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

Nolan stared at the demons with a sharp, observant gaze.

So, they're the same kind of demons as that one, huh? he murmured softly.

Their appearance—black skin, red eyes, and nearly absent noses—was identical to the previous demon. The only difference seemed to lie in their expressions and psyches.

According to the records he had read in the mansion, the demon Rovert had released earlier still possessed emotions and consciousness. But the fifteen demons standing before him now were nothing more than hollow shells.

No wonder Rovert had regarded the previous demon as his only successful creation, as written in the notes hidden in the underground prison.

"Hahaha! Are you afraid now, Nolan Lorian?" Rovert mocked with glee. He shook his head, then added playfully, "Too late. Today, you're destined to die… hehehe…"

Yet Nolan showed no trace of anger or frustration. He stayed calm, his gaze casual yet defiant.

"Do you think you're the only one with subordinates?"

With that, he waved his left hand. In an instant, ten magic circles flared open behind him, and from them emerged ten towering dragons, each five meters tall.

Their scales were pitch black, traced with faint red lines. Fangs like blades jutted from their jaws, while two horns curved high above their heads.

Two vast wings spread wide from their backs, radiating dominance and the pride of the dragon race.

"D-Dragons!?" Rovert froze in shock. "How can this be? You… who are you? Why are you able to summon dragons—ten of them, no less!?"

The dragon race was an incredibly arrogant species. With their immense pride, they were almost impossible to tame. They would rather die than allow themselves to be ridden by humans.

That was why, until now, no one in the entire human empire had ever managed to tame a dragon. Moreover, the dragons had their own empire—one of the strongest forces on the continent.

Anyone who dared to make a dragon a mount or a slave had to be ready to face the consequences.

And yet, the prince, who was often mocked as a fool, now stood with dragons as his subordinates—something no one, not even himself, would have imagined.

"Why do you look so surprised?" Nolan folded his arms across his chest, glancing at him indifferently. "Weren't you acting all strong and arrogant earlier? Why do you look like a coward now?"

"You…" Rovert ground his teeth in anger.

But his earlier arrogance was gone. Those ten massive dragons alone proved that Nolan stood as his equal.

"Everyone, attack them!" he shouted.

"Argh!" The fifteen demons roared and lunged toward Nolan.

Nolan only waved his hand and said casually, "Take care of them all. And don't forget to finish them off."

As if they understood, the ten dragons nodded, spread their wings, and shot forward to meet the demons.

While the battle raged, Nolan raised his index finger. Instantly, Aston and his soldiers vanished.

Rovert didn't notice, his focus entirely locked on the battle between the demons and the dragons.

Then suddenly, a magic circle two meters wide flared into existence above his head.

"Not good!" Rovert's eyes widened as he hastily dodged.

Boom!

A fireball exploded where Rovert had been standing, blasting a massive hole into the ground. Had he not moved instantly, his body would have been reduced to ashes.

"Damn it…" he cursed, glaring at Nolan with fury. He hadn't expected Nolan to strike so suddenly.

With his right fist clenched, two magic circles flared to life on either side of Nolan. "Feel this!"

Whoosh!

Black light erupted from both circles, rushing straight toward him. But before the attack could land, Nolan's figure vanished in the blink of an eye.

"What—?" Rovert was caught off guard, but before he could react, Nolan appeared behind him.

"Don't avert your eyes, you damn sissy!" A cold voice spat, followed by a devastating strike to his back.

"Argh!"

Rovert's body was hurled tens of meters, smashing into the statue at the center of the courtyard. The stone shattered, and the nearby fountain burst apart, its water surging wildly and flinging his body higher into the air.

Gritting his teeth, Rovert quickly gathered mana to steady himself in midair.

"Nolan!"

His voice thundered across the courtyard, echoing in every direction, as his bloodshot eyes locked onto the figure below.

"How dare you strike me in secret? I'll finish you here and now!"

He raised both hands high and roared, "Come forth—my entire collection!"

Boom!

The ground trembled violently. At the same time, a massive magic circle—twenty meters wide—flared to life, covering the courtyard of the Castellan family mansion.

From it, dozens—no, hundreds—of grotesque creatures emerged.

Their shapes varied: some resembled demons, some looked like tigers with eagle heads, and others were so bizarre they defied description.

Different as their forms were, they all radiated the same thing—an aura so fierce it sent chills down the air.

Rovert's lips stretched into a wide grin before he burst into wild laughter.

"Hahaha! This is the trump card I've kept hidden! I never intended to use it—but you forced my hand!"

The monsters were the culmination of decades of his twisted experiments. Rovert hadn't limited himself to humans; he had experimented on monsters and beasts as well.

Many attempts had failed, but those that succeeded became the abominations now crawling out of the circle.

These were the finest of his creations, their strength undeniable—and with them, his confidence soared.

Nolan, however, only stared at them with a look of boredom.

"So this is the source of your confidence? How dull," he muttered, casually picking at his ear.

Once again, Nolan's words ignited Rovert's fury, but he forced it down. Earlier, he had believed Nolan to be easy prey—he no longer held such a delusion.

The young man gave him a dangerous yet helpless feeling, one that somehow reminded him of that man.

"I wonder if you can keep up that arrogance."

With those words, Rovert pointed his index finger at Nolan and shouted, "Attack!"

Awoo!

Roar!

Argh!

The monsters' suffocating aura flooded the courtyard as they lunged at Nolan, eyes blazing with rage and hunger.

In response, Nolan flicked his hand with effortless ease.

Buzz!

Five crimson magic circles ignited, and from them a colossal three-meter meteor materialized, hurtling down with unstoppable force.

Boom!

The impact shook the entire courtyard, the explosion engulfing everything in dust and black smoke.

When the haze finally cleared, nothing remained—the monsters had been reduced to nothing but ash.

Nolan chuckled and looked up. "So this is the source of your confidence?"

But Rovert's expression showed no despair. Instead, a wide grin spread across his face as he sneered, "Who said they were dead?"

Nolan froze. To his shock, the monsters he had obliterated began to rise again, as if his attack had meant nothing.

"Regeneration, huh?" His eyes narrowed. "This could be troublesome..."