16- The night visitor (2)

After treating his injuries, Raihle said, "I already asked for new clothes; let's take a shower now."

"A shower?!" He shouted in shock, "Why are You are giving me a shower?"

"Because you kicked out the maids I brought?"

"I'm thirteen! I can shower by myself!"

Seeing Raven's face turning completely red left Raihle puzzled.

'What are you so embarrassed about? Do you know how many children I used to shower?'

"I will just help this time; you are still weak you might slip and hurt yourself." Raihle tried to compromise with him.

"I won't slip so there is no need!"

Of course, at the end, Raihle ignored his claims and went to get the towels from the closet.

"I also have cut your hair."

"No need! I said, no need!" Raven got up and ran after him. "Besides, aren't you a prince or something? I heard them say that, so why are you doing things like this?" 

Raihle was confused. "What does being a prince have to do with showering?"

Raven was absolutely dumbfounded but eventually he was forced to shower under Raihle's hands.

Raihle cut his messy hair cleanly and showered him as he promised.

Raven I hesitated at first but his hair turned out great and he looked completely different.

"It's looks good; how do you know how to do that?"

"You aren't the first child I take care of."

"Huh?"

Raihle realized after he spoke that he is currently a nineteen-year-old prince and not the teacher he used to be.

".Y..You have children?" 

He quickly untied the clothes he used to prevent hair from falling on Raven.

"No." 

"But you just said, "

"I will ask them to bring you a hot meal; make sure to eat it all and then brush your teeth. Don't stay up too late and cover yourself well when you sleep."

"Huh?"

Raihle left without waiting for a response.

He headed to his room but paused in his way when he saw Hugo holding a mountain of papers and standing by his door, about to come in.

"Absolutely not." He quickly turned around to hide in Raven's room.

"Hey, Raihle," but he was caught.

"No, I'm busy."

"I haven't said a word yet."

"Yes but I know that you will give me something that I don't want to do."

Hugo was silent for a second.

"Well, It's true, but now you have to do it."

"Tsk."

"Did you just clicked your tongue at me?" Hugo was at a loss for words and looked at him in disbelief "How disrespectful can you get?"

"I apologize," Raihle patted his shoulder.

"Yes, thank_"

"Elderlies deserve respect."

Raihle entered his room before hearing his shout, "YOU!"

Hugo ran after him and slammed the papers on the table in front of him.

"I was actually feeling sorry for you and I was going to help you out and give you advices like a good person but I don't think you deserve that anymore."

Raihle didn't care anyway; he looked at the papers, which seemed like reports.

"What are these about?"

"There are lists and information about every noble within the empire. You have to memorize them all and choose a group to be your supporters."

Raihle looked at him as if he had lost his mind, How was he supposed to read and memorize all these nonsense?

"I made them easy to read." Hugo comforted him coldly. "You are already at the bottom when it comes to society. Nobody recognize you, even if you walk in the street."

'Yes I know, I already did that and I like it.'

How How annoying would getting out be if everyone knows his face?

Hugo wasn't finished. "That's not the only problem. Soon, the emperor will want to declare his desire for you to be the official crown prince. When that happens, you will have to go through the High Court trial."

"High Court trial?"

Hearing confusion in his voice made Hugo frown. "You don't know what a High Court trial is?"

Raihle reminded silently, he wasn't happy that he fits the stupid prince role almost too perfectly.

Hugo didn't speak for a moment.

He remembered Professor Joven's words.

'He wasn't taught.'

Even if he wasn't taught, how isolated was he to not know basic things?

He started feeling a bitter taste in his mouth; he wanted to drink something to wash it away.

He swallowed and explained, "The High Court is held when the emperor decides an essential decision that will affect the entire empire. The High Court has every important member of society, from Dukes and Marquises to commanders and prime ministers. Their vote on the emperor's decision is what determines whether it will happen or not. For example, you need at least three votes to be accepted as the crown prince."

Raihle hummed in understanding.

"The High Court didn't exist until the disaster that happened one hundred years ago.. When an illegitimate child took the throne after the emperor's death and caused the dragon's blessing to wear off. And the monsters who lived above the Abyss broke into pieces and caused mass destruction. Then the emperor went insane and made unreasonable decisions that almost eliminated the whole empire. The High Court was created to make sure something like that doesn't repeat itself."

Raihle He had heard something similar before so he recognized the story.

The reason why he is the only heir that will be accepted as the emperor is because they didn't want the same tragedy to happen again.

"I You can't participate in the High Court so you will have to"

"Why?" Raihle was genuinely curious, Hugo wanted to him be the emperor the most so he can get rid of him; his face says all about it "Aren't you a Duke?"

Hugo His eyes widened; he didn't expect that he didn't know this much. "Because I was a Dragon Wing. Once you become a Dragon wing, you lose all privileges as a noble."

People consider Dragon Wings more valuable than nobles; they get to keep their titles but it wouldn't have any worth.

"Also, Dragon Wings will always be biased; they will be in the emperors side no matter how crazy they are; that's why their vote doesn't count."

Raihle nodded in understanding.

Hugo wasn't sure what was going on in his head so he carefully told him, "The trial won't be hard if you have someone to support you. You need to set foot in the society and show them that you are capable and have the qualifications to be the crown prince and a good emperor."

While he gave him advices to become the crown prince, Raihle thought of ways to get rejected immediately.

Having the crown prince title is the worst thing that can happen. It will make more people believe that he will be an emperor, which is his worst nightmare.

'How to not get voted?'

The The High Court seeks the empire's stability and peace.

'So, to make them reject me I just have to be crazy.'

"It shouldn't be too hard." 

Hugo misunderstood his words and pointed at the reports "Good, then you can do it yourself." He didn't have the slightest idea what was going on in his mind.

"The ones labeled in green are safe goods, while the ones labeled in red are the ones who you should absolutely avoid!"

The papers had different kinds of colors included with the specifics.

"Think of a way to make a deal with them and then I will invite them over for you."

Raihle waved his hand at him to make him go. "Got it; go away now."

Hugo clicked his tongue and mumbled to himself on his way out.

Raihle picked up the closest paper to him.

A The man's name was written at the beginning in bright red, like a warning sign.

Raihle started to read the paper while crossing his legs on the desk.

"Duke Lanvent Guldier."

Dr. Lanvent Guldier (54 years old)

Took the position of the Duke at the age of twenty-two

Has one daughter who married Count Thorn and became a Countess.

Has the possession of 34% of medical industries shares.

He inherited one of the Dragon Wings strengths and became one of the few pure-blooded humans with powers.

His ability enabled him to diagnose the rarest diseases and treat the most sensitive wounds, which has increased his worth and fortune.

He open over than five hospitals and published two books that became worldly famous.

Raihle stopped reading.

"Is there something this man didn't do? Why can't he be the emperor instead of me?"

He skipped through the pages that were full of his accomplishments during his life and stopped when the red lines appeared.

Five months ago, Count Thron was caught smuggling commoners through an illegal Abyss gate in the slums and had been arrested.

After investigating, Count Thron had been sentenced to death and all his possessions has been confiscated.

The countess has been imprisoned in the Central prison in the capital for complicity and her children were sent to a countryside orphanage.

Duke Lanvent Guldier was arrested with the accusation of complicity in human trafficking through the Abyss gate, but due to the lack of evidences, he has been released after taking down his Duke title and confiscating all his possessions.

Current location: unknown.

"I see now why he is labeled red."

Tying Being with someone means raising when they raise and falling to the bottom when they fall. That's why it's essential to know who you're connecting with.

However,

"I don't plan on tying myself with anybody."

Raihle didn't have any plans on becoming an emperor; he would rather avoid that as much as possible, at least until he returns to his body.

That's why tying himself with people, strong or not, would be useless to him.

So instead of reading the rest of the papers, he picked up a pen and started doodling as he liked.