Exiled Prince: I'm the Unexpected Extra in the Novel-Chapter 98: The Mask of Obedience

Roderic stood before Sebastian alone, stripped of his guards.

Sebastian attempted to bow respectfully and step aside, yet Roderic approached with heavy steps and clamped his hand firmly onto Sebastian’s shoulder. His fingers dug into Sebastian’s shoulder like a vise.

"Sebastian," Roderic said, his voice resembling the hiss of a serpent. "Or whatever that foolish title is that my father and that idiot brother of mine call you."

Sebastian looked at the Prince with a calm expression, seemingly oblivious to the pain in his shoulder.

The eyes peering from behind his glasses were devoid of emotion. "Your Highness Prince Roderic. What a great honor. How may I be of assistance?"

"You cannot help me, you vile leech," snarled Roderic, bringing his face close to Sebastian’s. "Do you think I am blind to your games? Since you arrived at the palace, you have been scurrying in the shadows like a rat."

Roderic’s breath struck Sebastian’s face. The reason for the Prince’s fury was clear. In his first weeks at the palace, Sebastian had exposed the entire spy network Roderic had planted within the palace, even inside Charles’s bedchamber, one by one, to prove his loyalty to Charles.

Roderic’s intelligence network, woven stitch by stitch over the years, had been dismantled overnight because of this ordinary orphan peasant.

"You are poisoning my brother’s mind," Roderic said, squeezing the shoulder even harder. "You have him wrapped around your finger. But I am not Charles. I see the filth behind that fake smile of yours."

Sebastian smiled slightly. This was not the smile of a man cowering before a threat; it was the patient smile of an adult watching a child’s tantrum.

"Your Highness, I believe there is a misunderstanding," Sebastian said, his voice soft as velvet. "I am merely a humble advisor serving the Empire and the Crown Prince. The safety and success of Prince Charles is the success of the Empire. The exposure of your spies... forgive me, your loyal servants... was merely an unfortunate security procedure."

Roderic ground his teeth at this arrogantly polite response. His other hand drifted to the hilt of his sword but did not draw it.

Killing an advisor in the middle of the palace would jeopardize his position.

"I am warning you," Roderic said, lowering his voice. "My eyes are on you. I am waiting for you to make a single mistake. One wrong step and then even my father’s protection will not save you from me."

"Abandon my brother. Get out of this palace. Or else I will sever that clever head from your body and hang it on the castle gates."

Sebastian glanced briefly at Roderic’s hand on his shoulder. He felt an unbearable urge to tear this hand from its wrist right now, to crush and burst Roderic’s throat in a single move, and to examine that arrogant bloodline.

But Sebastian was patient. Pawns were not toppled at the start of the game.

"I am grateful for your advice, Prince Roderic," Sebastian said, bowing slightly.

This movement caused Roderic’s hand to fall from his shoulder.

He locked eyes with Roderic. "However, as long as Prince Charles needs me, abandoning my post is out of the question. I wish you a good day."

Without waiting for Roderic’s reply, he walked past him with a respectful yet decisive demeanor.

As Roderic stared after him in fury, Sebastian wiped that fake smile from his face. Soon, he thought. Your turn will come too, Roderic. And then, I will show you just how ordinary that holy blood of yours truly is.

In the palace’s vast royal garden filled with exotic plants, Second Prince Charles was swinging gently on a swing with gold chains and silk cushions, set upon the branch of a massive weeping willow. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The usual confident, arrogant expression was absent from Charles’s face. He looked thoughtful, perhaps even a bit anxious. His eyes were staring into the void.

Sebastian approached with silent steps and stood near the trunk of the tree, clasping his hands in front of him. He did not reveal his presence immediately; he watched the Prince for a while.

Charles’s mind was cluttered; he could read it from his body language. And a cluttered mind was the most fertile soil for planting seeds.

"The weather is quite beautiful today, Your Highness," Sebastian said, breaking the silence.

Charles stopped the swing and looked at Sebastian. "You do not need to say it, I have eyes too."

"Forgive me, sir. You seemed thoughtful, I did not wish to interrupt."

Charles sighed. "I am thoughtful, yes. That northern matter. And that boy called the heir of Kaiser."

Sebastian knew the conversation would come to this. He slowly approached the Prince. "What worries you, sir? You are the heir of the Golden Dragon. Even the Chaos Dragon could not measure up to the Golden Dragon in its prime. You are currently developing. When the time comes, the heir of Kaiser will be no different than a corpse lying beneath your feet."

Charles spoke as if his morale had been restored by Sebastian’s praise filled words. "True, but..." Charles paused. "Luin Aetherion... The Prince of Purity. He reached out to me. He said the Obsidian Dawn sect is planning an attack against that boy, and that the Empire and I must support them in this holy war."

"Luin says he is a threat to us all. On the other hand, my father... The Emperor orders us not to interfere in this matter, to leave the boy alone. I do not know what to do. Part of me wants to crush that boy and prove my power. The other part..."

Sebastian adjusted his glasses. This was the opportunity.

"Your Highness," Sebastian said, his voice taking on a serious and reassuring tone. "Luin Aetherion and his Obsidian Dawn sect... What do you think of them?"

Charles frowned. "They are... powerful. They claim to maintain the order of the Empire. They are considered our allies."

"Is that so?" Sebastian leaned against the tree. "If you ask me, sir, Obsidian Dawn is no different than a tumor on the back of the Empire."

Charles looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it, sir. An organization within the Empire that acts independently even from the Emperor, possessing its own army, its own rules, and its own Princes. They establish authority over the people through fear. They gather information." "And..." Sebastian looked seriously into Charles’s eyes. "They watch for our moment of weakness. Luin Aetherion does not respect you, my Prince. He sees you only as a tool possessing the power of the Golden Dragon and the authority of the empire."

Sebastian watched the change in expression on Charles’s face. He had touched the Prince’s ego.

"Obsidian Dawn," Sebastian continued to pour his poison, "currently holds enough power to collapse the Empire from within. They have far too much information regarding our secrets in the palace, our military order, and even your abilities. Today they ask for your help to destroy the Prince of Nothingness. But what about tomorrow? What if tomorrow, in the name of maintaining order, they turn the barrel on you?"

Charles’s eyes narrowed. "They would not dare."

"They would, sir. Because they see themselves as the guardians of fate. Not you. As long as they exist, you can never be the sole and absolute power of this world. Will you allow your light to remain in their shadow?"

"Never!" said Charles, standing up from the swing.

"Then," said Sebastian, "perhaps we should choose our side differently in this war."

"What do you suggest?"

"That boy, the heir of Kaiser. He is the enemy of Obsidian Dawn. The person Luin fears. If Obsidian Dawn attacks that boy, let them attack."

"Let them eat each other. Do not give the Empire’s resources or soldiers to Luin’s command. In fact..." Sebastian lowered his voice to a whisper. "If necessary, we must make moves that will ensure Obsidian Dawn falls weak. When they weaken, cleansing both that sect and that boy will be child’s play for you."

Charles weighed Sebastian’s words. "So... you are telling me to reject Luin’s call for help?"

"Do not reject it, sir. Stall them. Give them empty promises but do not send your army. Let Luin and those other so called Princes bleed while fighting their own wars. They are a potential threat to the Empire. And you, as the future Emperor, must clear these thorns from around your throne."

Charles smiled. He liked this idea. He would get rid of that arrogant Luin and preserve his power. "You are right, Sebastian. You are... right as always. Obsidian Dawn is overstepping its bounds. It is time to remind them who the true ruler is."

"Absolutely, Your Highness," Sebastian said, bowing his head.

As Charles began to walk in the garden in high spirits, Sebastian remained behind. That dark, satisfied smile that Charles could not see appeared on his face.

Sebastian did not care in the slightest that Obsidian Dawn was a threat to the Empire. Even if the Empire burned, he would not even turn to look.

His sole purpose was to get rid of those six Princes of Apocalypse, the chosen pawns of the gods.

They were the greatest rivals standing in the way of Sebastian’s ultimate goal, his plan to become a true God.

If he could use Charles to weaken Obsidian Dawn and make the reincarnators destroy each other.

Then the stage would remain empty only for Sebastian and his flawless creations. And of course for his old work, that perfect masterpiece Cassian.

"Everything," Sebastian whispered in the shadow of the tree, "is proceeding perfectly."