Secret

As I approached the door leading to the throne room, when it opened, I could see that it was just as I remembered, despite living in the palace, I rarely come here. The bluish tone of the walls, the white pillars with golden details, and the ceiling with a painting from when the empire was proclaimed, depicting my ancestor wielding a sword against an entire army. I could see my father seated on the throne, with some advisers and ministers beside him. After I entered, I noticed that the room had a somewhat somber atmosphere; both my father and his men had less than pleasant expressions.

"Alex? What are you doing here?"

I gave a small bow, following the etiquette.

"My mother said that you wanted to see me."

"Ah, yes. Please leave me alone with my son."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

"Hohoho, young prince, it's been a long time since I've seen you. I see you're growing quite healthy."

I nodded, "Thank you, Minister Lausel."

"No need for formalities."

Minister Lausel is the Minister of Finance of the empire. Initially, I didn't like him because he seemed like the type who would stab others in the back for more power. However, I realized this was only because such characters often betrayed others in anime. He's a man of about 5'3" who must weigh around 140 kg, with a perpetual smile on his face, a classic villain. But Lausel is actually a loyal servant of the empire. My grandfather trusts him, and if my grandfather trusts someone, they are trustworthy.

After everyone waved to me and left, my father said, "Alex, come with me."

"Yes."

My father rose from the throne, and I followed him. He walked towards one of the pillars and stopped in front of it.

Then, he looked at me with a serious expression.

"What I'm about to show you is something you mustn't tell anyone, not even your mother. Do you understand?"

I found it very strange. What could he be showing me that my mother couldn't know?

"Y-Yes, father."

He nodded in agreement and began to channel mana into the pillar.

So much mana. Despite the sheer amount of mana being channeled, it doesn't seem to leak out at all. I think I can sense it only because he's allowing me to. If he weren't, even standing right beside him, I wouldn't realize what he's doing.

Then, after what felt like ten times longer than it actually was, the throne began to levitate, revealing a passage underneath.

"What I'm going to show you is something that your grandfather showed me, and now I'm showing it to you. Understand that this is a secret that only the Emperor or their successor can know. Do you understand?"

"Yes, father."

"Excellent. Now, let's go."