Coming back to the capital made Victor a little emotional. Memories of his time back then came flooding back. The capital city is also known as Claes City since most major cities are named after a royal or noble who owns it but for most people, it's just the capital. The city is very large. When they saw it in the distance, they could see the walls that surrounded it, and even Victor could not find the end of it. If Victor was to describe it, it would be almost like a metropolis inside a large box (or circle in this case) except without the skyscrapers. The roads are bricked up, all the buildings and houses look like from medieval times, with hay roofs, wooden window shutters, and stone or brick chimneys, and you can see the bustling streets filled with wagons pulled by beasts or horses and people walking around. It does reflect a medieval fantasy image.

There seems to be a celebration going on as Victor could see a range of colors in red and yellow decorations being hung everywhere on the houses and roofs, and many people are also wearing such colors when they enter the city. Red and yellow is a favorite of the Claes people as it symbolizes power, prosperity, and also loyalty to the emperor since they are also the house colors of the royal family, along with its dragon insignia with a sword in the middle that looks like it is piercing the dragon since the first emperor is said to have slain an evil dragon that threatened the empire.

They passed by the city square where most of the interaction and life of the city is. It was strange to pass by the city square and see people laughing, walking, and celebrating. In his last life, this was the place where they executed him. The sight of his father sighing at him, that b*tch concubine and his half-brothers sneering at his demise, and the absent mother and brother who, even at his death, never even bothered to see or say anything to him. Not to mention the number of people who surrounded him, screaming for his head, calling him a traitor and throwing food and items at his face, and laughing about his demise and his death; it was not a pleasant memory, and Victor had to pull the curtains down so he could not look at the people looking so happy.

The three people inside the carriage looked curiously at the handsome prince. They still could not believe he was able to look so good with short hair. A short haircut like this is very unusual. They can't help to compare themselves to him and look envious of the prince. The prince looked very good despite all the rough life they had gone through in battle. He could be described as princely – something they have never described Victor since the day they met him (except Rufus, who thinks Victor is the best prince there is).

"It seems to be foundation day," Rufus said as he watched the colors outside his window.

"Foundation day?" Victor asked.

"Yes. An anniversary of the foundation of the empire. It's a week-long festival." Rufus answered wholeheartedly as he watched the celebration outside. Despite all the misgivings the empire has given his master, the man still has a positive view of the empire. This is because, compared to other countries, the empire's longevity provides a sense of security for a lot of people. Pietro and Jason Aster, on the other hand, do not seem to be enlightened or in awe at it. They have seen it before, but Victor, who spent most of his life in the palace before being shipped to the military, never saw or experienced the empire's celebrations. He never finds a reason to celebrate such festivities after his return. But the sight of the celebration only made him feel sad. His childhood was so lonely. No child should have been treated that way and unable to enjoy life like these people are doing now.

The Claes empire was founded thousands of years ago. They were among the first nations and were the longest-running empire in their continent. It was a miracle that the Claes royal family was able to sustain their dynasty this long. The novel did not indicate the demise of the Claes empire but that it went through so much conflict and destruction but was able to survive. The foundation day celebration becomes a tradition as a celebration of another year of the empire's existence. It's a long week celebration with the actual day of its historical foundation at the end of the week, and it happens during the spring season on the month of Sathorne (the third month of Spring).

Sounds of the bells are heard in the carriage, indicating that it is the 13th hour. This means they have an hour left for their appointment at the palace. In Claes, the ones who guard the time were the church. You can find the church located exactly at the center of the city itself and its smaller ones in each direction of the city. Every hour they ring the bells, which to Victor, sounds exhausting and loud. The bells rang 26 times a day, even during nighttime, since there are 26 hours in Claes (or Astoria in general). It would have been better if they had a clock, but clocks were not yet invented in Claes.

*****

When they arrive at the palace grounds, they look in awe at the beauty of the royal palace. The three officers and Jason have never seen the palace up close, so they are the most impressed. While Victor tried not to let his emotions show at the sight of it. For many, it is beautiful; for Victor, it harbored memories of loneliness, resentment, and grudges.

The Claes palace is vast. The palace grounds are even more so as the Claes royal grounds hold multiple palaces that one has to ride a horse or carriage to reach even one of those palaces. There are individual palaces for the prince and princesses (mostly for the favored ones), the empress, the former empress and emperors, and the favored concubines, and there are also the harem grounds where most of the concubines live. Victor doesn't know how many concubines his father has. His grandfather, after all, had over 300 at his time and over 60 children, with only a few surviving in adulthood. Most of those surviving children were married to other families or killed off. Either way, the Claes royal family has a brutal life for those who are weak and unable to defend themselves.

The main palace is the one at the front and center of the palace grounds. This is where most of the activities of the government function, including many royal events and parties, are held. Behind that is the emperor's palace. The main palace is known for its grandeur design with marble flooring, gold linings, white stone, fountains, and statues that can be seen on the pillars and halls, and unlike most of the buildings in the city, the palaces have glass-paned windows. This is a big deal because glass is very expensive in Claes. Red and yellow flowers dominate the grounds of the main palace, and the royal insignia is seen branded in every red and yellow flag and fabric that decorate the entrances, the building, and the hallways of the palace.

To Victor, this place is too big, would require so many people to maintain, and has too many stairs. "I know the purpose is to showcase the empire's glory, but this is too much." He thought as he climbed the long stairs. "This is so time-consuming." He groaned. If this is what it is like to live here, one has to plan ahead of time in everything they do. He missed the ease and convenience of many buildings and homes on Earth, where most are within reach and can be done without the need to call for a servant.

When they arrived at the palace entrance, they were greeted by some butlers, most with pink hair. Rufus recognized them as among his family members, and most of the servants seemed curious about the rumored "tyrant prince." They have not seen him before, and even those who met the prince in the past don't remember what he truly looked like. All they know is he has black hair and golden eyes, and they wonder if the prince has a look that would make him a potential emperor.

Only when they saw the prince they did not see a tyrant. They see a strong and handsome man who stands in front of them, looking almost regal and confident despite the simple and gloomy outfit he is wearing. They never knew that having a haircut short like that would make one look so handsome.

Victor, General Aster, Jason, Rufus, and three of the officers of Blue Rose, Agler, Mark, and Levi, all entered the large foyer of the main palace. The remaining soldiers are to stand waiting outside. They were in awe at the sight of the foyer when they entered the large double doors. The foyer is huge, and you can see two staircases intersect like a circle on the second floor. There is a red carpet in the middle, high ceilings, and sunlight from the glass roof. Statues made of white marble accentuate the halls, red curtains along with the windows, and red carpets on the halls. There is also another beautiful fountain in the center of it. The look shows the wealth of the empire.

But they can't stay long to enjoy the sights. They were escorted immediately by the butlers to the waiting hall – which is the large room before the throne room. In it, many noblemen and women were hanging around. This is a common sight in the royal palace. Most of them are influencers of society or belonging to the ministry, and some are there to gossip. There is no privacy here. Everyone wanted to know everyone's business, and this was the day that the so-called tyrant prince would so many of them visit the palace in hopes of seeing him.

Many of the nobles were eyeing the prince and his entourage curiously. Some women even blushed and hid their faces behind their fans.

"I feel like I am being dissected just by using their eyes." Agler, one of the officers, muttered.

"Welcome to the noble society." General Aster responded lowly. Despite the regal looks of these nobles, this is a harsh life full of schemes, backstabbing, and where rumors spread so fast that they ruin someone's reputation in one day. They don't even care if it's true or not.

"Which one do you think is the prince?" he heard someone whisper.

"The one with the dark hair and gold eyes."

"He looks like the emperor? I don't see it."

"I heard he's a tyrant."

"I heard he eats babies."

"He looks…not what I expected."

"Handsome even," and someone giggled.

Eating babies, are you kidding me? Victor wanted to roll his eyes at them, but he had to act stoically. This will help him when he is in the palace. He learned from his past. Never show any weakness, even if it is just emotions. He does not want to deal with many of the wolves trying to act innocent at him. The colder he is at them, the better, and because of his reputation, Victor does not mind enforcing the title of a tyrant.