The Puppet Emperor Regresses

The healer quickly brought a cup of water to Mikhail's lips, supporting his head as he drank. The water was cool and sweet, with an undertone of herbs that soothed his parched throat.

While he drank his fill, his father and the healer paused, giving him a moment to collect himself. It was then that the familiar blue interface of the System flickered to life before his eyes:

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[System Alert: Host status updated]

Name: Mikhail Robinette D'Arcy Ironforge

Title: Fourth Prince of the Tiberian Empire

Age: 6 (Mental Age: 127)

Status: Recovering

 

Health: 65/100 [Regenerating]

Stamina: 40/100 [Regenerating]

Mana Heart: 0/200 [Dormant]

Aura Core: 0/200 [Dormant]

 

Attributes:

Strength: 8 [Above average for age]

Dexterity: 7 [Normal for age]

Constitution: 10 [Enhanced due to ritual]

Intelligence: 15 [Far above average]

Wisdom: 20 [Abnormally high due to reincarnation]

Charisma: 12 [Natural royal presence]

Magic Circle: 0

Aura Tier: 0

 

Unique Abilities:

Dual Core Cultivation (Hidden) [Mana Heart & Aura Core]

Temporal Consciousness [Memories and knowledge from past life retained]

Personal Dimensional Space

 

Achievements Unlocked:

"Beyond Expectations" - Endured the Rite of Ascension for an unprecedented duration.

"Sleeping Beauty" - Survived a 3-day coma following magical overexertion.

"Daddy's Favourite" - Gained the Emperor's personal attention and concern.

 

Skills:

Magic Sense (Level 1) - Ability to perceive mana.

Aura Sense (Level 1) – Ability to perceive aura.

Physical Endurance (Level 2) - Increased due to surviving the extended ritual.

Acting (Level 3) - Improved ability to conceal true thoughts and emotions.

Items Possessed:

Rare Skill Book "Foundations of Imperial Might"

 

Current Quests:

"The Path of Atonement" - Begin your intensive training regimen. Reward: Increased stats, new skills, improved relationship with the Emperor.

"A Second Chance" - Navigate your new life armed with knowledge of the future. Reward: Opportunity to change fate, prevent betrayals, reshape the empire.

 

Warnings:

Excessive use of future knowledge may alter the timeline unpredictably.

Dual Core nature must remain hidden to avoid suspicion and potential danger.

 

[System Message: The Host's unprecedented performance in the Rite of Ascension has altered the expected timeline. New opportunities and challenges may arise. The System congratulates the host on this unprecedented achievement. Proceed with caution.]

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Mikhail studied the information carefully, his mind racing with possibilities. The Dual Core Cultivation was a particular point of interest – he would need to be exceedingly careful to keep that hidden. If word got out about his unique ability, he had no doubts that he would become a target for every power-hungry faction in the empire.

The new skills were a pleasant surprise. Magic Sense and Aura Sense would be invaluable as he navigated the treacherous waters of imperial politics, while his improved Physical Endurance would serve him well in the gruelling training to come. As for Acting... well, that had always been one of his strong suits, hadn't it?

The Personal Dimensional Space and that odd skill book "Foundations of Imperial Might" intrigued him. He made a mental note to explore both as soon as he was alone.

Suddenly, he remembered his father and the healer were still in the room.

"I... I'm fine, Father," Mikhail managed after a moment, his voice a hoarse whisper. It felt strange to speak with a child's voice again, to look up at his father from the perspective of a six-year-old. "What happened?"

Tiberius exchanged a glance with the healer before responding. There was something in that look – relief mingled with lingering apprehension – that sent a chill down Mikhail's spine.

"You've been unconscious for three days, Mikhail. The Rite of Ascension took a greater toll than we could have imagined. You're a mana user now, thanks to that, Grand Mage Thorne managed to absorb most of the backlash the ritual caused."

Mikhail's eyes widened slightly at this information. Grand Mage Thorne had absorbed the backlash? That explained the mage's absence and hinted at the true extent of the ritual's power. He filed this information away for future consideration.

"Three days," Mikhail murmured, feigning surprise while his mind raced. Three days of unconsciousness, during which his body had been adapting to both the Mana Heart and the hidden Aura Core. No wonder he felt as if he'd been trampled by a herd of war mammoths.

He took a moment to assess his condition, reaching out with his newly awakened senses. The Mana Heart pulsed steadily in his chest, a wellspring of power that he could feel spreading throughout his body. And deeper, hidden beneath layers of flesh and energy, the Aura Core hummed with potential. Neither was fully developed yet, but Mikhail could sense the promise of incredible power.

"Did I... did I do well, Father?" Mikhail asked, allowing a note of childish insecurity to creep into his voice. Let them think him still the innocent child, overwhelmed by events beyond his understanding. It wasn't entirely an act – part of him, the part that remembered being a lonely, overlooked fourth prince, desperately craved his father's approval.

The Emperor's expression softened, if that were possible. He reached out, hesitated for a moment, then gently brushed Mikhail's hair back from his forehead. The gesture was so unexpected, so unlike the stern, distant father he remembered, that Mikhail had to fight to keep his composure.

'Is this the power of the Daddy's Favourite achievement?', Mikhail wondered. This is a truly remarkable thing!

"You did more than well, my son. You've shown potential beyond anything we've seen in generations." Tiberius paused, seeming to struggle with his words. "When the Rite began, we expected it to last a few minutes. But you endured for nearly an hour. The amount of magical energy you endured... it's unprecedented."

Mikhail's eyes widened, this time in genuine surprise. An hour? That's impossible! His own father's record was 45 minutes. No wonder Tiberius looked as if he'd aged a decade in three days.

"The backlash when you finally collapsed..." Tiberius trailed off, his gaze distant. "For a moment, we thought we'd lost you. If it hadn't been for Grand Mage Thorne's quick action..."

Mikhail made a mental note to reassess his plans regarding Thorne. In his past life, the man had been a literal thorn in his side, always pushing for more study, more training to make up for all the things he lacked. It felt like the mage was ridiculing him, always pretending he could be more than just a cripple, instead, he may have been helping in more ways than Mikhail had thought. Now, it seemed, he might be a valuable ally.

"When Grand Mage Thorne recovers from his own injuries due to absorbing the backlash you experienced, he will come to see you and stabilize your mana heart", Tiberius continued, his voice growing stronger. "Rest now."

"Not the Empress?" Mikhail asked cautiously.

"No, not the Empress," the emperor answered, with subtle regret colouring his words.

Since to their eyes, Mikhail was a mana user, his tutelage would have ordinarily been left to the empress and her family of mages. One aura user and one mana user always sat atop the throne. A Swordmaster and a Sorcerer, this is the way it had been since Emperor Darius's edict, joining the two most powerful forces in the Empire together. Rather than lose the power of mages after their rebellion, he chose to make it his own.

"You're too young to understand this now, but there are reasons that your education in mana is better left to the Grand Mage. It is better this way. Although the Empress's family has handled Aether's schooling, you will not join him," said the Emperor.

For a brief moment, Mikhail felt a pang of something dangerously close to affection. Then he remembered – remembered the betrayals, the manipulation, the years of neglect. This show of fatherly concern was too little, too late. Wasn't it?

Still, he thought as he dutifully nodded along with his father's plans, this newfound paternal interest could be useful. If the Emperor himself took an interest in his development, doors would open that had been closed to him in his past life. Resources he'd never had access to, training others received and he'd scorned in his arrogance, all would be his for the taking.

And yet... a small part of him, the part that was still a six-year-old boy desperate for his father's love, couldn't help but wonder. What if things could be different this time? What if he could have the family he'd always wanted, the support he'd always craved?

Mikhail ruthlessly squashed that line of thinking. He couldn't afford such sentimentality. Not now, not ever. He had a mission, a purpose. Revenge against those who had betrayed and scorned him, yes, but more than that, he had a chance to reshape the empire, to correct the mistakes of the past and build something truly great.

Let them think this brush with death had awakened some hidden potential. Let them believe they were molding him into the perfect prince. 

But the warning about altering the timeline gave him pause. He would need to tread carefully, balancing his foreknowledge with the need to maintain some semblance of the original timeline.

As his father and the healer left him to rest and recover his health, Mikhail's mind whirled with plans and possibilities. The game had indeed begun anew, and this time, he intended to be the master of the board.

A soft knock at the door interrupted his musings. "Enter," Mikhail called out, his voice stronger now.

The door opened to reveal a familiar face – Bella, the young maid who had wished him luck before the Rite of Ascension. She carried a tray laden with food, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and concern.

Although she was another of the Empress's spies, she was still new and untested. Her earlier mistake in extending her concern to him was evidence of that. She had not yet learned the dutiful disdain of the other maids.

"Your Highness," Bella said softly, setting the tray down beside his bed. "I'm so glad to see you awake. We were all so worried."

Mikhail studied her for a moment, weighing his options. In his past life, he had overlooked the potential of allies among the palace staff. This time would be different.

"Bella," he said, his tone serious but kind. "Thank you for your concern before the Rite. It meant more than you know."

"I... I'm just doing my duty, Your Highness." As Bella fussed with the tray, arranging the dishes just so, Mikhail made a decision.

"Bella," he said, "I have a feeling we're going to be good friends. Would you like that?"

The maid's eyes widened in surprise, but a genuine smile spread across her face. "I... yes, Your Highness. I would like that very much."

As Bella left the room, a new notification appeared before Mikhail's eyes:

[System Quest: The Unseen Web]

[Objective: Begin building a network of loyal allies among the palace staff.]

[Reward: Increased influence within the palace, access to hidden information.]

[Accept? Y/N]

Mikhail smiled. "Accept," he whispered.

With a contented sigh, he turned his attention to the dinner tray. He had a long road ahead of him, and he would need his strength. As he ate, Mikhail's mind whirled with plans and possibilities. The pieces were falling into place, and this time, he would ensure that every move counted.