Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 348 (Part 1):

Sian, who had insisted he would never call him “Asuka-nim,” ended up speaking in polite form without even realizing it. Asuka frowned deeply.

“Hey, you hid things too. I didn’t know you were Rodril.”

“Honestly, even if I tried to hide it, you could have figured it out by doing some research into Spirit Mages. You, on the other hand, kept everything buried so thoroughly that here I am, dragged off to the Imperial Palace without anyone knowing, not sure what’s going to happen to me. Are you at least going to guarantee my safety?”

Not that he had much choice in the matter, but there would’ve been more options than being stuck in a place where he couldn’t even use magic.

Sian was already regretting having come along in the first place.

Waving a hand dismissively, Asuka confessed,

“…I can’t even guarantee my own safety; how am I supposed to guarantee yours?”

“You shameless jerk!”

At least Helmut’s situation was intriguing to some extent, but Asuka’s… not so much. Scratching his head as though vexed, Asuka finally blurted out:

“All right, fine. I was born of Imperial blood.”

“Wait, you don’t mean—?”

Sian’s eyes went wide. Asuka grimaced.

“You’re about to ask if I’m a prince. I’m not.”

Sian narrowed his eyes.

“Then are you the Crown Prince?”

“I said no!”

Asuka snapped. Hesitating briefly, he scratched his nose.

“Do you really have to hear this?”

“Come on. You can’t hide it now.”

“In truth…”

And so, the story of Asuka’s secret birth unexpectedly unfolded.

It was a tale unfamiliar even to the listener, Sian, and no less awkward for Asuka himself to put into words.

The Emperor of the Deus Empire—the sole empire on the continent—wields immense power by virtue of that position.

The current Emperor ascended to the throne about eight years ago, when Asuka and Sian were still kids.

There was no overt struggle or war of succession, but the process was hardly smooth.

Behind the scenes, countless dangerous battles were waged, and the current Emperor narrowly avoided death on multiple occasions.

Each time, he’d been protected by his one and only full sibling, the current Grand Duke Farnese.

Even back in his days as Crown Prince, the Emperor’s path was fraught with peril from the start.

After giving birth to the Grand Duke Farnese, the late Empress’s health declined sharply, and she passed away early. Not long after, a new Empress entered the palace and gave birth to another imperial prince.

The late Empress’s family was a noble house of considerable renown, while the new Empress’s family was a Marquess house of immense influence within the Empire.

The indifferent late Emperor had designated his son, the Crown Prince, as heir because he showed exceptional qualities as a ruler from a young age—but that was the extent of his support.

He did not shelter his two motherless sons. If one is destined to be Emperor, one must prove worthy of the position.

Thus, the Crown Prince’s path was paved with thorns, and in the midst of it all, he had to protect his younger brother.

That younger brother eventually grew into the Crown Prince’s dependable right hand.

Now Grand Duke Farnese is closer to the Emperor than anyone else—indeed, he’s the only one who can meet the Emperor privately and personally influence his decisions.

“So you’re telling me you’re the son of this illustrious Grand Duke Farnese? Imperial blood?”

“…Yeah.”

Asuka’s face remained full of distaste. It was like he wanted nothing more than to disassociate himself from that fact.

Though he hadn’t staged public executions for his rivals, the current Emperor had carried out purges both before and after taking the throne.

Many Imperial relatives who supported the Third Prince lost their titles and properties, exiled or stripped of noble rank.

As a result, very few members of the Imperial Family now remain in the Deus Empire.

Given that the Emperor currently has just two princes and one princess, Asuka being the Grand Duke Farnese’s son implies he’s quite high in the imperial line of succession.

Sian, who seemed to arrive at that conclusion, exclaimed in shock.

“You mean you could become the Emperor of the empire?”

Smack! Asuka’s punishment followed immediately. After hitting Sian on the back of the head, he quickly covered his mouth.

“Hey, spout nonsense like that in public and—”

“Mmph!”

Sian nodded quickly, indicating he understood. There was no guarantee no one was listening in on them right now.

With his magic sealed, Sian had no way of checking.

“That hurt like hell.”

“I don’t enjoy hitting a frail little guy like you, so be more careful when you run your mouth.”

Usually, Sian would have played with words depending on the situation, but he thought perhaps he had picked up some of Asuka’s habits.

The situation was that confusing and shocking.

“But this doesn’t add up. How would the son of Grand Duke Farnese grow up as a commoner?”

Asuka had insisted that he was a mere commoner. If he was truly Grand Duke Farnese’s son, he should have grown up in the Imperial Palace or at least in some grand estate in the capital.

Sure, in the kind of popular novels where the Emperor or Crown Prince has a secret child, the kid might be raised anonymously among commoners. But Farnese, at least, seemed a bit removed from the cutthroat struggle for power.

While the child could become a weakness, there was still something odd about raising him in secrecy like that.

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