Chapter 005: The Most Detestable Thing
The Bauhinia flower did not represent any army of the Gavin Empire or the Lanny Empire. The only dynasty it could represent was the first dynasty of that continent— the Bauhinia Dynasty, which perished hundreds of years ago!
Yet now, it appeared here.
Moreover, judging from the appearance of those cavalry, they showed hostility toward both Prince Fischer and the Crown Prince…
The Crown Prince, who was about to flee, stopped in his tracks. Abraham, who was about to chase after him, also halted. Everyone on the platform stopped as well…
They all looked around with strange expressions, trying to figure out what was going on.
Then, a long blast of a horn was heard— seemingly very distant yet eerily quiet, carrying an ancient aura. Ordinary soldiers felt nothing upon hearing it, but the nobles on and below the platform all changed expressions at once—
For those horn blasts represented the royal family. But right now, the heirs to the throne and the current emperor were both in the training ground. So who else could be authorized to sound such horns?
Even Austin III, who had been sitting on the throne lost in thought, suddenly opened his eyes, a glint appearing in them, along with a hint of disbelief…
Prince Fischer showed a rare look of surprise. This expression made Du Fan feel that he was finally acting like a normal person, rather than a genius who planned everything meticulously…
But…
Du Fan sighed inwardly. If even Prince Fischer showed such an expression, then… things must be really serious this time!
Finally, as the horn sounds faded, a path several people wide was cleared among the dense cavalry, right in front of the palace hall. Two maids walked slowly forward, and a scarlet carpet was quickly laid on the ground.
Though the surroundings were filled with corpses and soldiers numb from the slaughter, those soldiers instinctively stepped back to make way when the carpet was rolled out.
Then, a man slowly stepped out from among the cavalry. He held an exquisite riding crop, dressed in the most traditional noble attire… so traditional that no one wore it anymore these days.
His clothes were pure white, with exquisite Bauhinia flowers sewn in gold thread at every corner. From a distance, it seemed as though countless Bauhinia flowers were shining on him at the same time. He walked across the carpet and stepped forward; after a few steps, he bowed slightly in the direction of the platform, performing the most standard noble gesture. Then, in a calm voice, he said, “Prince Fischer, Lord Du Fan… Oscar Bogen… greetings…” Though his voice was gentle, it was clear he had used some secret technique, as if his words rang in everyone’s ears. Hearing this, the nobles were shocked. Most of them had heard of the bard Oscar before, but his appearance now… how could it possibly mean he was just a bard? If a bard could casually bring a group of cavalry into the palace, then perhaps being a bard was the most powerful profession in the Roland Continent. Du Fan’s brows furrowed tightly as he quickly cast an Eagle Eye spell to confirm his suspicions—this extravagantly dressed, strangely dressed man was none other than Oscar, the author of “The Usurped Bauhinia”… Yet his appearance now certainly didn’t resemble that of a humble bard anymore… Recalling what he had said during their reunion, he had guessed that Oscar must be someone remarkable. Now it seemed his guess was correct. Prince Fischer looked astonished; clearly, he also recognized Oscar, but he couldn’t understand why he was here. While no one spoke yet, the eldest prince in the training ground couldn’t hold back and shouted, “Who the hell are you! Don’t you know this is a forbidden area of the palace?” Hearing this, Oscar suddenly let out a light chuckle. Even Du Fan inwardly sighed—this eldest prince was indeed too arrogant to ask such a question under these circumstances… Did he think he was here for tea? After chuckling a few times as if satisfied, Oscar finally glanced in the direction of the eldest prince, speaking with a hint of surprise, “Oh, isn’t this the valiant Prince Eldest? How did you end up in such a predicament? If I’m not mistaken, aren’t you about to flee?”
At this point, Oscar gently shook his head and said, “Well… I’d give you one piece of advice: it’s better if you don’t try to run. The small army you have stationed in the capital likely doesn’t have time to come and save you now. Since you’re part of the royal family, you’re at a dead end… It might be better to die and at least leave behind the reputation of a hero, don’t you think?”
Before he could finish speaking, the Great Prince’s expression changed drastically. Although Oscar spoke in a calm tone, everyone present heard him clearly. The imperial guards, who had been ready to continue fighting, couldn’t help but turn their heads toward the Great Prince. The look in their eyes…
Deep down, the Great Prince sighed. He still had some military strategy skills. Seeing this situation, he knew he had no way out… If he tried to flee now, the morale of his troops would likely collapse instantly. By then, even if he gathered more soldiers and tried to fight back, it would probably be too late!
The only option now was to hold his ground and send messengers to call for reinforcements—there might still be a 30% chance of success… Otherwise, everything would be lost.
After thinking this through, the Great Prince calmed down. He made a gesture, and the warriors around him slowly dispersed. Then he stepped forward and stood at the front of the group, declaring loudly, “Who exactly are you?”
Oscar smiled and said, “Your Highness, the Great Prince, you really are useless… At this point, you still can’t figure out who I am… Although it might seem a bit ridiculous for me to say this, I still have to tell you… You truly can’t compare to Your Highness Prince Fischer! Well… Then, Your Highness Fischer, have you guessed who I am?”
As he said these last words, Oscar looked toward the platform, clearly addressing them to Prince Fischer.
Prince Fischer’s expression turned somewhat grim, but it quickly returned to normal. He glanced at the people around him before saying indifferently, “Lord Oscar has come with an army of thousands, dressed in such ancient robes, speaking in a strange accent. If I’m not mistaken… are you a remnant of the Bauhinia Dynasty? That powerful faction based in the North… Although you’ve managed to establish a foothold there over the years, Lord Oscar… why would you suddenly abandon your solid base in the North and come to the capital?”
Oscar smiled slightly and said, “Prince Fischer is truly clever. You figured out my identity in just one sentence… Then let me introduce myself again.”
With that, Oscar dropped the whip in his hand, bowed slightly, and with a gentle smile, declared loudly, “I am Oscar Bogen, the thirteenth-generation heir of the royal bloodline of the Bauhinia Dynasty… People of the Gavin Empire, today we have met.”
“And why have I come to this capital?” Oscar’s smile carried a hint of sarcasm. “The reason our Bauhinia Dynasty is here today is not for revenge, nor for killing, nor to prove how great we are! We’re here simply to tell everyone that whatever we’ve lost, we must retrieve it with our own hands!!!”
“Prince Fischer, His Majesty Austin III…” Oscar still smiled. “You people of the Gavin Empire have managed this capital for our Bauhinia Dynasty for so many years! Shouldn’t it be time to return it to us today? Don’t worry… During the War of Doom, you wiped out almost all of our royal bloodline, but we won’t do such unnecessary things today… As long as you’re willing to hand over that throne peacefully…”
“After all…” Oscar’s smile grew more peculiar. “War is the worst thing of all…”
The entire crowd was shocked!
If the previous coup by the eldest prince and Prince Fischer’s intervention had already tested the fragile nerves of the nobles present, Oscar’s appearance now was simply driving them mad…
Good heavens! What is going on here…
A sudden coup was one thing, but now someone from the Bauhinia Dynasty wanted to restore their kingdom… Everyone felt their minds were starting to fail them.