Chapter 63:Winter is coming

When the skyline of the capital came into view from afar, Ethan watched the scenery. Interestingly, despite Ethan's certainty that there would be trouble, the trip went almost without a hitch. There had been a few minor problems, but everything had gone smoothly on the journey to the capital. The minor issues were just a few fallen trees or wild animals on the road. Perhaps bandits hadn't dared to attack Ethan's carriage because of the emblem displayed on it. Each prince had their own flag with a distinct symbol on it. Even from afar, these flags were recognizable, and anyone looking at them could tell which prince they belonged to.

As Ethan gazed at the magnificent silhouette of the capital from a distance, he felt a sense of peace and happiness within him. The minor troubles he had experienced during the journey now seemed to be behind him. As Ethan's unit entered the capital, people who saw the flag bowed their heads regarding Prince Ethan. It seemed Ethan's fame exceeded expectations. Ethan silently watched people from inside. The people of Asina undoubtedly trusted Ethan, and now he had overcome a major obstacle on the path to the throne with little effort.

When they arrived at the outer gate of the palace, after a few seconds of waiting, the gates swiftly opened, and Ethan's group entered the palace. Before long, the carriage stopped, and Ethan, along with Luna, stepped out of the carriage. As he got off the carriage, he saw his mother, Luciana, and walked towards her, embracing her tightly.

"My dear litle Ethan, I've missed you so much! You've grown so much, and you look just like you did when I first met Richard," Luciana said. Indeed, Ethan had grown a lot in recent years and resembled Richard even more. Ethan had inherited Richard's blue eyes, handsome face, tall stature, and, lastly, his jet-black hair, like a night without stars.

"I've missed you too, Mother," Ethan said, letting go of his mother's embrace. "Is Father available right now?" Ethan asked.

"You've just arrived, and already you're going to run off to see Richard, leaving your mother behind?" Luciana said jokingly, taking Ethan by the arm and leading him into the palace. Ethan looked at Luna behind him and somehow they communicated with their eyes and agreed to talk later. Luna quietly went to her assigned room in the palace.

Ethan, Later smiled at his mother's joking words. "Of course, I want to see Father too, but only for matters concerning the kingdom," he replied. As they walked into the palace, Ethan noticed familiar faces all around him. As he walked through the palace corridors, many noble and palace staff members greeted Ethan and watched him with smiles.

They finally arrived at the entrance to Richard's study, and after the guard at the door bowed, Ethan entered. Inside, he saw his father. Richard still looked imposing, and having a patch in one eye didn't diminish his authoritative appearance.

"Welcome, my son. I hope your journey went well," Richard said.

"Yes, it went smoothly," Ethan replied and settled into the incredibly comfortable chair in front of Richard.

Richard gave Luciana a meaningful look, and Luciana said, "Then I'll leave you two alone." before stepping out.

"Is there something between you two?" Ethan asked.

"As it happens in every relationship, sometimes we can't see eye to eye, but don't worry, I'll talk to her later," Richard said, getting up from his chair and sitting next to Ethan.

"You're probably wondering why I summoned you here," Richard said.

"Yes, Father. You mentioned important matters in the letter, but I didn't understand why you needed me to come here urgently" Ethan said.

"As I mentioned in the letter, war is upon us, and the kingdom we'll be fighting is the Alpshar Kingdom."

"What? Even the Tamerid Empire couldn't handle them. Why would we go to war with them? We could continue our peaceful relations" Ethan said.

"I would have preferred to continue peacefully as well, but I know that Alpshar is preparing for war against us" Richard said.

"But I don't understand, Father. As far as I know, Alpshar is already enemies with both the Island Federation in the South and the Tamerid Empire. Why would they want to create another powerful enemy?" Ethan asked.

"I don't know either, but it seems Alpshar already sees us as enemies" Richard said.

"Or perhaps they see us as an obstacle to their goals" Ethan added.

"Okay, but don't worry, we'll win this war" said Richard.

"Do you have a plan, father?" Ethan asked.

"We've already negotiated with the federation of islands to the south and agreed to simultaneously attack the Alpshar kingdom. Also, even though the Tamerid Empire has decided not to join the war, they will provide us with substantial financial assistance" Richard said.

"I understand. If Alpshar is attacked from both the south and the north, He the most logical option would be to retreat to the center of their kingdom for a defensive position." Ethan said.

"Yes, that's what we anticipate" Richard said, feeling proud of his son.

"What if we didn't attack simultaneously?" Ethan asked, stroking his chin.

Richard looked at his son with interest. "What do you mean?" he said.

"I mean, after the federation of islands attacks, we wait for a while before launching our attack. That way, Alpshar will focus on the federation's armies, and we can come from behind, forcing them to fight in open terrain" Ethan said.

"Hmm, it's a wondurfull Strategy, even quite clever, but there's a major obstacle to its execution. It requires weeks of sea travel to communicate with the federation of islands and discuss the plan. On the other hand, if we carry out this plan without telling the island federation, they may think that we have given up the war and, being too cowardly to face Alpşar alone, they are likely to retreat and turn hostile against us " Richard said.

"Yes, I forgot about the communication aspect" Ethan said. In his previous world, long-distance communication was child's play, so he had overlooked this point.

"Anyway, that wasn't the main reason I called you here. After this war, I'm considering abdicating the throne willingly, and I want you to be the next king" Richard said.

"What?" Ethan couldn't believe what he heard. Richard wanted to step down from the throne willingly and retire. While this had happened a few times in this world before, it was still quite rare. Moreover, Richard was at the peak of his power, and he was currently an unchallenged king.

"As I said, I want to abdicate" Richard said as he looked at the royal ring.

"But why, Dad? You're at the peak of your powers right now" Ethan said.

"That's why it's a good time for me to give up the throne soon. If I declare you king myself, no one can oppose you. "said Richard.

Ethan didn't want to insist further. After all, Richard didn't like persistent people, and Ethan would get the throne he desired faster, anyway. What could be better than that?

"Whatever you deem appropriate, father" Ethan said, bowing his head slightly.

"But remember, Ethan, what I've said stays between us. If word gets out before the war that you're going to be king, I'm sure there will be people who will even collaborate with our enemy. Also, my other children might rebel, and with a difficult war looming, such a thing would ruin us. Do you do understand me? Do not share this information with anyone, and especially not your fiancée, the Mauritanian princess."Richard said.

"Your words are my command, Father. Rest assured, I'll keep my lips sealed" Ethan said.

Richard stood up and walked towards his desk. "Now, go and rest, my son. You must be quite tired" he said.