Chapter 27: Imperial Bloodline [1]
The Velenreich Empire.
An empire that had withstood the relentless passage of time for centuries, with its foundations enduring countless wars, political upheavals, and the rise and fall of rival kingdoms.
Through conquest, diplomacy, and sheer military might, it had grown into the single greatest power upon the known world, a nation whose influence reached far beyond its own borders.
Among the Seven Continents, no realm had territory as vast as the Velenreich Empire.
Its authority stretched across fertile plains, towering mountain ranges, frozen northern frontiers, ancient forests, and industrial cities where the smoke of factories rose beside the spires of medieval castles and grand cathedrals.
Within its borders, old traditions and modern innovation existed side by side.
Much of that prosperity could be attributed to the dynasty that had ruled the Empire for generations.
The House of Bismarck.
For centuries, the Imperial Family had stood at the center of the Velenreich Empire’s history, producing emperors, conquerors, reformers, and tyrants alike.
Their reign had witnessed the Empire’s greatest triumphs and its darkest Chapters, yet regardless of who occupied the Imperial Throne, the Bismarck name had never ceased to shape the fate of the continent.
Its current ruler, Sieghart Philipp Bismarck, strode through the vast halls of the Imperial Palace.
The palace had become unusually restless over the past several days.
Courtiers hurried from one chamber to another carrying stacks of reports, imperial messengers came and went nearly every day, and ministers who would normally conduct themselves with impeccable composure were now visibly fatigued.
After all, a single incident had thrown the entire Imperial Court into turmoil.
"Has the Academy produced any results yet?" Sieghart asked without slowing his pace.
"No, Your Imperial Majesty..." the official answered, lowering his head. "The investigation is still underway, and the Academy has yet to reach a definitive conclusion..."
"...Still?"
"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. The professors have secured the area, but the circumstances surrounding the incident remain... highly irregular... At present, multiple investigative teams have been dispatched, and every surviving witness is still undergoing questioning..."
"...How incompetent."
Sieghart’s footsteps came to a halt.
"The Holy Trinity has spent generations boasting that no institution on the continent rivals its security, and yet it cannot even explain how a Black-Labeled Distortion managed to appear during one of its own examinations."
Silence filled the corridor.
"They had one responsibility... to return my son alive... How dare those bastards..."
"...Your Imperial Majesty... the Academy has assured us that every resource available is being devoted to uncovering the truth... They believe there may have been outside interference, though they have yet to identify a culprit..."
"A belief without proof is worthless." Sieghart resumed walking. "I am not interested in excuses. I want names."
"...Understood, Your Imperial Majesty."
The official remained silent for several more steps, his expression growing increasingly conflicted before he finally gathered the courage to continue.
"There is... another matter the Imperial Council wished to bring to Your Majesty’s attention..."
Sieghart neither slowed nor turned.
"Speak."
"Our own investigation into His Imperial Highness’s recent activities has uncovered... several irregularities."
The official carefully chose each word.
"For nearly a year, the Crown Prince had been involving himself in matters far beyond the scope of his official duties. He traveled frequently without public notice, visited numerous locations across the Empire under assumed identities, and maintained contact with individuals whom the Imperial Court had never authorized him to approach..."
"...Continue."
"We are still verifying many of the details," the official replied. "However, it appears His Imperial Highness was searching for something."
Sieghart’s eyes remained fixed ahead.
"What kind of something?"
"We do not know."
The official shook his head.
"Many of the places he visited have no obvious connection to one another. Abandoned ruins, remote villages, gathering places for smugglers, mercenaries, and illegal organizations. By all appearances, His Imperial Highness had been discreetly conducting an investigation of his own..."
"...."
"At first, we believed these incidents to be unrelated," the official continued. "However, after comparing them against the circumstances surrounding the Academy attack, the Intelligence Bureau has begun considering another possibility..."
"...Go on."
"They believe the Distortion may not have appeared at the Academy by coincidence."
The Emperor finally stopped walking.
"You’re suggesting it was targeted?"
"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty."
The official lowered his head.
"If our assessment is correct, then the Academy was merely the battlefield."
"...."
"The true target... was the Crown Prince."
"...."
"Our investigators believe His Imperial Highness may have unknowingly, or perhaps knowingly, disturbed an organization, individual, or force powerful enough to orchestrate such an event..."
The official swallowed deeply.
"...His Imperial Highness may have kicked the wrong hornet’s nest."
The corridor fell silent.
The sound of the Emperor’s footsteps gradually faded until they stopped altogether.
"So you’re telling me... My son was responsible for his own death?"
The official’s face immediately paled.
"N-No, Your Imperial Majesty! I would never presume to make such a judgment!"
He hurriedly lowered his head even further before choosing each of his next words with painstaking care.
"However... based on everything we have uncovered thus far, it appears His Imperial Highness had been investigating matters that even the Imperial Intelligence Bureau had deliberately chosen not to pursue..."
"...."
"...To say that his actions may have attracted unwanted attention... would not be an unreasonable conclusion..."
"...."
"The past several weeks alone have seen multiple underground organizations dismantled. Illegal trafficking rings, smuggling networks, forbidden magical laboratories, and several criminal syndicates that had operated undisturbed for years have all fallen in remarkably short succession. Every trail we followed eventually led back to one person."
The Crown Prince.
"At first, we believed these incidents to be isolated acts of justice carried out by local authorities. However, after comparing reports from every province, it became clear that His Imperial Highness had personally involved himself in many of those investigations, often arriving before our own agents and disappearing before they could even identify his whereabouts."
"...."
"It is as though... he already knew where to look."
"...."
"If our hypothesis is correct, then His Imperial Highness uncovered something far larger than any ordinary criminal organization. Whatever he found, it was significant enough that someone was willing to orchestrate an attack involving a Black-Labeled Distortion merely to ensure he never left that mountain alive."
No one dared utter another word as they waited for the Emperor’s response.
After what felt like an eternity, Sieghart slowly raised a hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose, the exhaustion he had kept hidden finally beginning to show.
"...What about the incident itself? It was a joint practical examination, was it not? What have the surviving students reported?"
"Many of the survivors remain severely traumatized, Your Imperial Majesty. Several have yet to regain consciousness, while others are incapable of giving coherent testimony. As for His Imperial Highness’s own team... Duke de Beaumont’s daughter remains in a state of profound shock and has yet to provide a formal statement..."
"And the other survivor?"
"The Grand Duke of the North’s son... Ilya Valentinovich Belozersky... has already submitted his testimony."
"...What did he say?"
"According to his statement, when the Black-Labeled Distortion appeared, His Imperial Highness ordered the rest of the team to retreat. He remained behind of his own accord in order to buy the others enough time to escape."
After several long moments, a chuckle escaped Sieghart’s lips. Whether it was from disbelief, bitterness, or resignation, not a single person present could tell.
"A Future Emperor who throws away his life for his subjects..."
He closed his eyes.
"...What an utterly foolish son."
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