Chapter 122: Higher Than The King

The Fifth Prince Haverion.

He had garnered everyone’s attention as he manifested divine power from a young age.

No, it wasn’t just attention.

Although Duke Garcia’s scheme forced him to move to the Holy Empire, with his outstanding divine power, the pope treated him with preferential treatment and courtesy.

In other words, he was a noble royal nobody ever dared ignore.

But for the first time in his life, he felt an inexplicable sense of humiliation.

It was for no other reason.

“Are you Haverion? Nice to meet you. I am Ian Kaistein.”

It was because of Ian’s attitude, which seemed arrogant at first glance.

Haverion was so dumbfounded by what he saw that he couldn’t even speak.

‘You dare speak informally to me?’

On top of a horse to boot?

Unless he treated him like a commoner, how could he show such an attitude toward him, the cardinal of the Holy Empire and his older brother?

How outrageous. Even he, who had experienced the worn-out politics of the Holy Empire, was rendered speechless.

No, it wasn’t just him.

Everyone in the slums was as shocked.

‘Is it okay to do that?’

‘If you’re that dissatisfied, you can step forward.’

‘That’s…’

None of them came forward.

It was understandable.

Right now, Ian was riding Blue Emperor.

The Blue King, Lavaltor’s pride, had a much bigger size than an ordinary horse. Moreover, Blue Emperor that Ian was riding now was their king.

They were overwhelmed by its hideousness as well as its sheer size.

That wasn’t all.

‘He is the hero of the Northern Expedition, Ian Kaistein?’

Ian’s completely different appearance also played a role.

It was no wonder, as Ian had grown considerably thanks to the balanced diet and continuous training.

Moreover, a little more than a year had already passed during his time in the north. He had grown much taller along with age.

So much so that even Haverion nearly couldn’t believe his eyes.

‘That’s the rumored youngest?’

It seemed like he had to erase all the stories of a brash little boy he had heard.

But there was no time to be surprised.

“Everyone get out of the way!”

“Ian Kaistein, the king of Bahara and the seventh prince of Kaistein, is visiting!”

Behind him, the royal guards holding the royal flag of Kaistein began to line up.

They were all troops that Ian borrowed from the king to bring Haverion back.

At that sight, the citizens who had gathered as if to protect Haverion hesitated and retreated.

Their intuition was telling them that something was going to happen.

But right then.

“What is everyone doing! Hurry up and protect His Eminence!”

“!”

Upon the appearance of the royal guards, the leader of the inquisitors made a quick decision.

He immediately stood on Ian’s path.

“Even if you are a prince of Kaistein, you are in front of the cardinal of the Holy Empire!”

“Unless you are disrespecting the Holy Empire, get off your horse now and show your respect!”

It was then.

“Show my respect?”

Ian raised the corners of his mouth, still atop Blue Emperor.

And instead of getting off his horse.

Neigh!

Blue Emperor raised its front hooves.

The powerful momentum contained within that one move was as if it was going to strike down the opponent in one fell swoop.

The inquisitors had to step back as Blue Emperor lifted its humongous front hooves so high they seemed to touch the sky.

“W-watch out!”

“Eeekk!”

The nearby priests, especially those with a faint heart, collapsed on the spot.

That was how violent Blue Emperor appeared to their eyes.

Upon seeing the fallen priests, the heresy inquisitors quickly scrambled to move.

“Priest, are you okay? Come to your senses!”

“Somebody get cold water! Bring the medicine!”

Chaos had taken the place of the previously warm atmosphere where the priests had just given treatment moments ago.

Yet, the culprit of this chaos chuckled.

“Ah, sorry about that. This guy hasn’t learned manners yet.”

Of course, he didn’t look sorry at all.

The faces of the pious priests immediately flushed red at Ian’s shamelessness.

‘It’s you who hasn’t learned manners!’

But no one here dared to spit it out.

Not paying them any mind, Ian continued talking calmly.

“But, let me ask you one question.”

“What…”

“I have to show my respect to you. Is the one before me the Fifth Prince Haverion? Or is it Cardinal Haverion?”

“…!”

“I heard Cardinal Haverion is here.”

Ian smiled as he looked around.

“Am I wrong? Unless you are Cardinal Haverion, why is it that His Majesty’s child is showing disrespect by not even offering his greetings when he arrives at the royal castle after such a long time?”

“…!!”

The inquisitors and Haverion fell silent at his words.

‘It certainly is strange not to go to the royal castle as the Fifth Prince.’

But if it was as a cardinal.

“If it’s not as the Fifth Prince, Brother Haverion, there’s no need for me to show you my respect, is there? Am I wrong?”

“That makes no sense—”

“Otherwise, should I, the king of Bahara, show my respect to Cardinal Haverion, who is nothing more than a priest?”

A priest shouted upon hearing Ian’s remark.

“How dare you call the cardinal by his name!”

They thought he looked down on Haverion, whom they revered and followed.

But at that moment. Ian’s expression turned cold.

“Dare?”

Even the atmosphere around him churned violently.

It was not as simple as a sense of intimidation; it was the bloodlust of someone who had experienced war.

“Are you saying that Cardinal Haverion is higher than the king of Bahara?”

The priest flinched momentarily and lowered his head.

But Ian did not end it with just words.

He drew the royal sword from his belt.

“Kaistein and Bahara are countries where neither gods nor popes exist. You dare to claim that, in such a country, the cardinal holds a higher position than the king?”

“…!”

Before the priests could open their mouths to say anything, Galon, who was next to him, raised his voice as if to support Ian.

“This is the land of Kaistein. You are the ones who should show respect.”

The royal guards also shouted, thumping the ground with their spears.

“It is you who should show respect!”

“Show respect!”

Thud!

They were fanning the flames of conflict by refusing to enter.

Kaistein was obviously aware of such a blatant move.

Nevertheless, the Holy Empire’s heresy inquisitors did not back down.

“Are you persecuting the Holy Empire?!”

“No one can be higher than the Lord. In Kaistein, you can’t persecute someone who came to help your people like this!”

It wasn’t just that.

They cleverly brought up the patients and deplored Ian’s actions.

“Moreover, His Eminence the Cardinal was once the fifth prince of this country. Is it the law of Kaistein to treat a prince who returned home to personally help his country in this manner?”

“If that is the king of Kaistein’s will, we will definitely tell this to the pope!”

At those words, the royal guards grew furious and unsheathed their swords.

The inquisitors also readied their maces against them.

The air was so tense it felt like a fight would break out at any moment.

The priests screamed in a fluster at the sight.

“What are you doing now?!”

“Does Kaistein really want to go to war with the Holy Empire?”

But Ian merely smirked.

“Well, I think it’s you who wants war now?”

“Preposterous!”

“If so, explain. Are you including His Majesty Eloin in your ‘no one can be higher than the Lord’ you just mentioned?”

“…!”

“And you will tell this to the pope? That it was the king of Kaistein’s will?”

Ian wasn’t just picking the loophole in their logic.

The inquisitor’s words were tantamount to denying the continent’s sovereignty. Although the Holy Empire was a theocratic country, there were things that should not be said.

Just as expected.

The priests, realizing the implications, hurriedly shook their heads with ashen faces.

“It-it’s a misunderstanding! The inquisitors made a slip of the tongue…”

Nevertheless, Ian said, his golden eyes gleaming.

“Now you have denied all royal families on the continent. Moreover, you even said that the Holy Empire is above all countries.”

It was just as Ian said.

If his words were revealed to be the will of the Holy Empire, all countries on the continent would turn their backs on them.

The inquisitor, who had just misspoken, waved his hand in shock.

“Th, that’s not it! According to the scriptures—!”

“So I asked again if that was the will of the Holy Empire. Or should we say this is the will of the pope?”

“…”

The priest and inquisitors instantly fell silent.

They knew that if they said one more word, there would be an uproar.

However, Ian didn’t stop.

“No one in Kaistein is higher than His Majesty Eloin. Even if it’s a cardinal of the Holy Empire.”

Ian’s cold eyes turned to Haverion.

‘If I had said this, you would have understood, right? So, why don’t you get ready to enter the palace?’

His eyes seemed to say that.

For some reason, however, Haverion, who had been silently watching them arguing, smiled.

“Ian Kaistein. Surely I’ve heard I have such a younger brother.”

“Your Eminence?”

“Everyone, get out of the way. I want to talk to my brother.”

“!”

He pushed the priests back and smiled brightly.

“I thought there would be no more brothers after me. Nice to meet you. However, this is a treatment center for medical treatment. If you really care for the patients as you said, why don’t you talk after you get off your horse since it causes inconvenience to them? People here are uncomfortable.”

He was definitely speaking in a soft voice.

But displeasure could clearly be felt lurking within.

‘He’s acting up when he’s younger than me. Why doesn’t he get off while I’m still being nice?’

At that moment, the gazes of the two princes, Ian and Haverion, chillingly clashed in the air.

It was such an intense staring contest that sparks could be seen flying.

But Ian chuckled.

“Uncomfortable, huh. Who says it’s uncomfortable? Is it you?”

“M-me? No! That can’t be possible!”

One of the patients Ian pointed out jolted and waved his hand.

“Then is it you?”

“H-how could that be possible? That is absolutely unreasonable!”

The one noble who was singled out by Ian took a step back, sweating profusely.

He came here to make a connection with Haverion, not for this!

He seemed ready to run away at a moment’s notice.

Ian chuckled at that sight.

“Then there’s no need to feel sorry at all. No one said it was uncomfortable.”

“!!”

Haverion was speechless.

The problem was that Ian kept speaking informally to him.

‘This young brat doesn’t want to lose even one word.’

At this point, he already knew that enduring this would only be disadvantageous for him.

But it was a disgrace to go on like this.

‘Kaistein’s royal family has not bowed to me yet. Then the original plan cannot be carried out.’

Worse still, it became impossible to even carry out the pope’s order.

So, Haverion pointed around.

“I’m sorry, but there are still many patients left here, so I don’t think I can go.”

A throng of citizens had already gathered for Ian’s visit.

Even the youngest would not be able to drag him out in front of so many people.

However, Ian laughed as if to mock Haverion.

“Then, it’s okay if there are no patients?”

“!”

“Have those who will help Cardinal Haverion not arrived yet?!”

At those words, some people waiting in the back stepped forward.

“Pardon our lateness, Your Majesty.”

That’s over dozens of healers.

These were the people Ian and the royal family had mobilized and gathered.

As the healers stepped forward and started attending to the patients, Haverion scoffed.

“It’s not something that can be done just through treatment. The medicine also…”

But no sooner had he finished speaking.

Thud!

“!”

As if to shut his mouth, supplies began to pile up in front of the treatment center.

Most of the treatments and supplies at Ian’s supply depot were prepared, including liver transplants for patients.

Ian smiled.

“Now we have enough healers and medicine. Then, can we go now?”

“…”

Haverion stared at Ian incredulously.

“Well, then. Shall we go now, brother?”

For the first time, Ian used respectful speech to him. However, his gaze was anything but.

‘Should I use force if you prefer it more?’

Haverion’s lips curled up upon seeing his gaze.

‘This guy. He’s more dangerous than I thought.’

But Haverion knew.

‘No matter how much you struggle, you can’t become king anyway.’

Because the owner of that seat had already been decided.

And it wasn’t the self-righteous First Princess, the self-important Second Prince, the nationally acclaimed genius Third Prince, the Fourth Prince who was recommended as the youngest chancellor due to his intelligence, or the Second Princess, the most resourceful person in the kingdom.

Especially not that cheeky youngest nobody knew where he fell from.

That’s why Haverion smiled.

“I get it. Let’s go.”

And he would never use honorifics toward him.

That was only how far his pride allowed.

***

When Ian finally succeeded in making Haverion move from his spot, the nobles and soldiers shook their heads, already fed up with this.

‘He did a good job resolving a problem that could have turned into a diplomatic issue.’

‘Sometimes, I’m scared of what’s inside that kid.’

‘Could it be that the Seventh Prince was actually not found recently but deliberately hidden and taught for years?’

However, the look in Ian’s eyes as he led Haverion away was grim.

There was a reason for it.

It was because of his meeting with Duke Garcia just before meeting the Fifth Prince.

‘In the end, I never heard the reason for his betrayal.’

He had gained plenty of other useful information.

It was just that among the information he now knew, Ian found no reason for betraying him.

It didn’t even make sense to betray him in the first place.

It was because of a truly shocking revelation.

“Finding you was all King Eloin’s instruction… I just followed it.”

The king hid and re-revealed Ian’s existence.

Duke Garcia pretended to participate in the king’s plan, only to make Ian easier to deal with.

“I just didn’t want to be within his grasp forever. Because Garcia… no longer serves Kaistein and the king.”

A pendant Duke Garcia clasped in his hand.

The fact that it had an emblem similar to the state religion of the Holy Empire also played a part.

‘In the end, was King Eloin or the Holy Empire involved in the reason he betrayed me?’

Moreover, the Fifth Prince did not show up in the past life that he knew.

And it must have had something to do with why he was stabbed in the back.

‘There are times when the memories of my past life become useless as I change.’

But he found a crucial suspect.

So now, he wasn’t just taking the Fifth Prince to the king.

‘What are you hiding from me, Your Majesty?’

He must ask King Eloin directly.

Thus, Ian made up his mind.

What King Eloin and the Holy Empire had to do with his death.

He should thoroughly get to the bottom of it.

And so, he ordered.

“Bring Duke Lavaltor.”