Chapter 406: Hard Battle
After packing up the things they had placed earlier, Armand took Evelia to their current “temporary base.”
It wasn’t far from where they were now. They set out in the afternoon, and just as the sky began to grow dark, they reached their destination without trouble.
Their small base was located in an abandoned warehouse outside the main city. It used to be an external supply depot for the knight order, but after the supply areas were reorganized, it had been left unused for about five years.
Since it was originally built as a special, hidden military supply point, its location was well concealed. Underground, deep in the forest. Without knowing the exact spot, it was nearly impossible to find the hidden entrance.
Fortunately, both Armand and Carle knew about this place from old military secrets years ago, so they decided to use it as a temporary base. Over this period, they had been hiding anyone who needed to stay out of sight here.
Clack, clack.
Armand twisted the rusty doorknob, flakes of rust falling to the ground with the movement. From the outside, the place looked filthy, with no sign that anyone lived there.
After two twists of the doorknob, he knocked on the door. Two light knocks, then one heavy knock. This was their current passcode. They changed the knocking pattern every three days, and if someone had to leave for several days, they would agree on a special pattern beforehand.
Of course, they never planned to rely on this forever. They couldn’t hide here for the rest of their lives.
“Carle, it’s me.”
After hearing a questioning knock from inside, Armand replied.
“And me, Uncle Carle.”
Rachel followed right after Armand’s greeting.
“You calling me ‘uncle’ makes me sound old, you know?”
Hearing Rachel’s voice, Carle finally opened the door. Since Armand had left with Rachel, it made sense that he’d return with her. Knowing she was with him reassured Carle enough to unlock it.
Because of Armand’s situation, Carle had learned that Rachel was no ordinary person, she was an incredible alchemist. Through casual conversation, he also picked up that Rachel was actually quite “old” in years. While Carle was friendly and fully accepted that Rachel was on their side, he still felt a bit self-conscious about her habit of calling him “Uncle Carle.” It just made him feel older.
After all, Carle was already past thirty. Once the first digit of your age changes from 2 to 3, you start feeling that little “age crisis.”
As for Armand’s opinion, it was basically, “She calls me ‘Dad,’ so what’s wrong with her calling you ‘Uncle’? If she called you something younger, that’d make you my junior, wouldn’t it?”. The kind of teasing remark he could use to mess with Carle whenever he wanted.
Carle didn’t take it too seriously, just grumbled about it now and then.
“Armand, Rachel, this time you were gone so long—”
He was about to ask if they had gained anything from their trip, but the words stuck in his throat when he noticed Evelia standing beside Armand.
“…Looks like you came back with quite a reward this time.”
Catching Armand’s satisfied expression out of the corner of his eye, Carle chuckled softly. He was genuinely happy to see Evelia’s return and that Armand had reunited with his lover.
“Beds are still enough, right?”
“Even if not, the two of you can squeeze together.”
Carle joked with Armand, then after greeting Evelia, led them into their “small base.”
From the outside, it looked like a short, unimpressive warehouse, but since the main structure was underground, it was far larger than Evelia had expected.
The place had indeed been abandoned for years, but since it was built by the knight order, it was still sturdy, with fully functional facilities and good lighting.
Evelia had thought it would just be a temporary shelter for a few people to stay warm, but to her surprise, the place housed not only her close friends but also quite a number of knights. Almost like they had a “backup force” hidden here.
“As you can see, Eve, these are all former knights of the knight order, the ones from the ‘Crown Prince’s faction.’”
“The Crown Prince’s faction…? So you mean—”
“You guessed right. They’re the backup force. The final stage is coming soon.”
It had been more than two weeks since the big fire. During that time, the Second Prince used a plan he had already set up to blame the Crown Prince’s wife, even while he was badly injured and recovering. Because of that, the Crown Prince was also punished by the old King. Meanwhile, the Second Prince acted like he had nothing to do with any of it. After all, he was just 'recovering from his injuries' in everyone’s eyes.
Outsiders saw the Second Prince as someone who had nothing to do with these troubles. After all, he was “just resting and healing.”
Meanwhile, after Armand and Carle had both “disappeared,” the Second Prince began quietly infiltrating the knight order, recommending his own people to the old King.
Although the old King had yet to officially appoint a commander of the royal knight order, clearly wanting to keep military power in his own hands, the Second Prince’s elite unit, Cyan Hawk, had already gained influence within the knights. Once the King let go of control, it was certain that the Second Prince would take command.
The great fire had cracked the delicate balance between the two princes. The Crown Prince’s house arrest stirred resentment among his faction, and the court was filled with tension, ready to ignite at the smallest spark.
Both sides needed an “event,” a “flame” to set off the powder in the air. Once the struggle for power began, it would turn into a full-scale war.
From the old King’s attitude, it was obvious that the “obedient and sensible” Second Prince was far more favored than the Crown Prince.
The old King’s choice had nothing to do with ability. It wasn’t that the Second Prince was talented or capable. It was because he seemed obedient, even foolish.
Compared to the Crown Prince, who was always plotting, the Second Prince appeared in the King’s eyes as someone who only tried to please him. A “boot-licker” type, easy to control. For years, the Second Prince had shown no real ambition. Whatever he needed, he asked from the King. He even praised his elder brother in front of the King, saying he hoped the King would guide him more.
The King knew the Second Prince had inherited the House of Nightingales from the former Second Queen. But with a flick of his wrist, the King had made the House of Nightingales “behave.” Compared to its glory under the Second Queen, its current influence was a shadow of what it once was.
So the King believed the Second Prince was a soft, pliable fruit he could squeeze.
But he was wrong. The Second Prince was no pushover.
While his public record had been unimpressive, without remarkable achievements, the truth was—
“Commander! Urgent news!”
While Armand was still explaining the base to Evelia, a knight suddenly ran up. Although Armand was no longer commander in name, the knight still rushed toward him, out of breath and clearly alarmed, calling “Commander!”
“What is it?”
Seeing the knight’s tense expression, Armand frowned. This wasn’t just any soldier, it was the signal officer responsible for communications with the royal capital. The news he carried was always important, often faster than what reached the public.
“His Majesty, the King, he’s passed away… He’s dead!!”
Thud.
Everyone’s hearts clenched at once.
Armand and Carle exchanged a glance, and in the sudden heavy silence, they were the first to act.
“Everyone, back to your posts! Do your duties! This is not a drill!”
Armand gripped Evelia’s hand tightly and followed Carle forward.
“Stay sharp, everyone. What’s coming next is going to be a hard battle.”
…………………………………………
Inside the royal chamber, the Second Prince, Eric, stood straight before the old King’s bed.
On the other side, facing him, was the Crown Prince.
Between them lay the old King, lifeless.
The King’s poor health was no secret to anyone.
They used to say the old King had suddenly caught a cold one day, but honestly, how could a cold be so serious?
From the very start, this had been planned by both princes together.
They used the gold and silver left by their mother and paid one of the King’s attendants a sum large enough for him to live in wealth for the rest of his life.
From that moment on, everything the King ate, used, or wore was completely under the two princes’ control.
This was the only time they ever worked together after their relationship had broken apart.
They wanted to kill their father, the root cause of everything.
The Crown Prince would visit regularly to “take care” of the old King, and the Second Prince would often invite a respected senior court physician to give the King checkups.
That old physician was a smart man. After surviving in the palace for so many years, what couldn’t he understand? Being an old man close to retirement with a family, why would he risk his life fighting them? So, he played dumb and went along with the princes’ wishes, prescribing medicine for the King but never warning him about foods he should avoid.
Because of the combination of food and medicine, the King’s health quickly deteriorated. Still, they thought letting him simply waste away would look bad to the outside world, so they gave him one last burst of energy. A “final glow before death,” like during his New Year’s party.
While the great fire had been an “accident” carefully planned by the Second Prince, the King’s death today was no accident.
He should have died long ago. They had merely allowed him to take a few more breaths. His death had been inevitable from the beginning.
The King’s health had always been poor. After being injured and frightened during the fire, he overworked himself managing the aftermath. On top of that, his diet and medicine remained the same as before—
And so, on this day, he finally, as they wished, closed his eyes forever. Though it was the Second Prince who covered those eyes.
The Second Prince’s face had been burned, so the left side, along with his left eye, was hidden beneath a red cloth.
Because his eyes were not the royal pure red but instead a pinkish color, the bright red cloth looked somewhat out of place beside his right eye.
To make it look more elegant, the cloth had pale golden patterns embroidered on it. For symmetry, he also wore a single red earring on his right ear.
Perhaps because the Second Prince had never worn accessories before, he now looked completely different, almost as if from this day on, they were meeting the real person named Eric for the first time.
He might have worn the covering because of his burns, but it was as if he had also removed his true mask.
“Elder Brother.”
The Second Prince smiled warmly at the man standing across from him. The scene was so much like the day they had stood together before their mother’s grave.
“......”
The Crown Prince said nothing, simply watching quietly.
He had known from the moment they brought him here what was about to happen.
Because of the King’s suspicions toward him, his power had already been greatly reduced. Now, with the King dead, most of the palace belonged to the Second Prince’s people.
“So quiet… I was hoping to have a little chat with you.”
The Crown Prince’s face was expressionless, but the Second Prince kept smiling.
“I’ve had a question I’ve been curious about for years. And now, I think I finally have the chance to ask.”
The Second Prince crossed his arms, looking far more relaxed than the tense Crown Prince.
“If you were to be completely honest… Elder Brother, do you want to be King?”
“......”
The Crown Prince still didn’t answer, only locking his pure red eyes on the Second Prince.
“…Ha, I see. I understand.”
The Second Prince simply smiled, saying no more, yet that smile was impossible to read.