Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 823 - 152: The Grand Schemer

"Your Highness, that woman we saw earlier is somewhat unusual."

Only two people remained in the corridor of the Royal Palace, and the man in the black cloak whispered in the Eldest Prince's ear.

"Oh? It's rare for someone to earn such a comment from you."

The Eldest Prince seemed a bit surprised.

Compared to his sister, who had suddenly changed her behavior, the two "friends" who suddenly appeared by her side were even more noteworthy. He had heard about the recent evaluations of the Third Princess in the Imperial Capital, and had come today to see for himself. Previously, the Third Princess would never make a special trip to please their mother.

She was considered a thoroughly spoiled child.

This was the behind-the-scenes evaluation everyone had of the Third Princess, but he never regarded that as a bad thing. In fact, he would indulge the Third Princess's willful behavior whenever possible because, from another perspective, it meant she posed no threat in the struggle for the throne.

However, things were different now.

Recently, the actions of the Third Princess had sent him dangerous signals. The arrival of the Harvest Festival had won her considerable support from the citizens, and more astonishingly, the Third Princess personally went to the civilian area. After announcing the celebration agenda, she stood on a high platform and sincerely blessed the civilians.

It should be noted that not long ago, the Third Princess, like other nobles, regarded the civilian area as a den of poison, and she genuinely detested staying with commoners.

Predictably, the Third Princess's blessing pose was photographed by newspapers and became today's headline in the Imperial Capital—"The Third Princess is With You and Me," a stirring title was chosen by the newspaper.

Her evaluation within the court also skyrocketed recently, even the Simpler Clan, who used to share her bad habits, showed a change.

Although abrupt, this transformation was accepted by many under the long-standing structure of the Silver Radiance Empire. After all, when all the Royal Family members are high above, a princess suddenly pursuing a folk-friendly route indeed creates significant contrast.

This time, the Third Princess is aiming for the throne.

She has received guidance from a master; the Harvest Festival is just the beginning. Next, she would surely take a series of actions to vie for the throne.

The Eldest Prince believed he saw through her essence, which meant that the Third Princess had shifted from being his willful sister to a threat on the path to kingship, and obviously, the strategists by her side were the two strangers who suddenly appeared beside her.

He also heard some rumors claiming that the young man named Ethan was close to the empire's Chancellor, Balmon Margaret.

Thinking about this, the Eldest Prince suddenly asked, "How does that woman compare with the Imperial Army Commander?"

"Although she may not rival Cedric, she is also a High-tier Transcendent."

The man in the black cloak commented, seeing the Eldest Prince's eyebrows slightly furrowed, he added, "But I recently heard an interesting rumor."

"Speak freely."

"People say a hometown girl of Cedric has come to the Imperial Capital, a red-haired girl, and she seems to have a close relationship with Cedric, her abilities perhaps not inferior to Cedric."

"Oh?"

The Eldest Prince's eyes lit up but he hesitated, "Though I heard Cedric's homeland was destroyed in his childhood, he became the sole survivor of that tribe."

The man in the black cloak immediately understood what the Prince was worrying about.

The most belligerent tribe on this continent, though small in number, even the children or elders in the village possess impressive combat capabilities.

Cedric Thorn is an anomaly.

Not only because of his abilities and status as the strongest among the tribe, but also because he willingly became a member of the Imperial Army after the war, which was beyond the empire's consideration.

Because...

The one who waged war and annihilated Cedric's homeland was none other than Henry VI.

No matter how powerful or belligerent the tribe, they couldn't resist the baptism of ancient weapons. The Golden Fleet descended over the village; before an effective resistance formed, the magical cannons razed it to the ground, and afterwards, Henry VI dispatched the empire's finest cavalry to ensure all villagers perished under the cannon barrage.

Cedric Thorn was the sole survivor.

Despite severe injuries, he single-handedly obliterated half a battalion of elite imperial forces.

A tenacious will, unparalleled combat instinct.

The former Imperial Army Commander, witnessing this, suddenly thought of bringing him back to the empire while Cedric was unconscious.

For the empire, it was a wise decision, earning them the most powerful Imperial Army Commander since the empire's founding. However, for the former Commander himself, it was not so. Years later, at the behest of Henry VI, Cedric invited the former Commander to a duel and, under the eyes of Henry VI and numerous nobles, slew the "sinner" who once destroyed his homeland.

This was the empire's response to Cedric; with the former commander's death in battle, the vendetta over the doomed homeland came to an end.

Although lamentable, the former Commander sacrificed himself for Henry VI's orders, aligning with how the empire has always behaved.

However, Cedric's willingness to join the Imperial Army stemmed from his own belief, which perfectly aligns with the empire — failure means no right to continue existing. His tribe lost to a more powerful empire in war and must bear the consequences of defeat.