T/N : The First Imperial Princess mentioned here refers to Leonic’s sister, not to be confused with Ian’s sister.

The First Imperial Princess sat with a cold expression. Before her, several people screamed and cried out.

“P… Please spare us, Your Highness!”

“We are not followers of Crown Prince Leonic… cough!”

Their desperate cries were short-lived as the knights standing behind them swiftly carried out the executions. The floor was soon soaked in blood, yet the First Princess remained unmoved, her gaze unwavering.

At that moment, a man approached her.

“The reinforcements from Kaistein are expected to reach the palace soon.”

“That’s good. Have they brought any information about my brother?”

“Unfortunately, not yet. The First Royal Princess has been meticulously concealing any internal information. But soon, we will uncover whatever is being hidden.”

The man gave a cold smile.

“Not that it matters. They won’t even reach the Imperial City. I plan to take them hostage and ensure that Crown Prince Leonic never returns.”

“Very well. Handle it as you see fit.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Just as the man was about to leave, the First Princess stopped him.

“Wait. You forgot to report on the movements of the Second Prince.”

“My apologies. That must have slipped my mind.”

The man offered a relaxed smile, though it was no mistake. The First Princess, however, did not reprimand him.

Soon, he continued.

“It appears he is currently planning to eliminate the Seventh Prince.”

“As? How?”

“There is a man named Sang among the Seventh Prince’s subordinates. It seems they have struck a secret deal. If Sang kills As, the Second Prince will ensure Crown Prince Leonic’s safe return. Foolishly, he seems to believe that promise.”

The First Princess’s gaze grew even colder at the mention of that name.

“Ah… Sang. He was particularly remarkable among my brother’s subordinates.”

“He is indeed impressive. He managed to turn a small, outlying trade city into a prosperous territory.”

“Yes, I’ve heard he has great talent in internal affairs.”

“But in the end, he is nothing more than one of Crown Prince Leonic’s subordinates.”

The man’s eyes turned icy. To him, all of Leonic’s followers needed to be eliminated.

“You understand, don’t you, Your Highness? If he returns, your position will be in jeopardy.”

She was a princess aiming for the emperor’s throne. To her, Leonic and his followers were threats—people who only wished for him to ascend as emperor.

The man leaned in slightly and whispered, his tone chilling.

“So, Your Highness, of all people, must take the lead in dealing with Crown Prince Leonic’s men.”

“Of course. My brother must not return.”

“Then we must eliminate them.”

“Exactly.”

The First Imperial Princess remained composed, but her eyes subtly scrutinized the man’s expression.

‘They still suspect me.’

It was only natural. The people surrounding the First Imperial Princess were not entirely her subordinates. Each had their own ulterior motives, drawn to her with the promise of making her empress. Yet, from within, they were steadily consuming both her and Cantum.

‘But I have no choice. Their power is too great.’

At first, she believed she could use them to escape the grasp of the Second Prince, but reality was far more complicated. They were deliberately instigating conflict between her and the Second Prince, spilling Cantum’s blood for their own purposes. Worse still, they had begun eliminating Leonic’s followers—those she had secretly protected—even within her own camp.

The First Imperial Princess concealed the sharp glint in her eyes.

‘They are undoubtedly Kaistein’s people, judging by the way they speak. But it doesn’t make sense for Kaistein to target Cantum right now.’

Kaistein was already entangled in its own succession war and rebellion. These individuals were not Kaistein’s main forces but rather a third party with their own hidden agenda. The First Princess was determined to uncover it.

‘They are intentionally provoking battles. And in these blood-soaked battlefields, they are collecting… something.’

The foolish Second Prince wouldn’t realize it. He was too blinded by his ambitions for the throne. But she had already begun piecing together the truth behind their schemes.

‘Don’t think that I, or Cantum, will stand idly by. We have our own convictions.’

But at that moment, she saw no immediate way to escape their grasp, nor any means to eliminate them entirely. Then, she recalled the message secretly delivered by Leonic.

“I will be there soon. Just wait a little longer. Show them only what they want to see if you wish to survive. Even if my followers have to die, you must live.”

The First Imperial Princess let out a silent sigh.

‘Brother… please, come quickly. This burden is too heavy.’

Yet, she revealed nothing. These people were the ones creating countless bloodshed beside her. It was dangerous to reveal any weakness.

So, she spoke calmly.

“It seems we must participate in the Second Prince’s plans.”

“What do you mean, Your Highness?”

“They are sending forces to eliminate the Seventh Prince, As. Shouldn’t we lend a hand?”

Her words carried a hidden meaning. She intended not only to deal with the forces of the Second and Seventh Princes but also to break the delicate balance that had kept the Second Prince in check.

At her response, the man smiled.

“A wise decision, Your Highness. I will proceed as you command.”

It was the first time she had spoken in a way that resonated with them. Until now, despite her ruthless reputation, she had been reluctant to engage in war. But hesitation had no place in their ranks.

The man—Ceres—soon departed, his smile lingering.

Of course, the First Princess had not made her decision recklessly.

‘Yes, go on and leave. If you and your followers are gone…’

While they were away, she would clean up everything. Her eyes gleamed with hidden intent.

‘The subordinates of my brother that I have secretly kept alive… it is their turn to act.’

As each faction silently plotted, the First Imperial Princess prepared to take action.

***

‘This man is mine now.’

Ian was confident as he spoke to Sang.

“I am Ian Kaistein, Leonic’s sworn brother. And Leonic is now in Cantum.”

“R…really?”

“Do I look like someone who would joke?”

“P…proof… no, I mean, where is the proof?”

Ian pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. It was written in Leonic’s own handwriting.

[Ian Kaistein, who holds this letter, is my sworn brother and the one who will help me become emperor. Treat him as you would treat me, and assist him.]

Ian had obtained the letter after meeting Leonic, and its effect was immediate. Sang’s eyes widened in disbelief.

‘Th…the seal! It’s definitely Crown Prince Leonic’s!’

But it wasn’t just the seal. Everyone knew that Ian and Leonic were sworn brothers.

‘As far as I know, it was Ian Kaistein who captured Prince Leonic. But now he’s confirming that the Crown Prince has returned…’

Moreover, the letter explicitly stated that Ian would help Leonic become emperor. The handwriting and seal were undeniably genuine. This meant only Ian could assist Leonic. With that realization, Sang’s eyes gleamed with newfound determination.

“What would you have me do?”

“First, let’s locate the ones targeting the Seventh Prince.”

“They’re currently scattered throughout the castle. Their original target is Prince As’s birthday banquet, where they plan to gather.”

“How did they manage to get past the castle gates?”

“I helped them enter. They are now spread out inside.”

“Good. Since it’s come to this, let’s wipe them out completely.”

Ian smirked at the excitement in Sang’s eyes, but As, who had been listening, was utterly dumbfounded.

‘What on earth is going on…?’

It sent chills down his spine to see someone as meticulous as Sang acting this way. But what truly unnerved him was something else.

‘How did he manage to sway that madman with just a few words?’

Of course, Ian had not shown the letter to As. He hadn’t even revealed that he was Ian Kaistein. To As, it simply looked as if Ian had convinced the unpredictable Sang through sheer persuasion.

“Did you expect this to happen?”

“I’m not a prophet. How would I know?”

“Then what is this situation…?”

“I was just going to rough him up a bit and then talk him into it.”

“…Pardon?”

As gawked at Ian, completely speechless. Did he really think that would work? But Ian was being entirely serious.

‘Of course, I had Leonic’s handwritten letter, but honestly… it wouldn’t have made much of a difference.’

As if in agreement, the voice from Ian’s helmet spoke up.

[Indeed, Royal Roader. With your power alone, you can fight from an overwhelming position.]

The Royal Roader, the master of all knightly oaths. It was the power Ian had awakened, passed down from the first king. Because of this, he was certain he wouldn’t lose, no matter what Sang had planned.

‘Besides, neither I nor my knights are weak.’

[Precisely. With your current strength and that of your knights, you could stand against even the knights of the first king’s era.]

Now that his knights’ oaths were strengthened by Faith, Ian feared nothing—except perhaps Duke Lavaltor. Even so, he remained cautious.

‘But that doesn’t mean I’m invincible, right?’

[Correct… but depending on the opponent, victory may come easily.]

The Royal Roader was indeed the master of all oaths. However, too much time had passed since that power was last recognized. The loyalty of today’s knights had shifted, and the stronger their devotion to another, the harder it was to command them.

[If a knight truly serves their lord, your command may not affect them at all.]

‘Now that I think about it, the knights Sang brought don’t seem to be his own.’

[Nor do they appear to be Leonic’s.]

Most were knights under As, but they had been swayed by promises of wealth and status. None of them truly followed Sang.

‘If they had been Leonic’s knights or those bound by true loyalty, this wouldn’t have worked.’

[There can only be one sun. No one can serve two masters.]

The first king, the original Royal Roader, had created the knightly oaths, but over time, loyalty to the Royal Roader weakened. If a knight was utterly devoted to their lord, they could resist even the Royal Roader’s command. That was the nature of an oath—an unshakable, life-defining loyalty to a single individual.

This was why knights could transfer their oath from the Royal Roader to another person. Ian and the helmet had encountered such knights before.

[Duke Lavaltor is one of them, as are the knights who follow the First Princess and the Third Prince.]

The Black Lion Knights and the Blood Lion Knights were the same. Their loyalty to King Eloin, whom they had fought beside for years, was absolute. Even the Royal Roader could hardly sway them.

But right now, the important thing was this:

‘Then I should recruit as many knights without a lord as possible.’

[Yes. Whether they have taken an oath or not, this will ultimately be a battle of knights. You should meet and recruit as many as possible.]

‘No, that’s not quite it.’

[Huh?]

‘A knight is not born—they are made. I have no intention of recruiting new knights among the current ones.’

[What? Then what are you planning?]

At the helmet’s words, Ian’s eyes shone. He had gained confidence thanks to his new ability.

‘With my current abilities… I can create knights with oaths. It won’t be easy, but it’s possible.’

[Wh…what?!]

‘I can feel it. The power of the Royal Roader.’

His words were no joke.

Woong!

Ian’s Faith was screaming strongly. It was as if the very essence of his power was whispering to him: You can do it. As long as you don’t falter, as long as you stay true to your convictions, anything is possible.

The helmet stammered in disbelief.

[T-That was something only the first king could do…]

‘Well, let’s save that for later. We still have unfinished business.’

Ian turned to As.

“By the way, Prince As. We still have a score to settle, don’t we?”

“What do you want from me?”

“It’s nothing much. I just need your help.”

“With what?”

Ian leaned in and whispered.

“The Second Prince and the First Princess.”

“Pardon?”

“They’re the ones trying to kill you.”

Ian’s lips curled into a grin.

“I think it’s time we take care of them.”

“Pardon?!”

Ian intended to seize everything before First Prince Leon could make a move. The ideal outcome would be to take control of the country without war, preventing Leon from obtaining the power of the Seven Sins. For that, he needed the Seventh Prince’s cooperation.

Completely overwhelmed, As blurted out, “What exactly are you planning to do?”

Ian smirked. “What do you mean? We need to take them all down.”

“Pardon?”

“They’re planning to target the banquet, right? Then we’ll wipe them all out that day.”

Surely, the knights of both Leon and the Second Prince would appear. If they were eliminated, the Second Prince’s power would be significantly weakened. This would tip the balance in favor of the First Imperial Princess, turning their evenly matched battle into a one-sided victory.

“Contact the First Imperial Princess and tell her to attack the Second Prince then. She’ll be thrilled, won’t she?”

“B…but that means I have to contact my sister…”

Ian raised an eyebrow. “Are you scared?”

“…A little, yes.”

In the past, she had been a kind and innocent princess, beloved by the entire imperial family and the people of Cantum. She had even been known as the Flower of Cantum. However, with Leonic’s downfall, she had become ruthless.

“You can see it in the way she treats Brother Leonic’s former subordinates. They were the ones who put her in that position in the first place.”

Originally, Leonic’s subordinates had sought to support the First Princess and restore Leonic to his rightful place. But they had betrayed her. As a result, the remaining loyalists to Leonic had been scattered, waiting for the right moment to act.

Sang clenched his fists and shouted, his voice thick with rage. “Because of that treacherous woman… our forces are scattered, and the Crown Prince can’t return!”

But Ian merely smirked.

‘That may not be the case. They’ll regret that soon enough.’

[Why not just tell them the truth? It’s not what they think.]

‘Not yet. If I want to make full use of his abilities, I can’t reveal everything now.’

Ian knew the real story—the truth behind Leonic’s relationship with the First Imperial Princess. It was information the Crown Prince Leonic himself had given him.

“If something happens in Cantum, please don’t harm the First Princess.”

“Why? Because she’s your sister?”

“That girl is the only one who follows me.”

“But didn’t you say she killed all your subordinates?”

“That’s not true. Thanks to her, some of them survived.”

That wasn’t the only truth Leonic had revealed. He had also shared details about the people surrounding both the Second Prince and the First Imperial Princess—the ones secretly manipulating them. Ian’s eyes gleamed.

‘It’s Leon’s subordinates, no doubt.’

Leonic had told him that Leon’s influence stretched across the continent. If that was the case, then Leon’s forces were likely the ones pulling the strings in Cantum, stoking conflict from the shadows. Just as they were fueling chaos in Kaistein, they were also cultivating the Seven Sins in Cantum.

It was clear that the rapid decline of Leonic’s power wasn’t simply due to greed—there was another force at play, guiding the downfall from behind the scenes. Leonic had sensed this as well.

“I have a private communication network with her. And my subordinates are in hiding, pretending to be dead.”

Leonic and his remaining forces were waiting for the perfect moment to eliminate the enemy from within. That was why he had asked Ian not to harm the First Imperial Princess—because when the time came, she would fight alongside him.

With that knowledge, Ian smiled confidently.

“Let’s prepare for a grand banquet. I’m going to sweep everything away.”

He wasn’t just going to disrupt the attack on Prince As. He planned to wipe out the Second Prince’s entire faction—and expose any hidden enemies within the First Princess’s ranks. It was going to be a complete purge.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read