When the eldest prince heard his father's words about Forn, he did not believe them at first.
But after a few moments of thought… and with his deep understanding of his sister's personality… he quickly realized the truth.
He let out a slow breath and asked,
"Did she do something serious, Father?"
The emperor remained silent for a moment, then looked at him with grave intensity.
"She betrayed my trust… and stole something of immense importance to the Human Empire… and to our imperial family, my son."
The prince froze.
He had not expected it to reach this extent.
Straightening his posture, he asked firmly,
"Will this affect the Empire, Your Majesty?"
The emperor nodded.
"Yes… it will. What Forn stole is extremely dangerous. If the outside world learns that we possess it… it will become a great problem for us, for the Empire, and for the entire human race."
The eldest prince's expression hardened.
"I will create an isolation barrier large enough to cover the entire Empire to prevent Forn from using teleportation. But you must capture her quickly… a spell of that magnitude will not last long."
The emperor looked at him.
"You are right, my son. We must move swiftly. I will personally go to capture her."
The prince's expression shifted slightly.
"To that extent… Father?"
The emperor did not answer.
He simply gave him a silent look, then turned to gather the knights.
The prince remained standing, watching his father's departing figure.
Then he looked up at the sky and sighed.
"It seems I must take charge of governance… from now on."
He understood.
Beyond capturing Forn… she was no longer fit to remain Crown Princess.
Which meant…
He was the next candidate.
He did not want the throne.
He hated politics, hated conflicts, hated the throne and everything it represented.
All he had ever wished for was a quiet life… far from bloodshed and conspiracies.
But it seemed fate did not allow anyone to escape for long.
He sighed again and shook his head.
"I must begin the isolation spell immediately."
Returning to the moment when Forn escaped the Empire using teleportation…
The eldest prince had been sitting in his chamber, reading an ancient book.
A book that was never meant to exist in this world.
It was a magical tome explaining how to use ancient magic…
Magic that predated even the rise of the Human Empire itself.
And the eldest prince… was the only one in the Empire truly capable of understanding it.
As he read in quiet focus, he heard a light knock on his chamber door.
With a casual wave of his hand, the book vanished into his storage ring.
"Enter."
An imperial knight stepped inside and bowed slightly.
"Your Highness, the Emperor summons you."
The prince stood immediately.
"Very well. Let us go."
As he walked toward the Throne Hall beside the knight, thoughts crowded his mind.
Was this about Forn's escape?
Or about the title of Crown Prince?
He did not know what his father was thinking.
Soon, he stood before the great doors of the royal hall.
He took a deep breath… and entered.
Inside, the emperor sat upon his throne, watching him steadily.
The prince bowed lightly.
"You summoned me, Your Majesty. Is there something you require?"
The emperor did not speak at once, but the prince could feel the heaviness in the air.
After a moment, the emperor spoke in a deep voice:
"The Archmage of the Empire will handle Forn's capture. It will not be difficult… she has sustained serious injuries. We only need to determine where she teleported."
The prince stepped forward calmly.
"It will not be simple, Father. There was a powerful isolation spell in that region. Tracking her through magic will be extremely complicated."
The emperor showed little concern for the difficulty.
"That is irrelevant. He will succeed… or face my punishment."
Hearing that, the prince felt a trace of sympathy for the Archmage. He had once considered him a friend—if only briefly.
He sighed softly.
"I suppose that is not the true reason you summoned me… is it?"
A faint smile touched the emperor's lips.
"You know, my son… I once wished for you to become Crown Prince, but you refused. I respected your decision. Fortunately, Forn was present, and she possessed the qualities to become Empress after me."
He paused.
"But with her disappearance… I have no one else."
He looked directly into his son's eyes.
"Are you prepared to bear this responsibility?"
Silence lingered for a second.
The prince thought quickly.
Then he lowered himself to one knee.
"It would be a great honor, Your Majesty, to become Crown Prince of the great Human Empire."
The emperor studied his son's eyes.
He saw something clearly there…
They were not the eyes of a man who desired the throne.
They were the eyes of a man forced to carry it.
Inside, the emperor sighed.
"I am sorry, my son… and thank you."
He knew well that his son accepted the title not because he wanted it—
But because he would not allow the Empire to stand without a worthy heir.