“What’s going on here?! With Kross by his side, how could the Crown Prince have returned in such a state?!”
Before him stood the Crown Prince, Yustaf, and Harun, along with the members of the investigation team.
The achievements they brought were undeniably astonishing.
The credit for preventing a catastrophic disaster in the imperial capital could rightfully be called a heroic feat.
However, the Emperor’s eyes were fixed solely on the missing arm of the Crown Prince, rather than the monumental accomplishments.
Although he hadn’t always treated him warmly, if he had a sore spot among his children, it would surely be his first son, Alex.
Alex, the first child born of the Emperor’s first beloved Empress and the heir to succeed the Empire, held a special place in the Emperor’s heart.
Yet, faced with the reality that such a son returned as an amputee, the Emperor could hardly contain his emotions.
“Please, kill us! Not even death can atone for our failure to protect His Highness, the Crown Prince!”
The entire escort knight order surrounding the Crown Prince had buried their heads to the floor of the court, unable to raise their heads.
The very reason for the existence of the escort knight order was to safely protect royal figures, and as they had failed to do so, they had no excuses, even if they had ten mouths.
“Your Majesty, no, Father, please do not blame them.”
“What? Can you still say that after seeing your current state?!”
“I am the one who put myself in danger, and they are the ones who did their utmost to protect me from my reckless actions.”
As no one dared to speak up in the face of the furious Emperor, the one-armed Crown Prince stepped forward to speak.
“It’s not about doing your best! It’s about results! These people have ultimately failed to fulfill their duties!!!”
“Of course results are important. The safety of the Empire is worth more than my one arm; I’d say it’s a worthwhile trade-off.”
The Emperor looked at the Crown Prince with an expression of disbelief.
Had it been the immense pressure from childhood?
The child who had once struggled to meet his gaze was now able to not only hold eye contact but even challenge his words.
Aside from his anger, the Emperor felt a sense of pride.
In fact, had this investigation ended in failure, he had been considering giving Alex a lesson by stripping him of the Crown Prince title.
He thought that such a shock might finally bring about some change in his eldest son.
But Alex had already changed. He had transformed sublimely, as if shedding a caterpillar’s skin and emerging as a butterfly.
As a father, he felt a swell of pride, yet he couldn’t show it.
‘Why on earth did it have to be his arm that was lost…?’
What the investigation team had accomplished was indeed an incredible achievement. They had not only eradicated a black magic organization that remained on the continent but had also prevented a plot they were planning in advance.
Unless there had been many sacrifices in that process; instead, there were only a few injuries and no fatalities—a perfect outcome.
Since the Crown Prince had been a major contributor to resolving such an event, his position would surely solidify, giving him a golden opportunity to restore his prior poor reputation.
However, the thought that all of this would turn to nothing made the Emperor furious.
‘The Emperor must be a sacred being. An entity that all subjects of the Empire can respect and revere.’
Thus, a flaw in the Emperor’s body could become a fatal defect.
For instance, a large scar on his face or a physical defect could significantly mar his integrity, making it perilous for a member of the royal family.
The Crown Prince losing an arm and returning would undoubtedly serve as an excuse for the nobility to voice their discontent.
Especially since Baron Terion’s family, the current Empress’s maternal relatives, had already been eyeing the Crown Prince’s position, news of the Crown Prince’s injury was akin to fresh prey for them.
“…You may take your leave now.”
“Your Majesty, still please say a word to the investigation team who braved danger.”
Feeling a headache from the complexity of his thoughts, the Emperor had initially intended to dismiss those present as usual; however, he realized that he had gotten a little too emotional due to the Crown Prince’s statement.
Even though the Crown Prince was injured, the ones who had accomplished this feat deserved praise and recognition.
“I nearly forgot to honor the heroes in my excitement. Yes, the commendation for this matter should indeed be grand.”
“No, Your Majesty. We merely did what we had to do.”
Yustaf, the representative of the investigation team, replied respectfully to the Emperor’s words, and the Emperor responded in kind.
“Excessive humility is harmful, Yustaf. You, Harun, and the Crown Prince will be awarded as the top contributors, while those who participated in the investigation will receive second and third-place awards according to their contributions; I hope you will discuss this with Count Julius, my chamberlain, before you leave the court.”
“”- Thank you for your grace!””
Having finished speaking, the Emperor continued to press his fingers against his temple, pondering how to secure the Crown Prince’s position without further incident.
The Crown Prince and the members of the investigation team exited the court.
“Sir Yustaf, earlier the Emperor was too fatigued to mention it, but I believe this person should definitely be included in the commendation.”
Before Yustaf could go discuss the selection of contributors for the honors with Count Julius, the Crown Prince anxiously interjected.
“That person… could it be…?”
“You’re correct. I think it is only proper for Rupert Somerset to be included among the honored.”
“Absolutely. If it weren’t for Sir Rupert, we would never have caught wind of the Dark Wizard plot, so that is indeed a significant achievement.”
“I’m glad you recognize it.”
Upon hearing that Rupert would be included in the list of honored contributors, the Crown Prince finally smiled contentedly.
Watching the Crown Prince, Yustaf’s thoughts ran as follows:
‘Your Highness, I’m not sure how much an old man like me can do, but I believe you should become the Emperor.’
Since Yustaf had little interest in power or politics, he had half-retired, even giving up his position as the head of the Mage Tower.
Yet, having joined this investigation with the Crown Prince, he found himself thinking—without even realizing it—that if someone like him were to become Emperor, perhaps the Empire could change for the better.
He may not be sufficient to stand above all, but he seemed someone who could always be by their side.
Yustaf wished to witness the moment the Crown Prince ascended to the throne.
*
“Is the storyboard for volume 6 ready yet?”
A middle-aged man asked Rupert, who was engrossed in his work.
“Have you really already finished up volume 5?”
“Yes, I’m just transferring what you’ve drawn, Rupert. I can handle this much.”
Seeing the middle-aged man speak nonchalantly, Rupert was flabbergasted.
Having done assistant work for other webtoon artists before, he knew it was no easy task.
He couldn’t help but be impressed by the competence of the Saint, who handled it so effortlessly.
“But are you really okay working at our workshop?”
“As I age, I’ve learned that there’s nothing more foolish than giving up the opportunity to learn and gain experience for the sake of honor or status.”
The Saint answered Rupert’s question calmly.
A month ago, magnificent guests visited Somerset Mansion, just as Rupert was about to resume his work on the comic book, when an unexpected visitor appeared.
The Crown Prince’s personal painter and a former faculty member of the Art Department at the Academy, ‘Saint Salier,’ was the protagonist.
“Sir Rupert, please teach me about comic books.”
By rank and social honor alone, while Rupert was becoming well-known, the Saint was already firmly established as a master.
Rupert thought it was absurd and tried to decline, but the Saint, undeterred by Rupert’s astonished reaction, persistently requested to learn.
Eventually, he ended up working in Rupert’s workshop.
“I only realized after seeing the comic book you created, Rupert, how I regret not thinking to tell stories through pictures myself.”
“Well, that…”
Rupert thought it was only natural. While there might be picture books with illustrations, books where the illustrations take center stage have a very short history even on Earth.
“That’s why, next to you, I wish to observe and learn so that I, too, can create a comic book. Don’t hesitate to assign me any tasks.”
The Saint was proof that his words weren’t insincere, as he cheerfully worked on finishing the storyboard Rupert had drawn.
With the help of Sena, the speed of the work had accelerated enormously compared to before.
Especially Sena had grown by leaps and bounds recently, surprising both Rupert and the Saint.
“Young Master Rupert, I can do it too! So please, don’t quit on me…” (Sena)
Was it because a strong competitor had appeared in the form of the Saint?
Despite Rupert’s attempts to tell her not to overwork herself, she stubbornly insisted on continuing, making it quite a challenge to rein her in.
However, thanks to that, her drawing skills had developed significantly and provided substantial support.
The reason Rupert, who originally planned to release only five volumes, could now consider publishing up to volume six without straining himself was precisely because of that.
In fact, the entire storyline was roughly mapped out in his mind, so he could quickly produce storyboards.
But the other aspects of the work required a considerable amount of time, limiting him to only one published volume per month; now that this issue was resolved, the release speed was bound to accelerate.
And then,
“With this, I should be able to move briskly without any problems.”
When Rupert saw the completed version of the new Golem’s Arm that Kroon confidently brought, his anxiety eased.
“I’m truly relieved. I was worried due to the tight deadline, but as expected, Kroon, your skills are remarkable.”
“Hmph, I told you this level is only natural.”
Though he grumbled with his mouth, Kroon could hardly hide his joy at finally completing the product, as the corners of his mouth twitched with a smile.
Indeed, the new Golem’s Arm he showed off with such confidence demonstrated extraordinary quality.
Firstly, it was significantly smaller in size compared to the previous Golem’s Arm, making it look like a regular arm when clothed.
The effort put into making the joints’ movements, particularly the finger joints, smooth and flexible, using various materials, paid off in its fluidity.
Moreover, while the former prototypes had many components, leading to a high risk of malfunction, this new one minimized parts, allowing the user to maintain it easily.
“The resolution of the nervous system aspect was crucial.”
Kroon’s voice had a slight tremor, recalling the struggles of the past.
Dealing with the nervous system was a technological challenge, and it had been a headache until Yustaf, the Empire’s top magician, had come visiting with good news and helped solve it.
Of course, it was that good news that forced him to work hard to meet the deadline for this new Golem’s Arm.
“After the 5th and 6th volumes are released, I’ll have to enter the imperial court again.”
The sudden announcement of an upcoming audience with the imperial court.
For some, it was a lifetime honor, but for Rupert, it felt burdensome.
Especially since this time he would be seeing the Emperor directly.
In earlier days, he would have prayed for nothing to go wrong, but now, he had given up hope.
No matter how much he wished, he had a strong premonition that something would fall apart.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.