for that.”dtc
3vgzP“That is something we all know.”DtXcA0
bMA“It may sound irreverent, but I could never understand the emperor. No matter how I looked at him, the first prince lacked the qualities necessary to rule. I did not understand why, even while making so many concessions, he insisted on making me his main support.”WA04
IpRaxcThe vassals nodded in unison. Even if he wanted to hand the empire to his favored son, there had to be a limit.d1DrF2
NmYIf too much power was granted to a subordinate to create a supporting faction, there was the risk that that very faction would devour the heir.VvjVR7O
fPlGU0The former emperor was not someone who ignored that danger, and yet he had invested excessively in Lucian.GQggSeH
G144u“At first, I thought it was simple favoritism, a father’s blind love for his son. I believed that even a ruler as wise as the former emperor could not escape human weaknesses.”wQhHNFZ
C4T4N“Was it not so?”pm3J
n7m3CJ“No. He had no alternative. The second prince never had the right of succession from the beginning. No matter how incompetent he was, the first prince had to ascend the throne.”L1Aq8
9fy“What? Is the second prince not a legitimate heir of the imperial line?”rNSP
xpir5“The former emperor made it known to me by letter.”y1c
NNh9After a brief pause, Lucian revealed the secret he had kept hidden until now.BgTFvwQ
A96A“The second prince cannot use at all the magical artifact that any member of the direct imperial line should be able to activate.”Iam7iW
vnokNll“…!?”JqDhcq0
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