Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 419 The Great Schemer
"Your Highness, that woman was rather unusual."

Once only the two of them remained in the palace corridor, the man in the black cloak whispered something in the eldest prince's ear.

"Oh? There aren't many people who can earn such praise from you."

The eldest prince seemed somewhat surprised.

Compared to his sister, whose personality had suddenly changed drastically, the two "friends" who had suddenly appeared by her side were more noteworthy. He had heard about the recent comments about the Third Princess in the capital, so he came today to see for himself. If it were the Third Princess in the past, she would never have made a special trip to her mother to win her favor.

A child who was completely spoiled.

This was everyone's opinion of the Third Princess behind her back, but he never thought it was a bad thing. He even indulged the Third Princess's willfulness and capriciousness to the best of his ability, because from another perspective, it meant that she posed no threat in the struggle for the throne.

But things are different now.

The Third Princess's recent actions have sent him a dangerous signal. The arrival of the Autumn Harvest Festival has garnered her a considerable amount of support from the people of the Empire. Even more unbelievable is that the Third Princess personally went to the commoners' district today. After the celebration was announced, she stood on the high platform and devoutly prayed for the commoners.

Not long ago, the Third Princess, like other nobles, regarded the commoners' district as a den of iniquity, and she detested being with the commoners from the bottom of her heart.

Unsurprisingly, the Third Princess's prayer pose was photographed by the newspaper and made headlines in the capital that day—"The Third Princess Is With Us," with such a provocative headline.

Her reputation at court has recently taken a sharp turn for the better, and even the Simpler family, who used to be on par with her, have changed their tune.

Although this change was abrupt, many people accepted her due to the long-established structure of the Silver Empire. After all, when all the royal family members were aloof and superior, the sudden appearance of a princess who took a populist approach did create a great sense of contrast.

This time, the third princess is after the throne.

She received guidance from a wise man; the Autumn Harvest Festival was just the beginning, and she would surely have a series of actions to seize the throne.

The eldest prince believed he had seen through the true nature of things, which meant that the third princess had transformed from his willful and capricious sister into a threat on the road to becoming king. And clearly, the "experts" who were advising her were the two outsiders who had suddenly appeared by her side.

He also heard rumors that the young man named Ethan was getting close to the Imperial Chancellor, Balmont-Margaret.

Thinking of this, the eldest prince suddenly asked, "How does that woman compare to the commander of the Imperial Army?"

"While he may not be as good as Cedric, he is still a high-level superhuman."

The man in the black cloak commented, and seeing the Crown Prince's brows furrow slightly, he added, "However, I recently heard an interesting rumor."

"But it doesn't matter."

"People say that a fellow countrywoman of Cedric has come to the capital, a red-haired girl who seems to have a close relationship with Cedric and whose abilities may be no less than Cedric's."

"Oh?"

The eldest prince's eyes lit up, but he hesitated. "But I heard that Cedric's homeland was destroyed when he was a child, and he became the only survivor of that race."

The man in the black cloak immediately understood what the prince was worried about.

This is the most warlike race on the continent. Although they are few in number, even the children or the elderly in the village are formidable fighters.

Cedric Thorne is an outlier.

It wasn't just because of his abilities and his status as the strongest member of that race, but also because he voluntarily became a member of the Imperial Army after the war, a situation that even the Empire had never considered.

because……

It was Henry VI who launched the war and destroyed Cedric's hometown.

Even the most powerful and warlike tribes could not withstand the onslaught of ancient weapons. The golden fleet descended upon the village, and before the tribe could mount any effective resistance, the magic cannons razed the village and everything in it to the ground. Afterward, Henry VI dispatched the most elite iron cavalry of the imperial army to ensure that all the villagers died under the bombardment of the magic cannons.

Cedric Thorne was the only survivor.

Despite being severely wounded, he single-handedly wiped out half a battalion of the Empire's elite troops.

Unyielding will, unparalleled fighting instinct.

After Cedric fell into a coma, the former Imperial Army Commander, who had personally overseen the battle, suddenly had the idea of ​​bringing him back to the Empire.

For the empire, this was a wise decision, giving them the most powerful commander of the imperial army since its founding. However, it may not have been so for the former commander himself. Several years later, at the behest of Henry VI, Cedric challenged the former commander to a gladiatorial contest and, in the presence of Henry VI and many nobles, personally killed the "sinner" who had destroyed his homeland.

This was the Empire's reply to Cedric; with the death of his former commander, the hatred over the destruction of his homeland came to an end.

The former commander sacrificed himself for the orders of Henry VI, which was regrettable, but consistent with the way the empire had always existed.

However, Cedric's reason for joining the Imperial Army stemmed from his own beliefs. His philosophy of survival was highly aligned with that of the Empire—losers had no value in continuing to exist. His clan had lost to a more powerful Empire in the war, and they had to bear the consequences of defeat.

Joining the Empire and becoming a member of the Imperial Army was to allow him to climb higher.

This is true.

In the few years since joining the Imperial Army, Cedric has overcome all obstacles in his path, the last of which was the former commander of the Imperial Army. The moment he killed the former commander in the arena, he officially declared to the Empire that he had become the strongest person on this continent.

In the eyes of nobles and royalty, Cedric was an eccentric.

The man in the black cloak knew that this was the Crown Prince's concern. Not everyone could be as unconventional as Cedric Thorne, able to view the hatred of the destruction of their homeland in such a way. If that red-haired woman came from the same place as him, could she also let go of the hatred of the destruction of her homeland?

“If we can persuade her, she will surely become the best help on His Highness’s path to the throne. What’s even more interesting is that I heard that the woman had some unpleasantness with the Simpler family some time ago. She broke Fabius’s leg in public and then wiped out all the assassins sent by Grand Duke Esch.”

Upon hearing this, the eldest prince's face lit up with joy.

Everyone in the capital knows about the relationship between the Third Princess and the Simpler family. This means that the red-haired woman has broken ties with the Third Princess's faction. If the Third Princess really becomes the biggest obstacle to his ascension to the throne, they can use this as an entry point to extend an olive branch to her.

"I'll leave the matter of contacting her to you."

The eldest prince gave the man in the black cloak a deep look. "I hope you won't disappoint me."

"Don't worry, I know where to find her."

…………………………… Meanwhile, in the arena.

"In short, you are probably in danger right now."

Balmont-Margaret concluded seriously, "While I don't know if this is your true intention, the Crown Prince most likely already sees you as a threat."

Another battle for the throne.

Ethan was filled with emotion; he understood that this had always been a life-or-death struggle.

Unlike the puppet regime of Julius's era, Henry VI is now alive, and the three crown princes have enough time to regain the lead in the struggle for the throne. Although the eldest prince is currently the most popular candidate, the opportunistic nobles in the capital know that it is only a temporary advantage.

The arrival of the Autumn Harvest Festival, and the recent turnaround in the Third Princess's reputation, have undoubtedly brought many variables to this struggle for the throne.

Many families have already begun to adopt a wait-and-see attitude. In their view, Henry VI's support for the autumn harvest festival, especially the use of "fire" as a reward, is seen as a political statement supporting the third princess. Whoever wins the celebration will bring about earth-shattering changes to the existing capital's political landscape.

The newly appointed nobles who received the "fire" would undoubtedly develop into a large family on par with the Simplers. In this way, the Third Princess would have the support of two large families at the same time, which would give her a leading position in the upcoming struggle for the throne.

But that wasn't Ethan's intention.

When he proposed the Autumn Harvest Festival, he had absolutely no political considerations. He simply wanted to find a reason to move into the palace smoothly. He proposed the "fire seed" as a reward, which was also to allow himself to access the secrets related to the disappearance of the Silver Emperor and the hidden secrets of this plane.

As for the change in the Third Princess's attitude towards those around her, it's because the royal family has been treating them well since they moved in. If the Third Princess were to speak ill of others again, wouldn't that be too much of a jerk?

As everyone knows, Ethan has always been a polite and kind person, which is the secret to his good relationships with others.

Now, after the Imperial Chancellor's analysis, even Ethan felt like he was a schemer.

Clearly, his friend, the prime minister, had misunderstood something.

"As far as I know, there is one more decisive factor needed for a smooth ascension to the throne."

"Balmont-Margaret suddenly said."

The atmosphere suddenly became extremely tense, even Ethan was caught off guard.

He was perfectly fine, but suddenly he became the mastermind behind the scenes who disrupted the political landscape of the capital and helped the Third Princess ascend to the throne.

"That is to gain the recognition of the 'Fire Seed.' His Majesty Henry was able to stand out from the competition after gaining the recognition of the 'Fire Seed.' This has always been a talent that is inherent to members of the Henry royal family. Only those with royal blood can control the distribution of the 'Fire Seed.'"

Ethan was speechless for a moment.

Unfortunately, the Third Princess will ultimately be unable to inherit the throne, because they are destined not to stay in the Silver Empire forever. Once they leave, the spell of winter will break, and the Third Princess and Fabius will return to their true state.

Tragically, just a few nights ago, the Three Princesses and other members of the "Pet Club" were attacked by their respective pets, ending their young lives.

Winter has always been kind-hearted. She couldn't bear to see the scene of the elderly burying their children, so she temporarily used a spell to prolong the lives of a few people. However, as their souls perish, their bodies will eventually become nothing more than empty shells.

However, for someone like Balmont-Margaret, this was already a fairly obvious hint.

The imperial prime minister, who was always adept at navigating social situations in the capital, surprisingly revealed his own stance in this unexpected setting.

This has gone far beyond the scope of "adventure." If the Crown Prince were to ascend the throne in the future, the conversation that took place in the arena today would inevitably be investigated and punished. And under the circumstances of the Silver Empire, Balmon's fate would be extremely tragic.

"I want to know the reason."

"reason?"

"Logically speaking, we've only met by chance, so it shouldn't be worth you taking such a risk."

Ethan suddenly recalled the scene when he first met Ivy, and how Queen Margaret and Ivy's father treated him afterwards...

Could it be that he actually possesses a hidden talent like "Margaret family affinity"?

"You've misunderstood; this has nothing to do with our relationship."

Balmon shook his head. "Although I don't know if the Third Princess has truly changed or if it's just political propaganda, have you ever heard this saying? If you can pretend to be a wise ruler for a lifetime, then you are a wise ruler... It's getting late, and I still have some official business to attend to. I hope today's match suits your taste. I heard they've arranged a wonderful match at the arena today."

Balmont took his leave.

Ethan was also prepared to leave, as he had no interest in the cricket-fighting practices of the imperial nobles.

However, the sudden cheers from the audience in the arena made him stop. He walked to the window of the booth and looked down. A female host dressed in very revealing clothes was enthusiastically introducing the identities of the two competitors. The first to enter was a heavyweight fighter in the arena, wearing armor and wielding a greatsword. In an environment where defeat was equivalent to disability or even death, the value of 97 wins spoke volumes.

His taut muscles and bloodthirsty eyes perfectly matched Ethan's impressions of underground gladiators.

However, the appearance of the opponent only provoked an even louder cheer from the audience.

With just 3 wins, she has become a rising star in the arena recently.

His white linen clothing, seemingly designed for defense, and his bare hands without any weapons, made him appear out of place in the atmosphere of the underground arena.

Except... her striking long red hair.

Her hair color, the same as the Imperial Army Commander, meant that she was also a survivor of that exterminated race.

Even with the masquerade mask on, Ethan could recognize the redhead at a glance.

For most people, a glance at the equipment of both sides is enough to predict the outcome of the gladiatorial match, but at this moment, Ethan still wanted to report it to the arena organizers.

Someone here is suspected of using explosives to fish.

It severely damaged the original environment of the underground arena.

(End of this chapter)