In a dark room, a man was sitting quietly, waiting for a report. The surroundings were dim, with only a faint light illuminating parts of the room, leaving most of it covered in shadows.
Suddenly, another man wearing black robes entered. His steps were silent. He wore a strange mask made of burnt human skin, twisted into a grotesque expression that felt unsettling to look at.
"Arthur was spotted roaming the streets without knights."
"Without knights, huh… that is understandable. But what was he doing there?"
"That's the strange part. He was listening to commoners and promised them justice against the nobles who wronged them in the past."
"Oh? After the recent incident, he probably started suspecting the nobles and just wants an excuse to investigate and remove them from power."
"If you ignore the stunt he pulled in the hall that day, he is acting relatively cautious."
"Has he been going out regularly?"
"Yes, he frequently walks through the streets in the evening and talks to people. He even helped some of them solve their problems using unusual and unfamiliar knowledge."
"Interesting… the next time you spot him alone, activate phase 2."
"Understood."
The next morning, Arthur, along with his siblings, was waiting at the entrance of the palace. They were expecting their mother, Alice Drakenhart, who had gone to her homeland for a few days due to some issues within her family.
'So, they are Lucian and Isolde.' Arthur spotted his other two siblings
Lucian was 22 years old. He had silver hair, sharp and well-defined features, and a calm, emotionless face similar to Arthur's.
Isolde was 12 years old. She had golden hair and a playful, mischievous smile that gave away her energetic nature.
Soon, the royal carriage arrived, its wheels slowing as it came to a halt.
Alice stepped out.
She was a beautiful woman with silver hair, a confident smile, and a strict yet elegant appearance. She looked exactly like Seraphina, and her age was difficult to determine at a glance. Her gaze quickly fell on Arthur the moment she stepped down.
She walked toward him without hesitation and pulled him into a hug. Arthur also went along with it.
"Oh my, to think that you didn't resist my hug this time. I heard that you got injured, honey? How do you feel now? I'm so sorry I couldn't visit you earlier."
Even though he tried to hide it, a faint frown appeared on Lucian's face unconsciously.
"I'm fine, mother."
"That's good to hear. Anyways, Seraphina, Lucian, Lysandra, Darius, Elowen, and Isolde! Are you all fine too? It has been a while since I last saw you."
"We are fine, mother," Lucian replied, but his thoughts told a different story.
'Asking about our well-being just as a formality… Why don't you admit that you only care about Arthur?'
"Very well then, let's have breakfast together, and I'll hear everything that happened while I was away."
"Isolde, I heard that you scared your tutor again? I suppose only a spanking will fix your naughty behavior."
The breakfast table was lively, Alice was talking to everyone and the mood was quite fun at the table. But Lucian started remembering all those memories he desperately wanted to forget.
"Mom! Mom! Do you love brother Arthur more than me?" 10-year-old Lucian asked his mother, his eyes filled with expectation.
"Of course not, silly. I love all my children equally," Alice replied, pinching his nose playfully.
"But then why do you treat us differently?"
Those words left Alice speechless
He remembered the time he was training with a knight. He had insisted the knight not hold back. He trained all day and all night non-stop, pushing himself beyond his limits. By morning, his body was covered in bruises and cuts. The knight had accidentally used too much force, leaving him with internal injuries.
He was treated by royal healers and attended by maids.
His mother came to see him… after an entire day had passed.
And then she left shortly after.
Later, he understood why.
On that same day, Arthur had suffered mana poisoning after using more mana than his young body could handle. Even though Arthur's condition wasn't as severe as Lucian's, Alice stayed by his side the entire day.
Arthur had always been treated differently because of his overwhelming talent and the divine mark he was born with.
Lucian was never given the same chance to prove himself.
Despite everything, he still loved his mother.
But she never acknowledged him as an equal.
He had frustration coiled up within him for so many years, but he felt utterly helpless.
"I'm leaving."
Lucian, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly stood up and walked away without another word.
The others looked confused for a moment, but the conversation resumed shortly after.
Lysandra later found Lucian sitting alone in the royal garden, holding his head.
"You're in a pathetic state right now. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
"Leave me alone."
"You want to be the next king?"
"Hah… even you have started mocking me now?"
"I'm serious. You also know that strength alone isn't enough to become king, right? Recently Arthur has been offending nobles for the sake of commoners… can you even imagine that?"
"I'm aware."
"I don't know what has gotten into him, but soon he will lose the support of the nobles. And the opinions of commoners don't matter."
"Even though it might just be a guess, I think Arthur suffered severe and possibly permanent damage when he stepped on that mana-elevating bomb and is currently much weaker. That's why he started acting cautiously and is building a good reputation, because he fears being overthrown. I have to admit, it's a clever move. Even though commoners are weak individually, they become strong when united, and Arthur is trying to appear as a hero in front of them."
"Oh? Well then, since neither of us wants him to become king, why don't we destroy his public image by exposing his current state?"
"Do you know the consequences if we get caught?"
"He has too many enemies now, he won't suspect us."
"I'll think of a way then."