Losendas, East Coast, Mount Celestia, The White Bastion.
Outside the pristine castle, there was a large, well-kept lawn, full of life and vitality.
A group of bright white Light Birds played cheerfully on the grass.
A squad of Winged soldiers stood at attention at the entrance of The White Bastion, guarding the gates with solemnity.
A few Winged officials descended from the mountain, landing gracefully on the lawn, quickly brushing off their clothes before rushing into the castle.
The peaceful, serene atmosphere was like a holy sanctuary.
However, this tranquility was soon shattered.
It was as though a massive stone had fallen from the sky and splashed into a tranquil pond.
"What?! Amigul is dead?"
Inside The White Bastion, a middle-aged male Winged official, seated in the council hall, stood up in shock.
"Edward Inona, sit down!"
Jano, sitting upright in his large chair covered in bear fur, spoke with an unshakable calm.
Behind him hung a map of Losendas and the East Coast.
He glanced at the astonished officials and furrowed his brows.
The former Winged official, Inona, who used to handle his affairs, had passed away a century ago.
Due to the demanding nature of governance, Inona had never managed to break through to the Hero tier and had lived only to the age of 200, the lifespan of a Master-tier practitioner.
Before him stood Edward Inona, Inona's most outstanding grandson, who was also a Master-tier practitioner.
However, Jano sensed something slightly lacking in Edward's abilities compared to his grandmother.
Several other Winged officials, both male and female, sat in the hall, their expressions equally stunned.
Though Jano was equally shocked by Amigul's death, his mind now was as unshakable as the moon in the sky, unaffected by the winds.
He turned to the female Winged official standing in the hall and asked,
"Elena, tell me everything that's been happening in Proadas recently."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Elena, calming herself after feeling the pressure of the situation, began recounting, or rather, reciting, the events.
"Intelligence from the Winged Embassy in Proadas."
"Three months ago, the conflict between the Seventeenth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince of the Goblin Empire intensified. Their vassals and subordinates were almost fighting to the death, forcing Queen Alessa to personally intervene."
Because of Amigul's long reign, many of the older princes had already passed away.
Among the surviving princes, only the Seven Prince, who had already achieved Legendary status and had no interest in the throne, was not vying for power.
The other princes, though they had reached the Hero tier, had lifespans not exceeding five hundred years.
Among them, the Thirteenth Prince Milan Amigul and the Seventeenth Prince Asha Amigul were the most talented and ambitious.
"Two months ago, a fierce conflict broke out again between the two princes! But this time, even Queen Alessa couldn't mediate."
"What happened?"
"Two months ago, during an imperial hunting competition, while the Seventeenth Prince was away hunting, his fiancée, who is said to be a rare beauty among the Goblins, was abducted by the Thirteenth Prince's forces and presented to Emperor Amigul!"
"It is well known throughout Feland that Emperor Amigul has a great weakness for beautiful women. The moment he laid eyes on the Seventeenth Prince's fiancée, he was smitten!"
"Even though he knew the young Goblin beauty was his son's future wife, he was surprised at how much the girl had grown, so beautiful."
"Not wanting to acknowledge the situation, he took her as one of his concubines."
"When the Seventeenth Prince returned with his hunting spoils, he was devastated!"
"He didn't expect that after trying to show off in front of his father, he would come back to find that his father had married his fiancée!"
"Furious at this betrayal, the Seventeenth Prince immediately gathered his personal guards and stormed the Thirteenth Prince's camp."
"The Thirteenth Prince was taken completely by surprise by his brother's fierceness and was seriously injured, barely escaping. He rushed to the palace, where Emperor Amigul had already welcomed his new concubine, and reported the situation."
"Seeing his sons nearly kill each other, Amigul was furious! He immediately ordered that the Seventeenth Prince be whipped fifty times and placed under house arrest in the palace. He would be released only when he acknowledged his wrongdoing!"
"After this incident, the Seventeenth Prince knew his chance to inherit the throne was over. He could no longer gain Amigul's approval, and the throne was forever out of his reach!"
"The Seventeenth Prince, known for his stubbornness, still sent emissaries to demand his fiancée from Amigul during his house arrest, but Amigul refused to acknowledge the situation!"
"This pushed the Seventeenth Prince to his breaking point!"
"Then, a month ago, the Seventeenth Prince pretended to apologize and entered the palace."
"That night, a fierce battle erupted in the palace, half of the palace was destroyed, and much of it was corrupted by dark forces."
"Afterward, the Seventeenth Prince never left the palace."
"The next day, news came that Amigul had been fatally wounded by his own weapon, the Amigul Spear, and was near death!"
"Later, news spread that Amigul had passed away. The Thirteenth Prince Milan Amigul rushed to ascend the throne in front of the Emperor's body."
Jano, still shocked, listened intently and thought to himself, "This Seventeenth Prince seems a lot like the tragic Prince from ancient history, known as the King of Longevity. But this Goblin prince was far braver than that unfortunate fellow."