CHAPTER 255: CHAPTER255-A FRACTURED EMPIRE

The Second Prince was in a state of extreme anxiety as Norton’s vast army was rapidly approaching the capital.

It was at this moment that National Preceptor Blois entered the palace and found the Second Prince pacing back and forth, overwhelmed by his anxieties.

Seeing Blois, the Second Prince clung to him like a lifeline, bombarding the national preceptor with questions.

"Uncle, what do we do now?" he pleaded.

"Norton’s massive army is marching towards the capital, and all we have are the hundred thousand royal guards of the capital!"

National Preceptor Blois looked at his nephew with a mix of disdain and disappointment.

"Useless," he thought.

"Terrified by such a minor challenge, how will he manage to govern such a vast nation?"

The Second Prince noticed the contempt on his uncle’s face but, despite the anger boiling within him, dared not lash out given the circumstances.

He continued to implore Blois, "Uncle, please think of something fast. If we don’t act, we will both perish at Norton’s hands."

National Preceptor Blois’s expression grew solemn.

He had never anticipated that Peter would rebel, suspecting someone must have leaked information suggesting the king’s death was being pinned on him in the capital.

"It must have been Reiss," he concluded, realizing he had underestimated the man.

After a moment of contemplation, Blois said, "You will proceed with your coronation ceremony tomorrow."

The Second Prince, troubled by Blois’s suggestion, had indeed considered this but knew the old nobility staunchly opposed it.

Sensing his nephew’s hesitation, Blois interrupted, "Don’t worry. Tonight, we’ll deal with the dying Crown Prince Armando. By tomorrow, you’ll announce that in these desperate times, with the rebel army at our gates and Armando’s death, opposition from some nobles and officials is irrelevant."

After a brief pause, the Second Prince nodded in agreement.

As dusk quickly turned to night, the queen, having already been informed, secretly bribed the assassin ordered by her brother Blois to kill Armando.

She instructed the assassin to find a way to sneak Armando out of the palace without leaving any trace that Blois could discover.

Looking at the stars in the night sky, the queen murmured, "Armando, this is all I can do for you. The rest is up to you. I have arranged for the best doctor in the continent to be waiting outside the palace. I hope he can save your life."

Using the moonlight, the assassin fulfilled his agreement, finding a scapegoat and secretly taking the severely tortured Armando, who was barely recognizable due to the Immortal Corpse Emperor’s torment, out of the palace to a simple courtyard in a small village just outside Phoenix City.

In the courtyard, an elder in white stood with his hands behind his back, nodding at the sight of Armando being brought in by the figure in black, signaling the assassin could leave.

After observing Armando for a while, the elder’s expression turned grave.

It seemed the only option was that one method.

If this young man could survive, great fortune awaited him in the future.

After nearly a month of treatment, the unconscious Armando finally awoke.

The elder was pleased for the young man before him.

Armando opened his blurry eyes to see a kindly-looking elder before him and asked, confused, "Where is this?"

The elder replied with a warm smile, "This is my home."

Still puzzled, Armando inquired, "Your home? And who are you?"

The elder smiled gently, "I was asked to help you. Now, your illness is cured. However, even though your life was saved, I fear you might not accept your new appearance."

Upon hearing the elder’s words, Armando instinctively touched his face, realizing it felt uneven and scarred, vastly different from the smoothness it once had.

Shocked, he attempted to rise, but the elder firmly held him down.

The elder then sternly said, "Young man, you should consider it a great blessing that you have managed to keep your life. Also, there are many recent events you need to be aware of; I hope you can withstand them."

Armando learned from the elder about the occurrences during his unconsciousness.

Firstly, the Second Prince announced Armando’s death publicly and claimed the throne for himself.

Secondly, against the nobles’ objections, the Second Prince married Alison, who was imprisoned in the dungeon, and crowned her queen.

Thirdly, Norton was granted kingship by the newly crowned Second Prince, with realms such as Snow Realm and Blue Ridge as his territories.

Lastly, brothers Reiss and Peter also carved out kingdoms for themselves.

The Northern Mountain Empire was now on the brink of collapse.

The elder interrupted Armando’s contemplation, stating, "I have fulfilled my promise to that person. Now, please leave and don’t mention our acquaintance or tell anyone that I saved your life."

Confused, Armando was about to inquire further, but the elder gave him no chance to speak and turned away, leaving.

...

Seeing this, Owen realized relying on this persona to break through the illusion might be challenging.

He had decided to retract the Second Prince’s persona because it was unlikely to pass the test in its current state.

However, it might not have been the wisest decision.

At this point, Owen knew he had to step in himself.

Otherwise, he would have to face the illusion again.

Even if doing so might break the rules, he could no longer concern himself with that.

...

Owen took over Armando’s body, now penniless and dressed in tatters, living like a vagabond.

Yet, this guise was a blessing in disguise as his current appearance rendered him unrecognizable.

However, if anyone were to see the dragon-shaped tattoo on his chest, they could easily deduce his identity.

Disguised as a wanderer, Owen planned to escape the city alongside refugees.

After successfully fleeing Phoenix City, he ventured alone into the ancient forest and stumbled upon a modest temple hidden deep within.

Deciding to temporarily take refuge in this secluded monastery, he awaited the right moment.

The temple agreed to shelter Owen, but on the condition that he would become its disciple.

Starving, and knowing this persona might not survive without food, Owen reluctantly agreed.

...

One day, after consuming two steamed buns in the morning, Owen started his chores around the monastery, including fetching water from a stream at the foot of the mountain.

The original riverbed had turned into a barren stretch with exposed pebbles, the water flow ceased, leaving only trickles seeping through the cracks in the stones.

This task proved challenging for Owen as he scooped the murky water from the sandy crevices into a bucket with a ladle.

He noticed a few people on a nearby hillside stripping bark to eat and was shocked to discover they were once Armando’s supporters.

He ran over to them.

Seeing Owen in monk attire, his old companions were overjoyed, having thought that young Armando had perished.

Then they couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, finding the whole scene incongruous.

Kovacic commented, "How can the noble heir to the empire end up as a monk, carrying water no less? Seems like you’re making life harder for yourself."

Owen replied, "Putting aside everything else, being a monk keeps me safe from National Preceptor Blois’s pursuit, and I get to eat. How about I speak to the masters and get you guys to join too?"

Kovacic seriously said, "Not for me. Becoming a monk means I can’t get married. I’m the only one left in my family now, and they’re counting on me to continue the lineage."

Then, his expression darkened, "Blois, that old bastard, raided our homes. We only survived because our families sent us away from the capital in secret."

Marchello, chewing on tree bark, added, "A few more days of eating this, and I might starve to death! It’s been ages since I’ve had any meat."

Unable to bear seeing his friends in such a desperate state and knowing he might need their support to face the current crisis, Owen realized that despite their families being destroyed, their prestige remained.

A call to arms from them would surely rally some to their cause.

"Hold on, don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back," he said before running back to the riverbank, shouldering the half-filled bucket of watery mud, and hurrying back.

Owen hastily carried the muddy water back to the temple’s kitchen, pouring the half bucket into a large jar.

The monk responsible for cooking was tending to the stove, pumping the bellows and adding firewood, his face smeared with soot.

Glancing at the bucket, he remarked, "Why do you keep bringing back this muddy soup? Can this even be eaten?"

"The river’s dried up. In a few days, we won’t even have this mud soup," Owen replied.

"Can’t you go further out to find water?"

The monk mentioned a mountain spring twenty miles round trip away, known for its abundant water.

Owen thought to himself, a twenty-mile journey for water, is that not a death wish?

Blinking, he negotiated, "That’s too far for me to carry water. Give me a few steamed buns to eat first; I’ll need the energy."

The cook actually went to a large basket and handed him two buns.

Owen, plotting to sneak more buns, requested, "Can you wrap these in paper for me?"

As the cook went to the next room to find paper, Owen seized the moment.

Quick as a flash, he approached the bun basket, his hands moving swiftly to grab a dozen more buns, stealthily dropping them into the water bucket.