NOVEL NEXT Chapter 26
The Crown Prince Wishes to Retire
8. The Crown Prince’s Imperial Guard? (6)
The Crown Prince’s attack incident.
This was not a matter that could be brushed aside.
News of the Crown Prince being attacked sent everyone into a panic, and the Emperor was anxiously waiting for his return.
Dukes were so anxious that they waited in the Imperial Palace until late at night.
Not only would they be losing the chance to become the future Crown Prince, but a justification for the royal family to strike against the Aristocratic Faction was also at stake.
In such circumstances, when the Crown Prince’s broken wagon first returned to the capital, the chaos intensified.
‘I hope it’s not a serious injury…’
‘Just stay alive!’
The two dukes thought this as they awaited news of the Crown Prince in the Grand Council Meeting.
Other nobles felt the same way.
They desperately wished for no issues to arise with the Crown Prince.
If he were to tread on the brink of catastrophe in an already dire situation, the royal family would draw their swords.
That’s when everyone gathered at the Grand Council Meeting and the Square, united in their thoughts.
Finally, the awaited Crown Prince appeared.
“What, what is that?”
Nobles and people were being dragged behind the Crown Prince like criminals.
The fight must have been intense, as even the Imperial Palace Knights had blood smeared across their armor, but there were those with an even more overwhelming presence beside the Crown Prince.
Those were the ones completely covered in blood walking alongside him.
“Are those… the weirdos?”
“Seems like it?”
Some quick-witted individuals immediately recognized them as the oddballs gathered by Kariel.
Yet, the sheer horror of seeing them drenched in blood made everyone shudder just by watching.
One could only wonder what kind of gruesome events had transpired outside.
The deathly aura wrapped around the square, sending everyone into stunned silence, until they finally exhaled a long breath.
“Whoa, that’s intense.”
“Indeed.”
People trembling from the terrifying energy whispered about the earlier events for quite some time.
They anticipated that the Crown Prince would draw his sword and start a bloody purge as soon as they arrived at the Inspection Department.
However, contrary to expectations, the Crown Prince quietly handed over all related parties and returned to his palace.
The nobles were the ones going crazy, realizing the Crown Prince didn’t rush to the Emperor to advocate for the punishment of the attackers.
It would have been more reassuring if he had insisted on the immediate capture and punnishment of all involved.
But the Crown Prince remained quietly holed up in the palace.
And then the next day.
As the sun rose, nobles flocked to the Imperial Palace once more.
Everyone was anxious to see how the Crown Prince would emerge, having waited since dawn, and the Emperor, unable to contain his impatience, summoned Kariel.
“His Majesty commands your attendance at the Grand Council Meeting.”
“Prepare, and I shall leave immediately.”
At the attendant’s command, Kariel nodded and changed into his formal attire after washing up.
Once he was ready to attend the Grand Council Meeting, he looked at Talion and spoke.
“Bring the oddballs.”
“Are we taking them with us?”
“They will serve as witnesses. It was them who captured the culprits.”
As Talion bowed his head and summoned the oddballs at Kariel’s words, he added, “Stay in front of the Grand Council Meeting Hall, even if it’s a hassle. We may need witnesses.”
Everyone except Toto displayed annoyance at Kariel’s statement.
“Arshuna, Brion, how about cutting the budget?”
“I will obediently follow your command with joy, my lord!”
“Just call me whenever!”
Seeing the two who looked ready to kneel, Kariel clicked his tongue and glanced at Iris.
“Do you want the Old Book of the Mercenary King?”
“I will be by your side wherever you go, Your Highness.”
With Iris finally subdued, Kariel discreetly looked at Toto and hopped onto the wagon.
At that, Toto quickly changed his expression to a grinning one.
Kariel, chuckling at that, commanded Talion.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
On the way to the Grand Council Meeting by the Emperor’s decree.
Although they should have moved quickly, Kariel intentionally took his time.
Currently, the urgent matters were not his, but theirs.
As he organized his thoughts, pondering how restless they must be waiting for him, Kariel assessed up to what point he should tighten the reins and in which direction to steer.
Upon arriving at the Grand Council, he deliberately descended slowly from the wagon.
“I present myself before the Majesty.”
“Alige.”
As the attendant announced Kariel’s arrival, the massive doors to the Grand Council Meeting Hall swung open.
Kariel walked slowly toward the Emperor, and as he did, no one dared to utter a word until he halted.
“I heard you were attacked. Are you well?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Kariel said so while casting a cold gaze over the nobles.
Some nobles flinched, hastily lowering their heads.
Meanwhile, high-ranking nobles from the Emperor’s faction, including the Chancellor, remained composed.
No matter the outcome, their lives were already forfeit, allowing them to remain calm.
“I’ve been informed. You haven’t yet found the culprits’ backers?”
“That is correct.”
Seeing Kariel only respond to the Emperor’s question in terse phrases, everyone furrowed their brows.
They desired detailed explanations, but Kariel provided only cold, succinct answers.
The Emperor, growing frustrated, was the first to inquire further.
“I was told that the attackers used Light Magic. Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“Then… it’s likely a Priest involved.”
The Emperor muttered this while swallowing the silence.
“Do you think the Holy Nation is behind this?”
With the Emperor’s words, the Grand Council fell silent as if a mouse had died.
Kariel’s one word could signify the immediate need to declare war on the Holy Nation.
“I’m still uncertain.”
At Kariel’s response, everyone tilted their heads.
As all awaited additional explanations from Kariel, his mouth slowly reopened.
“There are too many suspicious circumstances.”
“Suspicious circumstances?”
“Yes.”
As Kariel replied, he began to explain the concerns he had:
1. How did they know about my movements to ambush me?
2. Who aided them in positioning themselves for the ambush?
3. How was the Corpse Explosion magic employed?
Three crucial questions.
Until these doubts were resolved, waging war against the Holy Nation would be premature.
“Then you’re suggesting that it’s not necessarily the Priests who attacked the Crown Prince?”
“That cannot be confirmed either. Some Priests might have colluded with unclean forces.”
As Kariel said this, he turned his gaze toward the nobles.
“The important point here is that my movements were known, and someone assisted them in gaining a foothold in the Central region.”
“That is…”
“The connection between the Priests and Dark Mages will become evident upon investigation into the Temple and the Holy Nation. But the rats lurking within the Empire are a different matter. This is an internal issue that I believe must be addressed first.”
At Kariel’s words, a frosty silence fell over the Grand Council.
The heavy silence felt almost icy, and the Emperor, unable to hold back, spoke.
“I heard that additional evidence was discovered by the Crown Prince’s subordinates.”
“While it isn’t pivotal, I did find some leads to pursue.”
As Kariel spoke, he summoned Talion to present the evidence discovered by the oddballs that captured the attackers before the Emperor.
The Emperor, intrigued by Kariel’s subordinates, summoned the oddballs to the Grand Council Meeting Hall.
They recounted in detail the events that unfolded at that time.
“Wait, so you’re saying you’re all at least captain-level in the Knight Order?”
The Emperor, with an astonished expression, glanced at the oddballs and then shifted his gaze to Kariel.
Talion, who assisted him, was one of the Empire’s top warriors, and the individuals Kariel had gathered were no less powerful.
Listening to the oddballs’ detailed accounts, everyone became acutely aware of the grave nature of the situation.
“Dark Mages…”
The Emperor pondered with a serious expression, tapping his fingers on the Throne, deep in thought.
Kariel then said calmly, “If it turns out that the Priests have colluded with Dark Mages…”
“If it’s true?”
At the Emperor’s inquiry, everyone swallowed hard, focusing their eyes on Kariel.
“We must close the Temples within the Empire.”
Kariel’s words left all the nobles wide-eyed.
“Your Majesty! Wouldn’t that be too extreme?”
At a noble’s comment, Kariel coldly stared at him.
The noble, dressed like a clear believer, practically screamed “I’m a faithful servant!” with his appearance as Kariel calmly asked, “Can you identify which Temple colluded with Dark Mages?”
“That is…”
“Perhaps it isn’t just a specific Temple but rather the Holy Nation itself could be tainted. If that’s the case, the Empire must be prepared for war with the Holy Nation.”
As he said this, Kariel slowly approached the noble who had protested against his words.
Suddenly, the noble who served the Sun God instinctively took a step back.
“One cannot wage war while harboring rats within the Empire, can they?”
“Y-Yes, Your Highness.”
“This recent attack on me may not solely be the work of the Priests and Dark Mages. There must be nobles within the Empire who are backing them. If you don’t wish to be misunderstood, perhaps you should choose your words carefully?”
The noble, hastily kneeling and banging his head to the ground, stammered.
“I-I apologize. I was foolish and spoke incorrectly.”
“Be careful. Such individuals need to watch their tongue to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding.”
“I’m deeply moved by your grace, Your Majesty!”
As Kariel sent one noble to ruin, he slowly returned to his place and addressed the Emperor.
“We must begin an investigation immediately. This is not just my issue, but a matter of uprooting the vermin that are poisoning the Empire by colluding with foreign powers, and preparing for a situation where we might have to go to war!”
Upon Kariel’s outcry, the Emperor’s expression tightened.
The balance he valued so much had already been shattered long ago.
Then, he needed to find a way to reduce the situation, but that seemed to have slipped away with the Crown Prince’s words.
“I agree with your opinion, Your Majesty!”
“Those who dare to touch the Empire’s precious treasures must be uprooted!”
As the two dukes knelt and implored, all the nobles hastily followed suit, kneeling in agreement.
Seeing the nobles hastily second the motion for fear of becoming a target, Kariel couldn’t help but smile.
“Due to the seriousness of the situation, I will conduct this investigation centered around the Crown Prince and his Imperial Guard. The Holy Nation must call forth any individuals who can explain this incident.”
As the Emperor stated this and began to rise from his seat, Kariel, who had been wondering about the ‘Imperial Guard,’ quickly spoke up.
“Your Majesty.”
“Is there still something you wish to say?”
Seeing the Emperor flinch, fearing he might advocate for war against the Holy Nation, Kariel bowed his head and spoke.
“How about giving my younger brothers an opportunity in this matter?”
“You mean the Princes?”
“Yes. Although they are still young, I wish for them to gain experience by participating in this investigation.”
At the Crown Prince’s suggestion, the nobles’ expressions hardened.
‘Ah, so you wish to select the Next Crown Prince!’
All nobles of the Aristocratic Faction, having caught on to the Crown Prince’s intentions, swallowed hard.
“Let the Second Prince investigate the connection between the Dark Mages and the Priests, and the Third Prince should try to find out where the rats are hiding.”
“Then what will the attacked party, the Crown Prince, be doing?”
If authority is divided this way, the party directly involved, Kariel, would have nothing to do.
If they were to engage in a battle for the title of Crown Prince during this time, confusion would only increase. The Emperor would rather suggest that it would be best for the attacked party to investigate directly.
To such a statement from the Emperor, Kariel smiled and replied.
“I plan to finish the work I’ve been doing until now.”
As Kariel said this, the faces of the Emperor’s faction, who thought they could finally relax, darkened once more.
‘Whatever you do, do it to the end.’
With that thought, Kariel glanced at the Chancellor and beamed.