The Strongest Dull Prince’s Secret Battle for the Throne

Chapter 693: The Two Irregulars

"So, how much do you know?"

Arnold is dead.

This news had just been delivered to Emperor Johannes and the one who conveyed it was Vinfried, who had joined them with his troops. Leo, who had already heard about this from the elder of the dragonkin, was immediately summoned by Johannes.

Hence the question: how much did he know?

This was a difficult question, especially when it concerned Arnold. And seeing the probing look in Johannes' eyes, Leo realized something: Johannes was the same as him.

"The Imperial Sword is truly a mysterious thing," Leo began.

"It's the treasure of the empire. It absorbs residual thoughts along with the magic power it collects from the land. Because of this, it sometimes shows us things we wouldn't normally know."

"Yes... that the true identity of Silver is—my brother."

Johannes wasn't surprised by Leo's words as he had asked him to confirm this. He too, had learned about Silver's identity through the Imperial Sword.

The reasons for hiding his identity made sense if he was a member of royalty. The last ancient magic user, their great-grandfather, had rampaged, leading to ancient magic being taboo within the royal family.

There were also clues being hinted out. The noble aura he exuded, the enormous amount of magic power, and the intelligence to always appear at necessary moments.

Johannes had long suspected that Silver might be Arnold as he was aware of Silver's support for Leo. But he hadn't believed it, because he knew Arnold well. Arnold would need a compelling reason to act as an SS-class adventurer despite his potential to become one.

Furthermore, Johannes understood this about Arnold: he was fundamentally lazy and wouldn't willingly take on such a troublesome role without a good reason. TL: Lmao, they are spot on

Yet now, knowing the truth, Johannes had revised his thoughts.

"Knowing Arnold, he must have had a significant reason."

"It was probably for Mother, Elna, Krista... or someone else in the family."

He had never acted for his own sake and only moved for others. It was a flaw of sorts and this trait had been evident since childhood. He had low self-esteem and was incredibly indulgent towards his family.

He could do anything for those close to him.

Therefore...

"Still... your brother's bad habit has surfaced."

"Indeed..."

Faking his death.

The reason was unclear, but if it wasn't necessary, Arnold wouldn't have done it. That made it all the more troublesome.

"What will you do? We now know the truth. It's a significant miscalculation on Arnold's part."

"It would be unnatural for us to remain unaffected."

"Nevertheless, the situation is what it is. If we stop suddenly, the allied forces will be unable to move."

They were aware of only part of the situation: Wilhelm's appearance in the empire, Erik's cooperation with Wilhelm, and their occupation of the imperial capital. The details were still unknown and to learn more, they had to enter the empire.

However, they also needed to react to Arnold's reported death.

"How is Elna?"

"She has lost her spirit and is sleeping."

"That's unfortunate... but now we don't need a dramatic reaction."

Elna's inability to act has already lent credibility to the report of Arnold's death so they didn't need to mimic the same reaction.

Just a show of sorrow was necessary.

"... I'll take on the role of mourning."

"You are needed in the empire."

"I'm not needed anymore. You are. You must play the role of the brother who overcomes his grief. I'll just play the father who cannot move past it."

"But..."

"I won't be able to act for a while, so this is the best course."

"... Understood."

"But what about Elna? Should we tell her?"

"Arnold didn't inform her, likely because her reaction was needed. Given that we've gotten a sufficient reaction, Arnold might reveal himself if Elna becomes necessary."

"Indeed. He can reveal his true identity at any time using teleportation magic."

Johannes spoke with a pained expression. Not because Arnold had used his childhood friend as a pawn, but because the situation had forced Arnold to make such a decision. As both an emperor and a father, he felt like a failure for making his son choose such a path.

"Just imagining what Arnold must be feeling right now... it pains me."

"He must have been prepared so we should avoid hindering him. If we didn't notice, the enemy wouldn't either."

"I hope that Arnold's existence will be a decisive blow to the enemy."

"That's just how he operates," Leo affirmed.

Johannes nodded in agreement.

_________

"We will hold Arnold's funeral first..."

While lying on the bed with a weary expression, Johannes addressed the key figures of the allied forces. It was understandable as he had just lost his son.

However, this wasn't the time for a funeral.

"Emperor, with all due respect, addressing the empire's current situation should be our main priority," said William, the current king of the Allied United Kingdom.

The allied United Kingdom had sided with the empire. They couldn't leave the empire with Wilhelm, whose authenticity was uncertain, as the acting crown prince.

"The dead cannot be revived with demons being the exception. If the empire has been taken over by demons, we simply cannot ignore it."

Prince Ansem of the kingdom agreed with William. Though he is still recovering, the dragonkin's medicine had begun to neutralize the poison inside him. His body was now gradually recovering and he felt ready to contribute.

Many had died in liberating the kingdom. Now it was his turn to risk his life to repay that sacrifice.

"Our allied kingdom's army will not let Arnold's sacrifice be in vain. If you continue to mourn here, our forces will head to the empire on their own."

"The United Allied Kingdom's army will do the same. We joined this fight because the continent is in crisis. And that crisis isn't over yet, so we must see it through."

The two insisted on heading to the empire but Johannes insisted on prioritizing the funeral. At that moment, Leo, who had been silent, spoke up.

"Then... Your Majesty, please handle the funeral. I will take care of the empire."

"Leonard..."

"The loss of my brother is tragic, but leaving the empire as it is would make his death meaningless. We can mourn later."

Johannes remained silent for a while, watching Leo as he suppressed his grief.

Then he spoke.

"Do as you wish..."

"Then, please grant me full command of the army."

"... Everything is in your hands, Leonard."

Following this conversation, while leaving behind the wounded, the allied forces had set their course for the empire.