Chapter 006: Unexpected Turn of Events

On the throne, Emperor Austin III could no longer hold back and slammed his hand on the armrest, shouting loudly, “Scoundrel! Scoundrel! Scoundrel!”
He kept drawing in breaths, making a hissing sound like an old bellows, his body trembling violently. Clearly, this once brilliant emperor was now completely enraged by Oscar.
Given his age and health condition, angering him would only hasten his death.
Prince Fischer understood this well, and he was even more aware that if the old emperor died now… things would get very complicated… He had thought he could handle the crown prince’s coup alone, and thus wasn’t worried about anything happening to the old prince, as he could control the situation then.
But if the old emperor suddenly died at this critical moment, chaos on his side might mean everything was lost!
After all, he had already used all the forces at his disposal. He had almost a 90% chance of success, but now that Oscar had arrived with his army, things had taken this turn… Unexpected! Truly unexpected!
Thinking this, Prince Fischer quickly turned to Emperor Austin III and bowed, saying, “Father, please rest assured. Everything that happened today was within Fischer’s expectations… Leave it to me.”
Hearing this, Emperor Austin III calmed down a bit. He glanced at Prince Fischer and suddenly declared, “Kimberly!”
Prime Minister Kimberly quickly bowed and said, “I am here…”
Emperor Austin III looked at the crown prince in the distance, then at Prince Fischer, before saying calmly, “Kimberly, Old Green… and all the lords present… I have made up my mind… Let Fischer inherit the throne. From now on, you all must assist him wholeheartedly. Do you understand?”
Kimberly was slightly shocked and said, “Your Majesty… this…”
The old emperor snorted and said, “My decision is final. That good-for-nothing doesn’t deserve to sit on this throne!”
Everyone, including Duke Green and Prime Minister Kimberly, was stunned for a moment, but upon seeing the old emperor’s icy gaze, they quickly bowed and said, “How could we dare not obey?”
Prince Fischer also seemed unprepared for the old emperor to say such things at this moment. He frowned slightly and said, “Father… I’m afraid this…”
The old emperor shook his head slightly and said, “No need for words. It’s already clear which of you two is superior… But what happens next depends on you.”

With that, the old emperor closed his eyes and said nothing more, as if he could no longer see anything before him.
Prince Fischer sighed and slowly turned around. Judging from his expression, he seemed to have accepted this situation.
After all, his arrangements today were all for the sake of this throne. Now that the old emperor had handed it to him, how could he refuse?
Du Fan mostly understood what the old emperor meant. He smiled slightly at Prince Fischer and said, “Your Highness… oh no, it should be Your Majesty… Congratulations!”
Prince Fischer shook his head and said, “Du Fan, let’s talk after this crisis passes. My position as emperor is currently unstable… Hmph, my father is quite clever. He gave me this position now. If we survive today, that’s fine, but if not, the name of a fallen king will be attached to me… A curse through the ages… Hmph… Du Fan, shall we make a bet? Even if I give the throne to my elder brother now, he definitely won’t take it.”
Du Fan gave a bitter smile and said, “Better not. I, Du Fan, have nothing to lose to Your Majesty.”
Prince Fischer shook his head slightly and said nothing more, his gaze falling on Oscar. From that direction, though not clearly, Oscar still appeared as a glowing figure, as if waiting for this moment.
As if waiting for it, Oscar suddenly smiled and said, “What’s the matter, Your Majesty Fischer… Are you ready to abdicate in my favor? Or do you still plan to resist in Europe? If that’s the case, let me tell you… The Temple Knights may be strong, but I have 50,000 cavalry while they have only 500. No matter how strong they are, it’s limited! As for the divine mages and court wizards, I certainly have someone to deal with them. As for the rest of those weak soldiers, they’re not even a match… Under these circumstances, you don’t even have a 10% chance of winning. If you insist on resisting, it will only lead to more bloodshed. You must think carefully.”
Prince Fischer frowned and said to Du Fan in a low voice, “What Oscar said is completely true. We don’t even have a 10% chance right now… Hmph, if it weren’t for my stupid elder brother…”
As he spoke, Prince Fischer couldn’t help but glare fiercely in the direction of his elder brother.

At this moment, the Great Prince’s face was as pale as blank paper. Even if he were still full of pride, he understood that not only had he lost, but it seemed Prince Fischer had also lost… Even the entire Gavin Empire had lost. With all the empire’s high-ranking officials gathered here, if Oscar wiped them out all at once, it would be absolutely impossible for the nobles elsewhere in the Gavin Empire to resist.

Prince Fischer gave a slight gesture, and immediately, the court magicians who had scattered around retreated back. The divine artisans and the remaining Temple Knights also slowly moved back near the platform. After all, only by gathering all their strength could they have a chance to confront the Bauhinia Dynasty.

Seeing that his people had retreated, Prince Fischer then spoke loudly in Oscar’s direction, “Whether to fight or not, whether to yield or not—we can discuss this later… But I can’t believe that after all my life, I’ve been outmaneuvered at this critical moment… If I don’t find out the truth, I fear I won’t be able to rest in peace! If Lord Oscar doesn’t mind, would you allow me to ask a few questions?”

Oscar seemed to have anticipated Prince Fischer’s words. He gently clapped his hands and said, “Go ahead and ask.”

Prince Fischer nodded and said, “Then I won’t be polite. Lord Oscar, I wonder how long you’ve been planning this for?”

Oscar replied indifferently, “Not very long—just a few years… The remaining branch of our Bauhinia Dynasty has ruled the North for hundreds of years. Watching your Gavin Empire decline from strength to weakness, it had long since lost its imperial dignity. So it was only natural for our Bauhinia Dynasty to rise to power at this time… The change of dynasties is an inevitable part of history… I merely happened to be at the forefront of history… What? Does His Majesty Fischer think my actions are improper?”

“Of course not,” Prince Fischer shook his head. “It’s just that I’m puzzled. Over the years, I’ve paid close attention to that major group in the North… Although you are indeed powerful, under the constant pressure of the Northern Legions, you couldn’t possibly achieve anything… Why do you dare to be so bold this time? I think with your limited forces, you can’t even capture the imperial citadel, so how…?”

Oscar laughed and said, “Your Majesty Fische, you’re wrong here… War is often just a choice made out of necessity. True mastery lies in subduing others without fighting at all! For example, today I entered the imperial city without a single soldier, and I’ll keep you all here without using a single soldier either. What do you think this is, Your Highness Fische? There’s a saying in the distant Eastern Continent: ‘It’s fate, destiny, and destiny’s will.’ Your Majesty Fische, I admit you’re a naturally gifted person. If given decades, perhaps this vast empire could shine again… But since I’ve realized this, how could I give up such an opportunity? While you have no chance to change this empire, I, Oscar, will take its place… This is the long-cherished wish of our Bauhinia Dynasty, and it’s the future you must face!”

A thoughtful look appeared in Prince Fische’s eyes, but he still said calmly, “Are you so sure you’ll win today?”

Oscar shook his head. “Having 70% confidence in anything is already quite good. Where in the world can there be anything with 100% certainty? Right now, you and the Crown Prince have just finished fighting, and your best forces have been severely weakened in that clash! Although there are still hundreds of thousands of imperial guards in the capital, given the Crown Prince’s stupidity, he must have already given orders to ignore everything happening in the city unless he personally orders otherwise! As for the northern army outside the city, without orders from the Green family, would they come to rescue you? And the Holy Church and the Mage Guild? Would they send extra troops at such a time? The Mage Guild, certainly not—would they send more people to die when they know they’re bound to lose? And the Holy Church—would they send reinforcements when they think they’re sure to win? So right now, you have not a single ally in the capital! Your strongest fighters are either dead or injured in battle. At a time like this… Your Majesty Fische, don’t you think I’ll surely win?”