"Fourth Son, Seventh Son, come with me."
The Fourth Prince and the Seventh Prince exchanged a glance at those words, each seeing a strange flicker in the other's eyes.
Their Elder Brother had been stripped of his surname, and their father had summoned only the two of them today. His purpose was already obvious.
Once they reached the garden, Solim looked at the flowers in full bloom, but he was in no mood to admire them.
"Sit down, both of you."
The two princes bowed respectfully, then sat primly beside the stone table.
Looking at the two sitting stiffly upright, Solim dispensed with the preliminaries and went straight to the point. "Of all those confined over the years, you two have been the most restless."
"Fourth Son, you've been recruiting adventurers. Of the fifteen adventuring companies in the Royal Capital with more than a hundred members, thirteen were secretly established by you. Am I wrong?"
Fear showed on the Fourth Prince's face. He had thought his actions were well concealed, never imagining that his father knew every detail.
Ignoring his Fourth Son, Solim turned to his Seventh Son and said gravely, "Of the thirty-seven merchant associations in the West City District, you control thirteen. You directly command more than a thousand combatants, and your indirect armed strength exceeds three thousand."
The Seventh Prince's legs trembled uncontrollably. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he swallowed his plea for mercy.
The victor took the throne; the defeated perished. Since he had been discovered, death was all that remained.
Solim looked away, his gaze settling on the countless flowers blooming in the garden. Slowly, he said, "I have expelled my eldest son from the royal family, so naturally, someone must take his place as Crown Prince."
"A foolish ruler will bring