The first prince was a victim of not receiving proper attention from his father while growing up. There were some years that he hadn't even seen him face to face. And since his childhood, he only had his mother as someone who gave him moral support.
This, he ended up being too much cared for as she doted on her son endlessly. Which most mothers did when they had to raise a child.
But that excessive love had shaped the first prince into becoming someone who lost his sound of reason when things involved his mother.
And Kahn was going to use this fact to his advantage to cement his proposal with the first prince.
"We need to use this opportunity before the third princess gets her hands on this information as well." spoke Kahn in the voice of an old person.
"How do you Venessa has access to this information?" asked Hector in a suspicious tone.
"She has her spies mixed in the second prince's side." revealed Kahn.
"How do you know that?" asked the first prince again.
"Because we already tracked one of her spies in your group as well." he revealed.
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!" shouted Hector as he couldn't believe one of his own people being a traitor.
Kahn clapped twice and soon, a three meter tall body of Blackwall under the same set of red clothes and hood along with the black mask appeared.
But in his hands, was a chained and gagged figure whose face was hidden under a sack.
Blackwall then pulled off the sack and revealed another fireborne man around the same age as Hector.
"Elmo!..." exclaimed Hector with a shocked expression.
"You should see this, your highness." spoke Kahn and activated a recording artifact.
Soon, the holographic scene of Elmo directly reporting the routine and recent plans of the first prince to Venessa ran in the middle of the hall.
In that recording, Venessa also called him an incapable runt who can't do anything without his mother telling him.
"I trusted you since we were in the royal academy. How can you betray me, you bastard?!" shouted Hector as his eyes were fumed with rage.
"I won't talk, no matter how much you torture me. As for you Hector… even a street thug is a better leader than you." said Elmo whose face was all battered up.
As those words reached his ears… The first prince was completely infuriated.
"What do you want me to do about this rat, your highness?" asked Kahn in an obedient tone.
"Give me your sword." said Hector and looked towards Omega who was kneeling under the disguise.
"Yes, my imperial highness."
Omega said and gave him his sword while bowing respectfully.
The prince cuts off Elmo's head without a second thought in a fit of rage. After finding out that one of his decade-long friends was actually a spy sent by Venessa.
Ronin, who was kneeling behind Kahn then got up and pulled the body in his space ring. Ceril cast off the restoration spell and cleared the site, leaving no trace or single blood splatter.
Dozens of minutes passed and Hector finally calmed himself down.
He was now certain that these people who vehemently kneeled in front of him and even revealed a traitor among his ranks were indeed loyal to him.
But in reality… this Elmo was indeed one of Venessa's people who had infiltrated the side of the first prince since who knew when.
Kahn and the company found out about him through the assassins he sent in the shadows which eventually led them to get their hands on this secret information.
However… they did not have an innocent person killed just for the sake of their plans.
Because just now… the Elmo that the first prince just killed now was only an illusion.
Without even realizing it… the first prince was under the effect of an illusion spell cast by Ceril who was mixed in between the people kneeling on the ground.
The traitor was real and so was the recording. Just that they already informed Elmo about being found out. Saying that they were people who supported the princess.
They also handed him a note that he was to hand over to Venessa.
And since the first prince wasn't going to see Elmo in his life ever again anyway… they used this spell by the necromancer general who was comparable to a saint rank magician himself.
So they put on this grand show in order to make Hector end up trusting them. And not have unnecessary doubts about their origins.
Because a lie was more believable when there was some truth mixed in it.
"We must go, your highness. There are many eyes on you. No one can know that we've made contact with you." said Kahn.
"Wait! Who are the ones backing me? You can at least tell me that much, right?" asked Hector.
"I shouldn't, your highness. This is for your own safety in case any one of us is ever caught.
You shouldn't risk your fate or our great empire's future for foot soldiers like us.
Alas, there's always time for everything. So maybe one day… we will have no reason to hide our faces from you." said Kahn in a worshipping tone.
Hector was suddenly moved by this old person's voice and felt that he indeed had a great burden to carry on his shoulder like so many people believed him.
Kahn then told him about their next move and how they were going to provide him with evidence that he'd need to take out the second prince.
Before he was about to depart… Hector spoke to Kahn.
"You can create a domain. Means you're at least a 5th stage saint.
You're old but still show great respect to me.
I will repay your loyalty one day." said Hector in a magnanimous tone since he was made to feel so special after a very long time.
"When will I see you again?" asked Hector.
Kahn then bowed respectfully and spoke in a zealous tone.
"When you become the Crown Prince."