14. UNREST IN THE COURT

The news of the third prince's death sent shockwaves through the royal palace and beyond. As the day progressed, the sprawling halls, usually filled with the hum of courtly politics, became the epicenter of whispered rumors and visible tension. Nobles, officials, and emissaries gathered in clusters, their expressions a mixture of shock, fear, and speculation.

Servants scurried through the corridors, their hushed voices carried snippets of conversation. The air was heavy and thick with a sense of foreboding, as if the huge palace itself mourned the loss of one of its own..

The grand chamber, reserved for court hearings and declarations of imperial orders, was abuzz with voices raised in a cacophony of accusations and denials. The ornate space, adorned with banners bearing the imperial crest, now felt suffocating under the weight of uncertainty. Nobles sat on rows of polished seats, their expressions ranging from shock and concern to that of fear 

At the head of the chamber sat the emperor, a towering figure even in his old age. His silver hair gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows, casting a halo-like glow around his form. although his face looked weathered and sickly. His piercing eyes bore into the gathered nobles, unblinking and unyielding. though his face showed no emotion, the grip on the throne's armrest was tight enough to form cracks on it, the subtle tremor in his hand the only sign of the storm brewing within him.

"Silence!" the emperor bellowed, his voice resonating through the hall like a thunderclap. The chamber fell into a tense stillness, the murmurs dying out as if snuffed by an unseen force.

Before anyone could respond, a piercing wail shattered the silence. The sound was raw, primal, and filled with anguish—or so it seemed. The source of the sound was none other than the queen-mother, the emperor's second wife and the late prince's mother. She stumbled into the chamber, her silk robes trailing behind her and her face contorted into a mask of grief.

"My son!" she cried, clutching at her chest as though her heart might burst. "My precious boy! Who could be so cruel as to take him from me?"

The queens dramatic entrance drew every eye in the room. Her voice quivered with sorrow, but to those who knew her well also knew that there was another scheme brewing up in her mind. A hint of calculation beneath the grief. Her handmaidens rushed to her side, attempting to steady her as she acted to collapsed onto the flight of stairs leading to the throne, her sobs echoing in the chamber.

Though her lament seemed genuine to some, a few exchanged knowing glances. The second queen was well-known among her faction for her corrupt and cunning nature. She had long used her son's ambitions to further her own schemes, ensuring that the third prince remained a contender for the throne. Her influence in court was as extensive as it was insidious, a web of favors and debts that bound many to her will.

"Your Imperial Majesty!" she wailed, her tear-streaked face turning toward the emperor. "You must find the monster who did this! You must avenge our son!"

The emperor's gaze shifted to her, his expression unreadable. He offered no words of comfort, no acknowledgment of her plea. His silence spoke volumes, a stark contrast to her theatrics.

A imperial minister stepped forward, bowing deeply before speaking, his voice steady despite the tension in the room. "Your Imperial Majesty, there were no signs of forced entry, nor evidence of magic or poison. we only know that a sharp dagger was used."

The emperor's eyes darkened further as he processed the words. His gaze shifted to the commander of the royal guard, who stood rigid, his face pale and taut. "what were the guards doing? he asked in a tone filled with rage making every guard present in the chamber to flinch.

"They claim to remember nothing, Your Majesty," the commander replied, his voice trembling slightly. "It is as if their memories of the night were... erased."

A collective gasp rippled through the chamber, followed by a renewed wave of murmurs. Theories of dark magic and forbidden arts filled the air, each more elaborate than the last.

"Could it have been an assassin from one of our rival Empires?" one noble whispered, his tone laced with both curiosity and fear.

"Or perhaps it's the work of a rival faction" another suggested, his eyes darting throughout the hall as if looking for how many people were there who fit that criteria 

Amid the speculation, several nobles from the first and second princes' factions exchanged subtle glances suspecting each other, their expressions carefully masked to avoid suspicion. For them, the death of the third prince was a boon, a step closer to securing the throne for their respective patrons but they were really worried if their rivals had so much power to even assassinate their rivals in the imperial palace.

"The empire will be better off without him," one whispered to his companion, his lips barely moving. "He was too reckless, too ambitious for his own good."

"Indeed," came the quiet reply. "But let us not celebrate too openly. The emperor's wrath will not distinguish friend from foe."

"Enough!" the emperor roared once more, his tone turning icy, each word laced with menace. The chamber fell silent again, the tension now palpable. "The death of my son is an affront to this empire. If this was an act of treachery, the person guilty will suffer a fate worse than death."

"Don't let me repeat myself !! I want the culprit, and I want him alive no matter what."

The queen-mother's sobs grew louder, her cries almost drowning out the emperor's proclamation. Yet her tears failed to move him. He turned his attention back to the commander. "Double the guard. No one leaves the palace without my permission. And bring me the court mage. I want every possibility examined, no matter how implausible."

The nobles exchanged uneasy glances, their whispers now silenced by the emperor's commanding presence. The chamber had descended into a tense quiet, the weight of his words settling over them like a shroud.

The queen-mother, still weeping, clutched at the hem of her robe. Yet as her face was hidden from view, a flicker of calculation passed over her features. If her son's death had robbed her of influence, she would find a way to reclaim it.

And so, beneath the surface of grief and outrage nobody cared about the person who had died, the court remained a den of vipers, each person scheming and and planning in silence. it really raised a question about weather there was anyone who was genuinely being sad about the situation.

------------------------------------------

Meanwhile the culprit Arthur was laid on a bed with blankets covering his cold feet as he looked at the sealing while his thoughts wandered from one thing to another.

Arthur had thought a lot on how to take things from here on. as soon as he had adapted to this new world he had already decided on his priorities: gaining strength, gaining knowledge, and establishing influence and information. These three pillars would form the foundation of his survival and eventual rise in this dangerous, politically charged world.

he already knew how to gain strength- he just had to wait for his class awakening then he would be able to get some immensely powerful class from the inheritance cards.

He already had powerful tools at his disposal, including Sebastian, his SSS-ranked subordinate. Sebastian wasn't just strong; he was a force of nature, a being who, Arthur believed, had the potential to be the strongest entity on the continent. 

one could start levelling up once awakened. he also wasn't worried about being targeted anymore since he had already dealt with the prince and he wasn't famous so he won't be targeted without reason since in the mind of his competitors and other nobles he wasn't really a threat. The prince also targeted him because he had a feud with his father otherwise he had been living a deadbeat life since childhood.

he had already ensured influence and information since he had already taken steps by establishing an organization in secret. With Sebastian overseeing its operations, Arthur felt confident that it would grow into a powerful network capable of gathering intelligence, manipulating events, and creating opportunities in his favor.

Now he had nearly 1.5 years before his awakening and entrance in the Northern academy. Arthur wanted to grow and at the same time take it slow and have fun since he knew that after these 1.5 years life would be hard and challenging when he would step out into the world.

his thoughts buzzed 

he whispered 

"status"

[NAME - ARTHUR NOLAN]

[RACE - HUMAN]

[AGE - 14]

[CLASS - NONE]

[LEVEL - 5]

[TALENTS - VISHWAKARMA'S APOSTLE (SSS), HEAVENLY BATTLE OMNISCENCE(SSS), RUNIC MIND (SSS)]

[CRAFT POINTS - 0]

[SKILLS -

CLASS SKILLS - NONE

EXTRA SKILLS - DREAM HAUNT (S)

SPECIAL - SIGHT OF GENESIS]

[PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES - 2 (AVG)]

[MAGICAL ATTRIBUTES - 5 (AVG)]

[BONDS -

SUBORDINATES - SEBASTIAN BLACK (SSS)

TREASURES - DICE OF FORTUNE (SSS), UNIVERSAL NEWSLETTER (SSS)]

{AUTHOR NOTE: NAME OF GOD-LEVEL COMPREHENSION WILL BE CHANGED TO 'HEAVENLY BATTLE OMNISCENCE'}

he looked at his status, tying to plan on how to utilize the most of what he had for now.

suddenly he had an idea!!