Tyrant System: Rise of the Dragonblooded

The capital of the Solas Empire was a pressure cooker, and Prince Rin just cranked up the heat. For months, he'd been playing a deadly game of chess with his brother, Kaelion, and it looked like Rin was finally winning. He'd pulled off a masterstroke, turning the entire country against Kaelion by orchestrating the murders of key nobles: Lord Hesper, Lady Elenara, and Duke Ferron. Each death was a calculated move, painting Kaelion as a ruthless tyrant. The final touch? A staged "warning" on Duke Ferron, complete with a faked message blaming Kaelion. Genius, in a twisted kind of way.

The first noble died in his study.

Lord Hesper was known for his neutrality,too known. His letters to Kaelion, sealed and encoded, were intercepted only days prior. Rin had smiled faintly as he read them. A night later, the manor was quiet. Hesper's guards were fed poisoned wine. A black-cloaked figure entered through a broken window. He never screamed.

The second assassination happened in broad daylight.

Lady Elenara's carriage exploded just before it reached the central plaza. Her daughter, injured and bloodied, cried in front of the masses. Whispers filled the air. "Kaelion's hand…" "She was about to pledge loyalty to Prince Rin…" No evidence was found. That was the point.

The third was a warning.

Duke Ferron was popular,far too popular. He died last. A shadowy blade in the hallway of his own estate, slit throat and a message written in his blood: TRAITORS DIE ALONE. But this time, a guard survived,barely. And his panicked testimony, fed to him by a disguised agent, blamed Kaelion.

The dominoes were falling exactly as Rin had planned.

Inside the opulent royal court, the air crackled with fear and outrage. Nobles, their faces ghostly pale, clamored for Kaelion's head. "He murdered our allies!" they screamed, their voices echoing through the grand hall. Rin, calm as a millpond, surveyed the panicked crowd. He wore a thin black cloak over his white-scaled armor, a stark contrast to the chaos he'd unleashed. With a raised hand, he silenced the room, his white eyes burning with a theatrical intensity.

"My friends," he began, his voice ringing out, "citizens of our great empire… For generations, you stood by us. Now, I ask you, not as a prince, but as one of you,please rally with me. Fight against the tyrant Kaelion."

A collective gasp went through the room. Then, Rin delivered the final blow. "I cannot call him my brother any longer. He tried to kill me more than once. I tried to fix our house without shedding blood,but he is too arrogant. He thinks he rules the world."

The hall erupted in thunderous applause. Ryvaris, grinning like a madman, clapped the hardest. Rin subtly turned his head, a silent acknowledgment to his co-conspirator.

Outside, the streets buzzed with the same fervor. "He's right, Kaelion is a monster!" one man spat. "I heard Rin executed the assassins himself!" another declared, his voice full of admiration. An elderly woman shook her head. "I always knew Kaelion was mad… but to kill nobles in his own country?"

Bards were already composing new ballads, pamphlets were being churned out overnight. In the hearts of the people, there was no doubt: Prince Rin Ryvaris Solas was their savior, the protector standing between them and utter destruction. Even those who once feared him now saw him as a beacon of hope.

But Rin's victory, while impressive, was far from complete. Kaelion was still a threat, and this bloody sibling rivalry was tearing the empire apart. This was exactly what Arkan had foreseen months ago when he left for the capital. He knew the empire couldn't afford this internal bleeding, not with the looming threat from the West and the south.

Arkan had already met with Aurex and other high-ranking officials. His message to them had been clear: prepare four specific individuals. This wasn't just a political squabble anymore; it was a war that would decide the fate of the empire, and Arkan was ready to play his hand to ensure the right side won. The dominoes were falling, but Rin might just find himself caught in a cascade he didn't expect.