The capital city of the Kingdom of Sinders was thrown into chaos. Izuel, having received a large projection device brought by Jared, set it up in the main street at the heart of the royal palace and began to continuously display images. The people were captivated by the new device, but they were even more horrified by what was being shown. The images clearly depicted Prince Phralin receiving the blessing of a dark wizard from the Umbra Sect, gaining dark powers for himself.
“So that’s why Prince Izuel has been working tirelessly to prevent our kingdom from collapsing.”
“Phralin, who was so proud, turns out to be a follower of the Dark Sect? How disgusting!”
“Prince Jess is also an Umbra Sect follower! In that case, Izuel is the only one with the rightful claim to the throne!”
Public sentiment began to shift dramatically towards Prince Izuel. No one even considered defending Phralin or Jess. In truth, the faith the people had in the Holy Sect was powerful enough to leave no room for support of the others.
At that moment, the sound of hurried steps filled the air. Izuel, leading a significant number of soldiers, swiftly moved southward towards the palace. These were soldiers gathered and summoned by Izuel's retainers, a force he had independently organized, apart from Jared’s support. The retainers pledged their loyalty to him without a second thought as they watched the public announcement.
They had wished for Izuel, who was known for his virtue and wisdom, to inherit the throne, and now they had the perfect justification.
“Seize all exits of the palace! From this moment on! The greatest traitors of the kingdom, Phralin and Jess, are to be executed on sight!” Izuel’s commanding voice echoed, a sharp contrast to his usual gentle tone.
“Prince Izuel! Please, save the Sinders Kingdom from the hands of the Dark Sect!”
“Long live the King!”
The crowd shouted, some even calling him king in their eagerness.
“I will stake everything to protect the kingdom, so you can rest easy and attend to your daily lives!” Izuel raised his voice.
Beside him, Princess Maira was also armored, prepared for battle. Just like Izuel, she had settled her emotions about her blood relations. For the kingdom’s sake, she was ready to take the lives of Phralin and Jess. Even the bond of blood could not take precedence over the welfare of the state.
“Faster! Hurry up!”
“Your Highness! Stay focused! Do you think Izuel would act without any preparation?”
“Shut up! Until I sit on the throne, I am just another prince! And now, with everything prepared, you dare talk about focus now?”
“You need to see the crucial parts! Do you really think Prince Izuel could have prepared this alone? The projection device was made by Jared. That means Jared supports Prince Izuel!”
Count Capri kept riding alongside Phralin, urging him to reconsider as he lashed his horse with urgency. But Phralin, with a fiery temperament, ignored Capri's pleas and urged his horse to go even faster.
“So what? What do you want me to do?”
“Prince Izuel’s army is still insignificant compared to us! But Jared is different. Over the past six months, he has subdued the surrounding territories and has grown in power!”
“Get to the point!”
“We should not turn back to attack Izuel; we should pivot to strike Jared! He is the key! The temporary army Izuel gathered can be decimated easily!”
Capri accurately assessed the situation, showing his expertise.
“Jared cannot be that deeply involved in this. It doesn’t make sense. He hasn’t even announced his support!”
“Your Highness, from the beginning, Jared decided to hide his claws. He’s been waiting for an opportunity like today!”
“Damn it.” Capri swore silently, frustrated that he had fallen for Jared's schemes. Looking back, he could see that Izuel's invitation to the banquet had marked the beginning of their connection. But their performance together had been remarkable.
According to reports from spies Capri had placed near Izuel, Jared had always treated Izuel coolly. He had even nearly shut him out during their first meeting.
“Everything was an act. Jared, you slippery deceiver!”
Anger boiled within Capri. While he had followed Phralin into battle, neglecting the management of his territory, Jared had already established himself as a warlord in the northern outskirts of the Sinders Kingdom. As a lord of a vast territory, he had expanded his influence significantly. Now, Capri didn’t feel confident he could face Jared alone.
In a short time, Jared had grown rapidly while Capri remained stagnant. To make matters worse, Jared had acquired the perfect evidence to expose Phralin’s weaknesses!
“Everything went completely wrong…”
Capri felt his mind go blank. In the confusion, Phralin shouted, “Increase speed! Let’s get to the palace faster! We will sweep them all away before the enemy can prepare! Eliminate the traitor Izuel!”
“Waaaaah!”
The soldiers, who had fought alongside Prince Phralin through thick and thin, rallied, their morale unshaken. But just then!
Click. Click. Click!
A strange noise came from beneath the cavalry galloping ahead with Phralin. The moment he recognized the sound, Phralin screamed, “Mines! Jared’s mines! Everyone fall back! Fall back!”
Using his saddle as a springboard, Phralin leaped into the air.
In the next second, BOOM! BOOM! BANG!
A massive explosion erupted. It was a blast powerful enough to rip apart horses and send their dismembered bodies flying in all directions. And then, Phralin and Capri heard a voice they never wanted to hear.
“Attack! Slaughter all the followers of the Dark Sect!”
It was Jared’s voice.
It is said that there is always a time for everything. This saying undoubtedly applied to me, as a fateful logic. The moment I sent the projection device to Prince Izuel, I mobilized my entire army and marched towards the Sinders Kingdom.
I didn’t go with the thought of battling the kingdom but instead aimed to create an opportunity to target Phralin with Izuel’s cooperation. I was certain that if an issue arose in the palace, Phralin would redirect his forces back to the palace.
The reason was simple: Izuel had finally revealed his true nature after having seemed so gentle. I believed that the arrogant and proud Phralin would never just sit idle after being betrayed by what he thought was a kind-hearted brother.
Anger and hatred cloud one’s vision. And they led one to make mistakes at the most critical moments. This was that moment. Among those retainers who had rallied around Izuel were several lords managing the northern outskirts of the Sinders Kingdom.
With their help, I moved my troops secretly deeper into the kingdom under the cover of night. And here I was now, positioned at a crucial pathway leading directly to the palace.
With today’s surprise attack, I planned to bring everything to an end. I had been sharpening my blade quietly for this day. There was only one chance, one opportunity, and one outcome. By taking everything from Phralin here, I could prevent the civil strife from dragging on.
What I wanted was not a kingdom stained with civil war and reduced to ruins. I needed Prince Izuel to inherit the kingdom in its complete form so that he could later serve as my shield.
With ambushes and mines laid out! Everything was perfectly prepared. And now, like an alligator with its prey slowly moving into its jaws, only the act of consumption remained.
“Lord, let me handle Count Capri myself!” Rakis stepped forward.
If it were the old Rakis, he would have hesitated, considering the power difference with Count Capri, but now was different.
[Special Trait: Shield Defense A / Tough Skin A / Antimagic Response B]
Count Capri had a specialization in defense, and his physical defense and strength were fairly high. While Rakis was at a disadvantage, he had grown enough to overcome it. Moreover, he possessed a sword made from Keldia, an ore stronger than iron, even if it wasn’t classified as an artifact.
The odds were good enough to take on the challenge.
“I’ll handle Prince Phralin. Rakis, don’t take any unnecessary risks, just focus on controlling Capri’s movement. Do you understand?”
“I will stop Capri with my life!”
“Don’t sacrifice your life! Just don’t overdo it. I will keep my eyes on you.”
“Understood! Hah!”
Without waiting for the words to finish, Rakis dashed through the soldiers, charging towards Capri. Simultaneously, I tracked Phralin, who had leaped before the explosion.
Thanks to my heightened magical insight, I could distinguish the silhouettes among the clouds of dust around.
“Damn it… ACK, HAH!”
I spotted Phralin, covered in dirt, spitting out phlegm. I quickly confirmed Phralin’s condition with my magical sight and rushed toward him.
Simultaneously, the following details came into view.
[Phralin – Lv. 77]
[Strength: 242]
[Health: 88]
[Magic: 13]
[Wisdom: 33]
[Agility: 39]
[Charm: 101]
[Physical Defense: 99]
[Magic Defense: 24]
[Special Traits: Sinders Swordsmanship A / Umbra Theology B]
[Common Traits: Throne, Ambition, Restraint]
‘His magic defense is quite low. Typically, royal swordsmanship focuses on swift strikes, combos and ignores magic in battle. That means a violent confrontation is less effective than a direct attack.’
Despite rapidly growing my stats, Phralin was still a higher level than me; I remained at level 63. Thus, with the help of Deluke’s bracelet, I could use a boost to overcome that level difference through my other stats.
With overwhelming strength!
I planned to maximize my firepower by using the title "Incarnation of Hellfire," which increases fire magic damage by 100%.
Flame!
With haste magic, my body swiftly propelled forward, closing the distance to Phralin. Just as he recognized my face, he released a torrent of curses.
“Jared, you bastard!”
“Nice to meet you, Prince.”
“Do you dare interfere in the affairs of our kingdom? You sly snake… Do you believe you will live to see another day?”
“I’m no prophet, but it looks like today is not your destined day to die. However, I doubt you will see tomorrow’s sunrise.”
“I swear to tear you apart and march into the palace to behead Izuel!”
“Let’s see you try that first, Prince Phralin, the dog of the Umbra Sect.”
“What!”
I thoroughly scratched Phralin’s pride. And then –
Whoosh!
Fire erupted in my hands, signifying the start of my cooking of Phralin as an offering to the fire demon! This was merely the beginning of the fiery feast.