Courtier

And so, Yuga followed Shadowsong and Hubert to the capital of Arus.

Shadowsong and Hubert had only gone out to gain experience, so the forest they were in wasn't far from the capital, and they quickly returned.

As one of the only two great nations in the interior of the Hoenn region, the capital of Arus was built magnificently, with its pitch-black walls bearing the marks of history.

Being the sole prince of Arus, the guards easily recognized Shadowsong and welcomed him into the capital.

However, despite the grandeur of the capital, the spirits of the people were very low.

The streets of the entire capital seemed lifeless and far from prosperous, giving off a rather oppressive feeling.

It was supposed to be the capital of a great nation.

Shadowsong explained that despite the continuous wars making the Arus Empire increasingly powerful, only the nobles and generals had become wealthy. The common people suffered due to the constant turmoil, and their lives grew poorer.

Because the wars consumed everything, and it was the common people who bore the brunt of it.

This was also the reason for the frequent uprisings in Arus in recent years.

But how could those suffering people possibly match the well-trained soldiers?

No matter how many uprisings occurred, Arus's army could easily suppress them.

The streets of Arus's capital were wide and clean, but Yuga felt uneasy walking on them.

Because all the passing citizens looked at Arus Empire's prince, Shadowsong, with eyes full of hatred and anger.

As the son of the tyrant Emperor Rode, Shadowsong was also despised by the people due to his father's actions.

It could be said that Emperor Rode, relying on his royal authority, had become an enemy of the entire Arus Empire's populace.

But unfortunately, the people couldn't do anything against Emperor Rode.

Because Emperor Rode commanded a vast legion of monsters, while the common people were defenseless.

Though Emperor Rode extorted the people through constant warfare, he also protected the interests of the nobles and military officers, garnering the support of the entire noble class.

Looking at the resentful gazes of the people, Shadowsong could only shake his head with a bitter smile, unable to blame them.

After all, he was Emperor Rode's son!

He had to bear the sins his father had committed.

However, while the people in the capital looked at Yuga's group with hostility, they dared not take any actions against them.

Because if they were discovered by the patrolling soldiers, the result would be destruction and devastation.

Under Emperor Rode's oppressive and bloody rule, the people of Arus had gradually learned to endure.

When Yuga and his group arrived at the entrance of the royal palace, they saw a young man in magnificent attire with a group of palace guards waiting for them.

"Welcome back, Prince Shadowsong."

The young man and the guards bowed to Shadowsong.

"Hmm, you've worked hard, Nolans."

Shadowsong nodded at the young man.

"And who is this?"

At this moment, Nolans turned his gaze towards Yuga.

"This is Yuga, he saved me when I was in danger during my journey," Shadowsong explained, but he didn't mention that he had traveled to the future.

"Saved? Who dares to chase after our Arus Empire's only prince? This matter must be thoroughly investigated!"

After hearing Shadowsong's words, Nolans said angrily.

"But thanks to this young man, our Arus royal family will be sure to reward you. From today, you are an honored guest of the Arus royal family."

Nolans, who had just been angry, suddenly wore a smile when addressing Yuga.

However, Yuga remained silent.

After all, he was not from this era, and he couldn't understand the language of this era. He relied on the system's translation, which made communication cumbersome.

Speaking too much would lead to misunderstandings, so Yuga just smiled and didn't say much.

In response to Yuga's silence, Nolans' smile faltered for a moment but then returned to normal.

"Yuga's voice isn't great, so he doesn't speak easily. Don't mind it," Shadowsong explained quickly, knowing that Yuga's inability to speak was due to coming from the future and not understanding the language.

"I see, that's a pity. But let's head back to the palace for now," Nolans said with a hearty smile.

Yuga and his group followed Nolans and the guards into the Arus royal palace.

During the journey, Shadowsong quietly informed Yuga about Nolans' identity.

Nolans was actually the son of Minister Ralf. Minister Ralf had sacrificed his life in a battle with Emperor Rode over ten years ago. The Emperor, in gratitude for Ralf's loyalty, had taken great care of Ralf's family.

In particular, Ralf's son Nolans had replaced his father and become one of the most trusted courtiers by Emperor Rode's side.

For the past half-year while Emperor Rode was away at war, Nolans had been handling all the major and minor affairs in the capital.

Yuga was surprised to learn that Ralf had already passed away. He had assumed that Ralf was still in Emperor Rode's favor.

But was Emperor Rode truly such a generous person? Just because of Ralf's loyalty, he had taken such good care of his family and promoted his son Nolans.

Considering that Emperor Rode rarely showed affection even to his own son Shadowsong, it was puzzling.

And speaking of which, shouldn't it be the king's son, with no relation to the nobility, who handled affairs in the king's absence?

Why entrust it to an outsider with no royal blood?

Was Emperor Rode truly so magnanimous? Yuga couldn't fathom the Emperor's intentions.

There was also another mystery.

With these questions in mind, Yuga and his group entered the inner chambers of the palace.

The Arus royal palace was extravagantly built, with exquisite palaces and exotic plants everywhere.

Later, Yuga was settled in a side palace within Shadowsong's residence.

Originally, Nolans had intended to place Yuga in a palace specially designated for guests.

However, Yuga was unfamiliar with this world and didn't want to be too far from Shadowsong. So Shadowsong decided to have Yuga stay in his own palace.

Moreover, Yuga had a feeling that something was peculiar about this palace, and even Nolans himself struck him as odd.

Although he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was strange.

Afterward, Shadowsong had other matters to attend to, so he left, and Yuga was left alone with Gardevoir in his room.

"By the way, Gardevoir, do you recognize the Celebi that brought us here?" Yuga asked suddenly while lying on the bed.

Gardevoir shook her head and replied, "No, but it's much more powerful than I am. While we both have the ability to travel through time, if it were me from my time, I wouldn't be able to move back and forth across thousands of years like that."

Yuga nodded, realizing that there were varying degrees of power even among Celebis.