The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne

Chapter 564: Five Kings Surrender

”So, did you manage to suppress Ragan?”

The Singularity of Light glanced at Dariel indifferently.

Dariel did not answer right away. He sat across from him, took a sip of wine, and let out a deep sigh.

With an annoyed expression, he finally said, ”No, I failed.”

The Singularity of Light was taken aback, then his expression darkened.

”How could that be? What happened?”

He had believed Dariel could handle it. Who would have thought he would fail to resolve something that should have been simple?

Under that intense gaze, Dariel gave a wry smile and explained, ”Ragan threatened to start a war. Even when I said I would support them, he remained adamant and showed no fear at all.”

”Is that all? How did you respond?” The Singularity of Light looked disappointed.

”It’s not that simple, Father.” Dariel straightened his posture, his expression turning serious. ”That man didn’t just threaten war—he also invoked the name of the Singularity of Chaos.”

At those words, the Singularity of Light froze. His mouth opened and closed as if he wanted to speak, yet no sound came out.

A moment later, he clenched his right fist and slammed it down on the table.

Bang!

The table exploded into pieces, startling Dariel. Fortunately, he was already holding his wine glass; otherwise, it would have shattered as well.

”He dared to invoke the name of the Singularity of Chaos? Since when did he grow bold enough to do that?” His voice was cold and sharp.

It was unthinkable that Ragan would be bold enough to use the name of the Singularity of Chaos as a shield. That was no different from courting death.

”I don’t understand either, Father. Everything happened so suddenly, as if the man standing before me wasn’t Ragan at all.” Dariel let out a deep sigh.

In his mind, Ragan was a man of pride. It should have been impossible for him to hide behind someone else.

But what happened earlier shattered that image. It seemed Ragan was capable of stooping that low.

The Singularity of Light fell silent for a moment before regaining his composure.

”I understand. With your explanation, I can see your position clearly,” he said in a heavy voice. ”Do not take any action for now. Withdraw from the affairs of the five kingdoms. We must not offend Ragan and the Great Velmora Empire—at least, not yet. The other Singularities are already watching me due to suspicions of my previous direct involvement with the Demon Emperor Zerathos.”

He had handled everything cleanly. Yet the masked man still saw through him. As a result, the Singularity of Flame came yesterday to convey those suspicions.

Fortunately, he managed to deflect them. Even so, he understood that the matter would not end there.

The Singularities would undoubtedly watch him more closely, which would clearly restrict his movements—both now and in the future.

Dariel looked both annoyed and disappointed. He had waited a long time for an opportunity like this—to pressure Ragan and his empire.

But now, everything had fallen apart. Even so, he understood that withdrawing from this matter was the best choice for now.

Otherwise, his empire would bear the greatest risk.

”I understand. I will inform them to surrender to Ragan and withdraw their demands.”

The Singularity of Light said nothing and simply gave a slight nod.

...

Three days passed quickly. During that time, the city of Holivar was cloaked in tension.

Many citizens were too afraid to leave their homes. All of it stemmed from rumors that war was imminent.

The exact cause remained unclear, but many speculated that a dispute had broken out between Emperor Ragan and Holy Emperor Dariel during their meeting.

Just as the tension reached its peak, shocking news spread throughout the city.

”The five kings have decided to withdraw their demands. They are willing to make peace with the Great Velmora Empire and accept all of Ragan’s conditions.”

Upon hearing the announcement, the people were stunned, unable to believe it.

Only yesterday, the signs of war had been unmistakable. Yet suddenly, the five kings chose peace.

And with that decision, the heavy tension that gripped the city finally eased.

After all, no one wanted to be dragged into a war that would claim countless lives.

”Have you heard the news?”

”Yeah, I heard. It’s a good outcome. I really didn’t want to get dragged into that nonsense.”

”You’re right. I’m relieved. If war had broken out, my family would’ve had no choice but to move to another continent.”

Conversations like that could be heard all over Holivar. Many citizens were grateful for the decision.

As a result, those who had been too afraid to step outside finally left their homes—some just to breathe fresh air, others to return to work.

***

”Hahaha! My plan worked! They surrendered, just as I expected!”

Ragan could no longer hold back his laughter. The moment he declared that anyone who opposed him would become his enemy, he knew he had already won.

All that remained was to wait for the outcome. And as expected, they gave in.

Orion and Cassiopeia exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of helplessness and admiration.

”All right, Orion, Cassiopeia. Let’s go meet them,” Ragan said as he rose to his feet.

The two nodded. The three of them left the room and headed toward the previous meeting hall.

Inside, Dariel stood with the five kings. Their faces were gloomy, as if they had swallowed something bitter.

Ragan walked in calmly, though the faint smile on his lips was hard to conceal.

”I’m glad you made the right decision,” he said evenly.

Darius let out a quiet sigh. ”Thank you, Emperor Ragan. And please forgive my earlier behavior. I hope I did not offend you.”

Seeing Darius apologize, the others quickly followed. Ragan was not a vengeful man—at least, not for now.

How could he fail to understand the way they thought?

Because Dariel had surrendered, they followed suit. But if Dariel had refused, the outcome would have been obvious—they would have sided with him and attacked him and his empire.

So Ragan etched this resentment deep into his heart.

When the time came, he would unleash a devastating blow upon the five kingdoms.

For now, he only needed to wait for Dariel and the imperial family to fall. Only then would he be able to move with greater confidence.

Dariel felt a sharp sting in his chest as he watched them humble themselves before Ragan. But he understood this was the best choice.

”I’m leaving,” he said coldly.

Without another word, he turned and walked away, his two guards following close behind.

Ragan almost laughed, but he held himself back. There was no need to humiliate his brother-in-law further.

After exchanging a few more words with the five kings, he finally took his leave.

He had no desire to keep up appearances before them. Besides, he had already decided how he would repay their actions.

As they watched him walk away, the five kings exchanged uneasy glances.

”What will you do, Darius?” Theron asked.

Darius shook his head. ”I don’t know. But one thing is certain—our relationship with the Great Velmora Empire is broken. For now, the most important thing is to strengthen the borders of our kingdoms. No one knows if the Great Velmora Empire will launch an attack sooner or later.”

His intuition told him that their conflict with Ragan would not end here.

So he had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Theron listened in silence, then gave a firm nod.

”You’re right.”