Chapter 112: Chapter 112

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: The First Prince

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Narea showed me a gaze full of questions, then safely returned to the Holy Kingdom of Lyum.

The bait had been cast.

They would surely take the bait on their own.

Duchess Baekmok dragged the disheveled Centriole by the scruff of his neck and handed him over to the army.

He, too, would safely return to the Holy Order.

Furthermore, matters related to mysticism would soon rise to prominence worldwide.

"You've worked hard, young man."

"Just a little."

Duchess Baekmok raised her hand and ruffled my hair vigorously.

"I really do have a good eye for people, don't I?"

She looked at me, her eyes sparkling, as if I were a promising hero.

It's a bit much.

Don't do that.

"So, now it's time to receive your just punishment for what you've done."

*Clank—*

And once again, handcuffs were fastened around my wrists.

Come to think of it, my punishment wasn't over yet.

The capital of the Hysirion Empire.

I was being taken to Sirion.

＊＊＊

The imperial capital, Sirion.

As befitting an imperial capital, it was the most developed and densely populated city in the world.

The city was built in layers, spreading out from the massive imperial palace at its center.

The closer one got to the imperial palace, the more expansive the infrastructure became.

Not only were the capital mansions of pro-emperor nobles lined up there,

but more importantly, the sheer number of people working within the imperial palace was immense.

From gardeners to maids, valets, knights, squires, and even administrators handling official duties.

The resources they consumed daily actively fueled Sirion's economy.

Thus, as Sirion consumed, an increasingly diverse array of goods was produced.

It was truly a city of a new era, leading the world.

Inside the imperial palace of Sirion.

Carriages were entering.

Only two carriages entered.

Yet, no one dared to ignore these carriages.

As the carriages proceeded through the palace, maids stopped their work and bowed their heads.

This was because two crests were emblazoned on the carriages.

One was the pure white tree, symbolizing one of the Empire's only four Dukes,

Duchess Baekmok.

The other was a blue hawk, representing the Empire's foremost magic tower, the Azure Magic Tower.

The Empire's living hero and the Empire's greatest mage.

Their arrival was tantamount to an emergency within the imperial palace.

And inside one of those carriages.

I sat before Duchess Baekmok, my wrists still in handcuffs.

I wonder, did the people outside know?

That the person inside the carriage was a criminal who, by imperial law, could be executed immediately without question.

If it were known that such a criminal was sitting face-to-face with Duchess Baekmok, it would surely cause an uproar.

"Young man."

"Yes, Your Grace."

"Are you nervous?"

Not at all.

Duchess Baekmok and the Azure Tower Lord had personally brought me to the imperial palace.

At this point, it was safe to assume I wouldn't be executed.

However, it would take time to amend certain established laws.

I was merely contemplating what to do during that time.

"No. I'm too shameless to be nervous."

"Hehehe, that's right. If you dared to try and use me, you'd better be that audacious."

I had said exactly what Duchess Baekmok wanted to hear.

It seemed Duchess Baekmok was quite fond of me.

The Empire hadn't seen many individuals whose actions could be called heroic lately.

So, she was keeping a close eye on me, as I was taking the exact path she desired.

'This was supposed to be Lucas's role.'

I was, in a way, taking his place.

*Jolt—*

In the meantime, the carriage came to a halt.

"Your Grace, we have arrived at the Imperial Palace. May I open the door?"

Duchess Baekmok's aide, who had been leading the carriage, knocked on the door and asked.

"Hmm, you may."

As Duchess Baekmok replied coolly, the aide opened the door.

He then briefly gave me, who was facing Duchess Baekmok, a displeased look before correcting his expression.

As someone who valued etiquette, he seemed displeased with me for not showing proper deference to Duchess Baekmok on the first day.

However, with Duchess Baekmok present, he didn't openly show it.

"Let's alight."

Duchess Baekmok gracefully descended, taking the aide's hand.

Regardless of what lay beneath the surface.

Duchess Baekmok possessed an ethereal aura that was among the best in the Empire, at least in appearance.

At her appearance, the maids who had been bowing involuntarily held their breath.

But when I, still in handcuffs, followed her out, they made bewildered faces.

It seemed my news hadn't reached the maids yet.

Shifting my gaze behind me, I saw the Azure Tower Lord and Sharlin alighting from the carriage.

Sharlin's face, as she followed her adoptive father out, wore a consistently sulky expression.

This was natural, as Sharlin wasn't particularly fond of her adoptive father.

When our eyes met, her expression softened slightly.

Then she subtly stuck out her tongue.

To do that even in this situation was so like Sharlin.

"...Sharlin?"

But as soon as the Azure Tower Lord caught her, she immediately corrected her expression.

She now wore a languid expression, as if nothing had happened.

She seemed even more shameless than me.

"Your Grace Duchess Baekmok, and Lord Emperadion Shazaris, Azure Tower Lord, thank you for visiting the Imperial Palace."

Meanwhile, the Imperial Grand Butler walked out and greeted them both.

The elderly man was from a family of administrators who had managed the imperial household for generations.

As someone who worked directly alongside the Emperor, the old man also held a considerable position within the Imperial Palace.

"Oh, you've worked hard. I've requested an audience with His Majesty, so would you mind leading the way?"

"Yes, His Majesty has already made arrangements after hearing the news."

"Let's go quickly. We shouldn't keep His Majesty waiting. He might grow old like me if we do."

Duchess Baekmok said so and quickly followed the butler.

In this world, only Duchess Baekmok would dare to speak of the Emperor in such a way.

"Your Grace Duchess Baekmok, is there anything I need to do?"

"Not really. I just brought you to the Imperial Palace as a display, so you, young man, will wait until a decision is made."

There was no particular reason for me to have an audience with the Emperor.

So, I was guided to a private room by a maid.

"Sir Hanon Airey, please wait in this room."

The room the maid opened was clearly a guest room.

It was probably the most luxurious room I had ever stayed in.

'It seems I'm being treated as a guest who came with Duchess Baekmok.'

However, since I was still branded a criminal, knights were stationed outside my private room.

The handcuffs were still on.

I sat quietly in a chair and waited.

All I could do was hope Duchess Baekmok and the Azure Tower Lord would argue my case well.

'At least I have a moment to breathe.'

Just as I thought that.

For some reason, it felt noisy outside.

An uneasy premonition began to creep over me.

"Your, Your Highness!"

And uneasy premonitions never miss.

My head snapped up.

Confident footsteps, as if walking in his own front yard, and someone who would be called "Your Highness" in the Imperial Palace.

There was only one such person.

*Thud!*

The door burst open without a knock.

And into the room, a man entered with the same confident stride.

His reddish-blonde hair flowed around him.

His eyes, a strange mixture of red and blue, gleamed eerily.

Those eyes radiated an unshakeable confidence.

A man born as a prince, who had lived his entire life as a prince.

The imperial heir who shared power with the Third Princess, Iris Hysirion.

The First Prince,

Lukreason Hysirion.

This crazy person, in his capacity as the First Prince, appeared before a criminal.

The knights and retainers who followed him looked utterly dumbfounded.

None of them dared to impede the First Prince's actions.

Thus, they could only swallow their tears, thinking of the problems this incident would cause.

"Greetings to His Imperial Highness, the First Prince of Hysirion."

I quickly rose from my seat and bowed first.

Even I was flustered by the current situation.

'I knew the First Prince would be interested in me.'

From the moment Hanon's report went in, the First Prince must have been keeping a close eye on me.

And in that situation, I even wielded ancient dragon magic.

I had expected that a guy like him, coming to the Imperial Palace, would try to make contact somehow.

But I never imagined he would come so brazenly himself.

The Prince scanned me up and down, then waved his hand.

"That's enough. I wasn't expecting excessive courtesy from someone in handcuffs anyway."

He said so and nonchalantly pulled out the chair opposite me and sat down.

"Sit down, Hanon Airey."

And he called me by the alias I was using.

He gazed at me with gleaming eyes.

To say that, knowing full well I wasn't Hanon Airey, was typical of the First Prince.

I quietly sat back down in the same posture I had stood up in.

The Prince then leaned back against the chair and let out a short breath.

"Finally, free from work. Thank you for giving me an excuse."

Unlike Iris, the First Prince worked directly within the imperial palace.

Unsparing in his efforts to succeed the Emperor, he was buried under a mountain of tasks every day.

So, his coming to meet me was, in a way, his own form of deviance.

"I'm glad I could be of help to Your Imperial Highness."

"Haha."

At my brazen reply, the First Prince let out a hearty laugh.

Those gleaming eyes were incredibly burdensome.

But he had no intention of hiding his gaze at all.

It felt as if he was genuinely trying to see right through me.

"Hanon Airey, every time I heard news about you, my curiosity was piqued. I wondered who dared to act like this."

State affairs were matters that shook the entire Hysirion Empire.

I stood at its center, in Lucas's stead.

Actions like these were gradually touching upon the very foundations of the Empire.

There was no way the First Prince, who stood at the heart of the Empire, wouldn't know this.

"But after seeing you in person…"

A smile formed on his lips.

"You are a far more interesting person."

"Jokes aren't my specialty."

"It's that shamelessness. To not be afraid in the slightest before me means you either have substantial backing or you're a madman."

The First Prince was a person who prioritized the present.

The future only held value when the groundwork of the present was firmly laid.

This was the First Prince's philosophy.

Therefore, to solidify the present, he allied himself with the current power brokers.

But even he didn't stop investing in the future.

A prime example was his magical support to make Nia Cynthia younger.

A person who built up the present while sparing no expense in investing in the future.

That's why the common people evaluated him as:

The Prince of Stability.

"And I quite like madmen. My specialty is building a strong present. Future reform is not my forte."

The First Prince knew his own talents well.

Therefore, he leveraged his strengths,

but decisively gave up on areas where he wasn't proficient.

Instead, he entrusted those areas to capable individuals.

"But madmen reform the future. In my view, you are no different from such individuals."

"I'm glad I've met with your approval."

"Of course."

The First Prince stated sharply.

"I only like madmen who will come under my command."

His affection was limited.

The First Prince had been able to maintain his position as heir to the throne until now not only due to his talent,

but also because he was as ambitious an individual as Duke Roblia.

The position of Emperor was a seat of desire.

A position that strived to protect the nation and, furthermore, to make it the greatest nation.

Therefore, a person with strong ambition must take the Emperor's seat.

Thus, the First Prince was also someone who would do anything for his own desires.

This included a sharp, decisive side that would cut off anyone who wasn't his person without hesitation.

An Emperor was not human.

They were beings who transcended human norms and swayed the world.

Only then could the nation become prosperous, and the means to bestow upon its people would also increase.

That was the role of the Emperor.

Therefore, the First Prince asked me.

Are you my person?

Or someone else's?

A choice between two.

Choose one, and you can never return to the other.

The First Prince's innate charisma pressed down on my entire body.

A moment where even a single misspoken word could cost me my head.

However, the First Prince did not know.

That after the emotion of love had been lost through the Bandage of the Veil.

I had already lost my sense of fear long ago.

Fear was a defensive mechanism that emerged to preserve one's body.

"Your Imperial Highness."

For someone who didn't care for his own well-being, his charisma held no sway over me.

If he wanted to scare me, he needed to embed killing intent into my very flesh, like Centriole did.

"I believe your question is a little misguided."

The First Prince's eyebrow twitched.

Because he hadn't expected anyone to dare say his question was misguided.

Yet, I was smiling brazenly brightly in front of him.

"Shouldn't you explain what benefits there are for me if I choose to side with Your Imperial Highness?"

If you want to grasp the reins of a dragon, you must pay the appropriate price.