Novel Bin Chapter 25: The Dream of Stars (1)
Chapter 25: The Dream of Stars (1)
News of the rigged succession ceremony and the scheme to kill the royal family at the Palace of Qualification spread like wildfire across the imperial city.
People were more shocked by the tampering of the succession ceremony than the murder plot. After all, assassination attempts among heirs, within the royal family, were almost everyday occurrences in the imperial city. But meddling with the succession ceremony, a deeply rooted tradition and necessary step to become emperor, was unheard of. It was truly a surprise.
Another thing that stunned the people was the survival and victory of Prince Zion Agnes in the manipulated succession ceremony. He had been the primary target.
No one could have foreseen that the prince, isolated in Chimseong Palace and labeled as useless, would overcome the challenging manipulated succession ceremony.
This event might just change the way people viewed Prince Zion.
Crumple!
A man with deep ash-colored hair anxiously crushed the report in front of him.
"You can't expect me to believe this," he spat.
The wizard kept his head down, struggling to answer the man's remark. Even he found the report hard to believe.
"Zion Agnes, alone, passed the test floor, went to the hidden control room, and killed all the supervisors?" It sounded impossible.
Zion Agnes was seen as an embarrassment to the imperial family. A more plausible theory was that some supervisors had turned against each other, fighting till their end. Not to mention, one of the slain supervisors was Lambard, a renowned captain of the Imperial Guard.
"I'm sorry. But the evidence suggests it was just one person..."
"Were there any witnesses?"
"Two other candidates who participated in the succession ceremony saw Prince Zion in the control room. But they arrived too late, and it was all over."
"So, no one actually saw Zion fighting."
The man, mumbling and drumming his fingers on the armrest of his chair, opened his mouth again.
"There's a chance a third party was involved. Look into it."
"Understood. Also, there's another unusual detail."
"What is it?"
"There are reports of a faint magic power detected at the Palace of Qualification while Prince Zion was holding the succession ceremony."
"Again?"
Hearing this, the man's eyes started glowing with a peculiar light.
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Raei Translations
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The succession ceremony came to a successful end.
At least, that's how Zion saw it.
For Zion, the ceremony went smoothly, and the news of him killing a demon hadn't gotten out.
It seemed that Zion's unspoken deal worked: they'd keep quiet about the succession ceremony, and in return, they'd pass.
Rennet and Veil stayed silent about the demon when they talked to the knights and Evelyn Agnes, who arrived at the Palace of Qualifications later.
They only mentioned that the supervisors had schemed to kill Prince Zion during the ceremony, and that Zion had dealt with them himself.
'Most of them didn't seem to believe it.'
They didn't doubt that the ceremony was rigged, but they found it hard to believe that Zion was the one who ended the supervisors' lives.
So they kept questioning Rennet and Veil for more details, but there was nothing more to say.
Because that was the truth.
'Well, it doesn't matter if they don't believe.'
They'll find out soon enough.
Zion mused, looking at the rapidly passing scenery outside the window.
Zion was now inside a magical car, a common mode of transport in the imperial city.
This vehicle operated on the same principle as a magical train, but offered a much more private and luxurious ride.
The reason Zion was in such a car was straightforward.
'We'll be there soon.'
Baeksung Palace.
A palace located at the very heart of Agnes Imperial City, the center of the empire.
The hub of power.
The place where the emperor, the ruler of this world who controls the empire's destiny, resides.
Zion was headed to Baeksung Palace.
'Not bad.'
Zion thought, glancing at his black robe.
This robe, styled with gold threads on a rich black fabric, was custom-made by Fredo to celebrate Zion's entrance to Baeksung Palace.
'To see you enter Baeksung Palace, your majesty! I can die without regrets now.'
Seeing the old knight tear up was a bit overwhelming.
The antique silver bracelet on Zion's wrist was a gift from Priscilla. She came to Chimseong Palace under the pretense of celebrating his success in the succession ceremony.
'Congratulations on the succession ceremony. This is a protective charm bracelet. Although we're not divorced yet, it's only right I give you this.'
After that, Priscilla subtly tried to extend her stay at Chimseong Palace. Zion quickly sent her away.
"There really was no need for her to come."
Zion cast his gaze towards his half-sister sitting opposite him, Evelyn Agnes.
In order to attend the Baeksung Palace entrance ceremony, Evelyn had brought her magical car to the front of Chimseong Palace to pick up Zion.
Then,
"...Baeksung Palace is a public hell."
Evelyn, locking eyes with Zion, spoke slowly.
"It's teeming with power-hungry specters, ready to climb over each other for a shot at the throne. Brothers scheme to kill one another, power brokers balance their loyalties, ready to sell everything but their own lives for profit. Assassination attempts are as common as breathing. Zion... can you withstand such a place?"
Evelyn's eyes held palpable worry as she addressed Zion.
Granted, Zion possessed a power unknown to her and had obtained legal rights through the succession ceremony.
Yet in her mind, she still saw the innocent image of Zion's youth.
For Evelyn, picturing Zion in the dangerous environment of Baeksung Palace was unimaginable.
"And it's certain that someone is targeting Zion."
Even though Zion had survived this succession ceremony, there was no guarantee for the future.
If Zion had truly handled the supervisors on his own, as rumored, her worries might have been lessened. But she knew the reality was different.
It was simply impossible.
There had to be another party involved.
Then,
"I'm not going there to merely survive."
Zion, who had been silently observing Evelyn, broke his silence, a hint of a smile on his face.
"I'm going to devour it."
It mattered not whether the palace was filled with evil spirits or demons.
If something blocked his path, he'd crush it; if he desired something, he'd seize it.
That's how Zion had always operated, and he had no plans to change.
"...."
Zion's audacious words, delivered with the calmness of a retired prince, were almost too shocking to be believed.
But Evelyn could not shake an ominous feeling that resonated with Zion's words.
"I won't be able to accompany you any further due to the inspection. Please, take care of yourself."
After dropping Zion off at the entrance of Baeksung Palace, Evelyn voiced these words and slowly drove away.
As he watched Evelyn's magical car recede into the distance, Zion turned his gaze to the palace standing majestically before him.
Baeksung Palace.
True to its name, it was a vast, white palace.
No, given its grand scale, it would be more accurate to call it a castle.
Living up to its reputation as the heart of the empire, its imposing aura naturally overwhelmed onlookers.
'Strangely, it feels familiar...'
Zion experienced a familiar sensation from Baeksung Palace.
No, if its hues were darkened slightly, it greatly resembled the palace he once ruled as an emperor.
As Zion's gaze took on a peculiar shift,
"It's an honor to meet you for the first time, Crown Prince Zion. I am Ronier, assigned to serve you at Baeksung Palace today."
A knight, seemingly having waited for Zion's arrival, stepped forward from the palace gate and offered a respectful bow.
The expansive interiors of Baeksung Palace usually necessitated guides for first-time visitors.
Aware of this tradition, Zion offered a slight nod of acknowledgment.
"I will guide you immediately. Please follow me."
Ronier began to lead the way with courteous strides, the destination evidently predetermined.
Zion followed the knight in silence.
Indeed, Zion's visit to Baeksung Palace today was not merely for observation.
Those of the royal lineage who had successfully navigated the succession ceremony were obliged to undergo two further procedures at Baeksung Palace.
A longstanding tradition.
Such procedures were the very reason for Zion's visit to Baeksung Palace.
"The more I see, the more familiar it becomes."
Zion reflected as he traversed the long corridors of Baeksung Palace.
Not just the exterior he had viewed earlier, but the palace's layout and various interior details echoed the palace in which Zion himself had resided.
Perhaps the royal palace in the Frosimar Chronicle was modeled after this real palace, hence the striking similarity.
But Zion sensed something beyond this explanation.
"Your Highness, we have arrived. Beyond this point, I cannot accompany you."
Ronier, leading the way, paused to address Zion.
A massive door stood before them.
On the door was a large lion symbol, emblematic of the Agnes Royal Family. Two formidable royal knights flanked the door.
"Crown Prince Zion, welcome."
Clank!
As though all necessary words had already been exchanged, the knights on either side promptly swung the doors open.
Zion advanced through the yawning doorway.
The room within was spacious and dimly lit.
Swoosh, swoosh.
Shortly thereafter, a faint, fragile breath reached Zion's ears.
Zion directed his gaze towards the source of the sound.
An elderly man, lying in a bed adjacent to a shrouded window, came into view.
Zion knew the identity of this man.
Emperor Urdios Agnes.
The sovereign who held this sprawling empire within his grasp, the ruler of this world.
And Zion Agnes's father.
Royal family members who had passed the succession ceremony were bound by duty to meet with the emperor. Hence, Zion found himself in this somber setting.
Swoosh, swoosh.
Breathing so faint, it seemed on the verge of extinction.
The Emperor's face was a map of wrinkles and age spots, his body so frail that his skeletal frame was visible.
The emperor, once an imposing figure who could make the world shudder with his overwhelming presence and charisma, was but a memory.
All that remained was an old man, ill and bedridden, quietly awaiting his final day.
A palpable aura of death permeated the room.
'Does he have less than two months left?'
Zion assessed the emperor's remaining lifespan silently.
From the beginning of the Frosimar Chronicle, the emperor had been portrayed in this frail state.
This is why he rarely appeared directly, and the majority of administrative duties were delegated to representatives.
Curiously, the emperor refrained from naming a successor until his dying breath. This led to a full-scale power struggle upon his passing.
"......"
The ailing emperor wordlessly raised his gaze to meet Zion's, who had approached his bedside.
The eyes of Zion and the Emperor locked.
The emperor's eyes had lost their sparkle to such an extent that they seemed devoid of life.
His visage could easily be mistaken for a corpse.
For an indeterminable duration, they shared this silent, mutual observation.
"Everyone, leave."
A frail voice emerged from the sickly emperor.
His words were not meant for Zion.
Swoosh-
At the emperor's command, the presence of the guards, who had been discreetly stationed in the emperor's chamber, vanished completely.
In the space that now contained only the two of them,
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The Emperor, his gaze fixed on Zion's, asked.
Contrary to his previous state, the Emperor's eyes suddenly sparkled as though they were filled with countless stars.
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