Peace is always abruptly shattered.
The notification of the king's passing came from the City System at a time when Morris Code was in his base, fretting over a concern that had nothing to do with the fear of death for the first time in a while.
The king's death was announced simultaneously through the City System. But even upon seeing the message he had dreaded so much that it gave him nightmares just the other day, Morris was far calmer than he had expected.
Who to side with, whether to claim the throne himself, how to avoid being killed. A conclusion had finally been reached on the matter that had tormented him for so long.
Morris Code would side with Alisha.
The catalyst for this decision needed no explanation—the sightseeing tour of Alisha Code that had been going on for the past few days.
He had been watching the whole time. Alisha, touring the city together with her companions, genuinely looked like she was having fun.
She harbored no resentment toward her upbringing, nor did she curse a fate far more tragic than what awaited Morris. She was delighted from the bottom of her heart to be touring the city called Code. Seeing that smile, Morris felt ashamed of himself—cowering in hiding, terrified of the brother who would claim the throne. And at the same time, he thought: he wanted to help Alisha.
If things stayed the way they were, she would be disposed of the moment the succession war began. While the house arrest had been lifted and irregularities were occurring, his sister still needed all the help she could get. And Morris had that help to offer.
A decisive weapon he had been secretly developing, now in the final stages of production.
It was a massive, human-piloted mechanized soldier.
Over ten meters long. Having consumed nearly all of his resources as royalty to produce just a single unit, the weapon boasted extraordinary performance.
If this weapon—an impenetrable shield, the mightiest sword, and the swiftest wings all in one—was deployed, there was even a chance of breaking through his meticulously prepared brother's security network and reaching the King's Tower first.
Morris understood he was not fit to be king. That was why he would not be the one to use it.
Alisha would. If his sister became queen, no one would have to be disposed of, and Code would become a more enjoyable place.
The remaining problem was how to get this weapon to Alisha. Morris had never even met her face to face.
Because Kenbi had chased away Alisha's guards, Alisha never came sightseeing in Morris's area. Not that there was anything particularly interesting in his area even if she had.
As he gazed up at the nearly completed weapon in his underground secret factory, wondering how to broach the subject, Kenbi arrived—the only human guard Morris currently had, a female swordswoman of fearsome skill.
"Prince Morris... The Code King has finally passed away."
"...Yeah, of course I know. I've made up my mind too."
Unlike last time, the rules for the succession were now known.
From this point forward, the king's area would be sealed off, reopening only after three days had passed since the passing. The royal who grasped the staff atop the King's Tower would become the next king.
Only three people—Angus, Tony, and Nora—had areas adjacent to the King's Tower.
Needless to say, the most advantaged was the First Prince, Angus Code. In addition to his military strength, his area occupied the most favorable position, directly adjacent to the broad front of the King's Tower.
His brother would likely deploy his forces across a wide area during the waiting period, obstructing any other royals heading for the King's Tower while simultaneously preparing his own advance.
"I've... decided to side with Alisha. The operational checks aren't complete yet, but the weapon just finished production."
At Morris's words, Kenbi's eyebrow twitched, and her gaze shifted to the towering mechanized soldier standing before them.
There were still things left to do, but he should have enough time before the fighting began.
"Hmm... So with this giant puppet, you think you can beat Prince Angus?"
"I don't... know. But it's better than having nothing."
Morris didn't have an accurate picture of the forces his brother had amassed. But with this weapon, he should at least be able to scatter the rabble.
Besides, even if this weapon alone wasn't enough to claim the throne, Alisha had the Thunder Emperor. With those two, they might just be able to outmaneuver Angus.
Kenbi stared at Morris for a while, as if gauging his expression, then shrugged.
"Oh well. Looks like you're dead set on it... Fine then... What a boring man."
"Huh!?"
Morris knew Kenbi was incredibly skilled. After all, she had cut through dozens of Morris's guards without a scratch.
But what happened right before his eyes now far exceeded his expectations.
Morris couldn't even see the instant the blade was drawn. A tiny snap echoed, and the room trembled.
The guard mechanized soldiers on alert around them were torn apart in an instant, and then— "Gah!? W-What are you doing, Kenbi?! You're my guard, aren't you!?"
The massive mechanized soldier Morris had poured all his resources into began collapsing with a groaning sound.
She had slashed it. And not just once.
Right before his eyes, she had carved apart the decisive weapon—ten meters of special alloy—into pieces. Without even checking the system, it was clear it was beyond repair.
Seeing Morris, pale-lipped and trembling, Kenbi sighed.
"Hehe... Prince Morris. I don't mean to be harsh, but unlike you, I didn't become a guard on a whim. Well, I only got close to you because someone asked me to—but if there was a real chance you'd become king, I might have been willing to play along seriously. But since you're not even aiming for the throne, that changes everything."
"Guh...! You understand what it means for a guard to draw a bow against royalty, you kn—"
"Hehe... You're the one who doesn't understand. If I had truly wanted to—if I'd had the mind to—all of this country's royals would already be dead. Code's power is certainly immense, but it's not enough to defeat an extraordinary individual. Code and I are different in the quality of destruction. That's exactly why I want it."
Sensing Morris's crisis, the defense system activated. But the turrets that sprouted and the small security robots that appeared were all torn to shreds the moment Kenbi drew her blade.
The security system would immediately respond even after being destroyed, but if Kenbi had truly meant it, Morris would have been long dead.
Kenbi looked down at Morris, who had collapsed on the spot, sheathed her blade, and spoke in a cold voice.
"Goodbye. I've destroyed the weapon you spent your resources on, so my role is done. A royal without resources is as good as nothing. You're free to do whatever you want now, Prince Morris."