I only wanted to retire, but I ended up becoming an extremely popular character.

In the Oserwell Empire, the selection of the crown prince has never been based on the so-called "eldest son" or "meritorious son".

Instead, they follow a cold and cruel rule: the strongest prince will naturally inherit the throne.

Of course, all open conflict was strictly prohibited by imperial law, and the infighting among princes was an inviolable ironclad rule.

However, beneath the shadow of that magnificent palace, the struggles between the princes never ceased.

The biggest referee behind the scenes was Emperor Oswell himself.

He maintained the empire's iron-fisted order by relying on the SSC (Royal Silent Canon), the empire's most powerful and violent machine, and the "Winged Demon God" legion directly under the royal family!

It tacitly allows competition while preventing it from spiraling out of control.

The monarchs selected in this way are not necessarily the most virtuous or the most outstanding.

However, in an empire that is founded on military might and has a court full of fierce generals, the most powerful prince can certainly ensure that the imperial power is transferred in the most stable way.

Ultimately, allowing a weak emperor to command the empire's seven strongest elite armies solely through his crown is tantamount to sending a sheep to lead a pride of lions.

Thanks to such a brutal system of electing a king, almost every emperor of the empire was a ruthless and cold-blooded political machine.

After all, almost every Oserwell emperor had stepped over the corpses of his own brothers to reach that supreme crown.

The current emperor of the Oserwell Empire was able to stand out from his five brothers thanks to the full support of the most powerful "Winged Demon God" legion.

Of the current emperor's five brothers, one committed suicide, one died "accidentally," two died "from illness," and the remaining one is still under house arrest by the current emperor, who claims to have "died of natural causes."

Under such a brutal system of selecting a king, no prince could remain uninvolved.

Losing the election could mean an "accidental" death, "death from illness," or life imprisonment.

"I'm sorry, Stella, I can't make you any promises. I know I'm a very bad husband!"

He gently grasped Stella's hands, which were slightly cold from nervousness, and sighed, "I am a colonel in the Empire, and the supreme commander of the 'Imperial Blade' Legion."

"I cannot shirk my responsibilities to seek a moment of peace."

"I was once the Fifth Prince's teacher, and I know his character very well."

"He was kind and gentle, but in terms of cunning, methods, and even the power behind him, he was indeed quite ordinary among the princes."

"However, he possessed a most precious quality that other princes did not have: benevolence."

"More importantly, he genuinely longed for peace to come to the empire."

"Instead of waging war everywhere and making countless enemies as we are now."

"Suppose that the eldest prince, who advocates military expansion, inherits the throne."

"Without a doubt, he will spread the flames of war to every corner of the world for the sake of his vast imperial territory and grand ambitions."

"And the ambitious second princess is no less ruthless. In order to become the first and most 'great' empress in the history of the empire, her methods are probably even more ruthless than those of the first prince."

"Once any one of them ascends the throne, all the subjects of the empire will become fuel for their ambitions, mercilessly thrown into the furnace of war."

"Stella, do you think we'll be able to quietly enjoy our idyllic time in the countryside, completely detached from it all?"

"If the country is not at peace, how can one have a family?"

Xavier's words resonated deeply: "For the future of the Empire, for my family, and for the soldiers who have already sacrificed their lives on the front lines and those who will soon follow me to the battlefield..."

"I cannot shirk my responsibilities."

"I long for the empire to finally see the dawn of peace."

"Therefore, I am willing to give everything I have as a soldier to help the Fifth Prince ascend to the throne of the Empire."

Of course, he dared not say on the spot, "For the future of the empire, even if I am shattered to pieces, I will not hesitate."

As a colonel in the empire, he could utter those words with righteous indignation.

But as a husband, he had no right to say such things to his wife!

He didn't want his wife to worry about him.

Stella listened quietly, then sighed deeply, finally managing a bittersweet, understanding smile.

"Xavier, since you've put it this way, what can I, as your wife, do besides offer my support?"

No one knew her husband better than Stella. He was a man with an extremely strong sense of responsibility, and once he made a decision that he believed was right, nothing could change it.

As a wife, Stella could only silently support her husband from behind.

"Thank you, Stella!" Xavier said, bowing his head and avoiding Stella's gaze.

He knew he owed his wife the most.

"Go do what you need to do. Don't worry about me and your sister Joanna, we'll take care of ourselves!"

To ensure her husband could focus on the front lines without distractions, all Stella could do was try her best to prevent Xavier from experiencing any more unnecessary trouble at home.

"Yes!" Xavier nodded heavily, then remembered something, and his expression turned serious:

"Regarding the Fifth Prince's request to leave the capital and escape surveillance, I will find a way to alleviate his worries."

"As long as the 'Imperial Blade' legion remains intact, the Crown Prince will not dare to act recklessly against him."

"At least for now, Your Highness is still safe."

Xavier saw it clearly: the First Prince was using the SSC to put pressure on the "Imperial Blade" Legion in order to cut off the Fifth Prince's wings so that he could deal with the Fifth Prince without any worries.

Therefore, although the Fifth Prince was being monitored by the First Prince, at least his life was still safe.

As for why His Majesty the Emperor authorized SSC to convey the Crown Prince's message...

After much deliberation, Xavier has come to a rough but likely close conclusion.

His Majesty's purpose should be to announce to the princes that the battle for the throne has begun.

After all, the emperor could not openly encourage his sons to fight, but he could tacitly approve or even guide them through his actions.

If you don't want to lose the battle for the throne, then fight with all your might to win!

Only the one who ultimately triumphs can obtain the throne.

Only those who attain the throne can ultimately survive.

The war for the throne has now begun.

As for Xavier, from the moment he chose to side with the Fifth Prince, he had no way out.

He has no way out but to win!

Once the other princes ultimately win, the remaining princes cannot remain uninvolved. But can those who support the princes' competition for the throne remain uninvolved?

Obviously impossible!

For the sake of the stability and unity of imperial power, those supporters would also perish along with the prince they supported.

Xavier was fully aware of this tacit political game, but he could never reveal it to Stella.

Some responsibilities and burdens he must bear alone.

"Hmm~" Stella responded softly, "I understand. I will relay your message to the Fifth Prince's men as it is!"

Stella spent a night in the military camp.

The following morning, to avoid a repeat of the previous kidnapping incident, Xavier dispatched his most trusted guards to personally escort his wife safely back to the capital.

……

……

After Stella left, Xavier devoted himself entirely to devising a battle strategy for the city of Sallom.

Based on intelligence from the Western Front provided by the Imperial Military Headquarters and intelligence gathered by the Legion's Military Intelligence Department and reconnaissance units, Xavier meticulously planned through several sleepless nights.

A detailed battle plan for capturing the city of Sarlom was finally born from his desk piled high with maps and documents just before the deadline.

To ensure absolute secrecy, Xavier only had in-depth discussions with Lieutenant Colonel Horton, his most trusted lieutenant colonel and longtime follower, regarding this plan that concerned the fate of the entire corps and even the Western Front.

The operational strategy was finalized only after receiving approval from the experienced Lieutenant Colonel Horton.

At the same time, in order to prevent the "Imperial Blade" legion's operational intentions from being discovered too early by people within the legion or by the Holy Kingdom.

Under the coordination of Lieutenant Colonel Horton, the Corps used various pretexts, such as "routine training exercises," "frontline reconnaissance," "job rotation," "material allocation," or "fortification reinforcement."

They quietly gathered their scattered troops and equipment around Goldberg.

The more crucial move came from the Imperial Military.

According to the strategy, in order to prevent the divisions of other defensive lines of the Holy Kingdom from sending troops to support the attack when the "Imperial Blade" legion launches its offensive, thus causing the operation to fail in the attack on Sallom City.

Therefore, Xavier specifically requested instructions from the Imperial Military Headquarters, suggesting that all Imperial Legions on the Western Front be coordinated to launch attacks of varying intensity on the Holy Kingdom's various defensive lines simultaneously, in the form of the highest military order from the Headquarters.

The goal was not to launch a full-scale offensive, but to create a huge strategic fog, making it difficult for the Holy Kingdom to determine where the Empire's main offensive direction was.

At the same time, it was also to restrain the Holy Kingdom's garrison from other sides.

To cover the operations of the "Imperial Blade" legion.

When all these arrangements were finally finalized, Xavier, who had been working overtime continuously, felt an overwhelming sense of fatigue wash over him.

He returned to his dormitory and slept soundly for a long, dreamless nap.

Because the real battle is about to begin, he needs to conserve his energy to prepare for the coming storm.