LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 178: The Revived Emperor (2)
Within the grand hall, the emperor, having sent everyone out except for this prince, looked down at him intently.
The prince was the first to avert his eyes.
Was it because he had committed a sin? He seemed burdened by the situation.
The emperor asked in a seemingly affectionate tone, “Why did you do it?”
“……”
“How could you act in such a manner? Was it really necessary?”
“……”
No answer came forth.
Yet, with each word from the emperor, the prince’s shoulders trembled, clearly understanding the gravity of the words.
Ray silently listened to their conversation.
Although he was not entirely sure of the details, it was clear from the context that the prince had done something to displease the emperor.
‘Could it be… that this prince is responsible for the emperor’s internal injury?’
His quick wit soon led him to the correct conclusion.
“All I wish is to understand your actions. Answer without worry.”
The prince maintained his silence for a moment longer.
The emperor waited patiently, not pressing further.
After about ten minutes, the tightly sealed lips of the prince began to move.
“It was because of the third prince.”
“The third prince?”
The emperor’s brow twitched slightly.
“Yes. I wished for the third prince to sit at the emperor’s left.”
At that, even Ray couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
Then, it would be quicker to support the third prince as an ally.
Moreover, why support the third prince when he himself was a candidate for the throne?
His puzzlement began to clear with the prince’s next words.
“Both my elder brother and I think only of the empire’s interests. However, the third prince is different. Although gentle in nature, he is a sagacious ruler, attentive to his subjects and kind to his ministers.”
“Continue.”
“But my brother and the fifth prince are both blinded by the power that comes with the throne. In such a situation, how could the third prince ascend to the throne? Amidst their relentless power struggle, I thought it better to eliminate those unworthy candidates myself rather than leave the throne to them, potentially disgracing the empire in the future.”
“I am curious as to how that led you to lay hands on me.”
“…That’s because…”
The prince paused for a moment before continuing.
“Your Majesty, you favored the first prince… The Selection Ceremony is nearing. The Crown Prince has always been decided after the ceremony. Given the current situation, it’s natural for my brother to become the Crown Prince.”
“So you attacked me, your father, to prevent that?”
“…I am sorry. Please impose a harsh punishment. Whatever it may be, I am ready to face the consequences of my actions.”
Despite his remorse, the situation was too grave to simply forgive and forget.
Especially since the emperor could have died from that incident.
Given that it could be seen as an assassination attempt, the emperor was cautious in his response.
“I see… I understand your situation. However, that does not mean I forgive you. We shall discuss this matter again soon. You may leave now.”
With the emperor’s dismissal, the prince bowed his head.
“I shall take my leave.”
As the last remaining figure departed, only the emperor and Ray were left in the large hall.
He sighed deeply.
“Sigh… Truly a headache. I thought I had raised them well, but they are still just children…”
“It’s said that parents always feel that way about their children.”
“Hahaha.”
On the surface, the young-looking prince spoke, eliciting an involuntary chuckle.
But indeed, what he said was accurate.
Even if ten more years passed, he would still perceive the princes as youthful.
Ray addressed the emperor, “In the future, it seems you ought to pay closer attention to your children. No matter how strict your commands, there is no assurance that such an incident won’t recur.”
The emperor nodded his head in agreement.
And rightly so.
If, after the current restrictions were lifted, they commenced bickering over the throne once more, it would certainly result in a more significant problem than before.
“When that time comes, I will summon The Saint again.”
“……”
Ray stood as still as if he had been hit by the breath of an ice dragon.
The emperor then waved his hand, seemingly amused, “It was just a joke. Don’t worry too much, Saint. Hahahaha.”
“Haha. That is a relief.”
And indeed it was.
Had it not been a jest, he might have found himself in the position of upending the royal family to prepare for the future.
The emperor leaned forward, shifting the mood, “But… what do you think of this princess?”
After a moment’s contemplation, Ray replied, “She might appear fragile on the surface, yet she is braver and more assertive than any of her brothers. But most importantly, her determination is steadfast; once she commits to an endeavor, she pursues it with the same conviction from start to finish.”
No parent dislikes receiving commendation for their offspring.
The emperor wasn’t overly affectionate, but he couldn’t suppress a flicker of satisfaction.
Nevertheless, this wasn’t the response he sought.
“I misspoke. What I meant to ask was, how would you regard her as your spouse?”
This time, Ray did not hesitate. He answered with both politeness and conviction.
“I already have someone in mind. She would not favor such an arrangement, so I must respectfully decline, accepting only the thought with gratitude.”
“Hmm. I see…”
The emperor reckoned it was time to retreat.
He read between the lines of Ray’s words, ‘Does this mean she cannot be his wife? Given his rank, it’s improbable he hasn’t already selected a partner. If that’s the case, then perhaps I should consider making Celia a concubine.’
“Understood. I will take other measures.”
Ray misinterpreted this as well, thinking, ‘He is ending the marriage talks and considering other ways to help.’
Both drew different conclusions from their misunderstanding.
How significantly this misunderstanding would impact the future was uncertain.
The Selection Ceremony.
This grand festival, held every three years in the Lesian Empire, included numerous competitions.
The categories ranged from swordsmanship and magic to academia, debates, and archery.
Ray was recommended for the main competitions in swordsmanship and magic.
He had wanted to try debating, but the rules stated that one couldn’t participate in more than two events.
The empire was bustling with preparations for the Selection Ceremony.
Since it was a festival for all citizens to enjoy, its scale was considerable.
Not just the cities, but even small villages were busy with preparations, creating a festive atmosphere.
The excitement did not diminish even at night.
Given the current fervor, it was difficult to imagine the number of people who would participate on the day of the Selection Ceremony.
The festival lasted a whole week.
Considering that the preparation period alone took about two weeks, the length of the festival was quite substantial.
Moreover, dignitaries and nobility from other countries also attended to enjoy the Lesian Empire’s Selection Ceremony.
This influx of visitors must have brought considerable tourism revenue to the Lesian Empire.
Surely, if the festival had been shorter, the profits would have been less.
As Ray looked around, he couldn’t help but express his amazement softly.
“Wow, this truly is an empire. To think they use magic tools to create lights in the sky.”
Celia chuckled behind her hand at his childlike wonder.
“Isn’t it strange for a magician to be amazed by such things?”
“Magic and magic tools feel a bit different, you know.”
What Ray found fascinating were not the magic spells but the magic tools that enabled them.
The magic tool technology of the Lesian Empire was decades ahead of other kingdoms.
That’s why they could afford to use such advanced magic tools just for a festival, something unimaginable for other kingdoms.
Celia watched his back and thought, ‘I thought he was a fearsome person… The events in the lobby seem like a lie now.’
When her father asked her to guide the Saint around the city, she honestly wanted to refuse.
After all, he had always spoken harshly and looked at them with cold eyes.
But now, as he looked around the city, his eyes were like those of a child seeing everything for the first time.
That made him seem not scary at all.
Celia giggled and rolled up her sleeves.
“That place over there will be used for the swordsmanship competition. The larger arena next to it is for the magic competition. It’s quite large, isn’t it?”
It was indeed large.
Insanely large.
It seemed to demonstrate the immense financial power of the Lesian Empire.
It was probably as big as his estate in the Holy Kingdom.
Ray looked at the arenas and commented,
“Swordsmanship is one thing… but why is the magic arena so huge? Are they expecting a bunch of 6th circle mages to participate?”
“A 6th circle mage is like a chief mage of a kingdom. They wouldn’t participate in such competitions. In the past, 5th circle mages used to participate, but now it’s rare even to see 4th circle mages.”
His joking question was met with a painfully honest response.
The layout was as follows:
From left to right, there were the swordsmanship, magic, and archery arenas.
However, compared to swordsmanship and magic, the archery range looked pitiful.
While the other arenas were splendidly decorated and equipped with magic tools to shine even at night, the archery range was just a barren sandpit.
There was nothing but a row of targets lined up and a drawn line in front of them.
Ray pointed to it and asked,
“Why is it like that over there? A doghouse would be better than that.”
“Aah… archery,” Celia replied with an awkward smile.
“Archery has been unpopular since ancient times. With few spectators and participants, it’s a miracle it hasn’t been cancelled.”
Archery, commonly used by nobility for hunting and by many mercenaries, should have had some popularity.
It was unclear why, but in the Lesian Empire, the bow as a weapon seemed not to be very popular.
Still, the current state seemed excessive.
The target boards were so shabby they looked almost ready to fall apart.
Who would even feel like shooting an arrow there?
Ray shook his head.
“I wonder if they’ll even have participants…”