The Counterattack Plan of A Villain With Ten Thousand Fans - Chapter 61 (Patreon)

Chapter 61

Three hours later, the changing guards pointed to the darkest corner of the dungeon and asked quietly, "How is the Third Prince doing?"

"Just checked on him. He's sitting quietly in the corner, no issues," replied the towering guard.

The guard opened a small window and peeked in. He saw Ling Chunann sitting with his head bowed against the wall in the corner. After closing the window, he nodded and said, "You can go rest now."

Everything was normal in the dungeon. During this time, the Second Prince came by once, mocking Ling Chunann, but finding no reaction from him, he left somewhat disappointed.

The next day, the eldest prince hurried back early, appearing at the king's funeral with the grieving queen. He looked around but didn't see Ling Chunann. "Mother, where is the Third Brother?"

"He... he's been imprisoned by Del," the queen replied sorrowfully.

"Why?"

"We were already under his control at that time. I'm not quite sure what exactly happened in the end," the queen wiped her tears. "I never expected Del to do such a thing."

Meanwhile, Princess Karalana, who wanted to rush into the dungeon to rescue Ling Chunann upon hearing of his imprisonment, was now confined to her own room.

"Karalana, don't blame your brother for being heartless. Since you don't like Rod, I've chosen another husband for you. Your dowry is ready. Once I ascend to the throne, you can depart," the Second Prince expressed some concern for his sister. After all, she was the biggest contributor to his smooth acquisition of the succession decree this time. He managed to secure support from neighboring countries because the prince of one of them took a liking to Karalana.

"Get lost!" Karalana was taken aback by her brother's shamelessness. She was enraged, overturning the tea cups and pots on the table. She had heard about the neighboring prince being a ruffian, and he was twice her age to boot.

No way, she couldn't marry him.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door again. Furious, Karalana shouted, "Go away! I won't marry him!"

"Karalana, it's Rod. I've come to rescue you," Rod's voice came from outside the door. Then the door clicked open and shut.

Rod? Karalana was puzzled. Since the incident when she was confined by Rod and the eldest prince found out, he reluctantly released her, and they had no further communication. Why would he think of rescuing her now?

Recalling their past experiences, Karalana was wary. "What are you here for?"

"I just rushed back from the border. Heard you've been imprisoned by the Second Prince, so I came to rescue you," Rod's voice was sincere. "Karalana, I love you. Even if you don't love me and don't want to marry me, you deserve better. You shouldn't be forced to marry an old and ugly man."

Despite being touched, Karalana still didn't fully trust Rod. "I'm waiting for my brother to rescue me." And General Kurus, she blushed at the thought of that man.

"The Third Prince is imprisoned in the dungeon. You should know this. And the eldest prince just returned. He's at the king's funeral. Besides, the entire palace is under the control of the Second Prince's faction. The eldest prince is powerless. Even General Kurus, who commands a third of the army, has most of his forces stationed at the border. He's powerless when it comes to palace matters," Rod persuaded again. "I sneaked in quietly. Karalana, come with me."

Karalana was visibly tempted. Rod was right. She was hoping for her brother's rescue, and the eldest prince seemed incapable. Moreover, Rod was someone she had once loved and had been quite chivalrous before that incident.

Seeing Karalana hesitate, Rod breathed a sigh of relief and continued persuading, "It's getting late. I sneaked in during the guard change. If they come later, we won't be able to leave."

Karalana glanced at the sky outside the door and finally agreed to leave with Rod.

Karalana was a bit too naive.

"Host, Princess Karalana has been taken away by the male lead," 098, who had been monitoring the palace's situation for Ling Chunann, reported, "Do you want to save her?"

"She's fine," Ling Chunann lay on a wicker chair. "The male lead won't do anything to her for now."

At this point, 098 couldn't contain its curiosity any longer. "Host, how did you do it? How could the person in the dungeon seem so real? How could he move?!"

"Ah?" Ling Chunann kindly explained, "That's a Dragon Language magic. I call it Mirror Art. Even if someone touches him, no one can tell he's not me."

"Dragon Language magic?" 098 was astonished. "I don't think I've seen you learn Dragon Language magic."

"Oh, that's probably my innate talent," Ling Chunann replied casually.

...

The day of the Second Prince's ascension finally arrived.

The residents of the capital gathered in the streets. The grief over the late king had dissipated over the past few days, replaced by excitement for the new emperor. Everyone wore smiles, eagerly awaiting the coronation of the empire's new ruler.

"It seems the former king didn't quite please the people," remarked Ling Chunann amidst the crowd.

"Darling, are you sad?" The giant dragon held Ling Chunann's hand.

"No," Ling Chunann shook his head, his expression calm.

The dragon seemed to think he was putting on a brave face, so he affectionately kissed his cheek. Seeing Ling Chunann's glare, he smiled sheepishly back at him.

"Host, it seems the male lead intends to use the little princess to ascend to the throne, planning to confront the Second Prince openly and seize the king's position," 098 reported, "He has received assistance from the Magic Association and the Swordsman Association, and somehow acquired the king's seal."

"Hmm," Ling Chunann nodded, "If nothing unexpected happens, the one holding the coronation ceremony should be the male lead."

Rod was feeling particularly pleased now. With the Second Prince imprisoned by him, and the eldest prince lacking significant power, he had managed to keep him isolated from the coronation ceremony. By the time he realized, everything would be settled. Moreover, with Princess Karalana in his grasp, he could rightfully inherit the throne as the husband of the imperial princess.

The citizens filled the streets, celebrating the birth of the new emperor with joyous songs and dances.

In truth, most common people were only concerned about the stability of the country and didn't care much about who the king was. Thus, the coronation ceremony held little significance to them, and they were more excited about the month-long festivities ahead.

Rod ascended the high platform amidst the cheers of his supporters. Standing there was the Grand Bishop of the Temple. Rod stopped before the Grand Bishop, his eyes brimming with undisguised pride.

The Grand Bishop held a scepter, emitting a holy glow, his demeanor kind.

"Lord Rod Tolos, please tell the Almighty God why you wish to succeed as the leader of the empire?" 

"Because I wish to lead the empire to glory, to expand its territories, and to bring greatness to the land of Lant," Rod declared.

"Quite verbose," 098 couldn't help but comment on the male lead's speech.

"He's not wrong," Ling Chunann intercepted, "His reign did indeed lead to the expansion of the empire's territories."

098 shifted its stance. Yes, in the plot, the male lead did expand the empire's territories after becoming the emperor. However, he also turned the Lant Empire into a nation of war, plunging it into battles for a long time, causing suffering to the people.

"Now it's my brother's turn to appear." Just as Rod's lofty words captured everyone's imagination and the Grand Bishop prepared to crown him, Ling Chunann suddenly spoke up.

"We don't need war in our empire! We need peace! Therefore, you're not fit to be the king."

As soon as Ling Chunann finished speaking, a loud shout came from outside the crowd.

The crowd parted, revealing the majestic figure of the eldest prince behind.

He walked calmly and gracefully onto the platform, standing opposite Rod.

Upon seeing General Kurus behind the eldest prince, along with other high-ranking soldiers, Rod's expression soured immediately. He instinctively looked to his own forces, only to find that both the members of the Swordsman Association and the Magic Association had been replaced.

And the high priest he had brought, who had been so reverent until he saw the eldest prince, now showed great respect towards him.

Undoubtedly, he was now fighting alone.

What went wrong? Rod couldn't understand.

"Before my father passed away, he left a decree. The next heir to the throne is me." In front of the eager crowd, the eldest prince produced a white memory stone, showing the scene of the king's last moments.

Hearing the king clearly state that the next successor was the eldest prince, and witnessing the Second Prince's coercion afterwards, along with the sudden emergence of the princess's husband, the citizens, who were initially uninterested, suddenly became intrigued.

"I never believed the rumors of chaos within the royal family before. After all, the king and queen have always been very loving, and I heard that the princes get along harmoniously. I didn't expect such a big drama at the coronation."

"Yes, and a few months ago, it seemed that the king was still looking for a husband for the little princess. As a result, the Second Prince announced two days ago that she would marry a foreign prince. Today, another princess's husband appeared out of nowhere. The little princess is really pitiful."

"I think the Third Prince is the most pitiful. He was originally the most qualified to inherit the throne, but the king promised not to participate in the competition due to moral coercion. Not only that, he was also imprisoned by the Second Prince. I wonder how he's doing now."

...

Listening to the discussions, the eldest prince subconsciously looked to where Ling Chunann had been standing, only to find him smiling at him, a rare sight indeed.

Meanwhile, Rod, who had been staring coldly at the eldest prince, suddenly found himself discovered as he made his move. He was quickly taken away by General Kurus's men.

"Counterattack value +10%, current counterattack value is 100%, congratulations to the host for completing the mission," 098 exclaimed cheerfully, "Would you like to return to the system space immediately, host?"

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