I Became The Sword Of The Sword-Obsessed Male Lead (18 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 49

“So the Mage Tower probably won’t get involved in this war either. Damn it—I never thought they’d suddenly pull you away like that. They must’ve been pretty desperate. I was utterly shocked when I heard you’d been ambushed.”

Nocturne, meeting Dietrich again for the first time since their brief encounter at the previous banquet, was catching up on old times.

With a smile on his face, Nocturne mocked the Emperor’s incompetence.

“How long will you keep giving in to their threats over the ducal succession? The Emperor can’t refuse anyway if House Delgado pushes hard enough—he’ll just keep delaying things.”

It was a dangerous conversation to have during a hunting tournament. But Nocturne was unbothered.

After all, no noble was unaware that the current Emperor was a fool obsessed solely with war.

Worse still was the fact that Damian, the Crown Prince and first in line to the throne, was a pathetic idiot who cared only about money and women.

In contrast, it was common knowledge that his daughter, Princess Ariana, was far more compassionate and wise than the Crown Prince.

Whispers advocating for Princess Ariana to ascend the throne were spreading quietly, though everyone stayed silent about it openly.

If the power-hungry Emperor ever found out, her position would be threatened.

The Emperor wanted his next successor to be the Crown Prince—aggressive and reckless like himself—rather than his intelligent and beautiful daughter.

Because of this, the people’s trust in the Emperor plummeted further.

Even this hunting tournament was nothing more than a superficial festival, merely a ceremonial display meant to win over nobles with lavish spending.

It was, in essence, a political gathering designed to reaffirm the loyalty of nobles who pledged fealty to the royal family each year and to showcase the Emperor’s enduring authority.

Nocturne gazed disdainfully at the Emperor, who sat cross-legged on the golden imperial throne beneath a golden tent adorned with an eagle emblem.

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