Extra's POV: My Obsessive Villainous Fiancee Is The Game's Final Boss-Chapter 105: The Way Of Kings

Kane knew where he stood in the grand scheme of things but like many that had come before him, he wasn't content with it.

He sat at the long dining table, his fingers idly tapping against the polished wood as he stared at the large portrait of his father that had been hung on the wall opposite him. He tilted his head as he stared at the man, thanking him for showing him where he was and where he needed to be.

He was and had always been Kane Vermilion, second son of the king. Just by watching his father, he had learnt to be a man of careful patience. He'd put on the garments of an observer in a family of rulers and warriors. That was the only way to get what he wanted.

His elder brother, the Crown Prince, had been the perfect heir to their father. Dutiful, competent, and respected.

Their younger sister, while politically inconsequential with three male princes around her, had also served her purpose. She'd been married off and had given the crown a stronger bond with a certain family, a task made easier by her charm.

And then there was Anders, their black sheep of a half-brother, a man who danced too close to the flames and would ultimately get burned by it. By morning, his fate would be sealed.

Kane had spent his life hiding in the shadows of the rest of his family, shielding his ambitions behind his calm words and easy smile.

He had watched, listened, played the naive peacemaker, and waited while his father ruled, while his brother prepared to take the throne, while Anders spun his web of crime, thinking no one noticed.

None of them ever suspected him. They had dismissed him as passive, as someone content with his position. And this was the mistake he'd allowed them to make.

But that time was over.

The door swung open, and his elder brother, the Crown Prince strode in, his shoulders tense with exhaustion.

Their father hadn't even been dead for more than a few hours and the burden of ruling had already begun to show on his brother's face. If he was this weak now, how weak would he be when the crown touched his brow?

Kane almost spat in disgust. His brother did take after their father far too much.

"It's madness, Kane." The Crown Prince muttered, running a hand through his hair as he walked towards the table. "There are more dead ends in this investigation than dead ends in the tunnels below the city."

"Whoever assassinated father left no trace of Bloodbinding, no signature for anyone to follow. Just one. That damned One Shot."

Kane placed a comforting smile on his face, his brother returning the expression.

The crowned prince shook his head with a sigh, reaching for one of the bottles of wine resting on a side table.

He poured himself a generous glass and drained it in one go. "If we can find out who stole that artifact, we might finally know who pulled the bow on that arrow. And gods help them when we do."

Kane nodded along, pasting sympathy and understanding like old friends upon his face.

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"This throne," his brother continued, voice filled with frustration, "it's like a curse. The bloodshed after our father took it… If I'm not careful, history will repeat itself. Albion cannot afford another civil war."

Kane smiled. Genuine, in its own way.

"You're right." Kane murmured. "We can't afford war. We need strong leadership. A ruler with vision. Someone who will do what must be done, no matter the cost."

His brother frowned, his grip tightening around his goblet. His breathing suddenly turned shallow.

His eyes widened in horror, and his hand flew up to clutch his throat, a strangled noise escaping his lips as his body seized. The goblet fell from his grasp and shattered on the floor.

Kane slowly rose from his seat, wiping away any expression of sympathy from his face. He watched as his brother's knees buckled, his hands scraping uselessly against the table for support before he crumpled onto the floor, gasping for breath.

"I had hoped you would realize it before now." Kane mused, stepping around the table to crouch beside his writhing sibling. "I must admit, I expected more from you, brother. But no matter. You were always going to be the last hurdle I have to cross."

The Crown Prince's eyes bulged in confusion and shock, his lips moving without sound as he desperately tried to speak, to scream, to do anything. He couldn't believe that his brother, his sweet naive brother, had poisoned him.

Kane tilted his head, his voice taking on a soft, almost sympathetic tone.

"Our father was weak." He said. "He stagnated. He let Albion remain a kingdom when it should have been an empire. You would have done the same. Content to sit upon a throne, ruling over the same scraps while the rest of the world passes us by. That is not the way of kings."

The Crown Prince twitched, his body jerking violently as the poison spread through his veins.

"But me?" Kane continued, rising to his full height. "I will not stop at Rank 5. I will not stop at our borders. I will not stop until the world kneels at Albion's feet."

With one last spasm, the Crown Prince's body stilled.

Dead.

Kane sighed, looking down at him with an almost wistful expression. "You would have been in my way, brother. And I cannot tolerate obstacles."

The door swung open again, but this time, it was Lord Rosefield. The noble entered, dropping to one knee in front of Kane with his head bowed.

"Is it done?" Kane asked without looking at him.

Lord Rosefield nodded. "It is, Your Majesty."

Kane's lips curled into a smile at the title. "And the preparations?"

"All is ready, but the final step remains. The seed has been created. Now, it only needs power. Once it is given what it requires, we will unleash the plague upon Elnoria and bring the people to their knees."

Kane exhaled through his nose, taking a moment to savor what this meant.

The Red Plague.

A weapon unlike any the world had ever seen.

A kingdom soon to fall beneath Albion's might.

And the throne, finally his.

He turned back to Lord Rosefield, a smile stealing upon his face. "Prepare your daughter. She will serve as queen."

Lord Rosefield bowed deeply. "As you command."

Kane stepped over his brother's body, walking towards the balcony doors that overlooked the city of Steadfast.

A slight breeze blew past him as he stared at the colosseum where their father's body still lay. Then, his eyes drifted to the city proper, its lights twinkling like distant stars.

He placed his hands on the balcony railing, looking down upon the city that was now his.

"Prepare, Rosefield. It is time to crown a new king."