Journey to Become the Zenith

The Branch Royals’ Ambition

The son of the prime minister was waiting on the second floor of another inn inside of Fantom City.

Outside the window, the night was cold and restless.

Rain had fallen earlier in the evening, leaving the streets below damp and glistening beneath the lantern light. The distant sounds of drunk adventurers, passing merchants, and armored guards echoed faintly through the city streets, but inside the private room, silence ruled like a blade pressed against the throat.

Lucien Ashdrake sat beside the window with one hand supporting his chin.

His expression remained calm.

Too calm.

But beneath that composed face, his thoughts were moving rapidly.

It had been six days now since he ordered his men to go and kill Videl, and there was still no news regarding the situation.

The last report he received had come four days ago.

At that time, his subordinates claimed that Videl was finally cornered near the forest of north of Fantom City.

After that—

Nothing.

No messenger.

No magical transmission.

No corpse.

No confirmation.

Only silence.

And in politics, silence was often far more dangerous than bad news.

Lucien slowly tapped his fingers against the wooden table beside him.

The soft rhythm echoed quietly through the room.

The son of the prime minister wasn’t that worried since he already somehow guessed that this might happen, which was why he sent more men and hired mercenaries to help out.

Still...

Four entire days without a single report was abnormal.

Even failure should have produced some kind of information by now.

Which meant only a few possibilities remained.

Either Videl escaped.

Or something far worse happened to the people sent after her.

Lucien narrowed his eyes slightly.

He understood Videl’s nature better than most people realized.

A righteous hero.

Strong.

Persistent.

Stubborn.

But still inexperienced.

Under normal circumstances, she should never have escaped the trap completely.

Unless...

Something unexpected interfered.

Lucien exhaled slowly.

His sharp eyes drifted toward the dark city outside the rain-stained window.

”It was obvious that his people didn’t want to meet him with nothing to show for,” he muttered softly to himself, ”but still not reporting for four days straight was not good as well.”

The candlelight inside the room flickered quietly.

Behind Lucien stood two silent guards dressed in dark cloaks bearing the insignia of a branch royal household.

That symbol alone carried complicated meaning inside Skyfall Kingdom.

To outsiders, the royal family appeared united beneath Queen Amara’s rule.

But reality was never that simple.

The royal household of Skyfall Kingdom had spread into many branches across generations.

Not every prince became king.

Not every princess inherited the throne.

Most descendants of older royal bloodlines eventually entered the kingdom’s nobility, military, or political structure.

Some became dukes.

Some became ministers.

Some became council elders.

And some quietly accumulated power while waiting for opportunity.

The Ashdrake family was one such branch.

Lucien himself carried royal blood.

Distant from the throne—

But royal blood nonetheless.

For generations, branch families remained obedient because the direct royal line remained powerful.

But things were changing now.

Queen Amara ruled alone from the throne.

Her husband had long disappeared from public sight years ago.

Some said he died during war.

Some whispered he was assassinated.

Others believed Queen Amara herself had hidden him away.

And then there was the princess.

Aura.

The only royal heir.

Silver-haired.

Red-eyed.

Beautiful and talented beyond imagination.

But also surrounded by rumors.

Countless rumors.

Some claimed Queen Amara conceived Aura through an ancient forbidden spell after losing her lover during war.

Others believed Aura was the child of a mysterious warrior who died protecting the kingdom years ago.

No one truly knew the truth.

And nobody dared ask the Queen directly.

Still...

One fact remained undeniable.

The throne currently had no male successor.

Only a single princess.

Which terrified many branch royal families.

Especially the older nobles.

Especially the council.

Because once Queen Amara eventually passed the throne to Princess Aura...

The balance of power would completely change.

And many branch royal households refused to bow their heads before another queen.

Particularly one as young as Aura.

That was why movements had quietly begun behind the scenes.

Small at first.

Secret meetings.

Political pressure.

Manipulation inside the royal council.

And now—

More dangerous actions were starting to emerge.

Lucien understood this better than anyone.

He himself stood directly in the center of that growing storm.

’I wonder what that coward will do this time?...’

Lucien’s gaze darkened slightly.

The relative he referred to was another branch royal claimant quietly trying to gather influence within the capital.

A fool in Lucien’s eyes.

But dangerous fools were still dangerous.

Especially during unstable times.

’Also I’ve been wondering why the council made our Crown Princess—the Sword Princess—go on a wild goose chase.’

His fingers stopped tapping.

That order still bothered him.

Princess Aura rarely left the capital personally unless the matter was extremely important.

Yet recently the council intentionally sent her away to investigate false reports near the borders.

It was too convenient.

Too suspicious.

Lucien slowly narrowed his eyes.

’It is possible that this might all be distractions for the real plan.’

The room became quieter.

Even the guards behind him avoided breathing too loudly.

Lucien Ashdrake was not known as a genius for nothing.

Unlike the arrogant nobles surrounding him, he never underestimated coincidence.

And recently...

There had been too many coincidences.

The appearance of Videl.

Victor’s growing influence.

The movements inside the council.

The princess being intentionally sent away.

The silence from the north.

Something was happening beneath the surface of the kingdom.

Something hidden.

And Lucien hated hidden variables.

A sudden knock interrupted his thoughts.

Three slow knocks.

Pause.

Then two more.

A coded rhythm.

One of the guards immediately stepped toward the door.

”Password,” the guard said coldly.

A voice answered quietly from outside.

”The moon watches the sleeping lion.”

The guard relaxed slightly and opened the door.

The person who entered was Erick, one of the six close aides of the prime minister’s son.

Erick looked exhausted.

Mud stained the lower half of his cloak, and faint scratches covered his armor.

The moment Lucien noticed his condition, his expression sharpened.

Interesting.

Erick immediately knelt respectfully.

”My lord.”

Lucien studied him silently for several moments.

No visible injuries.

No panic.

But tension lingered inside Erick’s eyes.

Which meant the situation was neither complete success nor complete disaster.

That alone already irritated Lucien.

The candlelight flickered again as cold wind slipped through the slightly opened window.

Lucien slowly stood from his chair.

His long coat shifted softly behind him.

Unlike many nobles, Lucien carried himself more like a battlefield commander than a politician.

Controlled.

Sharp.

Dangerous.

He walked toward Erick step by step.

The wooden floor creaked softly beneath his boots.

The pressure inside the room became heavier with every step.

Even the guards unconsciously straightened their posture.

Lucien stopped directly before his subordinate.

His shadow covered Erick entirely.

”Have you accomplished your mission?”