Chapter 316: The Black Pig

Chapter 316: The Black Pig

- Creaaaakk...

The entrance to the Sunrise Academy, which had been sealed off from the outside world, creaked open with a grim sound.

“Hmm... This is how it should be from the beginning.”

The Crown Prince, who had been yelling moments ago, finally wore a satisfied expression as he began to walk inside.

"Your Highness, please wait a moment."

However, someone blocked his path again.

“Why in the world are you acting like this?”

As the Crown Prince expressed his annoyance and momentarily paused his step, one of the royal attendants, the Lord Chamberlain, widened his eyes and spoke.

"Do you also have doubts?"

And then, with a smirk, he began to explain.

"The secret code agreed upon when the rebellion is successful was written in the letter. Moreover, the handwriting is identical to that of the Marquis. This is clearly sent by the Marquis."

"Yes, I confirmed that as well."

"So what's the problem? Now all that remains is for me to become the emperor.”

"...It’s just that everything is progressing too smoothly and fast."

Smiling at the Crown Prince, the Lord Chamberlain said.

"After entering the academy, it took only a few hours for a letter to arrive stating the success of the rebellion."

"So what? What does that matter?"

"Princess Clana won't crumble so easily. Even if she had limited time, she would have prepared thoroughly, even if there was only one day for her. It's suspicious that she fell in a matter of a few hours."

Having said that, Lord Chamberlain quietly stroked his chin and added.

"According to my expectations... I anticipated at least several days, maybe even a week, of intense battle..."

"Chamberlain, spare me your nonsense."

However, Prince Killian coldly interrupted his words.

"You and other staff officers, the entire empire, are exaggerating the abilities of that lowly bitch too much."

"Your Highness..."

"Until a few years ago, she was nothing but a lowly bitch, groveling at my feet. Yet you're trying to tell me that a bitch like her single-handedly set a trap that could destroy half of the empire's power just because she gained a little support?"

"That's..."

Although Lord Chamberlain was about to say something, Killian glared at him coldly and murmured.

"Or perhaps you just want to put in two cents whenever I say something."

"Your Highness...!"

“Shut up, you're so noisy with all your nagging and preaching, always meddling in everything I do."

With that, Killian turned sharply and walked into the academy with his back straight.

"Even if it's a trap, it doesn't matter."

"Pardon?"

When the Lord Chamberlain asked with a furrowed brow, The Crown Prince flashed his eyes.

"I have the power given by that person... what is there to fear?"

"..."

"All the escort knights, stick close to me. We will march into the academy from now on."

As he commanded, the Crown Prince's escort knights swiftly surrounded him.

"...After he got a taste of power, it seems that the fat pig has lost sight of anything else."

Watching Killian move farther away, Lord Chamberlain suddenly changed his attitude and muttered coldly while making a gesture.

"Yes, Lord Chamberlain."

Approaching him with a bowed head was the vice commander of the Imperial Knight Order.

The gaze of the vice commander suddenly turned cold, much like that of the Lord Chamberlain.

“Even if it’s not a trap, the battle is undoubtedly still ongoing. Princess Clana is likely still holding her ground on the sports field.”

"Yes."

"As I mentioned earlier, there's a high probability that it's a trap. The moment the Crown Prince enters, they'll capture him and use him as a hostage. That's their strategy."

Having said that, Lord Chamberlain whispered to the vice commander.

"Between Isolet and you, who is stronger?"

"Until recently, our skills were quite evenly matched, but..."

"Then, if the Crown Prince gets injured during the confrontation, it can't be helped, right?"

"Pardon?"

A sly smile appeared on Lord Chamberlain's face.

"Inflict some trauma on him. Turn the Crown Prince, who always thinks of himself as superior and knows no fear, into a feeble-minded individual."

"..."

"At the same time, make him rely on you, who always protects him. I'll help drive him to think like that. This way, both of us will become the de facto rulers of this empire."

It was a ruthless scheme.

Despite being overwhelmed by the current emperor's formidable power, Lord Chamberlain was a man with a thirst for power.

So, when the next emperor was about to be decided, he, who had been restraining his ambitions all this time, decided to openly reveal his desire for power despite the warning from the Crown Prince.

"Does that mean... you're suggesting I seduce the Crown Prince?"

"Don’t you have ambition? This is an opportunity for you to rise higher than the vice commander, higher than the knight commander."

"...I see."

Hearing his words, the vice commander silently nodded in agreement.

She originally planned to request Frey as a trophy and make him her slave. However, the opportunity to become the secret lover of the foolish Prince has unexpectedly fallen to her laps.

She was equally driven by ambition and a thirst for power.

And she thought that it would be great if she could crush Isolet, who had been a thorn on her side since her days as a knight candidate..

- Gooo...

In fact, she had recently awakened her own pure sword aura.

Since she already reached the level of a knight commander, she judged that she had no reason to lose to Isolet, who was of equal skill compared to her before.

"Hahaha! Hahahaha!!"

"...?"

However, as the Lord Chamberlain and Vice Commander entered the academy, they could only widen their eyes and tilt their heads in confusion.

"That's right! What did I say!!"

There was no ambush and no Clana in sight.

"Prince Killian~!"

"You're so cool~!"

There were just students in uniforms, maids, and a massive cheering crowd.

"Euhahaha!!"

"...What's going on here?

"Hmm."

Something was definitely amiss here.

.

.

.

.

As the blood from the Crown Prince's mouth stained Frey's hand, he stared at the pig with a disgusted look, and silently raised his head to glare at the Crown Prince attendants.

“I know you guys were there for quite a few of those disgusting moments.”

"...!"

The Crown Prince's attendants started to break out in cold sweats. Their bodies were frozen by the succubi, who were disguised as students and maids, as they slowly drained the Crown Prince of his stamina and power.

"Ah, it hurts. It really hurts..."

“I only mimic the vile and inhuman deeds that come from your mind, so why are you hurt?”

"You bastard...! I, I am the ruler of..."

“You throw those girls away like trash after you play your sick game with them... The vacant eyes of the children in my orphanage... All because of your sick game.

As Frey finished speaking, the back door of the banquet hall opened.

"As you wish, I have brought Clana here. Your Highness."

"...!"

Soon, Clana and Isolet slowly approached with a cold expression.

"However, the one who will be stripped naked and tightly bound with a rope... will be you."

"Y-you all... conspired against me from the beginning... Keuarrrghhh!!!"

The prince, trembling as he watched both women, let out a scream and collapsed when one of his fingers was bent.

"It hurts! It hurts!"

Having been overly protected by his mother all his life and never even pricked by a thorn, the pain of his finger breaking surpassed his imagination.

"We've just begun, Your Highness. It's too early for you to act like this."

"C-come here!! Someone, come save me!!"

Panicking, Killian screamed.

"I'll give you everything!!"

Saliva flew out of his mouth as the pain from his broken finger became too much for him.

"I swear on my throne and name! To the one who saves me... Kwack!!"

Frey forcefully kicked away his hand.

“How does it feel to plummet to the depth of despair right after achieving your greatest ambitions?”

"Ugh..."

Frey asked that question while thinking of the children at the orphanage who had lost the light in their eyes, and then added with a smirk.

"No, actually, you've never even achieved anything... but I wonder how does it feels to delude yourself into thinking you did?"

"Aaaaaaah!!!"

As soon as he uttered that, Frey ruthlessly stepped on Killian's hand.

"As expected, it was a trap."

"...?"

Hearing sounds from the front, Frey quietly tilted his head.

"Succubi who are fatal to men, and moreover, they were top-tier ones. It would have been a big problem if I hadn't prepared beforehand."

The Lord Chamberlain, leading knight escorts for the Crown Prince consisting only of females, spoke to Frey with narrowed eyes.

"Frey, let’s make a deal."

"..."

"You must know well where my position is within the Imperial Family.”

Lord Chamberlain was the one who held the true power behind the imperial family.

He was an ambitious man, and he had quietly expanded his power bit by bit from the shadows.

Engaging in an affair with Empress Ramie, wielding power in the name of the emperor, the shadow lurking beneath the Imperial Palace.

"Capturing the Crown Prince alone won't be enough. Even if Clana ascends to the throne, she'll only be a half-decent empress unless she can get hold of the whole country, the information I possess, and the connections I have."

With a composed smile, he continued speaking.

"With the Empress gone and the Emperor letting go, who is the one truly moving the Imperial Palace now?"

"..."

"But I, too, actually couldn't stand that fat pig from the beginning."

The eyes of the vice commander of the knight orders, who was at the back, quietly gleamed.

"We might make a good team, Frey."

The Lord Chamberlain black eyes sparkled with a gentle smile.

"You and I, are on the same–"

"This makes me angry."

Frey, who had been thoroughly stomping on Killian until then, tilted his head and mumbled.

"What did you just say..."

Right after that, Frey's fist landed on Lord Chamberlain’s face.

"Why are you speaking informally? Do you want to die?"

"Keu... keuuuh..."

The Lord Chamberlain, struck directly in the face with a punch, groaned with a broken nose.

"Why do these manipulative bastards never consider the possibility of them getting beaten up?"

"W-wait, let's make a deal. Ugh, urg..."

“Even someone hidden in the shadows would turn blood-red if they got beaten up, don’t you think?”

"This bastard, how dare... keuck..."

“And why do you always have a smile and squinted eyes? And why do people find that annoying look cool? Should I also start squinting from now on?”

Frey continued to punch Lord Chamberlain’s face, unfazed by the shocked knights, who were unable to react to the sudden event. Then Frey muttered.

"Come to think of it, the one who framed Clana's mother was also you, right?"

"Urg...?"

"Of course, it all makes sense."

"This bastard...!!!"

"...?"

Hearing coughing sounds behind him, he turned his head quietly.

- Shaaa...

“D-Do you think I didn’t expect something like this!!!”

Killian, covered in blood, staggered and emitted dark mana from his entire body.

“I will judge you here and now for the high treason of insulting the royal family!!!”

“I'm also currently holding off on another crime of insulting the Imperial Family. I can't pass judgment right now.”

"Shut up!! You devil!!"

Shouting in this manner, Killian's entire body began to turn pitch black.

"The power of the one above will judge you!!!"

The grotesque transformation Rifael had revealed at the Inauguration Ceremony a few months ago was gradually manifesting itself in Killian.

"Wow."

As he silently observed this transformation, Frey's assessment was simple.

"It’s a black pig."

- Beep beep...!

At the same time, power surged into the magical documentation device attached to Frey's chest /genesisforsaken