Chapter 23

It was a beautiful sunny day in the capital of the Hazar Empire, with sunlight reflecting weakly off the surfaces of the imperial palace as far as the horizon, which was located in the center of the great city, the largest metropolis in all of Fredonia.

Although commonly referred to as the Imperial Palace, it actually consisted of at least three palaces varying in size and layout, with the main palace housing the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Princes/Princesses, known as the Sun Palace, as well as the two palaces behind it, collectively known as the Twin Moon Palaces, housing the princes and princesses of the imperial family.

As befitting its glorious name, the Palace of the Sun looked like a massive 80-meter-high construction that was painted in different shades of gold similar to the shining sun in the skies above all, looking extremely imposing and luxurious to a great extent, its opulence unquestionable.

Atop its massive towers, banners depicting a golden dragon roaring in anger were displayed in all their splendor, waving even when there was no wind; proof that magic was being used to maintain its perpetual dignity in the eyes of the Imperial citizens.

A faint pulse of magic could be felt throughout the structure, creating an invisible barrier of formidable strength, designed not only to protect its palaces from enemy invaders, but also to keep out flying animals that might stain the noble walls of the sun palace with their disgusting filth.

To reach this palace, visitors must first pass through the guardhouse with the appropriate documentation, either by summons from the Crown or by request for audiences with the Emperor or any member of the Imperial family, and once acquired the permits, climb a grand white marble staircase with 99 identical steps, approximately 1 meter wide and about 20 centimeters high before ending in a large marble-floored plaza 100 meters wide.

The marble floor was of various colors, arranged in such a way that they formed an intricate and repetitive geometric pattern that pleased the intellectual mind and soothed the eyes that sought beauty.

And if someone finds climbing stairs difficult, they can take what could be described as a sloping marble path, which is gentler but longer to walk.

The road is quite wide, so even 50 knights can walk side by side easily and still have enough room for their horse to make a complete turn.

At the end of the Plaza, in the middle of the Palace of the Sun, is another Wonder of its own. A very large entrance with twin doors made of Mithril metal with thousands of gems of various colors, shining like a rainbow floating on a silver sea.

These gem-filled twin gates measure around 13 meters tall and long. The size of the gems is the size of a fruit, attracting many thieves with greed in their hearts to steal the gems from the gates. But to this day, no one who entered with such intentions has been able to escape alive, nor has anyone managed to get them out in the first place, as the gems are bound together through unknown techniques or magic that no known force can separate.

Except dragons.

The Twin Moon Palaces, although designed with less splendor than the Sun Palace in terms of size, were also very beautiful, with the silver color reminiscent of the twin moons in the sky, each displaying its own splendor to the world.

In the middle of those three architectural wonders created with the best that arcane technology and dragon magic could offer, there was a large atrium with a large garden filled with beautiful flowers and trees of different species, with different statues of beautiful goddesses and angels, as well as an imposing Dragon in the center.

Each of these plants in this garden was a beautiful sight for anyone who could appreciate their natural beauty, and combined, they created a picturesque image that wouldn't easily leave people's minds. Especially with the purple-winged, gold-striped butterflies flitting around, one would be captivated by the sight they presented.

In the corridors that crisscrossed this well-designed and vibrant land, a young man with blond hair calmly gazed at the beautiful garden with a serene smile adorning his attractive features as he stood beside a white pillar.

Although he was the height of an average teenager, his slightly childlike face revealed that he was much younger than his height suggested.

But the deep look in her eyes, slightly narrowed as she watched the butterflies dance, demonstrated a strength that no one could afford to overlook, regardless of their age.

The clothes he wore were very luxurious, with a silver cape covering his black noble attire. His style, although seemingly military, also displayed a sense of aristocratic beauty that only the most noble in the Empire could afford to possess. Standing silently with an upright and perfect posture, the young man whispered to himself:

“It’s really beautiful as always…”

His voice trailed off, sensing the arrival of a visitor to the garden. He didn't look away, recognizing the man's identity from his steps. He stopped in his presence and knelt before him, opening his mouth but hesitating to speak.

"What happened?"

Without looking at him yet, the young man suddenly asked, his tone more like that of someone who knew his doubts than that of someone who understood nothing. The man took a deep breath and spoke.

“Your Highness… Are you really sure you want to do this? This could go very wrong, you…”

This burly man, dressed like a knight in shining black armor, asked with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. His serious, fierce eyes were furrowed with concern, as his gaze fixed on the teenager in front of him, his hand on his chest in a sign of respect as he knelt before him.

“…Dranalian hasn’t gotten along with the imperial family since the Empress insulted the Duchess years ago, you know that. Would they still welcome him with open arms?”

“Of course not, at least not inwardly,” replied the boy, the first and inevitable future heir to the throne, Kaiser Lian von Hazar, with slight amusement in his voice as he spoke, his beautiful blood-red eyes barely meeting the loyal knight kneeling before him, “but my mother wanted me to go give her special gift to the little princess of Dranalian, I cannot disobey her.”

"That's what worries me the most," the knight replied, almost shouting, as he clenched his fist. "Your mother has expressed her displeasure toward the Duchess and her daughters more than once, even after so much… The kind of gift she wants to give the young princess who so resembles her mother is something we must be careful about."

“Do you suspect the mother wants to harm the child?”

Kaiser shook his head as his sharp gaze fell upon a blue bird flying freely through the skies of the Grand Garden of the imperial palace, eventually landing on a beautiful tree as large as a house, singing a beautiful melody whose purpose escaped the young prince's knowledge.

Is it a mating call for nearby females... or does he just want to sing his joy to the wind?

He laughed at his own strange thought as the Knight lowered his head, unable to answer the First Prince's question without committing a crime against the imperial family for such an outrageous suspicion.

“Don’t worry, Ronan…” The boy made a mischievous face as he replied, turning to look at the man whose cold sweat was running down his face. “Although my mother was planning something really fun as a gift for the princess, I took care to get rid of it quickly. It would be too unfortunate if something troubling happened to the girl who managed to get that Arthurian prodigy to become her permanent guardian, after all.”

“That… is…” With his suspicions seemingly confirmed by the Kaiser himself, the Dark Knight’s eyes trembled cruelly before a sigh of relief emerged from the depths of his heart.

The last thing I want is for Dranalian to declare war on the Crown because of the Empress's stupidity... No, God forbid, I hope that never happens!

That was what the Dark Knight, Captain of the Order of the Imperial Guard Ronan Sylar von Hauser, hoped to prevent from happening.

For their nation, which faced the terrible challenge of fighting the King of the Eternal Abyss and his children, the demons, along with the rest of Fredonia, it would be a significant catastrophe to start a civil war at this delicate moment. Above all, the struggle between two families with two "Dragonbloods" would tear the Empire apart to such an extent that even if they survived the final battle against the Abyss, they would never do the same again.

I must never allow that to happen…

He swore it in the name of his house, which has loyally served the imperial family for centuries.

“I'm really looking forward to meeting Princess Ekaterina.”

"Your Highness?" The dark knight's inner thoughts were interrupted by his prince's sudden words, causing him to look at him in bewilderment. His beautiful blond hair, slightly messy despite his royal status, shone in the sunlight reflecting off it, while an arrogant smile formed on his face.

“For someone who refused to teach a 'Dragonborn' because she didn't meet his standards, he must surely have some amazing talents that surpass me.”

“…If Merlin’s apprentice wizard had known of his identity or even his power, he wouldn’t have dared refuse to teach the royal family.”

—Oh, I know, but where's the fun in that? Not to mention I'm not too keen on a future archmage holding a grudge against me for no good reason. Anyway, I'm wondering if Princess Ekaterina is really the person that fellow was looking for, and if so, will she really bring about a change in the entire wizarding world as he claims?

The First Prince's eyes glittered with anticipation at the scenario he imagined as he spoke. Mages could cast powerful spells to wipe out demonic armies without unnecessarily long preparation times, and serve in the future war against the demons as a real fighting force rather than mere researchers and inventors.

That would certainly give them an advantage, though it remains to be seen whether Arthur could pull it off with the help of a supposed genius of his caliber. Fortunately, Kaiser gave orders to immediately find out what the son of House Jairus really wanted to do, otherwise he would never have discovered why they rejected him without forcing him to reveal his entire plan.

My ideas about magic were very short-sighted and limited to established standards. If it weren't for that, my talent in magic alone would have been enough to make me that genius.

Far from being bothered by the thought, Kaiser chuckled because he found it funny, in a way. Possibly because he didn't care whether he was taught by a brilliant magic tutor or a mediocre one, as long as his Empire grew in power as a result.

As an awakened "Blood Dragon" and the most talented member of the Imperial Family, almost on par with or equal to the founder, Kaiser Lian von Hazar was destined to officially become the Crown Prince of this Empire in the next selection. There would be no one among his future competitors with awakened Dragon blood other than him, and the position of Emperor would naturally be his.

It wasn't simply the arrogance of an overconfident fool. Even if he didn't believe it, others who knew of the "Dragonbloods'" existence would have considered it an established fact. That was why the First Prince had many powerful supporters on his side...

Anyway, since he was going to be the future emperor of Hazar, it was only natural that he cared whether his nation would become stronger in the future thanks to a genius like Arthur or even Princess Ekaterina. Otherwise? He wouldn't have cared one bit.

That was the pure truth.

That was the Kaiser's mentality: if something was potentially his, he would protect it like a treasure. Otherwise, instead of wanting to take it by any means necessary, he would simply ignore it as trash, too lazy to even consider it. Of course, he makes it clear that when he accepts something as his own...

I'll never let him go

The faint footsteps, which the First Prince and the Dark Knight could only perceive thanks to their superior sensory abilities, echoed softly and harmoniously through the palace corridors. A man in an elegant three-piece suit, with a neatly aristocratic appearance and gray eyes covered by a gold-plated monocle, approached the two figures with dignity and bowed respectfully to the prince.

“Your Highness, the magic circle to teleport to the Dranalian lands is now ready.”

Ronan frowned at that. The Empress had insisted that the prince's arrival in Dranalian be done in secret so that the Dukes would have no time to prepare for it. But the only way for that to work was to use a very delicate magical ritual that allowed travel between two different places.

Although it seemed very useful, if something went wrong…

What's going through the Empress's head?

Do you even care about your children?

"Wonderful, Sebastian. Are we sure I'll be there in time for the gift delivery?" Kaiser didn't seem concerned about the possible dangers of the ritual as he smiled.

—Yes, Your Highness. We've just been informed that the banquet has just begun. It's quite an interesting banquet, I must admit.

“An interesting banquet?” Kaiser raised an eyebrow in curiosity at her words. Hearing her question, the Empress’s secretary smiled slightly in response before continuing, “According to our spies invited to the Princess’s birthday party, the style of the banquet at the event itself differed greatly from what one was normally used to. The Duchess called it a buffet, an idea of ​​the birthday girl’s own, in which guests had to choose the food on the tables for their enjoyment. It was surprisingly well received despite there being no chairs to sit on, and many nobles seemed to be considering replicating that style in the future, showing that it could become a very popular style among the aristocracy in the future.”

Did he really do that?

Ronan had his doubts about that, but the prince's next action caught his attention.

"Ha ha ha"

The emperor laughed openly at all this, surprising Ronan with its suddenness. The secretary, for his part, remained calm. The prince wiped away a small tear that had escaped his eye.

—She's so small, but she's already starting to cause a stir among the Empire's high society... Are you planning to become the next flower of high society, Princess? Or did you just want something unique for your party? Hmm... Did she do anything else?

"Well, I can't say whether it was her idea or not, but the princess had a new style of dress that the young ladies attending her party loved, and she left everyone stunned with her beauty, according to reports. Aside from that..."

The secretary hesitated.

“Apart from what…?”

“……The princess was the only one in her family who used a throne at the party, if you didn’t count her beloved pet, the horned rabbit, of which they even made a rather lifelike ice statue that they enchanted with magic. The floor mat was made from the pink fur of a Behemoth, also enchanted, and the maids wore bunny ears… also enchanted.” The man’s expression remained rather stoic, but you didn’t have to be a genius to know that he found it absurd.

What nonsense is this? Is that girl really a genius, or has this Arthur lowered his standards to the bare minimum? The Dark Knight's lips twisted in dismay. It was the first time he'd heard of someone making a throne for a pet in the entire history of the empire. Though he had to admit, the Duke could be quite extravagant when it came to his daughters.

It's nice to know there are nobles who love their sons and daughters so much... I wish it were more common.

He thought dejectedly.

As for the prince, Kaiser was trying to contain a laugh that threatened to sound so loud it would completely ruin his princely image.

“Kuku… well… ku… I guess… kukuku… she’s still a bit childish despite being the genius that man was looking for…”

"You too…."

"¿Mmm?…."

"Nothing"

Ronan shook his head.

“Anyway, it’s time to go… I wonder what face the Duke will make when I visit you on behalf of my family?”

“It must be very bad.”

“You are honest”

Kaiser shrugged and turned his body toward the secretary. "Lead the way to the ritual room, Sebastian."

-As you ordered, Your Highness.

Obeying, Sebastian stepped forward and walked toward his destination, where the teleportation magic circle served as a guide. The prince followed, casually waving goodbye to the Dark Knight.

When the boy and the man disappeared from sight, Knight Ronan finally rose from his kneeling position, sighing and looking worriedly to the north.

“I hope this doesn’t go wrong for us…”

He prayed to the gods for it.