The Prince Wants to Retire

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The Crown Prince Wants to Retire

23. The True Number One of the Empire? (2)

“Is the earthquake more serious than we thought?”

“That’s right.”

Receiving the report from Talion with a grave expression, Kariel felt a sense of unease. The repeated earthquakes were causing damage to escalate exponentially.

“What’s the epicenter?”

“We have confirmed that the labyrinth, which is the epicenter, is collapsing. It seems that the legendary behemoth truly exists.”

Kariel nodded slightly at Talion’s report. Until now, the Holy Nation had thoroughly concealed information, making it impossible to know for sure. This opportunity had officially confirmed that the existence of the behemoth, once considered mere legend, was indeed a reality.

‘As much as I want to spill everything…’

Now was the time to seek assistance from the Holy Nation.

‘I’ll save the revelations for later. For now, let’s focus on the Empire.’

Determined, Kariel began to contemplate how to mobilize the troops. With the elite forces of the Holy Nation already in motion to block the labyrinth, there was no urgent reason for the Empire to rush.

The location of the behemoth was closer to the Holy Nation, meaning that even if the Imperial Army moved hastily, they could not arrive before the Holy Nation.

In that case, it was more advisable to move cautiously and strive for perfection.

“What about the dark magic?”

“Not discovered yet.”

Kariel grimaced at Talion’s report. These sinister bastards had a talent for hiding their tracks.

‘By the way, how do the dark mages know this kind of information…?’

He was curious how the dark mages acquired information that even he could not ascertain, but what was even more intriguing was how they could use such information.

Awakening the behemoth and creating volcanic eruptions using fragments of the Spirit King required more than merely having information.

It demanded a wealth of magical knowledge intertwined with the information about god-like entities.

“Is there something behind the dark mages?”

“Yes?”

“Is it truly possible for only the dark mages to pull off something like this?”

At Kariel’s inquiry, Talion wore a serious expression.

A glance through the continent’s history revealed countless accounts of the dark mages’ cruelty. But could they truly cause volcanic eruptions and earthquakes?

Unless they were on the level of the legendary archmage, it was nearly impossible.

‘Surely the Demon King hasn’t been summoned yet…’

Remembering his previous life, Kariel was certain.

The Demon King would only be summoned later.

That could only occur when the Empire was still rotten and the dark mages had completed their preparations.

‘Which means this is only possible through a contract with a demon…’

Contemplating whether it really was feasible to do all this just by making a deal with a demon, Kariel found himself lost in thought for a moment.

Yet the information was so limited that it was hard to deduce anything at this point.

The small consolation was that he confirmed the dark mages and the Holy Nation hadn’t fully joined forces.

“The Sun Blade is moving on its own?”

“That’s correct.”

Kariel nodded slightly at Talion’s response. He had learned through intelligence from crows that the Sun Blade’s movements were confirmed, and hearing that the scale of the expeditionary force was massive allowed him to dismiss the assumption that the Holy Nation was behind the dark mages.

“We’ve averted the worst.”

Even if they drove the dark mages to the East Continent, if the Holy Nation remained behind them, they could infiltrate the West Continent again through the North.

Thus, it was only natural for Kariel to have such suspicions.

The temple within the Empire and the dark mages had allied, making it something worth pondering.

However, the wrath displayed by the Holy Nation had mostly dispelled those doubts.

‘They’re really mad now.’

They had touched the reverse scale of the Holy Nation.

The behemoth, said to swallow the sun in myths, was rising.

A being that had truly humiliated the Holy Nation.

Such a being would not be allowed to be vanquished by others by the Holy Nation.

“What of the people in the earthquake zone?”

“Most have already evacuated.”

“There’s still the risk of damage increasing from here?”

Talion nodded in response to Kariel’s remark. With repeated earthquakes, most buildings had already collapsed.

Of course, supporting the evacuees and the injured would require substantial funds, but that was merely money that had to be used.

“Since it’s come to this, let’s completely take control of the Northeast.”

“…Take control?”

“Yes. As we recover from the damage, we’ll slowly approach the labyrinth.”

At Kariel’s words, Talion wore a chilling expression. He had discerned Kariel’s intention to worsen the Holy Nation’s losses through this opportunity.

“Focus on the dark mages. They’re likely in the labyrinth, but who knows what kind of schemes they may pull.”

“Understood.”

Nodding to Kariel’s orders, Talion sent a crow to relay the orders to the Northern Army.

The true intent was to provoke mutual damage between the Holy Nation and the dark mages, but it was disguised to seem like a search for the dark mages.

*

A search operation for the dark mages hiding in the Northeast.

As they widely publicized the outward operation, the Empire slowly pressed into the Northeast.

Kariel, along with the Northern and Eastern Armies, applied pressure from both sides, and soon after, the Central Army was dispatched to the Northeast.

The three armies gradually surrounded the Northeast while engaging in a possible extermination campaign against any remaining dark mages.

The problem was with the Holy Nation.

“Damn it!”

The Sun Blade swung its sword, smashing an undead creature.

Wielding that sword imbued with divine power, dozens of undead disintegrated into ashes in one blow.

Yet the relentless tide of undead continued to thwart the advance of the Holy Nation’s forces.

“Break through! We need to reach the labyrinth as quickly as possible!”

The Sun Blade cried out in desperation, but it wasn’t easy.

The Holy Knights who managed to break through were also stalled by monsters pouring out due to the labyrinth’s collapse.

“If I were the Master…”

If he were the Master, he might have been able to carve a path, but he still hadn’t crossed that threshold.

The Master Level felt so close yet still far away.

He thought he had merely one thin wall left, but that one wall was making an enormous difference.

“Captain! It’s going to be difficult for us to breach the labyrinth on time!”

“We need to request more support!”

As the situation grew dire, the Holy Knights surrounding the Sun Blade urged him.

The Sun Blade was well aware that with the current troops, it would be hard to completely conquer the labyrinth.

While the undead were numerous, they weren’t a major threat; the problem lay with the monsters emerging from the labyrinth.

With enough time, it could be breached, but there wasn’t enough time for the Sun Blade.

“First, let’s request additional support from the Holy Nation…”

Thud thud thud!

Before the Sun Blade could finish his sentence, the ground suddenly shook.

In that moment, sensing an intense aura of misfortune, the Sun Blade instantly realized that what he had so deeply feared had come to pass.

“…It’s ruined.”

As part of the labyrinth crumbled, the Sun Blade squeezed his eyes shut at the fleeting sight.

Now the situation had slipped from his grasp.

“Report to His Highness. The humiliation of the Holy Nation has awakened.”

With a sigh, the Sun Blade informed the priest directly under the Pope of the current situation. They lacked the forces to deal with the ancient monster.

“…Regroup. We will slowly retreat and form a defensive line.”

“Yes!”

The Holy Knights bowed their heads in response to the Sun Blade’s orders.

*

Meanwhile, upon hearing the news that the Holy Nation’s army had failed to achieve its objectives in the Empire’s capital, the Pope stood up with a heavy heart.

“…Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

At the Pope’s words, the High Priests lowered their heads with guilt.

Since the humiliation of the Holy Nation had risen, it was imperative for the Pope to lead personally.

As the Pope hastily decided to return to the Holy Nation, the Continental Conference was indefinitely postponed.

Following that, the Prince of the Empire swiftly decided to return, and the two kings from the South also made their return plans, prompting the envoy groups from various nations to prepare to depart.

Consequently, the Empire no longer clung to the Continental Conference and focused on the Northeast.

At that moment, strange rumors began circulating within the Empire.

“There are more than just the two princes who have the opportunity to become the Crown Prince!”

Originating from some regions in the South, these rumors quickly spread to the capital of the Empire.

Initially, the public paid little attention to it.

The situation in the Northeast was too serious, and rumors of the dark mages appearing again had captured everyone’s attention.

However, once the rumors reached the capital, they continued to circulate through people’s mouths, eventually leading to a suspicious post on the square bulletin board.

“There exists the Emperor’s hidden son!”

The mention of a hidden son of the Emperor in that post drew scoffs from the people.

Yet, as each day passed, evidence regarding the Emperor’s hidden son was increasingly posted around buildings.

Among those were portraits of women who had been lovers of the Emperor, leading to speculative posts suggesting they could be the mothers of his children.

At last, people who initially dismissed it began to tilt their heads in thought.

A few of the women did resemble what one would imagine of royalty.

Given the Emperor’s rather indulgent youth, it wasn’t too far-fetched to think he might have an illegitimate child.

Old nobles recall the Emperor’s youth and argued that the absence of any known illegitimate child was evidence of the palace’s deliberate concealment.

As people began speculating wildly, characteristics of a man named Derek started to circulate as rumors.

“The leader of the Dark Alley, the Red Spider, Derek is another hidden prince?”

“The reason the Red Spider has grown rapidly over the last ten years.”

“Derek’s face and hair color resemble that of royalty!”

These were clearly rumors that had been intentionally spread.

However, for those who loved gossip, there was no better tale, and thus, the rumors spread like wildfire.

In that context, a man known as Derek made an appearance at the square.

Without a word, he simply showed his face and vanished, but people began to realize that his facial features and hair color distinctly resembled those of royalty.

Moreover, the Emperor remained holed up in the palace, and the royal family offered no clarifications.

In such a situation, the nobles could only show their confusion, unable to figure out their next steps.

*

This turmoil in the capital eventually reached Kariel, who was steadily advancing to root out the dark mages hiding in the Northeast.

“Currently, it’s almost an established fact that there’s another prince. Some even argue he should be called ‘Deriel’.”

Kariel chuckled at the name created by adding ‘el’ to Derek’s name.

‘This name hasn’t changed from my previous life to now.’

He thought and simply laughed.

Then, Talion wore a worried expression.

“There’s a possibility of chaos within the Empire.”

“That won’t happen.”

Kariel maintained a relaxed demeanor.

He had predicted that the dark mages would manifest their evil from the moment they began plotting in the Northwest.

In his previous life, when the Empire was half-destroyed by a rebellion, that was when they appeared.

Even the Emperor had perished, making it hard to discern the ‘truth,’ but after eliminating that foe, the true identity was revealed during the inquiry.

“They can’t shake my brothers now after all this.”

Having anticipated the possibility of such a turn of events, he had prepared for everything.

He had limited Miriel’s potential and firmly suggested that one of the two princes would become the Crown Prince.

Moreover, he inserted both princes into politics early on, leading to divisions among the noble factions.

In such circumstances, attempting to shake things up held little real significance.

‘If you get fooled once, it’s foolish to get fooled again.’

Kariel chuckled to himself.

“My younger brothers aren’t that weak. So focus here.”

“Yes.”

As Kariel spoke with a relaxed expression, Talion smiled and nodded.

Seeing the determined countenance of his lord brought stability to Talion’s anxious heart, and in turn, it began to spread among others.

The two princes or the palace might tremble.

However, with Kariel around, the Empire stood strong.

‘As long as you’re here, Your Highness, the Empire won’t shake.’

Thinking that in his heart, Talion focused on the Northeast.

For the moment the Empire falters, Kariel would step in, and he needed to simply follow orders.