Chapter 249 - 199: Boring, I Want to See Rivers of Blood
An oppressive atmosphere filled the Second Prince’s study.
He stood before the enormous curtains. Outside, the bustling cityscape of Chai Kan unfolded, but the sight was piercing to his eyes.
This Chai Kan... all show and no substance. It looked like a fine fiefdom, but it had become his prison.
His older brother was out there, a man of great power and influence, the undisputed heir to the throne! His third brother commanded elite generals and crack troops, with no weak links in his army. He had earned remarkable military honors and held significant prestige in the desert regions.
’And what about me? I’m like a rat in a sewer! An outcast, unfit to be seen in polite company!’
’I’m the Emperor’s own son! The First Prince’s twin brother!’
He spun around to face the ornate bookshelves and maps that filled the room, his eyes burning with rage and confusion.
"Why?!"
The Second Prince’s voice echoed through the study, laced with a hint of helplessness and bewilderment.
’I gave those nobles in the Anti-Henry Alliance the best equipment and military supplies, yet they couldn’t even handle a mere baron!’
He violently swept his arm across the desk, sending the last of the documents and maps fluttering to the floor. The papers scattered like abandoned hopes.
His advisors and guards were deathly silent. No one dared to provoke the furious Prince at a time like this.
’Those nobles... they possess vast territories and endless wealth, yet they can’t do a single thing about that insignificant Henry!’
The advisors and guards could hear the tremor in the Second Prince’s voice—a clear sign of his unbridled rage.
"Are they all blind? Can they not see Henry’s ambition? Or have they been beguiled by that warmonger’s charisma?"
His footsteps were heavy, each one a release for the discontent seething in his heart.
He stalked over to the wine cabinet and snatched a bottle of prized red wine. His hands trembled so much he couldn’t open it. With a roar of frustration, he hurled the bottle against the wall. Red wine and glass shards exploded outward, a perfect mirror of his shattered composure.
He didn’t understand. The Empire might not have sayings about ’when the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold,’ or ’the fox grieving for the rabbit,’ but surely they understood the principle!
’Today, Henry can lead them to carve up one group of nobles. Tomorrow, he can lead another group to carve them up!’
’To the nobility, Henry is an anomaly!’
"Henry’s money, his army... everything he has seems endless! He’s like some kind of invincible monster. No matter what I do, he just gets back up, stronger than before!"
The advisors exchanged worried glances. The Second Prince’s rage wasn’t just about Henry’s strength; it was about his own powerlessness.
They had all been the Second Prince’s tutors since his childhood, some of the finest minds in the Empire. And while the Emperor’s pressure on the Second Prince was the most severe, it didn’t stop a group of loyal supporters from gathering around him.
They attempted to step forward and console him, but he waved them away.
"Out! All of you, get out!"
he roared. "Leave me alone!"
The advisors and guards quickly withdrew from the study, leaving the Second Prince alone to face the mess.
He collapsed into a chair and buried his head in his hands. The fire in his heart slowly gave way to a profound sense of defeat.
"Why?"
he murmured to himself. "Why can Henry do what I cannot? Why does he have what I lack?"
His gaze fell on a painting on the wall—an oil painting depicting the glorious history of the Empire. The Emperor at its center was depicted with an imposing authority, as if he held the world in his grasp.
A flicker of resolve appeared in the Second Prince’s eyes. ’I can’t just give up. I have to find a way to defeat Henry. Otherwise, I’ll be forced to live in my brothers’ shadows forever.’
The Second Prince forced himself to calm down. ’I need to re-examine my strategy. Perhaps... I need to take more direct, more audacious action.’
The fire of battle reignited in his eyes. ’Henry... The name that keeps me up at night will become the stepping stone for my victory.’
’I, the Second Prince, will never admit defeat!’
「Thousands of miles away, in Westwood Laine Keep...」
Henry was busy handling the affairs of his domain.
The scent of spring filled the air, and as the world reawakened, his domain was a picture of prosperity.
However, just as he was flipping through a report on food consumption for new recruit training, he suddenly let out a series of sneezes.
’Hm? Is someone thinking of me?’ Henry muttered, rubbing his nose. A playful smile touched the corners of his lips.
’It couldn’t be the Four Gods of Subspace, could it? If it is, then I’m truly honored...’
His gaze drifted out the window as he contemplated more practical matters.
He had recently received information through his network of merchants and Minstrels. This, combined with other recent developments, provided conclusive evidence: the spies posing as merchants to scout his fiefdom were acting on the Second Prince’s orders.
In fact, a few minor details even suggested that the Second Prince had been the one to provide armaments for the armies of the so-called Anti-Henry Alliance!
He was well aware of the Second Prince’s resentment.
It was no secret that Henry’s attitude toward the First and Third Princes was far more amicable. The Second Prince, on the other hand, had faced Henry’s hardline tactics. He had truly drawn the short straw.
Two of his peripheral powers—Nurulan and Sura—had both suffered major losses in their conflicts with Henry.
Yes, those two morons had actually fled to the eastern grasslands to seek refuge with the Second Prince in Chai Kan. Though they were peripheral powers, they were the Second Prince’s lackeys, after all.
By striking at the Second Prince’s sphere of influence, Henry was undoubtedly challenging his authority. And a short while ago, he had made an even bolder move by going after Count John.