“My thoughts were shallow. I apologize.”
“No, it is not your fault. I know you are doing your best. And if those butchers from that day returned, no offense intended, but the whole palace would already be in chaos. I understand your point—His Highness likely moved on his own.”
Count Landerck let out a deep sigh.
He was a man who had devoted himself solely to sword training and had little talent for political maneuvering or gestures.
Yet he was no fool.
Countless heroes and talents of the Empire had lost their lives in the Founding Day catastrophe.
The palace, the inner citadel, and the entire capital region were still suffering the aftermath.
Pointing out a lapse in escort duty would not fundamentally solve anything—he knew that well.
“For now, I have summoned Viscount Philips Grey of the Grey Tower via magical telegram. He will arrive within five minutes.”
Viscount Philips Grey was a direct disciple of Count Albus Grey, the Grey Tower Lord who had perished in the catastrophe, and a high-ranking mage who had reached the realm of Grand Chevalier.
With so many heroes falling at the grand banquet, the highest-level mages currently available for cooperation in the capital were limited to Grand Chevalier class at best.
Mages were already a rare resource, and most of the Empire’s high-ranking or above mages had been turned to corpses in that tragedy…
Aside from the late Imperial Mage Tower Lord Marquis Hermann Melstapho and Grey Tower Lord Count Albus Grey, no grand mage-level forces remained in the capital.
“If it is Viscount Philips Grey, he is trustworthy. His loyalty has never wavered.”
Count Steiner Landerck answered quietly, then turned his head with a weary expression.
From the direction he looked, the massive figure of Aaron Valerian, holy knight of the Emperor’s Cult, was approaching with heavy steps.
For someone possessing fanatical loyalty to the Felberg imperial house, his excessive calm distorted the expressions of both Count Landerck and Baron Denver.
Yet when Aaron spoke upon reaching them, the two men’s faces filled with bewilderment.
“Be at ease. His Highness Prince Kain is safe.”
As Aaron Valerian, now close, opened his previously closed eyes, golden pupils gleamed.
This was a miracle manifested only in those within the Emperor’s Cult who possessed fanatical faith and loyalty toward the Emperor.
“I know it. His Highness is safe. Rather… at this very moment, he is attaining the qualifications of a true Emperor of Felberg.”
Aaron Valerian spoke with absolute certainty, but neither Denver nor Landerck could easily agree.
They were not fanatics of the Emperor’s Cult, and until they saw the Third Prince walking toward them with their own eyes, they could not be certain of his safety.
Yet soon enough, both knights confirmed that Aaron’s words were no bluff.
“We have located His Highness! He is in the bedroom!”
At the following knight’s shout, Count Landerck and Baron Denver hurriedly ran toward the bedroom of the First Annex Palace.
“Your Highness! Are you unharmed?!”
When they arrived, they finally beheld the sight they had so desperately sought: Kain Felberg—the former wastrel and now the last royal of the Felberg house—sitting on the sofa with a tired face, smiling.
“Thank the heavens.”
“Y-Your Highness…”
Baron Denver was genuinely relieved, Count Landerck wore an expression desperate to ask what had happened, and Aaron Valerian merely gazed at Kain in reverence, his golden eyes shining.
Looking at the three men, Kain revealed the new Sigil engraved on the back of his hand.
“Th-that is…”
Kain smiled faintly and said.
“Now we can proceed with the coronation.”
It was time to proclaim to all that the authority of the Felberg imperial house had risen once more.
***
“Preparations for the coronation are proceeding smoothly. Barring any unforeseen variables, the ceremony will be held three days from now.”
Viscount Alons Keilid—one of the few remaining First Chamberlains in the Felberg Empire’s Ministry of the Interior, who had offered loyalty to the imperial house for over forty years—reported calmly on the status of the coronation preparations, now only three days away.
Kain, who had visited the “Mausoleum of the Star Thrones” via the secret passage in the First Annex Palace to engrave the Sigil of the Baron of Protection, Vendelhaven, now faced the coronation he had briefly postponed.
“We have sent telegrams not only to the vassal houses that have traditionally sworn loyalty to the Empire and the imperial family but also to the noble houses currently taking a lukewarm stance toward the Felberg imperial house.”
The bloodline of the Star Thrones—the foundation of the Felberg Empire since the ancient mythic age.
Now only one direct descendant remained: Kain Felberg.
With every other royal dead, to inform as many nobles as possible that the name of Felberg still stood, they needed to reveal the existence of the Sigil.
Once infamous as a wastrel prince, Kain Felberg was now the sole hope of the crumbling Empire.
Yet within him dwelt not the soul of the wastrel Kain, but Kang Ji-hoon—the lead developer of this world.
He planned to reveal the Sigil of the Baron of Protection, Vendelhaven, before as many nobles as possible on the public stage of the coronation.
After the massacre that claimed the Emperor and all royals on Founding Day, many nobles held negative views about the former wastrel prince Kain becoming the last hope of the Empire.
The fact that he bore a Sigil remained mere rumor; everyone who had confirmed it was either dead or keeping silent.
But if it became known that Kain possessed the blessing of the Star Thrones—the Sigil?
Not only the neutrals but even the loyalist nobles, no matter how dissatisfied with the current necessity of the wastrel prince ascending the throne, would be overwhelmed the moment they saw the Sigil and unable to utter a word against his authority.
“Furthermore, on the day of the coronation, a sufficient number of knights and mages will be deployed in the grand plaza to prevent any unfortunate incidents.”
First Chamberlain Viscount Alons Keilid spoke as if to say not to worry about security on the day, yet his own expression betrayed uncertainty.
It was understandable—after all, they had failed to prevent the massacre at the grand banquet hall not long ago.
The current forces were not stronger than before Founding Day but weaker.
Yet the coronation had to proceed regardless.
The Empire needed an Emperor, and the legitimacy of the Felberg throne stemmed from the bloodline of the Star Thrones.
The one positive aspect was that, despite Kain being perfectly alive, the unidentified assassins who had attacked the grand banquet on Founding Day had not returned.
Whoever they were, it meant they could not be used recklessly.
Well, they were beings that only appeared in the DLC anyway.
It was a secret known only to Kain.
But even he could not predict how their existence would be explained in this world where multiple DLCs overlapped.
All Kain could do was his best.
“We must proclaim to all that the Felberg Empire still stands strong. The Ministry of the Interior should prepare the coronation with that in mind.”
“We will do our utmost.”
Viscount Alons Keilid answered vigorously.
Watching him, Kain secretly sent a gaze of quiet admiration.
One notable change had occurred after engraving the Sigil containing the power of the Baron of Protection, Vendelhaven, in the “Mausoleum of the Star Thrones” connected to the underground of the Crown Prince’s Palace.
[The “Tutorial Story” has been completed. The “Main Story” will now proceed in earnest.]
[As a reward for completing the “Tutorial Story,” Stage 1 of the Wanderer privilege is unlocked. You may now view the “settings” of others within limited scope.]
It was the system message that had appeared the moment he engraved the Sigil of the Baron of Protection, Vendelhaven, and exited the mausoleum.
Kain Felberg focused the power of the “world” into his eyes as he looked at the other person.
A power completely different from mana.
Thus, an unseen, unknown force settled in Kain’s pupils.
Then, the “world” generated a new system message before his eyes.
[Using Stage 1 of the Wanderer privilege to partially view the setting book information of “Viscount Alons Keilid.”]
The moment the system message vanished, Viscount Alons Keilid’s setting book information filled Kain’s vision.
<Alons Keilid (Viscount)>
Possessed Traits: Old Loyal Retainer (B), Veteran Chamberlain (D), Noble (D), Court Etiquette (E) – Additional traits unavailable for viewing.
Overview: Head of a loyalist noble house that has sworn loyalty to the Felberg Empire and imperial family since ancient times. The Keilid house has long devoted itself to the prosperity of the Empire and imperial family rather than personal gain, and Alons Keilid is an unwavering loyal retainer who has served for over forty years.
It was Viscount Alons Keilid’s setting book.
The Wanderer privilege could practically be considered a player-exclusive authority.
Of course, being only Stage 1, the setting information viewable was limited.
According to the memories of Kain—who had held the position of overall director for Empire Heroic Legend—Viscount Alons Keilid possessed far more than four traits.
He could not recall every detail, but this loyal chamberlain had many more traits, including miscellaneous ones.
Indeed, one corner of the setting book noted that “additional traits cannot be viewed at the current stage.”
Even if it is limited, being able to open a character’s setting book is an incredible privilege.
No matter how much Kain, as overall director, had overseen most of the world-building and development from the planning stage, human memory is imperfect.
There were things he remembered clearly now and things he remembered vaguely, but eventually even those would sink into the depths of memory.
In that sense, the Wanderer privilege that allowed him to confirm settings within the world of Empire Heroic Legend was extremely useful.
“The Ministry of the Interior will spare no effort for a successful coronation.”
After Viscount Alons Keilid declared his resolve and withdrew, Count Steiner Landerck—the commander of the Third Imperial Knight Order—arrived next to explain security and vigilance for the coronation day.
The moment he entered the reception room, Kain fixed his gaze on him and opened the setting book.