Somewhere in the capital, four people were inside a room.
Of the four people, one of them was standing in the center of the room with a pale expression. As for the other three, they were looking at the youth in the center with different expressions.
Finally, one of the people raised his hand while looking at the youth and...
*Slap!*
"Are you an idiot?!" The man that slapped the youth, Earl Carson Riea, shouted with a furious expression while looking at the youth.
Earl Carson had a son and two daughters. Currently, his wife, son, and one of his daughters were in the room.
"But dad! We just lost a few men! What does it matter if they die?!" Al held his cheek painfully and asked.
"A few men, a few men! Do you still think that is the problem?! How did I give birth to a fool like you?! Don't you understand that your actions today almost destroyed this family?!"
Al looked at the ground unable to answer. The man snorted furiously and slapped him again, sending him flying against the wall. He then walked towards a chair and sat.
"Louise, make sure of creating enough evidence so it looks as though the men that attacked the prince today betrayed the family."
"I understand, father." A girl answered respectfully. It was Louise, the girl that fought against Claus this morning.
"It's fortunate that the prince did not die. Otherwise, the emperor would have been forced to act against our family and Al would have been executed. Moreover, all the work we have done in the last few years would have gone to the drain."
Louise nodded. "We were lucky this time. Who would have expected that prince Claus has a hidden powerhouse as his teacher?"
The head of the Riea family fell silent when he heard that. He then looked a Louise and asked with a grave expression. "Louise, you fought against him today. What do you think about the prince?"
"... Strong." Louise said after thinking for a while. "I was unable to hurt him before being completely defeated even though I'm two layers higher than him. Moreover, I have the feeling that he is even stronger than that."
"Is it so? Well, if such a powerhouse is his teacher then it's normal if he is a bit stronger than expected."
"... Father, is prince Claus's teacher so strong? Could it have been Claus who killed the assassins?"
"Impossible. The assassins were killed cleanly, without the opportunity to resist. You need the strength of someone at the tenth layer to do something like that. Moreover, despite the palace being filled with powerhouses, nobody has detected that man until now. His strength, I think it's at least at the twelfth layer."
Louise fell silent. Someone at the twelfth layer could be considered as a god in human skin.
Even the emperor was not at that level yet. If Claus's teacher was so strong, then the implications were very serious.
Of course, the empire had powerhouses at that level. There are even rumors that the empire has people above the twelfth layer. Of course, it doesn't make a twelfth-layer powerhouse less terrifying.
"Sigh, it looks like we have to change our plans a bit. Stop all the activities against the prince for a while. Also, Louise, try to get closer to him if it's possible. It's better if you can get information about his teacher."
"I understand." Louise nodded.
At that moment, the last person in the room, Earl Carson's wife, spoke.
"Husband, is this truly alright? To be honest, I don't like what you are doing."
Earl Carson looked at his wife and sighed gently. Mia was a very beautiful, virtuous, and kind woman. Her beautiful silver hair and green eyes made her look like a pure and gentle winter elf.
But she was too kind, at the point that it can be a flaw.
"I know what you mean, Mia. But we must do it. Finally someone carrying the Riea family's blood is about to ascend the throne. We can't allow any uncertainty now."
"But, those two siblings are too pitiful. Besides, they have never shown any interest in the throne." Mia looked at her husband with an anxious expression.
Carson let escape a soft sigh and shook his head. "It doesn't matter. If we want to see the rise of the Riea family, then we must be merciless. As for princess Dina and prince Claus, they are simply unlucky to be born in the wrong side. Even if they don't have any intention of competing for the throne, we have to act against them. Moreover, now that prince Claus has a powerful teacher, we must be even more merciless."
Mia looked at her husband and sighed sadly. She knew that her husband's words were right, but she could not agree to them completely.
When she married him, her husband was a kind man, filled with righteousness and justice. But now, many years later, he had fallen as low as to plot against two innocent children.
Was he the same man she married? Was turning his family into the strongest family really so important? Moreover, what after that?
Mia could not help but turn anxious while thinking about the future.
...