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The Crown Prince Wishes to Retire

32. The Blood Prince Draws His Sword!

Talion’s shocking announcement sent tremors through the capital.

People are alike everywhere.

Nobles, who are particularly interested in scandals and secrets, quickly spread the rumors.

In just one day, the facts about Derek circulated throughout the entire capital.

At this point, it was enough. They had some justification.

However, Kariel sought to secure the royal family’s secrets even further.

“What’s the truth behind Derek, the protagonist of the royal family’s scandal?”

A grand title appeared in the Imperial Public Newspaper, no less!

The current Emperor’s brother and Miriel’s mother, the Third Empress.

They were originally lovers.

Yet, the current Emperor saw that a union between his brother and the prominent family of the Third Empress might pose a threat to him in the future.

Thus, under the pretext of maintaining balance, he pushed for a marriage with the Third Empress as a representative of the Neutral Faction.

With the death of the Empress from the House Sicario, even the pretext was there.

As everyone knows, the brother who had been a threat married into the House Belphus, and not long after, the Empress died giving birth to Miriel.

A tragic tale fit for a fairy tale.

The villain was the current Emperor, and the heroes should have been the Head of Belphus and the Third Empress.

But they crossed the line.

Talion revealed all the secrets and once again spoke strongly in front of the reporters.

“It is said by His Highness… ‘The circumstances are dire, but Derek from the House Belphus, who conspired with Dark Mages to lead a rebellion, is a traitor who cannot be forgiven!’”

Whispers erupted among the reporters at Talion’s words.

Some voiced their concerns, saying it was too much.

But Talion continued without changing his expression.

“’His Majesty has been fully aware of past transgressions and has given multiple chances. Do not expect further mercy!’”

As he spoke, he held up a document.

A proclamation stating that if desired, Derek would be officially recognized as the son of the Head of Belphus and acknowledged as ‘royalty.’

Included was a short apology from the Emperor.

With Talion’s announcement, the public sentiment shifted from pitying Derek.

The situation was dire, yet it was ignored despite the Emperor himself crafting an apology.

Thus, the concealed truth became evident.

The reasons Derek had clung to being the ‘Fourth Prince’ and the intention behind the prolonged chaos.

“The announcement regarding Derek ends here. From this moment onward, all forces cooperating with the Rebel Army will face execution.”

With those words, Talion left the conference room.

Only then did the reporters start murmuring.

“Isn’t it strange to be obsessed with the Fourth Prince?”

“Right. They say he’s connected to the Dark Mage. Could he be planning to overthrow the Empire?”

But, his circumstances were indeed dire.

Yet that was that.

There was no mercy or sympathy for those wishing to shatter their precious homes.

Such thoughts were quickly transformed into articles, and the Empire Citizens shared similar sentiments.

“Derek! Does he truly desire the chaos of the Empire?”

“Derek, merely a pawn of the Dark Mage. He is not a hero.”

As newspapers continued to spread negative stories about Derek, public opinion gradually shifted.

Just then, Kariel stepped forward.

“If you feel wronged, come alone to the capital. I will hear what you desire. Additionally, if you stop now, I will forgive all sins against the Rebel Army.”

It seemed a final act of mercy from Kariel.

However, there was no response from the Rebel Army.

At that moment, the confused Empire Citizens completely turned to Kariel.

Derek was now just the leader of the Rebels, no longer the protagonist from any fairy tale.

*

“The public opinion has changed.”

Kariel nodded slightly at Talion’s report.

A shameful past.

If either Derek or the Head of Belphus had uncovered it, chaos would have likely ensued.

However, as the royal family disclosed it first, they emphasized how many chances had already been given, subtly revealing their intentions.

“From the moment we persuaded His Majesty, the justification effectively ended.”

Kariel had met with the Emperor to build a justification and desired to reveal the Emperor’s hidden truths.

Bringing up the past was a difficult decision, even for a dying Emperor.

Yet Kariel managed to convince the Emperor.

Holding onto a powerful justification, he intended to portray them not as fairy tale heroes but as traitors, while simultaneously promising to explain to the Empire Citizens why the Emperor had no choice but to make such a decision.

Thanks to that, they finally managed to obtain the Emperor’s permission, leading to the current situation.

“It’s surprising how much bigger Derek is than expected, but that’s it.”

The information Kariel obtained in his previous life was that Derek was indeed a ‘royal.’ He possessed all the characteristics of royalty and, most importantly, bore the unique mana signature of royalty.

However, the reason he could tell that Derek was not a Fourth Prince was due to a later discovery of the Emperor’s diary.

It contained a note that he had not fathered any children except those with his officially married Empress and Consorts.

The resentment towards the rumors surrounding his illegitimate children was evident.

“Well… it’s not like it’s a good thing…”

While it was good that he hadn’t sown seeds into useless endeavors, it wouldn’t improve the assessment.

After all, the fact that he had taken away his brother’s woman remained unchanged.

“That’s none of my concern.”

The Emperor’s evaluation dropped sharply, and the royal family’s authority was in decline, but it didn’t affect Kariel.

The Empire Citizens’ trust in Kariel remained strong.

“Phew… somehow things have been resolved. The suppression forces should remain stable now, right?”

“It should be.”

Kariel nodded in satisfaction at Talion’s response.

The thing Kariel was most worried about.

It was that the Rebels’ silver tongues would disrupt the suppression forces. He had revealed the royal family’s secrets to prevent that, so his work was done.

Now, all that remained was for Duke Welch and his brother to swiftly suppress them.

“What about the Holy Nation?”

“No movements yet.”

Kariel nodded slightly at Talion’s report.

With Marquis Sicario deploying forces at full strength, the Holy Nation would find it hard to move easily.

The same went for the West.

The Empire’s western fleet, disputing for the title of the continent’s strongest, had begun to gather, so Iron would also have to tread carefully.

The problem lay in the South.

“Troops from Talos and Rotheon are moving towards the border region.”

“What about the Masters?”

“They haven’t moved yet.”

As Talion reported, Kariel read through another report.

“Is it because of the Pirates? They are suffering surprisingly severe damage.”

As damage from the Pirates accumulated, both Talos and Rotheon were indeed suffering significant setbacks.

They had already gathered naval forces to counter them, but it was proving difficult.

To root them out, they would need to venture to the Aisa Archipelago, but that required an enormous military force.

However, with the Empire taking an offensive stance, they couldn’t leave the border lines undefended. After all, an enraged Empire could strike the borders, so some minimal preparations had to be made.

Ultimately, all they could do was minimize the damage by using their Masters to guard the sea.

“The Empire likely won’t have the luxury of worrying about us.”

Kariel nodded slightly at Talion’s words.

But he couldn’t be completely at ease.

Kariel was particularly worried about a specific timing.

The moment the Emperor passes away during the war with the Rebels and the Union of Small Nations.

That was the moment of concern.

How Talos and Rotheon would utilize the Empire’s chaotic situation was unknown.

Thus, he must tread carefully.

“The Counts at the borders should be able to manage it.”

The final concern he had seemed manageable by the Southern Counts.

If that was the case, Kariel only had to focus on the Central region.

“From now on, we will move with caution. Talion.”

“Yes.”

“Identify all the nobles who have grievances against me.”

“Are you planning to capture them?”

At Talion’s question, Kariel shook his head.

“If His Majesty were to pass away, I don’t know how they would move, so we need to be aware.”

“I will assign information agents around them.”

“Good.”

As Talion went out to carry out the order, Kariel called for an attendant to summon the Chancellor.

The Emperor’s condition was worsening day by day.

Even though the attendants were taking meticulous care, they had reached their limits.

It was a situation where it wouldn’t be strange for him to pass away at any moment, so preparations had to be made.

“I wish you could hold out for just two more months…”

That wasn’t too much to ask.

If only he could endure for two more months, but unexpectedly, the Emperor was struggling to last even a month.

It was possible that another situation could arise before the Rebels were completely suppressed.

Kariel had to prepare for that.

“You called for me.”

The Chancellor hurriedly ran in, aged and out of breath at Kariel’s call.

Kariel, offering him a seat, allowed him some time to catch his breath before speaking.

“As you know, His Majesty is in critical condition.”

“…How much longer does he have?”

Winston immediately picked up on what Kariel had said and asked.

“Two months is expected, but even that seems difficult.”

“…We must prepare for what comes next.”

At Winston’s words, Kariel nodded heavily.

To keep the Empire from descending into chaos, preparations had to be set in motion.

The Neutral Faction supported Kariel, and both Dukes were pushing for Kariel to become the Emperor.

Yet, there was a high possibility of dissatisfaction.

To prevent their discontent, preparations were essential.

“If His Majesty awakens, we will make a formal announcement, but… we must also prepare for the possibility that he may not.”

While some preparations were already underway through the attendants, a more foolproof plan was necessary.

An Emperor with unquestionable legitimacy.

If he were to become Emperor, he needed to be a perfect one to navigate through this chaos. Thus, he intended to entrust the Chancellor with those preparations.

“All preparations will be left to the Chancellor.”

“Your Highness…”

“I will draw my sword.”

Seeing the resoluteness in Kariel’s eyes, Winston instinctively realized that a bloodbath was about to ensue.

*

His predictions were spot on.

Kariel, having entrusted the internal matters to Winston, took command of the Imperial Guard himself.

The seeds of chaos must be trampled from the very beginning.

Kariel drew his sword, ready to kill all those who had allied with the Rebel Army.

“For daring to insult the royal family and incite chaos in the Empire, execution is warranted.”

Kariel directly executed the leader of the criminal organization who had helped Derek sway public opinion in the Empire.

Those awaiting trial with noble status also faced immediate execution at Kariel’s hands.

Thus, swift trials for the remaining offenders began.

As Kariel directly handled those whose judgments were ambiguous, the judges wasted no time in proceeding with the trials.

By showing that there is no mercy for treason, Kariel ensured a quick resolution.

After personally disposing of those who had followed Derek in the capital, Kariel returned to the Imperial Palace and inquired of Talion.

“Phew… What about Miriel?”

Seeing Kariel’s exhausted expression, Talion shook his head gravely.

Ultimately, the royal secret had reached Miriel’s ears.

Although they hadn’t stopped her from knowing the truth about her mother, they had hoped she would find out as late as possible.

But contrary to Kariel’s wishes, Miriel learned the truth too early.

Just as Kariel prepared to rise to see the sobbing Miriel, Talion stepped in his way.

“Your Highness.”

“What is it?”

“It seems you should wash up first.”

Only then did Kariel realize the state of his own body.

Seeing the blood smeared all over his clothing, he let out a soft sigh.

“…I’ve really become the Blood Prince, haven’t I?”

Seeing the bitterness on Kariel’s face, Talion remained silent and bowed his head.

After a long moment of silence, Kariel cleaned himself up and headed directly to the palace where Miriel was staying.

To directly reveal all the truths to her and discuss the fate of Derek…

 

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