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

Nolan and the Grandmaster stepped out of the restaurant. The street outside was crowded with people coming and going, making it difficult to spot the ones Nolan was referring to.

”Where are they, Your Highness?” the Grandmaster asked.

”The last time I saw them, they were over here,” Nolan replied, pointing south.

The Grandmaster looked skeptical but said nothing, walking in the direction Nolan indicated.

Nolan followed behind, a faint smile on his face.

When they arrived, the people they were looking for were nowhere to be seen. It was just a deserted area usually used for restaurant waste disposal.

”Is it here?” the Grandmaster asked again, his eyes scanning the area warily.

The silence around them sent a chill down his spine.

”Yes, they’re here. Right behind you!”

Suddenly, Nolan lunged forward, his right fist clenched, and struck the Grandmaster’s back.

Caught completely off guard, the old man was sent flying, crashing hard into the wall. The impact sent cracks crawling across the entire wall.

The Grandmaster’s body hit the ground, wracked with sharp pain.

”Pufft!”

Blood spurted from his mouth, and pain radiated through his entire body.

”What… what are you doing!?” he growled, lifting his head to glare sharply at Nolan.

He hadn’t expected such a sudden attack—and the blow had been so powerful he hadn’t had a moment to react.

Nolan dropped his act, strolling calmly with his right hand in his pocket.

”Old man, I knew you were slow, but I didn’t realize you were this pathetic. Guarding the Void Reaver Disc for a thousand years—did it turn your brain to mush?” Nolan taunted.

The Grandmaster’s eyes widened in shock. Before he could speak, Nolan continued, ”There were never any men in black coats. I lied to lure you here. How’s my setup? Impressed?”

The Grandmaster’s breath caught. ”You… do you realize the enormity of your mistake!? How dare you deceive me!?”

Nolan didn’t flinch. He simply stared at the old man with calm, unreadable eyes.

According to Karakh’s account, the man before him was Flugar, one of the Ancient Mages from thousands of years ago. He had guarded the Void Reaver Disc for a millennium, awaiting the arrival of its rightful heir.

In this era, Aldrian was that heir, and Flugar was bound to protect him at all costs. To reach Aldrian, Nolan had to deal with Flugar first.

”Alright, old man. Any last words? If not, I’ll kill you right now,” Nolan said arrogantly.

Flugar’s rage exploded. He gritted his teeth, fists clenching so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Boom!

A reddish-blue glow shot out of him, lighting up the sky.

The frail old man suddenly seemed alive with power. He hovered in the air, eyes cold, locking onto Nolan with a deadly stare.

”Nolan Lorian… how dare you betray the friendship between our kingdoms? You’ve asked for death!”

His voice thundered, shaking the ground beneath the capital and the restaurant alike.

”Is that an earthquake?”

”Seems like it. We should get to safety—there could be aftershocks!”

Panic swept through the capital, but Nolan—right at the epicenter of the ”earthquake”—remained completely unfazed. He crossed his arms and smiled casually.

”Come on, old man!”

Flugar’s anger boiled over. He lunged at Nolan with incredible speed.

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of him, fist glowing faintly blue, aimed squarely at Nolan’s face.

Just centimeters from its target, Nolan lifted his hand and blocked the punch.

Boom!

The impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, smashing dumpsters and toppling the partition wall between the restaurant and the street.

Flugar froze—his attack had been stopped in its tracks.

Before he could recover, Nolan swung his left fist upward, connecting squarely with Flugar’s chin.

Whoosh!

Frugal was sent soaring into the air. Nolan planted his feet, crouched, and then launched himself upward after him.

With his right fist clenched, he drove it into Flugar’s stomach.

Boom!

Flugar was hurled even higher, groaning in pain. He quickly pressed his hand to the wound, a faint green light glowing as the pain slowly ebbed away.

Flugar then surged forward, his body enveloped in a crackling blue light, and collided with Nolan.

The impact triggered a massive explosion that lit up the night sky above Altheris.

…

”What’s happening? Could it be an earthquake?” Aldrian whispered, unease in his voice.

He stared at the trembling floor beneath him, then at the wine in his glass, quivering slightly.

The usual guiding voice offered no explanation this time, leaving him confused.

”What’s wrong?” Seira’s voice snapped him back to reality.

Aldrian shook his head. ”Did you feel the ground shaking?”

Seira nodded calmly. ”Yes, a little. Probably just a minor quake. Nothing to worry about.”

Her tone was serene, as if the tremor hadn’t disturbed her at all.

Aldrian forced a sheepish smile. If even Seira seemed unbothered, he couldn’t afford to appear cowardly.

”You’re right,” he said, feigning composure as he sipped his wine.

He cast a sly glance at Seira’s glass and smirked silently.

’The potion should take effect in fifteen minutes. Tonight, my dear Seira… you’ll be mine… hehehe…’

…

”Nolan’s been gone for a long time… where could he have gone?” Alina whispered, her eyes anxiously fixed on the window.

Five minutes had passed, yet Nolan still hadn’t returned. It felt strange—surely he wouldn’t take this long just to use the restroom.

Just as she was about to call a server to check on him, a sudden jolt shook the ground. The tremor grew stronger by the second.

”An earthquake!?” Her eyes widened, and she scrambled to her feet in panic.

Alina had always been terrified of earthquakes, especially while trapped in a confined room like this. If she didn’t get out immediately, her life could be at risk.

But running off would mean losing sight of Nolan.

Torn between the quake and worry for him, Alina went with the latter.

”As long as it’s not too strong, I’ll stay,” she whispered, trying to calm herself.

Unbeknownst to her, the person she worried about was currently locked in a fierce battle with the Ancient Mage Flugar, high above the skyline of the capital…