The Extra Wants To Live

The next day, after receiving the message from Catherine, Carl began to think deeply.

He wasn't sure how to interpret the situation. The Imperial Knights' Order, often seen as a social gathering for nobles, was a place where children of high-ranking families passed through briefly.

However, the true knights rooted there possessed incredible skills and swore loyalty only to the emperor.

Originally, Knight Commander Gilbert was supposed to remain neutral and inactive.

'Does Azgoth know about this? Or is this an arbitrary move by Gilbert?' Carl pondered.

If Gilbert was aware of Azgoth's plans and intended to empower Carl to balance the scales, Carl needed to be more alert than ever. Gilbert's help could be immensely beneficial, but it also felt like relying on a pillar that might collapse at any moment.

If Carl was careless, it could lead to a critical downfall.

On the other hand, if this was Gilbert's arbitrary move…

As Carl remained silent, staring intently at the book, Catherine felt a little anxious. She wondered if she had acted prematurely. She knew Gilbert wasn't an entirely benevolent figure.

"Whoa…" Carl exhaled slowly. Despite the uncertainties, Gilbert's help was too attractive to refuse.

The support from the powerful military organization known as the Imperial Knights was invaluable. Furthermore, the power of Gilbert Evil, who had risen to the level of a master and maintained his position for decades without drawing his sword, was unknown but undoubtedly formidable.

Carl had learned from recent events that humans couldn't move forward alone.

Despite his suspicions and wariness, he needed to embrace alliances. In that sense, Gilbert wasn't a bad choice.

Although Carl didn't know the details of Gilbert's skills and personality, he was familiar with Gilbert's actions in the original work.

In the original story, Gilbert quietly retired like an ordinary old man, despite his enormous influence and power.

This might have been some kind of foreshadowing. The fact that Gilbert chose neither Balos nor Azgoth and instead stayed in the middle and withdrew suggested he did not simply desire power.

Now, Gilbert had hinted at an alliance and extended his hand to Carl.

"Lady Catherine, I will seal this book for the time being," Carl said.

"Yes, Carl," Catherine replied, shaking off her lingering attachment to the great master's book without expressing any dissatisfaction.

Carl laughed softly but spoke to Catherine in a serious tone. "Can you secretly deliver something to Sir Gilbert?"

"Of course," Catherine responded immediately.

Carl took a deep breath, then smiled brightly. "I've been focusing too much on training and I'm tired. Let's go for a walk."

"Suddenly?" Catherine asked, surprised.

***

Late that night, Gilbert was, as always, reading a book in the Imperial Knights' library. He believed that knowledge, like a fleeting wind, needed constant refreshing.

"Was the gift I gave him not satisfactory?" Gilbert asked quietly without taking his eyes off the book.

Catherine, who was about to open the door, paused, feeling an eerie sensation. She then opened the door quietly and entered.

"I can't judge that," Catherine replied, indicating that she no longer saw herself as a knight of the imperial family but as a knight of Carl.

Gilbert raised his head and looked at Catherine. She was carefully holding a long box with both hands.

"I don't think you came here to return it," he said.

"Lord Carl told me to deliver this to you in return," Catherine replied.

"Is he satisfied?" Gilbert asked.

"He haven't read it yet," Catherine said.

"He is just as cautious as this old man," Gilbert remarked, standing up and approaching Catherine leisurely.

As Gilbert looked at the box Catherine was holding, his heart raced with curiosity.

"What did the 4th Prince Carl, who had nothing, send as a gift?" he wondered. "Did he steal hidden money? Did he get something valuable from Hillfin?"

"There are so many good swords," Gilbert thought. "I would be a bit disappointed if it's a subpar sword."

"Can I open it?" he asked.

"Yes," Catherine replied.

When Catherine answered, Gilbert casually opened the long box. His eyebrows rose in surprise.

Rustle. The box was filled with discolored and dry fallen leaves, with a training longsword buried among them.

"What is this?" he asked.

"These are fallen leaves and training swords that Carl personally collected," Catherine explained.

"Indeed, it is exactly as it appears," Gilbert mused, lifting the sword with a strange feeling.

Then his wrinkled face calmed down. In the center of the iron blade, sharply cut, was a fallen leaf. Gilbert thought for a moment, then put his hand inside the fallen leaves and felt around.

Gradually, a familiar feeling touched his hand. Gilbert grasped it and pulled it out—a dagger with a frighteningly sharp edge.

Gilbert was silent, holding the dull training sword buried in fallen leaves and the sharp dagger hidden beneath them.

The fallen leaves made him wonder if it was some kind of joke. The longsword stood out but was long and heavy with a dull blade, while the short, light dagger was hidden by the leaves but ready to stab and cut through anything.

A faint smile appeared on Gilbert's wrinkled face. He suddenly swung the dagger like a flash and struck down the spot where the fallen leaves had been dug with the blade of his long sword.

Kaang!

The dagger, imbued with the master's mana and glowing softly, cut off the longsword's blade in one blow.

Gilbert caught the falling blade with his thumb and index finger and gently caught the falling leaves with the hand holding the dagger.

After dropping the broken longsword on a box covered with fallen leaves, he placed the sharp-edged dagger in the center, in the most visible place, without the slightest scratch.

"I have enough of this. Give the rest back to prince Carl," Gilbert said.

"Yes, Sir Gilbert," Catherine replied, carefully closing the box and leaving the archives room.

"Uhm…"

Gilbert rubbed and twirled the petioles of the fallen leaves with his fingertips, signaling the end of fall and the beginning of winter.

"Fallen leaves, fallen leaves… Ha ha ha ha ha…"

The longsword that stood out but lacked substance represented the other princes, the sharp-edged dagger that was hard to see but could cut through anything was Carl, and the fallen leaves that hid the dagger and cracked the longsword represented Gilbert.

When the lonely leaves fall, winter comes, and when the cold snow melts, spring follows.

As winter passes and the bottom of the melted snow is revealed, grass will grow and flowers will bloom, using the fallen leaves that have rotted into soil without anyone noticing.

Carl asked Gilbert if he would hide him, help him behind the scenes, keep the other princes in check, and assist him in becoming emperor.

And Gilbert, who had grown old and weary, responded with a heart rekindled with youthful passion.

"Of course, I'll do that," Gilbert chuckled.

"This is truly a treasure!" he exclaimed.

This was the true appearance of the seemingly weak and ignorant 16-year-old 4th Prince Carl.

He deceived everyone, hid, and gathered strength, aiming to drive a dagger into his competitor's back and eventually rise to the top.

The youngest and smallest, but the most precise and ferocious, the greatest beast that grows by hunting and consuming those larger than itself.

The name of the beast is Emperor.

"Azgoth, do you know that the son who is least like you is most like you?" Gilbert smiled, carefully placing the leaves on the desk.

There was joy in his previously boring life.

Gilbert continued to smile as he pondered the implications of Carl's gift.

The 4th prince, often underestimated by his siblings and the court, had shown a keen understanding of strategy and subtlety.

Gilbert's interest in Carl had grown considerably; this young prince had the potential to bring about significant change.

The following morning, Carl found himself in the training grounds, practicing his swordsmanship. The rhythmic clash of metal echoed through the air as he honed his skills. He knew that to earn the respect and loyalty of those around him, he needed to demonstrate his competence not just in strategy but also in combat.

As Carl paused to catch his breath, he noticed Catherine approaching. Her expression was serious, and Carl could sense that she had important news.

"Sir Gilbert accepted your gift," she said without preamble. "He seemed intrigued, even delighted by it. But there's more. He hinted that he might have information regarding your father's plans."

Carl's eyes narrowed. "Father's plans? Did he say anything specific?"

Catherine shook her head. "Not directly, but he mentioned that knowledge, like a fleeting wind, needed constant refreshing. It seemed like a hint that we should meet with him in person to discuss it further."

Carl considered this. Gilbert's willingness to share information was a promising sign, but it also meant that the situation was becoming more complex. He needed to be cautious and strategic in his approach.

"Very well," Carl said. "We'll arrange a meeting with Sir Gilbert. But we must ensure that it's done discreetly. We can't afford to draw unnecessary attention."

Catherine nodded. "I'll make the arrangements. In the meantime, continue your training. You'll need every advantage you can get."

As Catherine left to make the necessary preparations, Carl resumed his training with renewed vigor. He understood that the path to the throne would be fraught with danger and challenges. To succeed, he needed to be both strong and cunning, able to outmaneuver his rivals and secure the loyalty of key allies like Gilbert.

Now it was time for open the book that Carl recieved by Gilbert