"That’s right. The imperial palace is in complete chaos right now."

Prince Dorek was the one who answered.

After all, he had only recently survived an assassination attempt ordered by another prince.

Dorek continued calmly,

"Prince Kane believes that he has the support of a great power behind him. More than half of the princes have already fallen victim to his schemes."

"Yet even that isn’t enough for him. He has gone completely mad and continues eliminating ’unnecessary’ princes like me."

"The Imperial City has become the most dangerous place in the world for us."

"Several of my brothers whom I knew personally have already died at his hands."

"That is why Chief Steward Foster and I planned to secretly flee the imperial palace late at night."

"If I continue staying here, who knows when another group of assassins might suddenly break in and kill me?"

So that was what had happened.

After hearing the full explanation, Daniel finally understood the entire sequence of events.

However, he merely sneered inwardly.

"It seems this fellow is even more foolish than I thought."

With that thought, Daniel suddenly changed his tone.

"If you intend to flee, then I will no longer help you."

The expressions of Prince Dorek and Chief Steward Foster changed drastically.

"Why?"

Daniel answered calmly,

"Because if you choose to abandon the imperial palace—the center of power—at this moment, you will inevitably lose any chance of ascending the throne in the future."

"That is why I advise you not to leave."

"You should remain within the Imperial City."

Prince Dorek looked deeply worried.

"But Prince Kane’s influence within the Imperial City is far too great."

"We possess no power to oppose him."

"So what if we lose our opportunity?"

"At the very least, we can survive within the Destiny Star System and preserve a sliver of hope."

Daniel shook his head.

"You are both mistaken."

"What Prince Kane wants most is for all of you to leave the Imperial City immediately."

"Of course, the best solution from his perspective would be to assassinate every one of you. That is why so many princes have recently died within the imperial palace."

"However, if the surviving princes voluntarily flee the Imperial City and return to the territories controlled by their maternal clans, that would serve as his second-best solution."

"Once you return to your maternal faction, you will have no choice but to live quietly and wait."

"Then, one day, you will receive the news that Prince Kane has ascended the throne of the Eternal Empire."

"If you attempt to raise an army against him afterward, you will become rebels in the eyes of the world."

"You will have surrendered the moral and political advantage before the conflict even begins."

Prince Dorek looked troubled.

"But my mother’s faction is not weak."

"Even if we raise an army to resist him, we may not necessarily be at a disadvantage."

"Wrong."

Daniel shook his head and immediately refuted him.

"Your best option is to remain within the imperial palace and closely observe Prince Kane and the other factions."

"At the same time, you must recruit more experts and secretly cultivate a force that belongs entirely to you."

"If the Emperor truly perishes during his advancement, that will be the moment when every prince and faction makes their move to seize the throne."

"What I have described is not merely your best option."

"It is your only path to survival."

"Otherwise, you will never have another opportunity to return to the imperial palace."

"You will only be able to watch helplessly as Prince Kane ascends the throne."

After Daniel’s explanation, realization gradually appeared on the faces of Dorek and Foster.

Neither of them was a fool.

Both were exceptionally shrewd, and they immediately understood his meaning.

As a prince, Dorek’s greatest advantage was his presence within the imperial palace.

Even if he obtained the support of the Fated Human Race, what could he actually do with it?

He could not openly dispatch an army to eliminate the other princes and then attack the imperial throne itself.

That was absolutely impossible.

Setting aside whether the Fated Human Race possessed enough strength, the act of raising an army in rebellion alone would give his enemies all the justification they needed.

If Dorek lost, he would be branded a traitor forever.

Even his descendants would lose any possibility of inheriting an imperial title.

Their original plan—to retreat into the territory of the Fated Human Race and wait for an opportunity—was likewise a dead end.

Once Prince Kane ascended the throne, the princes wandering outside and hiding within their maternal territories would inevitably be purged one after another.

Even if they somehow survived, they would spend the rest of their lives under confinement, never permitted to leave their own territories.

Therefore, if Dorek wished to preserve both his life and freedom, he had only one option.

He had to remain within the imperial palace and compete against the other princes for the throne.

To compete for the throne, he had to stay at the center of power.

And to remain close to the center of power, he had no choice but to stay within the palace.

No matter how they considered the matter, Daniel’s path was indeed the safest and most reasonable.

With that realization, Prince Dorek’s gaze became resolute.

"In that case, we will remain here."

"We will not go anywhere."

Chief Steward Foster nodded as well.

"That’s right. We should remain here and abandon the idea of leaving."

Daniel nodded faintly.

In truth, Prince Dorek’s path had been fixed from the moment he was born.

He could only remain in the Imperial City and walk this seemingly endless road.

He had simply been unwilling to face that truth.

Daniel’s arrival and guidance had torn apart the illusion Dorek had hidden behind for so long.

With every avenue of retreat cut off, Prince Dorek was destined to embark upon the blood-soaked road of political struggle.

"Thank you, Senior Faustus."

"Your words have truly enlightened me."

"To me, you are no different from a second parent who has given me a new life."

Suddenly, Prince Dorek dropped to his knees with a thud.

"If Senior Faustus does not object, I wish to acknowledge you as my teacher and ask you to guide me."

"If I truly have the opportunity to ascend the throne in the future, I will never forget the wisdom and kindness you have shown me today."

Seeing this, Chief Steward Foster hurriedly knelt as well, his face filled with excitement.

"Senior Faustus, your words today have truly saved Prince Dorek’s future."

"You possess both extraordinary wisdom and unrivaled strength."

"Please remain and assist Prince Dorek in ascending the throne."

"With your support, His Highness will undoubtedly gain an overwhelming advantage."

"On the day he truly becomes Emperor, you will be revered by generations to come."

"You will become the Imperial Tutor—second only to the Emperor himself!"

Imperial Tutor?

Daniel blinked upon hearing the title.

That position seemed to perfectly overlap with the objective of his current mission.

Moreover, judging from the reactions of the two men before him, the timing was already right.

If he continued refusing, his behavior might begin to appear suspicious and instead arouse their doubts.

With that thought, Daniel raised his hands and helped the master and servant to their feet.

He deliberately let out a long sigh.

"I have never cared for fame, wealth, or power."

"However, since the two of you possess such sincere and grateful hearts, and Prince Dorek appears to have the potential to accomplish great things..."

"Then, for the sake of the people beneath the heavens, I shall temporarily emerge from seclusion."

"I will help them secure a wise and virtuous Emperor."