Blatant Gaze Of Restraint

The royal palace was abuzz with activity.

The party held in the Hall of Waves was essentially a parade of nobles, all gathered just to see Prince Ian.

Of course, it wasn’t only Prince Ian; the officers who had sailed with him were also present. They were the protagonists of the day. After all, they had hunted a kraken. And since they had even brought back part of its corpse, all eyes were naturally on them.

Even the nobles who supported the other princes couldn’t contain their curiosity and surrounded Prince Ian to hear the story.

Everyone leaned in to listen as Prince Ian gave his answers.

“Was the kraken really bigger than a battleship?”

“Of course. In person, it looked even larger. I believe you’ll understand better once the footage is released in theaters.”

“Ooh, I can’t wait for that.”

“I’ll go see it as soon as it’s out.”

“I heard a rumor that you were the first to discover the Doicheun Empire’s battleship that was attacked by the kraken?”

“That’s right. A warship suddenly rose from the sea, and at first, I thought it was some massive submarine. But it turned out to be a ship that had been seized and escaped the kraken.”

“My goodness, to think it dragged a whole battleship underwater… it really must have been enormous.”

Men and women alike were fixated on Ian’s words.

There hadn’t been anything this captivating in recent memory.

A kraken, the stuff of myth, had appeared and attacked—sinking warships from the Doicheun Empire and other kingdoms.

And they had hunted such a creature—what story could be more thrilling than that?

“I heard it was Prince Alexei of the Noma Empire who organized the multinational fleet. Did you get a chance to speak with him?”

“That’s correct. We often shared drinks and built a strong rapport.”

“Is that so?”

Sharing drinks with an imperial prince and forming a bond—any noble would envy that.

Even if it was the northern empire, a connection with an imperial prince was still highly desirable.

Just then, as everyone admired Prince Ian, a voice interrupted with a sharp undertone.

“I heard that your battleship didn’t sustain any damage. While warships from other empires were severely damaged, only Prince Ian’s vessel remained unscathed.”

Ian turned to see a sharp-eyed man—an aide to the Third Prince.

The way he spoke made it clear he was trying to undermine Ian’s achievements.

‘He’s really trying hard. Is he that desperate to diminish my reputation? But what can he do when the evidence is so overwhelming?’

“You’re mistaken. We were attacked as well. Like the cruisers that were flipped over and the battleships in the rear that were rendered immobile, we also endured a direct physical assault.”

“You mean, you were actually hit?”

“To think something like that happened… It’s a great relief you’re safe.”

Prince Ian nodded in response to the nearby nobles’ words, then turned to face the Third Prince’s aide directly.

“Even amidst those hardships, we did our part and helped take down the kraken. Rather than criticizing, shouldn’t we be proud that our kingdom’s ship was the only one left intact among all the others?”

“Indeed!”

“That’s right. The fact that our ship remained operational while others were damaged shows just how skilled Prince Ian’s command was. Wouldn’t you all agree?”

“Absolutely.”

“He fought in the war against the Doicheun Empire and now even brought down a kraken—who could question his leadership? Ha-ha!”

One after another, they voiced support for Ian.

He could feel that his circle of allies was growing.

Even though he already had a hidden faction supporting him, having people openly take his side like this was a great advantage.

Meanwhile, the one who tried to belittle him coughed awkwardly and quietly slipped away.

Seeing this, Ian became convinced that more princes would start to view him as a real rival.

Unlike before, they now clearly saw him as a competitor.

‘Which means they’ll resort to even more blatant attempts to hold me back.’

Thankfully, the king was still alive—for now.

Though rumors said he was growing weaker by the year, he was still breathing.

As long as nothing happened before Ian returned, it would be fine.

But the succession war was clearly intensifying.

‘They must all be plotting to become the next king.’

Thinking about that made Ian’s own presence feel like an unexpected lightning strike.

Though he was low in the line of succession, his popularity now rivaled even the king’s.

He had always been well-liked, but after slaying a mythical kraken, his fame had soared.

‘They wouldn’t go so far as to tamper with the theater footage, would they?’

The kraken video was drawing explosive interest.

Tampering with it would be extremely risky.

But that also meant the danger to Ian could increase.

They might take the risk anyway.

If they did, Ian’s popularity could fade.

He didn’t want that.

So he was already planning a countermeasure.

‘I could just prevent them from doing it. I just have to make good use of what I have.’

If other princes tried to manipulate the footage through their people, then Ian would simply use his mental manipulation to target those involved with the production and make them shine the spotlight on him instead.

Still, that wasn’t his most pressing concern.

What worried him more was the possibility of being sent away again by someone else’s plot.

‘If I get sent out again, it’ll be seriously problematic.’

The king could die at any moment now.

If Ian got sent away on a long-term mission again, he might hear the news too late—or not at all.

Just like the Abyssal Sea last time, where no word reached him, he could return completely unaware of what happened.

‘That would make things even harder.’

Just then, he saw the crowd parting.

And through the opening stepped the First Prince.

Vincent di Polia—Ian’s eldest brother, known for his benevolent appearance.

Though behind that exterior, he had a notoriously fiery temper.

“You’ve come, Brother Vincent.”

“Ah, my dear brother. I heard you went through quite the ordeal.”

“Thanks to your concern, I was able to complete the mission safely.”

“Well done. You’ve brought great honor to our kingdom. I couldn’t be prouder.”

‘Proud? The look in your eyes says you’re seething inside.’

“Thank you.”

“Ha-ha-ha! Everyone, let us applaud the incredible feat my dear brother has accomplished!”

He patted Ian’s shoulder and turned to the nobles, prompting a round of applause.

Ian couldn’t help but feel he was putting on quite the act— trying to appear magnanimous while actually using Ian’s presence to amplify his own.

As the applause died down, Vincent’s eyes met Ian’s with a cryptic intensity.

It gave Ian the feeling that something was being schemed.

“A brother who’s achieved such greatness—what a pity it is.”

“Pity? What do you mean by that?”

“Well, isn’t it obvious? You’re now twenty years old, and yet you still have no betrothed.”

At that moment, Ian thought: What was this nonsense?

To bring up his engagement at a party like this—

Could it be that Vincent wanted to pair Ian off with a noblewoman from his own faction?

Ian had neither the intention nor the interest.

“Thank you for your concern, but I don’t have the mental space to consider a fiancée right now.”

“Even so, at your age, not having a betrothed is quite the flaw. Don’t you think it’s time you got married? Shall I arrange something for you?”

Ian found the persistence exasperating.

Did he really think he could choose Ian’s fiancée for him?

It was precisely this kind of behavior that had made Ian change his mindset.

He could no longer tolerate being forced into anything.

Sigh, there was no other choice.

To escape the situation, Ian knew he had to create a diversion.

He scanned the crowd behind the First Prince and noticed a few individuals watching with great interest.

Ian picked one and began a mental manipulation.

‘Sorry, but I need you to create a bit of a scene.’

Bzzzt—

He activated his mental manipulation.

The moment he did, the man who had been watching with eager eyes began to tremble violently.

Ian had triggered a fake fit, ensuring it wouldn’t actually harm the man.

Someone next to him said, “What’s wrong with you?”

And then, the man collapsed completely, shaking uncontrollably.

People around him finally took notice and started reacting with alarm.

Naturally, even the First Prince turned his attention to the fallen man.

“A seizure?!”

“Someone help!”

“Man, what’s going on all of a sudden?!”

The man’s friends were in a panic, calling for assistance.

Ian deliberately stepped forward and approached the collapsed figure.

“Someone please help hold him!”

“A-alright!”

Several people grabbed the man’s arms and legs to prevent further spasms.

Ian loosened the top button of the man’s collar to help him breathe, appearing to administer first aid.

Of course, there was nothing actually wrong—the spasms were artificially induced by Ian’s ability.

This kind of thing could be handy, too.

He was relieved to have dodged such a difficult question.

Of course, the topic of marriage might come up again later.

But for now, he had escaped.

He gently massaged the man’s shoulders and arms to help ease the situation, then gradually let the fit subside.

“Ugh…?”

As soon as the mental manipulation was lifted, the man looked utterly confused.

He had no idea why he was lying on the floor or why Prince Ian and everyone else were staring at him.

Ian smiled and said,

“You had a seizure. Thankfully, you seem okay now.”

“A… seizure? Me?”

“Yes. You suddenly collapsed and started seizing. Prince Ian here stepped in and helped you,” said a man who seemed to be his friend.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the bewildered noble quickly tried to sit up.

But Ian gently stopped him and helped him rise more slowly.

The noble, now upright, spoke with deep emotion.

“Th-thank you for helping me.”

“In an emergency, helping each other is only natural.”

“Truly… thank you so much.”

The man’s tearful gratitude left Ian feeling a bit guilty, prompting an awkward smile.

Receiving such heartfelt thanks felt strangely uncomfortable.

Soon after, applause rang out once more— louder than before.

Just as Ian was preparing to accept it with an embarrassed heart, First Prince Vincent noticed the reaction of the crowd, and his expression hardened.

He had to admit this was becoming a serious threat.

The younger brother he had once dismissed was now a formidable rival in the succession battle.

This was not good…

Public fascination with the kraken didn’t die down.

People remained in the capital just for the chance to glimpse its corpse.

Of course, they couldn’t see it right away.

It still needed to be preserved and secured in a proper facility.

Still, photos of the kraken had already made their way into the newspapers.

Black-and-white images of the monster were published, showing only the creature itself.

Many were shocked by its enormous size.

The kraken was even larger than the stories had suggested.

One striking image showed what looked like a cruiser resting atop the creature’s head.

Naturally, the papers sold out in droves.

Amidst all this, a rare and rapid theater screening of the kraken footage began.

Public interest was so intense that it had to be released early.

“February 20th, at last—the kraken video premieres!”

“Every theater in Pullea sold out within a day?!”

“The massive crowds lining up in front of theaters for the kraken film are unforgettable.”

“Scalper ticket prices for the kraken footage near 1,000 Grang?!”

“Prince Ian’s heroic feats in the footage—utterly unforgettable!”

“Members of the world’s first multinational fleet? Their summit meeting is striking to witness.”

“Flaming cannons and the kraken falling! Modern weaponry triumphs over ancient monsters!”

“Prince Alexei of the Noma Empire and Prince Ian laughing together—their close bond is unmistakable.”

The kraken video was an overwhelming success from the moment it premiered.

Prince Ian’s popularity soared even higher.

Meanwhile, the other princes were growing uneasy.

They had tried to tamper with the footage, but it had aired unaltered, leaving them in a state of confusion.