I'm Trapped Inside a Prince as the Most Powerful Entity-Chapter 48: The Emperor

King James of the Roland Kingdom listened intently as Sir Karlos laid out his offer – military secrets of his former kingdom and inside knowledge of the Spider Syndicate’s operations, all in exchange for help in overthrowing his old King.

The King remained silent for several long seconds after Karlos finished speaking, his fingers steepled before him, his eyes fixed on the traitorous nobleman.

Behind the throne, Prince Alaric shifted uncomfortably. Beside the King, the Prime Minister and the chief advisor exchanged subtle, almost imperceptible glances. They were all clearly surprised by the boldness and the potential value of Karlos’s offer.

Finally, King James broke the silence. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp. "You mentioned the Spider Syndicate, Sir Karlos," the King said, his voice carefully neutral. "And you claim to have... connections. Tell me, do you happen to know who created the Spider Syndicate? Who is the true architect behind their web?"

Karlos looked slightly surprised by the direct question, but he didn’t hesitate for long. He clearly hadn’t expected the King to focus so specifically on the Syndicate’s origins.

"Your Majesty," Karlos replied, trying to sound confident and knowledgeable, "while I don’t know the exact identity of their ultimate founder, my dealings have given me certain... insights." He leaned forward conspiratorially.

"In fact, I have managed to... persuade... several key operatives within the Syndicate to work for me. Double agents, you might say. According to my sources, these agents are very close to accessing the Syndicate’s main base of operations, perhaps even gaining information about their true leadership. It will only be a matter of a few more days, or weeks at most." He smiled, believing this added even more value to his offer.

"So, you see, Your Majesty, my offer is not insignificant. I can provide much more than just military secrets."

King James listened, his expression unchanging. Then, he slowly brought his hands together, tapping his fingertips lightly. A smile, warmer and more genuine than any he had shown Karlos before, spread across his face.

"You are quite right, Sir Karlos," King James declared, his voice suddenly filled with approval. "Your offer is indeed... impressive. Very impressive." He leaned back in his throne, looking pleased. "I must say, I am quite taken with your resourcefulness. And I am prepared to tell you now that I accept your proposal. We will form an alliance."

Hearing his father’s words, Prince Alaric, standing behind the throne, looked visibly shocked. His eyes widened, and he opened his mouth as if to protest, to say something. But before any words could escape, the Prime Minister, sitting beside the King, gave the Prince a quick, sharp glance, a silent warning. Prince Alaric immediately closed his mouth, his expression turning grim, but he remained silent.

King James, seemingly oblivious to his son’s reaction, continued speaking to Karlos, his tone now friendly and encouraging. "As a sign of our new alliance, Sir Karlos," the King said, "I will grant you and your companions a parcel of land near our border. A comfortable estate where you can reside while you await our... joint venture." He smiled.

"You will live there with your men, rest, and prepare. And you will wait for my signal. We will soon launch an attack on your former kingdom. When that time comes, we will expect you to provide all the secrets you have promised." He leaned forward again, his eyes gleaming.

"In return, we will do everything in our power to ensure that you, Sir Karlos, are placed upon its throne. You will be its new King."

Karlos could barely contain his excitement. His heart soared. King! He was going to be King! He knew, realistically, that he alone didn’t have the power to defeat his old King, the royal family, and their loyal Royal Army.

It was an impossible dream on his own. But with the full backing of the Roland Kingdom, with King James’s powerful army and the support of the Roland royal family, it was suddenly within reach! His ambition, the dream he had harbored for years, was about to come true! He felt a surge of triumph.

Sir Karlos quickly stood up from his chair, his face flushed with excitement and gratitude. He bowed deeply before King James. "Your Majesty!" he exclaimed, his voice thick with emotion.

"You honor me beyond words! Please, do not hesitate to call upon me when the time is right! I will gladly share every secret I possess at that very moment!" He paused, then added eagerly, "And, of course, all information regarding the Spider Syndicate’s hideouts and their leadership – I will provide that to you as swiftly as my agents can procure it!"

King James smiled graciously, nodding. "Excellent, Sir Karlos. Excellent. I look forward to our... fruitful collaboration." He gestured towards the doors. "My guards will escort you now and see to your arrangements."

Karlos bowed again, even lower this time, then turned and practically floated out of the throne room, his mind already racing with plans for his future reign. He felt like he was walking on air.

As soon as the heavy throne room doors closed behind Karlos, Prince Alaric immediately stepped forward from behind his father’s throne. His face was grim, his eyes troubled.

"Your Majesty!....Father!" the Prince burst out, unable to contain himself any longer. "What have you done? An alliance with that traitor? You promised him the throne?" He lowered his voice, glancing towards the closed doors as if Karlos might still hear.

"And the Spider Syndicate... Father, have you forgotten? We created the Spider Syndicate! It was our covert operation! If Karlos truly has agents close to uncovering its leadership or its main base... he could expose us! That information getting out... it could be disastrous for the Roland Kingdom!"

King James looked up at his son, his earlier friendly smile completely gone, replaced by a look of cold calculation. "Alaric," the King said quietly, his voice calm but firm.

"When Karlos first offered his information, I was not entirely certain I would form any true alliance with him. In fact," the King admitted, a dangerous glint in his eye, "my initial thought was simply to take him prisoner, torture the secrets out of him, and then dispose of him. A fugitive noble is, after all, of little consequence."

Prince Alaric slammed his hand down on the nearby table in frustration. "Then why, Father?" he demanded, his voice rising slightly. "If your main goal was to get his information, why did you agree to this charade? Why promise him an alliance, a throne?"

King James looked at his son, his expression unreadable for a moment. "Because, Alaric," the King explained slowly, "we do not yet know who the traitors are within the Spider Syndicate. Karlos mentioned he has turned some of their operatives, agents who are now working for him. Agents who are apparently close to finding our main base – which, as we both know, is located right here within our own kingdom, a fact that must never become public knowledge." He leaned forward, his voice dropping.

"If word of our true connection to the Syndicate, the location of its headquarters, were to reach the ears of the United Council of Kingdoms, or worse, the Emperor himself..." He let the implication hang in the air.

"The Emperor would not tolerate such deception, such a flagrant breach of inter-kingdom treaties. He would come down on us with the full might of the Empire. And you know, Alaric, we cannot stand against the Emperor."

The King sighed. "My first priority now is to identify and eliminate these traitors within the Syndicate who are feeding information to Karlos. By pretending to ally with him, by giving him a place to stay and making him feel secure, we can monitor him. We can use him to draw out his corrupted agents. Once they are identified and dealt with, and once we are certain he has no other way to expose us... then we can reconsider the value of Sir Karlos himself." freewebnσvel.cѳm

Prince Alaric fell silent, processing his father’s words. He understood the logic, the need to protect their kingdom’s greatest secret – their creation and control of the Spider Syndicate. But he still felt uneasy. He stepped back from the table, a frown on his face.

"Father," the Prince said, his voice troubled. "Why do you fear the Emperor so much? What is it about him, about the Empire, that makes even you so cautious?" He gestured vaguely.

"I have heard stories, of course. Whispers in the United Academy, rumors among Royal Family from other kingdoms. They say the Emperor’s family, the Imperial line, and the Empire itself... they are the ones who truly run the Academy. They say the members of the Imperial family are the most powerful beings on this entire continent."

King James stood up slowly from his throne. He walked to one of the tall windows of the throne room, looking out over his capital city, his expression somber. "Alaric," the King said, his voice low and heavy.

"We, the royal families of these smaller kingdoms, our ancestors... we can never forget one fundamental truth." He turned back to face his son.

"It was the Emperor, or rather, the Emperor’s ancestors, who united this continent. They were the ones who dreamed of a land where all kingdoms could exist in peace, side by side, without constant warfare. That is why the Emperor so fiercely opposes any war between two established kingdoms. He sees it as a betrayal of that ancient dream."

The King continued, his voice filled with a strange mixture of respect and fear. "And his army, Alaric... their numbers are vast, far greater than any single kingdom, even several kingdoms combined, could ever hope to muster. But it is not just their numbers. Their skill, their training, their power... it is beyond anything we possess. You know, don’t you," the King asked, looking directly at his son,

"that it was the Imperial Army that saved this entire continent from the Dragon Scourge centuries ago? Before the Empire rose to prominence, before the Imperial Legions stood guard, our lands were ravaged. Dragon attacks were common – six, seven, sometimes more, major incursions every year. Each attack brought immense destruction, countless casualties, to every kingdom." He shook his head. "The Empire ended that. They protect us all, whether we like their authority or not."

Prince Alaric looked down, a flicker of frustration crossing his face. He remembered his time at the United Academy, the central institution for training the continent’s elite warriors and mages, an institution heavily influenced, if not outright controlled, by the Empire.

"Yes, Father, I know about the dragons," he said, his voice tight. "I saw a captive dragon once at the Academy. A young one, but still... terrifyingly powerful. I even considered... foolishly... trying to spar with it. I was... thoroughly outmatched before I even began." He looked back up at his father, his earlier frustration returning. "But I still don’t understand, Father. Why? Why did you create the Spider Syndicate? What is your ultimate goal?"

King James closed his eyes for a moment, a look of deep, almost painful ambition on his face. "You know the Emperor’s power, Alaric," he said quietly, his voice filled with a strange longing. "And you know that our kingdom, even with all its strength, even if you and I and all our soldiers fought together, could never truly challenge the Empire. We could never win against the Emperor."

He opened his eyes, and they gleamed with a fierce, almost desperate light. "That is why I conceived of the Plan. The Spider Syndicate... it was meant to be my hidden army. A force operating in the shadows, beyond the reach of Imperial treaties and scrutiny. A tool to destabilize rival kingdoms, to gather wealth and power, to slowly, secretly, build our own kingdom into an entity capable of one day... becoming the next Empire." His voice dropped to a passionate whisper.

"And I, Alaric... I would be the one to sit on that Imperial throne. I would have that title, that power. A ruler respected, and feared, by all."

Prince Alaric stared at his father, seeing the raw, naked ambition in his eyes. He understood now. This wasn’t just about politics or power plays. This was about his father’s deepest, most consuming desire. He took a deep breath, the weight of his father’s dangerous dream settling upon him.

"Very well, Father," Prince Alaric said finally, his voice quiet but firm. He bowed his head. "I will help you. In any way I can."