CHAPTER 330: THE TRUTH BEHIND HIDDEN HISTORY

"So, do you believe me now?" Nolan asked indifferently, crossing his arms over his chest.

The statue paused for a moment before finally giving a heavy nod. "I... believe you. But how could a prince like you possess such power?"

His brows furrowed slightly. Throughout history, there had never been a prince this powerful—neither in his era nor before. And now, one had appeared with terrifying strength. It was truly shocking.

"You don’t need to know about that, Old Man," Nolan replied coldly, waving his hand. "What matters now is that you tell me what really happened in the past—and how your children could betray you."

It was hard to believe that an emperor could be overthrown. Normally, emperors of every era held absolute authority, backed by forces that were anything but ordinary—like his father’s Seven Mages of the Constellations.

So, the idea of them rebelling was nearly impossible. Moreover, within the Imperial family, there existed a teaching that warned every prince and princess never to harbor evil intentions toward their father.

If they did, the curse flowing through their blood would kill them instantly.

Nolan himself had examined his blood and confirmed that the curse was real. Yet naturally, it had no effect on him whatsoever.

If he wanted to fight the old man, he could easily do so. But he was a dutiful son—and it was impossible for him to do such a thing, right?

If Ragan ever heard that, he would surely explode in anger and shout, "Dutiful, you say? Does giving me a headache count as being dutiful?"

Unfortunately, he didn’t hear him, so he couldn’t scold him.

The statue fell silent. Nolan’s attitude was clearly disrespectful toward his own ancestor, yet there was nothing he could do.

Not only was Nolan powerful, but he was also his descendant—and the statue couldn’t bring himself to be cruel enough to attack him.

Taking a deep breath, the statue gave a wry smile and lifted his gaze to the night sky.

"It’s quite a long story. Do you want to hear it?"

"Of course." Nolan didn’t refuse. "I’ll listen. So, just tell me."

He sat cross-legged in the air, assuming a listening posture.

The statue closed his eyes before beginning, "It all started with a mistake I made..."

...

Boom!

A soul-shaking thunderclap echoed across the sky, followed by heavy rain that drenched the capital and the imperial palace.

Inside his room, Cedric stood near the window, gazing at the scene outside.

His expression was calm, yet anyone observant would notice the faint wrinkles on his forehead.

"What’s going on? Why haven’t Secret Agent 001 and Jared returned yet? Could they have met with an accident? That’s impossible... right?"

The two were subordinates entrusted to him by his uncle—loyal, quick, and always successful in completing their missions.

Zarak was nothing more than a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered, so eliminating him quietly should have been no problem.

"Unless... someone is reading my moves and interfering," he muttered, eyes narrowing in caution.

Cedric was a man who calculated every move with precision. Though he looked down on Nolan, Elina, Zarak, Adalen, Aldric, and his other siblings, that didn’t mean he truly underestimated them.

After all, those born into imperial families were raised with the finest education in harsh environments.

Only the strong and talented survived—an absolute truth that every prince and princess respected.

"Even so, I mustn’t jump to conclusions. Maybe it’s just my imagination," he muttered, watching the occasional flash of lightning across the sky. "Perhaps they’ll return soon."

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than two figures appeared behind him. Cedric turned to find Jared and Secret Agent 001.

"Is the mission complete?" Cedric asked, his gaze sharp.

"Yes, Your Highness," Jared replied with a respectful bow, presenting Zarak’s badge. "We managed to kill Prince Zarak at his hideout. Everything was carried out carefully and without error."

Secret Agent 001 nodded slightly. "What he said is entirely accurate, Your Highness. Do you have any further orders?"

Cedric took the badge and examined it closely. It indeed belonged to the Fourth Prince, Zarak. He looked at them both, suspicion narrowing his eyes.

"Was anyone else present when you carried this out?"

The two exchanged glances before shaking their heads. "No one, Your Highness."

Cedric paused for a moment, then gave a slight nod.

"All right. Thank you for your hard work. You may leave now."

Without another word, the two quickly vanished from view.

Cedric lowered his head, his expression conflicted.

"Was that just my imagination? Why do I feel like something is... off?"

A vague premonition stirred within him, as if some unseen warning urged caution. Yet he could find nothing amiss.

His grip on Zarak’s badge tightened, and he took a deep breath.

"No matter. The most important thing is that Zarak is dead. One rival eliminated, and my path to the throne becomes even clearer... hehehe..."

...

"So, that’s how it happened."

The large statue sighed deeply, while Nolan pondered, absorbing every word he had just heard.

The situation is more complicated than I thought. No wonder the children of the Fifth Emperor rebelled, he muttered softly.

According to the statue, it all began with the queen—the Fifth Emperor’s primary wife—who was fiercely ambitious and eager for the throne.

Yet she knew her son, the Second Prince, would struggle to claim it.

The First Prince had been born to a concubine, not the queen, creating a strange imbalance within the imperial family at that time.

Typically, the First Prince was always the queen’s child. But in the era of the Fifth Emperor, it was reversed—the queen gave birth to the Second Prince.

What frustrated her most was that her son lacked the talent of the First Prince.

Fearing that her son would fail to claim the throne, the queen devised a cunning plan to poison the emperor—and her scheme succeeded.

At the same time, she conspired with the Celestial-level mages of the era to spread the story that the emperor had been cursed to become a monster.

It was said that it was only a matter of time before he would rise and destroy the entire empire.

The news destabilized the empire. Many doubted it, but since it came directly from the queen and was confirmed by the Celestial Mages, the people believed it.

The princes, each harboring their own ambitions, finally resolved to eliminate their father.

The First Prince, however, refused to join them.

He would not believe the queen’s claims, even accusing her of colluding with the Celestial Mages to overthrow their father.

This clash of beliefs created a deep rift within the imperial family, bringing the empire to the brink of civil war.

Fortunately, the First Prince was exceptionally talented and clever.

With his skills and talent, he managed to suppress the other princes and the queen, ultimately eliminating them all.

Afterward, he attempted to dispel the rumors about his father—but it was too late.

Fear and doubt had already taken hold among the people. To restore order, he exiled his father to a cave, promising to bring him back once the turmoil had settled.

Tragically, the Fifth Emperor died a year later—an event that became the First Prince’s greatest regret. He then ascended the throne as the Sixth Emperor.

As a gesture of respect and remembrance, he commissioned a large statue in his father’s likeness and placed his magical staff upon it.

Nolan looked up at the night sky, a cynical smile playing on his lips.

"Power is truly... destructive..."