Chapter 005: The Crown Prince

“Have you asked me yet?”
The words came softly, devoid of any murderous intent, as if it were a casual greeting among nobles. Yet upon hearing them, Abraham’s cold expression froze.
Francis, on the other hand, showed a look of relief, and even Ampere, who couldn’t move from his spot, appeared to have escaped death.
Anthony, Edward, and the others standing by also grew strangely pale.
Du Fan frowned, sensing something, but he glanced around without saying a word.
Prince Fischer’s expression turned peculiar, seemingly unprepared for such a sudden turn of events.
At that moment, along with those words, thunderous hoofbeats echoed as countless cavalry emerged from the depths of the jungle. These knights wore heavy armor, their three-meter-long spears gleaming menacingly, aimed at everyone in the area. An almost imperceptible aura of killing intent radiated from them, causing even figures like Abraham, Anthony, and Edward to frown.
Du Fan took one look and blurted out, “Secret guards!?”
Prince Fischer sighed bitterly and said calmly, “That’s right. These are our royal secret guards. Sir Du Fan, as you must know, among the three forces of the royal family, although the secret guards are the weakest, they are the most numerous. Seeing the situation today… hmph…”
As he spoke, sudden drum-like hoofbeats were heard, and in the distance, flags seemed to be fluttering. On those flags, the silhouette of two crossed swords could be faintly seen.
At this sight, Prince Fischer’s expression changed again. “The Imperial City Guard? Does my elder brother really intend to rebel?”
Just then, the secret guards, who had been forming a circle, suddenly scattered rapidly to both sides. Then, one rider emerged slowly from among them.
This man resembled Prince Fischer to a large extent, but with a more weathered look. There seemed to be a faint smile on his lips. He wore magnificent golden armor, every detail of which showed exquisite craftsmanship. His warhorse was equally imposing, no less than the one Prince Fischer had used to pull a carriage.

A long sword hung at his waist, and he held a fine riding whip in his hand. With a half-smile on his face, he looked around. After a moment, he sighed and said lightly, “What a grand scene, indeed. Master Abraham… instead of protecting the emperor in the palace, what are you doing here? President Edward… it’s so late, and it’s not safe for you to be here alone, is it? Lord Anthony, it’s been a long time… I never expected we’d meet under such circumstances.”

It seemed he deliberately ignored Prince Fischer. His gaze shifted among the few people present who could speak, and then he spoke these words, carrying an air of unusual authority.

Abraham’s expression was strange. He looked at the man before him and slowly bowed, saying, “I greet Your Highness, the Crown Prince!”

Upon hearing this, Du Fan couldn’t help but be shocked. Was this middle-aged man, who looked down on youth, really the Crown Prince? Prince Fischer’s elder brother?

Thinking this, Du Fan couldn’t help but steal a glance at Prince Fischer beside him. Although his face showed some surprise, he remained calm.

The Crown Prince saw Abraham greeting him and simply nodded slightly, saying, “Master Abraham, I don’t know where my men offended you, but why do you want to harm them? Though they are just servants, it’s not right for you, Master Abraham, to kill them without reason.”

Abraham’s expression changed, but after a moment, he suppressed his anger and said, “I wouldn’t dare… I just saw Lord Francis’s sword skills earlier and couldn’t help but be tempted to spar with him.”

“Is that so?” The Crown Prince’s smile remained. “In that case, go ahead. But remember, even though it’s a spar, Lord Francis is a distinguished guest of mine, and I don’t want anything to happen to him.”

Abraham’s expression changed again, as if he wanted to get angry, but he quickly said, “If that’s the case, then forget it!”

With that, Abraham waved his hand, stepped back, and moved in front of Prince Fischer. His court mages also quickly retreated, surrounding Prince Fischer and Du Fan for protection.

Seeing this, Du Fan frowned and said softly, “Your Highness Fischer, why would your men attack your elder brother…”

Prince Fischer sighed, with a hint of helplessness, and said, “Court magicians are not allowed to harm members of the royal family. So even if Master Abraham knows it was my elder brother who attacked me, he can only protect me and not hurt my brother—that’s their rule.”
Du Fan nodded slightly, wanting to ask more questions, but Prince Fischer already made a gesture, signaling for Du Fan to continue watching.
In the arena, the elder prince saw Abraham retreat and seemed to sneer lightly. Then he made a gesture and said calmly, “Someone, protect Lord Francis and Master Ampere…”
At his gesture, over a dozen secret guards rushed forward and positioned themselves in front of Ampere and Francis.
Francis frowned, about to say something, but upon seeing the elder prince’s gaze, he sighed and sheathed the blood-red rose in his hand.
The elder prince’s gaze then fell on Edward, who smiled gently and said, “Lord Edward, I wonder what you’re doing here?”
Edward sneered and replied, “Your Highness, spare me the nonsense. I’m sure you know my purpose. That Ampere under your command is none other than the former forbidden magic master. How could you not know? He’s a wanted criminal by my magic guild. I sensed his presence outside the capital today, so naturally, I came to settle accounts with him. Without his life, our magic guild will never rest.”
“I see!” the elder prince said softly, with a hint of meaning, “So this Master Ampere under my command is indeed a wanted criminal by your magic guild… Master Edward, why didn’t you tell me earlier? I’ve been deceived by a wanted criminal from a magic guild until now—what a disgrace to my royal family…”
“How about this…” The elder prince’s smile grew even gentler. “I shouldn’t have taken this man in in the first place. After keeping him for so many years, I’ve only brought shame to the magic guild. Well, as an apology, I’ll deal with him myself as a way to show some remorse to the magic guild!”

At that moment, the Crown Prince waved his hand sharply, and Ampere, who had been unable to move among the secret guards, was instantly drawn before him. Staring at Ampere on the ground, the Crown Prince suddenly smirked coldly, slowly drew the long sword from his waist, and said indifferently, “Master Ampere, you are a rebel of the Mage Guild and deserve to be executed. This is not my fault… Considering how many years you’ve served me, I’ll send your parents, wife, and children along with you!”
Ampere’s expression changed as he shouted, “You!”
But before he could say more, the long sword in the Crown Prince’s hand flew out, and with a “thud,” it pierced Ampere’s chest.
Ampere’s eyes bulged, his face filled with disbelief, but after a moment, he tilted his head to the side and died instantly.
Du Fan felt chilled to the bone. This Crown Prince truly had ruthless methods and a vicious heart! By killing one of his capable subordinates, he ensured that the Mage Guild would not turn against him—a truly brilliant move!
If he hadn’t killed Ampere, he would likely have fallen completely at odds with the Mage Guild in the future.
By killing Ampere now, although everyone knew he must have known beforehand that Ampere was a master of forbidden magic, his actions gave the Mage Guild a huge face-saving gesture. No matter what, Edward would never dare to oppose the Crown Prince again.
This Crown Prince killed one of his own yet almost gained the “friendship” of the Mage Guild—what cunning tactics!
Of course, almost everyone present could see this, but they all agreed to remain silent.
Seeing that Ampere was dead, Edward’s expression became even more peculiar. He just stared at Ampere’s body without saying a word.
The Crown Prince, seeing his expression, laughed lightly again and said, “Lord Edward, if you need to, take his head with you.”
Edward snorted and said, “There’s no need. Since Ampere is dead, there’s no point for me to stay here… Goodbye, everyone!”
With that, Edward waved his sleeve, and a fierce wind swept up around him as he flew toward the capital.

Seeing Edward leave, the expression on the Crown Prince’s face relaxed slightly. He clapped his hands and waved them casually, drawing back the long sword that was embedded in Ampere’s chest. Immediately, several secret guards jumped out from behind him and quickly carried Ampere’s body away. If it weren’t for the pool of blood on the ground, who would believe that the Crown Prince had just killed such a great mage?