Chapter 193: Chapter: 193 Why wouldn’t I dare?

Just a few months ago, Edward had brought Vivian’s personal maid before everyone.

She was given compensation.. so much that it was enough for her and her entire family to live in comfort for seven generations.

When the maid was brought in, she broke down crying.

She confessed that Vivian had told her to act the part. He had never touched her, not even once. Everything had been a lie.

That was the moment their family truly fell apart.

Elena stopped talking to everyone after that day.

She would only nod when someone asked her something.

No words ever left her mouth. In a way, it was fortunate that she didn’t harm herself.

Vined knew she was drowning in guilt. It was her words that had driven Vivian out of the house.

She had even called him the greatest mistake of her life.

And yet, despite all that guilt, Elena couldn’t bring herself to apologize to her son….whose fate was still unknown, whether he was alive or dead.

Vined let out a long sigh as he looked ahead.

The emperor was smiling warmly at his eldest son, the one who would inherit everything.

Envy flashed in Vined’s eyes. If it weren’t for that cursed illness, his own son would have been standing beside him now.

By this time, he would have passed his position to him without hesitation.

But he couldn’t.

His youngest son was talented too, more than capable.

Vined would have given him the title instead…but Edward had vanished without a word.

On the very day he exposed the truth in front of everyone, he disappeared. No farewell. No explanation.

And just like that, his family was left in ruins.

Lost in these thoughts, Vined felt someone looking at him. Veer turned his head and met his gaze, worry clear in his eyes.

“Brother, don’t be so down,” Veer said softly. “Everything will be alright.”

But Veer’s concern was not light. Elena was his own sister by blood, and Vivian and Edward were like his own children.

Their pain weighed on him as well.

Vined looked at him and gave a bitter smile. He didn’t say anything.

It was easy to say that everything would be alright.

But Vined knew the truth. His family was already broken….and some things, once shattered, could never be fixed again.

As Vined remained lost in his thoughts, the ceremony continued. Vikram’s voice rang out across the hall.

“Now, Prince Kaizer von Indrath, step forward!”

At once, the First Prince stood up.

He gently moved his red cloak away from his feet and began to walk forward.

There was a calm elegance in his posture. Every step he took looked measured and refined.

The moment he stepped into view, the crowd erupted. Cheers filled the hall as people shouted his name again and again.

Kaizer raised his hand slightly, acknowledging the crowd, then continued walking.

He stopped in front of his father and stood tall.

The emperor rose from his throne, and the empress stood beside him. The emperor’s voice was firm and steady.

“Kneel.”

Without a moment of hesitation, the prince knelt before him.

The emperor reached for the sword hanging at his waist.

He drew it slightly from its sheath and placed the flat of the blade on Kaizer’s shoulder.

“I, Gray von Indrath, the current emperor of the Indrath Empire, before my people, name the First Prince, Kaizer von Indrath, as my successor!”

The hall fell silent.

The people did not cheer this time.

Their faces were serious, filled with clear expectation for the future emperor. Seeing this, the emperor nodded to himself, satisfied.

“Do you accept this responsibility?” he asked.

Kaizer smiled faintly.

Wasn’t this obvious?

He had planned for this day for years.

He had schemed, endured humiliation, and crushed obstacles one by one just to reach this moment.

There was no world where he would refuse.

’After I become the emperor, I must get rid of that woman,’ he thought coldly. ’If she remains, she will always be a thorn in my rule.’

A sharp flash of killing intent passed through his eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

“I, Kaizer von Indrath,” he said clearly, “the First Prince of the Indrath Empire—”

He paused and lifted his head.

His eyes were calm and steady as he looked straight at his father.

“I acce….”

He couldn’t even finish his words.

A monstrous killing intent suddenly flooded the entire square.

It was heavy, crushing, and cold. Everyone froze where they stood.

Ordinary people felt a sudden chill crawl up their bodies, as if death itself had brushed past them.

They looked around in fear, not knowing what was happening.

Even the royal family members turned their heads, confused and uneasy.

They couldn’t fully understand this feeling, but their instincts screamed danger.

The warriors were different.

Those who were swordmasters and above immediately felt it clearly. Their faces changed as one, and their eyes lifted toward the sky.

Ravan Tramplin frowned deeply as he stared upward. A strong sense of unease rose in his chest.

Something is wrong.

Vined and Veer also looked at the sky. Veer’s face was full of confusion, unable to grasp what was happening.

But Vined’s eyes trembled slightly. His breath caught as he muttered under his breath.

“…This…”

Among everyone present, the one filled with the greatest disbelief was Vikram.

His eyes shook violently as a feeling he couldn’t describe surged within him.

He was the only ascended-level warrior present, and because of that, he could sense the aura more clearly than anyone else.

He recognized it.

And that was what terrified him.

What shook him even more was how monstrous it had become.

The pressure alone made his body tense.

In his heart, he knew the truth, if he and the Mage Corps Chief, Isabella Rosaline, joined forces, there was no guarantee they could win against the owner of this aura.

“This… how can she grow this strong…” he whispered.

A sense of defeat crept into his eyes. His fists clenched without him realizing it.

After a moment, his shock slowly settled. And then, something unexpected appeared in his gaze…a faint flicker of pride.

’Thank the heavens… this powerful warrior belongs to the royal family.’

He let out a long sigh, and a small smile formed on his lips.

The pressure in the square remained heavy, the sky still silent, as if something terrifying was about to descend.

After a few moments passed, everyone followed the gazes of the powerful warriors and looked toward the sky.

Prince Kaizer was among them. He narrowed his eyes, clear annoyance on his face as he stared upward.

His ceremony was being delayed.

Because of this sudden aura.

That alone was enough to make his mood sour.

Irritated, he turned toward Vikram and spoke in a low voice. “Sir Vikram, is it a warrior?”

Vikram looked at him and nodded once. His face showed no emotion.

Although Prince Kaizer was his nephew by blood, Vikram did not like him.

In fact, he was strongly against the idea of Kaizer becoming the next emperor.

In his heart, Vikram believed his niece should inherit the throne. She was far more capable than all three princes combined.

But his brother, the emperor, had made his decision long ago.

He had said his daughter had cut all ties with the royal family to be with that delinquent man.

Because of that, he would never give her the throne…no matter what.

Vikram, as the younger brother, had no place to argue. All he could do was remain silent and nod.

After a brief pause, Vikram spoke again.

“It’s a mage.”

With that, he turned away without saying anything more.

Kaizer’s frown deepened.

’A mage?:

Who would dare come here with such arrogance, releasing such pressure during his succession ceremony?

His irritation turned into anger. His eyes darkened as he spoke sharply,

“Commander Vikram, go and teach them a lesson for interrupting the ceremony.”

Vikram didn’t reply.

He let out a cold snort instead.

If the prince knew who was coming, he would never have spoken those words.

And even if he did know and still dared to

give the order, Vikram would never follow it.

Having no response from Vikram, Kaizer’s patience finally snapped.

He stepped forward, his voice echoing through the square as he shouted, “Who dares interrupt the royal ceremony?!”

The sky remained silent.

But the crushing pressure only grew heavier.

As the crushing pressure continued to grow, some people could no longer endure it.

Blood spilled from the corners of their mouths as they coughed violently.

Their faces turned pale, and fear spread through the crowd like a silent wave.

Seeing this, Kaizer’s anger burned even hotter.

He stepped forward and shouted loudly, his voice filled with rage.

“You dare?! You dare interrupt this sacred ceremony and even harm my people?!”

That last part was carefully chosen. It hid his personal anger and painted him as a ruler who cared for the people.

Murmurs spread through the crowd, and some looked at him with approval.

Kaizer lifted his chin, his eyes sharp and cold.

“If you dare,” he said, his voice ringing through the square, “then come forward!”

The moment those words left his mouth, the pressure suddenly deepened.

The sky darkened.

A massive thunderbolt tore through the clouds and struck down from above, shaking the ground with a deafening roar.

The air itself seemed to freeze.

And then….

From the place where the thunder descended, an extremely cold and chilling voice echoed across the square, calm yet filled with authority.

“Why wouldn’t I dare?”

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