Not-So an Extra

Long and straight black hair combined with a pair of golden eyes, her name was Lucia.

She was the daughter of Duke Delacroix and the first wife of Arthur Leillucis–the current Emperor of the Aeon Empire.

They were wedded before Arthur sat on the throne.

Delacroix's Family had been at the center of the political scene for generations.

When Arthur was crowned as the Crown Prince, the Councils pushed him to marry the Young Lady of Delacroix, and the pressure worsened when the Emperor was sickly bedridden.

Arthur knew exactly what Duke Delacroix aimed for; he wanted to take control of the Empire.

But Arthur was not stupid enough to let Duke Delacroix get what he wanted and not idiot enough to throw away such influential backing from a Duke.

And so, Arthur accepted the council's recommendation and wedded Lucia Delacroix.

Unbeknownst to them, Arthur schemed behind their back. He sought help from Duke Lancaster to repress Duke Delacroix's influence.

Arthur expressed his worries about the Empire's future as the power that Duke Delacroix held within the Imperial Court kept growing.

At first, Duke Lancaster refused because he didn't want to get involved in a power struggle within the Imperial, but after a deep rumination, Duke Lancaster eventually agreed.

After the Emperor passed away, Arthur ascended the throne and at the coronation, he finally dropped the bomb.

Arthur announced and appointed Aerilyn, the Young Lady of the Lancaster Family as the Empress instead of Lucia.

Of course, this resulted in a very, very big ruckus and chaotic situation because Duke Delacroix felt betrayed.

Many councils opposed and demanded the Emperor change his mind for months, but in the end, they could only grit their teeth.

Not to mention that their opponent was the center of the military scene, and they were doubtlessly not foolish enough to start a conflict with the strongest military on the continent.

Later, the Imperial Court split into three factions; Delacroix's faction, Lancaster's faction, and the neutral faction.

Life within the Imperial Palace had never been easy for Aerilyn, she had 2 miscarriages and she gave birth prematurely to Adrian, two years after Lucia gave birth to Nathaniel.

As accident after accident befell upon Adrian, Aerilyn got no choice but to imprison his son in his Palace.

When Adrian started his training at the age of 3, he met Nathaniel. The two of them immediately became friends and their bond escalated into siblings.

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Nathaniel's golden eyes watched how the rain poured down and drenched the soil through the window.

The rain was heavy and the thunder kept shouting above, even the trail had turned muddy.

If this thunderstorm continued, Nathaniel thought that the journey should be postponed since it would be dangerous to keep on going.

They were on their way to return to the Sun Castle–the Imperial Palace at the Capital City after attending the Hastilude festival at the Lancaster fiefdom in the Egberg Region.

Soon, the carriage stopped and knocks were heard. Nathaniel opened the door and a bowing knight came into view.

"There's an accident with the Empress' carriage and Prince Adrian is currently miss–"

Nathaniel stormed out and Lucia stood up from her seat.

"Nathan!!"

Ignoring his mother's shouting, he ran toward the horse in front of the carriage and mounted it.

He took out his sword from the Magical Sphere, cut the rope that chained the horse, and rode through the rain.

A flash of lightning filled the atmosphere and the thunder roared along with Lucia's scream.

"Nathaniel!!"

Her chest heaved up and down upon seeing her son's action. She turned to the knight and ordered.

"What are you doing?! Get Nathaniel back here!"

"I–I understand."

He bowed and took two knights along with him to pursue the boy.

–Gallop –Gallop –Gallop

The sound of galloping hooves on the mud resounded throughout the space.

The rain soaked Nathaniel's whole body and clothes, to the point that he looked like a drowned rat.

Rumbling thunder with numerous streaks of lightning didn't stop Nathaniel from going.

He raised his hand and a bracelet framed with gold with two blue beads came into view.

That thing was not an ordinary bracelet. The bracelet was called Telesphere, a communication device invented by the Tower.

Not only a communication device, Telesphere but here also served as magical storage, and without thinking much he immediately contacted Adrian.

–Ring –Ring –Ring

No matter how many times he called his younger brother's Tele-code, there was no answer.

"Damn it!"

Nathaniel cursed at the wind and an unsettling feeling washed over him as he was worried beyond imagination for his younger brother.

He gritted his teeth and gripped the harness tighter.

Every time!

Whenever Adrian had activities outside his Palace, tragedies would occur and some even nearly cost his life!

No matter how many times Nathaniel tried to convince his mother that he didn't want the throne, she never listened and just went her way.

She was an egotistical person who was obsessed with the throne and never bothered to even think about her own son's feelings.

Nathaniel hated it. He despised his mother!

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After half an hour's ride, a broken carriage was seen.

–Neigh!

The boy pulled the reins and dismounted from the horse.

Knights were seen passing by and some were gathering near a steep slope. Nathaniel ran toward them and asked.

"Has Adrian been found?"

All the knights turned to the voice and hastily bowed.

"We greet–"

"Cut the crap. Has Adrian been found or not?"

Nathaniel sounded impatient and a knight answered.

"His Highness has not–"

"Tsk."

He clucked his tongue in annoyance and without thinking much, Nathaniel jumped out of the cliff.

"Your Highness!!"

"Your Highness!!"

Nathaniel slid down, luckily he wore a sabaton. He took out the sword and cut every branch that got in his way.

"What happened?"

The knights spun their heads and a young man around his late twenties with light green hair and eyes on a horse came into view.

The Imperial Coat of Arms on his chest gave away his identity without even being asked.

He was an Imperial Knight that served directly under the Emperor; the Emperor's escort knight.

The knights immediately gave him a salute.

"Sir!"

He dismounted and approached them.

It seemed the Emperor sent one of his escorts.

"Has the Prince been found?"

The knight shook his head.

"We have not, and–"

One of his brows raised, he demanded a clear answer and the knight continued.

"–His Highness the First Prince just went down a few minutes ago."

He couldn't help but facepalm.

"So, both Princes are missing now?"

"Yes."

The light green hair knight sighed and gave an order.

"You two, follow me."

"Y–yes, Sir!"

Afterward, the three knights slid down the slope.

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