Chapter 8

"I have gathered you here for no other reason than to introduce to you the true crown prince."

As Garellan said this, a murmur spread among the gathered ministers. The crown prince referred to was Jinovar, and there were no other princes in the current royal family. So, who could the true crown prince be? As the murmurs did not subside, Garellan spoke again, continuing:

"Isphard, the son of the Duke of Elbistan. Step forward."

At the call of his name, a young boy stepped forward to Garellan. He was Isphard, the son of the Duke of Elbistan. He was the same age as Jinovar, turning fifteen this year. His black hair, like Garellan's, shone like obsidian.

When he reached Garellan, he knelt on one knee and bowed his head. Then, with a voice tinged with tension, he said:

"Isphard, son of the Duke of Elbistan, has come before you as commanded."

"Hmm. Everyone, listen well. This Isphard is my true son, and the true son of Mertem."

As Garellan declared this, the murmurs grew louder. Everyone was confused, unable to grasp the situation. Amidst this, Mertem, seated on the queen's throne, rushed forward and embraced Isphard, her eyes brimming with emotion.

"Oh, Isphard, Isphard! My son! How many times have I dreamed of the day I could call you my son!"

"Yes, Mother. I have also been looking forward to this day!"

When called "Mother" by Isphard, Mertem finally shed tears. Their reunion was undoubtedly a touching moment for them, but to the onlookers, it seemed somewhat contrived.

The confusion arose because no background information was provided. The ministers' doubts remained unresolved, and it seemed Garellan had no intention of explaining. As the ministers' confusion deepened, a trembling voice echoed through the audience chamber.

"Then... then... what will become of Prince Jinovar...?"

This was precisely what everyone present wanted to know. The people, suddenly brought back to reality, turned their gaze toward the source of the voice. It was Kwald, his face pale, unsteadily stepping forward from the crowd. Everyone held their breath, and Garellan responded with a cold voice.

"Jinovar, despite lacking the qualifications, commanded the Antalya troops and infringed upon my military authority. Therefore, all his positions and rights within the country are to be stripped, and he is to be exiled."

The audience chamber, which had been silent, erupted in murmurs again. Kwald gasped and looked at Garellan on the throne, his eyes filled with desperation. The gaze returned was cold, making Kwald feel as if the blood in his body was losing its warmth.

"That... that is... far too cruel...!"

He managed to choke out these words and continued:

"Even if he lacked the qualifications, it is a fact that Prince Jinovar held back the enemy forces, contributed to the extermination of monsters, and saved many of our allies. To ignore his contributions and exile him unilaterally goes against the principle of rewarding merit and punishing faults. I beg you to reconsider..."

Kwald pleaded, tears streaming down his face. Many of the ministers nodded in agreement. After all, Jinovar's appointment was by Garellan's decree. Garellan had said he lacked the qualifications to lead troops, but even if Jinovar was not a prince, the decree itself guaranteed his qualifications.

The decision made against Jinovar ignored not only his contributions but also the circumstances. If such a decision were to stand, what could the ministers believe in when following the king's orders?

Logically, a retraction was expected. However, Garellan's response was merciless.

"Kwald, who gave you permission to speak?"

"......!"

Kwald trembled, his thoughts overflowing, unable to form words. Yet, the urge to say something coiled within him. He had to speak, for Jinovar and Jinovar's honor.

Before Kwald could say anything, someone placed a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw his superior, the old general who had offered to take Jinovar's place. The old general, who had restrained Kwald with a glance, said to Garellan:

"My subordinate was out of line, Your Majesty. I will have him calm down. May I have your permission to leave?"

"Granted."

With the permission to leave, the old general bowed and led Kwald out of the audience chamber. As the ministers watched them go, they understood. Jinovar was in the way. To Garellan and Mertem, who wanted Isphard to be the crown prince, he had to be eliminated at all costs.

However, if Jinovar had died mysteriously and Isphard was immediately declared the true son and made the crown prince, even the most naive would suspect foul play.

Perhaps they thought it would tarnish the grand moment of their son's ascension. In any case, they saw the opportunity in Jinovar being captured by the Lostco army. Garellan had him forcibly exiled.

After this, Kwald was appointed as the commander of a provincial city's defense force. Formally, it was a promotion, but in reality, it was a demotion. Garellan had distanced himself from Kwald, who had been critical of him.

Kwald accepted this, without protest, and left the capital with his family. By this time, he might have already lost faith in Garellan II.

So far, at least for Garellan and Isphard, it was a sufficient comedy. But the comedy continued, for the actors and for the actors' sake, leaving the audience behind.

"Isphard, there is something we must discuss."

After Kwald and the old general left the audience chamber, Garellan turned his gaze back to Isphard. Queen Mertem, who had been hugging her son, returned to her throne upon hearing the king's words. After confirming this, Isphard responded:

"Yes, Your Majesty. What do you command?"

"Hmm. First, I will formally appoint you as the crown prince. It is only right, as you are the only prince in the current royal family."

This was an incredibly strange statement for those present. Wasn't Jinovar the only prince in the royal family? Was he to be replaced by the son of the Duke of Elbistan? What were they supposed to believe? Ignoring the ministers' confusion and questions, Garellan continued:

"Furthermore, I will arrange your engagement to Princess Fatima of the Elbistan family. Duke of Elbistan, do you have any objections?"

"Of course not. It is a great honor, and I humbly accept."

Another actor appeared before Garellan from among the ministers. It was Duke Calkavan of Elbistan. Fatima, his daughter, was fifteen this year and had been considered Isphard's twin sister.

The young lady, who had been called his sister until just a moment ago, was to become the crown prince's fiancée, and her father, a great noble, would become his father-in-law. Everything was decided in an instant. People later realized that everything had been decided years ago.

"Isphard, I hereby command you to lead the army and defeat the Lostco Empire."

"Understood!"

"Duke of Elbistan, this is your son's first battle. Support him well."

"Of course. I have one request, however."

"Speak."

"Your Highness, to properly celebrate the crown prince's first battle, the Elbistan family alone is not enough. Please allow us to seek assistance from other families with ties to us."

"Granted. Do your best."

"Duke of Elbistan, take good care of Isphard."

"Of course. I will ensure victory for Your Majesty and the crown prince."

Thus, the crown prince Isphard's first battle was decided.

---

Garellan currently has two children: his eldest daughter, Yurisha, and his second son, Isphard. Both are Mertem's children.

When Isphard was born, Mertem rejoiced but also harbored a deep fear. She feared that "this child might die like Ertugan."

The rumors that followed Ertugan's death fueled Mertem's fear. The rumor was that "Ertugan was not killed by illness but by assassination," a baseless and naive conspiracy theory.

However, the fact that a servant who was pregnant with Garellan's child was assassinated afterward was undeniable. Considering this, Mertem feared that Isphard might also be assassinated like Ertugan.

Mertem earnestly pleaded with Garellan to ensure that Isphard's life would never be threatened. As a mother, it was a natural request. However, no matter how many precautions Garellan promised, she could not feel reassured.

Finally, Garellan proposed raising Isphard outside the royal family. If he were raised as a non-prince, the risk of assassination would be significantly reduced. With a suitable foster family, there would be no need to worry about his health or education.

Mertem initially opposed this plan. She could not raise her son and could not even call him her own. However, she ultimately agreed, believing it was a mother's self-sacrifice.

The Elbistan family, one of the most prominent noble families in the country, was chosen as the foster family. As a ducal family, they could provide everything needed to raise a prince. Conveniently, at this time, the family had a daughter, Princess Fatima. By claiming they were twins, it was not unusual to entrust Isphard to them.

At this point, Isphard and Fatima's engagement was also decided. It guaranteed the Elbistan family's influence in the future, and they would raise Isphard well. With the support of the Elbistan family and their faction, Isphard's reign would be stable.

Of course, the Elbistan family also had their own plans. In a sense, Isphard was a hostage. As long as they had him, the royal family would not plot against them.

Moreover, they could raise the future king themselves. There was no more effective way to create a king favorable to the Elbistan family. By engaging him to Fatima, the Elbistan family's power was virtually guaranteed.

However, one problem remained: what to do with the prince who was supposed to be born. Mertem's pregnancy was already known, and it was impossible to pretend it never happened. If Isphard was to be raised by the Elbistan family, the royal family would appear to have no prince.

The simplest solution was to declare him dead. However, in that case, the person closest to the throne would ironically be the Elbistan family's male child, Isphard. This would increase the risk of assassination.

To protect him, it was better for the royal family to have a prince. A decoy to draw the attention of conspirators. This led to the creation of the false prince, Jinovar.

Jinovar was a sacrifice. A decoy to protect Isphard. Garellan and Mertem were cold to him for this reason. They did not consider him their child but rather a tool, so they could not show him affection.

Despite this, Jinovar's character did not become twisted. This was due to the care of the servants and wet nurses who did not know the truth. Especially, the presence of his sister, Princess Yurisha, was significant. She showered him with all the love she could. For Jinovar, she was almost like a mother.

Garellan and Mertem hardly thought about Jinovar. However, it was also inconvenient for him to die too soon. As a decoy prince, he could not be easily replaced. If he died, the next target would logically be Isphard.

Jinovar needed to stay alive for a while. Therefore, Garellan had him protected, but not to the point of being invincible. Rather, he deliberately left gaps to make it easier for conspirators to act. Indeed, there had been three failed assassination attempts on Jinovar. He was an excellent decoy.

Moreover, Jinovar excelled in other areas. As a prince, he studied various subjects and was praised by his teachers for his excellence.

Jinovar's outstanding abilities were particularly evident in martial arts and dungeon exploration. Initially, he was just a clumsy boy, but once he started exploring dungeons, he quickly showed his talent.

"The crown prince truly has a natural talent. The Duke of Elbistan's son, Isphard, is also highly praised for his talents, but the crown prince surpasses him. He is indeed the king's son."

A knight who had explored dungeons with him reported this to Garellan. It was high praise. However, the comparison with Isphard irritated Garellan. As a result, Jinovar was made to explore dungeons alone, which was almost a death sentence.

However, Jinovar did not die. He not only survived but also achieved steady results. By this time, Queen Mertem had begun to fear his abilities.

The crown prince's seat would eventually go to Isphard. However, when that time came, he would undoubtedly be compared to Jinovar. If Isphard were found to be inferior to Jinovar, the Antalya royal family would be a laughingstock.

Mertem demanded Jinovar's removal from Garellan, leading to the invasion of the Lostco Empire. Jinovar, though he did not die in battle, was captured by the enemy. The preparations for Isphard's ascension to the crown prince were complete.

However, because of this timing, Isphard faced an unavoidable challenge. Despite being ignored, Jinovar had achieved much. Isphard had to surpass these achievements to prove he was better than Jinovar. This was the reason for the re-invasion.

"......"

"Do not be too tense, Crown Prince. I hear that the Flame Emperor is preoccupied with the exploration of a dungeon that caused a stampede. We can take advantage of this opportunity."

"Yes, that's true. I count on you, Duke of Elbistan."

The two, once father and son, now spoke as master and subordinate. The Antalya army, led by Crown Prince Isphard, consisting of 40,000 troops, set out for the Lostco Empire on April 7, 635 of the Great Unification Calendar.