Chapter 21

Yulaios Aphahiel, the 7th Emperor of the Aphahiel Empire, was a heretic born of the White Lion House — a man called the Black Lion.

He had five sons and three daughters from four wives.

The Aphahiel Empire was a nation that made no distinction between legitimate wives and concubines.

So long as the child bore the Emperor’s blood beyond doubt, they could inherit the throne regardless of whether they were born of the first wife or not.

Emperor Yulaios himself was the son of the fifth wife of the previous Emperor — living proof of that principle.

For that reason, both the Imperial family and the noble houses of Aphahiel kept a keen eye on the princes.

Any one of them could ascend to the throne, and if one wished to preserve what one currently possessed even before the next Emperor, effort proportionate to that desire was required.

That effort naturally translated into interest directed at the princes.

“Why, I heard from one of the maids serving His Highness the Crown Prince — apparently, His Highness has already awakened his magical power! Isn’t that truly incredible?”

Age 27 this year.

The most legitimate of blood, the first son of the Emperor and his first wife — the eldest among the five princes, and the most promising candidate for the next Emperor.

That was the rumor among the attendants when the Crown Prince was fourteen years old.

“I heard His Highness the Second Prince won the Royal Academy’s swordsmanship tournament… Considering his talent, he’ll likely awaken his magic soon as well. The Crown Prince’s talent was astounding, but His Highness the Second Prince surprises me even more. The future of our Empire looks bright indeed. Hahaha!”

Age 25 this year.

A formidable rival following closely behind the Crown Prince — the Second Prince, said to be a reliable sword who would guard the Empire should he become Emperor.

That was what the knight captains said when he was thirteen.

“Of course, in terms of intelligence alone, His Highness the Third Prince surpasses them all. Isn’t it astonishing that he not only inherited the rare aptitude for magic but has already mastered 2nd Circle spells? What? You say swordsmanship suits an Emperor better than magic? Bah, nonsense. Do you think an Emperor has any reason to wield a sword on the battlefield? What if he’s struck by a stray arrow? Tch, tch. And to think that fool is a magician… It was my mistake to even converse with those uneducated fools from the martial faction. Tsk, tsk, tsk…”

Age 24 this year.

The Third Prince — the magical prodigy backed by the Empire’s scholars and the Mage Tower.

Those were the words spoken at a Mage Tower council when he was fifteen.

“I heard His Highness the Fourth Prince visited the slums again? Ahh, what a pity… He is truly the holy ruler blessed by God upon Aphahiel. Why must nobles judge men by their talent to kill? You saw him yourself, didn’t you? I have never in my life met a man of such upright character. The term ‘saint’ must have been made for him. If His Highness the Fourth Prince becomes Emperor, Aphahiel would surely enter an age of peace…”

Age 23 this year.

The saint of the Imperial family, beloved most by the Church and the common people alike.

That was said by the cardinals of the Lehl faith when the Fourth Prince was fourteen.

“Oh, the Fifth Prince…? Well… You know he’s been in poor health for quite some time… I don’t know much myself, but they say he’s the most handsome of all five princes. Had he been healthy, he would’ve captivated every social circle on the continent, not just the Empire’s. But now… his face has withered from all the medicine, or so they say. Well, that’s what the rumors say. I’ve only seen him from afar, so I can’t say for sure.”

Age 22 this year.

Unlike his brothers, he had shown no talent for anything.

The infamous wastrel White Dog, known across the continent — the Fifth Prince — had fallen into a coma and was on the brink of death just days ago.

That was the talk among the palace gardeners then.

Tang Yuwon’s appearance could not have been better.

His hair, grown down to his waist, was pure white, neatly tied back without a single stray strand, and contrasted sharply with the deep black ceremonial robe he wore.

That stark contrast of white hair against black attire, along with his pale skin, made Yurion’s naturally radiant beauty shine all the brighter.

‘Their beauty standards might differ a bit… but even I have to admit, this is quite impressive.’

The claim that he was the most handsome among the five princes wasn’t an exaggeration.

Even Yuwon found himself marveling at Yurion’s reflection in the mirror.

‘Now that I look closely… he’s grown taller.’

Ever since he began proper training, his once-hunched posture had been corrected — and not only that, he had actually grown taller.

The skin that once looked deathly pale now had a healthy flush of color.

It was all the fruit of his training.

“Your Highness, the carriage sent by His Majesty the Emperor from the Main Palace has arrived. It’s time for your departure.”

Erilyn’s voice came from beyond the door.

“Very well, tell them I shall come at once.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

‘Then, shall I finally meet these so-called elder brothers of mine?’

He had brushed past them once during his coming-of-age ceremony, but hadn’t exchanged greetings back then.

Now, he would need to stay on his toes.

He had confidence to handle whatever situation arose — but letting his guard down was out of the question.

‘I will not lose, no matter what happens.’

Yuwon clenched his fist tightly, steeling his resolve as if making a vow to the reflection in the mirror.

“Looks like we’re the first to arrive.”

“So it seems, brother. We’re a full twenty minutes early — we did come rather soon.”

Crown Prince Yulia Aphahiel and Third Prince Bernid Aphahiel — the two brothers born of the same mother — were the first to arrive at the banquet hall.

The feast had already been prepared, waiting only for its guests of honor.

A long rectangular table filled the wide room, piled so high with delicacies that not a single gap could be seen.

From the dazzling chandelier above — as though stars had been embedded in the ceiling — to the candelabras, chairs, forks, knives, and even the smallest bowls of salt and water for washing hands, nothing had been arranged carelessly.

The chamber was adorned entirely with the finest that reflected the dignity of the Imperial family.

To a commoner, such a sight would be beyond their dreams — but to the two princes, it was merely routine.

Without sparing the decorations a glance, they sat at their designated seats.

“It’s been a little over fifteen days since the youngest woke from his coma, hasn’t it?”

“Yes. I believe that’s why His Majesty arranged this dinner so hastily. Normally, he would have given at least ten days’ notice.”

“Indeed. Still, isn’t it a bit late, considering he told us to keep our evening free?”

“That’s true enough. Perhaps state affairs kept him busy.”

The Crown Prince nodded silently, and the conversation died there.

Though they were born of the same womb, the two were rivals for the throne — their relationship far from friendly.

The awkward silence lingered until the arrival of two other princes.

“What’s there to eat that made you come so early?”

“It’s been a while, Eldest Brother, Third Brother. Have you been well?”

The Second and Fourth Princes — one seeming displeased with the very idea of tonight’s banquet, the other greeting courteously — entered together from the antechamber and addressed the two who had arrived before them.

“Oh, welcome, all of you. How long has it been since we’ve all gathered together like this? You all look well.”

The eldest, the Crown Prince, greeted them first, and the four princes exchanged formal courtesies.

“Your expression seems good?”

“Haha, well, one must smile even when it isn’t.”

“Of course. If you sit around with a gloomy face, even those who might come will run away. The Third Prince’s been doing quite well lately, hasn’t he? I heard you’ve taken hold of not only the Mage Tower but also the Magic Corps?”

“Taken hold, you say? I’m simply grateful that they’ve chosen to support me.”

“I hate how educated types pretend to be humble like that. Don’t you agree?”

At the Third Prince’s modest words, the Second Prince smirked.

“Is there anyone you don’t hate?”

“Damn it.”

The Crown Prince’s quiet jest quickly made the Second Prince frown.

Though the four exchanged updates and even light jokes, the atmosphere wasn’t particularly pleasant.

Even the smallest courtesies carried faint undercurrents of tension.

Then, about five minutes later—

“Tch, this is bloody boring. All of us sitting around here, pretending to talk about nothing, while each one’s just figuring out how to stab the others in the back…”

While the other three princes could still manage some semblance of a normal conversation, such a thing was impossible with the Second Prince.

Wearing an indifferent look, he muttered his complaint as if he couldn’t bear the boredom.

“Then why don’t we talk about something you might actually be interested in?”

“What?”

“What else? The youngest.”

The Crown Prince changed the topic.

The Second Prince didn’t give a clear answer, but the expression that had seemed ready to die of boredom softened ever so slightly.

“Now that you mention it, Eldest Brother, do you happen to know how the youngest has been lately?”

“Our Fourth Brother seems to be looking after the youngest since he’s the only one below him. I’d like to reward that kind heart with some useful news, but… what I know probably isn’t much different from what you’ve heard.”

“Is that so? I only asked because, well, you tend to be well-informed about these things.”

“I heard he was learning the sword for a while, but after his coming-of-age ceremony, he apparently put it down completely and spends his days buried in the library. That’s all. Nothing more.”

At the Crown Prince’s words, the Third Prince quietly nodded — as if to say that was all he knew as well.

Each of the four princes kept close tabs on the others, gathering information as part of their silent rivalry.

Only the youngest was different.

The Fifth Prince — unable to even care for his own body — wasn’t even considered a competitor.

The time and effort the princes devoted to watching one another was immense, yet not even a fraction of that was spared for the youngest.

At least, the Crown Prince thought it a waste of effort.

‘I’m not particularly aware of what goes on with the youngest… but which of them is lying here? Who was it that sent the assassin after him…?’

‘Heh. I can practically hear these idiots’ brains creaking from here.’

‘They couldn’t even offer comfort to their sick little brother, yet they sent an assassin and now act oblivious?’

‘If they sent a killer even after a brother with no chance of becoming Emperor, then I can’t afford to let my guard down either.’

Different thoughts crossed each prince’s mind.

As the saying goes, “Speak of the tiger and he appears”— just then, the very subject of their discussion, Yuwon, arrived.

“You’ve all come early, I see. It’s been a while, brothers. During the coming-of-age ceremony last time, I didn’t get the chance to greet you properly. I was… not in the right condition back then.”

Yuwon bowed his head lightly in greeting — a perfectly ordinary, polite gesture.

“Ah… oh, right. Come in, youngest. We were waiting for you.”

Shock!

With just that single greeting, all four princes wore the same expression — as if they had agreed beforehand.

Their faces looked as though they’d just seen a ghost.

‘Huh? Did the youngest just greet us normally?’

‘That insane wastrel actually called me “brother”?’

‘Yurion, of all people, calling us brothers?’

‘What? Did I hear that wrong…?’

They all blinked in disbelief at the impossible sight before them.

At that moment, the Crown Prince was the only one composed enough to respond to Yuwon’s greeting.