Some of the knights had lost their lives due to the beast's rampage, but no nobles had died. Normally, the emperor wouldn’t have mentioned anything about the harm done by the beast because the bereaved families could demand compensation for what they lost. This was a different case, however; the emperor didn’t want to give his son a national treasure.
Now, if the crown prince asked for a reward for what he had done, the people would immediately treat the prince as a money-grubbing snob. By mentioning the losses caused by the beast, it was evident that the crown prince would keep his mouth shut.
"I think it would be better not to select a winner for today's contest."
As expected, the crown prince nodded obediently. The emperor was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but then Max spoke up. "Yes,” he said, "but before that, there is something I need to point out.”
The emperor swallowed nervously. What the hell was he trying to say? Something bothered him, but the emperor couldn’t let it show. Feigning ignorance, he asked, "And what is that?"
The crown prince turned to his men.
"Bring it here,” he ordered.
The guards left and swiftly returned with the corpse of a huge beast.
The emperor frowned. "I told you already that there would be no winner for today's contest—"
Cutting him off, the crown prince snarled, "Isn't this strange? I caught not just one, but two beasts that weren’t from this area."
At that, the emperor realized his mistake. Count Pyrex, that idiot! The emperor had been busy with many other things, so upon determining that it would be too cumbersome to pay attention to the beasts on top of everything, he left Count Pyrex to manage them. He couldn’t believe that the count brought in beasts that didn’t live here!
He was taken aback. However, he spoke without revealing that he was flustered.
"I see,” he said. "But judging from how there were only two of them, perhaps these animals got lost and ended up here by coincidence.”
The crown prince smirked. Then, he donned a mean scowl. He raised his hand and the Floyen knights brought in a giant blue bear. "Coincidence, huh?"
Forcing a smile, the emperor nodded. "Yes, coincidence! What a wonder!”
The crown prince glared at his father for a moment before giving another order. "Bring the rest of it."
The emperor's eyes widened when he saw what the prince's knights brought.
No, how could he… he thought, his mind spinning.
Before the emperor stood a caged wild beast and an exhausted Count Pyrex.
The prince glared at the emperor with cold eyes. "Unfortunately, it wasn’t a coincidence. I have witnessed Count Pyrex use his men to free the beast.”
As soon as the prince finished speaking, a man came forward. "As an eyewitness, I would like to say that His Highness is speaking the truth,” he said. It was Duke Elios' successor, someone who had a strong influence in high society. The crowd began to murmur once he came forward.
The emperor looked down at his once loyal servant with trembling eyes. Then, he clenched his fists. What a foolish man, ruining things like this!
As the emperor tried to think of an excuse, the prince continued, "The count has confessed that he released the wild beasts for the hunting competition… at the orders of His Majesty the Emperor. Could this mean that Your Majesty is also the one who let the dire wolf out?"
The nobles began chattering louder amongst themselves.
"His Majesty did such a thing...?"
"Aren't those extremely dangerous creatures?! How could he do such a thing without mentioning it to anyone?"
"If the beasts were released near His Highness, that must mean..."
The emperor bit his lip once their suspicions began growing.
Damn it! he cursed to himself. How dare those little things...
He wanted to order the Dragon Knights to annihilate everyone in the area. However, the emperor calmed his hot head.
No, he needed to think. The only evidence that showed I planned all this was...
His crimson eyes landed on Count Pyrex. If the nobleman didn't confess, the truth would sink to the depths, never to be seen by others. The count was a loyal dog, and the emperor was well aware of his weaknesses.
The emperor glared at the count in warning.
"If you talk nonsense from now on,” his gaze said, "I will tear your mother apart and kill you.”
Count Pyrex lowered his head slowly as if he had understood. With that, the emperor determined that it was now time to throw away this old dog of his.
"How dare you go against my orders, attack my son, and then blame me for it?!” he cried indignantly. "I've trusted you all this time, and this is what I get?!"
Like a man who had truly been wronged, his voice was full of anguish. With his head lowered like a sinner, Count Pyrex remained silent. The people began to clamor, and the emperor laughed inwardly.
You fool, I knew you'd think it'd be better for you to die alone than harm your family, he silently taunted the count. Well, thanks to you, I will be able to get out of this safely!
Turning to his son, the emperor said, "You’re probably upset with me due to what he’s said about me."
The crown prince neither confirmed nor denied those words. The people took his silence as an affirmation. Suppressing his irritation, the emperor feigned sincerity. "To restore our trust, I’m going to leave you to take care of that man,” he said.
This meant Max was granted permission to interrogate the count.
The nobles began whispering amongst themselves.
"Is this really something Count Pyrex came up with himself?" they asked.
Even so, only a few of them were thinking such thoughts. Many still harbored suspicions about the emperor. However, in a situation with clear evidence like this, there was a chance that they could be punished severely if they decided to voice their speculations. Therefore, most remained silent.
Gauging the nobles’ reactions, the emperor let out a sigh of relief. However, he was soon forced into another frown. Expressionless, Maximilian was still staring at him. The emperor believed putting on a show would convince his son, but it didn’t seem to work.
Who did Maximillian think he was? Oh, perhaps he was upset about...
Remembering the prince's feats, the emperor opened his mouth. "Due to the crown prince’s efforts in dealing with the dire wolf and uncovering the scheme behind this incident, the victims will be able to rest their spirits at ease. To congratulate you on your achievement, I will grant you the Flower of the Underworld's Goddess."