4
Chapter 4
Crown Prince Leon stood frozen, gripping the hilt of the sword remaining in his hand.
Perlin Claire was speechless as well. The boldness she had shown just moments ago while mentioning rebellion had vanished.
"The Regular Army responds to my name. The Knights of the Border, the battle-hardened soldiers—they all know exactly what my orders imply."
Thump—
As I took a step, the marble floor echoed faintly.
"If I so desired, I could bring every knight in the Imperial Castle and every private army of the nobility to their knees by tonight."
"......."
"Even if His Majesty's Imperial Guard were still here, the result would be the same."
The Crown Prince's expression hardened.
He was furious. Yet, at the same time, he knew I wasn't bluffing.
I continued coldly.
"However, I have no interest in the throne. Nor do I wish to see the Empire fall into chaos."
The air in the private room grew heavy.
Mana and Aura were clearly manifesting.
"What I want isn't power; I simply want to ensure this world doesn't crumble."
The decorative swords on the wall rattled, letting out a metallic clang.
Claire instinctively took a step back.
"And yet."
I looked down at her directly.
"You dare mention rebellion?"
Claire's shoulders flinched.
"G-General, I—"
"Shut up."
Her mouth snapped shut at a single word.
I slowly raised my hand. Compressed Aura and Mana gathered into a single point atop my palm.
The glass windows of the private room cracked, unable to withstand the pressure.
For the first time, the Crown Prince's composure crumbled.
"Arsen, stop."
"Why?"
I turned back to him.
"You speak of rebellion, yet you lack the confidence to handle even this?"
There was no answer.
I turned my gaze back toward the window.
There was an old, abandoned building on the outskirts of the Imperial Castle. After confirming its location, I flicked my finger lightly.
BOOM—!
A thunderous roar tore through the night sky as a condensed flash of light shot out the window.
As if lightning had struck, the outer building was ripped apart instantly. Stone and dust erupted in an explosion, and debris rained down.
Claire let out a stifled scream and collapsed backward. Belated shouts erupted from outside the castle.
I lowered my hand as if nothing had happened. The deep blue afterglow remaining on my fingertips slowly faded.
A silence heavier than before weighed down on the private room.
I opened my mouth to speak to the Crown Prince.
"If I truly wanted a rebellion, it wouldn't have been that building that flew apart, but this place."
"......."
"Did you think I would covet the throne simply because His Majesty is absent?"
The Crown Prince remained silent, only tightening his grip on the broken sword hilt. I took another step toward him.
"I have the power to do it. I simply choose not to."
My gaze shifted back to Claire.
"There is only one reason for that: because I want to protect this world."
Huddled on the floor, she looked up at me with a pale face.
The bravado and confidence she had shown at first were completely gone.
I spoke in a calm voice.
"This is what you need to understand, Perlin Claire."
Her pupils trembled violently. The Crown Prince bit his lip.
Just then, the door to the private room swung open.
Knights waiting outside rushed in. Everyone looked shocked by the explosion and tremors outside.
They stood frozen, unable to decide whether to draw their swords or fall to their knees.
Seeing them, the Crown Prince grit his teeth.
A mixture of shame and rage flickered in his eyes. He knew that bringing in the knights now was pointless.
After a brief silence, the Crown Prince spoke.
"......Withdraw."
The knights hesitated.
"Your Highness, but—"
"I said withdraw."
Upon the order, the knights could move no further. They cast anxious glances at me before reluctantly backing away.
I watched the scene in silence.
The Crown Prince slowly caught his breath. I could see him forcing down his emotions. Finally, he spoke.
"The proposal to delay the return of the Northern reinforcements."
"......."
"I will apply the seal myself."
I gave a short nod.
"A wise decision, Your Highness."
The Crown Prince's mouth twisted. Even though he knew I was being sarcastic, he couldn't retaliate.
I turned to leave.
Right before exiting the private room, I stopped and spoke one last time.
"Your Highness. I have no interest in the Imperial Throne."
The Crown Prince glared at me without answering.
"But I have no intention of letting the Empire crumble."
I finished coldly.
"So from now on, prioritize the Empire over your romantic games."
His answer wasn't worth hearing.
I walked straight out of the private room.
#
Wind swept harshly through the shattered windows. Perlin remained speechless for a long time.
The thought that the room could have been obliterated if that deep blue flash had been aimed slightly differently clung to her, refusing to let go.
Chaos continued to erupt throughout the Imperial Castle. Yet, the pressure that had just crushed the room was far more vivid than any of those noises.
'What is this...? Why did it come to this?'
Arsen Beharrt had not always been this kind of person.
In the original story, he was the quintessential soldier.
He was blunt, cold, and distant, but his loyalty had always been unquestionable.
His blade was always wielded for the Imperial Household, and the Emperor and Crown Prince had trusted him implicitly.
A powerful, yet controllable sword.
That was the Arsen Beharrt Perlin knew. But not anymore.
Just now, that man had broken a sword in the Crown Prince's face and leveled part of the castle.
"......This is unlike Sir Arsen."
Leon spoke softly. Perlin looked up at him.
"He was never one to act this way."
"......."
"Even when he was dissatisfied, he knew where to draw the line. He never went this far, at least not in front of me."
Perlin swallowed hard.
It was clear from Leon's words. Arsen Beharrt had truly changed. He was no longer a general the Imperial Household could manipulate at will.
A man who placed his own judgment above the orders of the throne. He had slipped their control.
Leon spoke while staring out through the shattered window.
"We must be more vigilant."
It was a short sentence, but it carried immense weight.
"It doesn't matter if he claims he has no intention of rebelling."
"......."
"The mere fact that a man with that level of power operates outside the Empire's control is a danger in itself."
Perlin nodded silently.
He was right. Arsen was no longer a sword they could simply trust and rely on.
#
I caught my breath as I walked down the corridor.
I knew I had crossed the line.
I had broken a sword before the Crown Prince and demolished a building within the castle.
No sane soldier would ever do such a thing. But this was not a situation that could be solved by acting sane.
Being reasonable doesn't work here.
The Crown Prince only has eyes for the female lead, and she already carries herself as if she were the Crown Princess.
The conflict in the North isn't even over, yet they're already dreaming of the aftermath of the war.
If I leave things as they are, it will only waste time. And these small failures accumulate until the front line collapses.
I know how it ends.
The Northern front falls, the Imperial Capital burns, and everyone dies in belated regret. This time, it had to be different.
"Sigh..."
Through the hallway window, I could see the building I had destroyed.
It wasn't a pleasant sight. Still, I had no regrets.
I had to go that far to make the Crown Prince apply the seal.
I had to go that far to shut Claire up. Survival is more important than saving face.
Of course, there will be a price to pay.
From this point on, the Imperial Household will be even more openly wary of me.
They'll try to scrutinize every detail—who I meet, what reports I receive, and every order I give. I'll likely be placed under surveillance.
Because what I displayed today was not loyalty, but raw power.
But if I had bowed my head just to avoid their scrutiny, the North would have remained defenseless.
I clenched and unclenched my fist.
I don't care how the Imperial Household perceives me.
Whether as a Mad Dog, a traitor, or a general who has slipped their leash—it doesn't matter.
As long as I can prevent the downfall, that is enough.
"General!"
My adjutant came running toward me.
In her hand was a document with a seal that hadn't fully dried.
"The seal?"
"I have it. We can send the orders to the North immediately."
I nodded.
"To the communications room."
"Yes, sir."
Raylin turned around instantly.
I called her back.
"Get ready as well."
"...Pardon?"
"I will go to the North myself."
The adjutant's eyes wavered for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Personally?"
"Yes. It's likely that the issues in the North go beyond just the return of the reinforcements."
The adjutant asked no more questions and simply bowed.
"I will prepare your horse."
"Keep the entourage to a minimum."
"Understood."
"We leave as soon as preparations are complete."
In truth, the fall of the North in the original story was riddled with questions.
This was because the Grand Duke of the North was the pillar of that region.
He was the Crown Prince's rival, the man who was ultimately not chosen by the female lead.
Yet, he was one of the second male leads who supported her and silently defended the North.
Despite that, he remained far too quiet while the Empire marched toward ruin in the original plot.
Unlike Arsen, he was a significant character, yet he practically vanished in the latter half. He was barely mentioned even as the North collapsed.
Whether he was unable to stop it.
Or whether he chose not to.
Or if something had been fundamentally wrong in the North from the start.
I had to see for myself—the Northern front, and the Grand Duke who ruled those lands.
I will find out exactly what the hell happened to make it crumble so helplessly.