The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne

"Don't be so surprised, Rovert Castellan… or rather, the Fifth Cardinal, Rovert Custer."

Nolan looked at him with a gaze filled with playfulness and a hint of mockery.

In this world, great powers like the Great Empire of Velmora and the Holy Empire of Valtanir followed an absolute monarchy system.

That meant the king or emperor held the highest authority. This system was also commonly adopted by other major powers, including the Underworld Gate.

As the most dangerous dark force on the continent, they were led by a figure known as the "Absolute Sovereign." He was the mastermind behind the rise of the Underworld Gate and the most revered figure among black mages.

His identity and power remained shrouded in mystery. Still, rumors claimed he had reached the highest realm of magic—the Rule-Maker, also called Beyond the World.

That level existed only in mage legends. It was said that anyone who reached it became a demigod, capable of changing the fate of the continent.

Just like kings and emperors, the Absolute Sovereign also commanded seven figures known as the "Cardinals."

They were named after the seven great sins of humanity—pride, envy, anger, greed, lust, gluttony, and sloth.

And the Rovert standing before him was one of them—the Fifth Cardinal, Lust.

"Hehehe…" Rovert suddenly grinned wide, his gaze brimming with both hostility and playful sparks. "Your Highness, I didn't expect you to uncover the secret. Don't tell me you searched every corner of my mansion and read the notes I deliberately left behind?"

The many secret rooms in his mansion held both the results of his experiments and proof of his identity as the Fifth Cardinal of the Underworld Gate. The fact that Nolan knew them meant he must have read everything.

Nolan did not deny it. He gave a small nod and admitted, "Yes, I've read everything—including your plans over the years."

His tone carried murderous intent. Through his investigation, Nolan had uncovered a horrifying truth—the real Rovert had long been dead.

It was hard to believe, yet it was undeniable. When he was ten, Rovert had once traveled with his guards to a Viscount's estate on business.

Unfortunately, their group was ambushed by black mages led by the Fifth Cardinal. Every soldier of the Castellan family was slaughtered, Rovert included.

From then on, the Fifth Cardinal took Rovert's form and impersonated him for decades. In short, not only the eastern region but the entire Great Velmora Empire had been deceived by this bastard.

His goal was clear: to seize control of the Castellan family and exploit their resources for his twisted experiments. This bastard was obsessed with experiments and had already used at least five hundred thousand people as test subjects.

Had it been anyone else, such a staggering number of victims would have immediately drawn the suspicion of the Austin family and other noble houses.

However, the Rovert before him was too clever. He concealed the deaths by erasing every trace of his involvement, then staged incidents that made the victims' fates seem plausible.

Everyone he experimented on was first forced to serve as lustmongers.

It sounded revolting at first, but considering his great sin was "lust," it was hardly surprising.

"Well, I figured as much," Rovert said with a casual nod. "So, what will you do? Report me to the palace authorities? Too bad, Your Highness… this entire area is already under my control. Hehehe…"

With that, he snapped his fingers. Instantly, a black barrier spread, sealing off the entire mansion.

"I've locked down the area with my domain," he continued in a playful tone. "Now you can't summon help from outside. Even if you use a magic tool to contact the Imperial Palace, it's useless. Before they ever arrive, you'll already be dead…"

Rovert licked his lips, his gaze on Nolan turning lecherous.

In all the decades he had used men as experimental material, none had ever been as handsome as Nolan.

Despite all the terrible rumors about him, Rovert had to admit—Nolan was breathtakingly handsome.

Even Adalen, the so-called most handsome prince, was nothing in comparison.

Hah… hah… His breathing grew heavy, lust consuming him. I want to make him mine… drain him until he collapses… hah… hah… just the thought gives me goosebumps.

His right hand slid to his crotch as his body squirmed like a worm in heat.

Nolan felt a wave of nausea rise at the sight.

Damn it… he cursed under his breath. This pervert is disgusting! I need to end him right now!

What Nolan hated most were people like Rovert. Not only was he depraved, but he also carried the cruel demeanor of a demon.

Sure, he was a black mage from the Underworld Gate. But there should have been at least a shred of humanity in him.

There wasn't. Rovert deserved to be tortured mercilessly before he died.

Whoosh!

Nolan vanished from his spot and reappeared right in front of Rovert. With his fist raised, he slammed it into his opponent's face.

Rovert was caught off guard—he had no time to dodge.

His body flew back five meters before crashing to the floor with a heavy thud.

"Ahem!" He coughed, rubbing his stinging face. "How dare you hit me!"

His glare burned with rage as he growled, "I will not forgive you, Nolan Lorian!"

With a snap of his fingers, black roots burst from beneath the floor, lashing toward Nolan like deadly whips.

But Nolan leapt aside with ease.

Still, the roots were relentless—like homing missiles, they pursued him no matter how far he dodged.

"Destroyed," Nolan whispered, his voice cold and indifferent.

Slash!

The roots disintegrated into nothing, leaving Rovert stunned.

"So… You really have this much power. Have you been hiding it all along?" he asked, eyes narrowing in alarm.

Ever since Nolan had silently appeared behind him, Rovert had suspected that the young man was no ordinary person—a mysterious, formidable figure.

Now, seeing how effortlessly Nolan destroyed the roots, that suspicion became certainty. This young man had been concealing his strength all along.

"So, what will you do? Report me to the Emperor?" Nolan mocked, a smirk on his lips. "Too bad—that won't work. I won't let you escape."

Rovert flinched at his words, suddenly realizing he had just been mocked. Anger, resentment, and hatred flared within him, and his eyes turned as cold and sharp as shards of ice.

"Don't be so arrogant, Nolan Lorian!" he barked. "I became one of the seven Cardinals because of my power and skill! Let me show you just how strong I am!"

He clasped his hands together and shouted, "Come forth, my children!"

Boom!

The ground trembled violently. Moments later, fifteen magic circles appeared around him, and shadowy figures slowly emerged.

On closer inspection, their shapes were unmistakably similar to the demons Malverna had once battled.

"Kyahahaha!" Rovert laughed like a madman, pointing at Nolan. "Behold them! The fruits of my experiments! Now, Nolan Lorian, you don't stand a chance!"