Silence enveloped the throne room as Arthur tapped his armrest, deep in thought.
—Tap —Tap —Tap
Every time.
Whenever he would punish these little two brats, Adrian always seemed to have a trick up his sleeve.
No matter what punishment Arthur came up with, Adrian would find a way to get out of it.
At first, Arthur thought he wouldn't fall for the same trick twice, but then his son surprised him yet again.
A few weeks ago, he had just received Adrian's academic report and it was shocking.
His son, Adrian, excelled in every subject, and what astonished Arthur even more was witnessing his son's magical abilities.
Not only that, but Adrian was also eligible to graduate early, making him the first student ever to achieve this feat.
Arthur couldn't help but feel a mix of pride and fear—his son seemed too perfect for everything.
"So, what is your answer, Your Majesty?"
After a moment of silence, Arthur finally spoke up, his voice tinged with hesitation.
"So you chose to free yourself and your brother over saving thousands of kidnapped children?"
Adrian nodded without hesitation.
"Yes."
It was true that Adrian pitied those kidnapped children, but his freedom took precedence over theirs.
Of course, he would choose his freedom over anything, what a funny question.
In the original plot of the novel, the kidnapping case remained unsolved.
If Arthur decided to ground his sons instead of taking action, it wouldn't have a significant impact on the overall story.
But if Arthur chose to solve the kidnapping case, the plot might take an unexpected turn, but why would he care?
It was Nathaniel's problem as the protagonist of this world, not his.
Nevertheless, Arthur couldn't help his narrowing gaze as he fixed it upon Adrian.
The boy stared fearlessly back at him, his unwavering gaze matching his intensity.
'How is it possible for a ten-year-old to be this cunning?'
With a resigned sigh, Arthur eventually gave his answer.
"Fine. So, where are those kidnappers' hideouts?"
"They are located in the slum."
Adrian replied nonchalantly, as if revealing a minor detail and Arthur arched an eyebrow.
"Isn't that the same hideout where you were held captive?"
"That's right."
He admitted, making Arthur's skepticism grow.
Arthur couldn't help but question the logic behind Adrian's confidence and so, he pressed.
"What makes you so certain that they share the same location?"
The 'dream' revealed that the shitty organization had a hideout underground on the Agatha and he found another in Syna.
This led him to conclude that their underground hideout was spread across the entire continent.
"Your Majesty, you could investigate it to confirm whether it's the truth or merely a clever deception."
"…"
Arthur mulled over the proposition.
The idea of investigating the slum hideout intrigued him, despite his reservations.
After all, it never hurt to prove its validity.
After a deep rumination, Arthur made up his mind and delivered his decision.
"Very well, I shall dispatch an Investigation Team to look into it. However, if we find nothing, you must comply with my order; grounded for a year. Do you understand?"
Arthur declared firmly, seeking reassurance.
"Yes, Sire!"
Nathaniel and Adrian replied in unison, acknowledging their father's ultimatum.
Arthur's satisfaction lingered momentarily before he redirected his attention to the white-haired boy.
"Adrian, you are dismissed."
"?"
Confusion washed over Adrian's face, his brows furrowing as he tried to make sense of the situation unfolding before him.
Unable to mask his curiosity, Adrian asked.
"Why am I being dismissed, Your Majesty?"
"Well, your brother and I have another matter to discuss."
Glancing to the side, Nathaniel shrugged nonchalantly upon meeting his eyes.
Although he wasn't sure what they were going to discuss, likely about the hacking he was doing or something.
"Also, your Telepshere will be returned to your Palace. So, don't worry about it."
"I understand."
Adrian turned to his brother and bid his farewell.
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
With that, Adrian bowed to his father for the last time and left the throne room.
—Thud.
As the heavy doors closed behind Nathaniel, Arthur rose to his feet from his dais, signaling the beginning of their discussion.
With a commanding presence, he gestured for Nathaniel to follow him, leading the way toward the back of the throne room.
He fell in step behind him, their footsteps echoing through the grand hall.
Though unsure of what awaited them, Nathaniel couldn't help but anticipate a potential headache.
Upon seeing them, the guards immediately opened the door, revealing a mysterious figure draped in a black robe.
The man stood by the window, his face partially hidden by a black hood, which only allowed the sharp angles of his jawline to be visible.
'The Elder…'
—Thud.
When the door behind them closed, Arthur and Nathaniel lightly bowed and the man nodded his head in acknowledgment.
"Have a seat."
Soon, they all settled and Arthur placed his son's Telespheres on the table.
The Elder took it and began to examine them.
After a few moments, he placed the Telespheres back on the table and began to explain his findings.
"Yes, there was a trace that the settings had been changed. However, they have now been returned to their original state. Distinctive from Prince Adrian's Telesphere whose tracking system is still intact, the tracking system on Prince Nathaniel has been plucked out."
Unlike the standard Telesphere available in the market, the Imperial Telesphere was custom-made by The Elder himself.
Upon hearing it, Arthur darted at his son and Nathaniel couldn't help but curse inside.
'Fuck.'
Now all his secrets were revealed.
The removal of the tracking system suggested a deliberate act; Nathaniel aimed to obscure his movements and actions from prying eyes.
Soon, the Elder turned to the black-haired teen and asked.
"Prince Nathaniel, may I know how this was possible? I have never encountered a case like this before."
"…"
Nathaniel's mind raced, contemplating how best to respond.
He couldn't say, 'I turned back time and I learned directly from you in the past,' could he?
Although the Elder would believe him regardless, for now, he wanted to keep his regression a secret.
"Prince Nathaniel?"
The Elder called once again, waking him up from his reverie.
With a deep breath, Nathaniel carefully chose his words.
"I was merely curious and decided to dismantle the Telesphere to explore its inner workings. Through my experiments, I accidentally discovered how to disable calls and tracking."
"…"
"…"
Stillness hung heavily in the air, suffocating all sound.
Soon, the Elder broke the silence.
"I see. It is possible. However, in the future, I encourage you, Your Highness, to inform us rather than using it for personal gain or to circumvent our system."
"I understand. This incident will not occur again."
"Very well."
The Elder nodded in acceptance, taking the Telespheres with him as he rose to his feet.
Arthur and Nathaniel mirrored his actions.
He turned to the Emperor.
"In that case, I will return the Telespheres after I install the new system."
"I understand. Thank you so much."
The Elder nodded acknowledgment and watched his departure, leaving father and son alone in the room.
"Take a seat."
Arthur gestured for Nathaniel to take a seat, the tension in the room palpable.
The young man complied, cautiously settling into the couch opposite Arthur.
He retrieved a bundle of files from his Magical Sphere and placed them on the table.
Nathaniel's gaze fell upon the documents, reading the words 'Corbenik Mercenary Agency Investigation.'
'Fuck.'
A mix of frustration and anxiety surged within the young man.
He had hoped to keep his involvement with the agency hidden for longer, yet fate seemed to have other plans.
Suppressing the urge to scream, Nathaniel braced himself for the impending conversation.
"That's yours, correct? That Corbenik Mercenary Agency?"
Arthur spoke, his voice filled with a sternness that left no room for deception.
Nathaniel's mind raced, desperately searching for a way out, but he knew deep down that there was no escape from the truth.
With a heavy sigh, he nodded weakly.
"Yes."
Arthur leaned against the couch and crossed his arms and legs, his eyes never leaving his son's face.
"It's good that you admit it. I just thought of banning your agency if you dare to lie to me."
"I dare not."
"Good."
After a brief silence, Arthur began again.
"Then tell me, Nathaniel. What was your purpose in establishing this agency? Is it for personal gain? A path to the throne, perhaps?"
Nathaniel's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, trying to make sense of his father's words.
Of all the possibilities, he couldn't fathom why the man before him would suspect him of planning a revolt.
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