[Over the course of the years, from what I could gather,the internal conflict of the Sandrian Empire stems primarily from two factions: the royal faction, composed mainly of the royal family and those utterly loyal to the throne, and the noble faction, made up of a select few. Among the 10 kings who rule kingdoms under the empire, 3 belong to the noble faction, 5 to the royal faction, and 2 remain neutral. There are 5 grand dukes—2 of whom are close to the king and sided with the royal faction, 2 who sided with the noble faction, while 1 remained neutral (though her allegiance to the throne is suspect). Among the 7 archdukes, only 2 are said to have absolute authority granted by the emperor, while the rest have either entirely or partially aligned themselves with the noble faction. And among the 9 dukes, 3 sided with the royal faction, while the remainder—like the archdukes—either fall completely into the noble faction or lean toward it while maintaining a facade of neutrality.]
Dante stood high above the mansion of Archduke Phillip, he stood atop a sea of clouds. His body flickered in and out of as he phased between the layers of space. This subtle manipulation of spatial boundaries rendered him virtually undetectable to anyone lacking a mythical-tier spatial skill—those who might sense a slight imbalance had to be high in proficiency.
"I see…" Dante murmured, a faint sigh escaping him as a trace of annoyance mingled with his amusement.
Tsk, damn info dumps.
Back on Earth, he despised the tedious info dumps in novels—eight out of ten times the information was just clutter, useless and meaningless. Yet, in the rare instances when that information was crucial, omitting it would leave him confused and unable to grasp the sequence of events or the underlying significance that made certain moments awe-inspiring. Back then, skipping such details was acceptable; here, every bit of information could prove vital for making accurate assumptions and plans.
"Their purpose… why are they risking offending the royal family?"
[Their reasons differ from noble to noble. For instance, there are rumours that a Grand Duke has enlisted several lower-ranking nobles to build an underground business empire—primarily cantered on slavery. The most sought-after races that dominate the high-end slave markets. Ranked from least to most expensive, are the Beastkind, Elves, and Demons— specifically, the succubi.]
[These three groups are notoriously difficult to capture. They are naturally gifted, helped by powerful backers—powers that render any attempt to capture them within their empire a suicide mission. Consequently, the only viable method of acquiring such quality slaves is by cultivating an internal business partnership within their circles, essentially finding someone within the group willing to betray their own people.]
[Within the eleven nations of the Empire, slavery is permitted as long as the enslaved are not of one's own kind. In the Sandrian Empire, slavery is allowed only for demons, barbarian tribes, or dark elves, a slight percentage of humans and Faries but , not as much as the first 3 mentioned previously. Dark elves are considered an impure form of elves, which is why the Northeast Continent is divided into three factions: the Pure Elves, controlling 70% of the continent; the Barbarian Tribes, also holding 20%; and the Dark Elves, occupying the remaining 10%.]
[The Empire maintains strict oversight on slavery. Slaves are permitted only if acquired through the Merchants Guild, which ensures that these slaves are either war prisoners or individuals who have entered the Empire seeking refuge illegally. Once purchased, they are treated well, at least initially, they are placed in skill/ mana nullification collars that can later be modified if a slave owner desires a combat slave.]
A wry smile curled on Dante's lips as he processed the loaded information. 'Oh? That's interesting. I see—so that's why Father asked me if I ever thought he was evil. He was probably trying to soften me up, for when I eventually learn of all this, I wouldn't look down on him or be disappointed though.
Hehe, what a sly bastard.
I had assumed this was the case. Even on Earth, some rich and famous people end up entangled in high-level illegal activities, like child exploitation or other unspeakable acts. The nobles here wield far too much power; they're often exempt from the punishments a commoner would face, it be surprising if everyone was a saint when no one could stop them.'
Dante's eyes drifted downward as he looked at the looming residence of Archduke Phillip. Gathering this information had taken time and effort. There were days he would visit his father's room, faking sleep just to overhear the conversations. Sometimes playing with the the maids and the royal soldiers, who would gossip about the evils and politics of the nobles.
It was all for information, in no way was he looking under their skirts and playing with their breasts.
The books available to him had chronicled events from long ago—details that, while old, were essential for understanding the present. Yet, Dante preferred to avoid unnecessary info dumps; partly because he did not want to be burdened with unnecessary details, and mostly because, he simply did not care.
Taking a decisive step, Dante phased out of his current plane and instantly appeared atop the roof of Phillip's residence. He surveyed the scene below, his mind weighing his options.
'Hmm, I'm caught in two minds now. It's fine—let's just stick with the first plan. No need to overthink it'.
With his hands casually tucked into the robe pockets, he activated his Spatial Body once more, phasing seamlessly through the walls until he reappeared in the long, opulent hallway of Phillip's mansion.
Inside the corridor, the ambient glow of enchanted lanterns and the soft murmurs of distant conversations. Dante's mind was fixated on his next objective.
'I really need subordinates skilled in espionage,' he murmured. 'For now, I'll have to make do with the best I can find. After I take care of this fucker, maybe I'll attend the Merchant Auctions and see if I can acquire a good slave. Sigh… few more years until I can secure the cream of the crop at the academy.'
..................................
In the residence of Archduke Phillip, fifteen elves had gathered—among them were several of the most important nobles of the noble faction. Only four archdukes were present at the meeting, along with three dukes; the remaining attendees were all of lower noble rank. The assembled elves sat together in a grand, chamber, engaged in an intense discussion about a subject they had been investigating for some time.
Unbeknownst to the self-assured nobles, a calamity was already looming—a disaster that, ironically was the main figure they were discussing.
Phillip and the other three archdukes—Samson, Ollie, and Gaven—exchanged glances filled with a mix of serious determination, shock, and excitement. Their expressions, though carefully masked, betrayed the weight of the revelation they were about to discuss.
The four archdukes reported their findings to one of the empire's grand dukes, the de facto leader of the noble faction present. In his eyes, everyone else was subordinate—a mere extension of his authority.
Phillip, holding a stack of documents that he had read over and over, could hardly believe the treasure trove of information before him. His voice trembled with a mix of awe and "indignation" as he declared, "It seems our Emperor is hiding a truly unforgivable secret. To think that child—could possibly have been born out of wedlock."
Ollie exchanged a thoughtful look with Phillip, his brow furrowing as he pondered the implications. "Do you really think that's the case? All we can confirm is that this child is the birthchild of the Grand Concubine. We can't go beyond that. if it's the child of the emperor, why would he keep him secret then?. After all the birth of a union between those two monsters would be a great addition to the empire. The child most certainly would have a Mythical skill; there would be no need to hide such a child!"
Samson, the oldest among the elves, sighed deeply, his tone laced with skepticism "Indeed. However, we don't need to be so hasty, lets first rule out all possibilities before we report this information to the Grand duke, after all you both could be wrong , it could be he is neither a prince nor a child of the Grand concubine"
Phillip's face flushed with indignation as he rose to his feet. "Impossible! While It's true that the Grand Concubine had a brother, and according to our collected information, he was sent to the front lines during the skirmish with the barbarian tribes a while ago. However, every soldier that fought that day though they were true talent's— possessing epic-tier skills, all either returned alive and we can confirm their family and whereabouts now or their dead bodies were recovered by our experts after the battle. Yet—why is it that only Lady Aurora's brother's body is said to have been mutilated beyond recognition?"
"Even if it were so, she was not distressed when we scattered the soldiers' ashes to the wind per the ceremony to honour the dead, if her brothers' ashes were there that day how is it that she was calm, not mournful at all.?
Even if you claim her brother's body was unrecoverable, couldn't she have mourned his death alongside all those who gathered on the day we sent their ashes off to the God of Winds?"
Samson opened his mouth to offer a rebuttal, but he quickly realized that Phillip's argument was not easily dismissed. Being the oldest, Samson understood that there was truth in Phillip's words—and that the entire situation was exceedingly fishy.
His own subordinate died that day, losing epic tier skilled subordinates wasn't a small matter, since Elves where a long lived species, so long as they didn't die , they had at least 65% chance of entering the Legendary tier. Hence why all who were connected to the deceased mourned not just friends, families, or subordinates, they mourned great talents.
Those who would help bring about the unification of the multiple empires, and eventually the continent. Yet she didn't mourn, at least not the mourn of a family, more of a silent respectful acknowledgement of the dead and the lives they lived as servant of the empire, a soldiers mourning.
Moreover
In all the recorded instances when the Emperor's concubines were expecting, they never made public appearances until after the safe birth of the child.
Even after then, only a select few would be present at the appraisal and the welcoming ceremony of the royal children so few would see the Mothers and their children.
However, after some time the royal children's birthdays were announced and the public would see them when they were a couple of months old. Apart from these rare occasions, the concubines made frequent public appearances without incident.
Yet for over two full years, Lady Aurora never made a public appearance. The only time she had been seen, she coincidentally accompanied a little child who bore a striking resemblance to her. Phillip interrupted Samson's musing as he added, "Moreover, why is it that the mother of the child is also mysteriously dead? There is no record of any such person—no information on this Dante's mother can be found."
Ollie nodded in agreement, his eyes darkening with suspicion. "Everything is far too fishy."
Samson sighed heavily, his voice low . "Let us bring this information to Grand Duke Wiseon. If it is true… if this child is indeed Lady Aurora's, then matters are far beyond the control of the royal family. If this is a prince of the Emperor's bloodline—one whom the people have never met, who has not been paraded around the empire as customs demand, who has never met his subjects or been taken to the temples—then the people will be incensed. They will demand an explanation. Either way, public trust in the emperor will suffer. This matter is beyond us. If this is indeed a prince, then the hidden nature of his existence, and the fabricated story surrounding it, require thorough scrutiny and accountability."
The assembled elves exchanged glances—some nodding in agreement, others with expressions of both excitement and nervous apprehension. If this explosive information were presented to Grand Duke Wiseon, it could very well cement their influence in the laws of the empire, allowing them to push through reforms and regulations they had long wanted.
Their time to rise up and secure even greater benefits was fast approaching.