Chapter 03
Immediately after witnessing the catastrophe at the Imperial Palace, Cain felt a dizzying wave of pain, as if his body were being torn apart, and collapsed.
Thud!
The sound of a grown man hitting the floor echoed heavily, and the impact was significant. The floor was made of marble-like stone, but fortunately, it was covered with a thick, luxurious carpet, preventing any fractures.
Yet, perhaps due to the cerebral overload caused by the awakening of the memories of the body’s original owner, blood began to stream from his nose, and the tiny veins in his eyes burst, leaving them completely bloodshot.
Outside, a commotion arose, followed by a voice calling out:
“Your Highness! Are you unharmed?”
Perhaps the thud had been louder than expected? A palace guard hurriedly opened the door and rushed in. Unfortunately, the first thing the guard saw was the bloodshot-eyed prince with blood streaming from his nose.
“Y-Your Highness!”
The guard had only intended to support the prince, assuming he had merely fallen. But as he clumsily tried to wipe the blood, he realized half of the prince’s face was soaked in it. Completely unprepared for the sight, the guard panicked, mumbling to himself whether to fetch cloths or a healer first, before signaling to other nearby soldiers.
Then.
Clang, clang!
Amid the chaos, the heavy sound of steel boots echoed in the distance.
Cain’s instincts flared.
The news he had just seen in the prologue video—of the Imperial family being annihilated—had reached within Kanosa Fortress, and now it was clear to everyone that Cain, the Third Prince, was the heir to the empire.
Yet, hearing those heavy footsteps, and now carrying the memories of the prince, Cain calmly assessed his situation.
In the early story, the main battlefield of the war had been in the north, and though Cain was considered a brute, he had not been a villain blocking the protagonist’s path. Therefore, he had thought he could quietly remain in exile and let the protagonist, Bale, prevent the continent’s destruction.
But the situation had changed. The playable protagonist of The Imperial Heroic Chronicles, Bale Sencheiser, had died so absurdly at the grand banquet in the Imperial Palace.
If Cain simply stayed in exile, the world would fall into ruin.
Even though the Pelberg Empire valued its royal family and the main storyline’s primary battleground was in the north, once the true invasion of destruction began, chaos would engulf the continent, regardless of location.
Now, to prevent annihilation, only Cain could claim all the hidden pieces and rare treasures that the protagonist would have obtained. He knew their locations and was the only one capable of acquiring them.
‘It won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible.’
There was still plenty of time before the continent descended into chaos. And though he inhabited the body of a brute, the true owner of the soul was the developer who had created this world.
He remembered every hidden mechanism, every rare treasure, and all the ways to escape exile.
‘The protagonist is dead. Gone. Now I must stop the end of this world.’
The approaching footsteps halted. Through the crowd of approaching guards, a familiar face called to Cain. He quickly recalled his memories and recognized the man:
Heinrich Denver, Count.
Once a promising knight known as a “Meister” who could have reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, Denver had lost his ambition due to courtly intrigue and became a marginalized, wandering knight. Now, he was just one of the bodyguards of the so-called “Brute Prince” Cain Pelberg.
Despite losing his drive, his swordsmanship remained brilliant, and his loyalty to the crown was intact. He had also been one of the few people Cain could joke with during his dull exile.
“Your Highness.”
But unlike his usual playful demeanor, Denver’s face was now dark, heavy with gravity.
“Count Denver. Is it the blood? It’s nothing serious.”
Cain replied lightly, as though he had no idea why Denver had brought troops here. But deep down, he was certain the moment had finally come.
“Do you know what’s happening?”
Denver exchanged a brief glance with another guard behind him, then turned back to the Brute Prince.
“The message we just received reports that all members of the Imperial family at the grand banquet have perished. I don’t have the full details, but the military communication stated that Your Highness must ascend the throne. Therefore… the imperial army is mobilizing here to secure Your Highness until the succession ceremony.”
Cain, still reeling from the shocking news of the Imperial family’s annihilation, heard a young sentinel’s urgent shout from the watchtower.
“Over 800 troops are advancing north under the Imperial banner!”
The more rapidly the situation changed, the calmer Cain became. His gaze hardened. He ran outside immediately to assess, followed swiftly by Heinrich Denver and the other guards.
Cain’s eyes fell on Denver as if demanding an explanation. Denver spoke cautiously:
“Do you know whose banners they carry?”
“Yes, I confirmed. Count Paul Elang’s crest is on the flags.”
At the mention of Count Paul Elang, Cain’s expression grew cold. Though Elang was considered neutral, he had a precarious allegiance between the loyalists and the Grand Duke faction, leaning slightly toward the latter. Furthermore, the Grand Duke faction had been secretly protecting his illegitimate child. Could this man truly lead troops to safeguard the last imperial heir? Such timely arrival seemed suspicious. Cain quietly dismissed the idea and explained to Denver:
“He is with the Grand Duke faction. Prepare for battle.”
Denver’s face stiffened. He, too, had sensed something unusual about Elang’s arrival, but now he fully understood the threat.
He called his subordinates:
“Schweissen! Rodolfo!”
Two sturdy knights came running at once. As soon as they bowed, Denver gave orders.
“It seems we have uninvited guests approaching. Sound the alarm, and have all guards prepare for combat!”
The commander’s shout echoed throughout the fortress. Fully armored knights, soldiers, and robed mages took positions on the walls.
The fortress’s garrison fell into formation under Denver’s command. The Third Guard, assigned to protect Cain in exile, numbered around 100. Though this seemed substantial, more than half were ordinary soldiers rather than knights. Even combined with the fortress garrison, their total barely approached 500.
This was natural; Kanosa Fortress, used as a place of exile, was on the empire’s southern outskirts and not designed to withstand large-scale attacks. That’s why its garrison was relatively small.
After securing defensive positions, Denver said:
“Your Highness, please move inside for safety.”
Given the circumstances, Cain, the last surviving heir, was the target. Even if they defeated the enemy, his death would render any victory meaningless.
“Count Denver. I shall return safely.”
Fortunately for Denver, Cain was not an emotional man. He clearly understood the situation. Unlike other members of the royal family, the Third Prince, Cain Pelberg, had never trained his body or magic in exile. On the battlefield, he was effectively powerless, and deploying him would only burden the troops. Cain quickly assessed this and, following Denver’s advice, withdrew.
