The Hall of Ancestors gradually emptied.
Groups formed naturally.
Military commanders gathered around Prince Adrian.
The central nobles quietly followed Princess Seraphine.
Scholars and diplomats drifted toward Princess elena.
Every royal child had attracted supporters over the years.
Every royal child...
Except one.
Kael.
He had arrived alone.
Yet somehow...
He had become the center of everyone's attention.
As Kael continued speaking with Lens...
Another voice echoed through the corridor.
"So..."
"You're the famous Tenth Prince."
The voice was deep.
Confident.
Almost amused.
A young man walked toward them.
He appeared no older than twenty-five.
His black hair was tied into a warrior's knot.
Unlike Adrian's polished military uniform...
He wore traveling clothes.
A longsword rested across his back.
His boots were still covered in dried mud.
He looked like someone who had just returned from a campaign.
The system immediately activated.
"Imperial Analysis"
Prince Marcus Aurelius Asterion
Age: 25
Current Succession Rank: 5
Territory: Frostmarch Province
Military Command: 28,000 Soldiers
Personal Strength: A
Leadership: A
Political Ability: B+
Personality:
Straightforward.
Proud.
Values strength above status.
Potential Relationship:
Undetermined.
Marcus stopped only a few feet away.
"So..."
"You're Kael."
Kael nodded.
"And you're Marcus."
Marcus grinned.
"At least you recognize me."
"I'd be insulted otherwise."
Without warning...
Marcus threw a punch.
Not to injure.
To test.
Walter would've panicked.
Most nobles would've screamed.
Kael...
Moved.
His body shifted just enough for the fist to pass harmlessly beside his face.
Marcus burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"There it is!"
"I knew the rumors weren't exaggerated."
Several nobles frowned.
Princess Seraphine looked annoyed.
"You call that appropriate behavior?"
Marcus shrugged.
"I wanted to know if he was all talk."
He looked back at Kael.
"Turns out..."
"...he isn't."
A Soldier's Respect
Marcus crossed his arms.
"I don't care about court speeches."
"I don't care about politics."
"I care whether the person beside me can survive a battlefield."
His smile disappeared.
"I've buried too many brothers."
Silence.
That single sentence carried years of experience.
Kael answered honestly.
"I haven't fought a war."
Marcus nodded.
"I know."
"But you've fought."
"You've bled."
"And..."
He glanced toward Grom.
"...your men would die for you."
He laughed again.
"I like commanders like that."
The Princess
Before the conversation could continue...
Music drifted through the corridor.
Soft.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
A young woman wearing emerald-green robes approached.
She carried no weapon.
Only a small harp.
Servants followed behind her carrying books and scrolls.
The system appeared again.
"Imperial Analysis"
Princess Elara Aurelius Asterion
Current Succession Rank: 6
Territory:
Greenhaven Province
Primary Influence:
Education.
Agriculture.
Medicine.
Political Ability: A
Combat Ability: C
Specialization:
Civil Administration.
Potential Relationship:
Positive.
Elara smiled warmly.
"So this is the brother everyone has been discussing."
She bowed politely.
"I'm pleased to finally meet you."
Kael returned the gesture.
"The pleasure is mine."
Unlike Seraphine...
There wasn't an ounce of hostility in her eyes.
Instead...
Curiosity.
"I've read your agricultural reports."
Kael blinked.
"You... read them?"
She nodded enthusiastically.
"The irrigation system you introduced."
"The crop rotation."
"The grain storage improvements."
She smiled brightly.
"They increased harvest efficiency by almost twenty percent."
Marcus scratched his head.
"...You read farming reports for fun?"
Elara looked confused.
"...Yes."
Marcus sighed dramatically.
"Every family has one."
Everyone laughed.
Even Kael.
Brothers and Sisters
As the laughter faded...
Kael looked around.
Six heirs was here .
Yet...
The palace still felt incomplete.
"Where are the others?"
Kael asked.
elena answered.
they probably planing something bad
elena sighed.
"...Unfortunately."
Even Seraphine couldn't argue.
The system quietly updated.
Royal Succession
Current Known Rankings
2 — Adrian
3 — Seraphine
4—Elena
5 — Marcus
6 — Elara
10 — Kael
Remaining Rankings:
Unknown
"Tenth..."
Kael wasn't surprised.
He hadn't expected his ranking to rise overnight.
Respect...
Was earned over time.
The Emperor's Command
The heavy palace doors suddenly opened.
Commander Severus Kane entered.
Every prince and princess immediately became silent.
"The Emperor has issued an order."
No one interrupted.
"The Council of Succession will convene..."
"...three days from now."
A murmur spread across the hall.
Three days?
That wasn't enough time to prepare.
Kane continued.
"Each royal heir will present..."
"One accomplishment."
"One proposal."
"And one vision..."
"...for the future of the Empire."
Silence.
Then—
"The Emperor will personally evaluate each candidate."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"A proposal..."
"A vision..."
Not a battle.
Not a tournament.
A test of leadership.
The system flashed.
Main Quest Updated
The Path of an Emperor
Objective 1:
Survive the politics of the Imperial Court.
Objective 2:
Present a vision that challenges the Empire's future.
Hidden Objective Added
Change the mind of one influential noble house before the Council convenes.
Reward:
????
Failure:
Your influence in the succession race will stagnate.
Kael slowly smiled.
This...
This was something he understood.
In his previous life, he'd seen nations transformed by ideas as much as by armies.
Roads.
Education.
Trade.
Merit.
Justice.
An empire wasn't built by swords alone.
It was built by giving people a reason to believe in tomorrow.
He looked toward the towering windows overlooking the capital.
Aurelia was magnificent.
But beneath its grandeur...
He could already see cracks.
And in three days...
He intended to tell the entire empire how to fix them.
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