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First Prince.

Lukraizen Hysirion.

His piercing, oppressive gaze quietly met mine.

The First Prince is a figure who stands in opposition to Duke Robliage in the final scenario's sixth act.

However, he is not entirely aligned with the protagonist.

What he desires is the throne—he’s a man who will do anything for the empire’s prosperity.

And now, I was asking this man to explain the merits of helping him.

From someone who had lived his life revered as a celestial being, such a request was uncharacteristically bold.

"Are you saying that if there’s no merit for me, you’d readily side with the Third Princess instead?"

The pressure emanating from the First Prince gradually tightened around me.

But even in the face of the empire's most powerful figure, I shamelessly smiled.

"There’s no such thing as my side or your side in this world. Dividing only leads to losing more than you gain."

"Audacious."

The First Prince leaned back in his chair.

"Or perhaps… fearless?"

Sharp observation.

Indeed, I had lost my fear.

Without it, I couldn’t have caught the First Prince’s attention or sustained this conversation.

Moreover, I knew he couldn’t recklessly harm me right now.

Thanks to the international individual competition, I had garnered significant global attention.

Although I had been transferred by due process, anyone could see I was being treated as an invaluable asset.

The Blue Tower Master had been researching Zerion’s magic for an incredibly long time.

His ultimate goal was to resurrect the magic of Zerion, the Sage of Transcendence.

The First Prince was undoubtedly aware of this.

The Blue Tower, while officially neutral, was one of the most influential towers in the empire.

If it leaned toward the opposition, the consequences would be dire.

Thus, neither the First Prince's faction nor the Third Princess’s faction dared provoke it.

Maintaining neutrality was preferable.

Now, someone had appeared who could wield Zerion’s magic—the Blue Tower Master’s greatest desire.

Even though my approach to magic differed from Zerion’s, the fact that I wielded the magic of ancient dragons alone was an immense advantage to the Blue Tower Master.

Moreover, the Duke of Whitewood had openly shown favor toward me.

Her personally transporting me in her carriage was a testament to her protection.

The Duke of Whitewood, too, stood as a neutral figure.

If I were properly leveraged, it might elicit positive reactions from both the Blue Tower Master and the Duke of Whitewood.

‘The world largely runs on connections.’

The networks backing me were more tempting to the First Prince than anything else.

There was no way he’d risk alienating me.

In other words, my current demeanor was born from the confidence my backing provided.

"I have no intention of siding with anyone in particular."

"That doesn’t match your actions thus far, which seem to scream for attention."

Indeed, everything I had done until now had been ostentatious, impossible to ignore.

Among those most fixated on me was, of course, the First Prince.

After all, I had appeared before him disguised as his confidant, Hannon.

I even intercepted the transfer to Zerion Academy, a spot he had prepared, and took it for myself.

It was only natural he’d find it infuriating.

And now, instead of taking his side, I was dodging his questions, which undoubtedly grated on his nerves.

"What does Your Highness think of Duke Robliage?"

The First Prince’s eyebrows twitched.

I had mentioned neither the Third Princess nor myself but instead brought up Duke Robliage.

By doing so, I openly acknowledged the Duke's ambition for the throne—a fact everyone knew but dared not speak of.

This implicitly indicated that I wasn’t on the Duke’s side either.

"Duke Robliage is a meticulous man."

"A man full of ambition as well. But I believe that overwhelming ambition often becomes a poison."

"Do you not wish for the Third Princess to become emperor?"

"If Her Highness the Third Princess decides to ascend the throne, I will not stop her."

However…

"I do not wish for Duke Robliage to become emperor either."

A contradictory statement, yet the First Prince understood my meaning.

"It’s as if you’re implying you could make anyone emperor if you wanted to."

"That would be impossible for me alone. However…"

The First Prince’s faction and the Third Princess’s faction held equal power.

Both sides had taken all they could.

What remained were untouchable elements.

In such a situation...

"My involvement would undeniably tip the balance."

A small new weight had appeared—a weight that could tilt the scales.

Furthermore, the weight I brought wasn’t just myself but also the connections surrounding me.

Since my appearance as Hannon, the First Prince had placed several ears within the academy.

Through them, he must have learned about the people connected to me.

But even he wouldn’t fully grasp the depth of those relationships.

The people tied to me were anything but ordinary.

‘For instance,’

Isabel had recently awakened the Wings of the Goddess.

The First Prince must have heard of this development.

Bit by bit, events centered around me were unfolding—thanks to my relentless efforts to weave the scenario into the main plotline.

I was no longer just an individual; the intricate web of relationships around me was beginning to shake the stagnant power dynamics.

"Hah… Ha-ha…"

At that moment, the First Prince let out a slow chuckle.

Propping his chin on his hand, he gazed at me leisurely.

"You’re no ordinary lunatic, are you?"

He had categorized me as a lunatic.

"But at least your intentions are clear. If there’s a common enemy, you’ll be a stronger ally than anyone else, correct?"

"Precisely."

The common enemy was Duke Robliage.

I would certainly contribute to defeating him.

Hearing this, the First Prince relaxed his posture.

"And you’ve accurately gauged my disposition."

Ah, I’ve been found out.

The First Prince distrusted blind loyalty.

He preferred those who saw merit in his offers and acted based on fair trade.

As long as there was mutual benefit, such individuals would never betray him.

And he had the confidence to gradually draw them closer to his side.

This innate charisma of a ruler was strongest in the First Prince.

"What is it that you desire from me?"

The First Prince now asked what I wanted from him.

The Duke of Whitewood, second only to the emperor in influence, could grant me almost anything in this world.

"My identity."

So, I decided to secure safeguards.

"If I reveal my true identity in the future, I need you to help mitigate the fallout and handle any legal issues."

If I hadn’t pretended to be Hannon from the beginning, none of this would have been a problem.

But I got involved in this and became part of the scenario.

The First Prince wouldn’t be able to fully read my intentions.

However, at least my proposal was something he could willingly consider.

The First Prince chuckled dryly.

"Did you seduce that child Iris in the same way?"

"I didn’t particularly seduce anyone."

"When it’s revealed later that you’re not her cousin, that’ll be quite a spectacle."

With that, the First Prince stood up.

"Oh, by the way, since I’ve seen the results of this transaction, let me tell you something."

My eyes turned toward him.

"You’re not the only one who has mastered the magic of the ancient dragon."

At the same time, my eyes began to widen.

I understood what his words meant.

‘Nikita.’

Nikita had traces left behind by the ancient dragon’s remnants.

Since she had once used the ancient dragon’s magic, it was inevitable that she couldn’t fully escape its influence.

Beside Nikita was Nia.

He must have realized this and decided it was better to move toward mastering the ancient dragon’s magic.

‘She’s grown.’

I could vividly feel how much effort the embodiment of diligence had put in all this time.

"Furthermore, Nia’s research on magic, though he’s dead, has almost been completed. However, unless one is a mage on his level, it won’t be usable."

The First Prince’s lips curled into a chilling smile.

"Look forward to it. A new wind is about to blow through the Demon Dungeon."

"I have high expectations."

With that, the First Prince waved his hand and left.

Only after the door closed behind him did my body relax back into the chair.

Even if I wasn’t scared, I was mentally exhausted.

It was only natural after a battle of wills with the First Prince.

‘I don’t know about anything else.’

I just wanted to return to the academy quickly.

For some reason, I missed the academy more than usual today.

* * *

There are laws and order in the world.

But there are also those who play above such laws and order.

The Duke of Whitewood and the Master of the Blue Magic Tower.

Because of the two at the pinnacle of power and magic, imperial law had to be revised once again.

A case involving the ancient dragon’s magic was added to the Special Hero Act.

These reckless people.

They ended up rewriting the empire’s laws.

"Is this really okay? Won’t someone use the fact that the law was rewritten as an excuse to cause trouble?"

"It’s a law I created. Who would dare use it against me?"

At the Duke of Whitewood’s words, I fell silent.

What’s the point of arguing in front of someone who creates the law?

"More importantly, boy, a lot will revolve around you from now on."

I had wielded the ancient dragon’s magic in front of the entire world.

Naturally, that would spread far and wide.

Surely, I would be the center of attention from all over the world.

It wasn’t exactly a pleasant prospect, but to prepare for the approaching fifth act, this was the only way.

‘And.’

The fourth act wasn’t over yet.

The Mad Mage, Vinesha.

She would come to Zerion Academy as a result of this incident.

"And that’s where I won’t be able to help you anymore."

"Just having my life spared this time is more than enough."

I had almost ended up on the imperial execution platform.

What saved me was the Duke of Whitewood’s vigorous intervention.

Then the Duke of Whitewood reached out and ruffled my hair roughly.

"Hmm, a hero must endure such things!"

Apparently, in her eyes, I still looked endlessly young.

"By the way, the Saint secretly sent a message."

The Duke of Whitewood was a hero trusted even by other nations.

It seemed the Saint had expressed her gratitude and conveyed a message for helping in this matter.

"A message, you say?"

"The Saint seems to be very interested in you. When did you manage to charm her?"

It looked like, now that things had settled, they were asking how I knew Narea.

"She seems to want a private line of communication. Be careful, though; if you touch the Saint, who knows what the Holy Kingdom might do."

"I have no such intention. But I would appreciate a private line."

"What a shameless rascal."

But the Duke of Whitewood laughed heartily, seemingly finding that side of me amusing.

She was old-fashioned in her own way.

"Hannon."

At that moment, Sharin appeared from afar, waving her hand.

She had an utterly exhausted expression and was accompanied by the Master of the Blue Magic Tower.

Sharin approached me and said with a tired face,

"We’re in big trouble."

"What is it?"

Big trouble, all of a sudden?

"He wants us to get engaged."

What?

"Haha, you really are a shameless rogue."

The Duke of Whitewood’s laughter didn’t reach me.