I'm Trapped Inside a Prince as the Most Powerful Entity-Chapter 72: A Surprise Visitor from the...?

A few days had passed since the scary run-in with the Spider Syndicate and the King’s big announcements. King Noor IV sat on his throne in the main meeting hall, looking at a big, rolled-up paper.

Eric was supposed to leave for the United Academy in a few weeks.

He wanted to keep Eric away from the bad stuff happening with the kingdom-wide investigation.

He didn’t want his youngest son, even though Eric had shown surprising strength lately, to see all the sneaky, bad things and possible traitors the investigation was starting to find. The King wanted to protect Eric’s young, hopeful mind from the tough side of politics and being a ruler.

Right now, a small group of Royal Guards stood stiffly in front of him. They were a trusted team, just back from their first job in the big investigation: finding out everything they could about an important noble family in Feku, a big city near the capital.

First Prince Revan had gone with this team at first, watching over the start of their work in Feku. But once their main job there was done, Revan sent the team back to the capital with what they found.

He then went to another city to keep doing his part in the huge check-up of Estoria’s nobles. Both Revan and Leonard, the King’s older sons, were busy following their father’s orders, leading different parts of this never-before-seen look into the kingdom’s nobility.

The King looked very worried as he carefully read the report from the guards. It talked about the Garfield noble family, who not only run Feku because they were in charge of the city, but also had an important spot on the Royal Council.

Just looking at their money records showed they were stealing and using their power wrongly. The report, written in clear, factual words, showed just how much bad stuff they had done.

It was shocking. King Noor IV pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed tiredly. He muttered quietly, "What does Lord Garfield, the head of the family, have to say about all this?"

The Captain of the Royal Guards, a serious-looking older soldier standing very straight with his team behind him, answered respectfully, "My Lord, Lord Garfield won’t say much. His younger son, a knight named Sir Exam Garfield, is taking all the blame for everything."

The King sighed deeply again. It was an obvious trick, a common way to protect the head of the family by letting a less important member take the fall. "Tell Lord Garfield to come see me himself," the King ordered, his voice firm. "I want to hear his answers from his own mouth."

The Royal Guard Captain spoke again, his voice steady. "My Lord, you don’t need to send for him. He will be here soon. He was actually already on his way to the capital for a meeting that was already planned when our investigation in Feku finished."

King Noor IV nodded slowly, a grim feeling settling over him. The dark secrets of many noble families, secrets he might have ignored for too long, were about to be brought out into the open. In the past, he had sometimes overlooked certain... odd things, some shady deals, because he needed the nobles’ support, especially to protect his youngest son, Eric, and keep his sometimes-questioned status.

But when most of the Council members had pushed for Eric to prove himself or give up his title as prince, the King’s trust in many of them had started to crumble.

Sir Karlos Von Hagen’s outright betrayal, when he ran off to the enemy Roland Kingdom with important state secrets, was the last straw. It shattered any belief the King had left that his councillors were completely loyal.

As the King was lost in these dark thoughts, a strong pressure suddenly filled the entire palace. It wasn’t just a small change in the air; it was a real, heavy feeling, like a super powerful warrior was walking into the palace.

King Noor felt it strongly. The tiny hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood up – a clear, gut reaction to a very strong, highly trained warrior getting close. The Royal Guards in front of him also felt the heavy wave.

They tensed up, and their hands automatically gripped their swords tighter. They shifted into a more ready, defensive position. The King also reacted on instinct, his own hand reaching for the fancy sword that always sat beside his throne. His fingers tightened around its familiar handle.

Scene Change: The Palace Garden

Meanwhile, in a quiet part of the palace gardens where no one could see, Eric was practicing with his sword. He moved more smoothly now, the practice sword a blur in his hands as he did his drills.

Inside Eric’s body, Adam, who was usually imagined sitting on a comfy sofa, also felt the strong, clear pressure that had just appeared. Feeling the powerful energy wash over the palace, Adam stood up from his usual spot.

He mumbled very quietly, so only he could hear in that inner space, a private thought Eric didn’t consciously notice, "Who’s making so much power? I haven’t felt a warrior this strong, except maybe the King himself, until now."

Eric, busy with his sword practice, also felt the sudden, strong pressure. It felt different from his father’s usual powerful feeling less controlled, and more aggressive.

The moment he sensed it, he immediately stopped his drills, lowering his practice sword. A warning bell went off in his head. Is this Father’s pressure? he wondered, his mind racing.

Is this Father’s energy? Or something else? He had never felt such a strong and creepy energy from anyone but his father when he was making a royal announcement. Worried, he started to run, his feet hitting the garden path hard, heading towards where the pressure seemed to be coming from – the main palace building.

Scene Change: The Throne Room

Back in the throne room, the air was so tense you could almost cut it with a knife. King Noor IV had stood up from his throne, his hand still on his sword. The Royal Guards, forgetting their report, had all turned around.

Their backs were now to the King, and they were all staring at the main entrance of the hall, their swords partly pulled out of their sheaths.

The King spoke, his voice tight with annoyance he was trying to control, talking to the unseen source of the heavy feeling. "Why are you here? You didn’t tell us you were coming."

A figure stepped out of the shadows of the entrance and into the light of the hall. He was a big man, very tall and broad-shouldered, built like a true warrior. His hair was a white, which stood out against his dark, sharp eyes. He wore amazing, full golden armor that shone in the hall’s light.

It was beautifully carved and clearly very well-made. A heavy white cloth a cloak was attached to one shoulder and draped across his strong body.

He moved slowly, deliberately, almost like he was showing off, every step full of power and unbreakable confidence. He looked like a very high-ranking warrior, someone used to giving orders and being obeyed.

When the Royal Guards saw the approaching soldier, their defensive stance changed. They looked clearly shocked and took a small, almost automatic step back. The symbol on the warrior’s golden chest armor was easy to recognize – it was the sign of the Empire.

The King’s voice cut through the tense silence, his tone getting harder. "Warrior of the Empire, you can stop this pointless show of power. Tell me why you are here."

The warrior, who was clearly a Captain from the Empire’s army, just smiled – a thin, superior smirk.

He continued his slow, unstoppable walk towards the throne. "King Noor of Estoria," he said, his voice smooth and sounding nice, but with a hint of looking down on him, "I actually quite enjoy showing off my power. And also," he added, his dark eyes glinting, "showing my opponent, or rather, my host, what they can really do in comparison."

With that, the already strong pressure coming from him got even stronger, pressing down on everyone in the hall like a heavy weight. freēnovelkiss.com

The Royal Guards tensed up even more, a bit of hidden anger in their eyes. Their hands gripped their swords tighter, but they didn’t pull them out completely. They knew they couldn’t do anything.

There was an unwritten rule, known by all kingdoms on this continent: you don’t mess with people from the Empire, especially its soldiers, or terrible things could happen. The Empire was all-powerful.

Just then, Eric burst into the throne room through the main gates, breathing hard from his sprint, his practice sword still in his hand.

He skidded to a stop just inside the entrance, his eyes wide as he saw what was happening: his father standing tensely in front of the throne, the Royal Guards in a defensive position, and the huge, golden-armored warrior giving off an aura of immense power.

Seeing Eric, King Noor worried even more. No, Eric, you shouldn’t have come here, he thought, feeling very protective. This is not a fight you’re ready for. But he didn’t say anything out loud. His face stayed carefully blank, almost cold.

He knew if he showed any love for his son, or any fear or worry in front of this Imperial warrior, the man might purposely use his strong power to bother or scare Eric. So, the King controlled his face, hiding how upset he was inside.

The Imperial warrior, without turning, also sensed Eric arrive behind him. A tiny, almost unnoticeable change in his posture showed he knew someone new was there. The heavy feeling in the room didn’t get any weaker.