Chapter 439: The Crown Prince’s Authority

The Crown Prince’s Authority

Then his voice rang through the silent street.

"Shut up and call me Your Highness!"

The words were not loud.

Yet they struck the entire street like a thunderclap.

For a moment, even the wind seemed to stop.

Dust drifted lazily through the air beneath the afternoon light. The banners hanging from the nearby buildings had gone completely still, while the soldiers surrounding the street stood frozen in place.

No one dared speak.

No one even dared breathe too loudly.

As soon as these words were spoken, James’s expression changed.

The old man’s face, which had been twisted by anger only moments ago, slowly stiffened.

His eyes widened.

A trace of disbelief appeared within them.

Kai’s words were undoubtedly the heaviest blow he could have dealt James.

Kai was the Crown Prince of the Drake Empire.

He was the future Emperor.

In terms of status, even though James was an elder member of the royal household and Kai’s uncle, there was still an enormous difference between them.

One was destined to sit upon the imperial throne.

The other was merely a member of the royal family.

By strict royal etiquette, James should bow respectfully and address Kai as Your Highness.

There was no room for familiarity in that hierarchy.

But their relationship had always been different.

They were uncle and nephew.

They had grown up knowing each other.

Their relationship had once been relatively close, and because of that familiarity, they had avoided many of the formalities normally required between members of the royal household.

James had called him nephew.

Kai had called him uncle.

It was natural.

It was comfortable.

It was something they had both taken for granted.

But now...

That familiarity had been cut away with a single sentence.

There were no family ties in Kai’s voice.

No affection.

No consideration.

Only authority.

James’s fingers trembled slightly beneath his sleeves.

He stared at Kai for several breaths.

He wanted to question him.

He wanted to ask why.

Why would he, his own nephew, suddenly speak to him like this?

Why was he willing to abandon their relationship for Leon?

What was so terrifying about that young man?

But the words refused to come out.

James knew the answer was already standing in front of him.

He simply did not want to accept it.

Kai had made his position clear.

There was no uncle or nephew here.

There was only a Crown Prince and a royal subject.

James’s jaw tightened.

His pride screamed at him not to bow.

But reason spoke louder.

He had already gone too far.

And if Kai was willing to treat him this coldly in front of everyone, then whatever background Leon possessed was clearly far beyond anything he had imagined.

James lowered his head.

"Your Highness."

His voice was stiff.

Respectful.

But beneath that respect was humiliation.

His expression completely darkened.

The moment those two words fell, the atmosphere became even heavier.

Several soldiers exchanged nervous glances.

They had witnessed the change.

Everyone had.

The uncle who had stood arrogantly in the middle of the street was now bowing before the Crown Prince.

And that alone told them everything they needed to know.

The General of Ashford City was even more shocked.

His pupils contracted.

A cold sensation crawled up his spine.

He immediately understood something that he desperately wished he had realized earlier.

He had truly offended someone he could not afford to offend.

Not merely someone powerful.

Someone terrifying enough that even the Crown Prince of the Drake Empire treated him with absolute respect.

The General of Ashford City swallowed hard.

His palms were already sweating.

He glanced toward Leon.

The young man stood quietly among the crowd.

Long, shoulder-length black hair moved gently in the breeze.

His purple eyes were calm.

His midnight robes, decorated with thin amethyst embroideries, fluttered softly around him.

There was no anger on his face.

No arrogance.

No desire to explain himself.

That calmness suddenly made the General of Ashford City even more afraid.

Damn it...

The General of Ashford City cursed inwardly.

This old fool is courting death.

He actually dragged me into this.

He had only come because James had summoned him.

He had assumed this was nothing more than a dispute between a powerful royal official and an unknown cultivator.

James had told him to come and support him.

So he had come.

He had brought soldiers.

He had surrounded the area.

He had even prepared himself to intervene if things became violent.

At the time, it had seemed like a simple matter.

Now?

The army had already spread throughout the streets.

Their presence was impossible to hide.

Their weapons were already drawn.

The meaning behind their arrival was obvious.

Even if he had a hundred mouths, he could not explain this situation clearly anymore.

The General of Ashford City looked toward Kai.

His heart pounded heavily.

He could not lose his position as general.

He had spent years climbing to where he was.

A single foolish decision should not destroy everything.

Especially not because of James.

He immediately stepped forward.

"Your Highness, I’m just here to go through the motions. What happened here has nothing to do with me."

His voice came out faster than intended.

He hurriedly bowed.

There was no trace of the arrogance he had shown earlier.

His posture had changed completely.

He was practically trying to separate himself from James in front of everyone.

The soldiers behind him noticed it.

Some lowered their weapons slightly.

Others exchanged awkward glances.

No one wanted to be caught in the middle of a conflict involving people far above their station.

The General of Ashford City continued speaking quickly.

"I only came because I was summoned. I did not know the circumstances. I certainly had no intention of offending anyone."

He wanted to say more.

He wanted to explain everything.

But the words felt increasingly useless.

Because the moment Kai arrived, the situation had already changed.

This was no longer a dispute between ordinary cultivators.

This was a matter involving the Crown Prince.

And behind the Crown Prince stood Leon.