Crown Prince: Turmoil in the Palace Subdued
Just after the upheaval in the imperial palace had been barely contained.
"...Your Highness, I have bad news."
Iksiran approached the crown prince and bowed his head slightly.
"...Is there worse news than the palace being turned into this utter mess?"
The crown prince let out a wry chuckle as he glanced at Iksiran, who mirrored the bitter smile before continuing immediately.
"We've thoroughly inspected the Shadow Corps' authority, training grounds, and organizational status, but it seems their elite forces were completely wiped out by Duke Valentia and the Weapon Master."
"...Completely?"
"One prospective leader, who was reassigned to another mission, hasn't returned yet. The rest are nothing but second-string shadows who can't use Nightmare."
The crown prince's brow furrowed involuntarily at those words.
Father truly held an absurd card up his sleeve.
Nightmare. The crown prince now knew about it as well. It was a miraculous combined formation that allowed a mere dozens of assassins to push back Aura Users, drawing on the power of the palace barrier. Without it, the Shadow Corps' value plummeted to half—no, even less.
"Does that prospective leader know about Nightmare? Enough to rebuild it after losing the elites?"
"We're hopeful, but we can't be certain."
"Hah, no helping it. Report back once that prospective leader returns."
"Well, Your Highness..."
"Hm?"
"When we tried contacting them with the token, they did appear, but they refused official affiliation, saying it was a special case."
"What?!"
"They're not completely refusing, of course. They claimed only the 'legitimate' emperor with the token can command them. They left word that they'd visit after the succession ceremony once the prospective leader returns."
"Hah..."
A sigh escaped him from sheer frustration, but there was nothing to be done. The reality that he couldn't even control a single organization under the palace stoked his self-loathing once more.
I was too shortsighted.
He had misjudged the number of demon worshippers and allowed the worst to unfold right under his nose. He'd optimistically assumed his own forces and intelligence could handle it, notifying Duke Valentia only as a last resort. But the demon worshippers who'd schemed it all, and even his father—the target of the plan—had pulled moves beyond his calculations.
He'd prided himself on his efforts and achievements, but it had all been delusion.
I got drunk on the praise from those around me.
This incident had exposed his narrow vision plain as day, leaving him feeling nothing but ashamed and ridiculous the more he thought about it.
This outcome was pure luck. Reflect on it, Bradley. Think deeper, judge more carefully.
Gritting his teeth, he reaffirmed his resolve and exhaled a sigh to ease the stress, if only a little.
"At least it's contained. That much is fortunate. By the way, Roth and Tinel are still at it?"
"...Yes, they're still kneeling motionless before Your Highness's palace. Roth I can understand, but Tinel is on the verge of collapse."
"How long has it been?"
"About twelve hours now."
Exactly twelve hours had passed since Second Empress Kartia and Imperial Knight Commander Griwel von Raider were imprisoned in the underground dungeon on charges of colluding with demon worshippers.
Overwhelmed by the mounting despair, the crown prince sighed again.
"Tinel's still young, but Roth knows this isn't something forgivable?"
"Prince Roth keeps saying the same thing. If you just spare them the death penalty, he'll take responsibility, confine his mother, and ensure she can't entertain any other thoughts."
"Hah..."
The sighs were now giving way to a throbbing headache.
He'd been confident that slaying his father and claiming the imperial throne would usher in another millennium of glory for the empire.
But my head's already pounding before I even sit on it.
He pressed his temples, but he knew well this wasn't a problem massage could solve.
"...What will you do?"
"What can I do? Has there ever been a precedent for pardoning treason in imperial history?"
"Then...?"
"Kartia and Griwel get the extreme penalty. Someone has to answer for this chaos."
Iksiran flinched slightly at the resolute words. Strictly speaking, hadn't he and the crown prince put the final stamp on that treason?
But officially, it never happened.
Yes, if it was personal greed, that's one thing—but this was for the empire.
Even as he justified it to himself, the unease lingered, so Iksiran decided to shift topics by bringing up the report he'd hesitated on.
"...If I may humbly report, there's some rather awkward interrogation result."
"Hm?"
"It sounds like nonsense from Griwel losing his mind at the end, but he claimed... Prince Tinel is his blood."
"What!?"
Even the crown prince forgot his composure, eyes widening in shock.
"Say that again. What exactly did he say!?"
"...He said he's been committing adultery with the Second Empress for about fifteen years."
"What, what?!"
"The reason Prince Tinel has green eyes instead of golden, and blond hair instead of platinum... is because he takes after him."
"What nonsense is that!?!?"
With stress piled to the breaking point, a roar finally erupted from the crown prince's mouth.
Adultery in the imperial palace, where direct imperial blood was protected—or surveilled—with utmost rigor? In a royal family that verified lineage with complex blood detection magic from birth, no less?!
"He confessed that Tinel passed the blood verification at birth by swapping with Prince Roth's blood."
"...Absurd."
No, wait. The very entity protecting the imperial direct line is the Imperial Knights, after all.
Not impossible for their commander. Especially if that woman harbored grudges against the previous emperor over her family's affairs—she might have done it deliberately.
As his thoughts reached that point, the crown prince turned back to Iksiran.
"What about the Second Empress!? What did she say?"
"She denied it vehemently, but the magic detection showed it was a lie."
"...Damn it."
Of course, the "magic detection" Iksiran mentioned wasn't foolproof. Magic touching the human mind and soul fell into the taboo realm set by the Goddess, and even black mages who ignored taboos rarely wielded spells to inspect or manipulate souls—only temporary illusions or memory wipes at best.
In other words, the palace's current detection merely measured pulse and such during interrogation to indirectly gauge truth.
Which meant...
"How long for a full bloodline retest?"
"I believe about a week."
"What's your take?"
"Griwel's motive for colluding with the Second Empress in rebellion was unclear from the start."
In other words, Iksiran already believed Griwel's claim was true.
Biting his lip at the response, the crown prince paced gravely for a moment before speaking as if resolved.
"Rerun the blood tests on her and Tinel in secret. And tell Roth about it."
"...Pardon?"
Even his confidant Iksiran couldn't grasp the intent and voiced confusion, but the crown prince continued with a cold expression.
"Tell Roth. If he doesn't end that pointless protest right now, Tinel dies depending on the results."
Iksiran's eyes widened.
Living over a decade in luxury as a prince without imperial blood was crime enough for extreme punishment, intent or not.
But knowing the crown prince who cherished his brothers—especially Roth and Tinel—Iksiran couldn't hide his shock.
"Your Highness, why go that far...?"
"For the empire. I need Roth's power now. There are few I can truly trust."
"B-but, Your Highness. Roth might break completely."
"No, Roth's got a strong sense of duty. That protest is just him shouldering responsibility for his mother. He won't let Tinel die. Duty to another bloodline will pull him through."
But won't he resent you for it?
Iksiran swallowed the words rising in his throat and gazed at his lord with pity.
Reading the look, the crown prince gave a wry smile and patted the knight's shoulder.
"No need for those eyes, Iksiran. I'll be resented anyway once Kartia's executed. It was set in stone when we decided to let it play out."
"But, Your Highness..."
"Enough! I'm their brother second—first, I aspire to be the empire's emperor."
"..."
"In exchange, even if Tinel's illegitimate, promise he'll live out his days as royalty. He'll understand."
"...As you command."
As Iksiran bowed and turned to leave,
"...Iksiran."
The crown prince, staring blankly out the window, called him back.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Do you regret it?"
The sudden question carried layers of meaning. Iksiran shook his head instantly.
"Never, Your Highness."
The answer was firm, brimming with conviction.
From his youth as the top prospect of the Imperial Knights becoming the young prince's guard, he'd never once doubted this young lord would lead the empire to another millennium of glory.
Iksiran's curt reply held all those years and emotions.
Sensing it,
"...Good."
The crown prince, still gazing out the window, chuckled softly and nodded.
"I won't regret my choices either. Lend me a bit more strength, Iksiran."
"Of course, Your Highness."
"Go on. Ah, handle rewards for those who quelled the uprising within days—properly. Gather the ministers and make it as grand as possible. As if this disaster never happened. You know what I mean?"
"Yes! Your Highness."
"Sorry to burden you so much. But just a little longer."
"Not at all. It's my honor, Your Highness."
"Thanks for saying that."
As the conversation seemed to end and Iksiran reached for the door,
A low murmur escaped the crown prince.
"She's doing well, I hope?"
Like a soliloquy, but Iksiran smiled as if expecting it.
"Yes, for now, being with family seems better than this messy palace. A wise choice."
The one light topic amid the heavy ones. Mentioning the crown princess—Lady Valentia—made his young lord seem his age, naturally drawing a smile.
And thinking of House Valentia naturally brought another figure to mind. A report he'd skipped amid the chaos—not because it was urgent, but personal observation.
That kid... no, he's a true knight now.
Judging it might aid his lord now, Iksiran spoke again.
"Your Highness."
"Hm?"
"You weren't wrong. The previous emperor was a cancer on the empire by any measure."
"Well..."
The crown prince, face slightly flushed from asking after his fiancée, turned with a wry smile.
"Not just my opinion."
"Hm?"
"Even without my hand, he might have died that day. Proof others—your people or not—thought the same."
"...What do you mean?"
As the crown prince voiced puzzlement, Iksiran described the warhammer-wielding knight he'd seen: fists clenched in fury, killing intent palpable from afar. Had he been a moment later, that heavy weapon would have crushed the emperor's skull.
"Without the shadow token, I'd have let it happen. It would have let us check House Valentia more firmly."
Noting his lord's flushing excitement, Iksiran concluded firmly.
The crown prince stared incredulously.
"...That young genius really did that?"
"Without doubt."
"Hah, that guy... I like him more and more."
Relief visibly easing his burden, Iksiran felt quiet satisfaction.
"Looks like mere rewards won't cut it?"
The crown prince smiled genuinely for the first time since the upheaval.
And three days later.
By order of the crown prince, now acting emperor, a grand council convened in the audience hall to settle the "Kreim Palace Uprising" incident.