The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne

The City of Holivar…

Holivar was a city located on the border between two empires—the Holy Empire of Valtanir and the Great Velmora Empire.

It was somewhat remote, yet it did not belong to either empire. After all, it had been established as a neutral city by both sides.

Holivar’s population was not very large—only around eighty thousand people.

Most of them were not permanent residents but immigrants from the two empires, hoping to try their luck or engage in trade.

At this moment, the city, usually peaceful and quiet, was unusually crowded.

Flags lined the city walls and roadsides. Horse-drawn carriages from various kingdoms arrived one after another.

The sight surprised everyone in the city. However, since they already knew what was happening, they were not particularly panicked.

”Tsk! I didn’t expect Emperor Ragan to choose Holivar as the meeting place with the five kings. Could it be that he did it to avoid conflict?” a man asked curiously.

”No, you’re mistaken, my friend. The decision to gather in Holivar did not come from the emperor but from the five kings themselves. They feared that if the meeting were held in the Great Velmora Empire, they might be taken prisoner,” another replied cautiously.

”What!?” The man stared in disbelief. ”Is that true? Why didn’t I hear about it?”

”You’re not an important person. Why should you be informed about such a major event?”

Those words left the man feeling ashamed. But it was true.

’The five kings are afraid, huh? It’s funny to imagine,’ he whispered with a faint smile.

The commotion did not end there. After the carriages from the five kingdoms arrived, a golden carriage followed—it looked luxurious and magnificent.

A flag bearing the symbol of the Goddess of Light fluttered proudly above it. It belonged to the Holy Valtanir Empire.

”Uwah… Even the Holy Valtanir Empire has come here. I’m afraid this meeting might turn into a major conflict,” a woman whispered anxiously.

The others nodded in agreement. If it involved only the five kingdoms and the Great Velmora Empire, they might still accept it.

But if a powerful force like the Holy Valtanir Empire was involved, the situation would become far more complicated. It was not impossible for a conflict to break out and escalate into war.

All the carriages eventually gathered at the large palace standing in the center of the city—the government building of Holivar’s mayor.

The system of government was similar to that of the city of Halveron in the eastern region of the Great Velmora Empire, where the people chose their leaders through elections.

However, the requirements for becoming the city’s leader were far from simple.

Mayoral candidates had to remain neutral and not take sides with anyone, including the Holy Valtanir Empire or the Great Velmora Empire.

At this moment, the leaders of the five kingdoms had already arrived at the building. The kings had even come earlier for security reasons.

”Tsk! I had already guessed that Ragan Lorian would appeal the previous negotiation results. Fortunately, I came prepared, so I’m not too worried.”

A middle-aged man in a gray robe smiled faintly and shook his head.

He was Theo, the prime minister of the Kingdom of Myreen. Myreen was one of the five kingdoms that had filed a complaint against the Great Velmora Empire over the incident that had befallen their prince at the party that night.

”Hahaha! You’re right, Theo. I was certain the emperor would take this step. But I’m still unsure what demands he’ll make next. Do you have any idea?” a bald, heavyset man asked with a broad smile.

Theo glanced at him. He was Roland, the prime minister of the Kingdom of Luthara.

”I don’t know. But one thing is certain—he will ask us to reduce the demands we made earlier,” Theo replied calmly.

He was aware that the demands of the five kingdoms were indeed excessive.

But that was only natural. They wanted to extract as much profit as possible from the Great Velmora Empire.

”Your words make sense. I hope our king can hold his ground so that we all benefit. Isn’t that right?” Roland glanced at him meaningfully.

Theo gave a slight nod. ”That’s right.”

In truth, only some of the kingdoms demanding compensation from the Great Velmora Empire genuinely cared about the deaths of their prince or delegation.

All they wanted were enormous profits—that was all. After all, the Great Velmora Empire was extremely wealthy.

An incident like the one that occurred that night at the party was unlikely to happen again. Therefore, they had to take full advantage of it.

”Prime Minister Theo and Prime Minister Roland, please proceed to the meeting room immediately,” a servant said respectfully.

Roland and Theo exchanged glances, then gave slight nods.

…

The meeting room was enormous. At the far end stood a statue of a winged figure, giving the room a luxurious and elegant atmosphere.

Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, while ancient paintings lined the walls, enhancing the room’s grandeur.

The city of Holivar had once been part of the Holy Empire of Valtanir.

However, because it was located very close to the Great Velmora Empire and brought little benefit to the Holy Empire, it was eventually relinquished.

With the consent of the Great Velmora Empire, Holivar became a neutral city.

That is why the palace and its interior still carried an ancient style similar to the architecture of the Holy Valtanir Empire.

”Hahaha! That’s right, I’ve heard about it. By the way, does your daughter plan to marry anytime soon? What about pairing her with my son? He’s still unmarried, as I haven’t found a suitable match for him.”

A man in his thirties said this to the man before him.

Both wore luxurious white and gold robes. They were the kings of the Kingdom of Myreen and the Kingdom of Luthara—Darius Corven and Theron Valsis.

”Your suggestion is quite interesting, King Darius. I’ll consider it. My daughter is rather stubborn and not easy to persuade,” Theron replied helplessly.

The Kingdom of Myreen was a neighboring kingdom, and forming a political marriage with them would certainly strengthen his kingdom’s position.

Unfortunately, his daughter was unlike most royal princesses. She was tomboyish and strong-willed, especially after being spoiled for so long.

”It’s alright. I understand your situation. If the opportunity arises, I’m sure we can establish a closer relationship,” Darius said with a faint smile.

He sensed the sincerity in Theron’s words and looked forward to the possibility of the marriage.

The two continued their conversation until the topic of Ragan came up between them.

”Do you think we can pressure Ragan Lorian?” Theron asked in a heavy tone.

Darius took a glass of wine from a servant and took a sip.

”Don’t worry. This issue isn’t too complicated. I’m confident we can win these negotiations just as we did before,” he replied calmly.

Theron studied his eyes for a moment, then gave a slight nod.

”I hope you’re right. Let’s wait and see.”

Just then, the guard’s voice at the meeting room door echoed throughout the hall.

”The Holy Emperor Dariel is entering the room!”