Chapter 1051: Declaration
Souta observed the people in the palace silently. He wanted to complete this mission as soon as possible, but first, he needed to observe. There wasn"t enough time to fully understand the Crown Prince and the Third Prince.
If either of them did something he disliked, he would immediately decide to give the throne to the other.
The fate of this country was in his hands.
"I see, so that"s why Division Commander Cicero a.s.signed me this mission." A faint smile formed on Souta"s face as he continued to observe the palace.
The strongest person in the palace was a Fifth Shackle. An expert of this level was formidable, but to Souta"s current strength, it meant nothing. The strongest here was only as powerful as the elite witch he fought during Walpurgis Night.
The Crown Prince was in the middle of a meeting with several people-his key supporters. They discussed various topics, including the Third Prince. Dozens of n.o.bles supported the Third Prince, and they were gathering their forces on the other side of the country, slowly approaching the capital.
Souta floated in the air, his chin resting on his palm. "What do you think, Saya?"
"It"s fine. The Crown Prince"s idea isn"t bad," Saya replied in an uninterested tone.
"I see... The next one is the Third Prince."
The Crown Prince"s focus was primarily on military improvement. He neglected many aspects concerning the citizens, as his sole focus was on strengthening the military.
Under his rule, every man of a certain age would be enlisted as a soldier and trained to fight. Anyone who was a citizen of the Creona Kingdom would be obligated to serve in the military for at least five years.
Anyone who broke the law would be punished by public execution.
"How should I deal with this...?" Souta rubbed his chin. He was eager to finish this quickly and
move on.
He turned his head and vanished from his position, heading straight for the Third Prince. Time pa.s.sed, and night fell.
The kingdom appeared peaceful on the surface, but everyone knew that a civil war could break out at any moment. Tensions between the Crown Prince and the Third Prince were high, as neither was willing to back down.
In a luxurious room, a man lay sleeping on a bed. This man was the Third Prince of the Creona Kingdom.
At this moment, the Third Prince had no idea that a monster was standing beside his bed. Souta stretched out his hand and placed his palm on the prince"s head. Energy flowed through his hand, allowing him to glimpse into the Third Prince"s dream.
"Hmm... His dream is quite pure. It"s just a beautiful piece of land," Souta muttered as he observed the dreamscape created by the prince"s mind.
"Since he doesn"t have control over his dream, let me try something."
Using his [Douion], he manipulated the prince"s dream. The Third Prince continued to sleep peacefully, unaware of what was happening in reality.
In the dream, the entire Creona Kingdom appeared before the Third Prince. He stood on the wall, clad in silver armor. Various soldiers surrounded him, and opposite them was an overwhelming army from another country.
The Third Prince experienced all kinds of scenarios: his country was invaded, n.o.bles turned traitor, and unknown sicknesses spread throughout the kingdom.
Gasp!
The Third Prince woke up, his face covered in sweat and tears. He glanced at his trembling hands.
"W-What was that?!"
Bang!
The door slammed open, and a tall man in armor rushed into the room.
"Prince, what happened?!" the man asked urgently.
They had no idea that the culprit had already left, vanis.h.i.+ng without a trace.
Souta returned to the palace. He found the Crown Prince sleeping and did the same thing to him, extending his influence beyond just one person. He even checked the dreams of others present.
Time pa.s.sed, and the sun was already rising on the horizon.
"Have you finished everything?" Saya asked.
"Yeah," Souta nodded.
It was time to complete this quest and return to the Champion"s Den.
His body shot through the sky like a meteor, and in an instant, he landed on the ground, creating a small crater. His actions drew the attention of those nearby, but he had no intention of hiding anymore.
"Who"s there?!"
"Who are you? What are you doing here?!"
Souta glanced left and right, ignoring their questions. He had no business with them.
"Where"s the Third Prince?" Souta asked.
"The Third Prince?! Are you asking to die?! Are you from the Crown Prince"s faction?" one of the people shouted loudly.
Souta slowly raised his hand, and an overwhelming surge of best feram erupted from his
body.
Boom!!
The ground shook, and the people around him turned pale, overwhelmed by the intense
pressure.
"Call the Third Prince before I destroy this place," Souta said coldly.
He quickly retracted his energy, not wanting to cause further damage. He sat in the corner, leaning his back against the wall, and waited for the Third Prince.
Even though he could easily go to the Third Prince"s location, Souta chose to wait. He did this to a.s.sert his authority. Some might call him arrogant, but the truth was that his status was far above that of a mere prince from this small nation. Even without his rank as a Hero Candidate, his strength alone placed him above everyone in this land.
Soon, the Third Prince and his entourage arrived before him.
The Third Prince frowned and asked, "Who are you?"
The people beside him wore fierce expressions, their energy fluctuating in the air as if they
wanted to tear Souta apart.
"You are not chosen. You will no longer fight for the throne. The next king of the Creona Kingdom will be the Crown Prince," Souta said calmly.
"Y-You!!"
The people beside the Third Prince widened their eyes at his words. Unable to control their anger, they unleashed their energy, causing the ground to tremble.
Swoos.h.!.+
In an instant, they drew their weapons and pointed them at Souta.
Souta sighed and stood up, unfazed by the weapons aimed at him. He looked at the Third
Prince and stretched out his hand.
"Come, follow me," he said calmly.
The experts beside the prince, some of the most powerful in the nation, didn"t hesitate to attack upon hearing Souta"s words.
Souta snorted as ten black spheres materialized behind him. A gravitational field erupted from him, pus.h.i.+ng everything away. His shadows spread out, covering a vast area as hundreds
of web-like strings shot out in all directions.
"W-What?!"
The experts didn"t have time to process what was happening when sharp webs pierced through their limbs. Their blood splattered on the ground, but oddly enough, it began to move. The blood suddenly enveloped their bodies, turning into solid spheres that bound
them in place.
"Weak," Souta said disdainfully. He glanced at the prince and added, "Let"s go."
His figure shot instantly into the sky, pulling the Third Prince along with him using the power
of gravity.
The Third Prince remained in shock. Everything had happened so fast, and all of his followers
were suppressed just like that.
In the next moment, Souta and the Third Prince crashed in front of the royal palace.
Bang!!
The ground shook, and dust shot into the air.
Souta walked out of the smoke with the Third Prince.
"We are at the royal palace?!" The Third Prince looked around in shock. He glanced at Souta"s
back and asked, "What are you trying to do?"
Souta looked back and said, "I already said before. I"m here to give you to the Crown Prince.
Erase any thoughts you have of becoming king."
Their arrival in front of the royal palace caused a commotion. People from the palace
gathered, quickly recognizing the Third Prince.
Word spread rapidly, and more and more people a.s.sembled.
Souta waited calmly beside the Third Prince. From the beginning, the Third Prince had a slim
chance of inheriting the throne. Even if they fought, Souta was sure the Crown Prince would emerge victorious. After all, the strongest expert in the nation was on the Crown Prince"s side. The Third Prince had only a few Fourth Shackles on his side. Even so, a fight would only
damage the foundation of the nation. It was better to resolve this matter before such a
situation arose.
A few moments later, the Crown Prince arrived with his entourage.
"What"s happening here?" the Crown Prince asked, glancing at Souta and then at the Third
Prince. "Brother? You"re here."
"Stop the chit-chat," Souta said, waving his hand as he floated into the sky.
"I was sent here to stop the chaos and stabilize the situation in this nation. I declare the
Crown Prince as the king of the Creona Kingdom. The decision has been made, and the empty
throne will be given to the Crown Prince."
His voice reverberated in every direction.
"To oppose this decision is to challenge me. I am a Grain Leader from Athena"s Champion and a Hero Candidate. I hope no one is foolish enough to oppose me, or I will do what I do best-
kill."