Chapter 007: Clashing Views

The Eldest Prince snorted, narrowing his eyes at his younger brother before glancing at the corpses on the ground. After a moment, he snorted again and said, “What’s there to say in such a situation?”

Prince Fische gave the Eldest Prince a calm glance before softly saying, “Elder brother… Since we’re discussing who should inherit the throne now, it naturally needs to be discussed carefully. You making a decision in my absence is rather unfair to me, don’t you think? My dear elder brother!”

The Eldest Prince sneered and said, “So even if that’s the case, what do you want… Fische… I don’t know why you suddenly appeared, but you must be well aware that everyone inside and outside the imperial city is under my control. You have no chance of winning… If you surrender now, out of our brotherly bond, I might let you live in peace for the rest of your life… But if you still dare to resist, don’t blame me!”

Prince Fische smiled lightly and said, “My dear elder brother, don’t you think you’re being too hypocritical saying that? Let me live in peace for the rest of my life? If I really live to old age, the most unhappy person will probably be you, right? Even if I obediently surrender now, will you really let me go? Probably… not!”

A cold glint flashed in the Eldest Prince’s eyes as he snorted and said, “Then don’t blame me!”

Prince Fische shook his head slightly without answering. Instead, he glanced around at the nobles, his gaze finally falling on Du Fan in the lower left corner. He smiled faintly as a greeting, then turned to King Austin III and bowed slightly, saying calmly, “Father… Though my elder brother is arrogant, there’s some truth in what he says. Please step back from the hall for now… Let me handle the rest, shall we?”

“Delusion!” the Eldest Prince shouted. “Fische! Do you think today’s matter can be resolved so easily? I tell you, it’s impossible… Today, we must not only decide who will inherit the throne but also keep your head and your son’s head as a gift for my coronation!”

Prince Fische raised his eyebrows, snorted, and said, “Elder brother, you’re not the emperor yet, so stop putting on an act! You can act like that when you actually sit on that throne!”

At this point, Prince Fischer smiled and said calmly, “Someone, take His Majesty away first!”
Soon, several figures appeared beside Austin III. Two of them raised their rings to block in front of him, while another bowed to Austin III and said, “Your Majesty, please go!”
Austin III shook his head slightly, coughed once, then said calmly, “What’s there to beg for? I’m still the emperor of the empire… No one has the right to drive me away from here! Fischer… are you just as eager as your elder brother to see me step down?”
Seeing that Austin III was unwilling to leave, the elder prince snorted but said nothing.
Prince Fischer, on the other hand, bowed slightly to Austin III and said, “Father… Fischer doesn’t mean that… It’s just that I need to execute the rebels soon, and I’m afraid I might accidentally harm you, which wouldn’t be good…”
Austin III nodded and said, “I see. But I still won’t leave… I want to watch here to see exactly how you execute the rebels!”
Prince Fischer smiled gracefully and said, “If that’s the case, then Father… I won’t force you!”
With that, Prince Fischer slowly turned, his gaze fixed on the elder prince.
Hearing the conversation between Austin III and Prince Fischer, the elder prince laughed instead of getting angry. “Very good! Fischer… the ‘rebel’ you’re talking about is me, right?”
Prince Fischer smiled slightly and said, “As expected, my elder brother is extremely intelligent. You guessed the answer so quickly to such a difficult question… But since you’ve guessed it, perhaps we don’t need to waste words? Now, I’m going to take action! My dear elder brother… But before that, I must warn you one last time. If you put down your sword now, I guarantee on my life that Father will spare you… What do you think?”
Though the words seemed simple, Du Fan sighed inwardly. If the elder prince showed even a hint of weakness now, all the tension he had painstakingly created would be wasted!
Fortunately, the elder prince wasn’t an ordinary person. Hearing Prince Fischer’s words, he suddenly threw his head back and laughed loudly. “Nonsense! Am I guilty? You’re the guilty one! My brother! Yes, today, rebels will indeed be executed here, but who exactly the rebels are… isn’t something just you, Fischer, can decide!”

Prince Fischer nodded and smiled, “Very good, elder brother… It seems you do understand the principle that the victor takes all.”
The eldest prince sneered and said, “Enough nonsense! Fischer, if you have any tricks up your sleeve, show them now!”
Prince Fischer nodded and said, “Then, elder brother… be careful!”
With that, he made a gesture behind him and quickly stepped back toward the throne.
Soon, three people stepped forward from those he had brought with him. Two of them stood in front of Prince Fischer, ready to defend themselves, while the third went to the eldest prince, sighed suddenly, and said, “Your Highness, the eldest prince… why go to such extremes?”
As he spoke, he slowly reached out and gently removed the hood covering his head. With that movement, an astonishing killing intent spread out, making everyone feel a chill in their hearts!
Some people with weaker willpower collapsed unconscious on the spot under the impact of this killing intent.
Du Fan’s mental sensitivity was already extremely sharp, and now, under the influence of this killing intent, he felt cold sweat pouring all over his body. Fortunately, the killing intent wasn’t directed at him; otherwise, Du Fan didn’t know how long he could have held on.
After a moment, the chill in Du Fan’s heart subsided, and he immediately remembered who owned that voice!
Indeed, after removing the hood, the man revealed a rather handsome face. His magic robe was strange, and his hands were covered in rings—it was Abraham, the head of the court mages.
At this moment, Abraham’s killing intent was so intense that no one dared to look directly at him. It was far more powerful than when he was outside the imperial capital.
When the eldest prince saw Abraham, he didn’t show any surprise. Instead, with a hint of respect, he bowed to the head of the court mages and said, “Master Abraham, I knew I would meet you today… Just as I told you before, if you are willing to surrender to me, I guarantee your status will not be lower than it is now… Master Abraham, you must also know that I deeply admire you. Right now… if you surrender to me…”

“Your Highness,” Abraham interrupted coldly, “I, Abraham, am the head of the court magicians, and it is an unchangeable fact that I am loyal to the emperors of past dynasties… If you are the emperor, then no matter what you do to me, I, Abraham, will surely remain loyal to you! But if you are not the emperor and instead intend to rebel… then, Your Highness, I will have no choice but to behead you! But rest assured, Your Highness, because it’s you, I will ensure you die with royal dignity!”
“Is this your answer?” The crown prince sighed. “What a pity! Fortunately, I had already guessed this answer… Otherwise, I would really have been caught off guard! Respected Master Abraham, of course I won’t forget your existence, nor will I forget just how formidable you are… But no matter how great your magic may be, trying to take on my tens of thousands of soldiers alone is rather laughable…”
After saying that, the crown prince paused for a moment before continuing, “But, Master Abraham, please be assured. I am part of the royal family. After years of planning, I naturally know what strength the royal family possesses. To deal with you… I’ve already made preparations. For you, I’ve even prepared a few suitable opponents!”
With that, the crown prince sighed softly and said, “Both of you, it’s time for you to act now. I look forward to your magical powers bringing me an absolute victory!”
Saying that, the crown prince stepped back a few steps.
Then, a path was cleared among the imperial guards, and two elders slowly walked out. As they walked, they gradually removed their military uniforms, revealing the magic robes beneath…