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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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The Hidden Blade approached his son. Though he ordered support from the Royal Guard, they did not follow his command.
While they claimed to be shields protecting the royal family, their highest priority was protecting the Emperor. Their actions weren’t incomprehensible.
Fortunately, it seemed his youngest son had gathered some subordinates. However, none of them were strong enough to face the Shadow Emperor. The one-armed swordsman bought some time, but it wasn’t enough.
“Absolute Shield!”
Even the highest-grade defensive magic, nicknamed absolute defense, was penetrated.
Just when everything seemed lost, a white flash erupted, and something pierced through the Hidden Blade’s chest.
It happened in an instant. Everyone was shocked.
“Marquess Blizzard, did you see what just happened?”
The Emperor questioned Marquess Blizzard, known as the strongest among the Royal Guards.
He thought that as a high-level magician, Blizzard would have seen what happened, but…
“I saw the Fifth Prince raise a white spear, but after that…”
Blizzard’s voice trailed off. Even to his eyes as a high-level magician, it happened too quickly to see.
The Emperor wanted to ask more questions, but couldn’t.
“Cough”
The Fifth Prince was collapsing, blood spurting from his entire body. The Emperor ran toward Raymond, who was coughing blood.
The assassins were retreating with the wounded Hidden Blade. However, quite a few assassins still remained in the vicinity.
A father’s love for his son overcame even the threat to his own life.
He didn’t stop, and the Royal Guards and the few remaining royal knights escorted the Emperor.
“Raymond!”
Gestain and the royal knights, who were protecting the Fifth Prince despite their injuries, stepped aside with fierce determination, and the Emperor lifted his fallen son.
Looking at the Fifth Prince slowly closing his eyes while covered in blood, the Emperor cried out, forgetting his dignity.
This was the son who came alone leading the royal knights when everyone else had fled. His heart ached.
The Fifth Prince’s condition was so severe that it wouldn’t be strange if he died at any moment.
While everyone maintained a silent vigil, the imperial army poured in through the closed entrances and windows.
“Your Majesty! Reinforcements have arrived!”
Someone announced. Though it was good news, the Emperor’s expression remained stern.
The remaining assassins were subdued by the imperial army, and knights and magicians rushed to where the Emperor was.
“Your Majesty!”
“We-we’re terribly sorry for being late!”
The commanders bowed their heads. But their apologies couldn’t reach the Emperor’s ears right now.
The Emperor spoke with an ice-cold expression he had never shown in his life.
“Save him at all costs.”
The commanders raised their heads at the Emperor’s words.
“If anything happens to the Fifth Prince, I will hold you accountable for your tardiness.”
Today, the Emperor’s voice was colder than ever before.
He didn’t want that day’s events to repeat themselves.
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“Ugh…”
His entire body screamed in pain.
As soon as he regained consciousness, he tried to get up as memories of his last moments rushed back, but his body wouldn’t listen.
“Fifth Prince! You’re awake!”
He managed to turn his head toward the familiar voice and saw Alex.
“Are you alright?”
“Why are there so many knights here?”
Brushing aside Alex’s question, he asked one of his own.
“A state of emergency was declared after the Shadow Emperor’s attack on the banquet hall. I received armed orders to guard Your Highness.”
Beyond Alex’s shoulder, he could see several subordinates in elite guards uniforms and royal knights filling the room in full armor.
It was an attack of a completely different scale from the previous palace raid. It wasn’t strange at all that a state of emergency had been declared.
“Alex, how many days was I unconscious?”
“You were unconscious for a week, Your Highness.”
‘A week… I was out for quite a while.’
“Urgh.”
He wanted to get up right away but it wasn’t easy to move his body.
His body was almost completely immobile, and instead, groans escaped his lips.
“I’ll go report that Your Highness has awakened.”
“To whom?”
“I received a royal order to report immediately when Your Highness wakes up.”
A royal order for something like this?
“Did the Emperor visit?”
“He came every day. Just an hour ago, he stayed for about an hour before leaving.”
This banquet hall attack was essentially equivalent to an attack by the Tri-Nation Alliance.
Despite how busy he must be with this situation, the fact that he visited daily showed how much the Emperor was worried about Raymond.
“Then I shall take my leave now. Please rest well.”
“Yes, go ahead, don’t worry.”
After nodding in response, Alex left the bedroom with a concerned look lingering in his eyes.
Perhaps having heard the news of his awakening, Desia came to visit shortly after Alex left.
“Fifth Prince, how are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. Though it’s hard to move, at least I’m not dead.”
“Thank goodness. I haven’t reached the level of Arch Mage yet, so you can’t leave us like this.”
Desia said sharply. Knowing it was a joke, Raymond’s lips curved into a smile as he looked at her.
When the Hidden Blade approached, she had used all her power to cast defensive magic to protect Raymond.
Using high-level defensive magic while only being at the advanced level must have strained her body.
To Desia, the Fifth Prince was someone who had opened doors for her.
Thanks to the magic books he had given her, she saw hope in her stagnant situation and was able to reach the level of advanced magician in one leap.
If it weren’t for Raymond, she wouldn’t have reached the advanced level so quickly.
As someone with deep knowledge of magic, Desia knew this fact better than anyone.
‘I can’t do without the Fifth Prince.’
At first, she had been skeptical when he mentioned reaching the level of Arch Mage.
But after reading the magic books the Fifth Prince gave her and reaching the advanced level, she had no choice but to believe.
Trust in the Fifth Prince had begun to take root within her.
“Fifth Prince, the Blue Tower Master has arrived.”
An elite guard carefully poked his head through the door to announce the visit of Lysfield, the Blue Tower Master.
“Let him in.”
Though he was dying from pain, he wondered why there were so many visitors. While making this pleasant complaint internally, he granted permission for the visit.
“Fifth Prince, how are you feeling?”
This was the Third time he’d heard a similar question. Though it was starting to get tiresome, he couldn’t show it, so he opened his mouth with a faint smile to answer the old Blue Tower Master.
“Feels like I’m dying from pain.”
“That’s a relief.”
Despite the response about dying from pain, Lysfield smiled slightly and sat next to Desia.
“I didn’t expect it to be this bad…”
His thoughts accidentally slipped out.
When he had broken through the Magic Tower’s wall, there had been pain and he had fainted, but he hadn’t expected this level of pain just from using a bit more life force.
However, without consuming this much life force, he wouldn’t have been able to penetrate the unique-grade magical tool ‘Shadow Veil’ that the Hidden Blade was wearing.
“This level of pain is actually fortunate. You used far too much life force compared to what you showed at the Magic Tower.”
“I had no choice if I wanted to penetrate the ‘Shadow Veil.'”
“Indeed… Even to my eyes, I could barely see an afterimage, so I suspected it was no ordinary magical tool, but to think it was the unique-grade ‘Shadow Veil.'”
The Blue Tower Master nodded and muttered almost to himself.
Although Shadow Veil was relatively well-known among unique-grade magical tools, this wasn’t information easily obtained.
The Blue Tower Master wanted to ask how the Fifth Prince knew about it, but he shook his head with a calm expression.
‘He wouldn’t answer anyway.’
Though they hadn’t spent much time together, he felt he understood the Fifth Prince’s personality. He definitely wouldn’t tell even if asked.
“I think I can move a bit now.”
Though the pain remained, the paralysis had worn off. Raymond slowly raised himself to sit on the bed.
“Fifth Prince, you must be careful when using the Spear of Sacrifice. If you’re not careful…”
“I know.”
He could guess what the Blue Tower Master had swallowed back. He surely meant to say that he could die. Understanding this concern, Raymon simply nodded in agreement.
“Your Highness, it’s Alex.”
“Come in.”
Upon this casual permission, the servant Alex carefully walked in.
He looked noticeably more relieved than before when he saw Raymond sitting up.
“The Emperor said he’ll send a separate messenger.”
“He’s in a military meeting,” Alex added in explanation.
With relations deteriorating with the Tri-Nation Alliance and military movements being observed, the Emperor couldn’t help but be busy.
“Shall we take a walk?”
Though the paralysis hadn’t completely worn off, a light walk might help improve things.
Desia and the Blue Tower Master rose from their chairs, and Gestain, who had been waiting, stepped forward with a calm expression and said, “I’ll prepare the Royal Guards.”
What was meant to be a casual suggestion now seemed to involve more than ten people moving at once.
Even though they were just going to the garden right in front of the Fifth Prince’s palace, ten Royal Guards including Gestain were assigned as escorts, and the Blue Tower Master, Desia, and Alex also followed.
“Isn’t this too much escort?”
It seemed a bit excessive.
“His Majesty specifically ordered us to pay extra attention to Your Highness’s protection.”
Gestain answered. Everything else was fine, but sometimes moments like these felt suffocating.
Shaking his head, he left the bedroom with the elite guards, and saw royal knights on patrol.
They were unfamiliar faces.
They performed military salutes while sending respectful gazes toward the Fifth Prince.
Their gazes were so intense that it felt burdensome, causing Raymond to hurry his steps toward the garden. However, every royal knight they met along the way showed the same reaction.
“Why are they here?”
These knights wore the imperial crest on their chests, indicating they were directly under the Emperor.
“Are you curious?”
Though he asked Alex, the Blue Tower Master answered instead.
“Yes, I am.”
“After the banquet hall attack, the royal knights guarding the Fifth Prince’s palace were replaced with knights directly under the Emperor.”
So that happened. He had no idea since he was unconscious for a week.
“And Your Highness risked your life to protect His Majesty. You should know better than anyone the loyalty that Philios Empire’s knights have for the Emperor.”
Hearing this, he understood why the royal knights showed such reverence whenever they met.
The loyalty of Philios Empire’s knights to the Emperor was famously intense.
This abnormal loyalty was also the only pride of the declining Philios Empire.
According to the setting book, it was a case where ancient awe for the royal family’s ability to handle giant soldiers transformed into loyalty.
“Yes, I know well.”
He nodded and continued walking.
While conversing with the Blue Tower Master, they soon arrived at the garden.
The paralysis had significantly improved as they walked through the garden.
“Let’s head back now.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Gestain led the way with the Royal Guards.
After the banquet hall attack, royal knights and palace guard soldiers could be seen throughout the Fifth Prince’s palace, suggesting increased security measures.
They returned to the bedroom after two hours.
“I should pretend to be sick.”
Though he planned to feign illness, the Blue Tower Master shook his head upon seeing this.
“That might be difficult. The royal knights saw Your Highness walking.”
“Ah, right…”
He had to accept that. Still, he felt at ease since it seemed many of the Third Prince’s subordinates had been removed in this reorganization.
“His Majesty is coming.”
Alex reported. Raymond nodded in response and rose from the bed.
Though he was recovering, he couldn’t remain lying down when the Emperor himself was visiting.
The doors opened and the Royal Guards entered first to check the safety. Finally, the Emperor stepped into the bedroom.
His face was full of worry and concern.
“Your Majesty, Fifth Prince Ray-”
“What are you doing! Lie down at once!”
His shout carried obvious concern.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
He wanted to rest anyway. As he lay down in bed under the benevolent gazes of the Royal Guards, the Emperor came closer and sat in a chair.
“Are you feeling better?”
“Thanks to your concern, I’m perfectly fine.”
Though he felt like he was dying of pain before going for the walk, now he was fine.
“I won’t ask anything, but don’t push yourself too hard.”
There was no special conversation. The Emperor couldn’t stay long due to urgent matters. After he left first, the Captain of the Palace Guards, who had accompanied him, remained behind.
‘Was his name Ivan Rowse?’
He remembered seeing it in the setting book. A knight who had reached the high-rank level and supported the First Prince.
He couldn’t understand why Ivan stayed behind or what he wanted to say.
Perhaps sensing the questioning gaze, Ivan spoke with a calm expression.
“I pay my respects to the Fifth Prince who fought for His Majesty when everyone else fled.”
“Doesn’t Sir Ivan stand behind brother Serak?”
“Before being someone who serves the First Prince, I am His Majesty’s subject.”
Ivan replied. A wise answer.
“And thanks to Your Highness, I and my family were able to keep our lives and positions.”
If the Emperor had been assassinated, not only Ivan as the Captain of the Palace Guards but also his family would have died. That’s why he wanted to express gratitude to Raymond.
“If you need my help, please say so. I will gladly step forward for anything within my power.”
With those words, Ivan also left.
“Can I rest now?”
He wanted to sleep. However, the Blue Tower Master grinned and spoke, which seemed ominous.
“You’ll have to postpone sleep for a while. The Red Tower Master is on his way here.”
“Why the Red Tower Master?”
“It seems rumors about the Spear of Sacrifice that Your Highness showed at the banquet hall have moved the Red Tower Master.”
It had become slightly troublesome. But things were flowing according to plan.
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