Chapter 17: I am strong (3)

Silence descended upon the Garden of the Stars. It was very short. It was only for a few seconds.

That instant of silence was broken by the attendant, who was rushing to follow behind the First Imperial Prince.

"How dare you! Do you know who this is?! How dare you say something so ludicrous-"

"It is the rules."

Of course, it was Cale who cut that attendant off. He turned away from the attendant and observed the surroundings.

"All candidates are equal as soon as they become registered for the test."

His gaze turned back toward the attendant.

"Isn't this a sacred test not just for the Empire, but for the entire Xiaolen? My liege has acted fitting for such a test. What is the problem?"

"You, you-!"

The attendant's face turned red.

It was obvious that this new candidate in front of him was not a part of the Imperial family. However, she was acting so pompous in front of the Imperial family and the First Imperial Prince at that!

However, the attendant could not say anything. The green eyes that were visible through the mask were indifferent and cold. It made him unable to easily talk to this person.

Cale looked right at the attendant as he continued to speak.

"My liege carries on the blood of the Wishrop royal family."

"Ah."

Some people around them gasped. Cale's lips, which were visible underneath the mask, gently curled up. However, his eyes that were not smiling were still looking at the attendant.

"Show your respect to my liege."

The attendant closed his mouth tightly.

'How dare a shitty royal from a perished kingdom without any power…!'

Some of the royal families of kingdoms that had lost their territories were smart and joined other kingdoms. However, there were many who chose to remain in their kingdoms until the end and met their demise.

'I heard most of Wishrop died that way. She's just a royal from such a stupid place!'

Her status as a royal was just a shell.

She probably had no power, money, nor anything since they had lost their base.

However, the attendant did not show his true feelings. He was not that stupid.

Instead, he put a calm expression on his face and stood behind the First Imperial Prince. Of course, he did not apologize to Mary.

'All candidates are equal? What bullshit. There are still different levels here.'

Furthermore, this was a battlefield. It was a place where you had to use all sorts of methods to get what you want.

That was why he had to give all sorts of bribes to be stationed in the First Palace with the First Imperial Prince. Serving the First Imperial Prince was an investment for his future.

The attendant peeked toward the First Imperial Prince.

"...."

The First Imperial Prince was famous for having a poker face. It was rare for the man who was always cold and didn't speak much to come to find someone, and it was far rarer for him to speak to someone first.

The First Imperial Prince remained silent while looking at the nineteenth candidate, Mary.

"...."

Mary remained silent as he remained silent. She looked at him with a stoic gaze as he looked at her with a stoic gaze.

Mary was acting like this as she was following Cale's suggestion.

"...."

The First Imperial Prince scowled and turned around after seeing his face reflected in the purple eyes that were looking right into his own.

"Y, your Royal Highness?"

He then went back to his palace.

People were looking at the First Imperial Prince, but Mary had no more interest as he was not looking at her anymore and looked at the knight guiding them.

There were some people who were observing Mary's actions.

"Ah, yes, I'll escort you right away!"

Sir Vincent, who was frozen in place for a moment, bowed even more respectfully toward Mary than before and started to walk.

Cale's group followed behind him.

Click.

The people looking out the windows slowly closed them.

Some of the people who were watching started to quickly move somewhere.

"This is Palace Nineteen."

"Nice to meet you. I am the Chief of Staff and attendant of Palace Nineteen."

The knight finished his escort and Cale's group followed this attendant who called himself the Chief of Staff and disappeared into Palace Nineteen, which was the same size and shape as the other palaces around it.

There were people who watched them all the way until they disappeared within it.

There were five people to be more specific.

Three of them started to move somewhere while the remaining two looked at each other.

Unlike the first three people, these two both had black lines on their faces just like Mary.

"Hmph."

The Second Imperial Princess looked away from the person and walked into her palace. She mumbled in a quiet voice that only she could hear.

"I'm certain that that power..."

She could tell because she also had necromancer powers. That large power that suddenly appeared and shot up toward the sky…

"Damn it! There's another monster in addition to the First Imperial Prince?!"

A fire was visible in the Second Imperial Princess's eyes. She brushed her arm that had goosebumps and talked to herself as if to firm her resolve.

"…I still won't lose."

The Second Imperial Princess's mind started to move quickly.

And the person who was last remaining in the garden…

"Kekeke-!"

"Hyung-nim, are you not going inside?"

The man with disheveled hair brought the bottle to his lips and ignored his subordinate's question.

He took a gulp and moved the bottle away before wiping the dripping alcohol from his mouth with the back of his hand.

"How entertaining."

Although they were all equal candidates, nobody else had been able to treat the members of the Imperial family like that.

Even he could not talk informally back to the First Imperial Prince even if the First Imperial Prince spoke that way to him.

"What? She doesn't want to answer him? Kahahahahah!"

The nineteenth candidate did not respond even after the First Imperial Prince ordered her to do so.

"…And she was strong."

The power he felt at the entrance of the Imperial Palace…

"It was definitely enough to make the First Imperial Prince move."

He nonchalantly threw the bottle at his subordinate.

"Hyu, hyung-nim! How can you suddenly throw it like that?!"

The subordinate tactfully caught the bottle before grumbling toward the man with the disheveled hair. However, the subordinate then closed his mouth.

The man with disheveled hair was now heading back to his palace… His eyes looked extremely cold.

* * *

One day later…

There were no more people who registered as a candidate on the last day of recruitment.

Heni Wishrop.

Mary, the nineteenth candidate, was the last, making this test have a total of nineteen participants.

As soon as that was revealed, the Chief of Staff of the nineteen palaces handed a white invitation with a golden leaf to their guests, the current masters of their respective palaces.

< A small feast and celebration have been prepared for tomorrow in addition to meeting with his Majesty. We ask for your participation. >

< Furthermore, please keep in mind that the schedule and contents of the first test will be revealed at the end of the celebration. >

As the dark night headed toward midnight…

Click.

Cale stealthily opened the bedroom window.

Shaa–

A breeze with a black shadow blew into the bedroom through the window.

"Were you not noticed?"

The black shadow leisurely landed on the table as Cale asked.

"The Black Hawk tribe has a good relationship with the night."

Sui Khan folded both of his wings as he calmly asked.

"How is it here?"

Cale shook the invitation he received from Mary as if he was fanning himself with it as he responded.

"There are no magic or black magic devices, at least in Palace Nineteen."

Mary then spoke in her GPS-like voice.

"The people working at the palace are still only keeping an eye on us; they have not done any sort of investigation."

"However, they may try to get our information at any moment to help the Imperial family."

Eruhaben calmly commented while drinking wine. He looked toward Cale and asked.

"Where's Choi Han?"

"He is investigating the Garden of the Stars with Raon, Eruhaben-nim."

"I see."

Eruhaben answered as if he didn't care much about it.

"There is nobody here who is stronger than us, so there should be nothing getting in their way."

Cale placed the invitation on the table.

"The strong person will probably be here."

Eruhaben showed his agreement through silence. Mary looked at Cale as she spoke.

"I will go."

"Of course."

Cale gave a short response before turning toward Sui Khan.

"How was it?"

The Black Hawk's eyes curled up like half moons.

Cale could hear the results of the tasks he left for the others outside the Imperial Palace and Sui Khan added on after his report ended.

"The Emperor's instructor is said to always be by the Emperor's side."

"Then-"

Cale looked toward the Emperor Palace where the celebration would take place.

If that was the case…

"I guess we will see the patriarch of the House of Huayans tomorrow."

The Black Bloods.

'I'll see one of the leaders of the Hunters.'

The corners of Cale's lips curled up.

* * *

In a large palace outside the Garden of the Stars…

That place had turned into a splendid celebration hall for today.

The sun had already set outside but the beautiful jewels, flowers, and soft silk that decorated the palace made it look as beautiful as the garden of angels.

"The twelfth candidate, Larof-nim is now entering!"

The candidates who might take the position of Imperial Crown Prince in the future were starting to enter the palace one by one with their subordinates.

"They are wearing all sorts of things in an assortment of different colors. Don't you think so, noonim?"

The Second Imperial Princess did not respond to the Fourth Imperial Prince's question.

'Hmph. Acting so damn haughty. That doesn't change the fact that your mom was a damn maid.'

The Fourth Imperial Prince was annoyed at the Second Imperial Princess's haughty attitude, but he did not let it show as he looked around.

'Tsk. It shows how they lack class.'

The members of the Imperial family were all wearing outfits suitable for such a celebration but the other candidates were wearing all sorts of things.

Of course, the Chiefs of Staff had told their respective candidates that this celebration did not have a dress code and they had not mentioned it in advance so that it wouldn't matter what they wore, but…

'But it still shows their level.'

The Fourth Imperial Prince snorted. The Second Imperial Princess was looking at him with a stoic gaze but he did not notice it.

Instead, he looked at the black lines on the candidates as he thought to himself.

'It'll end up being a battle between the members of the Imperial family. The collateral line is weak this generation, so it'll be a battle between the members of the main line.'

'I'll definitely, definitely defeat the First Imperial Prince and make the throne mine.'

As the Fourth Imperial Prince had that thought…

"The nineteenth candidate, Heni Wishrop-nim is now entering!"

They heard the Chief of Staff's shout and the Fourth Imperial Prince noticed all of the candidates turning to look at the door.

The Fourth Imperial Prince's subordinate came over and stealthily whispered in his ear.

"It is that person."

The Fourth Imperial Prince glared at the door.

'…Hmph!'

The story about the white bone dragon that rose above the entrance of the Imperial Palace had spread like wildfire throughout the capital in the last two days.

That made the other candidates increase their wariness of Heni Wishrop.

The Fourth Imperial Prince, who had only sent his subordinate when she appeared at the garden, had come to a conclusion after hearing about her actions.

'A stupid girl who doesn't know who is up high and who is down low! There is nothing as good as the Imperial family's necromancer method. I'm sure that the white bone dragon was nothing much than just a bundle of bones.'

The Fourth Imperial Prince snorted one more time after watching Heni Wishrop walk in.

'A robe?'

She and her subordinates were all wearing robes. Furthermore, her subordinates were wearing masks that covered over half of their faces.

'They're just the descendants of the perished kingdom's vassals most likely.'

The Fourth Imperial Prince scowled and turned around.

"Hmm?"

He noticed that the Second Imperial Princess was looking at Heni Wishrop with a piercing gaze.

'What the hell?'

He became even more annoyed.

But she was not the only one looking at Mary like that. Most of the candidates were either openly looking at or peeking glances at Heni Wishrop.

At that time…

"The first candidate, Sanders-nim is now entering!"

The Imperial family members had to forgo their family name to join this test. It was in the name of fairness.

Tap. Tap.

The footsteps of the First Imperial Prince and the people following him echoed through the hall along with the quiet sound of music.

'Is the Dragon here?'

The Dragon that was said to be with the First Imperial Prince… Cale was curious about that being. He had not found any traces of a Dragon at the Garden of the Stars no matter how much he searched.

Of course, he couldn't know everything as he did not infiltrate the other palaces in fear of getting caught. But he could at least tell that the Dragon was not within those palaces.

Cale turned his gaze toward the First Imperial Prince.

'Hmm?'

He then flinched after hearing a voice in his mind.

– Human! That black haired person does seem to be a Dragon!

'What?'

A woman with black hair was following behind First Imperial Prince Sanders. Everybody was whispering as to whether she was a Dragon.

– That black hair lady is a Dragon! I am getting that kind of feeling!

Pat.

Cale was about to turn his head after feeling a hand gently touch his arm but stopped moving and started listening once he heard that person whisper to him.

"51 percent certain."

Eruhaben did not explain, but it was enough for Cale to understand.

The ancient Dragon was saying that the black-haired woman was more likely than not a Dragon. Cale wondered why he wasn't one hundred percent certain, but if that Dragon was real-

'It's a real Dragon? Is it a Dragon cooperating with the Black Bloods and the Hunters?'

Eruhaben added on in an odd voice as Cale's mind started to get complicated.

"It does not seem to be normal."

'The Dragon is not normal?'

—
Translator's Comments

51 is so random lol.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]