Chapter 27
Sizelry Ephania.
The first prince was finally killed by Sigrid, right before she was about to place Arthur on the throne.
Sizelry hid the White Dragon Seal, a symbol of imperial power, in a place no one could find, and then she committed suicide.
According to an ancient unwritten rule, anyone without the White Dragon Seal cannot ascend to the throne.
As a result, Sigrid and Arthur, lacking the White Dragon Seal, were unable to unify the empire.
They somehow ended up on the throne, but they were merely figureheads.
They could never put an end to the disturbances occurring within the empire.
All because of one incident caused by Sizelry.
‘It seems she wanted to eliminate that obstacle in advance.’
Sizelry possessed a mind that was distinctly different from others.
Even the most renowned geniuses frequently found themselves ceding to her intellect.
Thus, it was evident that Sigrid anticipated any interference by Sizelry, regardless of whether she got her hands on the White Dragon Seal first.
Sizelry wouldn’t allow Arthur to ascend to the throne without a fight.
‘She plans to have the Night Crow kill Sizelry and pin the blame for it on the second prince, who is associated with the Night Crow, intending to finish them both off simultaneously.’
Kraush felt all the pieces of the puzzle click into place.
‘It’s not like I have much to say since I killed my half-brother myself.’
Kraush was aware of how detached Sigrid could be when it came to family.
“What are you thinking about for so long?”
Crimson Garden, perched atop the bandaged man’s head, tilted her head and asked.
Kraush let out a long sigh upon witnessing her.
He had a rough understanding of the situation.
And why the Night Crow was participating in the martial arts tournament as well.
The second prince likely wished to boast about controlling the Night Crow to everyone.
And what better occasion than the martial arts tournament to spread that rumor?
He must have been hoping for the Night Crow to come in first place at this tournament.
All without knowing it was all part of Sigrid’s ploy.
And Sigrid’s sword would cut through Sizelry and the second prince simultaneously.
“Crim.”
“I told you not to call me that.”
Avoiding her beak as Crimson Garden tried to peck him, Kraush continued speaking.
“I could use a little more help.”
“You’re already getting groomed as my disciple. Asking for more help in this situation is rather shameless, don’t you think?”
“Shameless or not, this is tied to me getting stronger.”
Kraush finally figured out Sigrid’s intentions.
She wanted to pull down the first and second princes by any means necessary before she attended Rahelrn Academy.
That way, when the sickly emperor dies after graduating from Rahelrn Academy, Arthur could smoothly take over the throne.
What she was aiming for was the emperor of the empire.
And Kraush had no intention of allowing Arthur to ascend as emperor.
‘Black Hood fundamentally revolves around a target’s self-esteem to form the dial.’
Self-esteem determines the sturdiness of the dial; the higher it is, the stronger it is, making it difficult to unlock.
Conversely, the lower one’s self-esteem, the looser the dial becomes.
This was only natural.
To heighten the value of what one possesses, one must first believe in their own worth.
‘So, I can’t let Sigrid achieve her goals.’
For the future, he needed to steal the skills she possessed.
He couldn’t let her become emperor for that reason alone.
‘And if that damn woman ascends to the throne, the empire is doomed to collapse.’
Sigrid had a natural talent for fighting, but her intellect was unworthy of an emperor.
The fact that she couldn’t see beyond her immediate desires, like abruptly placing Arthur on the throne, clearly indicated this.
The fall of the empire would only mean a flood of degradation in the world.
He adamantly wished to prevent Sigrid from becoming emperor.
“I need to sabotage the plans of whoever I intend to steal skills from.”
Kraush’s determined statement made Crimson Garden click her tongue.
“Honestly, reincarnators always try to move with their pathetic knowledge of the future.”
Regrettably though, there actually existed true reincarnators.
“I’ve decided to help you this time, just for once.”
Fortunately, Crimson Garden agreed to lend a helping hand.
“What about this guy?”
She asked, pecking at the bandaged man.
Kraush turned away.
“Leave him. He’s not needed anymore.”
He had grasped the situation.
Since Sigrid was the person Kraush knew the best, there was no one more aware of the circumstances than her.
“Hmm, then I might as well implant a line in him.”
With that, Crimson Garden stomped on the bandaged man’s head.
A little while later, a black star was engraved amidst the bandages.
“Go on.”
When Crimson Garden commanded, the bandaged man turned around and started walking away.
“So, what’s the plan now?”
As the bandaged man walked off, Crimson Garden waddled back to Kraush.
“It’s simple. I need to find the Night Crow hiding in the main event.”
To do that, he would need to provoke some action that would draw out the Night Crow.
And as luck would have it, there was the perfect opportunity.
“Crim, I need to use your face for this.”
Let’s see who the real crow is around here.
＊ ＊ ＊
Sizelry was having a delightful day today.
The recent source of her joy stemmed from one individual.
A boy from Star Run who knew her true identity.
Kradd.
Every time his irritation flared due to her sudden antics, Sizelry nearly died laughing.
It was only natural, really.
To this point, people’s reactions to her mischievous behavior had been nothing short of perplexed.
She was the imperial princess.
The only person who could rebuke her childishness was her aide, Sera.
On the flip side, she was fully aware that any joke she pulled while hiding her identity was only possible because of that disguise.
So, Kradd had become a fun source of amusement for her.
He clearly knew her secret.
And yet, he had never once treated her as royalty.
That fact fascinated her to no end.
What kind of rascal could pull off such a feat, that was the sentiment lingering in her mind.
The unusual glint that occasionally peeked through his squinty eyes made it hard to see him as a mere fourteen-year-old boy.
Sizelry was convinced that he was hiding his true age.
And that aspect was equally amusing.
What a little old man he was—wasn’t he just a perfect reflection of herself?
Sizelry concluded that he was likely hiding his true identity.
While it was amusing how he wore a disguise unknowingly, her keen observational skills pierced right through it.
Most certainly, even his name was probably a pseudonym.
But that didn’t matter.
She had picked up on the fact that he had little interest outside of the martial arts tournament.
“Do you like that boy so much?”
Sizelry, gazing out the window, was asked by Sera.
Hearing that question brought an amused smirk to Sizelry’s face.
“Are you asking if I have romantic feelings for him?”
“The fourth princess can also be attracted to boys of the same age.”
Sizelry stroked her chin.
“Biologically, it is only natural for men and women to be attracted to each other. Especially given that I, being frail, should be desperate to leave behind heirs at this time, the surge of hormones is at its peak.”
“Stop beating around the bush.”
“I don’t really have any interest in that way. Even if he were of the same sex, I would respond in the same manner.”
Sizelry stated firmly.
“I am Sizelry Ephania, the fourth princess of the empire. Even if such feelings arise, those are thoughts I must never entertain.”
As she spoke, Sizelry slowly broke into a smile.
“That is the burden of being the fourth princess.”
Sera felt a twinge of sadness at that sight.
To her, being a princess meant nothing more than a shackle.
What good was having a brilliant mind?
God had given her a weak body and the position of the fourth princess.
She could only live a life filled with childish antics forever.
Or perhaps, there might have been another way.
However, the moment she chose that path, Sizelry would have to harm everyone around her by employing that brilliant mind of hers.
For that reason, she chose to remain in this position and continue living like a mischievous child.
“Oh, you’re here.”
Just then, Sizelry spotted Kraush walking in from outside.
“You really made a strong impression in the preliminaries, huh? Let’s go shower you with praise.”
Excited, Sizelry made her way down to the first floor.
Sera, watching her so eagerly, discreetly concealed her presence.
Sizelry jumped down the stairs and stood in front of the door.
She was planning to play a trick on Kraush the moment he walked in.
But as soon as the door creaked open, Sizelry suddenly fell silent.
She had glimpsed another emotion flickering in Kraush’s gaze as he looked at her.
“What is it?”
She couldn’t help but ask, her usual tone slipping out.
“Why do you suddenly look at me with that expression?”
Sizelry fired the question.
Well, that was only natural.
Kraush, who had been sulking since morning, suddenly had a spark of sympathy flickering in his eyes.
That emotion was something she had often seen in Sera, but it was not something Kraush should have possessed.
To be honest, it annoyed her.
She couldn’t understand how he knew about her, yet here he was regarding her with pity.
“Just.”
Kraush muttered, walking further inside.
“All I can think when I see you is how unfortunate your life is.”
His subsequent words made Sizelry turn to follow him with her gaze.
“What happened?”
“Take care of yourself. Just remember that.”
Bearing some cryptic words, he disappeared inside, leaving Sizelry standing there in bewilderment.
“Sera.”
“Yes.”
At her call, Sera quickly stepped forward.
Sizelry’s glimmering eyes were colder than ever.
“You’re the one who feeds information from the palace.”
She stated, casting a glance back at Sera.
“Can I truly trust this person?”
Despite her remarkable intellect, Sizelry still needed to hear information through her own ears.
She was not free in the palace.
So, she had taken to gathering information about the palace’s inner workings indirectly through Sera, and upon posing her questions, Sera bowed her head.
“I will confirm again.”
“Please do.”
Sizelry said this and turned her gaze back to the room Kraush entered.
What on earth had that boy learned?
Was he capable of seeing things she couldn’t?
She had no idea, but it seemed a significant wave might arise from this martial arts tournament.
