The morning sun bathed the Imperial Palace in gold.
Servants hurried through polished marble corridors.
Royal knights changed shifts.
Ministers prepared for another day of endless meetings.
Yet one topic dominated every conversation.
The Tenth Prince had returned.
Inside the Imperial Archive...
Kael closed the ancient succession book.
His mind raced.
"So this is how the empire works..."
No prince inherited anything.
No one was handed the throne.
The Empire didn't believe in birthrights.
It believed in results.
Each prince was expected to build something worthy of ruling an empire.
An army.
A territory.
An economy.
A reputation.
Only then could they compete.
The Emperor slowly returned the book to its shelf.
"You understand now."
"I do."
"You are seventeen."
"You have reached adulthood."
The emperor turned toward him.
"That means you may establish your house."
Kael smiled.
"I was planning to."
The emperor walked toward one of the enormous windows overlooking the capital.
For several moments...
Neither father nor son spoke.
Finally...
"You have nothing."
Kael laughed.
"You're not wrong."
"No soldiers."
"No land."
"No treasury."
"No noble supporters."
"No political influence."
Every word was true.
Most princes started preparing their houses at thirteen.
By seventeen...
Many commanded thousands of soldiers.
Entire noble families supported them.
Kael...
Owned the clothes on his back.
Nothing else.
Yet...
He didn't seem worried.
That interested the Emperor.
"Most men would despair."
Kael shrugged.
"I've had less."
Aurelius slowly turned.
"You truly changed."
Kael smiled.
"I had good teachers."
"Who?"
Kael looked toward the distant mountains beyond the capital.
"The world."
Far across the palace...
The other princes gathered inside the War Chamber.
A massive map covered the center of the room.
Colored banners marked each house.
House Cassian.
House Lucien.
House Roland.
House Leon.
House Victor.
Every prince already possessed territory.
Military forces.
Resources.
Only one place remained empty.
The Tenth Prince.
Prince Roland laughed.
"I almost feel sorry for him."
The Seventh Prince smirked.
"Our father might give him one of the abandoned estates."
Another prince chuckled.
"The old Blackwood Manor?"
"The haunted one?"
Everyone laughed.
Except...
Prince Lucien.
He quietly studied the space on the map.
"He's smiling too much..."
"Why?"
Back inside the Archive...
The Emperor reached beneath his cloak.
He placed a bronze key onto the table.
Clink.
Kael looked down.
An old key.
Decorated with a dragon.
"What is this?"
"Your inheritance."
Kael blinked.
"I thought you said I inherited nothing."
"You don't."
The emperor nodded toward the key.
"You've earned an opportunity."
An hour later...
A royal carriage rolled through the streets of the capital.
Beside Kael sat the Grand Chamberlain.
The old man smiled warmly.
"It truly is good to have you back."
"It's good to be back."
The carriage continued west.
Farther...
Farther...
Eventually...
The magnificent buildings disappeared.
The noble district ended.
The roads became quieter.
Grass began growing between cracked stones.
Kael looked outside.
"We're leaving the capital?"
"Almost."
The carriage finally stopped before enormous iron gates.
Rust covered every inch.
Weeds climbed the walls.
Half the statues had collapsed.
Beyond them stood an ancient manor.
It had once been magnificent.
Now...
Nature was slowly reclaiming it.
The Chamberlain sighed.
"This..."
"It is Blackwood Manor."
Kael stepped out.
The wind carried the scent of old trees.
Birds nested inside broken towers.
The gardens had become forests.
The fountains had long dried.
The manor looked abandoned for decades.
"It's beautiful."
The Chamberlain blinked.
"...Beautiful?"
Kael smiled.
"It has potential."
The old man stared.
Every prince before Kael had refused this estate.
It was too far from court.
Too expensive to repair.
Too damaged.
Too forgotten.
Everyone called it...
The Worthless House.
Yet...
The young prince walked through the gates as if he'd found treasure.
Inside his mind...
The familiar blue window appeared.
"Imperial System"
Scanning...
...
...
Territory Identified
Name:
Blackwood Manor
Current Status:
Destroyed
Population:
3
Military:
0
Economy:
0
Infrastructure:
2%
Defense:
0%
Public Loyalty:
Unknown
Potential Rating:
★★★★★
Kael stopped walking.
His eyes widened slightly.
Five stars?
For this place?
"System..."
"Explain."
"Answer"
Every great empire begins with forgotten land.
Potential exceeds appearance.
Kael chuckled.
"I like that."
The massive front doors groaned open.
An elderly butler slowly stepped outside.
His silver hair reached his shoulders.
One eye was covered by an old scar.
Behind him stood...
A young maid.
Perhaps sixteen years old.
And beside her...
An elderly gardener holding a wooden shovel.
The three of them bowed.
"We welcome His Highness..."
"...to Blackwood Manor."
The butler looked ashamed.
"I'm afraid..."
"This is all that remains."
Kael looked around.
Only three people.
No knights.
No servants.
No soldiers.
No treasury.
Nothing.
Most princes would've exploded in anger.
Instead...
Kael smiled.
"No."
The three looked up.
"This isn't all that remains."
He spread his arms toward the enormous estate.
"This..."
"This is where we'll build something history has never seen."
The maid exchanged confused glances with the gardener.
The butler lowered his eyes.
"He's either a genius..."
"Or completely insane."
The system chimed again.
"Main Quest Updated: Build House Kael
Current Progress
✔ Return to the Empire
✔ Gain Imperial Recognition
✔ Acquire Territory
☐ Recruit First Knight
☐ Recruit First Mage
☐ Recruit First Merchant
☐ Recruit First Engineer
☐ Reach 100 Citizens
Reward:
House Management Interface
Then...
A second notification appeared.
One Kael had never seen before.
"Hidden Quest Discovered": The Forgotten Manor
Objective:
Restore Blackwood Manor to its former glory.
Difficulty:
SSS
Reward:
???
Failure:
None
Hint:
"Not everything abandoned is worthless."
Kael smiled.
"Looks like our real journey begins today."
Far away...
From the balcony of the Imperial Palace...
The emperor watched the distant western hills.
One of his generals approached.
"Your Majesty..."
"Do you truly believe the Tenth Prince can compete?"
Aurelius never took his eyes off the horizon.
"I did not give him Blackwood Manor because it was worthless."
The general frowned.
"Then why?"
The Emperor's expression remained unreadable.
"Because..."
"It was mine."
The general froze.
"...What?"
Aurelius slowly turned away.
"Fifty years ago..."
"I built my own house there."
The old manor...
The forgotten estate...
The place every prince laughed at...
Was the birthplace of the current emperor's rise.
And now...
It belonged to Kael.