"So... It's finally over. ”

Brandon de Salion, who let out a long breath, stood outside the fortress gates, looking at the guards on the walls with complicated eyes on him, and did not forget to smile and wave at them.

None of them paid any attention to him.

His Royal Highness the Prince, who was not annoyed, shrugged his shoulders... He didn't expect a "life-saving grace" to make these legionnaires change their minds about themselves.

In their eyes, Connad de Salion is the true successor of the Empire, the future Thirteenth Generation Supreme Emperor.

And themselves... Just the superfluous one.

Not far away, the accompanying guards were packing up the departing carriage and saluting under Edward's command, while Lusen, holding the two short swords, sat in a daze, as if in a state of memory.

Isaac was still arguing with the little wizard as always, and it seemed that he was arguing over something again... This kind of thing was already strange to Loren in Wimpal's time.

"That's right, it's finally over. The black-haired wizard beside him was very calm, and said indifferently: "Although the process is not the same as I thought, at least the result is still good." ”

Of course... It's just that on the surface, Loren secretly said something in his heart.

The "apostle" Phaoda who was not truly defeated, the evil gods hidden in the glacial wasteland, the resurrected Phanascis, and the grave keeper's deathbed entrustment...... Loren suddenly felt tired.

The road ahead is really dark.

I've seen so many in my previous life, and every time I successfully complete an adventure, the protagonists can get a lot of good things, or go to the pinnacle of life, either artifacts or treasures......

But why is it that only I get a lot of empty promises, plus a time bomb that doesn't know when it will explode on the spot?

Thinking about it like this, the good mood that had ended the trip to the north immediately became a lot duller.

"Hey, I said why are you so sad?" Looking at the black-haired wizard with a helpless expression, Brandon, who tilted his head, showed an extremely bright smile:

"We're going to Golovin, the capital of the Empire, the heart of Sackland—the analogy may be an exaggeration, but it's probably one of the most interesting places in the world, isn't it so unhappy?"

"Although I think it's unlikely, but... You don't like it here, do you?" His Royal Highness looked like he was looking at a fool, and his red eyes still had a bit of pity in them.

"Ahem, cough, cough ......" Loren, who had the corners of his mouth twitching, coughed a few times and resisted the urge to roll his eyes:

"Only this I can guarantee, no, absolutely nothing!"

Nodding, Brandon, who was still a little unconvinced, patted his small chest: "That's good, I thought you froze your brain in the glacier and snow mountain...... Who's going to like this kind of hell but those crazy people and some insane madmen?"

"Taverns, theaters, concert halls, cafes, bazaars, restaurants, casinos, arenas, racetracks...... I mean, the whole civilization, there's nothing! It's better to let me stay in this kind of place for the rest of my life, or to kill me. ”

“......”

Seeing the embarrassed appearance of the black-haired wizard with the corners of his mouth twitching, Brandon, who coughed lightly twice, finally became serious:

"But just because we're back in Golovin, the imperial capital, doesn't mean we're safe... The next threats will only be worse and more dangerous than in Broken Mountain Fortress. ”

"In the territory of the Prince of Sackland, in the fortress of Broken Mountain—even if it is only on the surface, I know very well that my beloved brother will never and dare not bear the infamy of killing relatives. ”

"But the nobles, the vassals who are loyal to the royal brother, and the scheming people, will never care about their own means in order to achieve their ends... The assassination of members of the royal family is not without precedent. ”

"And what we did at the Broken Mountain Fortress also gave them an excuse to do it and a golden opportunity. ”

Loren, who had a solemn face, looked at Brandon with a serious face and nodded silently.

No one could have predicted the invasion of the north, and the "disgraced prince" who should not have appeared became the hero who saved the fortress of Broken Mountain, and such an ending may be more unpredictable than that of monsters.

The already stable empire is bound to be in turmoil, and Brandon de Salion, who is about to return to Golovin, will be the target of all, either to take allegiance, or to seek help, or to become a thorn in the side.

"Just like at Ebolden, only careful caution can keep us from falling overboard. Loren said calmly:

"Even taking advantage of this situation, your Highness, who originally had no hope at all, can turn left and right, and even become a qualified heir to the empire in the eyes of others. ”

"Ahem, ahem... That 'little bit' is redundant. ”

Rolling his eyes, Brandon looked at him angrily, "I didn't expect them to change their minds about me because of such a victory... Opinions are such things that are difficult to change once they are determined. ”

"It's like... labels, just like the church always says that wizards are evil, so the vast majority of people assume that wizards are evil, and they don't wonder if they should confirm it. ”

Loren, who was convinced, nodded and sighed softly:

"It's a pity... Your Highness Brandon, there are so many 'labels' on you, and each of them has no chance of being a 'positive review', and it is even more difficult to get them to change their views than to ascend to the sky. ”

"Basically, apart from praying to the Holy Cross, your wizard advisor really can't think of a good way to change that. ”

Rolling his eyes again, Brandon spread his hands with an indifferent expression: "Then dare to ask my wizard advisor, is there no other way than this absolutely useless method?"

After pursing his lips, the black-haired wizard who hesitated for a moment turned around and looked at Brandon solemnly: "There is only one way." ”

"Since your image has been 'deeply rooted in the hearts of the people' within the Empire, it will be superfluous for us to make up for it, and it will look very glamorous, and even make people who have prejudices against you sneer. ”

"To the nobles of the Sakran Empire and to the commoners, Prince Connad de Salion of Sakrand was the perfect successor, fitting almost everyone to see the image of the Emperor. ”

"What you have to do, what you can do is to behave completely different or even the opposite from him! From now on, establish an image that is completely different from Conod, the heir of the empire!"

At that moment, a bright smile appeared on Brandon's face again.

"I don't believe that there are people in this world who can fulfill everyone's wishes, and I don't believe that one person can satisfy everyone - when the interests of some people are satisfied, there will be sacrifices to others, which is inevitable. ”

Loren took a deep breath, and his tone became heavier and heavier: "So in the Empire, there must be another group of people who will be dissatisfied with Conod, but maybe there are too few of them, maybe because they have no right to speak, maybe because they can't see hope...... As a last resort, he chose to give in. ”

"What you have to do is bring this small group of people together, give them a voice, let them see hope... Let them see a successor who can give them absolute trust and support, and see that there is another possibility for the thirteenth generation of the empire, and the outcome is not yet known!"

Brandon, who had a smile on his face, tilted his head again: "Is it really possible?"

"I don't know, maybe not at all. Shrugging his shoulders, Loren chuckled: "But as a human being, there is a gambler's mentality, especially when they feel that they still have a chance to win, and they can still win or lose." ”

"We're all gamblers, we're all betting on the future... It's just that we don't have the capital in our hands, we should worry about winning or losing, and the people who suffer from gains and losses are those who have the capital, not us!"

When the words fell, the stunned Brandon suddenly hugged his shoulders and looked at his wizard advisor very carefully: "Your Excellency Loren Turin... Do you know that when you were saying those things just now, you were especially like the kind of big bad guy who is scheming and trying to deceive you in any way?"

"But... I love it!"