(A few hours earlier…)
"They want me to do what now?" Victor asked his older brother, Lysander, in his office in the palace. The second prince has an office in the palace which is just a few doors before the emperor's office. The entire nobility was in uproar while the second prince's faction celebrated after it was found out that a prince now has an official office in the main palace. This left the other factions seething. Rumors are now going around that Prince Lysander was going to be officially declared as the crown prince. But because the prince and the emperor remained cordial in public, the rumors are still that. Rumors. There is also the part where the emperor gave Victor as much attention as he wants which was a strategy both Victor and the emperor has agreed upon. This way, it can drive nobles crazy over what is happening before the official crowning.
"A mana assessment," Lysander answered.
"A mana assessment? All this secrecy for just a mana assessment?" Victor asked annoyed.
Victor was summoned by the palace. The summons was so sudden that he didn't have the time to even decide whether he wants to go or not because Rufus immediately dressed him up formally and send him to the palace so fast, his head almost spun. He'd rather do his own thing. Maybe follow Julian secretly as he goes to the town and watches him flourish and bloom (Rufus will have a conniption if he does not do any work, they still have a lot of papers that he is trying to finish and now he realized it is a bit creepy to stalk his fiancé like that).
The palace likes to be vague and when you are summoned, you are usually expected to go even if you don't want to or don't know what it is all about. Despite being a prince, the palace still has a stronger position to summon you even without a decree from the emperor (which trumps all the summons). But Victor hates all these sudden summonses because not only does it waste his time, the immediate summons and the lack of proper information would raise anyone's anxiety levels. Victor is one of those people who preferred to get a head-up over spontaneous events. In his first life, he was more of a goes-with-the-flow kind of person but when he was Jeffrey he became more of a planner and likes to keep things on schedule, if need be, and he was able to emulate that in this life.
As for a mana assessment, it determines your magical field and your level of magic. The higher your level is the better. In the nobility, higher magic also means higher power in most cases, and most nobles like to compete with their magic ability. The leader of the magic tower for example is among the most powerful mages in the empire. The emperor and even the pope also were considered among the most powerful. Many nobles wanted to have powerful offspring' or grandchildren so they tend to push their daughters to the powerful mages in the empire if they can. He heard that the leader of the magic tower has over 100 in his harem.
"But why now? Isn't mana assessment only done when someone is 13?" Victor asked. He has an inkling feeling that something was up. In his past life, he got his mana assessed when he went to the academy as one (if not only) of the oldest students and he got an S rank which he was able to build up to SS rank and his elements were fire and lightning. Compared to his brother who is now SS rank and based on the novel will achieve the SSS ranking in the future, that was nothing.
"I don't know. The request was approved by the council. The one who requested it was both the church and the magic tower". Lysander answered.
Victor knows something is up with his mana assessment and he doesn't like the idea of his mana levels to be known. Keeping people guessing is better because people will always be on guard with you and will be more cautious to act against you.
"It doesn't seem fair that you get to know my mana information while I don't know the updates of everyone else," Victor said giving his brother a little bit of stink eye. This is because Lysander attended the ceremony along with other 13-year-olds and got the privilege to see each other's ranking. He winds up the highest at the time during that year (an A rank which is crazy for a teenager). Even though he is now SS rank level but that information is not yet public. SS is rare and not all of the princes (so far) have reached this level.
However, Victor has no access to other people's rankings. He also does not want people to know there was something wrong because ever since he came back, he still could feel his magic growing and unstable and he does not want them to know there is something wrong with his mana.
"It will be fine. It's not like you are hiding something." Lysander stated which only annoyed Victor. Lysander knew that the magic tower and the church just wants to verify the third prince's mana and his magical talents and gifts if he has one. They were desperate to know if he is clairvoyant or can see the future so they could expedite him to their side. The magic tower after all has the authority to demand gifted individuals to the tower.
They can do so since magical talents especially the rare ones are often required to work either with the church or the magic tower or they can work in the palace if they so choose to. But the magic tower was known to often extort those talented and even gifted ones to their side and it doesn't matter if they are a member of the royal family or not. This is one of the disadvantages of the empire since the power is divided between the three groups (royals, the church, and the mages). Even though the emperor is at the top, the other two can still have some influence over his decisions.
Victor just rolled his eyes at his brother. "I know what they wanted and no, I don't have the magical ability to see the future." He declared.
"Well, we don't know that. You might not be aware. How else can you explain some of the information you have given us?" Adrian who has been sitting quietly broke his silence.
Victor turned to his cousin with one of his eyebrows raised and asked. "What information?"
"We all know it was you who have been making those secret messages for everyone for us to track. We thank you for that but we still don't know your agenda." Adrian said straightforwardly.
"Adrian." Lysander chastised his cousin. He knew Adrian have already expressed his concerns about Victor. Although they knew that Victor has been secretly helping them, they cannot trust him. Unlike Lysander who is merely cautious, Adrian has been hostile towards Victor.
Adrian and Victor met at the foundation banquet and they didn't talk to each other when Adrian von Claes was introduced to him. Adrian mostly just keeps an eye on him but didn't show any anger at him until now. Victor only smirked at him which only pissed off Adrian.
"Why are you smiling?" Adrian hissed.
"I am not obligated to answer your questions," Victor said.
"Why you-" Adrian tried to grab the third prince's collar but was stopped by the second prince.
"I don't know what information you are talking about. I know a lot of information and I know nothing at the same time." Victor said shrugging while saying so nonchalantly like he was having a very casual stroll in the town. "I don't know anything about handing down a note to the prime minister to point out evidence to raid a noble's house for child trafficking or know nothing about a certain woman in the archduke's palace who happens to be a sister to all three of us."
Victor gave the second prince and his cousin a look. Both men gave him shocked and horrified looks.
He knew? Lysander felt terrified while Adrian looked very worried. They were the only people in the room and Lysander was able to place a silencing array in his office so nobody can easily eavesdrop on them. However, there is another person who knows about their sister – the woman who came from the empress and the archduke. If the enemies find out about this information, it will bury them alive. Even the emperor can't protect them from it.
Adrian could only look at the third prince with both confusion and fear. This man is terrifying. He is a threat. He holds leverage against them that can be used as blackmail. That should not be allowed.
"Don't even think about it," Victor said. Snapping the archduke heir from his thoughts. "Trying to kill me will not solve your problems. You'll lose the only person in the empire who is currently in possession of much more information that can unravel a lot more feathers. Consider yourself lucky I decided to help you."
"Why are you helping us?" Adrian asked apprehensively.
"I hate paperwork," Victor answered nonchalantly.
Adrian and Lysander looked taken aback. "What?". Lysander already knows the reason why Victor is helping them but he has not relayed this information to anyone yet but even he did not expect such an answer from the third prince's mouth.
"Yeah," Victor said. "Do you have any idea how much paperwork the emperor has to deal with every day? Also, having to deal with all the wolves in the imperial ministry and even the harpies always trying to climb your bed? It's exhausting! I'm exhausted! I have been through training, going to wars, fighting, falling into the demonic dimension, and going to war again. I have not properly eaten, had no proper clothes, and I smelled 90% of the time. I want my respite and I can only get that if the right person is in the right position. So, I'd rather help you deal with all this stuff so I don't need to deal with even more paperwork."
Which is technically true. This is because if Victor is the one going through noble homes to raid their properties for committing their crime, paperwork is needed. He has enough paperwork as it is and he does not want to add the burden. Especially as it is taking away his time from Julian! Also, he needed a valid excuse to throw off his annoying cousin of his. He isn't going to tell him he just wants to live peacefully and away from all of this. The man might see this as an opportunity to assassinate him in the middle of the road just to make sure the threat is gone.
Adrian's open mouth closed and then opened again. He looked confused and couldn't find the right words to say. The prince was just using them so he doesn't have to do additional paperwork? What?
A knock at the door interrupted the banter of the three princes.
"Yes?" Lysander asked.
"The assessing room is ready, your highness." A voice behind the door said.
"All right," Lysander said and looked at his brother. "Shall we?"
Victor just shrugged and walked towards the door. Not without giving his cousin a little smirk before leaving. Adrian rolled his eyes and the three men left the office.