"Very well. But what if they refuse our terms?"
Adrian smiled stretched wide.
"Make them choose: either be razed to the ground or agree to our demands. How dare they toy with our mercy?"
Nathaniel and the rest of the audience was astonished at the nine-year-old's boldness.
They couldn't help but wonder how a child could speak with such conviction.
Adrian laughed inwardly.
Of course, that was just a mere bluff.
In his opinion, the Kearny Kingdom seemed willing to comply with any request made by the Empire.
At first, the Kearny believed that they could defeat the Aeon Empire simply because they managed to hold out for more than three months in the war.
Unknown to them, they unwittingly fell into Arthur's trap.
Arthur was the one who prolonged the war, not them who held it.
After witnessing the true might of the Empire, they realized they were no match and fled with their tails between their legs.
"Pfft. Hahaha!"
Adrian was jolted from his reverie as Arthur burst into laughter, startling him.
Unlike the others who fell silent, the Emperor laughed merrily whilst clapping his hands.
The white-haired boy furrowed his forehead upon witnessing his father's peculiar behavior.
Arthur ceased his laughter and spoke.
"Very well, my son. Your proposal shall be duly considered."
Despite being unsure of what caused Arthur's sudden burst of laughter, he brushed it off and bowed.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
However, suddenly, a masculine voice reverberated throughout the hall.
"Princes Nathaniel and Adrian, thank you so much for the valuable information you have provided us."
Adrian followed the sound of the voice and his gaze landed on a balcony seat box on the second floor.
"It's the Tower's Elder."
Nathaniel informed him in a hushed tone.
"I see."
Waste no more time, the Princes quickly bowed.
"It is our pleasure."
Adrian was tempted to peek at his [Status Window], but he couldn't see anything as the balcony seemed to be protected by a barrier.
The voice continued.
"Your Highnesses, if you would be so kind…"
Adrian turned toward the Emperor but he just nodded; beckoning him to heed the voice.
"Yes. We understand."
With that, Nathaniel and Adrian turned and walked toward the Conference Hall entrance.
The Tower was governed by a council of four Elders.
Each was responsible for one of the Tower's four divisions.
As to who they were, no one knows.
Their identities remained a mystery to all, except for the Emperor.
Given the numerous inventions they made, it was understandable that their safety was a top priority.
He had a hunch that—maybe, that was because there were many people/organizations who would try to harm or kidnap them if their identities had become known.
But there was an unusual tradition within the Imperial Family.
Where they deemed to show reverence to the Elders of the Tower.
Although their inventions had undoubtedly brought prosperity to the Aeon Empire, it seemed as though they held greater authority than the Emperor himself.
Or was it simply his perception?
Adrian had no idea, whatsoever.
—Thud!
The door behind them closed and they walked side by side.
When a thought crossed in, Adrian voiced it.
"I wonder why the Elder kicked us out."
Nathaniel shrugged insouciantly.
"Well, we shouldn't be there in the first place."
"You're right."
Soon, Adrian's lips curled into a smile.
But, whatever, he got the answer he wanted.
As he had predicted, the one behind the attack was indeed those bastards from that organization.
"By the way."
Suddenly Nathaniel halted his step and Adrian followed suit. Then—
—Claps —Claps —Claps
Nathaniel clapped his hands enthusiastically.
Adrian furrowed his forehead and looked at his brother as if he were some strange creature.
'What in the world got into him?'
Nathaniel was in an unusual mood, his smile was unnaturally bright, causing Adrian's eyes to ache.
'What the hell.'
Unperturbed by Adrian's disgusted expression, Nathaniel continued clapping merrily.
"As befits a future Emperor, you possess a keen insight beyond that of ordinary people. Whether you realize it or not, you have just performed a noble deed by preventing the slaughter of innocent people!"
Adrian rolled his eyes, unimpressed by his brother's flattery.
'To hell with those people.'
And why should he care about someone he didn't even know?
That didn't make sense.
He stopped the war for his own benefit, nothing more.
"You're exaggerating, I'm just—"
The wrinkles on Adrian's forehead deepened.
"—and what do you mean by 'future Emperor'? Aren't you the eldest son?"
"Wait—"
The smile on Nathaniel's lips vanished.
"—you don't want to be Emperor?"
And what nonsense was that?
When did he ever say those damned words?!
No way!
"Why would I? Wait. Don't tell me you're—"
As they gazed at each other, a sense of disbelief washed over them.
They both let out a heavy sigh, and Nathaniel's distress was evident as he let out a mournful cry.
"This is madness."
It turned out that neither of them wanted the throne.
.
.
.
After several exhausting minutes of a heated argument, the Princes decided to part ways and return to their respective Palaces.
"Your Highness, we have arrived."
Nathaniel alighted from his carriage.
Soon, he spotted a familiar figure standing next to his head butler.
Her long black hair flowed straight down her back, and her golden eyes sparkled in the sunlight.
It was his mother, Lucia.
Nathaniel couldn't help but feel a sense of annoyance at the sight of her.
"Welcome back, my son."
Lucia greeted him with a gentle smile.
Ignoring her, Nathaniel walked past her.
However, Nathaniel stopped his track when a thought kicked in.
"Tsk."
Clicking his tongue in resentment, Nathaniel turned around and approached her.
Her son's sudden appearance left Lucia with a look of confusion etched onto her face.
"Here."
Nathaniel extended his hand, and despite her puzzlement, Lucia reciprocated the gesture.
Soon, a red velvet box was placed in her palm.
Surprise graced her face, and without bothering to say a word, Nathaniel continued on his way.
However, his steps abruptly came to a halt when arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind.
A whisper pricked his ears.
"Thank you. I will treasure it for the rest of my life."
Nathaniel sneered upon hearing it.
"It's just a piece of steel. There's no need for you to cherish it with your life."
"How could I not? This is the first gift my son ever gave me. Thank you."
Lucia replied, her voice filled with gratitude.
"Thank you."
Nathaniel tried to refute it, but hastily shut his mouth tightly when a kiss landed on top of his head.
Honestly speaking, he was way too old for this kind of treatment, but…
'Why can't I bring my hands to shove her away?'
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