Chapter 10
Cain successfully persuaded Count Steiner Landerk and Viscount Alons Kaelid—both notorious for being rigid and inflexible—to postpone the coronation.
Afterward, he headed toward the First Palace, traditionally used as the Crown Prince’s residence within the imperial palace.
The Crown Prince’s chamber had been empty ever since the “Founding Day Catastrophe,” which claimed the life of the Imperial Crown Prince of the Pelberg Empire.
“It would’ve been better if I could enter the Sun Palace, where the Emperor resides, directly…”
Even though Cain was the only remaining member of the Pelberg royal family, he had not yet officially ascended the throne. Therefore, he could not stay in the Sun Palace, which had been designated as the Emperor’s residence.
Moreover, the Sun Palace wasn’t just a symbol of the Emperor’s presence; it was connected to the “Imperial Vault.” Only the Emperor was allowed to reside there—a strict rule upheld without exception.
“Well, there are useful things in the Imperial Vault too… but what I need right now isn’t there anyway.”
Late at night, as Cain briskly walked toward the Crown Prince’s palace, he continuously recalled details from the game world’s lore that might help him in the current situation.
In the universe of “Legend of the Imperial Heroes,” created by 32-year-old developer Kang Jihoon who poured his youth and soul into it, the lore was vast and intricate.
For instance, the palace Cain was heading toward had hidden details, known only to the game’s developer. And now, with all the other royal family members wiped out, only Cain—the reckless third prince—could utilize certain hidden mechanics. Normally, these would have been lost to the dust of the empire’s history.
Only one person knew these secrets: Cain himself. He wasn’t just the reckless Third Prince; he was the creator of “Legend of the Imperial Heroes.” Every secret and hidden puzzle in this world had passed through his hands.
Thus, the place he was heading toward was none other than…
“Deep beneath the Crown Prince’s First Palace of the Pelberg Empire… lies a tomb from the age of ancient myth.”
This was a setting temporarily applied during the final stage of world-building. No one could know of it unless they were the developer. Even the Pelberg royal family, according to the lore, had no knowledge of it.
Moreover:
“If anyone knew about the tomb, the royal family would’ve shown a sacred mark long ago.”
So his task was simple:
“Eat it up.”
Arriving at the First Palace, Cain called for his escort, Viscount Heinrich Denver, who had remained by his side.
“Viscount Denver.”
“Yes, Your Highness! Did you summon me?”
Denver, who was inspecting the royal guard nearby, hurried over at Cain’s quiet call. Unlike the tense demeanor he had shown a few days ago, he now appeared much more at ease.
At this point, as the sole surviving royal of the Pelberg Empire, Cain was naturally surrounded by the empire’s finest knights and mages. Among them, Viscount Heinrich Denver was a formidable figure, second to none.
“Denver… quite a character behind that calm exterior.”
On the surface, he seemed like a sly noble who merely flattered others, but in reality, he was a masterful knight, on par with the rank of Grand Chevalier.
Cain addressed him:
“Viscount, sorry for the sudden request. I want to rest without any disturbances. Can you control the Crown Prince’s palace for me?”
Denver paused for a moment, then a playful expression appeared on his face:
“You mean to block visitors?”
“Yes.”
“May I ask why?”
“I’ll keep it a secret for now.”
“You seem to have many secrets, Your Highness.”
Denver smiled.
“Count Landerk requested a high alert, but this shouldn’t be a problem. Removing visitors temporarily is no big deal.”
With that, Denver agreed, pledging:
“I will carry out Your Highness’s command to the best of my abilities.”
Trustworthy, skilled, and loyal, Denver was the perfect aide. With him behind, Cain entered the Crown Prince’s bedroom. True to the Pelberg Empire’s tradition of safeguarding royalty, the bedroom contained a secret space where the royal could hide from external threats.
“It should be around here, according to the lore…”
Cain approached a nearby wall, feeling for anything unusual. Even as the world’s creator, he couldn’t perfectly map the temporary dummy settings applied during development. Yet Cain moved confidently, having learned from experience that even a world full of overlapping DLCs had rules.
“Found it.”
Next to the fireplace near the bed, he located a mechanism that opened the secret passage.
“Was it supposed to go in here?”
To open the passage, the “Crown Prince’s Ring” was required. Luckily, Cain already possessed the ring, as the heir apparent.
He removed it from his finger, but hesitated for a moment.
“Once I insert this, an alarm magic circle will trigger, causing chaos…”
Many ancient wards and magic circles, some still maintained by the empire’s great mages, remained active. Triggering the passage would alert all loyal knights and mages throughout the palace and city of the Crown Prince’s danger.
“Normally, only in emergencies would this be opened… but no choice now.”
The tomb must remain a secret for the time being.
“Let’s go.”
Cain inserted the ring into the slot. The wall next to the fireplace swung open, revealing the secret passage.
Creak.
As Cain entered, the door sealed behind him.
Thud.
No one from outside could open it unless Cain did so himself.
“From here on, it’s full advance.”
He followed the dimly lit passage. Faint magical lights guided him to a reinforced iron door leading to the safety chamber. Using the Crown Prince’s Ring again, he unlocked the seal.
“This should be it.”
Inside the safety chamber, slightly under ten pyeong (~33 m²), Cain felt along the stone floor. This section had been passed down through the Pelberg imperial line. Reaching this far only triggered the alarm—it didn’t yield any real reward.
The key was to find the mechanism that opened the stairs down to the tomb of the ancient stars.
“Here it is.”
Recalling his developer memories, Cain found a slot next to the magical light. But the Crown Prince’s Ring didn’t fit—it required royal blood.
Without hesitation, Cain bit his finger, letting a few drops of blood fall into the slot. The stone floor rumbled and split open, revealing stairs leading deep underground.
The darkness below was far thicker than the passage above, but Cain remained calm. As the world’s creator, he knew no hostile forces were present.
Despite multiple applied DLCs, none affected the tomb. Cain grabbed a magical lamp and began descending.
[Entering the hidden location: “Tomb of the Celestial Thrones.”]
Cain stepped into the dark space, ready to claim the mystical boon the protagonist character was meant to obtain.
