"What in the world is going on here?! How could the Crown Prince return in this condition when you, Cross, were with him?!"

The Crown Prince, Eustaph, Harun, and the rest of the investigation team stood before the emperor.

Their achievements were nothing short of miraculous. The disaster that had nearly engulfed the imperial capital was thwarted before it could even begin, and their efforts could easily be described as the work of heroes.

But the emperor cared less about the grand deeds they had accomplished. All he could see was the missing right arm of the Crown Prince.

Though he had not always been warm, if there was one child among his sons who weighed most heavily on his heart, it was his firstborn, Alex. As the first son he had with his beloved first Empress, and the heir to the Empire, Alex had always held deep significance for the emperor.

And now, to see that son return maimed, missing an arm, left the emperor overwhelmed by his emotions.

"Kill me! I deserve death for failing to protect the Crown Prince!"

The Crown Prince’s personal guards were already lying prostrate on the floor of the throne room, too ashamed to raise their heads.

The very reason for their existence was to ensure the safety of the royal family, and they had failed. No excuse could justify their failure.

"Your Majesty—no, Father, please do not blame them."

"What? Are you really saying that after returning in this state?!"

"I willingly put myself in danger. These men did everything they could to protect me."

At a time when no one else dared to speak, the one-armed Crown Prince stepped forward and addressed the emperor.

"It's not about their effort! It's about the result! These men failed in their duty!!!"

"Of course, the result matters, but the safety of the Empire is more important than my arm. If losing an arm is the cost, then it's a price worth paying."

The emperor stared at his son in disbelief.

Was this the same child who, burdened by the weight of responsibility, had once struggled to even meet his gaze? Now, not only was the Crown Prince meeting his eyes, but he was also arguing back.

Despite his anger, the emperor couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride.

In fact, the emperor had secretly hoped that, should the investigation fail, he would use it as an opportunity to remove Alex from his position as Crown Prince. He had thought that such a shock might push his eldest son toward some needed change.

But Alex had already changed. In the brief time of the investigation, he had matured, like a caterpillar shedding its skin to become a butterfly.

As a father, the emperor was proud, though he couldn’t let it show.

‘Why, of all things, did it have to be your arm…?’

The investigation team had indeed accomplished something extraordinary. They had uprooted the remnants of the dark wizards on the continent and prevented a large-scale catastrophe.

Had there been significant casualties, it might have been a different story, but aside from a few injuries, there were no deaths. It was a near-perfect outcome.

The Crown Prince had played a pivotal role, and this could have been the perfect chance to solidify his position and restore his damaged reputation.

But now, all of that seemed to be slipping away, as the emperor’s rage grew.

The emperor must be a sacred figure, someone for the people of the Empire to look up to and respect.

A physical imperfection, such as a disfigured face or a missing limb, could be seen as a fatal flaw. The royal family was supposed to be perfect in every way.

The emperor knew that Alex’s injury would give the nobles—especially those allied with the Marquis Therion, who had long been eyeing the Crown Prince's position—a reason to stir up opposition.

"Everyone, leave us."

"Your Majesty, please—at least say something to honor those who risked their lives for this mission," the Crown Prince pleaded.

The emperor, realizing he had let his emotions get the better of him, took a deep breath. The Crown Prince was right. Regardless of his injury, the investigation team had performed heroically, and they deserved to be recognized.

"I apologize. In my anger, I forgot to properly commend the heroes before me. You are right; such achievements deserve to be celebrated with great honor."

"It’s nothing, Your Majesty. We were simply doing our duty," Eustaph, the leader of the investigation team, responded respectfully.

"False modesty can be harmful, Lord Eustaph. You, Lord Harun, and the Crown Prince will be recognized as the highest honorees of this mission. The others who participated will be rewarded according to their contributions. Before you leave, speak with my chief steward, Count Julius, and arrange for the rewards to be distributed."

Your Majesty’s grace is boundless!

The emperor, still massaging his temples, continued to ponder how to protect the Crown Prince’s position. Meanwhile, Alex and the others left the throne room.

"Lord Eustaph, before you speak with Count Julius, there’s someone who must be included among the honorees," the Crown Prince said urgently.

"Who might you be referring to…?"

"I mean Rupert Somerset. He deserves to be recognized for his contributions."

"Of course. Without Rupert, we wouldn’t have uncovered the dark wizards’ plot. He certainly deserves to be honored."

"I’m glad you agree."

With confirmation that Rupert would be included, the Crown Prince allowed himself a satisfied smile.

Watching the exchange, Eustaph thought to himself:

Your Highness, I don’t know how much longer an old man like me will be able to serve, but I believe you are the one who should be emperor.

Though Eustaph had never been interested in power or politics, even resigning from his position as the master of the mage tower to live a semi-retired life, working alongside the Crown Prince had changed his mind.

Alex wasn’t someone suited to standing above everyone else, but he was someone who would stand beside them. And that was what the Empire needed.

"Have you finished the storyboard for volume 6?"

A middle-aged man interrupted Rupert as he worked.

"Wait, you’ve already completed volume 5?!"

"Yes, it was easy enough to finish after Rupert provided the rough sketches. This much is no problem."

Rupert looked at the man in disbelief.

Having worked as an assistant to other webtoon artists himself, Rupert knew that the work was anything but easy. Yet Saint Salieri, the Imperial Court Painter and former professor at the Academy’s Art Department, was saying it like it was nothing.

"Are you sure you're okay working here in our workshop?"

"I’ve learned something as I’ve grown older: there’s nothing more foolish than giving up opportunities to learn and experience new things because of pride or status."

Saint responded calmly to Rupert’s question.

About a month ago, shortly after a series of prestigious visitors had come to the Somerset estate, Saint Salieri had unexpectedly shown up at Rupert’s doorstep.

"Lord Rupert, please teach me about manga."

The difference in their statuses couldn’t have been clearer. While Rupert was an up-and-coming star, Saint Salieri was an established master. Rupert had tried to refuse, thinking it was absurd.

But Saint had persisted, undeterred by Rupert’s reluctance, and eventually began working in Rupert’s workshop.

"I regretted it after reading your manga, Lord Rupert. I wondered why I had never thought to tell stories through pictures."

"Well, that’s…"

To Rupert, it seemed obvious. While illustrated books existed, picture-dominant stories like manga had a relatively short history, even on Earth.

"That’s why I want to learn from you. Don’t hesitate to give me as much work as you need."

Saint wasn’t just speaking in empty words; he was currently smiling as he completed the finishing touches on the storyboards Rupert had sketched out.

Thanks to Saint’s assistance, the pace of production had increased drastically. And with Sena’s help, things had become even faster.

Sena, in particular, had grown rapidly, much to the surprise of both Rupert and Saint.

Lord Rupert, I can do it! Please don’t make me stop…

Perhaps she had felt uneasy after Saint appeared, seeing him as a strong competitor. Rupert had tried to stop her from overworking, but she had insisted on continuing, to the point where he could barely convince her to take a break.

Her determination had paid off, though. Sena’s skills had improved dramatically, and she had become a reliable assistant.

Originally, Rupert had only planned to release volume 5, but with Sena and Saint’s help, he was now able to schedule the release of volume 6 without overextending himself.

In truth, the entire story had already been roughly outlined in his mind, so creating the storyboards had been the easy part. It was the rest of the work that had slowed him down. Now that the extra load had been taken off his shoulders, the pace of publication had picked up significantly.

And then—

"This should be sturdy enough, even for rigorous movement."

Kroon proudly presented the final version of the new golem arm to Rupert, who sighed with relief.

"Thank goodness. I was worried we wouldn’t meet the deadline, but as expected, your craftsmanship is outstanding, Kroon."

"Hmph. Didn’t I tell you? This much is only natural for me."

Despite his grumbling, Kroon’s face couldn’t hide his pride. His lips twitched into a small smile as he gazed at the new arm, which was a marvel of engineering.

The new golem arm was far more compact than previous versions, slim enough to be hidden beneath clothing so it could pass as a regular arm.

The joints, especially the fingers, moved smoothly, thanks to the rare materials Kroon had used to ensure flexibility.

Not only that, but while previous prototypes had been prone to breakdowns due to the sheer number of parts, this new model was simplified, making it easier for the user to maintain themselves.

"The most important breakthrough was solving the nerve connection issue," Kroon added, his voice tinged with emotion as he recalled the hardships he had faced.

Connecting nerves to a golem arm had been a problem beyond technology’s reach, but when Eustaph, the Empire’s greatest mage, had stopped by with news of a solution, it had been a game-changer.

Of course, the tight deadline had made things difficult, but in the end, it had all worked out.

After the release of volumes 5 and 6, I’ll have to return to the palace.

The sudden royal summons had taken Rupert by surprise.

For most people, it would have been the opportunity of a lifetime, but for Rupert, it was a source of stress.

Not only that, but this time, he would be meeting the emperor himself.

Normally, Rupert would be praying for nothing significant to happen, but now he had given up on that hope.

No matter how much he prayed, he had a strong feeling that something was bound to go wrong.