Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 824 - 152: The Grand Schemer (Part 2)

And joining the Empire and becoming a part of the Imperial Army was his way of climbing a stronger ladder.

Indeed, this was true.

Within a few years of joining the Imperial Army, Cedric surpassed all obstacles in his path, the last being the former commander of the Imperial Army. At the moment when he bested the former commander in the arena, he officially declared to the Empire that he had become the strongest on this continent.

In the eyes of the nobles and the Royal Family, Cedric was an oddity.

The man in the black cloak knew this was where the Eldest Prince's worry lay. Not everyone could be as... unconventional as Cedric Thorn, viewing the destruction of their homeland with such detachment. If that red-haired woman were from the same place as him, could she let go of the hatred for her destroyed homeland?

"If you can persuade her, she will undoubtedly become the best support on your path to the throne. More interestingly, I heard that not long ago, she had some unpleasant encounters with the Simpler Clan; she publicly broke Fabius's leg and subsequently wiped out the assassins sent by Duke Ash."

Upon hearing this, the Eldest Prince's face lit up with joy.

The people of the Imperial Capital all knew about the relationship between the Third Princess and the Simpler Clan, which meant that the red-haired woman had already fallen out with the faction of the Third Princess. If the Third Princess indeed became the biggest obstacle on his path to the throne, they could use this as an entry point to extend an olive branch to her.

"I'll leave the task of contacting her to you."

The Eldest Prince cast a deep gaze at the man in the black cloak, "I hope you won't disappoint me."

"Rest assured, I know where to find her."

..................

Meanwhile, in the arena.

"In any case, you are probably already in danger right now."

Balmon Margaret concluded solemnly, "Even if it wasn't your intention, the Eldest Prince most likely already sees you as a threat."

Another struggle for the throne.

Ethan felt a myriad of emotions, understanding that these battles were always life and death.

But unlike the puppet regime of the Julius era, Henry VI was still alive, and all three heirs had ample time to regain a leading position in the struggle for the throne. Although the Eldest Prince currently had the upper hand, the great nobles in the Imperial Capital who swayed with the wind knew this was only a temporary advantage.

The arrival of the Autumn Festival and the recent shift in public opinion about the Third Princess undoubtedly brought many variables into the power struggle for the throne.

Many families have already started to adopt a wait-and-see attitude. In their view, Henry VI's support for the Autumn Festival, especially making the "Seed" a reward, was seen as a political endorsement of the Third Princess. No matter who became the ultimate winner of the festival, it would bring dramatic changes to the current structure of the Imperial Capital.

The nobility newly receiving the "Seed" would undoubtedly rapidly develop into a family on par with the Simpler Clan. As such, with the support of two major families behind her, the Third Princess would gain the upper hand in the subsequent power struggle for the throne.

But in reality, this was not Ethan's intention.

When he proposed the Autumn Festival, he did it without any political consideration; his sole reason was to find an excuse to smoothly move into the Royal Palace. His suggestion of using the "Seed" as a reward was also to facilitate his access to the secrets involving the disappearance of the Silver Emperor and those hidden in this realm.

As for the Third Princess's changing attitude towards those around her, it was because ever since they had moved in, the Royal Family had been treating them with lavish hospitality. If the Third Princess continued to speak harshly to others, wouldn't that be too indecent?

It is well known that Ethan has always been a courteous and amiable person, which is the secret to his relationships with others.

Now, after the Prime Minister of the Empire's analysis, even Ethan felt he had become a conspirator.

Clearly, his Prime Minister friend misunderstood something.

"As far as I know, there is still a decisive factor needed to ascend to the throne smoothly."

Balmon Margaret suddenly said.

The atmosphere instantly became incredibly tense, even catching Ethan off guard.

Here he was, unexpectedly being cast as the hidden manipulator disrupting the Imperial Capital's political landscape and supporting the Third Princess's rise to power behind the scenes.

"That is to gain the 'Seed's' recognition. The current His Majesty Henry only stood out amongst the competitors after gaining the 'Seed's' recognition, which has always been an innate gift controlled by the members of the Henry Royal Family. Only those with royal blood can hold the distribution power of the 'Seed.'

Ethan was momentarily at a loss for words.

Unfortunately, the Third Princess ultimately couldn't inherit the throne because they were destined not to stay in the Silver Radiance Empire. Once they left, Lindong's spell would lose its effect, and the Third Princess and Fabius would return to their true states.

It's unfortunate; just a few days ago, the Third Princess and fellow "Pet Club" enthusiasts were attacked by their respective pets and lost their lives at a young age.

Lindong has always been kind-hearted, unable to bear the sight of a white-haired person sending off the black-haired. Hence she used a spell to temporarily extend the few's lives, but as their souls faded, their bodies would ultimately become empty shells.

However, for someone like Balmon Margaret, this was already a fairly obvious hint.

The Empire's Prime Minister, who had always navigated the Imperial Capital with ease, unusually displayed his stance in such an unexpected scenario.

This far exceeded the scope of "adventure." If the Eldest Prince succeeded to the throne in the future, today's conversation in the arena would inevitably be settled, and under the Silver Radiance Empire's prevailing environment, Balmon's end would be tragically pitiful.

"I want to know the reason."

"Reason?"

"Logically, we are only passing acquaintances; it should not prompt you to take such a risk."

Ethan suddenly thought of the scene when he met Ave, and the subsequent attitude of Queen Margaret and Ave's father towards him...

Could it be that he unknowingly possessed a hidden talent for "Margaret Clan Affinity"?

"You misunderstood; this has nothing to do with our relationship."

Balmon shook his head, "Though I don't know if the Third Princess really has changed or if it's a political consideration, have you heard this saying? If you can pretend to be a wise ruler for a lifetime, then you are a wise ruler... It's getting late, and I have some state affairs to attend to. I hope today's match is to your liking; they say the arena has arranged a spectacular match today."

Balmon gestured farewell.

Ethan was also ready to leave, naturally uninterested in the fighting cricket methods of the Empire's great nobles.

However, the sudden eruption of cheers from the audience stopped him in his tracks. He walked to the window of the box and looked downstairs, observing a host dressed particularly scantily passionately introducing the identities of the competitors. The first to enter was a heavyweight contestant known in the arena, clad in armor and wielding a great sword. In an environment where losing a match meant possible disability or even death, a record of 97 wins spoke volumes.

With tight muscles and bloodthirsty eyes, he perfectly embodied all of Ethan's impressions of an underground gladiator.

Yet the appearance of the opponent elicited an even louder cheer from the crowd.

A record of just 3 wins had already made her a rising star watched closely at the arena recently.

White linen clothing that seemed merely for defense, barehanded without any weapon, looked completely out of place in the underground gladiatorial atmosphere.

Except... for her dazzling red hair.

With the same hair color as the Imperial Army Commander, it signified that she was also a survivor of the annihilated clan.

Even wearing a masquerade mask, Ethan could instantly recognize the identity of the red-haired woman.

To most people, one glance at the equipment of both sides would be enough to predict the outcome of the gladiatorial match, but at that moment, Ethan still wanted to inquire with the organizers of the arena.

Someone here was suspected of match-fixing.

Severely disrupting the underground gladiatorial arena's natural environment.