The Story Of The Second Son Of The Baron Family [EN]: Chapter 73

The First Prince was, in a word, ordinary. Not a genius, but not a dullard either. He belonged to the realm of mediocrity, but with effort, he could become quite competent in his areas of expertise.

In turbulent times, incompetence is a sin, but the world was relatively stable. He possessed enough ability to handle his duties as emperor adequately. He wouldn’t be a wise ruler, but he wouldn’t be a tyrant either.

As Darius III’s eldest son and rightful heir, becoming the next emperor would have been no problem for him—if Darius III had been just another ordinary emperor.

A father who dreamed of absolute power and was an ambitious emperor versus an eldest son who lacked the ability and will to carry on his father’s goals. Such an heir could hardly satisfy the emperor. But his other sons didn’t particularly catch his eye either.

Compared to the eldest, the second son’s talents were far greater, but he excelled in martial arts rather than scholarly pursuits. Although he achieved remarkable results in martial arts, it was ultimately just individual prowess. He might have made an excellent general, but he wasn’t fit to be an emperor.

What about the third son? In terms of ability alone, he was a son who could please the emperor. He had an excellent mind and a keen political sense. However, the political instability stemming from his position as the third son raised concerns about weakening legitimacy, which could lead to a weakening of the emperor’s power. Moreover, since the Duke of Arsen was the third son’s father-in-law, how much influence would he try to wield in exchange for supporting the third son?

Since the three sons were like this, there was no need to mention the other sons. Time passed vaguely until the emperor collapsed, and the power struggle between the princes began. That was the situation up until now.

“His Imperial Majesty has passed away!”

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that everything had started anew. Of course, everyone had anticipated the current situation to some extent, so the chaos wasn’t significant. At least, it was less chaotic compared to a sudden death or assassination. The emperor, who had been above all others, had died, so there was no way the chaos could be small.

Of course, there was still no outwardly visible chaos. Discussing the vacant heir’s position so soon after the emperor’s death would give their opponents an opportunity to attack. They would remain silent, at least until the emperor’s funeral was over. Therefore, I, too, could minimize my interest in external affairs and focus on taking care of my body.

‘Ugh.’

From beginning to end, nothing was easy. I had to examine every single circuit spread throughout my body. It was a matter of scraping away the things that had been haphazardly added to fill the cracks and smoothing out the things that had overflowed.

It sounds easy, but the pain I felt was like scraping bones and cutting skin with a sharp knife. I almost fainted several times a day, and after finishing my training, I was drenched in cold sweat. Every time I tried to train, I wanted to give up, but I couldn’t.

What’s the point of getting a racing car and building an eight-lane highway if the road is unpaved, with huge sinkholes and protruding rocks in the middle? No matter how good the car is, no matter how wide the road is, how many vehicles can complete such a road at high speed without any accidents? It’s a sad story, but my magic circuit [network of magical energy pathways] was exactly like that—no exaggeration or understatement. That’s why I couldn’t give up on this task.

‘Trying to gain something without any investment is a thief’s mentality. If you gain one thing, you lose one thing. This is a natural result. Renil!’

I gained so much through Dragon Blood [a substance that enhances magical abilities]. It helped me heal injuries that would have taken months of recuperation to roughly patch up, and years to fully recover, in a short amount of time, even helping me reach a higher level.

Moreover, I was able to obtain a level of magic power that ordinary mages could not accumulate even with a lifetime of effort. I almost died in the process, and I was still feeling pain that made me wish I were dead, but compared to what I had gained, it was a luxury to complain.

Knock-knock-

As I was slowly refining the circuit, focusing on the heart that was the center of the circuit, I heard a knock on the door. I hadn’t made an appointment with anyone at this time, and if someone other than me tried to force the door open, I couldn’t guarantee their safety, so I finished my training and got up from my seat.

“JoJo?”

“Do you have a moment?”

#

Pour, pour, pour-

A thin stream of water fell from a teapot with white steam rising from it towards a teacup. As the water in the teapot decreased, the water in the teacup rose. The clear orange color and pleasant aroma seemed to be shouting, ‘I’m good tea.’ It was indeed good tea.

“What’s going on?”

It wasn’t that someone who shouldn’t have come had come. It wasn’t that we had never talked alone, and it wasn’t that JoJo had never come to my room. However, as busy as we both were, in most cases, he or I had something to do with each other.

“I’m going back soon.”

“…Going back?”

“Do I have another place to return to?”

If I had been drinking tea, I would have spat it out; it was such a sudden and shocking statement. I had certainly forgotten, but JoJo’s hometown was not here. I met him in Oslon, and it wouldn’t be strange for him to visit his hometown, but the reason I was taken aback was different.

‘Why all of a sudden?’

There could be many reasons for returning to one’s hometown, but the biggest reason, no matter what anyone said, would be to see family or friends. However, JoJo was only from the Aubeas Kingdom in name, and there was nothing left for him there.

He had left his hometown, where he had spent his childhood, when he decided to follow his teacher, and he had no parents or siblings. His teacher, who had been by his side until the end, had passed away before he left for the Empire, so I couldn’t help but be taken aback when he suddenly said he was going back to his homeland.

“Why all of a sudden? I hesitate to say this, but is someone bothering you? There shouldn’t be anyone that bold. Or did the elders try to keep you in check?”

It was a reasonable suspicion on my part. JoJo was an outstanding mage who had achieved great results at a young age, even if not as much as I had, and he was someone who had questioned the theories that had existed as truth in the magical world until now. It wasn’t perfect yet, but it was research that even my teacher was paying attention to, so there was no one who could treat JoJo carelessly.

If there was a possibility, it would be the narrow-minded elders? Since they were so proud of themselves, JoJo’s existence would be uncomfortable. A mage from a kingdom other than the Empire. Moreover, he had presented a rebuttal to the methods they had honed throughout their lives. Besides, they would have been displeased that he could reach the same level as them at a young age. However, JoJo shook his head at all these suspicions.

“It’s not that.”

“Then?”

“I’ve had a small realization recently. But that was it. I just felt the need to look back on the path I’ve walked to make that realization completely my own.”

“Hmm.”

He didn’t seem to be lying. Besides, there was no reason to lie about this. If JoJo’s words were true, it was something to celebrate, not something to dissuade. Enlightenment comes and goes like a flash. You have to seize it when you can, or it may never come again.

“Besides, the situation here is what it is. It would be best for someone like me to avoid getting involved until things calm down.”

“I don’t know whether to congratulate you or feel sorry for you.”

“It’s just that the timing overlapped unintentionally. Even if this incident hadn’t happened, I would have left this place. Don’t worry too much about it.”

“I hope you’ll come back as soon as things are settled. Because there’s something I want to do with you.”

“I’m looking forward to it. I hope I can just get a piece of the pie when I get back.”

A few days later, he left the capital and headed southwest, planning to head to the Aubeas Kingdom through Oslon, just as he had when he came to the Empire.

#

JoJo left the capital. However, the situation in the capital was not so lenient as to be affected by the presence or absence of a mere mage. Regardless of who came and went, the emperor’s funeral continued on good days, bad days, and moderate days.

The princes competed with each other to express their condolences, as if advertising that they were truly grieving over their father’s death. However, no matter how much the emperor’s funeral was for someone who had been above all others, they couldn’t continue the funeral for the rest of their lives. As time passed, interest was shifting from the emperor’s death to who would be the next emperor.

“His Highness the Third Prince has proven his abilities since he was young. Now is the time for someone as outstanding as His Highness the Third Prince to ascend the throne to calm the chaotic political situation.”

“His Highness the First Prince, the eldest son of His Imperial Majesty, is still alive and well. What nonsense is that!”

“Nonsense? If His Imperial Majesty had intended to pass the throne to His Highness the First Prince, why would he have left the position of Crown Prince vacant for so long!”

“It’s because it’s such an obvious thing that there’s no need to do so. Are you the only ones who don’t know the principle of primogeniture [the right of the firstborn son to inherit]!”

The nobles, who had briefly subsided due to the emperor’s death, began to divide and fight again. They didn’t draw their swords, but they had already fought to the death several times with their eyes. However, the imperial family was quiet amidst all this because there was no one who could be called an adult.

Naturally, attention was focused on the two dukes and three marquises, but Duke Arsen supported the Third Prince, while the other duke was only a duke in name and had no real power as the emperor’s brother. Also, the three marquises were either guarding their positions or holed up in their territories, so it didn’t seem like this situation would be easily resolved.

‘That’s a relief.’

This situation was more complex and strangely balanced than I thought, so that no one could overwhelmingly take the lead—unless one of the princes had achieved a great feat, but that wasn’t the case either.

In that sense, it was a wise choice not to rashly take action on the Titan Project. Apart from the tangible results, it could have been a stone thrown into a strangely peaceful pond. Timing it after the end of the civil war was a wise choice once again.

As such a strange confrontation continued, someone would eventually draw their sword first. The time when a storm would strike the capital in the calm before the storm was now.