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

Chapter 808: The Journey of Four People

”Rafine?” Nolan asked in surprise. ”What’s going on? Why are you here? And...”

He glanced at Eira in her arms. ”Why’d you bring Eira with you?”

”Hello, Master!” Eira said, waving cheerfully with a bright smile.

Nolan: ”...”

Rafine stopped near the door and set Eira down.

The little girl immediately ran over and climbed onto Nolan’s lap.

”I came on His Majesty’s orders,” Rafine said softly. ”He told me to come along as well.”

Nolan and Seira froze in shock.

”You’re coming too?” Nolan asked in disbelief. ”That’s impossible. Why did that old man ask you to come? My sister is already here. There’s no need for you to come, is there?”

Rafine’s gaze sharpened. Seira was also displeased by his words and jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow.

”Watch your mouth, Nolan. That was rude,” she scolded.

Realizing his mistake, Nolan immediately shut his mouth.

Suppressing the sadness in her heart, Rafine explained, ”I don’t know either. A few days ago, Elina and I were vacationing in the capital and were about to go shopping when His Majesty the Emperor summoned me. Then he...”

Nolan and Seira listened carefully to her explanation. After a moment, they finally understood and exchanged glances.

”So, basically, he just wanted to make sure I’d be safe. Is that right?” Nolan asked for confirmation.

”Yes, that’s right.” Rafine nodded.

Nolan fell silent. He hadn’t expected his father to do something like that.

Visiting the Falling Star Academy was a minor matter that didn’t need to be blown out of proportion.

Nolan couldn’t understand why the old man had gone this far, sending Seira and now Rafine to accompany him.

The reason made little sense to him, considering everything he had already accomplished, from negotiating with the Kingdom of Kaldarion to many other achievements.

Still, Nolan realized there was no point in protesting. Ragan had already given his orders to Seira and Rafine. There was no way he would take them back.

”All right, get in. We’ll be leaving soon,” Nolan said.

Fortunately, the horse-drawn carriage he had chosen was spacious enough to accommodate six people, so it wouldn’t feel crowded.

Rafine nodded. Beneath her calm expression, she hid her joy at being part of this journey.

Shortly afterward, the carriage departed, leaving the imperial palace grounds behind.

...

”It’s been a long time, Elina. How have you been, my dear?” Ragan greeted her warmly.

Elina sat down across from him and smiled.

”I’m fine, Father. The matters in Virella Town have been completely settled. I can finally relax now.”

”Good!” Ragan smiled in satisfaction. ”I deliberately gave you Virella Town as your territory because that town had been without a leader for a long time and had remained a wasteland for decades. You’re not angry with me, are you?”

Ragan still remembered the history of Virella Town clearly. A baron’s family of fifteen had been wiped out without warning.

Back then, he had not yet become emperor, so he lacked the authority to conduct a proper investigation.

After ascending the throne, he launched a large-scale investigation and uncovered a horrifying truth.

It turned out that the deaths of the entire family had been orchestrated by his eldest brother, who had also been his final rival in the previous struggle for the throne.

Ragan had long wanted to rebuild Virella Town with Duke Austin’s assistance.

Unfortunately, the plan never got off the ground because of various problems, including the steep terrain, limited supplies, and the large number of bandits roaming the mountains and forests.

In fact, he could have ordered the soldiers to take care of the bandits, fix the roads, and handle the construction work.

But what benefit would that bring to the empire?

None.

Virella was just a small town with a population of fewer than eighty thousand.

Its remote location offered little strategic value to either the eastern territories or the imperial palace.

As a result, the reconstruction plan was never approved as an official project.

Elina smiled. ”No, Father. If anything, I’m grateful to you. Thanks to you, I was able to bring that long-abandoned town back to life.”

Ragan’s expression turned curious. He had heard about Elina’s success in Virella, but he didn’t know the details.

”Tell me. How were you able to rebuild that town?”

Elina nodded and began explaining everything to Ragan.

Ragan listened quietly. Ten minutes later, Elina finished her explanation, and he finally understood the whole story.

”Amazing...” Ragan praised in admiration. ”So, you enlisted the help of the Blue Moon and White Lotus Trading Houses to develop a high-quality timber industry? And you didn’t spend a single coin? Tsk! How did you manage that?”

”I asked for their help during the previous Empire Anniversary celebration, Father. They were interested because the timber from Calvron Forest is of exceptional quality,” Elina replied humbly.

She couldn’t bring herself to admit that she had been confused as well.

According to the books she had read, attracting investors like the Blue Moon and White Lotus Trading Houses was usually a long and rigorous process.

It often required multiple meetings, discussions about the potential benefits and risks, and negotiations over various other matters.

Strangely, after just a single meeting, the leaders of both trading houses immediately approved her proposal. The outcome left her deeply puzzled.

Ragan nodded repeatedly and praised her. ”Amazing! You truly have what it takes to be a leader. I’m glad to see it.”

Elina remained humble, showing not the slightest reaction to his praise.

”By the way, do you know why I asked you to come here?”

Elina shook her head. ”No, Father. Please tell me.”

Ragan took a deep breath and fell silent for a moment before speaking.

”As I told you before, the Holy Empire of Valtanir’s ambitions toward the Eldrath Mountains can no longer be stopped. Sooner or later, they’ll launch an attack from the north. To be honest, I’m not afraid of them. But the empire isn’t in the best condition right now. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”

Elina nodded. She understood her father’s concerns. Because of the battle for the throne, the nobles had become divided.

Some viewed the threat from the north as a serious matter, especially the nobles who lived there.

However, for those in the southern, eastern, and western regions, the situation was hardly a threat. On the contrary, it worked in their favor.

If the northern region were to collapse, the support behind Cedric would collapse with it. Without the backing of Duke Ashvale and the northern nobles, Cedric would undoubtedly suffer a crushing defeat.

”So, how can I help, Father?” Elina asked calmly, though she was secretly trying to suppress her nervousness.

Ragan remained silent for a few seconds before answering.

”Elina, I want you to travel to the Holy Empire of Valtanir and meet the leader of the Church of Light, Saint Helena Avail.”