The Third Prince Of Darkness

When I left Richard's room, I took a deep breath and began walking. As I had thought, everyone was underestimating Alpshar, and honestly, I needed to come up with a new plan. The first idea that came to mind was to use the troops I would be given during the battle and apply the cleverly devised war strategies from my old world to change the course of the war. But most likely, in the vision Roxanne saw, I had already done this, and we had been defeated. So, what should I do?

If all the power were mine right now, everything would be much easier, but even Richard didn't have much say in the coalition army. However, right now, the only thing holding the southern empire together was Alpshar, and perhaps if I could kill Alpshar, we could automatically win the war. In other words, it seems that I would have to use my dark element in this war, but at least it would be best if I did it secretly. After all, if we lost, Alpshar wouldn't leave someone like me, who has a dark element, alive, or if we won the war, I wouldn't want to be branded a devil among the people.

So maybe, before the night of the battle, I could teleport to Alpshar's tent while he was sleeping and kill him in his sleep. Yes, it would be an extremely dishonorable victory, but given that I had so much to lose, sacrificing my honor wouldn't be that hard. If he hadn't mentioned Roxanne's predictions, I wouldn't even consider this, but after hearing what Roxanne said, I think I lost a little confidence in myself.

Still, no matter what, it seems that the power to change the course of this war ultimately lies with me, and no matter how difficult the situation gets, I must correct the course of the war. But now that I think about it, Roxanne had told me that no matter what, Alpshar could not be defeated. Could Alpshar have some other power? What could it be? He couldn't have invented tanks, right?

By the time I reached my room, my thoughts had already become a tangled mess. But when I bumped into a girl and knocked her down, I was finally pulled out of my thoughts. Looking down, I saw a little girl holding her head, and when I looked into her eyes, I realized that this girl was my sister Odette. She seemed to have grown quite a bit; if I remember correctly, she should be around 12 years old now.

"Why... do you have such a tough body, big brother?" Odette said, trying to get up with her tiny hands. "I tried to call you so many times, but you ignored me!"

"I'm sorry, Odette. I was just a bit distracted. Are you okay?"

Odette smiled sweetly and stuck her tongue out at me. "If you carry me in your arms, I'll forgive you."

"Ugh, fine, fine," I said, sighing. Odette's cuteness always managed to soften me. I bent down and picked her up in my arms. "But next time, don't stand in front of me and scare me, okay?"

"Okay," she said, with a victorious smile on her face. Wrapping her little hands around my neck, she added, "Come on, take me to my room. Mom got a new book and wants us to read it together."

"A book? What kind of book?" I asked as we walked.

"A fairy tale book. There are princesses, monsters, and heroes in it. But one story is very scary, it's called 'The Curse of the Dark Lord.' I want you to be with me while we read it, because it's really scary," she said, her voice holding a trembling hint of humor.

The Curse of the Dark Lord... Even just the name sounded eerie, but it also seemed incredibly ironic to me. Thinking about my own dark powers, I smiled faintly. "Alright, we'll read it together. But promise me you won't come to my room with nightmares later."

"I won't come!" she said firmly, then added, "But if I get a little scared, maybe I'll borrow your blanket."

Listening to Odette's cheerful muttering, my mind was still spinning with plans for the war. I had to come up with a strategy to defeat Alpshar, but these small moments... this was exactly why I had to fight. To protect the ones I love.

When I left Odette in her room, she closed the door with a small "Thank you, big brother! Don't forget to come and read a story with Mummy in the night" I took a deep breath and returned to my own room. But when I entered, something caught my attention among the papers on the desk: a note written in handwriting I didn't recognize.

"Don't act without knowing your enemy's weakness. I am watching you."

As I read the note, my body involuntarily stiffened. What did this mean? Was it a stupid joke? And who was this?

---

10 Days Later–Capital of the Tamerid Empire

Surprisingly, I felt energetic today, even though I had just come from a long journey. Right now, all the leaders of the coalition forces were in the city. Today was the day the coalition forces would be declared, and it was also the day the war plans would be discussed in the evening. The coalition forces included the Tamerid Empire, the Asina Kingdom, the Tiamat Empire, the Moritan Kingdom, the Merdonbia Holy Kingdom, the Avarya Kingdom, and finally, the Lahstiva Duchy. Besides that, the Island Federation had officially announced that it would impose all sorts of economic sanctions on the Southern Empire and would prevent the Southern Empire's navy from roaming in the free seas. Lastly, the Herumzam Kingdom, located at the southernmost point, had declared its neutrality, citing internal conflicts. Of course, the king of Herumzam had recently died, and a throne war had begun.

In short, everything was against Alpshar. It seemed like Alpshar was desperately gathering troops, but the coalition forces had already mobilized their military units and were even prepared for battle.

The crowd in the capital reflected the significance of the day. The grand hall of the palace was filled with generals, ambassadors, and royals from various countries. Each of them seemed to be pursuing their own interests in winning the war. The leaders of the coalition forces were gathered around a large round table, eyeing each other with sharp gazes. I had been given a seat right next to Richard, as both the future king of the Asina Kingdom and the fiancée of the princess of the Tamerid Empire.

Tamerid Emperor Exdarth Matteon stood confidently at the head of the table. He waited for everyone to finish speaking before he began.

The voice of Tamerid Emperor Exdarth Matteon was authoritative and powerful, resonating throughout every corner of the hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said the emperor, his gaze sweeping over everyone at the table. "The reason we are gathered here today is not just to form a coalition, but to make history. The Southern Empire is gathering strength under the tyranny of its leader, Alpshar. Eliminating this threat is not only a necessity for us, but for future generations as well."

As the emperor's eyes scanned the room, they briefly met mine. For a moment, our gazes locked. A faint smile appeared on his face, but beneath it, traces of seriousness were hidden.

"Now, we must decide on our war strategy," he continued. "Richard, do you have a suggestion?"

Richard leaned forward slightly, speaking without standing up. "Honorable Emperor, the combined strength of our coalition forces is sufficient to deal with the enemy. However, everything depends on the impact of our first move. I do not want to underestimate Alpshar's intelligence. Therefore, we need to establish a strategic advantage. We should target the heart of his army."

The people around the table began to whisper. Some nodded in agreement, while others looked at Richard with skepticism.

At that moment, Lutharion, the regent of the Tiamat Empire and also Catherine's uncle, stood up. "Gentlemen, if you'll permit me, I would like to present my own opinion."

Lutharion placed his hands on the table to gather everyone's attention and took a deep breath. The room fell silent. After all, he was still the ruler of one of the most powerful states, even though his rule was officially temporary.

"My respected friends," he said in a calm but firm tone, "there is no point in discussing a war we are already guaranteed to win. With centuries-old war strategies, it is a fact that we will crush those southern barbarian scum. The real issue we should be discussing tonight is how to better exploit the South. In my opinion, the most experienced among us in warfare, Richard and Exdarth, should be given control over the majority of the coalition forces. Then, with the remaining soldiers, we will quickly march south and exploit those barbarians. I believe that would be a more satisfying discussion tonight." After sitting down, he took a sip of his wine, smiling.

Everyone's gaze in the room immediately turned to Lutharion. What he said was both bold and controversial. Some generals and royals frowned upon hearing Lutharion's words, but no one spoke out. Tamerid Emperor Exdarth Matteon, after a few seconds of silence, took a deep breath and spoke.

"As you said, victory is inevitable... Then, indeed, the matter of exploiting the South is something we must discuss tonight," he said.

Meanwhile, I was seething with anger, and in a moment of frustration, I slammed my hand hard on the table. The room fell silent in an instant. My eyes, burning with rage, turned first to Tamerid Emperor Exdarth Matteon, then to Lutharion. My heart raced as my anger intensified.

"What kind of logic is it to dismiss someone who so quickly and successfully conquered the South for the first time in history as just a stupid barbarian?! And now you're talking about dividing the coalition army? If you prefer, I have a better suggestion—let's just send a white flag to Alpshar and accept defeat!" As my words echoed through the room, I glanced at Richard, who was gripping my leg tightly. He was literally telling me to keep quiet, but I was the only one who knew we would lose because of the ridiculous decisions these fools would make.