Chapter 78

The Crown Prince's residence.

Sparse lights illuminated the darkness, and Sassor, with his hands behind his back, leaned by the window, gazing at the moon. This night was destined to be sleepless for many in the capital, and he was no exception.

He was waiting for someone, or rather, he was waiting for a message.

The long wait was a torment to the spirit, and the fact that he could endure it indicated how important this message was to him.

He sighed softly, feeling drowsiness creeping over him.

At that moment, there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Enter."

The sudden disturbance in the dead of night seemed like the best wake-up call, instantly invigorating Sassor. For the person he had been waiting for, the message he had been waiting for, had finally arrived.

"Bedwin, how is the situation?"

Without beating around the bush, Sassor asked the question that was most on his mind.

Bedwin came to Sassor, his face grave, and respectfully bowed. "Your Highness, according to the intelligence I just received, the outcome of the events is completely beyond anyone's imagination."

"Hmm?"

Bedwin had served by his side for many years, and Sassor knew his character well. If it wasn't something significant, he wouldn't show such a serious expression.

"What exactly happened?"

After calming his turbulent emotions, Bedwin said, "Your Highness, everyone is dead."

"Dead? Who is dead? Be specific!"

Hearing Bedwin's brief words, Sassor frowned in dissatisfaction.

"The nobles and ministers who were detained, and the royal guards sent to suppress them... they are all dead!"

When Bedwin delivered this shocking news, Sassor seemed unable to accept it. After a brief moment of shock, he looked at Bedwin in disbelief. "You mean they are all dead? That's impossible!"

If the nobles and ministers had all died, it might have been within his expectations, but the idea that the royal guards had died was simply absurd.

He knew very well the nearly invincible private guard under his father's command. As his father's most loyal sword and shield, they were the ones who firmly suppressed all those with ill intentions, because everyone knew the strength of this guard.

But now, Bedwin was telling him that the royal guards sent to suppress the situation were dead, which meant that his father's strongest pillar was not invincible. And the one who destroyed this pillar might very well be his younger brother!

"Explain in detail what happened!"

Sassor sat back in his chair, closed his eyes, and gently massaged his forehead, as if trying to clear his muddled thoughts.

"According to the report from the spies in the academy, after the third battalion of the royal guards, dispatched by His Majesty, successfully entered the academy, they took a brief rest and then began to act in separate groups. The deputy commander of the third battalion, Sapphirelan, led the main force to suppress the rioting students, with the primary goal of drawing out the main force of the enemy's hidden collaborators. The other part, led by the commander of the third battalion, Keinslon, went to rescue the detained nobles and ministers. Their plan was sound, but they did not anticipate that their true enemies had already planned everything in advance."

Bedwin paused for a moment and continued, "The assault led by Commander Keinslon to rescue the nobles and ministers completely failed. The guards were wiped out, and he himself was trapped. The nobles and ministers were brutally retaliated against and all killed. On the other hand, Deputy Commander Sapphirelan successfully suppressed the riot, capturing the student leader, Tylant. However, on the way back, they were ambushed by hidden enemies, and all the guards, except for Deputy Commander Sapphirelan, were killed in battle."

"How could this be, how could this be..." Sassor muttered, still unwilling to believe it. "Now, I only want to know one thing: why were the guards killed?"

He knew very well that the mastermind behind the scenes was his younger brother. If his brother had the power to defeat his father's guards, then turning against him would be as easy as turning a hand.

People often say that the one who knows you best is not your friend or family, but your enemy.

And he and his brother were not only family but also enemies. On this basis, he understood even better what his brother would do with such overwhelming power.

If he could so ruthlessly eliminate his father's and his own supporters, what else could he not do?

He had to understand what gave his brother the power to defeat the royal guards.

"Your Highness, there's no need to worry too much about this," Bedwin consoled, sensing Sassor's unease. "The success of the fourth prince's men in ambushing the royal guards this time was not just due to their meticulous planning, but also because they used rare and expensive scroll magic!"

"Scroll magic?" Sassor asked solemnly.

He was not unfamiliar with scroll magic, especially high-level scroll magic, which could completely alter the outcome of a small-scale war. However, high-level scroll magic was extremely rare, even within the royal collection.

He himself had obtained a few high-level scroll magic scrolls by chance, which he treasured and used only in life-or-death situations. As a top figure in the kingdom's power structure, he believed his brother must have some as well, but he never expected that he would be willing to use them to eliminate his father's strongest pillar.

"According to my information, the fourth prince's men used three high-level scroll magic scrolls this time. One was used to immobilize Commander Keinslon, forcing him to be ineffective during the rescue. Another was used to ambush the returning battalion, resulting in the loss of most of their combat strength and their eventual annihilation. The last one was used on Deputy Commander Sapphirelan, but unfortunately, he managed to escape."

After listening to Bedwin's account, Sassor pondered, "So, without the scroll magic, Volaran's men would not have been able to confront the royal guards head-on?"

"Yes," Bedwin confirmed. "Moreover, even if the fourth prince has men capable of matching the royal guards, after tonight, His Majesty will certainly impose severe punishment on the fourth prince for the deaths of the royal guards. At that time, unless..."

Sassor raised his hand to stop Bedwin from continuing. He knew what he was about to say.

Unless his brother openly rebelled and launched a military coup!

The deaths of the nobles and ministers, the deaths of the royal guards, though there was no direct evidence linking them to his brother, his father would not be lenient in his punishment.

His father had to give an account to the families of the deceased nobles and ministers, and also for himself.

Perhaps even his father did not expect that Volaran would have the audacity to openly challenge his authority and succeed. If he did not take action, it was hard to say that Volaran's next step would not be his throne.

When he first discovered Volaran's plan, Sassor was puzzled because he did not understand why his brother had suddenly become so foolish. Even if his plan succeeded, the severe backlash that followed would be enough to disqualify him from the throne.

In his memory, his brother would not make such a low-level mistake.

For some reason, his intuition told him that the truth that had surfaced was only the tip of the iceberg.