Chapter 306
The Arrival of a New Prince!!
Chaos erupted within the Karn Empire’s royal court as if a bomb had exploded.
The hero who had recently set the alliance ablaze with his deeds was revealed to be a prince.
Not just any illegitimate child, but a scion of the empire’s most prestigious noble family—the Radia Marquisate.
“Wait, are you saying the Marquis of Radia once bore a child with His Majesty the Emperor?”
“Back then, their relationship was… complicated, to say the least.”
The elder statesmen of the court nodded thoughtfully, recalling the past.
It was an open secret in high society that the young emperor and the Marquis of Radia had shared a secret affair.
And it was Christo who had uncovered this truth and orchestrated the current upheaval.
“The political situation is already unstable, and now a new prince appears?”
“And not just any prince—a hero, and from the Radia bloodline at that.”
The Karn Empire’s royal family was already in turmoil.
Since the emperor had fallen into a coma, his three sons had been locked in a fierce struggle for the throne.
If the crown prince had been strong enough to hold the center, there would have been no problem.
But unfortunately, he was the weakest of the three.
The second prince was backed by the central nobility.
The third prince had the support of the regional aristocrats.
Worse still, the third prince had even enlisted the backing of the famed swordsmanship clan and the White Tiger Corps—one of the alliance’s most formidable military forces.
“Still, surely this won’t cause too much trouble? No matter how heroic he is, there’s no way he can just jump into the succession battle at this point.”
“Besides, the Radia Marquisate’s glory days are long past.”
But a voice of dissent came from the head of the imperial household—the person most familiar with the palace’s inner workings.
“You’re thinking too simply. It hasn’t been made public yet, but the succession assessment ceremony caused quite a stir.”
“What do you mean?”
This was the ritual to determine the purity of the imperial bloodline.
More than just confirming royal lineage, it held great significance.
“Do you know what rank the new prince received in the succession grading?”
“Since he’s the emperor’s direct descendant and a hero, surely he’s first rank? But the other princes are all first rank too, so it shouldn’t matter much, right?”
In the Karn Empire, succession rank is determined by the intensity of one’s royal aura.
Direct descendants usually receive first rank, so the competition is among those who share that status.
“…It was unmeasurable.”
“What?”
“They couldn’t measure his royal aura during the ceremony.”
A sudden clatter echoed as someone dropped what they were holding in shock.
“Y-you don’t mean…?”
“Yes, that’s right. He’s the legendary ‘Absolute’ rank—the one said to have been possessed by the empire’s founding ancestor.”
Everyone present swallowed hard.
The implication was clear: the newly revealed hero prince was now the top contender for the throne.
“I never expected an Absolute rank to appear. Has his soul’s quality risen, affecting the measurement?”
Christo thought to himself.
“Well, that’s good. The more chaos, the better.”
As the ministers had feared, the storm stirred by the new hero prince only grew stronger.
The common people’s reaction was especially remarkable.
“Long live the Hero Prince!!”
“Heaven has not abandoned the Karn Empire! Hail the Hero!!”
Heroes have always been the people’s idols.
And Christo was a master manipulator who knew exactly how to exploit such public sentiment.
A brilliant light shone down on a beggar sitting in the street.
“Ahh! I feel better now. No more pain. Thank you!”
Christo smiled warmly and took the beggar’s hand.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
“Sniff… how can I ever repay you?”
“I am the hero, the will of the heavens incarnate. Your happiness is my purpose—no repayment necessary.”
Though the words were insincere, the performance was so convincing that no one doubted him.
“Ahh, Hero!!”
Christo didn’t stop there. He toured the capital, showing the people what a true hero looked like.
The crowd’s cheers grew deafening.
Nearby, Luina, who had joined him, looked like she was about to vomit.
“Isn’t this a bit too much? Pretending to be so kind—there’s a limit.”
“Lady Luina, Christo’s suffering is all for the Karn Empire and the world. He’s nothing like you.”
“No, Sir Evan! You’re even more insufferable than this demon!”
“That’s because your heart isn’t right. Stop chasing money and focus on cultivating your spirit. You’ll see the world differently.”
Luina groaned, feeling like Evan was shortening her lifespan by ten years.
At that moment, Christo brought up the matter he had called Luina for.
“You finished the preparations I asked for, right?”
Luina pouted, clearly displeased.
“…Yes, I did.”
“You didn’t just do it half-heartedly, did you?”
“Do you know how much I spent on this? The guild’s on the verge of collapse!”
“There’s no way it’s that bad. You’re exaggerating.”
Evan chimed in from the side.
“Christo, be understanding.”
“Shut up!”
Christo nodded and declared the coming storm.
“Then, let’s begin.”
That day, letters flew out to every influential family in the empire.
Invitations sent in the name of Luina’s Dear Guild.
The letter shook the empire’s political world once again.
Luina’s Dear Guild was no ordinary merchant guild.
Already one of the wealthiest in the alliance, it had recently expanded its influence across the continent.
It had ties to the Gold Cross, the Order of the Round Table, and even the Sacred Palace of the Holy Empire.
Many said it was only a matter of time before Luina’s guild became the continent’s most powerful.
This banquet signaled that the hero prince had the backing of such a formidable guild.
But that wasn’t all.
The invitation also listed the banquet’s sponsors—effectively a declaration of support for the hero prince.
The Holy Empire’s Istanya Sacred Palace.
Gold Cross, Pope Olivia.
Alongside the Karn Emperor, these were the two highest authorities in the alliance throwing their weight behind the hero prince.
On the day of the banquet, a massive crowd gathered for the hero prince’s official political debut.
Most wore grim expressions.
A sudden stone had been thrown into the pond, stirring up turmoil.
Especially the factions of the second and third princes looked displeased.
“The second and third princes didn’t come.”
“Probably deliberately snubbing the event.”
But they hadn’t completely ignored it.
Key figures from both factions were present.
Baron Valmond, Captain of the Imperial Guard, representing the second prince.
Heinz, Vice Commander of the White Tiger Corps, representing the third prince.
Both were formidable figures.
“The atmosphere between them is tense.”
“Who knows what trouble might break out.”
Recently, the capital had been a battleground for violent clashes between the second and third prince’s factions.
At the forefront were the Imperial Guard, loyal to the second prince, and the White Tiger Corps, backing the third.
It was unlikely they had come just to exchange pleasantries.
Meanwhile, a few faces looked somewhat hopeful.
The crown prince’s small faction.
“Today, we must win the hero to our side. Understood, Aslan?”
The crown prince was a thin, frail-looking man.
He seemed to pin his hopes on the sudden appearance of the hero.
“…I’ll do my best.”
Aslan, the wielder of the Light Sword, nodded awkwardly.
“Why such a weak answer? You must win the hero over! Only then can I become emperor!”
“…Understood.”
Aslan’s hesitation stemmed from a recent conversation with the hero.
While in the Holy Empire, she had approached the hero, asking for help to support the crown prince.
But the hero’s response was unexpected.
Of course, she was loyal to the Karn Empire.
Her loyalty to the crown prince was for the empire’s sake.
But then—
A baffling question.
The crown prince was the best of the three brothers.
Weak and lacking ability, yes, but better than the greedy second and third princes.
…Why do you ask that?
I want to know your true loyalty.
‘What is the hero thinking? Does he really want the throne?’
Aslan sighed in confusion.
Then—
“Prince Radia has arrived!”
The hero made his entrance.
Everyone held their breath at the sight of Christo.
An intense aura of dignity and authority radiated from him.
Each step was that of a true ruler, his expression calm and confident.
‘Wasn’t he raised in hiding? How does he carry such presence?’
‘The mark of a born leader.’
The figure accompanying him was no less impressive.
‘Isn’t that Sir Evan, former head of the swordsmanship clan? He’s following the hero?’
This was significant.
Though no longer clan head, many still argued Evan should be reinstated.
‘And the new clan head is here in the capital, supporting the third prince. Something’s bound to happen.’
The new clan head backed the third prince, making conflict inevitable.
The hero ascended the stage and surveyed the crowd.
“Thank you all for coming despite the difficulties.”
He spoke with casual humility.
But then, he dropped an unexpected bombshell right from the start.
“But it seems there are those here who are spoiling the atmosphere. I can see some hiding their ugly true intentions.”
“!!”
“Isn’t that right? Marquis Valmond, Sir Heinz?”
They were, respectively, the captain of the Imperial Guard and the deputy leader of the White Tiger Corps.
As the hero suddenly singled out these prominent figures from the factions of the second and third princes, the room grew icy with tension.
“…I don’t understand what you mean by that.”
Marquis Valmond stepped forward and spoke.
“Baseless slander is—”
“Impertinent.”
“…Pardon me?”
“Do you even know who you’re speaking to? Whatever happened to proper etiquette toward the royal family?”
“!!”
Chris looked down on him with a haughty expression.
“I’ll tell you exactly what you did wrong. You dared to step before the royal family without showing the proper respect, spoke without my permission, and throughout your speech, you arrogantly held your head high.”
“!!”
“That is a grave offense—insulting the royal family. Minister of the Imperial Household, tell us: what punishment is appropriate in such a case?”
“W-well…”
The Minister glanced nervously at Marquis Valmond, hesitant to speak against such a powerful figure. But Chris pressed him again.
“Do you want to be punished for insubordination as well?”
“I-I will speak! The sentence is to have the tongue and wrist cut off!”
Everyone in the hall held their breath.