Chapter 177

Silcaro was well aware that his appearance garnered quite a bit of admiration. He understood that when he smiled, he gave off a notably gentle impression. This early morning, dressed in a crisp shirt, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror and flashed a small smile.

His estate, slightly removed from the central palace, enjoyed excellent natural lighting, enhancing the beauty of every moment—his platinum hair, soft gaze, and long eyelashes all appeared even more captivating.

“Thanks to this face, no one dares to underestimate me.”

There had been a time when many were intimidated by Raygrain’s cold demeanor and Erina’s delicate appearance, especially when their skills backed them up. Yet, it was undoubtedly also due to their backgrounds (
Silcaro Waker). The empire’s only crown prince. The future mediator is set to succeed the emperor. Though he was referred to by many titles, none were achievements he had earned through his own efforts. All had been bestowed upon him from the moment he was born.

“I wonder how many people know I can wield a sword well.”

On the continent, everyone categorized swordsmanship into two types, as if there were no others: Blenga from the North and Netri from the South. Silcaro took pride in his swordsmanship, believing it to be quite commendable, despite lacking true power. However, there were moments when those who idolized Blenga’s style or the members of the Second Knights, where Erina served, would underestimate his skills.

“Insects. If they lack ability, they should at least have a discerning eye.”

The bright smile he had just worn vanished in an instant. His sensitive eyes glared at his reflection in the mirror. He recalled the expressions of disappointment on the faces of those assigned to his knightly order on the day of the assignments. He understood that the dreams of those aspiring to join the royal knighthood were ultimately centered around learning the sword styles of either Blenga or Netri. No matter how he proved his skill, he would always be seen as the “mediator.”

“If only the imperial family had power. The imperial authority wouldn’t be wavering like this.”

Silcaro was determined to correct the tilted continent of his generation. It was absurd that the imperial family, which should wield the greatest power, was so easily swayed by the families beneath it. In that regard, Erina had been functioning quite well.

“It’s not exactly a lie. Elevating the imperial authority is just fair.”

But wasn’t it ironic that Erina, who wished for a world without power, had gone to such lengths to obtain it, even at the expense of her own bloodline?

“If she had just stayed still, Scheuer would never have picked up a sword in the first place.”

Ultimately, she had obtained the power she desired. Her excuse for wanting to wield a sword was merely a justification for her actions.

Silcaro contemplated leaving the emotionless Blenga to self-destruct while marrying Erina, ensuring that the powers of Netri would pass to their child. This would make the imperial family the sole possessor of such power. He had once considered approaching Scheuer, who seemed to harbor feelings for him.

“Here I am, meeting a flower yet to bloom.”

“Y-Your Highness! It’s an honor! ”

“No need for that. I’m looking forward to standing alongside you in the knights, so feel free to ask me anything.”

“Ah, I’m sorry, but I don’t intend to wield a sword. Instead, I’d prefer to assist you.”

The problem was that, as rumors suggested, Scheuer had no intention of wielding a sword, rendering her power almost nonexistent. Without her, the royal family could not inherit any powers, so he needed another plan. Erina presented herself as a suitable alternative, but there was an unexpected complications.

‘I thought Blenga had been emotionless for a year. Who would have thought the dying firstborn of Netri would get involved like this? ’

Suddenly, someone stirred in the bed behind him.

“Silcaro, where are you going? ”

“Off to the central palace. I have matters to attend to.”

Silcaro flashed a quick smile. Annabelle, rising from the bed with disheveled hair, pulled the covers tighter around herself and rubbed her eyes.

“Show your face more often. My husband won’t grant me a divorce, so it’s hard for me to come and go freely.”

Silcaro approached her as she straightened herself in her pajamas, kissing her gently on the cheek.

“What’s your schedule for today? ”

“Um, I’m not sure. The distance from the estate to the central palace is quite tiring.”

“Then you should rest today. You stayed up late last night, after all.”

“No way! If you’re going to break off our engagement, I have to do my part.”

She stretched her arms as if shaking off her sleepiness.

‘What a bothersome woman.’

Despite his inner thoughts, he hugged her without hesitation. He hadn’t intended to get this close. Fundamentally, he didn’t trust people. Annabelle, who had acted like a devoted lover, had ultimately betrayed her husband and turned to him. He hadn’t done anything extraordinary—just treated her with kindness. He’d tossed out a few bits of gossip she wanted to hear, shared some sweet words, and before he knew it, she had left her family behind.

‘She has connections, so I’ll keep her around for now, but I’ll need to cut ties soon.’

Still, she was a valuable asset. He had heard the Duke of Litton cherished her, and it showed; she had clearly been raised with care. Since meeting the Duke at the academy and marrying shortly after, it seemed her romantic experience amounted to that single encounter.

Annabelle broke free from his embrace, her eyes wide awake.

“Erina, is she still threatening you? ”

“I haven’t seen her in a while. You know I’ve been spending time with you lately.”

“Ridiculous. My sister is doing well, so she’s probably trying to meddle with you out of jealousy. I’ve always thought she had a terrible impression.”

After venting her frustrations, Annabelle seemed to relax, continuing in a calm tone.

“It seems the contents of the stone tablet have spread quite a bit. What do you think? ”

“Thanks to you, Annabelle, for being beautiful, I suppose. People seem to follow you in droves. I’m feeling quite jealous.”

“Then hurry up and break off the engagement so you can be recognized by the emperor properly.”

“Don’t worry. I’m making preparations so that Annabelle won’t have to suffer.”

He left her with a parting salute and stepped out of the estate. Once he returned to the imperial palace, he headed straight for his office. His aide was already waiting for him, a diligent worker who lacked subtlety but excelled in his duties.

“Your Highness, where on earth have you been? ”

“I was just getting some fresh air. What’s the matter? ”

“Well, it seems the High Priest has left! ”
Silcaro glanced over the pile of documents and asked, 

“I heard he ran away. Did you manage to find him? ”

“No, that’s not it.”

His assistant frowned in frustration.

“The High Priest found the third stone tablet.”

“Didn’t he already find it? ”

“That was the fake! He casually mentioned it this morning and vanished like the wind! He’s already headed to the east! ”

“To the East? It was found there? ”

“Yes, it was discovered a while ago, but the report to the temple just came through.”

It had to be fake. If it were fake, the one who forged the tablet had to be from Netri, and Silcaro planned to pin the blame on the Netri duke, who was envious of the North. This would weaken Erina’s influence; it was only a matter of time. However, the emergence of a genuine stone tablet was not part of his plan.

“Is the tablet… really genuine? ”

“The temple seems quite confident it’s authentic.”

***

“It is the message from the High Priest. It is said that the third tablet has been discovered.”

From the morning, the message sent from the temple by the High Priest echoed throughout the palace. The large bell in the temple, located in the square, rang a couple of times.

The bell that rings when the real tablet appears also rang when the second tablet was revealed. Scheuer, who had spent the night with her eyes wide open, turned her head towards the window at the sound of the temple bell.

Raygrain, who was changing clothes, looked at her and asked,

“Why don’t you sleep? I can keep talking.”

“No, I can’t. I drank too much black tea yesterday, so I can’t sleep.”

“Well, it seems you used to drink quite a lot and still manage to sleep.”

In fact, she hadn’t drunk that much. She was simply burdened with worries. Not long after the bell rang, a familiar voice announced a visit with hurried footsteps.

“Commander Zero has arrived.”

While Scheuer listened intently, she quickly read through the letter. It seemed Sevi hadn’t bothered to write it neatly, as the hastily scrawled handwriting contained a brief message:

“I’ll head to the north after the announcement.”

Suddenly? She had come to the central palace prepared to escort him herself, yet now he intended to go on his own. Flustered, Scheuer flipped the letter over, searching for more clues. It couldn’t be a threat; Sevi would never write something like that. Yet, no matter how she looked at it, the sloppy handwriting undeniably belonged to him.

‘An announcement means it’s about the real stone tablet, right?’

Scheuer crumpled the corner of the letter slightly, squeezing it tightly in her hand. At that moment, Zero’s voice rang in her ears as he continued his report.

“Also, I just heard from the priest on my way here. There’s a prophetic stone tablet that has been discovered, predicting that demonic beasts that have consumed black magic stones will swarm toward the central palace.”

The air in the room grew heavy with tension, and Scheuer felt her heart race at the implications. The discovery of the third stone tablet, coupled with the prophecy, painted a dire picture of what was to come.

“To do is to dare”