Inside the capital of the Holy Empire, the royal castle remained as grand and imposing as ever.
Long red carpets stretched across the polished marble floors while golden lights from crystal lamps illuminated the endless hallways softly.
At this mont, Crypian Thorne was calmly walking through one of the royal corridors that led toward the residence of the First Prince.
Ciel had separated from him earlier.
Since Princess Cecilia had been staying inside the royal castle for the past few days due to the emperor’s worsening illness, Ciel had naturally gone to et her instead.
The two of them had been childhood friends for years, so no one found it strange.
To be honest, Crypian himself preferred it this way.
The discussion he was about to have with the First Prince was extrely important, and he did not want unnecessary people listening nearby.
As Crypian walked through the corridor, servants occasionally passed by while lowering their heads respectfully.
"Lord Crypian."
"Young Master Thorne."
Soft greetings followed one after another.
Crypian responded with a calm smile while continuing forward at an unhurried pace.
Along both sides of the corridor, royal guards stood every few ters apart.
Each one wore heavy silver armor that completely covered their bodies.
Their helts hid their expressions entirely, making them look almost like lifeless statues placed there for decoration.
Not a single one moved. Yet the pressure surrounding them quietly reminded everyone nearby that these were elite soldiers personally guarding the royal family.
The only sounds inside the hallway were the faint echoes of Crypian’s footsteps against the floor.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he continued walking.
According to the agreent his father had reached with the First Prince, the Thorne family would fully support Sebastian Evander during the imperial succession struggle.
Because of that, Crypian had been personally instructed by the patriarch of the Thorne family to handle several important discussions himself.
And more importantly...he needed to ensure that the First Prince successfully beca the next emperor.
Everything had to proceed exactly according to the future he rembered.
With those thoughts in mind, Crypian finally arrived before the large wooden doors at the very end of the corridor.
The doors were massive and dark brown in color, covered with beautiful golden carvings that curved across the surface like flowing rivers.
Even the handles looked expensive enough to belong inside a treasury rather than a room.
Crypian slowly raised his hand.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Three calm knocks echoed through the quiet hallway. A few seconds later, soft footsteps approached from the other side.
Creak....the large doors slowly opened.
Standing there was an old man dressed in a perfectly neat butler uniform.
He was tall and thin, though his back bent slightly with age. His gray beard was carefully grood while his short hair had been combed back neatly without a single strand out of place.
The mont he saw Crypian, the old butler smiled warmly.
"Young Master Crypian," he said politely while bowing slightly. "His Highness has been waiting for your arrival. Please, co inside."
"Thank you."
Crypian returned a faint smile before stepping into the room. The mont he entered, even he could not help glancing around briefly.
The room was enormous. Calling it a simple bedroom would honestly be ridiculous.
It was more accurate to describe it as a combination of a royal eting hall and a private chamber.
The first thing visible after entering was a massive black table positioned at the center of the room. Several important figures already sat around it quietly.
The Duke of the North.
Count Kalan, Count Siefert, Count Xavier.
All of them were nobles with enough influence to shake large parts of the empire if they wished to.
At the head of the table sat a young man with long silver hair that shined softly beneath the crystal lights above.
His handso face carried a calm and refreshing smile while his bright blue eyes imdiately turned toward Crypian the mont he entered.
This young man was none other than the First Prince of the Holy Empire.
Sebastian Evander.
"If it is not Lord Crypian." Sebastian stood up from his chair gracefully before walking forward personally.
A gentle smile remained on his face the entire ti, but hidden beneath that warmth was a faint pressure that naturally belonged to soone raised within the center of imperial power.
He stopped before Crypian and extended his hand. Crypian imdiately accepted it, the two shook hands lightly.
"I have been waiting for you ever since I heard news of your arrival," Sebastian said pleasantly. "How was your journey here?"
"It was smooth, Your Highness," Crypian answered calmly.
"Hahaha..." Sebastian chuckled softly, the atmosphere around him becoming even friendlier.
"Unfortunately, I could not attend your engagent ceremony."
He sighed lightly while shaking his head with what looked like genuine disappointnt.
"As you can see, the amount of work surrounding the succession matter has beco exhausting lately."
Then his eyes curved slightly with amusent.
"Still, please do not take it to heart. I have heard that Lord Crypian is quite popular with won." Sebastian smiled teasingly.
"So perhaps I will simply attend another one of your engagents in the future instead." Several nobles around the table quietly smiled after hearing the joke.
Crypian himself laughed softly before bowing slightly with exaggerated elegance.
"That would be my honor, Your Highness."
"Good." Sebastian nodded before finally shifting the conversation toward a more serious direction.
"Please, take a seat."
He gestured toward the empty chair directly to his left.
The seat on his right side was already occupied by the Duke of the North, an elderly man with wrinkled skin, gray hair, and sharp eyes that quietly observed Crypian from the mont he entered.
Sebastian slowly raised a hand toward the others seated around the table.
"Allow to introduce everyone properly."
Crypian walked toward the table while following Sebastian’s gesture calmly.
The atmosphere inside the massive room remained quiet and heavy, yet not uncomfortable.
Every person seated there was soone with enough authority to influence the future of the empire itself, so even ordinary conversations naturally carried pressure.
Both Crypian and Sebastian stopped beside their seats. The First Prince slowly raised his hand toward the elderly man seated on his right.
"First, this is Sir Ryane Roseblade," Sebastian said with a calm smile. "As you already know, he is the Duke of the North."
Crypian imdiately turned toward the old duke before extending his hand politely.
The Duke of the North accepted the handshake with a warm smile.
"It is an honor to finally et the famous Duke of the North," Crypian said politely.
"The honor is mine as well," Duke Ryane replied calmly.
His voice was deep and steady like an old soldier who had seen countless battlefields throughout his life.
"And congratulations on your successful engagent."
"Thank you."
Crypian smiled lightly while shaking his hand for a few seconds before finally withdrawing.
After that, his gaze shifted toward the other nobles seated around the table.
Sebastian continued the introductions patiently.
"This is Count Kalan."
The middle-aged man gave a slight nod toward Crypian.
"As you know," Sebastian continued, "his territory controls nearly ten percent of the trade routes within the western regions of the empire."
Crypian imdiately shook hands with him politely as well.
Then Sebastian moved toward the next person.
"And this is Count Xavier."
The count sitting there looked younger compared to the others, with sharp eyes and neatly combed dark hair.
"His trade connections extend throughout all three floating continents," Sebastian explained calmly. "Many rare resources entering the empire pass through his hands first."
Count Xavier smiled faintly. "I have heard much about Young Master Crypian."
"The sa for ," Crypian replied smoothly.
One after another, Sebastian introduced every noble seated there while Crypian exchanged greetings calmly with all of them.
Only after the introductions finally ended did everyone slowly take their seats once again.
Sebastian sat at the head of the table while Crypian took the seat directly beside him.
For a few monts, no one spoke.
A slow silence filled the massive room.
Then finally, Sebastian folded his hands together lightly and broke the silence first.
"Now that the introductions are complete..." A faint smile appeared on his face. "Shall we discuss business?"
As he spoke, his blue eyes slowly swept across everyone seated around the table.
However, the mont his gaze t Crypian’s....
Crypian suddenly spoke first.
"My apologies, Your Highness," he said politely. "But before we begin... may I clear up a few matters first?"
"Of course."
Sebastian answered almost imdiately without hesitation. His smile remained calm and welcoming the entire ti.
Crypian returned a grateful smile before slowly speaking.
"The reason for my visit today should already be obvious to everyone here."
He paused briefly. Then his voice slowly beca sharper and more serious.
"As the patriarch of the Thorne family has already finalized the main agreent with Your Highness..."
"...I was personally instructed to confirm the exact conditions regarding our support."
The mont those words fell, the atmosphere around the table subtly changed. The nobles sitting there quietly focused their attention toward Crypian.
anwhile, Sebastian simply smiled calmly. "Naturally," the prince replied. "Please continue."
Crypian slowly let out a breath before speaking again.
"So regarding the agreent..." He paused briefly while resting his fingers lightly against the table.
"We mainly have three conditions."
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